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Travel Wise
Need a getaway to celebrate (or escape) the holidays? Travel like a queen to Victoria
Originally published November 29, 2018 at 7:00 am Updated November 30, 2018 at 11:35 am
Want to celebrate the holidays — or escape from them altogether? Hop a boat to Victoria for high tea, cozy reading spots, chocolate and festive booze.
Crystal Paul
Seattle Times features reporter
When I made the trip to Victoria in search of holiday entertainment, 'twas still more than 50 nights before Christmas and 19 days before post-turkey antacids started flying off the shelves. On top of that, a stomach bug had taken my partner out of the equation, so I was flying solo.
But the holidays are supposed to be more than pretty lights, right?
And I don't buy the Christmas-movie myth that a solo holiday is a sad one.
So I set out for a city known for enchanting Christmas festivities. Victoria was practically bursting with anticipation to launch — ugly sweater first — into the holiday season. Jazzy music just one jingle bell shy of a Bing Crosby Christmas album played on the patio speakers at Bard & Banker Public House. At the Chocolat Chocolatiere, customers and chocolatiers whispered conspiratorially about cozy winter days curled up with a mug of hot chocolate.
Before I knew it, I too was lulled into this premature holiday vibe. I embraced it with gusto and soon found myself on a quest for coziness. Comfy sweater clad, I hunted down every cushy chair, fireplace, hot beverage and peaceful shop.
I am now a firm believer in the kind of seasonal trip that gets you away from the holidays. Victoria is a great place for this kind of journey — you'll enjoy seasonal warm fuzzies without turning into a grinch. Here's how.
Pack for ultimate coziness — but leave the rest of the planning to someone else
Armed with several oversize sweaters and the stack of books from my nightstand, I set out on a smooth, vista-filled journey across the Strait of Juan de Fuca aboard the Victoria Clipper.
It's only about a three-hour journey from Seattle aboard the Clipper, and Clipper Vacations lets you book a ferry ticket, a hotel and any number of activities in Victoria in just a few clicks. My Clipper Vacation would take me to the Inn at Laurel Point, usually just a four-minute harborside walk from where the Clipper docks. But the Inn is undergoing renovations until spring 2019, which means the scenic path to the hotel is blocked — and the rates are cheaper.
I managed to get a harbor view, and the room came with robes and leather chairs (and, as if to stoke conflict, only one foot rest). The ice bucket and glasses on the coffee table basically begged for a quiet bathrobed night in reading, sipping whiskey and taking in the view. But it was still early.
(Tea) party like a queen at the Fairmont Empress
Because it's Victoria, a city literally named for Queen Victoria (there's even a bronze statue of her standing tall and no-nonsense outside the imposing British Columbia Parliament Buildings), I really had no choice but to have afternoon tea at the famed Fairmont Empress.
Tea at the Empress is enchanting, especially if you have the privilege — as I did — of sitting across from a little girl in a tiara and puffy pink dress who was celebrating her birthday with a tea party. The tiny sandwiches and pastries are little works of art, and the grand tearoom architecture gives you plenty to feast your eyes upon as you enjoy your miniature feast.
I enjoyed my tea in a tall, regal chair right next to a pianist, which might've felt more Victorian if the piano player hadn't been playing Elton John covers (although it did take the edge off being in such a stately room in such a historical building, which might otherwise leave you feeling like a barbarian should you drop your teaspoon too loudly).
The Empress' afternoon tea service will set you back $60 per person. But never fear: Afternoon tea is hardly an anomaly in Victoria and there are plenty of cheaper options. For a spot with less regal pricing that still ranks high on comfort and beauty, try the Pendray Inn or the Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden.
Explore all three floors of used books at Russell Books
Russell Books is a booklover's paradise. With three stories of floor-to-ceiling books — including a basement level dedicated to antiquarian books and fancy old hardcovers — it's a place where you can get happily lost. (And wandering the three floors is a decent way to burn some energy after all those mini tarts and tiny cucumber sandwiches.)
Sip hot chocolate at Chocolat Chocolatiere
Once you've got a bunch of new (to you) books, head across the street to a place that has chocolate in its name twice. It's not a difficult equation. You + books + cup of spicy chili-steeped hot chocolate = joy.
Get into the (other kind of) holiday spirit
Victoria may conjure up images from a Jane Austen novel, but that doesn't mean your getaway has to be all tea and crumpets. Coziness can also come in the form of a cocktail.
At Bard & Banker, warm lights feel festive even without decorations. Throw in an oversize wool sweater and a hot cocktail and you might as well be at a holiday party (only you don't have to make awkward social conversation with tipsy colleagues).
Six drinks make up the hot cocktail menu at Bard & Banker. The Blueberry Tea pairs amaretto and Grand Marnier with hot tea and two cinnamon sticks for a cocktail that tastes delightfully (if unexpectedly) more like a cinnamon candied orange than anything to do with blueberries.
When I spotted a glass of something bright purple pass by on a tray, I put in my order for the Poetic Justice, a citrusy mix of Empress gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and sugar. It was so pretty! And it was particularly refreshing after the house special — fish and chips — turned out to be a little too heavy on the salt.
As the cocktails did their job and the atmosphere grew even warmer, I found myself trying to decide between returning to the hotel for a glass of wine in one of those cozy leather chairs, or enjoying another cocktail — hopefully as colorful — while waiting for the nightly live music to start.
The wool socks awaiting me in my hotel room won out this time, but the long line that formed as I left indicated I would've had a good time either way.
Eat pasta for breakfast and bone broth for lunch
On Sunday, a 4 p.m. boarding time for the Clipper left me with ample time to wander the streets in search of a decent brunch. At every recommended spot — Jam, Blue Fox Cafe, Floyd's Diner — I found lines longer than my hunger would abide, so I took a chance on the more austere, sparsely populated digs at Zambri's.
It was the right call. I was rewarded with breakfast spaghetti! Technically, uovo fritto con spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino, but I mean … spaghetti for breakfast is a win no matter what language.
I continued the trend of genius decisions with a stop at Roger's Chocolates. Munching on chocolate-covered almonds, I made my way to Nourish Kitchen & Cafe to laze away the day in the heritage house-turned-restaurant/cafe.
Nourish really does make you feel at home the minute you walk in. Breakfast, brunch and dinner are served in the main-floor dining room, and there's counter service for lighter fare like pastries, coffee and bone broth.
The rooms on the second floor serve as a cafe space where you could stay all day, which is essentially what I did. I tried my first-ever cup of bone broth (it tasted like liquid breakfast!) and moved from cafe table to couches until closing time at 3 p.m., just in time to take a circuitous route back to the docks.
As the ferry pulled swiftly away from the city, I joined others on the deck and toasted the sunset with a plastic cup of prosecco. It might not be the holidays yet, but this cozy little visit had me ready to cue up the Mariah Carey Christmas album.
Take the ferry. The Victoria Clipper takes you from Seattle to Victoria's Inner Harbour at Belleville Terminal in just under three hours, and along the way you'll have beautiful views of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. ($112 per person round-trip from Nov. 1-Dec. 31).
Stay downtown. There's a lot to do right in the downtown Victoria, and plenty of hotels including the Inn at Laurel Point. (It's currently undergoing renovations, but they aren't too invasive.)
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated that the Victoria Clipper port was at Ogden Point.
Crystal Paul: cpaul@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @cplhouse. Crystal Paul is a features reporter at The Seattle Times. She is interested in stories about the people, places and histories that capture the soul of their communities.


