text:
Dr Kanta Dihal
Science Communication | AI Ethics | Quantum Physics
Cave, S., & Dihal, K., ed. Imagining AI: How the World Sees Intelligent Machines (under contract with Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2022).
Cave, S., Dihal, K. & Dillon, S., ed. (2020) AI Narratives: A History of Imaginative Thinking about Intelligent Machines. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198846666.
"Drawing on diverse perspectives, this compelling collection shows how AI narratives have prompted critical reflection on human-machine relations, moving beyond the reductive dichotomy that pits visions of happy humans with AI-slaves against visions of defeated humans ruled by machines. By invoking such concepts as equality, rights and social justice, the essays investigate what it means to be human in an increasingly automated world."
Times Literary Supplement, 2021
"AI Narratives triumphantly paves the way for future work in AI humanities. Individual chapters—all balancing historical context with sharp analysis—would make valuable additions to relevant module syllabi, and the volume would be of certain advantage to any reader seeking a fresh and substantiated approach to AI scholarship."
Reviews in History, 2020
Dihal, K., ed. (2019) Perspectives on Evil: From Banality to Genocide. Leiden: Brill.
Journal Articles and Book Chapters
Cave, S., Dihal, K., Drage, E., & Mackereth, K. (2022) Princess Bubblegum and the Sea of Dudes: How the AI Engineer is Culturally Constructed as Male. In Browne, J. & Cave, S. (eds.) Feminist AI: Critical Perspectives on Algorithms, Data, and Intelligent Machines.
Cave, S., Dihal, K., Drage, E., & Mackereth, K. (2021) Who Makes AI? Gender and Portrayals of AI Scientists in Film 1920-2020. (Under review with Public Understanding of Science).
Cave, S., & Dihal, K. (Nov 2021) Roxanne, or Companion Robots and Hierarchies of the Human, in The Love Makers, ed. Campbell, A. London: Goldsmiths Press (in print).
Cave, S., & Dihal, K. (Oct 2021) Race and AI: The Diversity Dilemma. Philosophy & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-021-00486-z.
Cave, S., & Dihal, K. (Aug 2021) AI Will Always Love You, in Minding the Future: Contemporary Issues in Artificial Intelligence, ed. Dainton, B., Slocombe, W., & Tanyi, A. New York: Springer.
Dihal, K. (April 2021) Rudy Rucker. In Frana, P. & Klein, M., ed. Encyclopedia of AI. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, pp. 287-289.
Cave, S., & Dihal, K. (2020) The Whiteness of AI. Philosophy and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-020-00415-6.
[This publication was the most successful in the history of the journal; received press coverage in over 100 media, including live on Sky News; had 10,000 reads in its first month; achieved an Altmetric impact score of 954 or the top 0.0001% of all research outputs; featured in numerous overviews of 2020, eg, The Syllabus 'Highlights from 2020'.]
Dihal, K. (2020) Enslaved Minds: Fictional Artificial Intelligence Uprisings. In AI Narratives: A History of Imaginative Thinking about Intelligent Machines, ed. Cave, S., Dihal, K., & Dillon, S. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cave, S., Dihal, K. & Dillon, S. (2020) Imagining AI. In AI Narratives: A History of Imaginative Thinking about Intelligent Machines, ed. Cave, S., Dihal, K., & Dillon, S. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rich, A.S., Rudin, C., […] Dihal, K., et al. (2020) AI reflections in 2019. Nature Machine Intelligence 2(1): 2–9. https://doi-org/10.1038/s42256-019-0141-1
Cave, S., Coughlan, K., and Dihal, K. (2019) "Scary Robots": Examining Public Responses to AI. Proceedings of the 2019 AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society: 331-337. https://doi.org/10.1145/3306618.3314232
Dihal, K. (2019) New Science, New Stories: Quantum Physics as a Narrative Trope in Contemporary Fiction. In Representations of Science in Twenty-First-Century Fiction: Human and Temporal Connectivities, eds. Engelhardt, N. & Hoydis, J. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19490-1
Cave, S. & Dihal, K. (2019) Hopes and fears for intelligent machines in fiction and reality. Nature Machine Intelligence 1(2): 74-78.
Cave, S. & Dihal, K. (2018) Ancient dreams of intelligent machines: 3,000 years of robots. Nature 559(7715): 473-475. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05773-y. [This essay was covered in Fortune.]
Dihal, K. (2017) The State of the Unions in Literature and Science: On Science Fiction As a Separate Field. Journal of Literature and Science 10(1): 32-36. https://doi.org/10.12929/jls.10.1.07
Peer-Reviewed Reports
Dihal, K., Hollanek, T., Rizk, N., Weheba, N., & Cave, S. (2021) Imagining a Future with Intelligent Machines: A Middle Eastern and North African Perspective. University of Cambridge.
[Report launched at the UN AI for Good Global Summit; covered in news media in the MENA region (El Balad, Al Fanar Media).]
Whittlestone, J., Nyrup, R., Alexandrova, A., Dihal, K. & Cave, S. (2019) Ethical and Societal Implications of Algorithms, Data, and Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for Research. The Nuffield Foundation.
Craig, C., Cave, S., Dihal, K., Dillon, S., Montgomery, J., Singler, B., & Taylor, L. (2018) Portrayals and Perceptions of AI and why they matter. The Royal Society.


Whether you'll be heading off to the pool, the lake or the ocean this summer, they all have one thing in common: Jackpot!swimsuits. And while most people view a swimsuit as the accessory, a good hard body is the swimsuit's accessory. So what's a person to do when he/she finds himself/herself behind in the game? Here are some tips to keep you burning fat and building muscle in the home stretch!
When you're prepping your body for summer, your diet is the key. Work out all you want but your physique control factor is derived from what you eat. And while we should always strive to eat those good whole foods, limiting our cheat days/meals is paramount during the Spring months.
Cheat foods, alcoholic beverages (especially binge drinking), and large portioned meals will either place you smack dab in the middle of a dreaded plateau or may even set you back a few months. So whenever you feel the need to take down a Domino's pasta breadbowl (pure evil), make a plate of vegetables first and eat your meal afterward. You'll be more likely to eat a reasonable meal after you have some spinach or broccoli.
We haven't mentioned intermittent fasting for a while, but this technique can be extremely effective in helping you lose those last 5 or 10 pounds. The keyword here: intermittent. The effectiveness of this technique is only applicable if you use it appropriately. Simply not eating is not a viable option when it comes to shaping a beach body.
So figure out if you have a predictable routine and throw a monkey in the wrench by skipping breakfast. This will allow your body to burn more fat than you think and if you're eating the proper amount of calories necessary to lose weight, you will find it much more effective than eating 6 to 7 meals a day.
What tricks do you use to get ready for summer?


text:
package es_close

import (
	"bytes"
	"errors"
	"fmt"
	"io"
)

func New(w io.WriteCloser) io.WriteCloser {
	return &WriteCloser{
		w: w,
	}
}

type WriteCloser struct {
	w io.WriteCloser
}

func (z *WriteCloser) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
	// Catch exceptions in case the writer closed in race condition
	defer func() {
		r := recover()
		if r != nil {
			switch e := r.(type) {
			case error:
				err = e
			default:
				err = errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("%v", e))
			}
		}
	}()

	if z.w != nil {
		n, err = z.w.Write(p)
	} else {
		// report data all written to caller to conform interface definition.
		n = len(p)
	}
	return
}

func (z *WriteCloser) Close() (err error) {
	defer func() {
		r := recover()
		if r != nil {
			switch e := r.(type) {
			case error:
				err = e
			default:
				err = errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("%v", e))
			}
		}
	}()

	if z.w != nil {
		err = z.w.Close()
		z.w = nil
	}
	return
}

func NewNopWriteCloser(w io.Writer) io.WriteCloser {
	return &NopWriteCloser{
		w: w,
	}
}

type NopWriteCloser struct {
	w io.Writer
}

func (z NopWriteCloser) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
	return z.w.Write(p)
}

func (z NopWriteCloser) Close() error {
	return nil
}

func NewNopCloseBuffer() NopCloseBuffer {
	return &nopCloseBufferImpl{buf: bytes.Buffer{}}
}

type NopCloseBuffer interface {
	io.WriteCloser
	Bytes() []byte
	Len() int
	String() string
}

type nopCloseBufferImpl struct {
	buf bytes.Buffer
}

func (z *nopCloseBufferImpl) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
	return z.buf.Write(p)
}

func (z nopCloseBufferImpl) Close() error {
	return nil
}

func (z nopCloseBufferImpl) Bytes() []byte {
	return z.buf.Bytes()
}

func (z nopCloseBufferImpl) Len() int {
	return z.buf.Len()
}

func (z nopCloseBufferImpl) String() string {
	return z.buf.String()
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


What time GHY - MNDP PASSENGER depart from GUWAHATI Railway Station?
GHY - MNDP PASSENGER (55820) departs from GUWAHATI Railway Station at 16:20.
How much time GHY - MNDP PASSENGER take to reach MENDIPATHAR Railway Station?
GHY - MNDP PASSENGER reach on day 1 to MENDIPATHAR Railway Station. The arrival time of GHY - MNDP PASSENGER at MENDIPATHAR Railway Station is 20:10.
Distance covered by GHY - MNDP PASSENGER?
GHY - MNDP PASSENGER covers 129 km to reach MENDIPATHAR Railway Station at average speed of 34 km/hr. GHY - MNDP PASSENGER passes through 14 stations.


