text:
Questions and Answers on the Commission's proposal to tackle the debt-equity bias in taxation (DEBRA) - Hoofdinhoud
Met dank overgenomen van Europese Commissie (EC), gepubliceerd op woensdag 11 mei 2022.
What is the debt-equity bias?
Most countries, including in the European Union, treat debt more favourably than equity from a tax perspective. They do so by allowing interest payments to be deducted from their taxable income, while not offering the same allowance to equity. This gives businesses a major incentive to borrow, rather than to fund new investments by increasing capital.
Why is the debt-equity bias a problem?
The debt-equity bias can encourage companies to make their business decisions based on the related tax treatment, rather than on commercial considerations. This can lead to some companies choosing debt financing over equity, even if it is not the best option for them. Equity should receive similar tax treatment as debt, so that companies can consider both options on an equal footing and choose the source of financing that is best for their business-model.
What are the advantages of tackling the debt-equity bias?
Addressing the debt-equity bias could contribute to the re-equitisation of companies, making them stronger and more resilient to shocks. Equity is also particularly important for fast-growing innovative companies in their early stages and for companies that wish to expand globally.
The green and digital transitions require new investments in innovative technologies. More than 50% of green investment in the coming years is estimated to come from new technologies, requiring more risk financing. Equity will therefore have an important role in fostering the sustainable transition towards a greener economy and in Europe's overall growth and economic stability.
What is the European Commission proposing?
The Commission's proposal will create a level playing field for debt and equity, from a tax perspective, thereby removing taxation as a factor which can influence companies' funding decisions. The proposal would make new equity tax deductible, just as debt currently is.
A more favourable rate of deduction is proposed for SMEs, given that they have more difficulty in accessing equity markets than larger companies.
How will this work in practice?
The equity allowance would be computed based on the difference between net equity at the end of the current tax year and net equity at the end of the previous tax year, multiplied by a notional interest rate. This means that the allowance would be granted only for the sum of equity increases over a specific year.
The notional interest rate is the 10-year risk-free interest rate for the relevant currency, and increased by a risk premium of 1% or, in the case of SMEs, a risk premium of 1,5%.
The allowance on equity is deductible for 10 consecutive tax years, as long as it does not exceed 30% of the taxpayer's taxable income.
Moreover, if the allowance on equity is higher than the taxpayer's net taxable income, the taxpayer may carry forward the excess of allowance on equity without a time limitation.
Taxpayers will also be able to carry forward their unused allowance on equity which exceeds the 30% of taxable income, for a maximum of 5 tax years.
Lastly, the proposal introduces a reduction of debt interest deductibility by 15%, so to better mitigate the debt-equity bias, not only from the equity side but also from the debt side.
How does this fit into the wider Commission tax agenda?
In May 2021, the Commission published its Communication on Business Taxation for the 21st Century, which sets out a long-term vision to provide a fair and sustainable business environment and EU tax system, as well as targeted measures to promote productive investment and entrepreneurship and ensure effective taxation. DEBRA was one of the actions proposed to help businesses left vulnerable by the COVID crisis, preventing insolvencies and instability.
The proposal also contributes to the EU's Capital Markets Union Action Plan (CMU), which aims at helping companies raise the capital they need, particularly as they navigate the post-pandemic period. The CMU incentivises long-term investments to foster the sustainable and digital transition of the EU economy.
Link to the legal text
origineel bericht: 'Questions and Answers on the Commission's proposal...'
'Ik maak graag en regelmatig gebruik van de website Europa Nu om snel betrouwbare feitelijke informatie over de Europese Unie bij de hand te hebben.'
Europarlementariër CDA
Nieuws-items bij Europese Kapitaalmarktunie
Questions and Answers on the Commission's new proposals to make clearing services in the EU more attractive
Questions and Answers on the Commission's proposals on corporate insolvency and listing
Vennootschapsbelasting: Commissie stelt fiscale prikkel voor eigen vermogen voor die goed is voor de groei en (veer)kracht van bedrijven.
Questions and Answers on the Commission's proposal to tackle the debt-equity bias in taxation (DEBRA)
Questions and Answers: reviewing the Central Securities Depositories Regulation to boost the EU's Capital Markets Union
Kapitaalmarktenunie: Commissie verlengt in de tijd beperkte gelijkwaardigheid voor centrale tegenpartijen in het VK en start raadpleging om centrale clearingactiviteiten in de EU uit te breiden
McGuinness nieuwe Eurocommissaris. Dombrovskis krijgt handel
Press statement by President von der Leyen on the composition of the College
EU-akkoord over wet duurzaam investeren
Capital Markets Union: Council adopts legislative reforms