This topic contains 0 replies, has 0 voices, and was last updated by stimpy 8 years, 6 months ago.
Since some days, I'm using zeroshell and I LOVE IT!
Now I wanted to install net-snmp to add the router to my stats-page and doing this I encountered a problem: Insufficient diskspace on my root-partition.
My questions are: Is this really a ramdisk oder just a mounted image from somewhere? And do I have any chance to increase this? Is the net-snmp-package from zeroshell.net usable with an embedded device (Alix 2d2) anyway?


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Home World Attack with bladed weapon in Spain church leaves 1 dead
Attack with bladed weapon in Spain church leaves 1 dead
One person was killed and another severely injured in an attack carried out by a person with a bladed weapon at a church in the southern city of Algeciras on Wednesday, Spain's interior ministry said.
Spain's National Court said a judge has opened an investigation into a possible act of terrorism over the attack.
The attacker was arrested and is in the custody of Spain's National Police. The ministry did not identify the attacker.
It said that the one attack victim was killed outside the church of San Isidro, while the other person was wounded inside the church.
SPAIN ARRESTS SUSPECT ACCUSED OF SENDING LETTER BOMBS TO UKRAINE AND US EMBASSIES, PRIME MINISTER'S HOME
Police work next to the body of a man killed in Algeciras, southern Spain, on Jan. 25, 2023.
(Nono Rico/Europa Press via AP)
Police are investigating the incident, the ministry said, to determine the "nature of the attack." It offered no further detail on the weapon that was used or on the attacker's possible motive.
Local media said the dead person was a priest.
The secretary general of Spain's Episcopal Conference, Francisco García, wrote on Twitter that "I have received the news of the incident in Algeciras with great pain."
"These are sad moments of suffering, we are united by the pain of families of the victims and for the Diocese of Cádiz," he added.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Areas of doubt - Lundy Truth
Areas of doubt
Factual Trust
The Murders of Christine and Amber Lundy
Was it really Mark?
Possible Areas of Doubt?
Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.
( Mark Twain )
There are areas of doubt concerning the case that call into question the safety of the verdict. Including:
1. Time of Death
Is the determination of time of death accurate? It was based solely on the stomach contents of the victims and assumptions on the time the meals were eaten.
The alleged time of death of 7:00 p.m. is difficult to accept by many of those who knew the Lundy family well, as it is inconsistent with habitual routines. The pathologist's evidence is open to question with apparent omissions and inconsistencies. more information ...
2. Brain Tissue on the Shirt
Is the 'pin head sized' speck of tissue irrefutably Christine's brain or spinal tissue? Multiple forensic laboratories around the world advised that the chance of successfully determining this was near zero. A Texan pathologist used a new procedure based on an experiment with a fresh chicken just one week earlier, and testified based on this work. more information...
Did this matter get on the shirt whilst 'fresh' or later through secondary transfer? more information...
Why were no traces of blood or tissue found on Mark, his clothing, jewellery, glasses, in his car, or at the motel where he stayed that
night, when the murder scene had large amounts of blood on walls, floor and ceiling?
3. Driving Time
Is it possible to cover the 150 kilometers distance between Petone and Palmerston North, commit two murders, manipulate a computer, hobble 500 meters to and from a car, clean up and dispose of all evidence, in 2Hrs 58 minutes?
If we take account of the time the eye witness saw Mark, and him getting to his car, the return trip would have to be made in 68 minutes, an average speed of 132km/hr on ordinary roads including narrow and winding sections.
Why did no-one see or report a vehicle being driven at high speed through Wellington peak traffic , avoiding all police and speed cameras, at an average speed of over 150kph?
4. Insufficient Petrol
How was the return trip done with insufficient petrol in the tank, and no time or evidence for refuelling? Video camera footage from service stations and speed camera photos were checked with no resulting sighting of Mark!
5. Computers
Was the desktop computer clock manipulated?
The police suggested it was manipulated but cannot prove this, which leaves the shutdown time of 10.52 pm. more information...
Why was the laptop computer that Christine worked on that night, never forensically tested by the police? It was in the same room as the desktop computer! more information...
6. Murder weapon
What was the murder weapon?
Where it is now?
7. Eye Witness reports