Take 5 is probably one of the most recognized jazz standards of all time. As the title of the song suggests, Take 5 is in the 5/4 time signature. You will learn how to play Take 5 chords on guitar with both the original groove and a more advanced, syncopated chord study.
From the new Master of Mandolin Swing, Don Stiernberg and ace architect of the New Acoustic, guitarist John Carlini, backed by one of Chicago's hottest rhythm sections, comes Blue Night Records release, "Angel Eyes," a collection of some of the 20th century's inarguably greatest jazz standards.
"All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. The song was written for the musical Very Warm for May (1939) and was introduced by Hiram Sherman, Frances Mercer, Hollace Shaw, and Ralph Stuart. It appeared in the film Broadway Rhythm (1944).
FreeJazzInstitute is a jazz educational website, musician forum, supports use of Finale, Sibelius, mp3, wav, midi, image, and PDF documents in forum posts. Site has transcriptions, analysis, loops, changes to jazz standards, and essential tunes lists.
Answers to many common questions about angels: Who or what are angels? How did angels originate? How many angels are there? Do angels have bodies? What do angels look like? Do people become angels after death? How do angels compare to human beings? Are all angels good? What is the job description for an angel?
More than 4,600 votes were cast by our listeners for the songs they felt were the best jazz vocal songs of all time. The votes have been counted and the top 50 vocal jazz songs are now available!
All fifty arrangements of jazz standards in this book are written in a single line "fake book" or "lead sheet" format. However, they are not just the standard renditions of the songs. All are custom arrangements, logical suggestions for repeated sections, and simple but stylish song endings. The chords below the lines are the traditional harmonies.
Singer/songwriter Peter Cincotti is a jazz-influenced pianist and vocalist with a bent toward adult alternative pop and '70s-influenced rock. Cincotti displayed a talent for music after being given a toy piano by his grandmother at age three, and when he was four, he began taking piano lessons. At s…. Available with an Apple Music subscription.


Last year around this time I wrote about my first-hand (wrist?) experience with the original Pebble watch after nine months of real-world use.
I concluded that I loved the Pebble for it's functionality at untethering me from my phone screen. My opinion hasn't changed – I still use it every day.
I created this as a primer for those of you who are using the launch of the new, 3rd generation Pebble Time (and Pebble Time Steel) as their first foray into the smart watch trend and/or those like myself, who are Pebble users and might not be sure if it's 'time' to upgrade or to switch to the Apple Watch (I'm an unabashed iPhone user, but the same themes apply to Android wear).
What IS Pebble and how is it different from the other smart-watches?
*Buzz*. Reach into pocket, pull out phone. Glance at wrist. Done.
Pebble as a platform, in my opinion, is the execution of a unique philosophy on smart watches – that is, it's a watch that also gets your notifications. This is important. What Pebble does best, and where I think its philosophy is fundamentally different than its competitors, is that it simplifies and minimizes your interaction with your phone. It's not looking for new ways to engage you with yet another screen (on which to sell apps).
Your phone is a needy ex- with ADD, it constantly demands your attention and you can't tell what's BS and what's actually important without engaging every single buzz and chirp. With Pebble, everything is pushed to my wrist so I can see what actually warrants my time, read and dismiss it without ever touching my phone – from spam, to reminders to "911-the baby is coming!".
My worry with the Apple Watch is that I don't want or need more interaction with a screen, I want less. I want to simplify my workflow and continue my healthy breakup with my screen.
While Apple or Android may make a superior accessory to your phone, Pebble makes arguably a better watch – a watch that you can read in the daylight with its e-paper screen, you can swim with it and it will keep its charge for 7-10 days depending on the model. This is crucial because if I had to charge my watch every day… well I may not bother once the novelty has worn off.
Pebbles newest watch, the Time offers some new, interesting features over my OG Pebble, like a colour screen, but they sell it better than I do, so I'll point you to their Kickstarter video.
But really, from a practicality point of view, it sticks with what it does best – it's a watch. It gets your notifications.
This brings me to the Pebble Time.
I'll admit I jumped on the Time kickstarter as fast as anyone, but after hours staring at my screen from all different angles I settled on a surprising conclusion: the Pebble time is ugly. I should clarify – I had expectations in my head of a follow-up for my beloved Pebble, my subjective expectations were met with something very different, and I simply and personally don't like the industrial design.
I find the thick steel bezel 'chunky' that really seems to highlight how small the screen size really is – the effect is reminiscent of the handheld gadgets of my childhood.
It's not entirely fair to compare it to the gorgeous all-screen designed Huawei or the Apple Watch – the Pebble uses an 64 colour postage stamp size e-paper screen to achieve its most practical selling point – a 7d charge; however, fair has nothing to do with it in what is about to become an extremely competitive market. The difference side-by-side in design alone is truly obvious.
For my use I would have happily have taken a new pebble with a larger black and white e-paper screen with a thin in-line bezel with laminated display, and possibly front lit (a la beautiful, crisp paperwhite) in exchange for the colour screen and chunkier bezel any day.
Being honest with myself, I regretfully concluded that I didn't need the Time. It wasn't for me, and it wasn't an upgrade in my day-to-day use or in looks to my current pebble. I was about to cancel my order, except Pebble went ahead and released the beautiful Pebble Time STEEL a week into the damn campaign. Pebble is hustling for my money.
Contrary to the Time, from a design point of view the Steel looks fantastic. Despite being 1mm thicker, the thinner metal bezel looks more refined and minimal versus its chubby little brother – the screen itself is the same size as the Time, but the thin bezel makes the display appear visually larger than it is. In my original article I explained that I loved the black pebble with black watchfaces because they appeared to float in the whole thing making it look bigger than it was. It's the same effect here with the black border, but thin bezel. The internals are the same as the Time, but the extra mm bumps the battery to 10 days of use.
And lets face it, its casing is basically an Apple Watch. This isn't a bad thing, it looks GOOD. For my money, looks being comparable, the simple but effective day-to-day function of the Pebble wins out over the Apple Watch (and doesn't hurt that it's 100$ cheaper than the Apple base model). My only concern is that it looks TOO much like an apple watch that it might appear like a cheap knockoff – you will certainly be getting 'is that an Apple watch?' all damn day – I even do now with my OG Pebble.
Is it Time for a smart watch?
While the newly released Pebble Time didn't compel me to upgrade from my beloved OG Pebble, the gorgeous design of the Pebble Time Steel (and my personal alignment with the functional philosophy of Pebble) is ultimately why I chose it as my next watch over the Apple Watch (the 100$ cheaper sticker-price doesn't hurt either).
For those of you thinking about a smart watch for the first time, or aren't sure if it should be Apple, Android or Pebble – I'd say if you resonate with the use-case I presented here and in my original article, and the differences Pebble offers over other smart-watches speak to your lifestyle (and workplace), I'd say back the Time or the Time Steel, you won't regret it.


Ambition Recruitment are proud to be partnering with a reputable Health Care provider who provide a comprehensive range of healthcare services throughout Victoria.
They are presently looking to bring on a Senior Finance Analyst into their finance team on a short-term contract of 3 months due to a transformation project.
The role is responsible for providing meaningful insights and analysis with commentary for your designated portfolio. Additionally, you will be responsible for budgeting, forecasting, ad hoc analysis and month end reporting.
To be successful; you will be CA/CPA qualified, with excellent numerical, analytical and problem-solving skills. You will also be adept at working with a diverse stakeholder group and cultivate relationships with ease.


Electric Bike,Scooters - Auto Parts & Services - Franchisee IndiaFranchise Offers India,Indian Franchise Companies,franchise business in india,franchiser,franchisee in india.
My E-Bike by Sunkkalp Creation Pvt.Ltd.,Economical and safe for today`s youth and Senior Citizens.It runs on reachargeable battery, is maintenance free and is a major boost to our country`s economy.We are looking for Dealers & Distributers all over India.
An Electric Bike or Scooter is a battery operated vehicle that is very economical with low maintenance cost and zero pollution. Electric two wheelers use the electrical technology of rechargeable battery that converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy. The battery of an EV can be charged easily using a power connection.
The face of auto industry, that was redefined with the invention of fuel-efficient four-stroke engine technology, is all set to see dawn of a new era in two-wheeler industry. It's not petrol or diesel or any other fuel, but it's electricity that have initiated a revolution in two-wheeler industry in India. Indian two-wheeler industry has embraced the new concept of Electric Bikes and Scooters that are very popular mode of personal transport in the developed countries like America, Japan and China. With the rising cost of fuel at International and national level, increasing levels of pollution and congestion in transport system specially in Urban areas, higher running and maintenance cost of vehicle, the electrically charged bikes or scooters have very bright future in area of personal transportation.