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Settling Down: Jason Quilliam finds a home in Saskatchewan
After a military career that's taken him around the world and across the country, Jason Quilliam has found his niche as the province's chief of protocol.
Bryn Levy
Over the course of a wide-ranging interview, Maj. Jason Quilliam probably has the hardest time answering what for most people is a fairly easy question: Where are you from?
"That's a tough one, honestly. Growing up in a military family, you're a bit of a wanderer," he says.
Quilliam was born in Portage la Prairie, Man., where his father worked as a firefighter with the Canadian Forces. However, the family moved several times for his father's postings — first to Nova Scotia, then to Germany, then back to Nova Scotia, the province where Quilliam says it's probably fairest to say he grew up.
Quilliam graduated from high school in 1997 and quickly moved to trade his cap and gown for fatigues and combat boots.
"I didn't even apply to any other universities. I applied to the Royal Military College (RMC). As 18-year-olds kind of tend to do, I was putting all my eggs in one basket," he says.
He got in, but says there was absolutely no doubt he'd have found another way to join the military if he'd been rejected.
"It was the family business, in a way," he says, pointing not just to his father's service, but also his maternal grandfather's 30-year military career. His paternal grandfather was a Second World War veteran and reservist and he can trace his family's military service back to the First World War.
While he admits to being "an indifferent student" in his pursuit of a history degree with a minor in English, he says his time at RMC in Kingston was about much more than academics.
"It teaches you about honesty, integrity and duty above all else."
After completing his program at RMC, Quilliam went on the Canadian Military Police Academy in Borden, Ont.
Major Jason Quilliam poses for a photo at the United Nations peacekeeping base in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. (Photo courtesy of Jason Quilliam) Photo courtesy of Jason Quilliam
He says being a military police officer is largely the same as being a cop in any other community — with the biggest difference being that the community an MP is asked to serve and protect is made up of about 100,000 people operating all across the country and around the world.
By 2004, Quilliam was stationed in Halifax, where he would work his way up to deputy naval provost-marshal — Atlantic, essentially the deputy chief of military police for the Canadian navy on the East Coast.
While in that role, he deployed to Afghanistan for the first time in 2006. He served as the head of the Canadian Forces police detachment at the Kandahar airfield. While he says he arrived well-trained and prepared, the experience was still an eye-opener for a relatively new officer.
"There's people there who actively want to see you fail at what you want to do, who actively want to see you dead," he says.
Maj. Jason Quilliam, Chief of Protocol, Government of Saskatchewan in his office in Regina, Sask. on Dec. 5, 2019. TROY FLEECE / Regina Leader-Post
Despite the high-stress environment, Quilliam says his team "moved the yard sticks in the right direction" over the course of his tour.
"That's, frankly, why you join. That's why I joined, to serve my country and to serve my country overseas."
While serving in Afghanistan, Quilliam met Candyce Marcoux, his future wife. She was serving as a civilian with the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency.
"We met there and then we got in touch again after we got back to Canada and we went from there," Marcoux says.
In 2009, Quilliam was asked to return to Afghanistan. This time, the stakes were even higher, because he and Marcoux had only just welcomed their newborn son.
"I had a six-week-old at home at the time," Quilliam says. "To leave for seven months at an interesting crossroads like that was, looking back on it, that was pretty crazy."
Marcoux was able to lean on her family in Saskatoon for help with the baby while Quilliam was overseas.
He was originally sent to serve as a police adviser with the Kandahar reconstruction team, but Quilliam ended up assigned to a mixed unit of military police and members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry who travelled to the four districts around Kandahar to help train Afghan police officers.
The assignments meant travelling to risky parts of the country, where police recruits are often targeted by the Taliban.
"Every day was life and death for them. I have all the respect in the world for those folks over there," he says.
By 2011, Quilliam was back in Canada, working in Victoria as the military police chief for the Pacific Navy. When his contract with the Canadian Forces was up, he was faced with a tough choice: sign on again and go for 20 years of service, or call it a career at 14 years.
Major Jason Quilliam aboard a South African military helicopter while serving as a peacekeeper in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo courtesy of Jason Quilliam
It took some soul-searching, but ultimately, his young family tipped the scales.
"The idea of (our son) growing up without his cousins and grandparents around, he made the decision," Marcoux says.
Quilliam, then 32, had only known military life, but he wanted something different for his son.
"I really wanted to settle somewhere. I wanted to raise my family kind of in one place, surrounded by family and give them the opportunity to know their extended family in a way that, frankly, I just didn't by dint of all the moves over the years."
Quilliam and Marcoux chose to make their home in Saskatchewan, where Quilliam promptly joined the 38 Canadian Brigade Group as a reservist.
"I think it was a salve that softened the blow of leaving the Canadian Forces," he says.
Along with his role as a company commander with a service battalion in the reserves, Quilliam worked briefly as an inspector with the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. While he was in that role, he saw a posting for what would become his second career — chief of protocol for the Government of Saskatchewan.
The job saw Quilliam and his family make one more move, this time from Saskatoon to Regina.
He's been in the position for about eight years — minus one more trip overseas. This time, he went as a reservist with the United Nations peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
"There was always something in me that wanted to put on that blue beret," he says of the posting, in which he served as a staff officer helping to draw up and deliver operational plans for some 16,000 peacekeepers.
Marcoux says she always knew Quilliam would go back overseas to serve.
"I think him getting to go away and act in that role is great — every once in a while, not constantly. If it's every 5 years, I can handle that," she says with a laugh.
After returning from the DRC, Quilliam's role with the reserves shifted from commanding a service unit to a signals squad, a role he's held since 2017.
Marcoux says she, Quilliam and their son have found a nice rhythm since moving to Regina.
"I love that he loves Saskatchewan."
Chief of Protocol Jason Quilliam speaks at the Government of Saskatchewan's Service of Remembrance on Nov. 6, 2019 in Regina, Sask. Photo courtesy of the Government
As chief of protocol, Quilliam is in charge of the provincial honours system, which includes the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the province's highest civilian honour. He's also the provincial government's point man when it comes to accommodating members of the Royal Family and other foreign dignitaries and he's called on to organize and emcee events, from award presentations to more solemn occasions such as remembrance ceremonies and state funerals.
"I'm an executive director in the public service. What I get to do is, I get to stand at the shoulder of giants. I get to watch royalty, ambassadors, lieutenant-governors, premiers," he says.
Quilliam was appointed chief of protocol in 2012, shortly before the visit of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. In the course of the events tied to the royal visit, he met Michael Jackson, a former chief of protocol who held the post from 1980 to 2005.
Quilliam got in touch after the visit to see if Jackson had any advice to offer.
"I found it very generous and open on Jason's part, and we've become very good friends since then," Jackson says.
With his own 25 years of experience in the role, Jackson says Quilliam is an excellent fit, who brings the best aspects of his military experience with him.
"Jason is a very good choice, in my opinion, for this position. He's very capable. He has good judgment and — a very important thing for his position — he's unflappable."
Quilliam credits his military experience with teaching him leadership, something he says comes down to three pillars: "You need to learn to be a follower before you can lead others; there needs to be a sense of servant leadership — you're leading others on behalf of the Canadian people; and continuous improvement — be a master of your craft, always seek more education."
As chief of protocol, Quilliam says he enjoys the chance to help connect Saskatchewan people with their history, but he's quick to credit the efforts of his team for his successes.
"I'm lucky enough to have some amazing protocol officers who work with me."
He says he often looks at the photo wall in his Regina office as a reminder of his role. It includes photos from every Order of Merit ceremony since the award was introduced in 1985.
"If you name someone who's done prominent things in Saskatchewan in the last 35 years, they're on my wall. Or, if they're not, this might be a good time to remind your readers to nominate," he says with a laugh.
While the job isn't without challenges, he says telling someone they're going to be honoured remains his favourite part of the role.
"There's an incredible humbleness that is almost invariably expressed back to me. You know: 'Are you serious? Why me? There's so many others.' It's part of that Saskatchewan spirit, I think."
blevy@postmedia.com
Read: Citations for six Saskatchewan Order of Merit recipients
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sammorris12
About sammorris12
sammorris12 replied to sammorris12's topic in Video Gaming
Whoops, must have missed the original. I remember searching for it and not finding anything though...
sammorris12 posted a topic in Video Gaming
Has anyone played Papers, Please? Just finished the short beta and I'm really into it. You play as an Arstotzkan Border Patrol Inspector, who has to deal with the queue of documents and constantly changing bureaucracy. It reminds me of CartLife in the best way possible, but the gameplay loop feels more defined. The beta is free and it took me about 30 minutes or so to get through. Definitely worth a Sunday afternoon playthrough. http://dukope.com/
sammorris12 replied to mikemariano's topic in Video Gaming
Finally got around to playing this after picking it up in a Steam sale from long ago. I'm fairly impressed and like everyone who's late to this thread, I'm surprised at the reaction to it. Granted, it makes a terrible first impression before you learn what it's trying to do. It's slow and punishes you with it's pace if you don't know where you're going. As soon as I figured it out I was more patient with it. It's probably not a game in the traditional sense but it was a nice change of pace, told an interesting story and was short enough to play in one sitting.
sammorris12 replied to Thompson's topic in Video Gaming
Just started playing it tonight. It's not bad, I'm not really sure I'll finish it but I'm enjoying just running around the island encountering stuff. The game still manages to throw up interesting scenarios. I just had one mission where I was meant to sneak into this base to plant a bomb. I kind of went the wrong way as the mission wanted me to go to a look out to scope the base out beforehand and in trying to avoid being spotted I bumped into a couple of guards who just pulled in on a boat. I imagined to quickly take them both out but the original I guy spotted me and set off the alarms. I then basically kited them around the base until I was on the complete opposite side of the base. Then out of nowhere a tiger attacks me, I'm nearly dead but manage to climb up onto a rock. At this point the tiger is just staring up at me, trying to get up but can't. So now I'm frantically throwing rocks at 8 or so guards that were originally chasing me to regain their full attention. One by one I lure them up near this ridge I'm on so the tiger can eat them. Pretty sweet. Oh then I killed the tiger and made some stylish ammo holder out of it. Video Games. @Tundra I'm guessing you're playing on a PC. What setup have you got? Mine is about two years old and I was fairly happy with how my game looked until seeing those shots.
sammorris12 replied to toblix's topic in Video Gaming
Or he's just turned them all into 11 dollar bills
The Nintendo Wii U is Great Thread
sammorris12 replied to BigJKO's topic in Video Gaming
This is a bit worrying. Everyone who seems aware of the Wii U is wanting to wait until it gets better software / see what Microsoft and Sony do. While everyone who bought a Wii as their first console, has no idea what a Wii U is. Apart from the Nintendo faithful, who is buying one?
sammorris12 replied to melmer's topic in Video Gaming
It's a shame because so much of that game was based on the immediate community reaction to it. But it's still worth playing if you've manage to avoid spoilers so far.
While I think storytelling is one of their strengths, building a world and game that matches it isn't. I think Chris summed it up well when talking about Max Payne 3. Like how throughout that game Max is talking about how much of a loser he is and how he fucks everything up. Then ten seconds later he's driving a speed boat off a ramp, diving out of the boat, wasting like 10 guys while diving through the air before comfortably landing on someone else's boat. It was the same with GTA4 where every character wanted to 'get out of the game'. The Ballad of Gay Tony was a great example of this, the protagonist has just gotten out of jail, doesn't want to get involved in crime anymore, kills 50 cops in first mission. Even Niko's story in GTA4 was strange for its serious story set in a world filled with adverts for drinks called Sprunk while chat radio hosts just made dick jokes. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed GTA4, and I'll probably enjoy GTA5. But, 4 felt incredibly conflicted. I really hope they can get everything focused in one direction for GTA5. Personally, judging from the trailer alone, it's not what I want out of a GTA game anymore. It looks goofy and over the top, which they've had a great knack for in the past, but Saints Row 3 serves those needs now and GTA4 was more interesting for it's more serious storytelling tones.
First PC in 9 years; what should I play?
sammorris12 replied to fausto higgins's topic in Video Gaming
Pretty much this. If you're catching up, and have no order to your list, just get games as they get reduced on Steam. Then drown in games when the Christmas sale happens.
Lost progress
sammorris12 replied to Sno's topic in Video Gaming
I had Crackdown fail on me after someone inadvertently bought the game save destroying DLC on my account. Luckily it was the Keys to the City thing, that essentially lets me cheat my way to where I was before in a couple of minutes. I was more irritated that I was incredibly close to getting all achievements, and the way they work meant that I would have to sink hours into it to get even close to where I was. At least you can't lose the collect all orbs achievement.
There's a disappointing lack of support for Fez in this thread, so I'll give that mention. Fez. I'll probably remember Hotline Miami and Journey when the year has long been over. I've struggled to enjoy many mainstream releases this year, although I've still got a lot of games yet to play (Dishonored, Syndicate, Forza Horizion, Most Wanted and a few more).
If you know anyone who can beat a stage of Hotline Miami in less than 10 attempts, I'd love to meet him. The latter half of the game, I probably approached 30, 40, 50 restarts per game. I think they do a good job of making respawning as quick as possible and not making a big deal of it. I found it fairly easy once I had a good strategy for a room, to implement that strategy time and time again. Sometimes the game does throw a curve ball, but as long as you can stay patient before entering rooms, you should find some success.
Polygon (internet website)
sammorris12 replied to I_smell's topic in Video Gaming
Yeah it seems weird to hold your head high about how you're resetting games journalism, especially after everything that has happened, and then delete comments that criticise you. If they were honest in making a nicer looking version of Kotaku, I would have been fine with it. It's a shame because The Verge is one of the best sites on the internet, imo.
Just finished it, wow, what a game. I mean, I don't remember having strong feelings of relief for completing the simplest of tasks in a video game before. Then the scene at the end... Either way, this game looks and sounds unlike anything I've ever played before and tells it's story in a very interesting way. Definitely one of my favourite games of the year.
Maximillian Payne: Part Trois
sammorris12 replied to ThunderPeel2001's topic in Video Gaming
Sorry to dig this thread back. I completed it over the weekend, just thought I'd post some thoughts into this box on the internet. Still not entirely sure what to think about it. Brendon Chung's post sums up most of my issues with the game. Standing up before getting in cover, changing to pistols after a cutscene, waiting after a last stand - these all suck. They're all fairly obvious problems the game, I can't imagine they didn't come up in development. The game is so lacking in variation that the least I'd expect are well-considered and implemented combat mechanics. I kind of felt the game was way too long as well, when it became clear that it wasn't going to do anything different from what it was doing at the start, I was ready for it to end a good four hours before it did. Fair play to Rockstar for really making Max Payne their own, it's kind of a gusty call even if you are Rockstar. However, I'd rather that took it in a less generic route. For the most part it kind of felt like I was playing the worst bits of Uncharted for twelve hours. I'm probably making it out to be worse than it is, it is enjoyable. It's probably just tough to live up to the name.
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One of the naturally occurring chemicals that are produced in food as it is cooked or baked. Typically, foods with higher levels of starch, such as potatoes or products made from potatoes, produce Acrylamide when they are fried, due to the temperatures reached during the cooking process. However, there are many other foods that also contain this chemical, such as roasted nuts, snack foods, taco shells, juices, such as prune juice that is processed at high temperatures, granola bars, cereal, and a variety of other processed foods. It is also a chemical that is used for industrial purposes such as the production of organic chemicals and textile dyes as well as a coagulant added in small, regulated amounts for use in treating drinking water. Water from treatment facilities using the chemical appears to have one of the lowest levels of Acrylamide being consumed daily, containing .015 micrograms per ounce of water in comparison to French fries that can contain from 10 to 13 micrograms of the chemical per ounce of fries.
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Q: Copying a graphic to a TMetaFileCanvas outside the screen dimensions We have a problem with the TMetaFileCanvas output when drawing an image to a coordinate outside of the screen resolution. Vector operations seem to have no issues but image operations are just "ignored". If we draw the same image to a coordinate within the screen bounds then there are no issues.
For example. This SSCCE will produce 4 output files. The bitmap variant has no problems and will output as expected with the red square in the top left hand corner for inscreen.bmp and the red square in the bottom right hand corner for outsidescreen.bmp. The inscreen.emf meta file works as expected with the red square drawn in the top left corner. outsidescreen.emf doesn't work and only the line is drawn.
program Project6;