Did the eye witness really suppress her 'physic powers' when she drew the sketches for the police. Why were her 'psychic musings' released at depositions yet not for trial.
How reliable is the eye witness testimony? More Information ...
What other eye witness reports were given to police?
8. Cellular Phone records
Mark and Christine both used mobile phones on the Telecom 025 network, which apparently uses the AMPS/D-AMPS system. This is very different to the newer systems used for the Telecom 027 and Vodaphone 021 networks and uses different towers.
Mark's phone records from Telecom show the cellular phone tower that his mobile phone was connected to when calls were made or received. The coverage of the towers in the Petone area is such that each tower only covers about 100 metres approx. These records were used to place Mark in Petone on the night of the murders.
We have had a number of queries on cellphone tracking and we have been informed by several people now that there are logs kept of which tower a cellphone is connected to, even when not making a call. This makes sense, as the cellular system has to know where a phone is in order to put a call through.
Police have denied having these records, and we will be approaching Telecom for them.
We are interested in anyone that can help us determine if these records exist for the 025 network and the process for obtaining them. Click here if you can help
9. Other questions
Was Mark capable of planning meticulously and carrying out such a grisly crime, when Christine's and Marks friends and family all testified that he adored them both?
Where is the jewellery box and contents now?
Why were five other suspects never fully investigated and these details withheld from the jury?
Is it really possible for the mobile phone transmitter details to be tracked and if so why have they never been fully released?
The lights in the house were reported as being on at 10pm and off at 11pm, how can this be explained if the murder was at the alleged time of 7pm?
Why was a Detective Sergeant appointed as Officer In Charge of the Investigation "Winter", when police best practice suggests a minimum rank of Detective Inspector?
Was this brutal murder committed by a person high on methamphetamine (also known as "P"), as a "hit" intended for someone else?
If you have information on these questions, PLEASE CONTACT US NOW


Though everything else may appear shallow and repulsive, even the smallest task in music is so absorbing, and carries us so far away from town, country, earth, and all worldly things, that it is truly a blessed gift of God.
There is only one thing I respect in so-called Broadway actors... and that is their competitive sense.
What a delightful thing is the conversation of specialists! One understands absolutely nothing and it's charming.
Poets are always ahead of things in a certain way, their sense of language and their vision.
They also have a sense of irony, which America doesn't have seeing as it's being run by fundamentalists who take things literally.
Simplicity is not an objective in art, but one achieves simplicity despite one's self by entering into the real sense of things.
For the spiritual sense of the Word treats everywhere of the spiritual world, that is, of the state of the church in the heavens, as well as in the earth; hence the Word is spiritual and Divine.
I love things that age well - things that don't date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best.
For in every particular of the Word there is an internal sense which treats of things spiritual and heavenly, not of things natural and worldly, such as are treated of in the sense of the letter.


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Q: How to increment a variable during a recursion in Prolog? I am trying to write a program that finds out how many stops there are in a flight from the origin to the destination.
flight(dgz, qyy).
flight(dgz, azi).
flight(qyy, csi).
flight(azi, tva).
flight(csi, ppg).
flight(tva, brw).
flight(brw, csi).

route(Orig, Dest, Stops) :- Stops is 0, flight(Orig, Dest).
route(Orig, Dest, Stops) :- Stops is Stops+1, flight(Orig, Layover), route(Layover, Dest).

I get the error, "Arguments are not sufficiently instantiated". I don't understand why. I declared that Stops is 0 in the first rule. Do you have any insight? Thanks!

A:
I declared that Stops is 0 in the first rule.

A person stands in a carpark looking for their car. It's not there. "I don't understand why", they say, "I parked it in a different carpark earlier".
In C, x = x + 1 is assignment. In Prolog it is a statement that is not true, 0 is not 0 + 1.
route(Orig, Dest, Stops) :-
    Stops is 0,
    flight(Orig, Dest).

route(Orig, Dest, Stops) :-
    Stops is Stops+1,
    flight(Orig, Layover),
    route(Layover, Dest).  % <-- what's missing here?
                           %     there is no route() with
                           %     only two parameters.