text:
National Gambling HelpLine – Call FREE 0808 8020 133
RG Week 2019
Global Regulatory Awards Win for Responsible Gambling Week
Deborah Roil, of the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG) and Responsible Gambling Week champion won the Compliance Outstanding Achievement award at the third annual Global Regulatory Awards.
Deborah was given the award for her role as project manager and champion of Responsible Gambling Week and for its success in 2018, which encompassed more than 12,000 gambling venues and online sites, involved 120,000 employees across Great Britain and created around 20 million impressions on social media.
Leading football clubs and racecourses also took part, promoting safer gambling messages through their own channels and reaching new audiences.
The 3rd Global Regulatory Awards took place at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London on 1st May and were hosted by actor and comedian Stephen Mangan. The outstanding achievement Award is presented to an individual who has implemented industry-leading compliance initiatives in 2018-2019. The Awards are judged by an independent panel of experts and honour people working in a constantly changing regulatory landscape, who demonstrate a dedication to trustworthy gambling but rarely receive the plaudits they deserve.
Deborah Roil said: "I am honoured to have received this award, on behalf of everyone in the industry who worked so hard to make the 2018 campaign a success. The objective is to trigger a national conversation about responsible gambling and, with the support of the trade associations and operators, I have no doubt we will make the 2019 campaign even bigger and better".
John Hagan, chairman of the IGRG, said: "During Responsible Gambling Week, operators want to reach not only their customers, but also their families and friends and the wider community. The IGRG is hoping to work with a broad range of groups, including charities, local authorities and information services, to ensure we connect with the widest possible audience. We want to find new ways of making this an open and inclusive conversation".
Responsible Gambling Week 2019 will take place from 7th – 13th November. Information about RG Week 2019 will be made available online at www.responsiblegamblinguk.org. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @RGWeek19. #RGWeek19
Safer Gambling
Safer Gambling - Sharing tips and tools on safer gambling in the land of Lotto
Opening the door to safer gambling messages
Opening the door to safer gambling messages: Distinction Doors pledge their support for RG Week 2019
GAMSTOP Animation
National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme from GAMSTOP
© 2020 Responsible Gambling UK

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package net.teamfruit.signpic.manager.database;

import java.util.Date;

import javax.annotation.Nullable;
import javax.persistence.Id;
import javax.persistence.MappedSuperclass;
import javax.persistence.Version;

import com.avaje.ebean.annotation.CreatedTimestamp;

@MappedSuperclass
public class DomainData {

	@Id
	private int id;

	@CreatedTimestamp
	private @Nullable Date createDate;

	@Version
	private @Nullable Date updateDate;

	public int getId() {
		return this.id;
	}

	public void setId(final int id) {
		this.id = id;
	}

	public @Nullable Date getCreateDate() {
		return this.createDate;
	}

	public void setCreateDate(final Date date) {
		this.createDate = date;
	}

	public @Nullable Date getUpdateDate() {
		return this.updateDate;
	}

	public void setUpdateDate(final Date date) {
		this.updateDate = date;
	}
}


This 2008-2014 up Dodge Challenger sequential turn signal kit from WebElectric Products will convert the tail lights on your Challenger into sequential turn signals. The kit contains pre-wired, plug-in harnesses that install with no wire cutting or splicing of any kind! 2011 cars may need one ground wire splice.
These harnesses feature sophisticated electronics that automatically adjust the sequencing speed to match the turn signal flasher in your car. While other products offer you fixed timing or complicated manual adjustments, these sense your car's flasher speed and adjust the sequence timing for you.
Click on the photo for a demonstration.


text:
Home Anthropology The Image of Early Medieval Barbaroi in Contemporary Written Sources and Modern...
The Image of Early Medieval Barbaroi in Contemporary Written Sources and Modern Scholarship: the Balkan Perspective
Haemus
Jelena JARIĆ
The barbarians of the Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages were of scholarly interest from the 19th c. onwards. Though there are numerous publications on various aspects of the barbarians, most of it focuses on the role they had in the collapse of the Western and the trails of the Eastern Roman Empire. During the last two decades, an enormous scholarly contribution is given into dampening the negative representation of the Early Medieval barbarians as primitive, belligerent people who were inferior to the Romans and Byzantines in any regard. This article gives a review on the accounts of the contemporary authors held as authorities on the history of the barbarian tribes, which combined with the survey of the material evidence, retrieved with archaeological excavations, offers another perspective of the barbarians and the Romaioi as equal participants in the events that shaped their world, instead of the image of superior, civilized people of a great Empire and the savage tribes of inferior culture who threatened the same Empire.
Reference: JARIĆ J., The Image of Early Medieval Barbaroi in Contemporary Written Sources and Modern Scholarship: the Balkan Perspective, Haemus journal Vol. 1 (2012), Skopje, 169-197.
Full text [.pdf] Full text [.djvu]
Previous articleThe Lion of Amphipolis
Next articleMA in Heritage Management in Athens, Greece
HAEMUS - center for scientific research and promotion of the culture, endorses historical and archaeological research, exploration, education, popularization, promotion and management of the cultural heritage of the Balkan peninsula as a mutual benefit from the past.
HAEMUS published "The Modernist Architecture of Skopje" guidebook
Cultural heritage needs digital visualization
HAEMUS part of the Shared cultural heritage, factor for intercultural dialogue in the Balkans debate


Yep, that's right, yoga is good for the guys too and just about perfect for the serious cyclist who wishes to transcend beyond the perceived ceiling! I have been living in China for the past almost five years and in that time I have witnessed yoga becoming increasingly popular amongst Chinese women – its a new fashion fitness trend. But, very few Chinese men are doing yoga – in the past year I have seen one other Chinese male attend the yoga class I regularly attend. Usually its the wife or girl-friend that does the yoga session and the guy sits in the corner to pump iron or runs on the treadmill. Chinese men still have the view that yoga is for females only and will not be seen dead in a yoga class full of women.
Doing yoga is a great way to spend more time with your significant other. I was motivated to attend yoga classes with my wife and quickly saw benefits accrue from regular sessions, sometimes up to four times a week! The year 2013 was a bad year for me in terms of injuries – dislocating my shoulders four times; resulting in very vulnerable and sore shoulder joints that kept irritating me. My flexibility was way down and I could not even place my elbow flat on the small of my back, let alone link hands behind my back. I saw yoga as the perfect rehabilitation program and as a way to lose weight and improve my flexibility. Even more important since I was not getting any younger, approaching the ripe age of 40 years. I really believe that my consistency in attending yoga classes really contributed towards my injury free year (relatively speaking) and made training in the saddle that much more enjoyable. My weight loss was also quite amazing, dropping from an overweight 93kg at the beginning of February 2014 and dropping to a stable 78kg by early October, just in time for my biggest batch of racing that would see me line up for 24 race days over a six week period! Yoga definitely helped me achieve my goals I set for 2014.
For the upcoming 2015 year, I highly recommend to try yoga and stick at it for several months at least so you can actually see the benefits. It will truly give you greater aerobic strength, flexibility and razor-sharp focus. By adopting yoga as part of your training program, you will emerge a different type of machine and one that will scale to different heights never scaled before your yoga days. Yoga also helps you stay injury free, as for me in 2014, I did have several crashes with some light road rash but more importantly my shoulders stayed intact and I am seeing my flexibility come back. I can now link my hands behind my back and lift heavy objects without grimacing in pain.
So, forget about the misconceptions of yoga and embrace it as part of your training plan for 2015; you will not regret it and you'll be poised for a break-out year on the bike.


The online-entry system for the European Satellite Navigation Competition goes live this week. From 1 April to 30 June 2013, entrants from all over the world can submit their entries to compete for the €1m prize fund, and the prestigious overall title of Galileo Master. The dedicated Irish Region prize is in its second year, and is once again sponsored by National Space Centre Ltd.
The competition, which is supported by the European Commission and European Space Agency, rewards innovation in business ideas using satellite technology. This year is the tenth anniversary of the competition which began in 2004 with only three partner regions. It is now a leading global network of innovation and expertise in the field of Global Navigation Satellite Systems with more than 20 regions and 190 industry and research experts around the world.
The panel of judges will consist of representatives from the National Space Centre, Enterprise Ireland, academia and private industry. The winner, who will be announced in September 2013, will go on to represent Ireland at the international competition later this year.
Keep up to date with ESNC 2013 on Twitter and Linkedin.


text:
Q: Do not want to display some tabs on user page I do not want to display some of the tabs that are on user page on some of the domain but the primary domain will have it.
How can I hide the tabs?(dont want to use css)
ex
$items['user/%/messages'] = array(
'title' => 'Messages',
'page callback'    => 'drupal_get_form',
'page arguments'   => array('privatemsg_list', 'list', 1),
'access callback'  => 'privatemsg_user_access',
'access arguments' => array('read all private messages'),
'type' => MENU_LOCAL_TASK,

);
I do not want to display the Messages tab on my secondary domain..(using drupal domain module)

A: You can use this and check base url for domain
global $base_url;

    if($base_url=='youdomain'){
    $items['user/%/messages']['access callback'] = FALSE;
    }

Hope it helps you.

A: If it is just a matter of display without CSS I would use "hook_menu_local_tasks_alter" and do something like :
function yourmodule_menu_local_tasks_alter(&$data, $router_item, $root_path) {
  global $base_root;
  if($root_path=='user/%/messages' && $base_root=='http://yourdomain.com' ) {
    foreach($data['tabs'][0]['output'] as $k => $item) {
      if($item['#link']['path']=='user/%/messages') {
        unset($data['tabs'][0]['output'][$k]);
        break;
      }
    }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Ада Међица је издужено речно острво обрасло шумом на реци Сави, према административној подели припада граду Београду, а налази се на територији београдске општине Нови Београд. Током историје била је гранично острво многих држава и место војних сукоба, заједно са Адом Циганлијом.

