Travelling all the way from deepest darkest Poole, vibrant oranges and yellows will chase away the blues. Without a shred of a doubt, bad moods will be toast!
Finally, Marmalade is an orange lovers dream, packed with citrus to brighten the skin, this zesty Jelly Bomb contains an uplifting orange scented jelly and dehydrated orange pieces – just like bathing in a big jar of vibrant marmalade! Juicy grapefruit oil, Brazilian orange oil and orange flower absolute burst from this Jelly Bomb, creating refreshing citrus waters. Lie back and bask in this sunny, feel-good bath.
Posted on July 19, 2017 by Lushalot	• This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
<project
    xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd"
>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <parent>
        <groupId>com.yeyu.jobhunter</groupId>
        <artifactId>job-hunter</artifactId>
        <version>0.0.1</version>
    </parent>
    <artifactId>job-hunter-parent</artifactId>
    <name>job-hunter-parent</name>
    <description>Manage other modules</description>
    <properties>
        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
        <java.version>1.8</java.version>
    </properties>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-aop</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-jetty</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-mongodb</artifactId>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

</project>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Description: This is a letter from the Charles B. Moore Collection. It is written by Birdie McGee and is addressed to Charles B. Moore, Linnet Moore, and Aunt Mollie. In this letter, McGee informs the Moore family and Aunt Mollie of the goings-on in Gallatin, Tennessee. The News includes: a confirmation about receiving the most current letter written by the Moore's, a weather update, details about the smallpox outbreak and how everyone is getting their vaccinations, a discussion about going to town to get a vaccination and details that Alice is sock from hers, news about community deaths, a dialogue about social events some family members attended and what happened at the events, health updates on Matilda Dodd and on the family members who have been vaccinated, and a discussion about clothing. She closes the letter by noting that the family should write to her soon. The envelope is included with the letter.
Description: Letter to Mollie Moore and family from Birdie McKinley discussing family and local health, the sentencing of two men in her town, and miscellaneous news, including some about Christmas, other people who are going to write Mollie, and gardening. Birdie does not mention the crime committed in the case, but that the men involved were sentenced and she does not think they are guilty.
Description: He tells Moore that he has passed on his request to the new governor. He suggest that Moore get a petition to help his case.
Description: Letter from David Fentress to his wife, Clara Fentress requesting money to purchase a saddle as well as urging her to write him more regularly. Towards the end of the letter, he tells her that he has read that several foreign nations have begun to recognize the confederacy and he also speculates on the events of the war.
Description: Letter written by David Fentress to his wife stating that his brigade has been furloughed and requesting that she come to collect him in Bastrop. He has been sick since the party at Colonel Groce's and she needs to bring a wagon or ambulance to move him.
Description: William hopes that Linnet has recovered from whooping cough. None of the kids have come down with whooping cough yet and he has to worry about measles going around. He received a letter from Tobe and Florence. He mentions the weather and the crops being planted. He also mentions the people who have died. Em's daughter who got married moved away. Dinky says they are all well except for Willie who has a bad cold. She went to town for some errands. She gives some advice for Linnet and wishes they were with her. She mentions that Mr.Campbell is moving to Nashville.
Description: Letter from Earl P. Hopkins to Claude D. White regarding a question from Mr. White about promoting from Second to First Grade positions in the Custom House Service. The letter is typed on the letterhead of the Washington Civil Service School, which provides correspondence courses to prepare for Federal Civil Service Examinations. Mr. Hopkins is the president of the school. There is a return envelope addressed to Earl P. Hopkins, Pres., 507 E Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. The envelope that the letter was sent in is addressed to M. Claude D. White, McKinney, Texas, R. F. D. #4, Box 25. It is postmarked Washington, D. C., February 15, 1908.
Description: Letter from Earl P. Hopkins, President of the Washington Civil Service School, to Claude D. White regarding Mr. White's application to take training courses by mail through the school in preparation for a civil service examination. The letter is typed on the school's letterhead. The envelope that the letter was sent in is addressed to Mr. Claude D. White, McKinney, Texas, Box 25, and it is postmarked Washington, D. C., February 26, 1908. There are some handwritten notes in pencil on the back. There is also a return envelope addressed to Earl P. Hopkins, Pres., 507 E Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.


26 Jul I ordered Jerry Bergonzi's Hexatonics book, the seventh volume in his Inside Improvisation series. I had looked through some of his previous. Jerry Bergonzi: INSIDE IMPROVISATION SERIES VOLUME 7: HEXATONICS, Paperback Book & CD Package, All Instruments, and thousands more titles. 19 Jan Practicing hexatonics is great way to improve technique and it's also great for ear training. Hearing these different combinations of triads.
Jerry Bergonzi- Pentatonics-Vol 2 Documents. Jerry Bergonzi vol 3 – Jazz Line Education.
Hans-jorg Rudiger for suggestions and putting it all together. Jerry's book is more practical than Gary's book. Therefore, choosing key signatures, accidentals or even names jar the triads involved was not always an easy task.
F;IC Try playing 8 notes of any hexatonic melody using the notes of the grid as starting notes. Jerry Bergonzi – Inside Improvisation Vol. What I'm gathering from your comment is that Weiskopf limits his study to one hexatonic, Campbell's book is more theoretically oriented and that Bergonzi, in typical Gonzomatic fashion, not only covers all of the possibilities one might think of, in terms hexxtonics hexatonics, but also shows the musician how to apply the various approaches, which I gather, he does in a fashion similar to those used in his "Melodic Structures," and "Pentatonics" book, so that hexatonnics can immediately move from theory into jery.
In other words, why start with Major a whole step up followed by minor a whole step above a Major triad? This can be very helpful in modal settings where there are no diatonic, cycle-forth root movements bexatonics resolutions and where each chord change may last a long time for instance, four, eight, or sixteen measures ".
It could also be used on minor chords. On some of these chords we are allowing much leeway. This can be very helpful in modal settings where there are no diatonic, cycle-forth root movements or resolutions and where each chord change may last a long time for instance, four, eight, or sixteen measures " Bergonzi's book is very well thought out and structured to be very useful as a practice tool.
For example, the conventional chords used in the Jazz idiom are oftentimes jerrt with parent chord-scales of seven or more tones melodic minor, major, minor, harmonic minor, and so on. B-jC Try playing 8 notes of any hexatonic melody using the notes of the grid as starting notes. Again, there are 72 different melodies written out.
D IC Try playing 8 notes of any hexatonic melody using the notes of the grid as starting notes. I 5 9 5 9 Try progressions 1 and 2 with this hexatonic, too.
The book hexatonids big and just shy of pages. It should be assumed, from this point on, that Die means: Some of the hexatonics in this book create a high level of tonal ambiguity.
B-jC- Try playing 8 notes of any hexatonic melody using the notes of the grid as starting notes.
Try integrating this approach with other melodic materiaL:: Do you want to see what you're missing? Is Berklee College of music out of your price range? Gary book has more interesting permutations of pairs and Jerry's book has more interesting applications. This sounds highly worthy of investigation, when I get done working with Compound Intervals. There are 12 melodies selected from the list and transposed to all keys. Here are some great links to free sax solo transcriptions- Sax solos link Lucas Pickford's transcriptions Charles McNeal's tra There is a full page of lines for each triad pair and a page for every key.
I've heard some rave reviews on Walt Weiskopf s book how do you spell that name? This book will keep me busy for a long time, it's really the most useful music book that I've run across in a long time. In some cases additional naturals are given. D- jC- Try playing 8 notes of any hexatonic melody using the notes of the grid as starting notes.
Have each hexatonic 1 bar, 2 bars or 4 bars each.
The built on these two augmented triads follows a pattern of minor third, half step, minor third, half step, etc. When the B triad is voiced over the C triad, major 7th intervals are sounded. Please note though, that any of the hexatonics can be applied to any of the tunes and progressions in the book.


First team keeper Louis Gray and popular midfielder Jason Kennedy were in the starting line-up alongside first and second year scholars which included 16-year-old defender Jarrad Branthwaite, the most recent to graduate and make it through to a professional contract.
Bransty created the first chance of the night when Adam Smith got on the end of a good move 30-yards from the target. He put his boot through a shot but it was always heading wide.
Carlisle started to edge on top as the minutes ticked on and Casson and Galloway found a way through the stubborn defence as they exchanged passes in midfield. Brockbank called for it but his shot was deflected and that made the save easy for Brady to make.
Casson and Charters tried their luck from distance as Rangers kept things tight, and Kennedy had a shot on the spin which had Brady concerned. McCann got his leg in the way and the stopper was able to gather it up.
The Blues took the lead ahead of the break when a touch from Kerr sent Charters clean through. Brady raced off his line to make an excellent initial save but Charters kept his eye on the loose pieces before stroking it into the empty net.
United doubled their advantage when Charters missed his kick as Kelly rasped a great free kick into the mix. The ball spun free and Keighran Kerr pounced first to volley it into the bottom corner.
And it got even better for the home side on the stroke of half time when when a short corner routine left Galloway in space. He unleashed a thunderbolt of a drive from the angle of the box and Brady had no chance as it skimmed off a defensive head and into the roof of the net.
Bransty defender Liam O'Pray felt he should have done better when he lost his man to get a head to a corner early in the second period. He got plenty of power on his effort but he could only direct it wide.
Keeper Jamie Brady parried a stinging piledriver from Charters as the game opened up, and Galloway was denied what appeared to be a certain penalty when he fell to the floor inside the area following a positive run. The referee took a look but waved play on.
Carlisle looked the more likely as the game wore and both Brockbank and Lightfoot had goal bound shots blocked just as they were set to celebrate.
A very quiet spell was punctuated with just 10 minutes left to play when Lightfoot got on the end of a corner just four yards out. His header was a thumper but he somehow sent it over the bar.
Louis Gray was called into action late in the day when Louis O'Pray volleyed instinctively for the top corner. A firm hand and an acrobatic dive produced a superb save.
A late flurry from Rangers brought a corner and a goalmouth scramble, but it was job done for the Blues as they booked their place in the final.
Carlisle United - Gray, Kelly (Soper 74), Lightfoot, Branthwaite, Brockbank, Birch (Papa 62), Kennedy, Casson (Barnes 70), Galloway, Charters, Kerr. Subs - Ward, Armstrong.
Bransty Rangers - Brady, McCann, L O'Pray, B O'Pray, T Smith, Garroway, Callan, S O'Pray (Fisher 70), Thursby, Sim (Relph 54), A Smith (Dobinson 86). Subs - McGuinness, Graham.