That missing argument to route is where you would get Stops as 0 from the first rule, here you would get the value of 0 out, add 1 to that to get Stops for this rule (not calling them all the same thing).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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In 1930s colonial Malaya, a dissolute British doctor receives a surprise gift of an eleven-year-old Chinese houseboy. Sent as a bequest from an old friend, young Ren has a mission: to find his dead master's severed finger and reunite it with his body. Ren has forty-nine days, or else his master's soul will roam the earth forever.
Ji Lin, an apprentice dressmaker, moonlights as a dancehall girl to pay her mother's debts. One night, Ji Lin's dance partner leaves her with a gruesome souvenir that leads her on a crooked, dark trail.
As time runs out for Ren's mission, a series of unexplained deaths occur amid rumours of tigers who turn into men. In their journey to keep a promise and discover the truth, Ren and Ji Lin's paths will cross in ways they will never forget.
Captivating and lushly written, THE NIGHT TIGER explores the rich world of servants and masters, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and unexpected love. Woven through with Chinese folklore and a tantalizing mystery, this novel is a page-turner of the highest order.


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Australia's TBSx3 Completes Blockchain Trial to Tackle Fake Goods
Australian blockchain company TBSx3 has successfully completed its biggest trial with the innovative technology to tackle the issue of fake goods.
In a report from The Australian Business Review, the company employed the use of a 44 alphanumeric character security cryptography to deliver a blockchain-based verification system. This is compared to the six-digit public cryptography that is typically used.
A few of the big names within the freight industry also took part such as DP World Australia, DB Schenker and Hamburg Sud while KPMG advised TBSx3 on the trial. The trial involved the tracking of a bottle of wine from producer Ius.
According to the report, the system developed was designed to ensure that the end developer received the genuine product.
Mark Toohey, company founder of TSBx3, said that a global supply chain security environment that has a military precision which can monitor product movements was a necessary requirement to combat fake products.
A bits and pieces security mosaic is no longer enough.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) states that the global supply of counterfeit products is estimated to account for $US500 million each year. It is hoped that TBSx3's solution will help to reduce this number as it effectively tracks the cargo's journey, enabling products to be verified as genuine when they reach their destination.
TBx3 is currently a part of a government-backed delegation of bitcoin and blockchain startups representing Australia at the ongoing Consensus blockchain conference in New York.
Australia Post Uses the Blockchain to Crack Down on Fake Goods
In March, it was reported that Australia Post had teamed up with Alibaba, the world's biggest e-commerce company and Blackmores, a prominent Australian natural health company, to explore the blockchain technology in how to combat counterfeit products in China.
As Australia Post is a major exporter of food to China, it is hoped that this partnership will provide a platform to improve food traceability to the country. According to an announcement from Australian Post, Australian products has been targeted by counterfeiters in recent years with popular items such as honey, beer, wine and cherries being the chosen products to counterfeit.
Counterfeiters have consistently proven to be tricky at detecting due to the issues of fighting fraud in foreign countries. This in turn has led to heightened distrust among consumers who remain concerned that the food they purchase will lead to health risks.
In 2016, Barclays and Israel-based startup Wave laid claims to conducting the first global trade supply chain transaction through the blockchain. Butter and cheese amounting to around $100,000 was exported from an Irish agriculture co-operative and sent across to a company in the Seychelles.
Featured image from Shutterstock.
Australia Postblockchain
Next 150,000 'Cash-Recycling' Bitcoin ATMs to be Sold in China, India »
Previous « MAS Installs Regional FinTech Network to Boost Adoption in Asia