Шездесетих година 20. века на острву је изграђена прва сојеница и основано удружење "Љубитељи Саве и Дунава", које од тада управља острвом.

Највећи део острва прекривен је шумом, а на њему се налазе сојенице и сплавови.

Опште карактеристике

Нетакнута природа, мир, река, шумска пространства и мала удаљеност од урбаног подручја су само неке од ствари које красе Аду Међицу. Острво се простире на 11,58 ha. Највежа ширина острва је 174 m, а дужина 1150 m. Обрасло је шумом, а на њему се налази 86 сојеница и 202 сплава на води, где викендом борави око 2.000 посетилаца. Максимална величина објеката је 25 m², а потребну струју за сојенице и сплавове обезбеђују соларни панели. Активности на острву укључују пливање, шетњу и роштиљање, а подручје је нетакнуто и без туристичких садржаја. Једино је западни део обале бетониран, како би се спречила ерозија.

Ток реке Саве је јак у пределу острва, које река помери од 50 до 100 cm годишње у смеру низводно. Острво је често преплављено реком, а сидрење острва локалне власти сматрају прескупим. Током поплава, острво је редовно прекривено блатом и обично је толико поплављено да се бродови морају користити за превоз од једне куће до друге. Постоје две мале плаже, званично класификоване као "дивље плаже". Један је близу северног, бетонираног врха, а други је пешчана плажа у близини јужног врха.

На самом уласку у марину, где чамци одвозе и довозе посетиоце, налази се клуб љубитеља Аде Међице и ресторан.

Географија

Географски положај и локација

Ада Међица налази се преко пута централног дела Аде Циганлије, одакле је могуће доћи чамцем.
Са друге стране преко реке Саве, налази се новобеоградски Савски кеј, Блок 45, Блок 44 и Блок 70.. Припада општини Нови Београд, а од центра Београда удаљена је 3 km. Газдинска јединица на којој се налази Ада Међица припада Централној шумској области, Посaвско-подунавском шумском подручју.

Острво поседује и тениски терен, а изграђена је и бетонска стаза преко које се може обићи круг око целог острва. На острву се налазе две "дивље плаже".

Еколошке, геолошке и хидрографске карактеристике

Ада Међица настала је плављењем и таложењем речног песма и муља. Ада представља раван са благим депресијама које су испуњене водом, односно барама. Надморска висина варира од 71 до 73 m. Од обале реке Саве до гребена, терен острва се благи уздиже, а потом има пад према централном деру. Такође благи пад надморске висине је од горњег према доњем шицу. Иако је на острву присутна мала разлика у надморској висини, она у великој мери утиче на састав биљне заједнице.

Изузев бара, острво чини алувијално земљиште, која су погодна за узгој интезивних засада. Централни део острва повезан је са обалом благим прокопаним каналом, ради бржег отицања воде из централног дела острва, који је у благој депресији. Током плављења, централни део острва са баром се пуни водом.

Клима

Захваљујући комбинацији фактора, ово подручје одликује умереноконтиненталном климом, рејон је под утицајем Средоземног мора и Атлантског окена, а подрејон под утицајем хладног континенталног ваздуха и северних и северноистичних делова Европе. Просечна температура током лета је већа од 20 °C, средње трајање периода без мраза је 303 дана, а трајање сунчевог сјаја је 2025 часова, што има велики утицај на развој биљног света острва. Око 25 дана годишње, просечна температура на острву буде преко 30 °C, а оне понекад достигну и 40—42 °C.

Средња годишња количина падавина износи 730,8 mm, а највише падавина има током пролећа и лета, а најмањет током зима. На овом рејону чест је продор хладног, сувог и јаког ветра са јутоистока и истока. Најмања темпеература ваздуха најчешће је у јануару и достиће -21 °C, а највећа најчешће у јулу и достиће 40,2 °C. Зиме су оштре и промењиве, рани мразеви јављају се у октобру, а касни у априлу.

Флора и фауна

Острво обилује природом, на њему се налази велики број платана, топола, кестена врба уз обалу и преко 250 стабала хратове шуме старих око 80. година..
Острво је богато великим бројем птица и ситне дивљачи, као и домаћим животињама.
Купање на Ади Међици је могуће на њеном доњем и горњем шпицу острва, где је стациониран највећи број посетилаца. На острву је присутан велики број шумских и жбунастих заједница, које су настале услед интезивног влажења у речним долинама. На острву су присутне шуме беле врбе и тополе, на неразвијеним семиглејним земљиштима, шуме беле врбе и црне тополе на мозаику прелазниш станишта. Спрат дрвећа је проређен, мале висине, а углавном се састоји од беле врбе, примешано се јавља и црна топола. Спрат жбуња је развијен у зависности од трајања високе воде и приземне флоре. У другом спрату јављају се Salix alba, Amorpha fruticoza, Ulmus effusa,Ulmus carpinifolija, Fraxsinus anglustifolija и Solanum dulcamara. У сувљим деловима присутне су шуме беле тополе и лужњака, а јављају се још и пољски јасен, вез, јасенолик јавор, сребрнолисни јавор и амерички јасен. У спрату жбуња и приземне врсте јављају се Frangula alnus, Cornus sanguine, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus nigra, Viburnum opulus, Rubus caesius, Genista tinctoria, Carex divulsa и друге.

Деведесетих година 20. века шуме острва биле су запуштене, а већина стабала била су еуроамеричке тополе, док је висона шума лужњака била обрасла дивљом лозим и бршљеном. Половина Аде Међице у то време била је обрасла грожђем и багремцем, између еуроамеричких топола растао је и амерички јасен, негунда и сребрнолисни јавор. У шуми је била огроман количина отпада. Након пошумљавања, 89% Аде Међица прекривено је шумом.

На подручју Аде Циганлије, пописане су ретке врсте биљака, као што су: барска перуника и водени орашак. Заштићене врсте инсеката који настањују острво су Calosoma inguizitor, Calosoma sycophanta, Carabus coriaceus и Carabus intricatus.

Аду Међицу такође настањује велики број птица, сезонски и током целе године, а заштићене врсте су: лабуд грбавац, црна рода, мала бела чапља, сива чапља, крџа, вранац и велика бела чапља. На острву строго заштићене врсте су и белоушка и барска корњача. Острво је било станиште врабаца, дивљих патака и голубова, али су до 2010. године они напустили острво због растуће популације врана. Два велика јата дивљих гусака живе на острву и привлаће посетиоце. Аду Међицу настањују и плава сеница, детлић, фазан, гугутка, чапља, креја, пољска еја и многе друге.

Острво је пошумљено са 250 садница дивље узгајаних храстова, старих између 50 и 100 година. У периоду од 2015 до 2017. године на острву је посађено 2.500 садница храста лужњака и јасена.

Историја

Име острва, Ада Међица је српски назив за гранично острво, од речи "међа". Река Сава је вековима била граница многих држава (Римско царство, Византијско царство, Краљевина Мађарска, Србија, Османско царство, Хабзбуршка монархија и многих других). Острво је данас граница београдске општине Нови Београд са општином Чукарица, од које је удаљено 100 m. До Првог светског рата острво је било познато под именом "Ада Занога" и "Мала Ада". Током Првог и Другог светског рата, на Ади Међици и Ади Циганлији одиграо се велики број битака. У настојању да искористи повлачење српске војске из Срема у септембру 1914. године, аустроугарски поручник и генерал Касимир вон Лутгендорф одлучио је да нападне Србију преко Саве (Циганлије и Међице), након чега је уследила операција искрцавања на српској страни реке, освајање насеља Баново Брдо и Топчидер, а затим, западним путем, уласка у центар Београда.

Године 1962. изграђени су први објекти на острву, а прва је била кућа на дрвету, коју је изградио Пеђа Ристић, српски архитекта. Ристић је првобитно критикован, али је временом добио похвале због изградње куће на острву, јер је његова идеја била означена као бунтовна. Ристић је инспирисао друге да проводе викенде на острвима. Током 1963. године општина власт понудила је "Друштву љубитњља Саве и Дунава" да воде острво наредних 99 година, како је то наложеном одлуком Врховног суда Југославије, 1964. године. Град је касније тужио Друштво желећи да се острво врати, али су изгубили на суду.

У јулу 2016. године када је организован међународни маратон "Ада Међица", у водама око острва, откривена је бомба тешка 50 килограма из Другог светског рата.

Спорт

Први међународно пливачки маратон око Аде Међице одржао се 17. јула 2016. године.
Такмичење пливања у кругу око Аде Међице у мешовитој мушкој и женској категорији, организовали су Удружење љубитеља Саве и Дунава "Ада Међица" у сарадњи са Савезом за даљинско пливање Србије.. Маратон пливања један је од ретких пливачких догађаја у Србији, на коме се плива низводно, а други по реду одржан, 2017. године био је посвећен 55. годишњици од насељавања Аде Међице. Од 2018. године, постоје две трке, једна рекреативна (1 km низводно) и једна професионална и полупрофесионална (2,7 km око острва).