{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}

{$R *.res}

uses
  System.SysUtils,
  System.Types,
  Windows,
  Vcl.Graphics;

const
  SIZECONST = 3000; // should be larger than your screen resolution
  OFFSET = 1500;

  function GetMyMetafile(const aHDC: HDC): TMetafile;
  var
    metcnv: TMetafileCanvas;
  begin
    Result := TMetafile.Create;
    Result.SetSize(500, 500);

    metcnv := TMetafileCanvas.Create(Result, aHDC);
    metcnv.Brush.Color := clRed;
    metcnv.FillRect(Rect(0, 0, 500, 500));
    metcnv.Free;
  end;

  procedure OutputToMetaFile(const aFilename: string; const aStartOffset,
      aEndOffset, aMaxSize: Integer; aGraphic: TGraphic; aHDC: HDC);
  var
    metafile: TMetafile;
    metcnv: TMetafileCanvas;
  begin
    metafile := TMetafile.Create;
    try
      metafile.SetSize(aMaxSize, aMaxSize);

      metcnv := TMetafileCanvas.Create(metafile, aHDC);
      try
        // draw it somewhere offscreen
        metcnv.StretchDraw(Rect(aStartOffset, aStartOffset, aEndOffset, aEndOffset), aGraphic);
        metcnv.MoveTo(aStartOffset, aStartOffset);
        metcnv.LineTo(aEndOffset, aEndOffset);
      finally
        metcnv.Free;
      end;

      metafile.SaveToFile(aFilename);
    finally
      metafile.Free;
    end;
  end;

  procedure OutputToBitmap(const aFilename: string; const aStartOffset,
      aEndOffset, aMaxSize: Integer; aGraphic: TGraphic);
  var
    bmp: TBitmap;
  begin
    bmp := TBitmap.Create;
    try
      bmp.SetSize(aMaxSize, aMaxSize);

      bmp.Canvas.StretchDraw(Rect(aStartOffset, aStartOffset, aEndOffset, aEndOffset), aGraphic);
      bmp.Canvas.MoveTo(aStartOffset, aStartOffset);
      bmp.Canvas.LineTo(aEndOffset, aEndOffset);

      bmp.SaveToFile(aFilename);
    finally
      bmp.Free;
    end;
  end;

var
  mygraph: TMetafile;
  bigBitmap: TBitmap;
begin
  bigBitmap := TBitmap.Create;
  try
    bigBitmap.PixelFormat := pf24bit;
    Assert(bigBitmap.HandleType = bmDIB, 'Handle Type should be a DIB');
    bigBitmap.Width := SIZECONST;
    bigBitmap.Height := SIZECONST;
    mygraph := GetMyMetafile(bigBitmap.Canvas.Handle);
    OutputToMetaFile('inscreen.emf', 0, 1000, SIZECONST, mygraph, bigBitmap.Canvas.Handle);
    OutputToMetaFile('outsidescreen.emf', OFFSET, SIZECONST-1, SIZECONST, mygraph, bigBitmap.Canvas.Handle);

    // do the same using bitmap
    OutputToBitmap('inscreen.bmp', 0, 1000, SIZECONST, mygraph);
    OutputToBitmap('outsidescreen.bmp', OFFSET, SIZECONST-1, SIZECONST, mygraph);
  finally
    bigBitmap.Free;
    mygraph.Free;
  end;
end.