text:
Pierce Transit Likely to Go Back to Ballot
Posted on June 11, 2012 June 10, 2012 by Zach Shaner
Photo by the Author
Now that its boundary revision process is complete – eliminating service and taxation for Buckley, Orting, Sumner, Bonney Lake, DuPont, the Key Peninsula, and swaths of unincorporated Pierce County – Pierce Transit (PT) will likely go back to voters this year to ask for its remaining sales tax authority. (PT currently collects .6% sales tax, compared to .9% for Metro, Sound Transit, and Community Transit). Newly excluded areas have long voted heavily against transit revenue, and the odds of a new ballot measure passing are much higher under the newly shrunk boundaries. The new boundary is 30% smaller (292 sq mi vs 414) but retains 75% of the population (560k vs 750k).
At a public hearing last week, attendees expressed unanimous support in favor of returning to the ballot. Since the failure of Proposition 1 last year, PT has reduced service by 33% (417k annual service hours vs 622k) and reduced staff by 18% (866 employees vs 1,054). Most non-trunk service is now hourly and span of service is exceptionally poor, often ending by 6pm even in the densest areas. Raising the sales tax to .9% would likely allow the smaller service area to return to previous levels of service, with most routes on 30-minute headways and operating until late at night.
It is worth noting that PT has a more impoverished ridership base than either Metro or ST, with the TNT reporting that 56% of riders make less than $20,000 a year. Combined with very low densities and poor land use in Pierce County, this leaves Pierce Transit with an unfortunate incentive (or even mandate) to emphasize geographic coverage over frequency.
At the very least PT deserves the opportunity to collect sales tax at the regionally precedented level of .9%, as its residents do not deserve to be disproportionately disadvantaged relative to King, Snohomish, and Thurston (.8%) counties. STB will support PT's efforts should they officially decide to go back to ballot.
25 Replies to "Pierce Transit Likely to Go Back to Ballot"
Chris Hooker says:
I hope the 0.3% passes. This will help everyone who lives and work in the current service boundery. I do have a question. If the 0.3% dose pass, will the special event service to the Taste of Tacoma, The Freedom and The Puyallyp Fairs will return as well?
Does ST providing all-day service to DuPont and Sumner put them on the hook to provide paratransit around the stations, and paying for it all by themselves?
MrZ says:
I think that because sound transit is considered express bus service that they dont have to provide that kind of service.
Zach Shaner says:
The regulation is 49 CFR 37.131. You can read it at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title49-vol1/pdf/CFR-2009-title49-vol1-sec37-131.pdf OTOH, I don't know the answer, but ST will not be providing all day service to DuPont and Sumner, just peak service on the 592/596.
The 578 will now be providing hourly 7-day-a-week service to Sumner Station. The 3/4-mile requirement may be for the corridor around the bus path, not just the station, or may mean ST's full service area, so I suspect there is case law that has helped flesh out when all these regs are applicable.
I think MrZ is probably right, under 49 CFR 37.121(c) (not a PDF). I suspect that the definition of "commuter bus" (49 CFR 37.3) provides a tent big enough to shelter the 578.
Nathanael says:
The "commuter bus exception" is in the ADA at Section 12143:
http://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm#12143a
This has generally been interpreted to exempt commuter bus routes from paratransit even when the agency also provides other bus or rail services. This is probably because of section 12143(c)(2), which says
The regulations issued under this section shall require the provision of paratransit and special transportation services required under this section in the service area of each public entity which operates a fixed route system, other than any portion of the service area in which the public entity solely provides commuter bus service.
The definition of commuter bus service has probably been litigated. The CFR reference I found by Googling is at subpart A section 37.3:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;sid=288b980af1630a0f7455c5a3a7a28efa;rgn=div6;view=text;node=49%3A1.0.1.1.26.8;idno=49;cc=ecfr
The DOT's interpretation is rather vague:
The rationale that may be inferred for the statutory exemption for this kind of service concerns its typical characteristics (e.g., no attempt to comprehensively cover a service area, limited route structure, limited origins and destinations, interface with another mode of transportation, limited purposes of travel). These characteristics can be found in some transportation systems other than bus systems oriented toward work trips. For example, bus service that is used as a dedicated connecter to commuter or intercity rail service, certain airport shuttles, and university bus systems share many or all of these characteristics.
Emphasis mine. Reading further, it seems unlikely that the DOT would consider anything designed to connect to Sounder to be subject to paratransit requirements.
The 578 is sort of on the borderline, but given that airport shuttles (!) qualify as commuter buses under the DOT rules, I think ST is not going to get in trouble for this one.
If the 578 goes to every 15 minutes that would be different. :-)
asdf says:
The whole law about requiring agencies who provide fixed-route service to provide paratransit without providing them any money for them to do so is a big mess that is full of unintended consequences.
The biggest example of this is CT's cutting of all Sunday service. Under the law, if you don't provide regular service on Sunday, you don't need to provide paratransit service on Sunday, which means cutting regular service on Sunday saves money above and beyond the cost of actually operating such service.
However, this law doesn't make sense because the "need" for paratransit service on Sunday is based on the need of disabled residents to get places on Sunday, and regardless of whether CT is willing to fund regular service on Sunday, the "need" for paratransit service on Sunday is exactly the same (maybe more, because some disabled residents might have been able to ride a fixed-route bus for some trips, if it's running). Paratransit needs to have a dedicated budget and should be a completely separate entity from regular service. Service-allocation decisions regarding regular service and paratransit should be made separately, and except for ensuring good connections between the two service types, such decisions should have nothing to do with each other.
The problem which happened with paratransit is that more people were *permanently* eligible for it than the original lawmakers ever anticipated.
The original paratransit plan was intended as a transitional program. For people in wheelchairs until buses were made accessible; for people in wheelchairs in areas with broken sidewalks until the sidewalks were fixed; etc.
Paratransit programs are awful, so nobody would voluntarily use one if there were a better alternative. But it turned out that there are *far* more people who cannot walk to the bus stop, for various reasons, than anyone anticipated. There were a startlingly large number of dialysis patients who couldn't walk or drive. (This really ought to be covered by some type of universal health care program.)
Also, the awful sidewalk-free state of car-oriented subdivision development meant that it was often impossible or extremely unsafe for someone blind, deaf or in a wheelchair to reach a bus stop; much more often than originally anticipated by the lawmakers.
In cities like NY which still don't have fully accessible transit systems, of course, their paratransit costs are through the roof, but that really is their fault for not making their main system accessible.
So, if the tax passes, and then Sumner decides to rejoin the service area, does the tax increase get applied in Sumner?
Adam Bejan Parast says:
I don't see why it wouldn't.
Are they even considering this? What would have to happen? I hope PT makes it "expensive" for them. It's like dropping your insurance only to apply for it when you need it.
Yes – they would have to re-annexation back in by the vote of their people.
So if it passes, sumner voters would have to vote themselves a 0.9% tax increase all at once. I doubt it be likely!
Right…my bad on the 578.
mic says:
I wish some of these posts gave a context for what a 3/10th cent increase means.
That's a 50% increase over current taxation for transit – a very large increase indeed. Will service increase by 50% too?
Or, looking back several decades when the rate was 3/10th cent says taxes have risen 3x in two decades, plus population grew by Y amount adding more revenue, plus revenue increased by the CPI. So how many bus hours of service will that provide over the same period? Is it 3x more than before?
More money for transit is only good if it gets you an equivalent increase in service and 3x the riders. Accepting less weakens your campaign.
Not enough information is available to answer the question, which makes taxpayers queasy about pulling the lever marked YES.
How would doubling the tax rate (I don't think it actually does that) lead to tripling service hours and ridership?
No, tripling the rate from 3/10 to 9/10 is 3x as much revenue TO Pierce Transit over several decades, excluding population, sales tax base, and inflation. It's a fair question to ask how much service and how many riders over the same period.
Bad math. The existing rate is .6 and it's going up to .9, so that's a 50% rate increase, so you should expect no more than 1 1/2 times as much service.
Which you won't get because sales tax receipts are down due to the recession, and you have to make up for that somehow. However, this should allow for some increase in service.
Jason Barbour says:
3/10 of a cent equals 3 cents on a $10 purchase.
According to the Washington Department of Revenue site, much of Pierce county is at 9.4% (Tacoma itself goes to 9.5% July 1). So a .3% increase is hardly a "50% tax increase."
If they increase the rate of tax that goes directly to transit from 0.6% to 0.9%, that is indeed a 50% increase. The question of how much extra service that will buy is a reasonable one.
John Slyfield says:
That's not a 50% increase in revenue. There are other sources such as farebox revenues state and federal government grants etc. It is significant though and many areas would see double the service they get now.
Service in crease of 38%
2012 tax collections for 2012 for PT is somewhere around 60 million. A 0.3% will add 28 million to their revenue. So while a 50% increase it will only represent 1/3 of total revenue.
So what's the big deal if it's a 50 percent increase? If the voters say it's OK, then it's OK, right?!
I hope that PT gets the mandate, I feel for those who aren't able to get into routes and get on the road in a timely manner, i.e., the ones who are now cut off due to their neighbors voting against PT in the first place.
Pingback: Pierce Transit seek tax boost « Americas Dream
Pingback: Restore Transit Now Kick Off Meeting Thursday - Seattle Transit Blog
Previous PostPrevious Sunday Open Thread: Halted by a Squirrel
Next PostNext News Flash: Not All East Link Ideas Contentious