Референце

Литература

Спољашне везе

 Званични сајт
 Сајт општине Нови Београд
 ВикиКарта Ада Међица
 Мапа Аде Међице

Географија Новог Београда
Аде Србије
Београдске аде
Туризам у Београду
Острва на Сави

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In 2014 Florida passed New York as the nation's third-most populous state, and in 2016 our head-count reached 20.6 million. Now, according to research at the University of Florida*, we may expand to 30,000,000 by 2045.
Which raises an obvious question: Where are we going to put 10 million more people?
The best answer to that question actually provides a great opportunity for the lending community to explore new markets. Urban redevelopment will crucial for a sustainable Florida environment in the face of massive growth.
By reclaiming land currently occupied by structures such abandoned factories and warehouses, we can channel growth into areas were infrastructure already exists to support more residents.
Many of these redevelopment projects will be on impacted properties where risk management strategies and redevelopment incentives through the Florida Brownfields Program will become more economical.
More than 20 years ago, the initial visionaries of Florida Brownfields Program consisted of legislators, developers, consultants and bankers who understood the economic opportunity that would result as land became increasingly scarce. They knew urban redevelopment properties, although contaminated, had the potential to provide large returns on investments. As a result, they created valuable regulatory and economic incentives to encourage it. We are now realizing the need, and lenders willing to finance these sites will have increasing opportunities.
The regulatory and economic incentives are for both the developer and the local government that assists them, with FDEP reporting over $80 million in tax credits to developers and municipalities since the Brownfields program inception. As municipalities eager to fill their urban core with sustainable development keep designating more Brownfield areas, new business opportunities abound for clever entrepreneurs in this ever-developing market.
And those entrepreneurs will need financing.
From its initial small steps, the Program has focused on sustainable development, which includes energy efficient buildings, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, walkable developments inside the urban core, and the use of recycled materials. As of 2017, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection reports that approximately $2.7 billion has been invested in designated Brownfield areas.
I also foresee additional legislative initiatives to encourage such projects if we are going to succeed at finding a balance between environmental protection and economic growth.
Lenders and portfolio risk managers need to know that a contaminated property in a designated Brownfield area is fully developable and financeable.
There are more strategies than ever to close regulatory files on impacted sites and proceed to financing and redevelopment. This represents an opportunity for investors with an understanding of the risk management strategies necessary to minimize cost and exposure on impacted sites. Lenders who learn the details of environmental risk management will thrive over the next 25 years.
I encourage you to seek educational opportunities where these issues are presented in detail. In the coming months, ERMI will be making use of conferences, training sessions, webinars, and newsletters (most offered at no cost) to help lending professionals prosper; visit our website, subscribe to our e-newsletter, and inquire about upcoming educational events.


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text:
Home / Information Library / Country Profiles / Countries A-F / Belarus
Nuclear Power in Belarus
(Updated December 2021)
Belarus has its first nuclear power plant under construction. The first of two units was connected to the grid in November 2020. The project is financed by Russia.
Atomstroyexport is building the 2400 MWe plant, with two VVER-1200 reactors.
Operable nuclear power capacity
Electricity sector
Total generation (in 2019): 40.5 TWh
Generation mix: natural gas 39.2 TWh (97%); hydro 0.4 TWh (1%); biofuels & waste 0.3 TWh; oil 0.2 TWh; solar 0.2 TWh; wind 0.2 TWh.
Import/export balance: 2.3 TWh net export
Total consumption: 30.9 TWh
Per capita consumption: c. 3300 kWh in 2019
Source: International Energy Agency and The World Bank
Government plans to reform the electricity sector by creating a wholesale market in three stages have stalled, and electricity remains heavily subsidised for households.
Under its 2011-2020 energy strategy, Belarus is seeking to reduce its reliance on Russia as a major energy supplier. The nuclear power plant under construction at Ostrovets is pivotal to the plan, which also outlined the proposed building of a 1000 MWe coal-fired plant, four hydropower stations with a total capacity of 120 MW, and wind projects totaling 300 MW. If fully implemented, the strategy would bring the share of power generated using Russian gas down to 55%.
The country imports a significant majority of its gas from Russia – much of it for electricity. Gas imports cost about $2.7 billion in 2018a. The under construction nuclear plant is expected to reduce gas imports by 5 billion m3 per year. In November 2011 it was agreed that Russia's Gazprom would pay $2.5 billion for the 50% of Belarus' gas transmission network, Beltransgaz, that it did not already own. This was linked both to lower gas prices and to Russian finance for the nuclear plant. Earlier, there had been studies on both a domestic nuclear power plant using Russian technology, and Belarus participation in a new nuclear unit at Smolensk or Kursk in Russia.
Nuclear power plans
Reactors operating in Belarus
In mid-2006 the government approved a plan for the construction of an initial 2000 MWe PWR nuclear power plant in the Mogilev region of eastern Belarus. This was expected to provide electricity at half the cost of that from Russian gas and to provide some 30% of the country's electricity by 2020 at a cost of about €4 billion (January 2008 estimate) on a turnkey basis.
After expressions of interest from international reactor vendors were invited, the energy ministry announced in August 2008 that proposals had been received from Atomstroyexport, Westinghouse-Toshiba and Framatome (now Orano). Anything from the USA would need several years for an intergovernmental agreement, and Framatome's EPR was noted as being too big for the first plant. In addition, the energy ministry received a proposal from China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC, now China General Nuclear Power Corporation, CGN). Russia's Atomstroyexport emerged as the most likely supplier for the 2 x 1000 MWe plant since the others either did not provide all the information required or could not build the plant soon enough. Operation of the first unit was initially envisaged for 2016 and the second in 2018, and two further units were proposed for operation by 2025. In June 2007 Russia's Eximbank offered a $2 billion credit line to enable purchase of equipment from Russia's Power Machines company as a major part of the overall cost.
In November 2007 a presidential decree defined the organizations responsible for preparing for the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant and budgeted money for engineering and site selection. The candidate sites were Krasnopolyansk and Kukshinovsk (both in the Mogilev region) and Ostrovets in the Grodno region. Ostrovets/Astravets, 23 km from the Lithuanian border and 55 km from Vilnius, was chosen in December 2008, despite protests from Lithuania.
The Directorate for Construction of Nuclear Power Plants was established under the Ministry of Energy. The state-run Belnipienergoprom enterprise was designated as the general designer of the plant with responsibility for negotiating and signing contracts, carrying out feasibility studies and preparing tender documents.
Ostrovets nuclear plant
In June 2009 the government announced that Atomstroyexport would be the general contractor, with Russian and Belarus subcontractors, notably St Petersburg Atomenergoproekt. An intergovernmental agreement concerning the plant was signed in March 2011. A preliminary turnkey construction contract with Atomstroyexport for a 2400 MWe plant (2 x 1200 MWe AES-2006 units using V-491 reactors) was signed in October 2011 by Belarus state-owned Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate, and a general construction contract was signed in July 2012. St Petersburg AEP (now part of ASE Group) has been involved with the project since 2004, including site selection and technology choice. In January 2014 the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate became the Belarus Nuclear Power Plant state unitary enterprise.
Reactors under construction in Belarus
Also in June 2009 the government announced that $9 billion Russian financing had been lined up, and Belarus also wanted the Russian loan to include provision for infrastructure. Belarus official cost estimate including infrastructure was $9.4 billion, with one third of this to be spent 2011-15. In November 2011 it was agreed that Russia would lend up to $10 billion for 25 years to finance 90% of the contract between Atomstroyexport and the Belarus Directorate for Nuclear Power Plant Construction (now the Belarus NPP state unitary enterprise). In February 2012 Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank (VEB) and Belarusian commercial bank Belvnesheconombank (BelVEB) signed an agreement needed to implement the Russian export credit facility. In May 2012 the parties said that the first instalment under the design contract would be $204 million, and that this would be followed by $285 million for pre-construction site works. This was confirmed with an agreement signed in May 2014.
In December 2011 the Nuclear Power Engineering Department of the Energy Ministry submitted an application for a construction licence for the Ostrovets plant to the state nuclear regulator, the Department for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (Gosatomnadzor) of the Ministry of Emergencies. During 2012 some site works were underway, and excavation for the second unit started in February 2013.
In April 2013 Atomenergomash (AEM) won the tender to supply the two reactors, which are being manufactured by AEM-Technologies at the Atommash plant at Volgodonsk. In October 2013 Gosatomnadzor (GAN) issued the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate (Belarus AEC) with a licence for the construction of the first reactor at the Ostrovets site. First concrete was in November 2013, with VNIPIET (formerly SPbAEP) as main contractor, though the full construction licence was not issued until April 2014. A construction licence for the basemat of unit 2 was issued by the ministry in February 2014. Construction of unit 2 started in May 2014, several months ahead of schedule. The full construction licence was issued at the end of December 2014.
The reactor vessel for Ostrovets 1 during manufacture (AEM-Technology)
In September 2015 the prime minister ordered relevant ministries and the Minsk executive to allocate the required number of qualified workers to "eliminate delays to construction and installation work" so that the project remained on schedule. In July 2016 the unit 1 reactor pressure vessel (RPV) slipped out of its sling when being moved and hit the ground, apparently without being damaged. OKB Gidropress and Atomstroyexport in August inspected the RPV and sent the results of that to Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Company – and to Gosatomnadzor. However, the Belarus government said that it wanted it replaced, and Rosatom responded that it would do so, later making it clear that this was a public acceptance matter rather than a technological issue implying any safety issue. The RPV for unit 2 is now being used in unit 1, incurring about a six-month delay in construction but no extra cost for the customer, and the original RPV will be used elsewhere. The new one was shipped from Atommash in Volgodonsk late in October 2016, and in April 2017 it was agreed that the RPV intended for Baltic 1 and made by Atommash would be sent to Belarus for unit 2.
Commissioning work on unit 1 by Atomstroyexport commenced in April 2019. In April 2020 hot functional tests were concluded, in May the first fuel assemblies were delivered to the site by Rosatom, and in November the unit was connected to the grid. An operating licence was issued for the unit in June 2021.
Construction of unit 2 is complete, and hot functional tests were completed in October 2021. Fuel loading started in December 2021. Belarusian NPP will operate the plant.
Earlier in March 2020 the IAEA concluded an integrated nuclear infrastructure review (INIR) in line with the final phase (phase 3) of its 'milestones' approach.
Belarus used INPRO's* Nuclear Energy Systems Assessment methodology covering economics, infrastructure, waste management, proliferation resistance, physical protection, environment, and safety to confirm its investment decision. The results showed that nuclear would be competitive, with overnight costs $1960/kW and levelized electricity price 5.81 cent/kWh (compared with coal $1175/kW and 6.52 cent/kWh, and gas $805/kW and 6.76 cent/kWh). The basic overnight cost of the two units was put at $6.135 billion.
* The International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) was developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Lithuania remains opposed to operation of the plant and earlier filed a complaint with the Implementation Committee of the Espoo convention (Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context), which ruled that Belarus had violated the convention, though Belarus denies this. Since then discussions have continued, with Germany joining the Lithuanian objections. In 2014, a meeting of the parties to the convention "encouraged" Belarus to take measures to build confidence with neighbouring countries concerning the project. They also suggested that Belarus invites the IAEA to carry out a site and external events design (SEED) mission at Ostrovets. Belarus did so, and in January 2017 the IAEA team reported: "Appropriate steps have been taken to establish the design parameters of the nuclear power plant to protect it against the worst credible external event." It said that the plant's design parameters adequately accounted for external hazards, such as earthquakes, floods and extreme weather, and for human error. It said that hazard monitoring programs were adequate and properly documented.
The following month Lithuania's energy minister threatened to boycott electricity imports from Belarus, suggesting that this would undermine the economic foundation of the project. He proposed a bill which would prohibit access to Lithuania's grid and power market by foreign countries which "operate or build" unsafe reactors. Lithuania has had no plans to import electricity from (as distinct from through) Belarus, and its 2012 energy policy involves rebuilding the Baltic states grid to be independent of the Russian/Belarus system, and to work in the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO) synchronous system.
Russia's policy for building nuclear power plants in non-nuclear weapons states is to deliver on a turnkey basis, including supply of all fuel and repatriation of used fuel for the life of the plant. The fuel is to be reprocessed in Russia and the separated wastes returned to the client country eventually.
Earlier in May 2009 the government approved a nuclear cooperation agreement with China, which included nuclear power, joint development of innovative reactor technologies, nuclear safety, radiation protection, and environmental protection, as well as radiation technologies and their applications, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy. It created a legal basis for Chinese participation in nuclear power plant and related construction in Belarus. It followed both a 2008 proposal from China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC) and a 2005 cooperation agreement. Early in 2010 official announcements said that the President had proposed to cooperate with China in nuclear power, including the construction of a power plant, although Chinese official sources did not confirm this. In July 2012 the North China Power Engineering Co Ltd (NCPE) won a contract from Grodnoenergo to build a 330 kV transmission line to connect the Ostrovets power plant to the grid. This was financed 95% by a loan from China Exim Bank.
In August 2012 the government said that there were no specific plans for a second nuclear power plant but the question remained on the agenda. A decision on it will be made once the first is operational, and in the light of costs and energy options then. In May 2018 the deputy prime minister said that two more reactors would be built "in the short term".
A VVER-1000 unit was earlier being built near Minsk but construction was abandoned in 1988 after the Chernobyl accident.
A radioactive waste management strategy based on IAEA principles was adopted in June 2015. It builds on regulations for nuclear and radiation safety approved by the Ministry of Emergency Situations in September 2010. High-level waste (HLW) will be stored near the plant for its lifetime (though used fuel is returned to Russia for reprocessing). Low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW) will be stored there for up to ten years before being removed to a repository. The first stage of a LILW repository is to be constructed by 2028. The strategy also considers construction of a deep geological repository for the disposal of HLW following decommissioning of the plant.
The strategy predicts that there will be about 8400 m3 of solid LILW radioactive waste of various types and 60 m3 of HLW arising during the 60-year operating lifetime of the twin-unit Ostrovets plant. The projected amount of solid LILW resulting from decommissioning the plant is 2050 m3 per unit plus 85 m3 of HLW.
Public opinion monitoring conducted by the Ministry of Energy jointly with the National Academy of Sciences showed a sustainable growth of support to nuclear power over the period September 2005 to May 2012. The number of nuclear power supporters increased from 28.3% to 53.5% over that period, while the number of opponents decreased from 46.7% to 21%. Slight fluctuations were observed in 2012 after the accident at Fukushima-Daiichi, which triggered "a new outburst of anxiety." An important result of the studies is the fact that they "unambiguously recorded" positive shifts in public attitude to "calm and reasoned perception", despite the fact that Belarus was very affected by fallout from the Chernobyl accident, with resultant evacuations.
Regulation, safety and non-proliferation
A 2007 decree (see above) ensured that nuclear and radiation safety was in line with the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Nuclear & Radiation Safety Department was set up as part of the Emergencies Ministry to act as the state nuclear regulator and licensing authority. A further decree in 2017 established the Centre of Nuclear and Radiation Safety as part of the Emergencies Ministry.
Belarus joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1995, and in 2005 signed the Additional Protocol to its safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
a. Belarus economic data from The Observatory of Economic Complexity, MIT Media Lab [Back]
In Situ Leach Mining of Uranium
Cooling Power Plants