Can anyone see what the problem is or do you know of a work around for this?
Update
I should have included this when I originally asked the question. We did test using the HDC for a large bitmap and that exhibited the same problem. I have updated the example code to demonstrate this.
Update 2
Unfortunately the solution is still elusive even after the bounty. Any BitBlt operation outside the screen size is not drawn.
Here is a extraction of the Metafile operations when the image is in the bounds of the screen coordinates:
R0001: [001] EMR_HEADER (s=108) {{ Bounds(500,500,18138,18129), Frame(0,0,105000,105000), ver(0x10000), size(688), recs(33), handles(2), pals(0), dev_pix(1080,1920), dev_mil(381,677), pixf_size(0), pixf_ofs(0), openGL(0) }}
R0002: [033] EMR_SAVEDC (s=8)
R0003: [115] EMR_SETLAYOUT  (s=12)  {iMode(0=<default>)}
R0004: [028] EMR_SETMETARGN (s=8)
R0005: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 0=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0006: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 7=OBJ_PEN.(PS_SOLID | COSMETIC)}
R0007: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 14=OBJ_FONT}
R0008: [025] EMR_SETBKCOLOR (s=12)  {0x00FFFFFF}
R0009: [024] EMR_SETTEXTCOLOR   (s=12)  {0x00000000}
R0010: [018] EMR_SETBKMODE  (s=12)  {iMode(2=OPAQUE)}
R0011: [019] EMR_SETPOLYFILLMODE    (s=12)  {iMode(1=ALTERNATE)}
R0012: [020] EMR_SETROP2    (s=12)  {iMode(13=R2_COPYPEN)}
R0013: [021] EMR_SETSTRETCHBLTMODE  (s=12)  {iMode(1=BLACKONWHITE)}
R0014: [022] EMR_SETTEXTALIGN   (s=12)  {iMode(0= TA_LEFT TA_TOP)}
R0015: [013] EMR_SETBRUSHORGEX  (s=16)  {ptlOrigin(0,0)}
R0016: [058] EMR_SETMITERLIMIT  (s=12)  {Limit:0.000}
R0017: [027] EMR_MOVETOEX   (s=16)  { ptl(0,0)}
R0018: [035] EMR_SETWORLDTRANSFORM  (s=32)  {xform(eDx:500.000000, eDy:500.000000, eM11:5.039683, eM12:0.000000, eM21:0.000000, eM22:5.037203)}
R0019: [036] EMR_MODIFYWORLDTRANSFORM   (s=36)  {iMode(4=MWT_??), xform(eDx:500.000000, eDy:500.000000, eM11:5.039683, eM12:0.000000, eM21:0.000000, eM22:5.037203)}
R0020: [115] EMR_SETLAYOUT  (s=12)  {iMode(0=<default>)}
R0021: [070] EMR_GDICOMMENT (s=40)  {GDI.Begin Group}
R0022: [039] EMR_CREATEBRUSHINDIRECT    (s=24)  {ihBrush(1), style(0=BS_SOLID, color:0x000000FF)}
R0023: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Table object: 1=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0024: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Table object: 1=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0025: [076] EMR_BITBLT (s=100) {rclBounds(500,500,18138,18129), Dest[x:0, y:0, cx:3500, cy:3500)], dwRop(0x00F00021), Src[x:0, y:0, xform(eDx:0.000000, eDy:0.000000, eM11:1.000000, eM12:0.000000, eM21:0.000000, eM22:1.000000), BkColor:0x00000000, iUsage:0, offBmi:0, Bmi:0, offBits:0, Bits:0]}
R0026: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Table object: 1=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0027: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 0=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0028: [040] EMR_DELETEOBJECT   (s=12)  {ihObject(1)}
R0029: [070] EMR_GDICOMMENT (s=20)  {GDI.End Group}
R0030: [034] EMR_RESTOREDC  (s=12)  {iRelative(-1)}
R0031: [027] EMR_MOVETOEX   (s=16)  { ptl(500,500)}
R0032: [054] EMR_LINETO (s=16)  { ptl(1000,1000)}
R0033: [014] EMR_EOF    (s=20)  {nPalEntries:0, offPalEntries:16, nSizeLast:20}

Here is a extraction of the Metafile operations when the image is outside the bounds of the screen coordinates:
R0001: [001] EMR_HEADER (s=108) {{ Bounds(1500,1500,2999,2999), Frame(0,0,105000,105000), ver(0x10000), size(588), recs(32), handles(2), pals(0), dev_pix(1080,1920), dev_mil(381,677), pixf_size(0), pixf_ofs(0), openGL(0) }}
R0002: [033] EMR_SAVEDC (s=8)
R0003: [115] EMR_SETLAYOUT  (s=12)  {iMode(0=<default>)}
R0004: [028] EMR_SETMETARGN (s=8)
R0005: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 0=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0006: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 7=OBJ_PEN.(PS_SOLID | COSMETIC)}
R0007: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 14=OBJ_FONT}
R0008: [025] EMR_SETBKCOLOR (s=12)  {0x00FFFFFF}
R0009: [024] EMR_SETTEXTCOLOR   (s=12)  {0x00000000}
R0010: [018] EMR_SETBKMODE  (s=12)  {iMode(2=OPAQUE)}
R0011: [019] EMR_SETPOLYFILLMODE    (s=12)  {iMode(1=ALTERNATE)}
R0012: [020] EMR_SETROP2    (s=12)  {iMode(13=R2_COPYPEN)}
R0013: [021] EMR_SETSTRETCHBLTMODE  (s=12)  {iMode(1=BLACKONWHITE)}
R0014: [022] EMR_SETTEXTALIGN   (s=12)  {iMode(0= TA_LEFT TA_TOP)}
R0015: [013] EMR_SETBRUSHORGEX  (s=16)  {ptlOrigin(0,0)}
R0016: [058] EMR_SETMITERLIMIT  (s=12)  {Limit:0.000}
R0017: [027] EMR_MOVETOEX   (s=16)  { ptl(0,0)}
R0018: [035] EMR_SETWORLDTRANSFORM  (s=32)  {xform(eDx:1500.000000, eDy:1500.000000, eM11:15.108969, eM12:0.000000, eM21:0.000000, eM22:15.101533)}
R0019: [036] EMR_MODIFYWORLDTRANSFORM   (s=36)  {iMode(4=MWT_??), xform(eDx:1500.000000, eDy:1500.000000, eM11:15.108969, eM12:0.000000, eM21:0.000000, eM22:15.101533)}
R0020: [115] EMR_SETLAYOUT  (s=12)  {iMode(0=<default>)}
R0021: [070] EMR_GDICOMMENT (s=40)  {GDI.Begin Group}
R0022: [039] EMR_CREATEBRUSHINDIRECT    (s=24)  {ihBrush(1), style(0=BS_SOLID, color:0x000000FF)}
R0023: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Table object: 1=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0024: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Table object: 1=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0025: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Table object: 1=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0026: [037] EMR_SELECTOBJECT   (s=12)  {Stock object: 0=OBJ_BRUSH.(BS_SOLID)}
R0027: [040] EMR_DELETEOBJECT   (s=12)  {ihObject(1)}
R0028: [070] EMR_GDICOMMENT (s=20)  {GDI.End Group}
R0029: [034] EMR_RESTOREDC  (s=12)  {iRelative(-1)}
R0030: [027] EMR_MOVETOEX   (s=16)  { ptl(1500,1500)}
R0031: [054] EMR_LINETO (s=16)  { ptl(2999,2999)}
R0032: [014] EMR_EOF    (s=20)  {nPalEntries:0, offPalEntries:16, nSizeLast:20}

You can see very clearly that the BilBlt operation (R0025 in the first one) is missing.

A: You are creating TMetaFileCanvas with the ReferenceDevice parameter set to 0, so it will set ReferenceDevice to the HDC from GetDC(0), ie the screen. ReferenceDevice is used for getting resolution and capabilities that are used during the EMF drawing.  For instance, when the TMetaFile's dimensions are empty, TMetaFileCanvas uses the dimensions of ReferenceDevice.  TMetaFileCanvas then creates a HDC for itself that has a bounding rectangle based on the dimensions of either the TMetaFile or ReferenceDevice, whichever one was valid.
So, to work around your issue, provide a ReferenceDevice that is large enough to handle your drawing.  You can pre-size the TMetaFile dimensions to the desired max size before creating the TMetaFileCanvas, but you will likely have to create a TBitmap of the desired max size and use its Canvas.Handle as ReferenceDevice instead of using the screen.
Internally, TCanvas.StretchDraw() just calls TGraphic.Draw().  TMetaFile.Draw() "plays" the metafile onto the target canvas's HDC.  When that HDC is the one created by TMetaFileCanvas, you cannot draw outside the dimensions assigned to that TMetaFileCanvas.