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Views: 831 Announcement: The MBWorld Featured Car of the Month Contest is now open!
would this be a forum I could post my wife's Louis Vuitton bag for sale??
What items or styles of clothing do you prefer?
Giorgio Armani is all I wear.


text:
\section{Introduction and Summary}

{}In most practical quant trading applications\footnote{\, Similar issues are also present in other practical applications unrelated to trading or finance.} one faces an old problem when computing a sample covariance matrix of returns: the number $N$ of returns (e.g., the number of stocks in the trading universe) is much larger than the number $T$ of observations in the time series of returns. The sample covariance matrix $C_{ij}$ ($i,j=1,\dots,N$) in this case is badly singular: its rank is at best $T-1$. So, it cannot be inverted, which is required in, e.g., mean-variance optimization \cite{Markowitz1952}. In fact, the singularity of $C_{ij}$ is only a small part of the trouble: its off-diagonal elements (more precisely, sample correlations) are notoriously unstable out-of-sample.

{}The aforesaid ``ills" of the sample covariance matrix are usually cured via multifactor risk models,\footnote{\, For a general discussion, see, e.g., \cite{GrinoldKahn}. For explicit implementations (including source code), see, e.g., \cite{HetPlus}, \cite{StatRM}.} where stock returns are (linearly) decomposed into contributions stemming from some number $K$ of common underlying factors plus idiosyncratic ``noise" pertaining to each stock individually. This is a way of dimensionally reducing the problem in that one only needs to compute a factor covariance matrix $\Phi_{AB}$ ($A,B=1,\dots,K$), which is substantially smaller than $C_{ij}$ assuming $K\ll N$.\footnote{\, This does not solve all problems, however. Thus, unless $K < T$, the sample factor covariance matrix is still singular (albeit the model covariance matrix $\Gamma_{ij}$ that replaces $C_{ij}$ need not be). Furthermore, the out-of-sample instability is still present in sample factor correlations. This can be circumvented via the heterotic risk model construction \cite{Het}; see below.}

{}In statistical risk models\footnote{\, See \cite{StatRM}, which gives complete source code, and references therein.} the factors are based on the first $K$ principal components of the sample covariance matrix $C_{ij}$ (or the sample correlation matrix).\footnote{\, The (often misconstrued) ``shrinkage" method \cite{Ledoit} is nothing but a special type of statistical risk models; see \cite{S=FM}, \cite{StatRM} for details.} In this case the number of factors is limited ($K \leq T-1$), and, furthermore, the principal components beyond the first one are inherently unstable out-of-sample. In contrast, factors based on a granular fundamental industry classification\footnote{\, E.g., BICS (Bloomberg Industry Classification System), GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard), ICB (Industry Classification Benchmark), SIC (Standard Industrial Classification), etc.} are much more ubiquitous (in hundreds), and also stable, as stocks seldom jump industries. Heterotic risk models \cite{Het} based on such industry classifications sizably outperform statistical risk models.\footnote{\, In the heterotic risk model construction the sample factor covariance matrix at the most granular level in the industry classification typically would be singular. However, this is rectified by modeling the factor covariance matrix by another factor model with factors based on the next-less-granular level in the industry classification, and this process of dimensional reduction is repeated until the resultant factor covariance matrix is small enough to be nonsingular and sufficiently stable out-of-sample \cite{Het}, \cite{HetPlus}. Here one can also include non-industry style factors. However, their number is limited (especially for short horizons) and, contrary to an apparent common misconception, style factors generally are poor proxies for modeling correlations and add little to no value \cite{HetPlus}.} Another alternative is to replace the fundamental industry classification in the heterotic risk model construction by a statistical industry classification based on clustering (using machine learning techniques) the return time series data \cite{StatIC},\footnote{\, Such statistical industry classifications can be multilevel and granular.} without any reference to a fundamental industry classification. Risk models based on statistical industry classifications outperform statistical risk models but underperform risk models based on fundamental industry classifications \cite{StatIC}.

{}In this paper we discuss a different approach to building a risk model using machine learning techniques. The idea is simple. A sample covariance matrix $C_{ij}$ is singular (assuming $T \ll N$), but it is semi-positive definite. Imagine that we could compute a large number $M$ of ``samplings" of $C_{ij}$, call them $C_{ij}^{(m)}$, $m=1,\dots,M$, where each ``sampling" is semi-positive definite. Consider their mean\footnote{\, In fact, instead of the arithmetic mean, here we can more generally consider a weighted average with some positive weights $w_m$ (see below). Also, in this paper $C_{ij}^{(m)}$ are nonsingular.}
\begin{equation}\label{samplings}
 \Gamma_{ij} = {1\over M} \sum_{m=1}^M C_{ij}^{(m)}
\end{equation}
By construction $\Gamma_{ij}$ is semi-positive definite. In fact, assuming $C_{ij}^{(m)}$ are all (sizably) different from each other, $\Gamma_{ij}$ generically will be positive definite and invertible (for large enough $M$). So, the idea is sound, at least superfluously, but the question is, what should these ``samplings" $C_{ij}^{(m)}$ be? Note that each element of the sample covariance matrix $C_{ij}$ ($i\neq j$) only depends on the time series of the corresponding two stock returns $R_i(t)$ and $R_j(t)$, and not on the universe of stocks, so any cross-sectional ``samplings" cannot be based on sample covariance matrices. In principle, serial ``samplings" could be considered if a long history were available. However, here we assume that our lookback is limited, be it due to a short history that is available, or, more prosaically, due to the fact that data from a while back is not pertinent to forecasting risk for short horizons as market conditions change.

{}A simple way around this is to consider cross-sectional ``samplings" $C_{ij}^{(m)}$ that are not sample covariance matrices but are already dimensionally reduced, even though they do not have to be invertible. Thus, given a clustering of $N$ stocks into $K$ clusters, we can build a multifactor risk model, e.g., via an incomplete heterotic construction (see below). Different clusterings then produce different ``samplings" $C_{ij}^{(m)}$, which we average via Eq. (\ref{samplings}) to obtain a positive definite $\Gamma_{ij}$, which is {\em not} a factor model. However, as usual, the devil is in the detail, which we discuss in Section \ref{sec2}. E.g., the matrix (\ref{samplings}) can have nearly degenerate or small eigenvalues, which requires further tweaking $\Gamma_{ij}$ to avert, e.g., undesirable effects on optimization.

{}In Section \ref{sec3} we discuss backtests to compare the machine learning risk models of this paper to statistical risk models, and heterotic risk models based on fundamental industry classification and statistical industry classification. We briefly conclude in Section \ref{sec4}. Appendix \ref{app.A} provides R source code\footnote{\, The code in Appendix A is not written to be ``fancy" or optimized for speed or otherwise.} for machine learning risk models, and some important legalese relating to this code is relegated to Appendix \ref{app.B}.

\section{Heterotic Construction and Sampling}\label{sec2}

{}So, we have time series of returns (say, daily close-to-close returns) $R_{is}$ for our $N$ stocks ($i=1,\dots,N$, $s=1,\dots, T$, and $s=1$ corresponds to the most recent time in the time series). Let us assume that we have a clustering of our $N$ stocks into $K$ clusters, where $K$ is sizably smaller than $N$, and each stock belongs to one and only one cluster. Let the clusters be labeled by $A=1,\dots,K$. So, we have a map
\begin{eqnarray}\label{G.map}
 &&G:\{1,\dots,N\}\mapsto\{1,\dots,K\}
\end{eqnarray}
Following \cite{Het}, we can model the sample correlation matrix $\Psi_{ij} = C_{ij}/\sigma_i\sigma_j$ (here $\sigma_i^2 = C_{ii}$ are the sample variances) via a factor model:
\begin{eqnarray}\label{model.cor}
 &&{\widetilde \Psi}_{ij} = \xi_i^2~\delta_{ij} + \sum_{A,B = 1}^K \Omega_{iA}~\Phi_{AB}~\Omega_{jB} = \xi_i^2~\delta_{ij} + U_i~U_j~\Phi_{G(i), G(j)}\\
 &&\Omega_{iA} = U_i~\delta_{G(i), A}\\
 &&\xi_i^2 = 1 - \lambda(G(i))~U_i^2\\
 &&\Phi_{AB} = \sum_{i\in J(A)} \sum_{j\in J(B)} U_i~\Psi_{ij}~U_j\label{Phi}
\end{eqnarray}
Here the $N_A$ components of $U_i$ for $i\in J(A)$ are given by the first principal component of the $N(A)\times N(A)$ matrix $[\Psi(A)]_{ij} = \Psi_{ij}$, $i,j\in J(A)$, where $J(A) =\{i|G(i) = A\}$ is the set of the values of the index $i$ corresponding to the cluster labeled by $A$, and $N_A = |J(A)|$ is the number of such $i$. Also, $\lambda(A)$ is the largest eigenvalue (corresponding to the first principal component) of the matrix $[\Psi(A)]_{ij}$. The matrix $\Omega_{iA}$ is the factor loadings matrix, $\xi_i^2$ is the specific variance, and the factor covariance matrix $\Phi_{AB}$ has the property that $\Phi_{AA} = \lambda(A)$. By construction, ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ii} = 1$, and the matrix ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$ is positive-definite. However, $\Phi_{AB}$ is singular unless $K \leq T - 1$.