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Lawmakers consider how a Kroger-Albertsons merger would affect consumers
High inflation has Americans paying close attention to how much we all spend on groceries. And now two of the nation's biggest grocers are planning to merge, becoming a supermarket giant big enough to compete with Walmart. Kroger is trying to buy Albertsons for $25 billion. Safeway, Harris Teeter and Fred Meyer would all be part of the same corporation as a result. Some lawmakers are concerned about how that might affect consumers. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is one of them, and she is among the group of senators holding a hearing on this today. Senator, thanks for being here.
AMY KLOBUCHAR: Well, thanks so much, Rachel. And it's great to be on to talk about what, as you know, is beyond grocery stores. Whether it's Ticketmaster, whether it is tech companies, we are seeing so much consolidation in our economy from cat food to caskets. And this is one big example of it.
MARTIN: So let's talk about this. How - put - help us put this particular proposed merger into context. If this grocery store merger goes through, how many communities would be affected?
KLOBUCHAR: It would affect literally every community in the country because so many communities have one of these stores or could have one of these stores in the future. So let's go with the Kroger brands are - Kroger's (ph) has Kroger's, and it has Food 4 Less. It has Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Ralphs. Albertsons has Albertsons, Safeway, Balducci's, Jewel-Osco - you name it - Pavilions, Vons. And when you combine them, it's the No. 1 and No. 2 grocery stores in the country. The FTC will be ultimately making the decision on this proposed merger, but we have a hearing. Senator Lee - you know, conservative Republican.
MARTIN: Mike Lee of Utah.
KLOBUCHAR: He and I - yeah, we're holding a bipartisan hearing. And the whole focus is, let's get the information from these two CEOs and other witnesses under oath - helpful for the FTC to make its decision, but also for the senators, because we're considering legislation relevant overall with antitrust, given the changing economy that we're seeing right before our eyes...
MARTIN: So what are you...
KLOBUCHAR: And the effect it has on costs and quality. Go ahead.
MARTIN: What are you worried about, Senator? I mean, is there evidence that this merger goes through and automatically prices go up?
KLOBUCHAR: Well, what you're worried about - first of all, these stores have already come forward and said, you know, we are directly competing with each other, so we would have to divest at least 375 stores. That means sell them off. This was tried before by Albertsons in the past. And what happened was the company they sold them to - of the 100 divested stores, as a result, 100 of them - of the 150 stores, 100 of them were actually closed for good. Eight thousand people were laid off. We know that...
MARTIN: So that means potentially there will be communities with fewer grocery stores, you're saying?
KLOBUCHAR: Exactly. And you have got areas in our country - maybe not where everyone lives that's listening, but that have no access. They maybe have one store. They maybe have two stores. And one-third of the grocery stores have closed in the last 25 years, leaving over 10% of Americans in low-access food areas. So - and that's rural and urban. And, you know, it's not the same thing as they may argue today to go to, say, a CVS and try to find some food in there. Yes, you're going to be able to get milk and a few other items, but it's certainly not the same thing as having access to fresh food and the like.
MARTIN: So what specific questions are you going to ask today?
KLOBUCHAR: Well, we're going to ask about how the proposed merger will affect consumers - No. 1 question. No. 2 - how are they going to handle these stores that they divest, and will there be even more? And No. 3 - we still don't have the number on - when you look at the grocery store market and you don't include things like restaurants, we still don't have the number of what their combined dominance will be, No. 1 and 2. So we want to get that number because they are throwing in a bunch of things that we don't believe are the same. And then their commitments to lower prices and improve wages - if this does go through, what are they going to do with the cost savings they get from combining the companies? Are they committed to lower prices and improved wages?
MARTIN: Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, we so appreciate your time. She is helping to chair a hearing today on a proposed merger between the two largest grocers in the country. Senator Klobuchar, always a pleasure to have you on. Thank you so much.
KLOBUCHAR: Well, thank you, Rachel. It was great to be on, and thank you for covering this issue. It's, like, the biggest issue that not everyone is talking about, monopolies. And it's - you're starting to see the effects throughout our nation's economy. I believe in capitalism, and we must have competition.
MARTIN: Thank you, Senator. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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text:
VISIT EDESSA!!
Interesting Destinations
Date: October 31, 2017 By aggelos Categories: Interesting Destinations Remote Destinations No comments
Edessa (until 1923: Vodena known as "city of waters"), is a city in northern Greece and the capital of the Pella regional unit, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece. It was also the capital of the defunct province of the same name.
Edessa holds a special place in the history of the Greek world as, according to some ancient sources, it was here that Caranus established the first capital of ancient Macedon. Later, under the Byzantine Empire, Edessa benefited from its strategic location, controlling the Via Egnatia as it enters the Pindus mountains, and became a center of medieval Greek culture, famed for its strong walls and fortifications. In the modern period, Edessa was one of Greece's industrial centers until the middle of the 20th century, with many textile factories operating in the city and its immediate vicinity. Today however its economy mainly relies on services and tourism. Edessa hosts most of the administrative services of the Pella regional unit, as well as some departments of the Thessaloniki-based University of Macedonia.
According to some ancient writers, Caranus, the legendary founder of the Argead Dynasty (whose most famous member was Alexander the Great), established the city of Edessa and made it the first capital of ancient Macedon, and later Argead rulers moved Macedon's capital to Aegae and eventually Pella. Archaeological remains have been discovered on the site of ancient Edessa, just below the modern city. The walls and many buildings have been unearthed so far. A colonnade with inscription in Greek dates from Roman times. The city achieved certain prominence in the first centuries AD, being located on the Via Egnatia. From 27 BC to 268 AD it had its own mint. The Orthodox Christian Saint Vassa and her three children were put to death here in the 3rd century AD.
During the period of Ottoman rule, the Turkish and Muslim component of the town's population steadily increased. From the 1860s onwards, the town was a flashpoint for clashes between Greeks and Bulgarians. After almost 500 years of Ottoman rule, Edessa was annexed by Greece on 18 October 1912 during the First Balkan War, following the Hellenic Army's military victory against the Ottomans in the battle of Sarantaporo. At that time, Edessa was already well on its way to becoming a major industrial center in Macedonia. Four large textile factories were in operation by 1914, employing the abundant waterfalls as a source of energy. Prior to World War I, in addition to Greeks, the region of Edessa was also populated by Turks, Bulgarians, Pomaks and Vlachs, but during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey most of the Turks and Pomaks living in Edessa were transferred to Turkey. Large numbers of Greek refugees from Asia Minor were settled in the area in 1923. A large segment of the population specialized in silk production, allowing Edessa to enjoy a high standard of living in the interwar period (1922–1940).
Transfer Thessaloniki is the best way to discover this beautiful city! We are here to transfer you from Thessaloniki Airport to Edessa. Your transfer, is our pleasure!