A: program Project1;
{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}

uses
 SysUtils, Types, Windows, Graphics;

const
 SIZECONST = 3000; // should be larger than your screen resolution
 OFFSET = 1500;
var
 //holds millimeter per pixel ratios
 MMPerPixelHorz,
 MMPerPixelVer: Integer;

 procedure CreateMyMetafile(var HmyGraphic: HENHMETAFILE; aHDC: HDC);
 var
  R: Trect;
  TheBrush: HBRUSH;
  OldBrush: HBRUSH;
  MetafileDC: HDC;
begin
  R:= Rect(0, 0, 100*MMPerPixelHorz, 100*MMPerPixelVer);
  MetafileDC:= CreateEnhMetaFile(aHDC, 'myGraphic.emf', @R, nil);

  TheBrush:=CreateSolidBrush(RGB(255, 0, 0));
  OldBrush:=SelectObject(MetafileDC, TheBrush);

  Rectangle(MetafileDC, r.Left, r.Top, r.Right, r.Bottom);

  SelectObject(MetafileDC, OldBrush);
  DeleteObject(TheBrush);
  HmyGraphic:=CloseEnhMetaFile(MetafileDC);
end;

procedure OutputToMetaFile(const aFilename: string; const aStartOffset,
     aEndOffset, aMaxSize: Integer; aHDC: HDC);
var
  r: Trect;

 ReferenceRect: TRect;
 MetafileDC: HDC;
 HMetaFile, HMetaMyGraphic: HENHMETAFILE; {EMF file handle}
begin
 //create our reference rectangle for the metafile
 ReferenceRect:= Rect(0, 0, aMaxSize * MMPerPixelHorz, aMaxSize * MMPerPixelVer);

 //Create First EnhMetaFile
 CreateMyMetafile(HMetaMyGraphic, aHDC);

 MetafileDC:=CreateEnhMetaFile(aHDC, pchar(aFilename),@ReferenceRect, nil);
 //SetMapMode(MetafileDC, MM_ANISOTROPIC);

 try
   r:= Rect(aStartOffset, aStartOffset, aEndOffset, aEndOffset);
   PlayEnhMetaFile (MetaFileDC, HMetaMyGraphic, r);

   MoveToEx(MetafileDC, aStartOffset, aStartOffset, nil);
   LineTo(MetafileDC, aEndOffset, aEndOffset);
   HMetaFile:=CloseEnhMetaFile(MetafileDC);

 finally
   DeleteEnhMetaFile (HMetaFile);
   DeleteEnhMetaFile (HMetaMyGraphic);
 end;
end;

var
 WidthInMM,
 HeightInMM,
 WidthInPixels,
 HeightInPixels: Integer;

 bigBitmap: TBitmap;
 mHDC: HDC;
begin
  bigBitmap := TBitmap.Create;
  try
    bigBitmap.PixelFormat := pf24bit;
    Assert(bigBitmap.HandleType = bmDIB, 'Handle Type should be a DIB');
    bigBitmap.Width := SIZECONST;
    bigBitmap.Height := SIZECONST;
    mHDC:= bigBitmap.Canvas.Handle;

   //retrieve the size of the screen in millimeters
    WidthInMM:=GetDeviceCaps(mHDC, HORZSIZE);
    HeightInMM:=GetDeviceCaps(mHDC, VERTSIZE);

   //retrieve the size of the screen in pixels
   WidthInPixels:=GetDeviceCaps(mHDC, HORZRES);
   HeightInPixels:=GetDeviceCaps(mHDC, VERTRES);

   MMPerPixelHorz:=(WidthInMM * 100) div WidthInPixels;
   MMPerPixelVer:=(HeightInMM * 100) div HeightInPixels;

   OutputToMetaFile('inscreen.emf', 500, 1000, SIZECONST, mHDC);
   OutputToMetaFile('outsidescreen.emf', OFFSET, SIZECONST-1, SIZECONST, mHDC);
 finally
   bigBitmap.Free;
 end;
end.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Objects & Collections
A Look Inside
Fairs calendar
Auctions calendar
Issue: CC102
A bit about the boteh
Persia, paisley, floral, flaming...
All illustrations by CC
More widely known in the UK as 'paisley' the boteh motif dates back thousands of years to the ancient Persian Empire. It adorns the columns of the 9th century Noh Gonbad Mosque and is present on the crowns and clothing of Persian kings in numerous portraits.
Kashmir shawls with the boteh motif made their way along the Silk Road to Paisley in Scotland in the 1800s. Paisley was Europe's top producer of textiles and producing shawls at an industrial rate, these shawls using the boteh motif became known as the paisley design.
Meanings shift with time and migration, so let's explore some of the different meanings that have been associated with the boteh.
Boteh border on a Persian rug – The Emporium Hungerford
Boteh border on a Qashqai rug (circa 1900) – Rug Addiction at Home & Colonial
Floral and flame-like boteh
The style of boteh that is widely used in the West, especially during the 1960s and 1970s, is curved and clearly botanical. It is often filled with smaller floral motifs, has a pair of sepals at its base, and has other boteh or sprigs growing from its stem. While nomadic tribes constructed simpler, geometric boteh, this more intricate version developed with the more complex city carpets and in Mughal India – some considering it an Indian symbol of fertility and growth. These later versions sometimes incorporated a frilled outline which some argue is the merging of the floral spray with the cypress tree motif.
Cypress tree
An interesting association as the cypress tree is in itself considered a recognisable motif (straighten the boteh's curl and there you have it). It is a symbol of everlasting life – not surprising when you consider the Cypress of Abarkuh has been stood in Iran for over 4000 years, said to be planted by Zoroaster. Also said to be planted by Zoroaster is the Cypress of Kashmar featured in the epic poem Shahnameh, where a branch of the cypress was brought from paradise by Zoroaster and planted at the entrance of the first fire temple.
The fire temple link leads us quite nicely to the next association…
The eternal flame
Without a doubt, the shape of the boteh captures the movement and shape of a flame. This association is also rooted in Zoroastrian traditions, with fire a symbol of purity, central to worship and which burns continuously in fire temples.
Variations of the boteh and how they compare
While of course the boteh doesn't look like a sun, symbolically it makes sense. The sun, like the flame, is important as a source of light to Zoroastrians. In ancient Persia, the god of sun was Mithra. Interestingly, some consider the cypress tree as being symbolic of Mithra.
So while you may see different meanings associated with the boteh, always present are the very common themes of divinity and eternal life.
To read our feature on the mythology and mystique of Persian carpets, click here.
Through dirt covered glasses
Loose limbs telling time
Nov 22, 2021 kara
Fairs adverts
Auctions adverts
MCMXCV - MMXXI
© Collected Objects Ltd.
Need more magazines?


text:
Blankenbach is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany, and a member of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (Administrative Community) of Schöllkrippen.

Geography

Location

The community lies some 17 km from Aschaffenburg and Alzenau. Together with the communities of Kleinkahl, Krombach, Schöllkrippen, Sommerkahl, Westerngrund and Wiesen, Blankenbach forms the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (Administrative Community) of Schöllkrippen in the Kahlgrund.

History

Amalgamations
In 1966, the two communities of Großblankenbach and Kleinblankenbach, which lay on the Kahl's right and left banks respectively, merged into the community of Blankenbach. While Großblankenbach had formerly belonged to the Counts of Schönborn, Kleinblankenbach had been an Electoral Mainz holding.

Politics

Community council

The council is made up of 12 council members, not counting the mayor.

(as at municipal election held on 2 March 2008)

Coat of arms
The community's arms might be described thus: Gules a bar wavy argent, in chief a wheel spoked of six of the second, in base a lion passant queue fourchée Or standing on an abased partition per fess dancetty of three below which argent.

The community of Blankenbach came into being in 1966 through the merger of the formerly self-administering communities of Großblankenbach and Kleinblankenbach. The Kahl split these two communities, as symbolized by the wavy bar in the arms. Until the 19th century, the river formed the border between two lordly entities, with Großblankenbach being ruled by the Counts of Schönborn. This is shown in the arms by the lion, taken from the arms once borne by the Schönborn family, who governed the community for the Archbishopric of Würzburg, symbolized in the arms by the dancetty (that is, zigzag) partition in the base of the escutcheon, based on a similar partition in the arms borne by the bishops, and known as the "Franconian rake". The six-spoked wheel (the Wheel of Mainz) refers to Electoral Mainz's lordship over Kleinblankenbach.

The arms have been borne since 1967.

Culture

Culinary specialities
Wine pressers in the community and Apfelwein from Blankenbach are known well beyond the Kahlgrund and look back on a long tradition.

Economy and infrastructure
For the lime kiln that was built after 1900 on the Kahlgrundbahn railway line, the raw material was brought by a cableway from the limestone pits at Sommerkahl and Eichenberg.