{}This is because the rank of $\Psi_{ij}$ is (at most) $T-1$. Let $V_i^{(a)}$ be the principal components of $\Psi_{ij}$ with the corresponding eigenvalues $\lambda^{(a)}$ ordered decreasingly ($a=1,\dots,N$). More precisely, at most $T-1$ eigenvalues $\lambda^{(a)}$, $a=1,\dots,T-1$ are nonzero, and the others vanish. So, we have
\begin{eqnarray}\label{fac.cov}
 &&\Phi_{AB} = \sum_{a=1}^{T-1}\lambda^{(a)}~{\widetilde U}_A^{(a)}~{\widetilde U}_B^{(a)}\\
 &&{\widetilde U}_A^{(a)} = \sum_{i\in J(A)} U_i~V_i^{(a)}
\end{eqnarray}
So, the rank of $\Phi_{AB}$ is (at most) $T-1$, and the above incomplete heterotic construction provides a particular regularization of the statistical risk model construction based on principal components. In the complete heterotic construction $\Phi_{AB}$ itself is modeled via another factor model, and this nested ``Russian-doll" embedding is continued until at the final step the factor covariance matrix (which gets smaller and smaller at each step) is nonsingular (and sufficiently stable out-of-sample).

\subsection{Sampling via Clustering}

{}However, there is another way, which is what we refer to as ``machine learning risk models" here. Suppose we have $M$ different clusterings. Let ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}^{(m)}$ be the model correlation matrix (\ref{model.cor}) for the $m$-th clustering ($m = 1,\dots, M$). Then we can construct a model correlation matrix as a weighted sum
\begin{eqnarray}
 &&{\widetilde\Psi}_{ij} = \sum_{m=1}^M w_m~{\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}^{(m)}\\
 &&\sum_{m=1}^M w_m = 1
\end{eqnarray}
The simplest choice for the weights is to have equal weighting: $w_m = 1/M$. More generally, so long as the weights $w_m$ are positive, the model correlation matrix ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$ is positive-definite. (Also, by construction ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ii} = 1$.) However, combining a large number $M$ of ``samplings" ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}^{(m)}$ accomplishes something else: each ``sampling" provides a particular regularization of the sample correlation matrix, and combining such samplings covers many more directions in the risk space than each individual ``sampling". This is because ${\widetilde U}_A^{(a)}$ in Eq. (\ref{fac.cov}) are different for different clusterings.

\subsection{K-means}

{}We can use k-means \cite{Forgy}, \cite{Lloyd1957}, \cite{Lloyd1982}, \cite{Hartigan}, \cite{HartWong}, \cite{MacQueen}, \cite{Steinhaus} for our clusterings. Since k-means is nondeterministic, it automatically produces a different ``sampling" with each run. The idea behind k-means is to partition $N$ observations into $K$ clusters such that each observation belongs to the cluster with the nearest mean. Each of the $N$ observations is actually a $d$-vector, so we have an $N \times d$ matrix $X_{is}$, $i=1,\dots,N$, $s=1,\dots,d$. Let $C_a$ be the $K$ clusters, $C_a = \{i| i\in C_a\}$, $a=1,\dots,K$. Then k-means attempts to minimize
\begin{equation}\label{k-means}
 g = \sum_{a=1}^K \sum_{i \in C_a} \sum_{s=1}^d  \left(X_{is} - Y_{as}\right)^2
\end{equation}
where
\begin{equation}\label{centers}
 Y_{as} = {1\over n_a} \sum_{i\in C_a} X_{is}
\end{equation}
are the cluster centers (i.e., cross-sectional means),\footnote{\, Throughout this paper ``cross-sectional" refers to ``over the index $i$".} and $n_a = |C_a|$ is the number of elements in the cluster $C_a$. In Eq. (\ref{k-means}) the measure of ``closeness" is chosen to be the Euclidean distance between points in ${\bf R}^d$, albeit other measures are possible.\footnote{\, E.g., the Manhattan distance, cosine similarity, etc.}

\subsection{What to Cluster?}

{}Here we are not going to reinvent the wheel. We will simply use the prescription of \cite{StatIC}. Basically, we can cluster the returns, i.e., take $X_{is} = R_{is}$ (then $d = T$). However, stock volatility is highly variable, and its cross-sectional distribution is not even quasi-normal but highly skewed, with a long tail at the higher end -- it is roughly log-normal. Clustering returns does not take this skewness into account and inadvertently we might be clustering together returns that are not at all highly correlated solely due to the skewed volatility factor. A simple ``machine learning" solution is to cluster the normalized returns ${\widetilde R}_{is} = R_{is} / \sigma_i$, where $\sigma_i^2 = \mbox{Var}(R_{is})$ is the serial variance ($\sigma_i^2 = C_{ii}$). However, as was discussed in detail in \cite{StatIC}, this choice would also be suboptimal and this is where quant trading experience and intuition trumps generic machine learning ``lore". It is more optimal to cluster ${\widehat R}_{is} = R_{is} / \sigma_i^2$ (see \cite{StatIC} for a detailed explanation). A potential practical hiccup with this is that if some stocks have very low volatilities, we could have large ${\widehat R}_{is}$ for such stocks. To avoid any potential issues with computations, we can ``smooth" this out via ``Winsorization" of sorts (MAD = mean absolute deviation):\footnote{\, This is one possible tweak. Others produce similar results.}
\begin{eqnarray}\label{tweak}
 &&{\widehat R}_{is} = {R_{is} \over {\sigma_i u_i}}\\
 &&u_i = {\sigma_i\over v}\\
 &&v = \exp(\mbox{Median}(\ln(\sigma_i)) - 3~\mbox{MAD}(\ln(\sigma_i)))
\end{eqnarray}
and for all $u_i < 1$ we set $u_i = 1$. This is the definition of ${\widehat R}_{is}$ that is used in the source code internally. Furthermore, Median($\cdot$) and MAD($\cdot$) above are cross-sectional.

\subsection{A Tweak}\label{sub.tail}

{}The number of clusters $K$ is a hyperparameter. In principle, it can be fixed by adapting the methods discussed in \cite{StatIC}. However, in the context of this paper, we will simply keep it as a hyperparameter and test what we get for its various values. As $K$ increases, in some cases it is possible to get relatively small eigenvalues in the model correlation matrix ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$, or nearly degenerate eigenvalues. This can cause convergence issues in optimization with bounds (see below). To circumvent this, we can slightly deform ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$ for such values of $K$.

{}Here is a simple method that deals with both of the aforesaid issues at once. To understand this method, it is helpful to look at the eigenvalue graphs given in Figures \ref{Figure1}, \ref{Figure2}, \ref{Figure3}, \ref{Figure4}, which are based on a typical data set of daily returns for $N=2000$ stocks and $T=21$ trading days. These graphs plot the eigenvalues for a single ``sampling" ${\widetilde\Psi}^{(m)}_{ij}$, as well as ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$ based on averaging $M=100$ ``samplings" (with equal weights), for $K=150$ and $K=40$ ($K$ is the number of clusters). Unsurprisingly, there are some small eigenvalues. However, their fraction is small. Furthermore, these small eigenvalues get even smaller for larger values of $K$, but increase when averaging over multiple ``samplings", which also smoothes out the eigenvalue graph structure.

{}What we wish to do is to deform the matrix ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$ by tweaking the small eigenvalues at the tail. We need to define what we mean by the ``tail", i.e., which eigenvalues to include in it. There are many ways of doing this, some are simpler, some are more convoluted. We use a method based on eRank or effective rank \cite{RV}, which can be more generally defined for any subset $S$ of the eigenvalues of a matrix, which (for our purposes here) is assumed to be symmetric and semi-positive-definite. Let
\begin{eqnarray}
 &&\mbox{eRank}(S) = \exp(H)\\
 &&H = -\sum_{a=1}^L p_a~\ln(p_a)\\
 &&p_a = {\lambda^{(a)} \over \sum_{b=1}^L \lambda^{(b)}}
\end{eqnarray}
where $\lambda^{(a)}$ are the $L$ {\em positive} eigenvalues in the subset $S$, and $H$ has the meaning of the (Shannon a.k.a. spectral) entropy \cite{Campbell60}, \cite{YGH}.

{}If we take $S$ to be the full set of $N$ eigenvalues of ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$, then the meaning of $\mbox{eRank}(S)$ is that it is a measure of the effective dimensionality of the matrix ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$. However, this is not what we need to do for our purposes here. This is because the large eigenvalues of ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$ contribute heavily into $\mbox{eRank}(S)$. So, we define $S$ to include all eigenvalues ${\widetilde\lambda}^{(a)}$ ($a=1,\dots,N$) of ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$ that do not exceed 1: $S = \{{\widetilde\lambda}^{(a)} | {\widetilde\lambda}^{(a)} \leq 1\}$. Then we define (here $\mbox{floor}(\cdot) = \lfloor\cdot\rfloor$ can be replaced by $\mbox{round}(\cdot)$)
\begin{equation}\label{eq.eRank}
 n_* = |S| - \mbox{floor}(\mbox{eRank}(S))
\end{equation}
So, the tail is now defined as the set $S_*$ of the $n_*$ smallest eigenvalues ${\widetilde\lambda}^{(a)}$ of ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$.