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Queen Sofía of Spain celebrates 80th birthday with private lunch with family – including Infanta Cristina
OHMYGOSSIP – Queen Sofía of Spain celebrated her 80th birthday yesterday with a private lunch at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid with her husband, King Juan Carlos, children and grandchildren.
Even Juan Carlos and Sofía's scandal-plagued daughter, Infanta Cristina was in attendance after being out of the royal fold for years due to her and her husband's trial for fraud and money laundering. However, she did attend the Mass for her late paternal grandfather, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona in April of this year but was not seen in any photos released by the Royal House.
Casa Real did not reveal information about the family lunch, but they did release a photo taken outside Zarzuela Palace of the Spanish Royal Family. Pictured with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía were King Felipe and Queen Letizia with their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía; Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo with her two children, Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón and Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón; and Infanta Cristina with her four children: Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón, Pablo Urdangarín y de Borbón, Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón, and Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón.
The celebration and photo were changes from the celebrations of King Juan Carlos's 80th birthday in January of this year. At that private family lunch, also at Zarzuela Palace, Infanta Cristina and her family were not invited. The image Casa Real released on that day only included King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofía, King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, Infanta Sofía, Infanta Elena and her children, Felipe and Victoria.
Queen Sofía was born as Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, the eldest child of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece on 2 November 1938 in Tatoi Palace in Athens, Greece. She has two younger siblings: King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Irene.
She married then Infante Juan Carlos of Spain on 14 May 1962, converting from Greek Orthodoxy to Roman Catholicism and changing the spelling of her name to its Spanish variant "Sofía".
Juan Carlos and Sofía have three children: Infanta Elena (b. 1963), Infanta Cristina (b. 1965), and King Felipe (b. 1968). They have four grandsons and four granddaughters.
Sofía became Queen of Spain where her husband ascended the throne after the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. In June 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated, and he and Sofía's only son ascended the throne as King Felipe VI.
From all of us at Royal Central, Feliz Cumpleaños Su Majestad/Happy Birthday Your Majesty!
Queen Sofía of Spain


text:
Rebecca Jarvis
In Nanoscopic Detail
The 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner, for surpassing the perceived theoretical limit of resolution in optical microscopy.
For over one hundred years it was believed that the maximum resolution of a microscope is related to the wavelength of light and therefore optical microscopes could never be used to resolve objects of less than 0.2 micrometres. The three Nobel winners independently developed techniques to get around this limitation.
This work has enormous potential in the study of biological processes—individual virus particles or proteins can now be resolved in a cell using fluorescent imaging. This level of detail was previously only possible using techniques such as electron microscopy, which cannot be performed on live cells. Its use has already been demonstrated in my main area of research, the inherited disorder Huntington's disease.
Neurodegeneration in Huntington's is characterised by the build up of aggregates of mutant huntingtin protein in neuronal cells. The jury is still out as to whether these aggregates are the cause of neuronal cell death or the bodies' way of clearing toxic huntingtin molecules from the cytosol. However, understanding how aggregates form is an important step in understanding how the disease progresses. Fluorescently tagged aggregates are large enough to be studied by regular microscopy but the bright signal from a dense huntingtin aggregate can swamp the signal from a smaller oligomer and individual protein molecules are not visible at all.
Moerner used his prize-winning technique of super-resolution imaging to define the distribution of genetically expressed fragments of the huntingtin protein in cells. Individual linear oligomers of ~80-100 nM were resolved in addition to small aggregates and larger inclusion bodies. In other words, Moerner was able, for the first time, to see aggregates in all stages of their formation and to hypothesize about the biological processes behind their formation.
The ultimate goal is to perform live-cell real-time studies of huntingtin aggregates forming and growing. Further extension using multicolored fluorescence may be possible, enabling the study of interactions between aggregating huntingtin and other proteins within the cell. This insight may help us identify new potential mechanisms to modulate the formation of aggregates and allow us to look at the effect of potential therapeutic intervention at the molecular level. For instance, can small molecules be identified that alter the rate of aggregation?
The Nobel committee has recognized eye-opening advances that will undoubtedly increase our understanding of a wide range of biological processes. Super-resolution studies have already been performed on protein aggregation in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Co-winner Hell focused his nanoscope on living nerve cells to study brain synapses and Betzig has used his technique to produce super-resolution images of cell division within embryos.
Chimeric Organogenesis at a Crossroads
Joe Cornicelli
Debadeep Bhattacharyya
In the Lab: An Interview with Neuroscientist David Fischer, PhD
Jun 15, 2020 |
Regina Kelder
Second Chances: A Case for Repurposing Drugs


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Basically there are two types of country music, good and bad. Most heard today are bad if not worse. Fortunately, the Stones country tunes are almost always of the good variety. My personal favorite is "Wild Horses".