References

Aschaffenburg (district)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Osx Python 2.7 not a supported wheel on this platform I'm trying to install sling on a mac with python 2.7 and pip 10.0.1:
 sudo  pip install http://www.jbox.dk/sling/sling-1.0.0-cp27-none-linux_x86_64.whl

but I received the error
 sling-1.0.0-cp27-none-linux_x86_64.whl is not a supported wheel on this platform.

I also tried the -H flag as specified in other posts but it doesn't help. Is there any way I can install a linux whl on a mac? Any help appreciated.

A: You're trying to install a linux wheel onto MacOS — that surely doesn't work. You have to find a wheel for your platform or compile from sources.


Telling stories through moving image is one of our main passions. Over the years we have made many TV commercials, TV idents, music videos, corporate and lifestyle videos, web documentaries and digital installations. We have extensive experience in direction (16mm. 35mm, digital cinema) and we also self shoot on DSLR's and Super 35 digital cameras. We also colour grade and edit completely in-house.
We love animation! Unlike live action animation has no boundaries so we can take ideas anywhere. We have made many animated music videos, TV idents, promos, commercials, product videos and presentations. We have extensive experience in 2d and 3d animation, and also integrating 3d into live action. All of our animation is designed, built and illustrated in-house.
Photography is another of our passions and we love capturing single moments. We have been taking photographs since the days of film but now are totally immersed in digital imaging. We specialise in lifestyle, landscape, corporate, conceptual, and portrait photography. Our experience in directing film means we know how to get the best out of any model.
Our graphic design careers began in print for the music and TV industries. We then moved into the digital world where we have designed many album covers, brand identities, brochures, posters, websites and campaigns for a multitude of clients. We apply our design expertise to all of our disciplines including branding, websites, illustration, film, animation and photography.
All work Copyright © 2017 Studio Wallop.