{}We can now deform ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$ by (i) replacing the $n_*$ tail eigenvalues in $S_*$ by ${\widetilde\lambda}_* = \mbox{max}(S_*)$, and (ii) then correcting for the fact that the so-deformed matrix no longer has a unit diagonal. The resulting matrix ${\widehat\Psi}_{ij}$ is given by:
\begin{eqnarray}
 &&{\widehat\Psi}_{ij} = \sum_{a=1}^{N - n_*} {\widetilde \lambda}^{(a)}~{\widetilde V}_i^{(a)}~{\widetilde V}_j^{(a)} + z_i~z_j \sum_{a = N - n_* + 1}^N {\widetilde \lambda}_*~{\widetilde V}_i^{(a)}~{\widetilde V}_j^{(a)}\\
 &&z_i^{2} = y_i^{-2}~\sum_{a = N - n_* + 1}^N {\widetilde \lambda}^{(a)}~[{\widetilde V}_i^{(a)}]^2\\
 &&y_i^2 = \sum_{a = N - n_* + 1}^N {\widetilde \lambda}_*~[{\widetilde V}_i^{(a)}]^2
\end{eqnarray}
Here ${\widetilde V}_i^{(a)}$ are the principal components of ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$. This method is similar to that of \cite{RJ}. The key difference is that in \cite{RJ} the ``adjustments" $z_i$ are applied to all principal components, while here they are only applied to the tail principal components (for which the eigenvalues are deformed). This results in a smaller distortion of the original matrix. The resultant deformed matrix ${\widehat\Psi}_{ij}$ has improved tail behavior (see Figure \ref{Figure5}). Another bonus is that, while superfluously we only modify the tail, the eigenvectors of the deformed matrix ${\widehat\Psi}_{ij}$ are no longer ${\widetilde V}_i^{(a)}$ for all values of $a$, and the eigenvalues outside of the tail are also deformed. In particular, in some cases there can be some (typically, a few) nearly degenerate\footnote{\, They are not degenerate even within the machine precision. However, they are spaced much more closely than other eigenvalues (on average, that is).} eigenvalues ${\widetilde \lambda}^{(a)}$ in the densely populated region of ${\widetilde \lambda}^{(a)}$ (where they are of order 1), i.e., outside of the tail and the higher-end upward-sloping ``neck". The deformation splits such nearly degenerate eigenvalues, which is a welcome bonus. Indeed, the issue with nearly degenerate eigenvalues is that they can adversely affect convergence of the bounded optimization (see below) as the corresponding directions in the risk space have almost identical risk profiles.

\section{Backtests}\label{sec3}

{}Here we discuss some backtests. We wish to see how our machine learning risk models compare with other constructions (see below). For this comparison, we run our backtests exactly as in \cite{Het}, except that the model covariance matrix is build as above (as opposed to the full heterotic risk model construction of \cite{Het}). To facilitate the comparisons, the historical data we use in our backtests here is the same as in \cite{Het}\footnote{\, The same data is also used in \cite{StatIC}, \cite{StatRM}.} and is described in detail in Subsections 6.2 and 6.3 thereof. The trading universe selection is described in Subsection 6.2 of \cite{Het}. We assume that i) the portfolio is established at the open with fills at the open prices; and ii) it is liquidated at the close on the same day (so this is a purely intraday strategy) with fills at the close prices (see \cite{MeanRev} for pertinent details). We include strict trading bounds
\begin{equation}
 |H_i| \leq 0.01~A_i
\end{equation}
Here $H_i$ are the portfolio stock holdings ($i=1,\dots,N$), and $A_i$ are the corresponding historical average daily dollar volumes computed as in Subsection 6.2 of \cite{Het}. We further impose strict dollar-neutrality on the portfolio, so that
\begin{equation}
 \sum_{i=1}^N H_i = 0
\end{equation}
The total investment level in our backtests here is $I$ = \$20M (i.e., \$10M long and \$10M short), same as in \cite{Het}. For the Sharpe ratio optimization with bounds we use the R function {\tt{\small bopt.calc.opt()}} in Appendix C of \cite{Het}. Table \ref{table.summary} gives summaries of the eigenvalues for various values of $K$. Considering that the algorithm is nondeterministic, the results are stable against reruns. Table \ref{table.backtests} summarizes the backtest results. Here we can wonder whether the following would produce an improvement. Suppose we start from the sample correlation matrix $\Psi_{ij}$ and run the algorithm, which produces the model correlation matrix ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$. Suppose now we rerun the algorithm (with the same number of ``samplings" $M$) but use ${\widetilde\Psi}_{ij}$ instead of $\Psi_{ij}$ in Eq. (\ref{Phi}) to build ``sampling" correlation matrices $\Psi^{(m)}_{ij}$. In fact, we can do this iteratively, over and over again, which we refer to as multiple iterations in Table \ref{table.iter}. The results in Table \ref{table.iter} indicate that we do get some improvement on the second iteration, but not beyond. Let us note that for $K\geq 100$ with iterations (see Table \ref{table.iter}) the method of Subsection \ref{sub.tail} was insufficient to deal with the issues with small and nearly degenerate eigenvalues, so we used the full method of \cite{RJ} instead (see Subsection \ref{sub.tail} and Table \ref{table.iter} for details), which distorts the model correlation matrix more (and this affects performance).

\section{Concluding Remarks}\label{sec4}

{}So, the machine learning risk models we discuss in this paper outperform statistical risk models \cite{StatRM}. They have the performance essentially similar to the heterotic risk models based on statistical industry classifications using multilevel clustering \cite{StatIC}. However, here we have single-level clustering, and there is no aggregation of clusterings as in \cite{StatIC}. Also, the resultant model correlation matrix ${\widetilde \Psi}_{ij}$ is {\em not} a factor model, whereas the models of \cite{StatIC} are factor models. Note that both the machine learning risk models of this paper and the models of \cite{StatIC} still underperform the heterotic risk models based on fundamental industry classifications; see \cite{Het}, \cite{HetPlus}.