What are the key skills that you need to make money online and work from the comfort of your home? There is not a single person I have known who does not possess even one of these skills. You need to be organized, disciplined, ready to put in efforts and always willing to learn and you can make any amount of money that you want! These are the most sought after skills you need to excel in any profession and working from home or working online is no exception.
You need only one skill to excel!
We live in best of times when there are plethora of opportunities to work online or offline. We no longer have to dread postponing raising our families because we may lag behind in career. We can continue work at home even in our chosen field of work.
When some people complain of financial hardships or unemployment because of age, gender, location, circumstances etc. I wonder if they are being ignorant or naive to the ocean of work out there, which they can start any day and earn handsomely. The best part is that these kind of work can be done part tim e, full time, at our convenience and wherever we feel like.
The purpose of Stitching Mall is not only to create Do It Yourself Easy & Useful Ideas but also to create happiness for all by creating opportunities to grow as an individual and as a society.
Money has a direct link to prosperity so through this blog, in my earlier post Earn Money : Work from home in sewing industry, I shared some ideas. I am glad that you appreciated them and asked me to give some more idea insights on this topic.
So, here I share some ideas which I understand. Basically, there are four types of skills in any work and all other things revolve around these four core skills. There is not a single person who does not possess even a single one of these four. So, you can easily make money applying any one or more of these.
Okay. You like occasional sewing and all but not so much into it that you want to indulge into making things or manufacturing your own products to sell.
You can still earn by connecting with your local vendor or a whole seller, who would provide you material or products to sell further.
Here, you got two ideas. There is huge demand for sewing related products because a big number of processes and materials are involved in making any dress or completing any project.
§ Tie up with a courier service.
§ Have a list of whole sellers or manufacturers with good credibility.
§ Set up your free business blog or google page / facebook page to showcase your products. Initially, do a little bit of survey to find out what are the fast moving things which are in good demand.
§ Based on that, zero in your vendors for timely supply and availability of those products.
§ You can sell through Amazon or eBay etc. Just click on their site and fill the vendor form and all details would be revealed to you one by one. To create local business network you can tap Whatsapp contacts.
BE A BILLIONAIRE, NOT A DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE!
Even I believed till sometimes back that earning money online was not for me but accidentally I hit the bull in it's eye and started earning by making YouTube videos.
This is simple. Whatever interests you or WHATEVER you would have been enjoying even if you get no money by doing that (No violence, offence, demeaning, outrageous and all those things,your mother warned you against.) can be share on YouTube to earn a regular income.
It's not a secret and not at all a tip that if you can create - just anything (though, in this blog's context it could be sewing, stitching, dress making or making things) you have plethora of opportunities waiting for you offline as well as online.
Whereas, practically you can try your hands on many do it yourself projects or customized tailoring to get instant cash, there are some more opportunities whereby you can explore even if you are not an expert in sewing etc.
If you don't want to bother yourself with everyday activity of buying and selling, then this is the option for you.
Here, you write as per your time and convenience and earn passive income. Though, it is a time taking process to earn money by this method but it works in the long run.
There is a difference between blogging and content writing in the virtual world. Generally, blogging is content writing for your own blog / website but content writing is referred to writing for someone else.
If you take the longer but a self entrepreneurial route of starting your own blog, then you need to not only set up the blog, create content, generate traffic, publicize but also do a lot many things to keep your blog active to generate traffic.
Though, not necessarily you have to do all the above things yourself. If you can spare, you can hire people to do the work for you.
HOW TO START YOUR BLOG / WEBSITE?
Times are changing. We are turning into lazy birds. We want everything sitting at one place, eating our popcorn and wearing our pyjamas.
But good thing is that we want to learn and this world is a reflection of ourselves.
Hence, this world wide web people also want to learn – without moving their legs to reach anywhere.
To reach, teach and ease yourself with some legitimate money in your account. Anyways, teaching is a noble profession. You transfer your knowledge and makes the society a better place.
If you already done a little bit of tutoring in your life, you can try this one. In this method, you sign up on websites like MyPrivateTutor, BharatTutors, tutorindia.net; give your experience details etc. Once approved, you would be approached and assessed for selection.
Alternatively, I have already suggested you Udemy, for teaching anything in virtual classrooms.
Working is not for money alone. It creates a purpose for living.
After checking out all these opportunities, I am sure you would have also come up with some ideas of your o w n. Don't let them die in isolation. Share to make them more profitable and more polished.
DON'T STAND STILL…because moving is life.
Do Something. However, small it is.
Start today, thinking and not deci ding for too long will not take you anywhere but nowhere.
Allow yourself to make some mistakes. To learn something from those mistakes. Who knows, you come out with some brilliant ideas to ignite the new generation.