text:
The greatest game of all time
For some reason I was reading a technical article on Wikipedia, and in four inevitable clicks I found myself on the page for Super Mario Brothers, the greatest and most popular game of all times. Back when my parents had bought a TV game system, I was rationed 30 minutes of game time every day. Though the cartridge had 76 games, Super Mario was the clear choice on many of those days. Now that I use a Nintendo emulator, the game still remains the alpha dog.
For die hard fans, here are some awesome renditions of the opening theme of the game --- flute beatboxing, clarinets, flute and clarinet, piano, guitar, Guitar Hero, acappella, church organ, and an orchestra rendition.
Some very unusual and highly creative renditions --- with an ordinary 20cm ruler, and another with a toy car and dozens of beer bottles!!
Posted by Asterix at 4:50 PM 3 comments
Let me get some ketchup so I can eat my words
Okay, now that the circus is over, the time has come to evaluate our predictions.
Rank Predicted Actual
1 Kolkata Knight Riders Chennai Super Kings
2 Bangalore Royal Challengers Mumbai Indians
3 Delhi Daredevils Bangalore Royal Challengers
4 Kings XI Punjab Deccan Chargers
5 Mumbai Indians Delhi Daredevils
6 Chennai Super Kings Kolkata Knight Riders
7 Deccan Chargers Rajasthan Royals
8 Rajasthan Royals Kings XI Punjab
As the alert reader will notice, we managed to make only eight mistakes out of a grand total of eight. Now I am not one to make excuses, so I will not try to wriggle out of this embarrassment. Instead I will point out the probability of getting every single rank wrong if I were to guess wildly --- around 37%.
Machine learning and marriage
(With apologies to those who do not know machine learning)
I had a dream of benzene proportions a few nights ago. For some inexplicable reason,
I was pondering about marriage a lot that night. Not my marriage, but marriage in
general -- why do guys go for it? what is the benefit to both the parties etc? The usual stuff, no biggie. I forgot about it and went to bed thinking about Mount Doom as usual.
Three hours later, I was talking to myself in a dream:
Me1: You know that a single guy is like a very high dimensional vector with high density and very few zeros.
Me2: No kidding! Why?
Me1: A single guy holds a lot of opinions on thousands of issues, is quite dogmatic, has two cents on every problem, and everything is important to him. If you ask him anything, you will rarely draw a blank.
Me2: Hmmm fair enough I guess, go on.
Me1: A girl is like a projection matrix and a marriage is like projecting the guy vector on a low dimensional space with high sparsity.
Me2: I don't get it. Why is marriage a sparse vector in low dimensions?
Me1: Think about it. Marriage means finding commonalities between the two people => low dimensions, and marriage really depends only on a select few solid traits => sparsity. After marriage, the guy lets go (or has to let go) of most of his opinions, 'compromise' and focus only on the important things.
Me2: Ok fine, marriage is a sparse vector in a low dimensional space. Big deal. What's your
Me1 (smiling): My point?
Me2 (impatient): Yes, your point.
Me1: Johnson Lindenstrauss lemma
Me2: Johnson Lindenstrauss lemma?
Me1: Precisely.
Me2: ??
Me1 (beatific smile):
Me2: OH!!!
Me2: Man! You just blew my mind!
For those of you who are not aware of the lemma, it states that with high probabilily, any random projection matrix can be employed to project a high dimensional vector into a low dimensional one, with small loss in the resulting transformation. For marriage it means that do not think about who you should marry, just pick a random girl, and with high probability the end outcome won't be too bad ;-) I fell into a blissful sleep after that.
Probably the only time in my life when I impressed myself.
PS: Would have loved to see an XKCD cartoon of that.
Posted by Asterix at 5:19 PM 10 comments
IPL Predictions - part 3
As we write the final part in this prediction series, we humbly note that at least two of our earlier predictions has come true -- Sehwag made a characteristic 8(6) in the match against Punjab, and Sreesanth did take his wicket, although sitting in US we couldn't see if Sreesanth ran a half-marathon victory lap or not.
Now without further delay, our final two teams are:
Bangalore Royal Challengers (RC)
New Motto: Now with jerseys redder than our faces when we lose the final
At the time of writing, RC have yet to play a game, and so we can still speculate who the captain is going to be. Since Mr Skunk Hairdo is still playing in Bangladesh, RC's megalomaniac owner has no choice but to give the captaincy once and for all to Kumble. Since the Kiwis are playing against Australia right now, it means that Mr Beer Belly aka Jesse Ryder, and Mr I-don't-play-any-off-side-shots Ross Taylor are out for at least a few weeks. Thus it is the South Africans that RC must trust, after all they provide four members of the squad.
It is our prediction that without Taylor and Pieterson, RC will find it difficult to make do with the antics of Roelef Van der Merwe and Uthappa. We expect them to lose more than half their league matches in the first three weeks. This will be followed by a slight revival on the return of Taylor (maybe winning three consecutive matches), only to find out that it is almost too late, which will lead Kumble to adopt his familiar angry constipated look. In the last few crunch matches, RC will raise their game however, make the final four, and will probably beat Delhi Daredevils (who are just dying to lose in the semis) to reach the final against KKR. An hour before the final, we expect Kumble to give a stirring LOTR pre-war speech to his wards.
"Men inside the bewdaas, I see in your eyes the fear of Shane Bond that will take the heart of me! A day will come when we will play on to our stumps, but it is not this day! A day might come when we all fall to Mendis, when even Agarkar gets a wicket, but it is not this day! I say, this we fight! This day we SLOG SWEEP!"
The story of the final has been told elsewhere, but we expect Kumble to take at least 3 wickets, including that of Dada (trapped in front). At the presentation ceremony, Kumble, as the losing captain, will make a solemn speech -- "Only one team played in the spirit of the game, and it was not us" before correcting himself 2 seconds later.
Prediction: 2
Reaction: Megalomaniac eating his red RC cap for the second consecutive year.
Let's face it. RR are a completely unpredictable bunch, and we saw that in the match against Mumbai, where they almost made it after making reservations in the parade of the losers.
So what is it going to be this year? It is tempting to say they will be in the bottom two, because that is the only position remaining in our predictometer, but let's try to justify, shall we?
First, is it just us, or is Shane Warne fatter than even his usual chubby standards? When he runs in the infield, he looks like a sloth bear gently ambling onto the nearest tree in search for shade.
But let us not go by the looks, for he is still sharp as a tack. Instead, let us look at the changes. They do not have Watson or Tanvir (or Mr Butterfingers aka Kamran Akmal for that matter). On the plus side, they only have the formidable presence of Pathan and the equally formidable absence of Kaif. Some might argue that Asnodkar will find it easy to play in the Indian pitches with his 4' 3" frame (discounting his second ball run-out yesterday), but we find him over-rated, like Kamran Khan and Ravindra Jadeja (also absent). Shaun Tait will not matter much on these pitches, but Damien Martyn will, sadly he will not get to play much.
All in all, if Yusuf and Smith fail, RR will be reduced to becoming everybody's favorite whipping boy. We don't expect to see Shilpa and Shamita Shetty jumping up and down in the stands very often this year. Consequently we arrive at the inevitable conclusion.
Prediction: 7 or 8
Reaction: Shane Warne nonchalantly drinking beer and playing poker with the crowd at deep extra cover, and Yusuf Pathan making his usual angry monkey faces (except against Deccan for obvious reasons) after every loss.
Posted by Asterix at 11:48 PM 3 comments
IPL Predictions (part 2)
We present the second part in the three part series on IPL predictions. Part 1 is here.
New Motto: IPL? 1 million dollars. Champions League? 2.5 million. A hug from Preity? Priceless.
Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Behind a successful team is also a woman, preferably beautiful and giving out hugs to select players after victories. KXIP's run in this IPL, while not truly platinum, will still be golden. That is, if you can call losing in the semis golden. Well, the Delhi Daredevils call it golden, so golden it is. Our trust in KXIP's golden patch is well founded because of several strong reasons, not many of which have to do anything with cricket.
First, Preity is no longer in a relationship. This means she will be giving out proper hugs to the entire team, without incurring the wrath of Ness Wadia. As any Indian male will tell you, a hug can work wonders, especially with babies like Sreesanth on board. As a backup, those who do not get hugs will get one from VRV Singh, for obvious non-veg reasons that we refuse to discuss. Secondly, in their opening match against Delhi, Sreesanth will clean bowl Sehwag, and in celebration will run three victory laps and a 2-mile run outside the stadium, while IPL shows ads. This will leave him with no energy to play the rest of the tournament, which means a better bowler will take his place. Third, Sangakkara will replace Yuvraj as a captain, freeing the latter to play his natural game or picking his nose at backward point without the fear of camera zoom-ins. Corollary: Sangakkara will not be able to pick his nose.
These positive developments can only mean one thing.
Reaction: Preity jumping up and down in the dug-out will finally cause a cave in, and the Mohali ground will become as sloped as Lord's.
Deccan Chargers
New Motto: Yo Afridi! Now we too play home games away from home.
Let's face it, Chargers are the new Pakistan. Well not exactly, for they were not the victims of terrorism or bombings. Just some true blue Hyderabadis, who ensured that Gilchrist won't be able to play in the batsman-friendly Hyderabad stadium. Instead they will play in Nagpur and another city whose name rhymes with buttock (yes, we find it funny). While we don't know if this will lead to butt-clenchingly tight matches or a loose flow of runs, we do know that Gilchrist won't give a damn. One opposition bowler will be picked at random (last year it was Nannes), and he will carted for 5 or 6 boundaries in his first over, thereby completing the proof that T20 is definitely not a bowler's game. Last year, seasoned career bowlers like Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma had bowled hat-tricks. This time our money is on young Harmeet Singh, whose express pace of 128ks will distress all and sundry on Indian pitches. Also, replacing Fidel Edwards will be Kemar Roach, a bowler whose name makes the batsman instinctively reach out for Baygon spray, losing their wicket in the process. RP Singh will keep things balanced by providing his usual 4-0-48-0 at the other end. However, overruling them all will be the mercenary Symonds, who will continue exploiting cricket grounds smaller than Mumbai apartments. Watch out Kolkata! you got competition.
Prediction: Runner up by a small margin. After all, Bond. Shane Bond.
Reaction: Wayne Parnell of Delhi will announce his retirement after being pounded for 6 fours in his opening over against Gilchrist. Also, VVS Laxman will manage to show genuine happiness inspite of not playing a single match.
New Motto: The team of brothers and bosoms.
The motto is obviously derived from the most puke-inducing statement of the year,viz Matthew Hayden's proclamation -- "I have been welcomed into the bosom of India as a brother". We predict that Dhoni will continue to inspire his team with honest statements like "Our bowling was quite short of the mark", "Our bowling needs to improve drastically in the next game", "We cannot afford to field like this in the finals" and so on. As a result, CSK will continue to deliver gems like this.
We now digress and make two statements about CSK that have nothing to do with predictions. First, we think that watching Hayden and Parthiv Patel strolling out to bat is the funniest possible sight in IPL. They look like Goliath and David, like a lion and a (dwarf) gazelle, like Morgoth and Pippin, like a kangaroo and its prematurely born baby. Parthiv's desperate attempts at growing a moustache makes it funnier. Second, we believe that Sivaramanahasapeemapetilon, or whoever is the CSK drummer, is highly overrated who should be made to listen to his own 'music' (if you can call it that). If wearing a bandana and showing 'passion' was enough, I would be giving Bono a run for his money.
Coming back to predictions, everyone knows that Super Kings rely on just three players --- Hayden, Raina and Murali. It is our conviction that since Hayden will be busy exploring India's bosom and what not, it will be up to Raina and Dhoni to score quickly. Since Dhoni's pilot license is still pending, he will not be allowed to play his favorite helicopter shot, thereby curtailing his array of shots to just one -- the unsightly scoop over short fine leg. Realizing this, Dhoni will promote Kemp and Albie Morkel to do the hitting, who will be as lost on Indian pitches as a kid in a topless bar (hat tip: Sidhu). So we don't expect to see anything great coming out of CSK this year, except the occassional victory here and a fielding gem there.
Reaction: "Our goddamn bowlers and SOB fielders really need to improve dammit! I am serious!" - Dhoni.
We work in Machine Learning down here in our secret labs, and by we I obviously mean me and my alter ego. Before you say "Machine Whaaaa?", let me say that my job is to make 'intelligent' predictions. Since the IPL is near, this can only mean one thing.
We break our self-imposed blog exile by posting a series of predictions about the IPL rankings this year. Anyone using these predictions for betting or gambling better give me 10% of the winnings.
We begin with part one.
a) Delhi Daredevils:
New Motto: "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Hurray for the bridesmaid!"
DD's game plan is to perform really well in the league stage. This leaves them with no mojo for the semi-finals, where they inevitably lose big time. Having perfected the fine art of finishing 3rd or 4th, my predictometer says that the result this year will not be any different. We predict that DD will be carried by the awesome trio, i.e. Warner, AB, and Dilshan, while Sehwag provides consistent scores of the form 4(3) and 8(4). Let us not forget Gambhir, who will probably pitch in with gritty knocks of 7(12) and 15(14). We expect to see plenty of first over dismissals when DD is batting.
In the bowling department, Nannes will again have a golden patch (except the semis, ouch!), and Nehra will provide support in fits and starts with figures like 4-0-32-1. Again, Vettori and Dilshan will lead the spin attack, with Mishra busy mis-fielding at mid-on. New boy Parnell will not be used heavily as all four foreign slots will have huge contenders. Consequently Pradip Sangwan will tell his grand-children that he kept Parnell on the bench. Paul Collingwood and Moises Henriques will be utilized to do what they do best -- fetching water and towels.
Prediction : 3 or 4
Reaction: Hurray! We get to play in the Champions League!
b) Mumbai Indians:
New Motto: "Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, one match at a time".
MI have lost so many matches in the last over that one wonders if Nita Ambani has any of her manicured nails left. This hurts them a lot as they always succeed in finishing a comfortable 5th or 6th (Hey! it is better than 8th, they say). However things might change as Mukesh Ambani has sold off his house to pay for Kieron Pollard in the latest auction. If Pollard displays his famed hitting skills even twice, Mumbai may threaten to break into the top-4. But we know MI very well, don't we?
We predict that Jayasuriya will finally succumb to his age, thus nullifying the Pollard factor, and Sachin will play the "Tendulkar card", whereby the entire Indians team will collapse after he gets out. In the middle order, Duminy will fall first ball LBW to
every spinner, mistaking him for Bhajji. Thus, even Mishra from Delhi will get his wicket. Therefore, the only Mumbai Indian who can erroneously propel the team into the top-4 is Abhishek Nayar. If MI play their cards right, they will have to ensure that he gets out before that. Maybe Dwayne Bravo or Bhajji can run him out.
As an aside, in the two matches against Rajasthan Royals, old-timers will have a mini-orgasm after seeing a sum total of five balls that Warne bowls to Sachin (at least one of which will be hit inside out over extra cover). We also predict that this time Bhajji will slap Brett Lee by mistake, and then walk with a pelvic plaster cast after that.
Reaction: Either "Sachin: the ball was coming onto the bat" or "At least it is better than finishing last."
c) Kolkata Knight Riders:
New Motto: "Is baar to karbo larbo jeetbo re $@#$@#!"
Ah! the KKR, how we love them and hate them. All that we remember from KKR @ IPL 2009 is Dada's glowering and sulking face. But this time to udi baba re! they are in for a solid surprise. The captaincy will revert to Dada, and with the dictatorship restored, things will run much more smoothly. The line up will be "Gayle, Dada, Hodge, Hussey, unmentionables, equally unmentionable Agarkar,...,Bond". Gayle will again enjoy the lifeless pitches in India, making scores like 48(31) and 66(39), while Dada will be the perfect foil with scores like 4(13) and 22(35), with an average opening partnership of 55 runs. As before, Hodge and Hussey will win matches for KKR (if any). So what is the difference then? Well, there are three.
One -- the alert reader might notice the absence of McCullum, the ex-captain. While the official reason will be that he is busy playing against Australia, Dada will secretly celebrate at not having to deal with his old-flame. A happy captain always inspires. Given that Dada can neither bat nor bowl and definitely not field in T20, it is imperative that he at least remains positive. Two -- Bond, Shane Bond. He will single handedly give KKR two wickets per match, with figures like 4-0-18-2. Care must be taken that his figures are not nullified by Agarkar, or Kaan Moolo as he is better known these days. Three -- the law of the underdogs. In the long history of IPL, one has seen that the supposed underdogs always perform the best.
Rajasthan did it first, and Deccan/Bangalore did it next. Well last year, KKR were not even the underdogs, they were the fleas on the underdogs. Inevitably, they will perform HUGE this year.
Together, these three immutable laws can mean only one thing.
Prediction: WINNER! (Yes, holy sh**, even I can't believe what I predict!)
Reaction: My name is Khan and I am finally a goddamn IPL winner!
(Subsequent parts to be posted later)
This birthday ain't too bad after all
My last few rants..
Running smoothly on the engine of cynicism since 1980.