{}In this regard, let us tie up a few ``loose ends", so to speak. Suppose we take just a single ``sampling" $\Psi^{(m)}_{ij}$. This is an incomplete, single-level heterotic risk model. However, $\Psi^{(m)}_{ij}$ by construction is positive-definite, so we can invert it and use it in optimization. So, does averaging over a large number $M$ of ``samplings" (as in the machine learning risk models of this paper), or implementing a multilevel ``Russian-doll" embedding \cite{RD} as in \cite{StatIC}, add value? It does. Thus, two runs based on a single ``sampling" with $K=40$ and $M=1$ produced the following results: (i) ROC = 42.434\%, SR = 15.479, CPS = 2.044; and (ii) ROC = 42.735\%, SR = 15.51, CPS = 2.054 (see Table \ref{table.backtests} for notations). Also, what if, instead of using a single k-means to compute $\Psi^{(m)}_{ij}$, we aggregate a large number $P$ of k-means clusterings as in \cite{StatIC}? This does not appear to add value. Here are the results from a typical run with $K=30$, $M=100$ and $P=100$: ROC = 42.534\%, SR = 15.764, CPS = 2.09. Apparently, and perhaps unsurprisingly, aggregating multiple clusterings and averaging over multiple ``samplings" has similar effects. This, in fact, is reassuring.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Mix up, look sharp: What's next for the mixers category?
Lucy Britner
Mixers sparked an entirely new category of posh tonics for premium gin, moved into more exciting flavours and then turned their attention to dark spirits. But where can the category go next, asks Lucy Britner
The headline 'just the tonic' has been used so much over the past five years, it should be banned from all newsrooms. Historically, it has summed up the category pretty well, and while there are now plenty of other things to shout about when it comes to mixers, tonics are still big business.
Here, we talk to the mixer makers to find out what wider trends are influencing the category and what we can expect over the next 12 months.
Tonic talk
Tonic is still at the centre of the mixers world and its growth continues alongside gin.
'The gin category continues to thrive in the on-trade and is expected to overtake vodka to become the most lucrative spirits category in the UK by the end of 2020,' says Britvic's The London Essence Company co-founder Ounal Bailey, citing CGA and OnTrade Preview figures. 'This goes hand-in-hand with the growing demand for premium mixers, including tonic, as 88% is predominantly paired with gin.'
Relative newcomer Lixir Drinks was launched in 2018 by bartenders Matt Mahatme and Jordan Palmer. Palmer describes tonics as a 'core and fundamental part' of their plans for the portfolio.
Our frustrated desire to travel could express itself in demand for more exotic ingredients
'A G&T is always going to be a classic and we expect our consumers to stay loyal to this choice, so offering a range of good-quality, versatile tonic waters will be important next year,' Palmer tells us. 'That said, consumers are also becoming more comfortable with tonics more broadly, and we predict that over the course of 2021, we'll see consumers being a lot more adventurous with what they pair their tonics with.'
Bailey agrees, citing the explosive growth of rum. 'Tonic has become a popular mixer to enhance the likes of rum as its botanicals are a flavour match for the layered richness of aged expressions, cementing its position as the go-to mixer in the category, ' she adds.
Beyond the usual suspects
Though tonic is of course HUGE, there are many innovations in mixers, with some companies setting out to introduce more unusual flavours from the off. The Two Keys range, for example, includes Green Tea, Black Tea, Pink Grapefruit and Lemon.
'Despite the spirits category being so diverse, consumers are always given the same choice of mixers – gin with tonic, vodka with soda, rum with Coke,' say co-founders James Simpson and Jack Herlihy. 'We wanted to create something disruptive and exciting at the forefront of drinking trends, introduce consumers to a new way of drinking and change their mindset, offering a desired alternative to traditional tonics.'
The pair also highlight a heightened demand for consistent, high-quality cocktails that can be created at high speed and in high-volume scenarios, following the impact of Covid-19 on the on-trade. 'Bartenders now want to ensure they can produce delicious serves using minimal ingredients and limiting touch points,' they add.
Elsewhere, Fever-Tree's head of innovation, Rose Cottingham, predicts a more exotic future as she talks of a trend for escapism. She suggests our frustrated desire to travel could express itself in demand for more exotic ingredients, as the trend for affordable luxury and indulgence evolves.
The folks at Fentimans also cite 'new takes on tropical' as a flavour trend for the future, in the recently released Fentimans Premium Soft Drinks & Mixers Report 2020 . 'With new generations identifying themselves as 'global citizens' and the world shrinking due to global travel, geographical boundaries that have defined traditional flavour pairings are falling away,' the report says. 'Tropical flavours are also changing as a result of their increasing availability and falling costs, and venues are thinking more creatively about their use in drinks. As a result, tropical flavours are becoming more integrated into western drinking traditions, products and ingredients, particularly at the premium end of the market.' Take the continued rise of the Pornstar Martini as a case in point.
Innovation is also arriving in the form of RTDs – not only are companies such as Fever-Tree launching their own RTDs, bars are using them as mixers. Anna Sebastian, bar manager at Artesian, says she uses Served Raspberry hard seltzer as a mixer in a twist on a Vodka Red Bull, as part of the bar's Disco menu.
'The raspberry is a very natural, great flavour, but not too overpowering, and gives a really nice length, complementing the cocktail,' she says.
Meanwhile, the ever-fashionable CBD has entered the fray and start-up CBD brand Doña Sofía, launched its first CBD-infused non-alcoholic soft drinks in October. The range includes a cola and a tonic as well as a lemon & lime seltzer. In the marketing material, the brand is described as being 'inspired by the therapeutic effects of CBD that are being hailed by health organisations around the world'.
Health halo
It's no surprise that pretty much every producer we spoke to mentioned health and wellness – and Covid-19 has drawn even greater focus on the trend for many consumers. According to The London Essence Company's Bailey, drinking habits are changing as people pursue a balance of wellness and enjoyment within their lifestyle. She says this is reflected with an increase in demand for non-alcoholic and light options.
'We believe this trend will be even more prevalent next year both in bars and restaurants as they begin to cater for the new "health-conscious" consumer, or risk losing customers to at-home entertainment, where they can control their intake more carefully,' she says.
Bailey explains that during lockdown, people discovered that through both necessity and increased time, they could improve their in-home experiences, 'with a little more attention to the finer details, and honed drinks serves themselves, in lieu of a superior experience in a bar or restaurant'.
Maintaining that sense of premium will be even more important in the future, according to the Fentimans Premium Soft Drinks & Mixers Report 2020. 'Consumers don't want to compromise their out-of-home drinking experiences,' the report says of consumers who are abstaining from drinking either partly or completely. 'For pubs, bars and restaurants, it is more important than ever to provide a compelling non-alcoholic range.'
Every producer we spoke to mentioned health and wellness – and Covid-19 has drawn even greater focus on the trend for many consumers
Lixir's Palmer says the health & wellness trend has also sparked a growing demand for mixer pairings in the low- and no- alcohol category, whether that be with non-alcoholic spirits, vermouths, white ports or a multitude of liqueurs and aperitifs.
Fever-Tree's Cottingham agrees, pinpointing the spritz as well as moves to enjoy 'sophisticated non-alcoholic options'. In answer to the long drinks and spritzes trend, Fever-Tree rolled out a range of soda waters earlier this year. The four-strong range includes Mexican Lime Soda, Italian Blood Orange Soda, Raspberry & Rose Soda and White Grape & Apricot Soda. The low-calorie sodas are made using fruit sugar.
And in terms of ingredients, low-calorie and low-sugar options appear to be firm consumer priorities. 'All-natural ingredients will remain important over the next year,' says Lixir's Palmer. 'From the outset, we developed our range with this in mind and all our products have been naturally low in calories and sugar from launch.'
Cottingham also says ingredients associated with health & wellness will be popular. She points to an increase in searches for ginger cocktails during lockdown as well as other ingredients, such as turmeric, with its perceived health benefits.
Hand-in-hand with more interest in ingredients comes more interest in how products are made and where these ingredients come from.
'Amongst consumers, there's a continued demand for better-quality ingredients crafted to elevate experiences,' Cottingham explains. She says lockdown forced people to appreciate local shops and their local area. 'As a result, they'll definitely be more focused on using local ingredients. And, with that, I think consumers are becoming more savvy about seasonal ingredients,' she says, also drawing attention to the juxtaposition between the 'escapism' trend and the 'local, mindful' trend.
She points to Fever-Tree's recently launched Rhubarb & Raspberry Tonic, which uses ingredients from the UK.
Fentimans also touts a bright future for British flavours, adding 'nostalgia' to the mix: 'With geopolitics being ever more unstable and the coronavirus crisis creating widespread alarm, more and more people are seeking refuge and reassurance,' the 2020 report says. 'The desire to reaffirm national identity and self-dependence will lead to renewed appeal for nostalgic British flavours, driven both by pride and recognised comfort.' The company highlights rhubarb, dandelion & burdock, shandy, British apple varieties, sarsaparilla and marshmallow as key flavour trends.
Sustained sustainability
More mindful drinking has brought with it a more mindful approach to the planet and 'sustainability' comes up a lot in conversations.
Lixir's Palmer says brand owners will need to prioritise environmental concerns over the next 12 months. 'Customers are increasingly demanding sustainable production methods and green packaging options,' he says. 'For Lixir Drinks, this means manufacturing our mixers in the UK and choosing sustainable suppliers, materials and ingredients wherever possible.'
Brand owners will need to prioritise environmental concerns over the next 12 months
And though the mixers revolution initially sparked a move away from 'gun tonic', a more sophisticated approach to the delivery mechanism also ticks some sustainability boxes.
Late last year, London Essence Company launched London Essence Fresh Serve – a tonic fount that 'meets the growing demand for improved sustainability with its innovative bag-in-a-box system that reduces packaging by 96%; effectively decreasing the space and time required to restock chillers with bottles', says Bailey. The fount makes it easy for bartenders to deliver a serve freshly infused with distilled botanicals at the point of dispense, and do that at speed. Nifty.
New launches, meanwhile, are coming to market with a built-in sustainability play. Take Coast, the new mixers range from bartender and Grey Goose brand ambassador Joe McCanta – the brand supports the Marine Conservation Society and carries the tagline 'buy a Coast, help a coast'.
Overall, the future of the category will see more mindful moves in terms of ingredients, sustainability and serves. And while there will be innovations in flavours and styles, don't expect tonic to go anywhere soon.
'Affordable luxury and indulgence, coupled with our desire to travel, could give way to more exotic ingredients'
This article was first published in the 2020 autumn issue of Imbibe.
Mixers soft drinks tonic Fever-Tree Fentimans Hard Seltzer
The great gin experiment: What could the category's next invention look like?
The gin explosion of the past few years is a phenomenon that doesn't seem to be slowing down. But to maintain momentum and stay relevant, what can the category do to continue its reinvention? Charlie Whitting investigates.
News | Beer & Cider
What next? An interview with Innis & Gunn's Dougal Sharp
At the end of 2016, Innis & Gunn smashed its £1m crowdfunding target in a mere 72 hours.
News | Wine
Mix it up: Exploring field blends
Field blends are on the way back, exciting winemakers and sommeliers the world over in the process.
Made in Chile: What's next for Chilean pisco in the UK?
Chilean pisco is still a relatively unknown category in the UK bar and restaurant scene. But with more brands looking to export, category education becoming more important, and its rich culture to embrace, could this be the advent of its popularity? Millie Milliken joined Pisco Chile in South America to find out for herself.


text:
I Wanna Be The Third Try
Needle (1) Boss (1) Trigger (1) unfinished (1)
by Pigeon
1 Review:
I Wanna Be The Third Try is a needle game composed of a variety of basic gimmicks used throughout the game. Once a new one has been introduced, previous ones will come back to add to the complexity of some screens.
Aside from the big screens and a few exceptions, one save will be used for each screen.
I guess the game can be divided into 5 main stages and a couple more screens.
First set begins with standard needle mixed with corridors.
Second set introduces gravity flips.
Third set is composed of 3x3 sized screens (if I had to guess the size) with a change of tileset midway through for some reason. Triggers are also introduced on the first big screen.
Fourth set uses infinite jump with many many many mid-air gates (at least for a couple of saves).
Last set uses jump refreshers, 99% on the tip of spikes.
As a final challenge (if not for the very last needle screen), the game reuses all of the gimmicks (except one) to test the player, with sandstorm sfx as BGM.
At the end a final, somewhat incomplete and short, needle screen remains before the final boss. No BGM on both of these and there is only one (or two if you want) attack to avoid overall. Defeating the boss does not save the game and give any item whatsoever, so it may be unfinished.
It also does not give the clear status because of that and after checking all possibilities, there does not seem to be a way to go further after the boss.
Because of the outline kid used in the game, it can be really tricky to visually see some of the jumps when the background is dark. Difficulty for the saves seems to go all over the place early on but gradually get consistently on the harder side in the end.
Design can be clever at times, some skips can also be done on a couple of saves. It's not always clear what has to be done in some screens though. One of them can skip half of the intended path (?).
Tileset and spikes are animated most of the time so it can be distracting, but it can also helps in situations that requires some thinking.
Mixed feelings overall, the game can give an interesting challenge and seems to have a progressive path. However, due to the inconsistency of the saves' difficulty and in design, it's not always clear where it wants to go, especially with it's unfinished nature.
Unless the boss screen can be passed, I consider defeating it giving the clear status currently.
Tagged as: Needle Boss Trigger unfinished


As an association Care and Support West was really pleased with how our Spring Conference went. It ran to plan with a great line up, impressive attendance, and an excellent venue and food.
We are always pleased to see Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England and our voice in the corridors of Westminster and this time we were also delighted to be joined by Andrea Sutcliffe Chief Inspector with CQC.
Martin as always delivered his astute assessment of the sector from a provider perspective. His insights into how he felt the Care Act would play out for providers was very useful for us all to hear. Once Martin had warmed up the room, Andrea provided us with her insights into how the Care Act would affect CQC's work. The presentations of both speakers can be downloaded from our website at http://www.careandsupportwest.co.uk/downloads_conf2015.html.
This was then followed by a very interactive session around key aspects of the Care Act facilitated by both Andrea and Martin. From the Association's perspective it was great to see both Andrea and Martin work the room as they did and the extent to which the providers present engaged in these discussions.
After a hearty lunch the afternoon session addressed the hot topic of surveillance cameras in Care Settings. There were informative contributions to this contentious debate from CQC, Quality Solicitors Burroughs Day and Eye Witness Care Monitoring. It was testament to the value of this discussion that the room was still full as we closed the day.
We are always pleased when events we put on are so well received and seeing so many delegates there being as engaged as they were makes all the organisation and hard work worthwhile. A big thank you to all who were involved. It felt like a very worthwhile day.