The number of minors committing crimes in states that have declared by law that a minor lacks responsibility and thus may not be sentenced as an adult keeps on escalating every day. The issue has become a severe predicament worldwide and its intensity depends mostly on the social, economic and cultural conditions in each country concerned. Many causes are associated with juvenile delinquency, major ones being poor educational background, inadequate family security or bonds, poverty and destitution, substance abuse and cultural factors.
Juvenile delinquents comprises mostly of youth, with youth making the high numbers of arrests than the population we consider as children in this context. Statistics show that a large percentage of the youth that age out of juvenile justice systems tend to end up homeless because they are unprepared to live independently, they have limited education and have no social support. A lot can be done and different approaches to prevent violence and crime can be taken up to reduce juvenile delinquency cases. Instead of relying solely on the criminal justice system, emphasis should rather be put on combating poverty and instilling a sense of belonging to young people.
Relevant stakeholders have come together to address this issue. Governments and Youth Organizations are providing education on the issue. Attempts to reduce the free time gap and unguided activities that youth are involved in are being made by providing extracurricular activities that are educational and beneficiary to the youth.


Welcome to our on-line pet shop. Here you will find a wide variety of dog toys that are designed for different purposes and depending on the dog's characteristics. Today we want to offer you this Fiber Bone which is health giving for your Pit Bull. It is not only a toy, it is also a training tool for your puppy. This bone will help you to look after your favorite pet.
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The Smoky Mountain towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have officially kicked off the annual Winterfest to start the Christmas season. Tuesday November 3rd marked the beginning of the Christmas season with Winterfest and all events will continue until February 22nd.
During the celebration there will be lots of events, beautiful Christmas and winter decorations, a huge New Year's eve celebration, lights, story telling, food, fun and discounts on everything from dining to lodging in Gatlinburg cabin rentals and more. This celebration is huge and each town and many attractions get into this like almost nothing else all year long. One of the biggest attractions is in downtown Gatlinburg when it gets decorated up with literally millions of lights for everyone to enjoy.
Some of the activities and events in Gatlinburg include these fun things: Winter Magic Kickoff & Chili Cookoff, Trolley Ride of Lights, Gatlinburg Winter Magic™, Veteran's Day Celebration, Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community Holiday Show, Gatlinburg Festival of Trees, The Nutcracker "Sweet", Winter Magic Tunes & Tales™, Gatlinburg's 34th Annual "Fantasy of Lights" Christmas Parade, Christmas on Ice, New Year's Eve Fireworks Show & Ball Drop and so much more.
If you have never visited the Great Smoky Mountains in the wintertime, now is your chance to get in on the fun and beauty of how wonderful the experience really is. And if you plan on coming for a Gatlinburg vacation, you will want to reserve your cabin rental now. And believe me, renting a cabin here is the only way to experience Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the fun of Winterfest.
You will enjoy great southern hospitality, beautiful winter and Christmas decorations, fun shows and other entertainment including the Duggar Family from the learning channel, snow skiing at Ober Gatlinburg, winter parades, beautiful decorated tree festivals, arts and crafts and lots more at this year's Winterfest. Get ready for it and make your reservations today.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 3:13 pm	and is filed under Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge Attractions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Special thank you to readers from Zara Cox *freebie alert*!
We are just two weeks away from the release of FREEFALL, the exciting new installment in the Indigo Lounge series by Zara Cox. We cannot wait for you to meet Keely & Mason!
As a very special thank you to you, the reader, Zara is giving a free copy of HIGH: THE WEDDING, an Indigo Lounge novella, to those who pre-order FREEFALL. You can find all the details of this awesome thank you on Zara's website.


Lough Conn (Irish: Loch Con) is a lake in County Mayo, Ireland and covers about 14,000 acres. With its immediate neighbor to the south, Lough Cullin, it is connected to the Atlantic by the River Moy. Lough Conn is noted for its trout and salmon fishing.
In Gaelic mythology, various accounts are given of the origin of the name. In one account, Lough Conn was created when Fionn mac Cumhaill was hunting with his hounds; Conn and Cullin. They came across a wild boar. Finn and the hounds attempted to chase it. However, as the boar ran, water poured from its feet. The hounds ran ahead of Finn and eventually Conn was ahead of Cullin. Conn chased the boar for days until a lake appeared. The boar swam back to land but Conn was drowned. This happened again in the south to Cullin.
The ruins of a priory exist at Errew Abbey. Tigernan of Errew is said to have founded the monastery in the early 6th century. It was originally called "Mainistir Taobh Thiar do Shruth", "the abbey on the west side of the stream". Up to 1,400 students from all over Europe are claimed to have studied there. Errew Abbey was dissolved in 1585.


text:
package org.chocosolver.solver.search.strategy.selectors.values;

import org.chocosolver.solver.search.strategy.selectors.IntValueSelector;
import org.chocosolver.solver.variables.IntVar;

/**
 * Selects the variable upper bound
 * <br/>
 *
 * @author Charles Prud'homme
 * @since 28 sept. 2010
 */
public final class IntDomainMax implements IntValueSelector {

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    public int selectValue(IntVar var) {
        return var.getUB();
    }

}


What's the scoop on Nick Viall's previous fling with one of his 'Bachelor' contestants?
"The Bachelor" spoilers for Nick Viall's season are starting to emerge and a juicy story about his connection to one contestant is already being revealed. Gossip guru Reality Steve has teased that one bachelorette already knew Nick and has a connection to the franchise, and now he's revealing the full scoop.
Fans started digging and making guesses as Reality Steve's initial "Bachelor" spoilers about this juicy tidbit emerged, but nobody made quite the right connection.
In fact, Sandoz was Jade's maid of honor in her wedding to Tanner Tolbert and Viall was a guest at the event. Reality Steve's "Bachelor" spoilers tease that Nick and Elizabeth slept together the night of the wedding, but didn't have any contact after that. How did Nick react to seeing his one-night stand step out of the limo on his first night of filming? How much of this prior "relationship" will be revealed as the show airs?
How much will Nick and Elizabeth reveal about their fling?
It seems that Elizabeth will mention having met Nick to one of the other gals and that bachelorette brings it up to him.
The two will talk about things during a group date in Episode 2 and he soon sends her home. So, ultimately, this familiar face who shows up to woo Viall doesn't get very far.
Us Weekly confirms that someone Nick had previously hooked up with shows up as a contestant, and their insider confirms that it was a fling where he never called her again. In addition, it seems that Viall had told producers that he didn't want any bachelorettes who he had known before the show, an interesting tidbit considering his own history with the franchise.
Viewers may not get the full inside scoop on Elizabeth Sandoz's appearance this winter on "The Bachelor," but it sounds like it may well be a juicy enough connection that producers won't be able to resist revealing some of the details. Which woman ultimately will score Nick Viall's final rose? Taping should wrap in mid-November and ABC's "The Bachelor" 2017 season will premiere in January and fans cannot wait to get started with this season.