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dieser Küche kochen! Das Boot ist sehr Zentral gelegen, zwischen Amstel und Utrechtsestraat in der Mitte der Stadt. Alle Sehenswürdigkeiten sind in der Nähe. Die Nachbarschaft von Hausboot Prinsengracht ist eine safe Gegend. Internet Wifi-Anschluss und TV zur Verfügung.
Einschließlich Bettwäsche und Handtüchern. Keine zusätzliche Kosten. Die gegend ist: Östliche Grachtengürtel.
Great host, great boat, fantastic location. Jochem was very helpful and gave us a bunch of good tips for our stay. The boat was clean, comfortable, in a dream location. I can only fully recommend this accomodation, I will certainly be back.
Amazing house, great host and a very nice service from city mundo. One of the best expreriences we have had all in all.
We had a fantastic stay on this boat with teenagers. The booking process was easy and Citymundo were very accommodating with a change to our booking. The hosts were very welcoming, helpful and easy to contact. The location of the boat was ideal as it was close enough to all the main sights to walk or cycle everywhere, but in a quiet part of the canal. The boat was spacious, light and airy with everything we needed. We particularly enjoyed sitting on the top of the boat watching the world go by in the sunshine. I would definitely recommend a stay here.
We had a great time in Amsterdam and especially loved our authentic houseboat experience. Our hosts were really helpful and the boat had everything we needed. You can walk to Rembrandt Square and the museums easily. It was only a 10 minute tram ride from central station. There is a good supermarket very close to the boat and lots of restaurants nearby. It was great to sit at the front of the houseboat and just watch the Amsterdam canal life. Brilliant experience. Thank you so much!
My 24-year-old son and I stayed in this houseboat for six nights in March 2016. We are from Washington, D.C., USA. The boat was spacious and comfortable and the beds were comfy. Although we did not cook, the kitchen was convenient for light breakfast, snacks, hors d\'oeuvres and cocktails. The boat was in a great location, on the Prinsengracht, walkable to the Hermitage Amsterdam, and the Rijksmuseum and right on a tram line. It was great to stay on a canal boat in the heart of Amsterdam.
De boot heeft aan alle verwachtingen voldaan. Een rustige oase om de hoek van een heerlijk levendige Utrechtse straat. Alles aanwezig om te koken. Elektrische dekens op beide bedden voor een warme instap in koude nachten. Ruime woonkamer om een regenachtige dag lezend door te brengen. Het lijkt me heerlijk om er ook eens zomers te zijn, en op de bank op het dek te kunnen zitten.
We loved loved loved our houseboat!!! What a fabulous location, we walked everywhere. So much of our enjoyment on the houseboat was watching the other boats go by. We had brought a tiny Canadian flag which we hung whilst there and loved seeing the reaction from passing boats! Staying here just added another wonderful dimension to our holiday. Our boat was better equipped then some apartments we have had. It was clean and bright. We highly recommend this location to others.
We first stayed on this wonderful boat seven years ago, and found it just as enjoyable this time. This is a clean, comfortable and characterful boat - just right for watching the world glide by!
Es war traumhaft, mitten in der Stadt auf einem sehr schönen Hausboot. Wir kommen sicher wieder.
We had a wonderful stay on the houseboat L01491. No more Amsterdam without this boat! We really love it!
A long weekend in Amsterdam for our family, 2 children and 2 adults. The houseboat was a splendid choice: comfortable, fully equipped, in a perfect a quiet position, great fun for the children (my son spent a lot of time watching mallards and coots nesting near our houseboat). Lots of restaurants, take aways, bars, a delicious chocolate and ice cream shop and a good supermarket just round the corner. You can reach Prinsengracht and the houseboat with tram 4 directly from the Central Station and Dam Square. Museums are at walking distance. And Amsterdam is wonderful. Little tips from our experience: - You can\'t miss the Van Gogh Museum: moving and unforgettable. Book online in advance to avoid very very long queues - Same thing for Anne Frank House: we tried three times to get in but the queue was unbearable. If you can, book online previously - Don\'t miss a boat tour of the canals: a different point of view of the city. And a bike tour at Vondelpark.
Wir hatten eine wundervolle Zeit in Amsterdam. Das Hausboot ist spitze! Wir können es bestens empfehlen. Sehr hell, sauber gemütlich, urig, sehr nette Vermieter, zentrale Lage, ruhig - alles toll!!!! Wir fahren wieder hin!
We had a great time here. It was the perfect experience and the boat was really charming. We were pleasantly surprised and very happy for the houseboat to be so comfortable and feel like home. Hylkia was a really fantastic host and it since it was in a great location, we were able to walk everywhere and we had a great place to come back to and relax at the end of the day. We will definitely stay here again the next time we come back to Amsterdam.
We spent three nights on Prinsengracht during our visit to Amsterdam. Everything worked out just fine and I can recommend this houseboat !I never spend that much time in the hotel/B&B/ or the place I live in but I had everything I needed and the owners of the boat was very kind, helpful and did everything to make our stay good on board. Princengracht is situated very close to museums and the central parts. I will return to this very place and houseboat during my next visit that hopefully will be very soon !!!!
We absolutely loved our houseboat! The weather was very cold but the houseboat was always toasty warm. It is located in a lovely canal in the heart of the city, is spacious and very well equipped, especially the kitchen. We are a family with young children and we fitted fine. The owner was very friendly. We\'d definitely recommend it to anyone else.
Spent a lovely long weekend with our our children (8 & 6) in this clean and spacious dutch houseboat. Our children enjoyed sleeping in the forward hidey hole of a cabin and never used the main spare double pull out bed. It was warm on cold winter days - but the beds also had heated blankets if needed. Very conveniently located to Amsterdam\'s family orientated tourist sites.
we had a wonderful time on the houseboat!we definitely will come back here again.Very beautiful!Cosy beds!We loved it!
Super séjour au calme dans une péniche spacieuse et confortable. Mieux qu\'une chambre d\'hôtel :-) A recommander !