You are less likely to drop a lighter, pocket-sized book into the bath (I'm referring to physical books here rather than e-books – wouldn't recommend taking them into the bath with you).
Physical books are smaller and lighter than their longer companions and pack easily into suitcases, hand luggage and bags.
E-books occupy less space/memory on your device – hence room for more!
They are easier to read in a single sitting (or over a couple of days).
Shorter pieces/chapters are easier to read on public transport/between appointments/while waiting in queues. You can finish a whole chapter in the time allotted.
You can actually get a whole chapter in before you fall asleep with a book/e-reader on your face.
E-books (for short pieces, novellas and short stories) are often pretty cheap, so you can buy a whole bunch for the price of a single, longer books.
A collection of short stories can be picked up when you are ready. You can take as long as you wish to finish the whole collection and read other books between stories.
You can read more of them.
I guess my big point here is that they are a good fit for modern life, well my life at least. Do you prefer short books/chapters?
This entry was posted in Books, Random Thoughts, Reading and tagged Book Length, Novellas, reading, Short stories, Weighty Tomes by sarahjwrites. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Интернет-статистика — сервисы, позволяющие собирать и анализировать различную информацию о посетителях Веба. Информация выбирается из данных, предоставляемых сетевыми протоколами. Для получения переменных протокола из запроса пользователя требуется, чтобы вместе со страницей сайта выполнился серверный скрипт системы интернет-статистики. Самым простым и полезным способом сделать это является размещение на странице картинки-счётчика посещений.

Статистика посещений сайта

Статистика посещений сайта считается основным показателем «раскрученности» ресурса. Выделяют две категории подсчёта: по уникальным посещениям отдельных страниц («хитам» — счётчик увеличивается на единицу с каждым посещением новой страницы) и по посетителям (счётчик увеличивается за заход на сайт человека, который ещё там не был). Иногда выделяют дополнительные категории, такие как уникальные IP-адреса («хосты») или сессии.

Счётчики посещений могут быть как встроены в программное обеспечение сервера (собирающие данные в онлайн режиме или с помощью последующего анализа логов доступа к сайту), либо организованы в виде отдельного сервиса, который помогает посчитать посетителей сайта за счёт расположения на каждой его странице специального кода счётчика. Последний, обычно, выглядит для посетителя сайта как картинка с логотипом сервиса, которая иногда отображает и текущую статистику сайта.

Статистика поисковых запросов

Статистика запросов — информация об обращениях пользователей к поисковой системе по «ключевым словам». В большинстве случаев при работе с сервисом статистики имеется возможность отсеивать результаты по географии или даже по отдельно взятому языку, а иногда и по месяцам. При этом сервис обычно показывает не только данные об искомом запросе, но также и о словосочетаниях, синонимах и близких темах («ищут также»).

См. также
 Счётчик посещений
 Статистика запросов

Всемирная паутина

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Steve, Renee and Jeremy talk to FEW Spirits founder, owner and distiller Paul Hletko. Paul shares insight on his rapidly growing company. Today's show was sponsored by Steve Akley's book, Mules and More (https://goo.gl/EN3wEj). The Bourbon Show music (Whiskey on the Mississippi) is by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Join the ABV Network Revolution by adding #ABVNetworkCrew to your profile in social media.
The Bourbon Show Pint Size Edition #99 – As the Pappy Van Winkle Craze Goes… Does Bourbon Follow?


text:
Al Jazeera is not a tool of revolution. We do not create revolutions. However, when something of that magnitude happens, we are at the center of the coverage.
Wadah Khanfar
Create Revolution Center Tool
We have Al Jazeera Arabic news, Al Jazeera English news, of course; we have three sports channels, and we have Al Jazeera Mubasher, which is a live channel that broadcasts live press conferences and symposiums and meetings. And, of course, we have Al Jazeera commentary in Arabic.
Live Sports Meetings Three News
News is the backbone of our network; the main commodity and the main successes of Al Jazeera came out of our involvement in covering the news in the Middle East.
News Backbone Involvement Middle Out
I started, actually, as an analyst on African affairs, mainly on Al Jazeera. I remember the first few series were about Saudi students, and the negotiations between the government and the Sudanese rebels in the south. And then, slowly, I was speaking about Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and a few other places.
Government Remember Places Students
Al Jazeera is known in the Arab world as the voice of freedom of expression.
Freedom World Voice Expression Known
Al Jazeera is the opinion of other opinion, independent. Al Jazeera is diverse, reflection of the collective mind of the nations and cultures and civilizations that we report from and we report to, bridge of dialogue. This is what Al Jazeera is all about. Al Jazeera is a mission.
Reflection Bridge Mind Opinion
Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every single, you know, ideology, we have every single background. However, when it comes to the screen, we have one code of ethics and one code of conduct.
Diversity Ethics World You Know
I started as an engineer. I migrated to philosophy and international politics. And I did my studies about African - Africa democracy and democratization in Africa, taking Kenya as a model. And then, while I was doing so in 1996 in South Africa, Al Jazeera was established. So they requested me to be an analyst on African affairs.
Politics Me Democracy Doing Africa
If Al Jazeera America becomes just another mainstream TV station, it is definitely not going to succeed.
Succeed America Going Just Station
I do believe, given the heritage of Al Jazeera itself in Arabic and in English, I think Al Jazeera will succeed in introducing another perspective on the news that the American market is in need for.
Perspective Succeed Believe Think
Al Jazeera should understand the societies, should understand the culture of the civilisation, should understand the dynamics of the societies, should be part of this understanding; and on the other level, Al Jazeera should concentrate on the margin rather than the centre. It means that Al Jazeera should be close to the public.
Culture Understanding Understand Part
I think 2001 was the year Al Jazeera started to play an international role, in a way. Because in 2001, we were the only TV station located inside Kabul, and every image out of the war in Afghanistan, the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, came through Al Jazeera screen.
Year Beginning War Think Play Way
Though Mohyeldin's journalistic reputation continues to grow - born in Egypt, raised in Michigan, started as a gofer for NBC News, reared as a producer at CNN, first appeared on-camera for Al Jazeera in 2006 - his is hardly a household name, not in America at least.
Michael Paterniti
Reputation Grow Name Born America
In the battle of substance over flash, few to none of the Al Jazeera correspondents are recognizable to U.S. audiences. Many have foreign names and accents; none have best-selling books atop the list or can be heard pounding their shoes on the nightly infotainment podium.
Shoes Battle Over Names Books Flash
As it is, Al Jazeera is mostly funded by grants from the emir of Qatar-Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, whose family has ruled the country since the mid-1800s.
Family Country Whose Since Bin Al
Al Jazeera is one entity that everyone across the Arab world watches. Arabs are proud of that.
Jehane Noujaim
Watches Proud World Everyone Entity
Al Jazeera is demonized by the United States, yet in Egypt my father would be watching it.
Father Egypt Watching United States
I am always saying, 'I don't believe in God; I believe in Al Pacino.' And that's true. If I ever get a phone call saying 'Would you like to work with Al Pacino?' I would go crazy.
Work God I Am Crazy Saying Believe
I'm a big fan of all the great movie devils, from Walter Huston to Ray Walston to Al Pacino to Jack Nicholson.
Great Devils Big Movie Big Fan Fan
Roles constantly have to be redefined in any form of entertainment. Look back at the gangster pics of the 1930s and 1940s and the way James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart would play the part. These roles were redefined in the 1970s by Al Pacino and Rober DeNiro. And again in the 1990s by Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins.
Gangster Look Play Back Way 1940s
I have grown up watching Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan and the likes. These are actors who have changed with time. They have no shelf-life. They have immortalised themselves because they have evolved with time.
Time Watching Up Because Who Likes


At the moment, ShopList (Grocery List) is not available for download on computer. However, you can use emulators to run Android applications on PC. One example is the BlueStacks App Player. It is a powerful tool that provides users a virtual device similar to an actual phone. This also enables users to install games and other popular and in-demand applications.
3: Search for ShopList (Grocery List) on the Play Store and install it.
This app brings an easy to use and fast to handle shopping list to your iPhone or iPod touch! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you enjoy the free version of Shopping List, take a look at the full version with more features: - Sync your shopping lists - Create your own categories - Manage several shopping lists - Choose from more units - Share by E-Mail - Calculate total amount of your list - Modify/Move/Delete single items +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sort your items into store departments and organize your shopping trip! Shopping List is thereby even faster than your note pad! All products are saved into the database including the last entered amount and department and thus stand by for fast query next time. Features: - Speed up your shopping trip by sorting products to categories - Quick-Select products from database - Many units to choose from in US or metric system - Easy and intuitive interface - Product Search Enjoy all these features wrapped in a beautiful design.
Easy to use, would be even better if you could add your own categories and change the order of the categories to suit the order in which they are in your supermarket. Other than that it's simple.