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Monthly map updates
Driving with an outdated map could greatly affect your journey. Up-to-date maps are a necessity, as the roads are always changing. We provide regular map updates so that you can always rely on Sygic GPS Navigation.
In collaboration with our map provider TomTom, we are now able to update our maps every single month. The new map format allows us to update the maps more frequently and to bring you higher quality map data.
Monthly map updates include new information about:
Road direction
Turn restrictions
Stationary speed cameras
Get Monthly map updates to make sure you always drive with the latest map. This annual license grants you access to 12 map updates.
You will get a fresh map update every month. The app will alert you when it's time to update your maps. When a new map update is available, you can decide if you want to update your maps.
Without purchasing Monthly map updates, you will receive 3 map updates per year for free. Don't worry, we still guarantee regular free map updates for every Sygic user.
This license is valid for a year after purchase and provides 12 map updates. Visit Sygic Store on your device to check out our latest offer.
How to purchase Monthly map updates on your device:
1. Open Sygic GPS Navigation and go to Menu
2. Open Sygic Store
3. Tap the product and purchase
This annual license is available to Premium users only. It's available in Sygic GPS Navigation for Android and iOS, version 18.1 or higher.
In the past, a lot of Sygic users asked about the possibility of getting more frequent map updates. This inspired us to develop this new technology that makes it possible to deliver map updates every month. But monthly map data is subject to additional licensing fees from our map provider. Therefore, it's unfortunately not possible to provide monthly map updates free of charge. It is always in our interest to provide the best navigation experience to our customers at the lowest possible price.
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text:
Kate Laddish
June 7, 2018 in Columnists
"A reeling but seamless blend of fantasy and reality" – Hawks premiere "Last Man in Tujunga" ahead of "Live and Never Learn" release
You know that moment of slight trepidation before biting into an apple? Sure, it looks good, and you really like apples, but will the first bite reveal this one to be nice and crisp or a mushy mess?
Magnify that frisson of suspense 100 times. That's me about to listen to a new album by a band I like.
In an odd way, it's harder for me to really enjoy a new release from a favorite band, especially on first listen, than to get into records from acts new to me. While I wouldn't want anybody to duplicate previous efforts, it usually takes me a while to cotton to new material.
Of course, I have to like how the music sounds. But what I'm really after is feel. Where does the music take me, what moods and memories does it evoke, who do I get to be while I'm listening and – trickiest of all – does the new music work a similar kind of alchemy as previous releases?
It's a tall order.
I welcomed the news this spring that the country rock quartet I See Hawks In L.A. was gearing up to release their eighth album on June 29. But I have to admit to that old shiver of suspense before playing "Live and Never Learn" the first time.
I all but imprinted on the Hawks' 2004 release "Grapevine" and have a soft spot in my heart for 2008's "Hallowed Ground." I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the times I've seen them play. My phone is so full it thinks twice before saving anything on the calendar app, but I still can't quite bring myself to remove several must-have Hawks songs from the phone's music player. Hey, it's just prudent to keep "Humboldt" handy.
So, yeah, I like this band.
There's exuberance in their music, regret, hard-won wisdom, humor and wit. I can blast "Wonder Valley Fight Song" and feel like a badass for four minutes and 53 seconds, or call up "The River Knows" to float on the sense that current difficulties will become less pressing. There's connection to community and location.
There's an imagined place their music lets me visit. It's Mojave-esque but the details are hazy and variable. Sometimes there's a road; sometimes the lyrics suggest a trail. The drums may sketch a distant train. There are mountains and playas, rocky escarpments, a lot of sky and few people. I feel good there and unconsciously hope for another trip, another view, with each new Hawks release. Some give glimpses; some offer vistas.
It isn't that the Hawks' songs are all about the desert, but this is the landscape the music most frequently conjures in my mind. The second-place finisher is a fictionalized version of Los Angeles that, frankly, is probably closer to reality than the monolithic sprawl of my Northern Californian perception. To borrow a lyric, where they lead, I will follow. And I'm most satisfied with Hawks releases that give a sense of where we're going.
I cue up the preview copy of "Live and Never Learn," index finger hovering over the play button. Will this one be a ticket to my nebulous desert sanctuary? Is this apple a keeper?
I hit play.
Oh, yeah.
This record and I were good friends after just a listen or two. We're practically making plans to go camping together next weekend. I know just where we'll go. The music suggested it.
This one's a keeper right to the core.
With spirited three-part vocals, evocative lyrics and arrangements that soar, groove and occasionally growl, I See Hawks In L.A.'s sound springs from the intersection of rock, country, psychedelia and folk. They have a big stylistic range and yet always sound like themselves.
There's Hawksian variety on "Live and Never Learn," but the album hangs together as a coherent whole, perhaps more than any of their previous releases.
I asked the band what defined their music. Lead singer Rob Waller said he had "no idea."
"I have a vague idea of the limits of the property," he said, "but I've never had the stamina to hike all the way out there to try and find the fence."
Lead guitarist Paul Lacques volunteered, "At our best, we're a cool party for misfits."
In more mundane terms, I'd say the vocals are at the core of the quintessential Hawks' sound. There's soul in Waller's delivery, a sense there's a human being expressing something, not just a singer trying to hit the notes and articulate the words. His voice often has an undercurrent of wistful yearning, giving additional heart to the songs.
Lacques and bassist Paul Marshall, both baritones, fit their harmonies around Waller's lead, trading off who sings high and who sings low. Their voices blend so well it's difficult to unbraid the harmonies.
And there's a new featured voice on "Live and Never Learn." Drummer, singer and songwriter Victoria Jacobs, the newest Hawk, contributed harmony vocals to three earlier songs, and steps to the front twice on this album. Perhaps because she's introduced alternating with Waller on "My Parka Saved Me," adding this new voice to the palette works.
The Hawks' instrumentation supports the vocals. Lacques' lead electric, acoustic and steel guitar lines are as explosive or delicate as needed, with Waller's rhythm acoustic as counterpoint. Marshall's bass lines embroider the songs, providing understated complexity. Jacobs can rock propulsively or play with a smooth country cadence.
"'Mystery Drug' [the Hawks' previous release] featured Victoria drumming on four tracks," said Lacques, "kind of a transition, but 'Live and Never Learn' is the first album she's on every cut, and she's songwriter or co-songwriter on three songs. Her style is a major influence on the sound. She's a very subtle, groove-oriented drummer, religiously avoids flashy fills."
Jacobs said that she came from a rock background, "and now I'm playing shuffles and train beats," describing the change as both fun and a challenge.
"When I first joined I would try and copy what was being played," she said. "Now I feel comfortable with adding my own feel or style to songs."
While the Hawks have been busy touring and working on other projects, "Live and Never Learn" is the band's first release since 2013.
"Somehow five years had gone by in a flash and we were ready," said Waller. "I also particularly wanted to capture the sound of the Hawks with Victoria behind the drums. We've definitely evolved over these last few years and had something new to say both musically and lyrically."
"The spirit moved us last year," said Lacques, "and we came up with quite a few songs. And we worked up a couple of oldies and finally got good versions."
It's been a rough few years personally for the Hawks.
"I lost my mom in 2015 and Paul L. lost both his parents in the last year and a half," said Waller.
"I think those kinds of primary losses really cause a major shift in perspective," he reflected. "A generational shift."
According to Lacques, the material on the new album "isn't so much about specific losses or crises, but is certainly informed by it. Many of the songs are about acceptance, or dualism – life throws you impossible choices, and you choose."
Of the new songs, "'Planet Earth' is the most directly about loss," said Waller, "about leaving the planet and thinking back nostalgically about how great and easy life was, reflecting on the good parts."
But that's not to say the record comes across as a collection of mid-tempo musings on mortality. Far from it. There are waltzes, ballads, shuffles, rave-ups and romps about topics as varied as card sharks, trees and mountains, and getting dumped via cell phone during a wildfire.
That song about one hell of a bad day is "Last Man in Tujunga," which is premiered here.
Marshall said that, "like a lot of Hawks songs, it's a reeling but seamless blend of fantasy and reality."
And how exactly did Waller and Lacques hit upon this combination of topics as the premise for a song?
"Rob might remember," said Lacques, "but the song seems like it was one of those spontaneous combustions that often happen when we're jamming."
While Waller and Lacques wrote the song in 2004 or 2005, the Hawks hadn't been able to get a satisfactory recording of it.
Fast-forward to 2017, when wildfires forced Marshall to evacuate his Tujunga home twice.
"The fires were certainly an inspiration and a reminder," said Waller. "We first did it again at a gig last fall, and it sounded so good with Victoria I really wanted to record it. It felt really good to resurrect it."
"Playing this song now is like experiencing a musical collage of the song's long existence," said Marshall, "and my most recent adventure of last summer, saying to myself, 'Well, I guess I gotta go now,' as the 30 foot high flames approached within a couple of blocks of my home."
"It's kind of funny with the dated phone plan lyrics," said Waller. "No one has to worry about 'burning' through minutes anymore! But that's all more charming to me and fits with the theme of living and never learning quite well."
While Waller and Lacques are the band's principal songwriters, they don't eschew collaboration.
"Rob and I have always worked with other writers, notably my brother Anthony," said Lacques, "and Paul Marshall and Victoria have had songwriting [credits] or co-writes on a number of albums. A big new addition on "Live And Never Learn" is Peter Davies, from UK folk band The Good Intentions. We've co-written an entire album's worth of songs with Peter, which we'll release as a Hawks/Intentions collaboration CD later this year or early 2019. We liked two of the songs so much that we stole them for this record." Members of Old Californio co-wrote one song.
The Hawks are hitting the road for a string of album release shows in the US and UK, including one tonight at The Palms Playhouse in Winters, Calif. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Rick Shea will open that show and join the Hawks.
Lacques commented that Shea is "one of the fifth Hawks, and we get him up on stage whenever we can."
Shea's previous appearances at the club include solo shows, concerts with Dave Alvin and with Mary McCaslin – and with the Hawks the first time they played The Palms back in 2005 in a touring adventure memorialized in "Yolo County Airport."
The Hawks will be at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage on Saturday with Red Meat and at McCabe's in Santa Monica on Sunday with Tony Gilkyson.
For more information, visit iseehawks.com and the venues' websites.
I See Hawks In L.A.'s up-coming shows include:
Thursday, June 7: The Palms Playhouse in Winters, Calif. with Rick Shea
Saturday, June 9: The Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, Calif. with Red Meat
Sunday, June 10: McCabe's in Santa Monica, Calif. with Tony Gilkyson
Paul Marshall
Well, I may be biased, but I think this is a very well-written and accurate review.
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