text:
Las verdes praderas és una pel·lícula espanyola dirigida per José Luis Garci el 1979, crítica feroç a la classe mitjana aburgesada de l'època de la Transició espanyola.

Aquesta pel·lícula de José Luis Garcí és, per a alguns crítics, potser, una de les més infravalorades i desconegudes de la seva filmografia. Curiosament i malgrat al pas del temps, el seu missatge de crítica al consumisme de la classe mitjana continua plenament vigent.

Luis García Berlanga li va proposar afegir al final una escena en la qual els personatges, després de cremar el seu xalet, veien un altre en un anunci i el tornaven a comprar.

Argument
El matrimoni Rebolledo, José (Alfredo Landa) i Conchi (María Casanova), amb els seus dos fills, semblen la família perfecta. Ell té un bon treball en una companyia d'assegurances i la seva dona l'estima sincerament. Poden permetre's alguns capritxos i han adquirit un xalet a la Sierra de Guadarrama (Madrid), on passen els caps de setmana en companyia de família i amics, fent esport i barbacoes. No obstant això, aquesta aparent felicitat amaga una sensació de profunda frustració per l'estil de vida escollit. José no acaba de trobar el seu lloc en aquest escenari de comoditat i aburgesament i decideix trencar amb això.

Repartiment
 Alfredo Landa - José Rebolledo
 María Casanova - Conchi
 Carlos Larrañaga - Ricardo
 Pedro Díez del Corral -	Alberto
 Cecilia Roth - Matilde
 Norma Aleandro - Fidela

Premis
35a edició de les Medalles del Cercle d'Escriptors Cinematogràfics

Referències

Enllaços externs
 Crítica a El País: Las praderas de la predemocracia (29/03/1979)

Pel·lícules dramàtiques d'Espanya
Pel·lícules d'Espanya del 1979


A number of shipping lines have announced new services or the expansion of existing ones, linking Asia and the west and east coasts of South America, with post-panamax vessels.
Bob Goldfield, ceo and overseer of the Dover Harbour Board's (DHB) highly controversial privatisation plan, is resigning after 11 years in his post.
Hong Kong-headquartered Wallem has opened two new offices in South Africa to provide ship agency and logistics services for all ports in the country.
Glencore Xstrata has dropped plans for a coal export terminal at Balaclava Island in Queensland, Australia.
Malaysia-based MMC Corp has earmarked MYR2.02bn ($676.83m) to upgrade its ports in Johor in a bid to attract more shipping companies and to stay competitive.


It means 'Mikey' now joins Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez as the only other fighters to win world titles at featherweight, super-featherweight, lightweight and super-lightweight.
"It's a great feeling. Winning this fourth title in a fourth division is an honour," he said.
"To get to be mentioned with Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez is a huge honour for me. It just leaves a little chapter in boxing with my name, my brother, my dad.
But it was not one-way traffic, the game Lipinets was constantly on the front foot and it wasn't until the fourth that 'Mikey' really stamped his authority on proceedings.
His left-hook started to catch Lipinets on his way in, before the one-two – ending with a sizzling right overhand – curbed Lipinets' aggressive gameplan.
Lipinets had very good fifth and sixth rounds but the fight turned in Garcia's favour in the seventh, the left-hook landing flush on the champion's face and putting him on the seat of his pants.
Rances Barthelemy failed to do the same, losing his rematch with Kiryl Relikh on points and missing out on the chance to become Cuba's first three-weight world champion.
Barthelemy won their first meeting in May 2017 with a controversially-wide unanimous decision, but with the vacant WBA 'World' super-lightweight title up for grabs, the tables were turned.
Relikh was always forcing the issue and despite the Cuban's late charge, the 118-109, 118-109, 117-110 scoring saw the 'Mad Bee' become Belarus' first professional world champion.


text:
Home > News > Chief vet praises collaborative approach to pig health and welfare
Chief vet praises collaborative approach to pig health and welfare
20th Jul 2017 / By Alistair Driver
Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens has welcomed the collaborative approach adopted by the pig industry in identifying and acting on threats to herd health.
Writing the foreword to the Pig Health and Welfare Council's (PHWC) biennial report into the main issues it addressed in 2015 and 2016, Mr Gibbens highlighted progress in areas such as tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and actions to guard against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv).
The PHWC is a cross-industry alliance, chaired by former chief vet Jim Scudamore and representing every stage of pig production along the chain, which aims to promote a co-ordinated and integrated approach to improving pig health and welfare.
Mr Gibbens said the report highlighted the achievements of the industry in monitoring and tackling pig disease.
He said: "The development of the Electronic Medicines book is a major achievement which will allow an accurate assessment of antimicrobial use in the UK pig industry and enable benchmarks to be set for others to follow.
"Reducing antimicrobial use is a top priority for the pig industry and will be achieved through a variety of programmes and measures to improve herd health and prevent infections. The development of improved diagnostics and vaccines along with biosecurity will be important as will be the need to consider potential structural changes within the industry.
He said the move to make PEDv notifiable were 'important measures' reflecting concern about the potential impact of the disease should it be introduced to the UK. "It is one of the first collaborative sector-led approaches to animal disease management in the UK and established a model which could be applied to other diseases should the need arise," he said.
The report provides information on horizon scanning, detailing potential threats to the UK pig industry that were flagged during 2015/16
Mr Gibbens said: "This emphasises the importance of high quality and comprehensive surveillance in order to identify threats to the industry which can include emerging, exotic or endemic diseases or those which are of significant threat to trade. I am pleased that the industry is looking to identify ways of improving surveillance in partnership with the government."
Mr Scudamore highlighted the partnership working between industry and government during the two year period, also highlighting the electronic medicines book and work on PEDv.
On the industry's repsonse to AMR, he added: "The pig industry has responded to these challenges with a range of initiatives to ensure the overall use of antimicrobials is reduced but at the same time recognising the importance of disease control and the role that antimicrobials must continue play."
NPA senior policy advisor Georgina Crayford said the report highlighted many of the good things that have come out of joint industry working, singling out the publication of the Real Welfare report, alongside progress on AMR and PEDv.
The full report, which includes a useful statistical summary of the industry, can be viewed here