text:
HomeEntertainmentNetflix's hugely popular "Squid Game" is worth the hype
Netflix's hugely popular "Squid Game" is worth the hype
By Sundus Hameed
(Spoilers Alert)
When a new series called "Squid Game" appeared on Netflix last month, some social media users thought that it was a new competitive reality show. Fortunately, the ultraviolent thriller – in which people play kid games with a deadly twist – is purely fictional. But like reality TV, it's a window into how humans treat each other and what we're going to do to be successful or, in this case, what we're going to do to survive. And people keep talking about it. I just finished watching it myself and I think there is not a single story line in histories like Squid Game. How fascinating it is to watch.
In the nine-part Korean-language series written and directed by director Hwang Donghyuk, hundreds of debt-ridden people enter to compete for billions of South Korean won (roughly $ 38 million) in mysterious circumstances. One of the players is Seong Gihun (Jungjae Lee), a divorced man who lives with his elderly mother, rarely sees his 10-year-old daughter, and owes loan sharks hundreds of thousands of dollars due to a gambling problem.
After one of his creditors violently finds him to collect, Gihun signs an enigmatic contract in an attempt to save more time. You can see his desperation when he accepts a challenge from a well-dressed stranger to playing a popular South Korean game in which players attempt to flip folded paper tiles, for a stake of 100,000 won (a little more than $84 in the United States). Since Gihon is broke, he agrees to receive a slap in the face for every round he loses.
Several rounds later, Gihun walks away with a scarred and flushed face, 100,000 wins, and a business card that includes several symbols and a number to call if he wants to play more games for real money. Faced with the weight of his failures, Gihun calls the number and is assigned a location from which he is picked up by a masked individual in a van full of other potential players. The van fills up with sleeping gas, and when Gihun wakes up she is in a warehouse in a secret location with hundreds of others. The players are all dressed in the same white and green tracksuits and Gihun realizes he is playing no. 456.
Masked men appear dressed in red overalls; one explains that players will participate in six games: "Whoever wins all six games will win a nice cash prize." When some players object, their huge debts are revealed to the group.
"Everyone here lives on the brink of financial ruin," he says as a big screen shows images of players being repeatedly slapped in the face for a small prize. Many in the crowd bow their heads in shame. But the extreme stakes aren't revealed until the first game, "Red Light, Green Light," when players terrifyingly realize that being knocked out of the game means brutal death.
Although many players struggle with the circumstances of the game, most actively choose to stay on the complex, where everything is orderly, from the distribution of meals to the violence that increases with each match. As their stories come to light, "Squid Game" becomes more than just a bloody dystopian thriller. It's an ominous real-life microcosm, revealing the many implications of inequality, which has kind of dragged each of the players into this battle for their own lives.
Since its debut on September 17, "Squid Game" has become a political hotspot in South Korea and, as Deadline reports, quickly reached Netflix's Top 10 in the United States, becoming the first Korean show to feature do it and became a worldwide success. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently said the show will become the most-watched original series. This means, according to the company's somewhat baffling internal metrics, that it will have been seen more than "Bridgerton", currently the most-watched original, and other hits like "The Queen's Gambit", "Tiger King", "Emily in Paris" and the fourth season of Money Heist.
Like "Money Heist," a Spanish series that also features prominent red suits (and is the inspiration for an upcoming Korean adaptation), "Squid Game" has become an internet obsession, sparking memes and TikToks. In a recent interview with Variety, Hwang said he keeps the series' ruthless games "simple" so viewers can "focus on the characters, rather than being distracted trying to interpret the rules.' International streaming successes are proof that a good TV translates, whatever the language
"I wanted to write a story which is an allegory or a fable about modern capitalist society, something which represents extreme competition, kind of like life's extreme competition,"he told the magazine. "But I wanted him to use the kind of characters we've all encountered in real life."
The characters represent the best and the worst of human beings, and the way they clash in deadly games – at the whim of an unidentified entity – is far more illuminating than how they racked up their debts. "You don't trust people here because you can," Gihun told a young woman named Saebyeok (model HoYeon Jung, in her outstanding acting debut), a North Korean defector whose family was tragically separate. "You do it because you have to."
As conflicts erupt between parties, players form solid alliances. Gihon and Saebyeok join a makeshift group that includes an elderly man known as Player 001 (Oh Yeongsu), Ali (Anupam Tripathi), a Pakistani refugee victim of disgusting labor practices, and Gihun's childhood friend, Sangwoo (Park Hae-soo), a disgraced businessman who grimaces whenever Gihun proudly talks about his old friend's accomplishments.
Their compelling stories are juxtaposed against a particularly suspenseful storyline that offers clues about the men in red overalls, who are bound by strict rules designed to conceal their identities at all times. The power they wield over players is overseen by an enigmatic figure dubbed the Front Man, who wears a distinct, darker mask. Their identities and motivations are one of the biggest mysteries in the series, along with those of their benefactors.
As in life, the answers to these questions do not come easily or without disappointment. In some ways, they're more brutal than the games themselves.
Sundus Hameed
Biden Promised to follow Science, but..
Advancement of the Internet in building an organization's image
How did Blippi come to be? Where did the show come from?
Why is Adele's new single "Easy on Me" so low in the Hot 100?
Music: A Vibe Itself
Why Famous Celebrities Missed Met Gala This Year 2021?


text:
Between Man and Child
An extraordinary new series of films, commissioned by NOWNESS, delves into the heart of motherhood, placing normality at centre stage
Published by Charlotte Rivers on 28th June 2016
5 images in gallery
Refreshing, honest, raw, and beautiful, just some of the words that come to mind when watching Between Man and Child, the first in a unique new series of films about motherhood that has been commissioned by NOWNESS. The series, titled Mother Nature, aims to delve into the heart of parenthood, placing normality at centre stage.
As the first in the series, Between Man and Child, directed by photographer Natasja Fourie, focuses on exploring the feelings of the mother-to-be, addressing issues of femininity, self-identity and transition. It sees Fourie bravely turn the camera on herself, beautifully capturing a significantly personal moment in time. Through the film she looks at the idea of both shifting self-identity, as well as the feelings of a new mother torn between man and child.
The Hypnobirthing Class
Introducing the winning entry in our… 11th May 2016
The Motherland Podcast: Preparing for Birth
Preparing for Birth - with midwife… 14th February 2015
(No) labour and wait
Have sex, drink castor oil, eat a… 4th January 2015
Microbirthing and the Microbiome Effect
Current methods in cesarean delivery… 14th April 2016
We wanted to create a series of films that offered a compelling and fresh perspective on motherhood and fatherhood
"Motherhood is a subject that we were interested in looking at as we felt there was a need for a new kind of cinematic voice exploring the topic of parenthood in a fresh way," explains NOWNESS Commissioning Editor Katie Metcalfe. "We wanted to create a series of films that were really honest and 'normal' and offered a compelling and fresh perspective on motherhood and fatherhood. We also wanted to mark a departure from the judgement so often found in dialogues around parenthood, and show the reality of it all, unfiltered."
Working with cinematographer Dagmar Scheibenreif, photographer and director Fourie shot many of the scenes for the film in her own home. "I approached a few expectant mothers with the view to potentially film them for the series, but many felt uncomfortable with the idea of explicit nudity on film," she tells me. "As I was expecting my second child at the time I decided to turn the camera on myself."
The result is an extraordinarily powerful film that challenges the usual preconceptions of motherhood and explores the topic in a way not often seen in popular culture. "I wanted to look at the idea of femininity, identity and transition," Fourie continues. "Becoming a new mother is like being in limbo. You are in a state of physical and emotional transition. An uncertain place somewhere between melancholy and hope, with a feeling of both a fear of loss, and excitement about the new."
The first film in the series can be viewed above, and two follow up films, which are currently in development, will be released later this year.
To find out more about the series visit nowness.com/series/mother-nature
To find out more about Natasja Fourie visit natasjafourie.com
Features For a new series by Riposte magazine on motherhood and identity, I explore how writing fiction became an escape, and then a career, after having children
'The Night Manager set in a woman's world'
By Charlotte Philby, 6th May 2019
Features 'Brilliant', 'beautiful', 'compulsive', 'the twists keep coming, right down to that chilling last line'... Read the first reviews and preorder my debut novel, The Most Difficult Thing
Marie Claire: Why we need to talk about miscarriage
By Charlotte Philby, 18th April 2019
Features In this piece for the May 2019 issue of Marie Claire magazine, I recall my own experience and speak to others affected by one of the last taboos
New Statesman: Walking An Old Man Home in Camden Town
Features My piece for the Personal Story slot in the New Statesman is a love letter to London pubs, and a lament for the people to whom these places were once home
Author Lee Child on why he never plots his novels
By Charlotte Philby, 6th March 2019
Features I spoke to the bestselling crime writer for Marie Claire on the importance of remembering that fact is often stranger to readers than fiction
Decoding Your Dark Side
By Charlotte Philby, 26th February 2019
Features, Relationships As Dr Julia Shaw's book Making Evil is published to great acclaim, she tells me, in this piece for Marie Claire, why a new movement is encouraging us to embrace our darkest thoughts, rather than shy away from them
'What I learned from six months off social media – and why I came back'
By Charlotte Philby, 25th September 2018
Features, Health, Technology In an article for Marie Claire, I reflect on what drove me away from instagram, Facebook, et al - and how half a year away gave me a revised approach to life online
Writers Bloc #1 Val McDermid
Features, Regulars From imposter syndrome to plotting, in a new series for Marie Claire authors give me chapter and verse on how the writing process works for them - starting with multi award-winning crime writer Val McDermid, who has written 32 books in as many years