Der Aufenthalt in dem Hausboot hat uns sehr gut gefallen! Die Begrüssung der Besitzer war herzlich und unkompliziert. Alles war sauber und sehr gut ausgestattet. Das Boot liegt in einem schönen Wohnquartier, hat eine ruhige Lage. Dennoch ist man schnell im Zentrum und kann alles zu Fuss erreichen.Wir können das Hausboot jedem weiterempfehlen und würden bei einem erneuten Aufenthalt in Amsterdam, wieder das Hausboot wählen.
Wow... Eine ganz besondere Unterkunft, echtes Boot, sehr gemütlich, gross und funktionell. Fantastisch gelegen. Immer wieder....... !!! Sehr reizendes Vermieter-Paar.
Conseil de voyageurs en famille : si vous passez par Amsterdam pour quelques jours, il existe un endroit charmant, tranquille et confortable où poser vos bagages, vous reposer entre deux balades, dormir au rythme de l'eau ... Un endroit qui dispose de tout le nécessaire pour profiter de la ville et de ses mille facettes. Un endroit où vous serez accueillis comme des rois... Un endroit que vos enfants vont adorer. A vous de voir !
We can't wait to return to "our boat" in Amsterdam some day. This was an amazingly fun experience that we will never forget. This is the real deal and not just a floating cube on concrete supports on the canal. This historic barge has all character you could ask for, but with all the modern amenities on board( as well as nearby). First of all, the boat is clean and well cared for. The amenities are new or newish and in perfect working order. There's a medium-sized fridge, a dishwasher, washing machine/dryer combo, gas stove, electric teapot, and microwave. The coffee grinder is an old-school hand-crank machine that makes perfect grounds. Plus, it has any pot or utensils you might need for a good home cooked meal. Dishwasher soap and detergent are provided and there are a few spices and herbs for cooking. The two main beds are cozy and comfortable. They may be a little on the small side, but can fit two adults cozily. The main bed and bedroom in the stern ( rear) had lots of storage space and is big room. The second bed, located in the bow of the boat is in a concealed cupboard area in the front of the boat. The cupboard doors open wide to reveal a well lit and cozy sleeping area. The very friendly owner, Rudolf, specially set up the "room" for my 8 year old with a "glow in the dark" pillow. The bathroom is a little strange at first- with the shower being in the middle of the bathroom, but it's actually kind of fun. Plus, the water pressure is good and has lots of hot water. The rest of the boat is a bright, giant living room/lounge with stereo, couches, dining table and small TV. The outside of the boat has a small deck with a bench that is perfect for eating or just having an afternoon cocktail to watch all the boats go past on the canal. The canal where the boat is located is a good, safe neighborhood ideally located close to all the attractions. It's far enough away from the tourist areas that it feels like the real Amsterdam with very little hustle/bustle. Close by is an Organic/Biologique grocery store and many excellent restaurants. Overall, this was the highlight of our 3 week trip to Europe and we just can't recommend it highly enough.
Can't begin to praise this house boat enough, it was the perfect way to enjoy the city of Amsterdam. You could just sit on the upper deck and watch the parade go by, or get out and be a part of this vibrant place. Great facilities, clean, comfortable and welcoming. An Awesome feeling knowing you where returning back to base every day, three days just isn't enough, next visit will be a least one week if not two. Recommend to those who need an affordable, comfortable and great central location. Garry Travers (Brisbane Australia).
We loved Amsterdam and loved the boat. The photos on the website really do not do it justice. It is big, airy and comfortable. There is a bench on the deck which, if there is sun, would get it in the evening. I would come back anytime I'm in Amsterdam and would highly recommend it.
wij hadden een heel leuk verblijf op de woonboot. alles was aanwezig, het ontvangst goed. zeker voor herhaling vatbaar !
ideal location.ample room and everything in good repair. Rudy was the perfect host, making sure everything is supplied but staying out of our hair.
This was a magical part of our family holiday in the Netherlands. The houseboat was fantastic. We shopped locally and enjoyed watching the passing boats and canal traffic. Well situated in the city. Highly recommended.
We had a fantastic time while on this house boat. The pictures don't do this boat justice! The hosts were very nice and helpful, the boat is incredibly spacious, the kitchen has everything you would need, the living area has tons of space to spread out and there is just no way that pictures can convey how comfortable that bed was. We had a great time sitting on the deck and watching boats go by every night. The location is ideal: a quiet street but just a few streets away from the action. If we return to Amsterdam (and I hope we do!!), we will absolutely stay on this boat again!
Es ist eine super schöne, herrlich gelegene, sehr liebevoll eingerichtete Unterkunft. Wir kommen gern wieder, haben uns zu zweit dort unglaublich wohl gefühlt, es hat hichts gefehlt! Empfehlung an jeden Amsterdam - Reisenden, für 2-4 Personen super geeignet.
... ein hausboot mit viel Atmosphäre. Es hat uns gut gefallen! Zu loben ist auch die komplette Ausstattung.


Things Aren't As Bad As 1982: So Why Are We Moving So Fast?
The New York Times notes some interesting statistics in an article today. Boiling it down, they pretty well establish, at least in terms of unemployment, that the current recession is not as severe as the 1982 recession. So why does it seem so much worse.
I lived through 1982 and admittedly was in a secure job at the time. It was rough but certainly this one causes me more angst than that one ever did. Why? I can't put a finger on it. I wasn't threatened from a job standpoint then, so maybe that's a factor. But I don't recall the degree of panic both on the ground and among the political class that I see now.
It may have something to do with the speed with which the economy has declined. It didn't seem to happen that quickly in 1982. Or maybe it has something to do with the collapse of iconic names. I don't recall that happening either. People were laid off, interest rates were astronomical but there didn't seem to be the pervasive feeling that the company you thought would never fail could be gone tomorrow. In fact, most struggled through.
It's only a guess, but I suspect that communication may have something to do with the sense of doom now. I don't need to go into a long dissertation about how information flies around and everyone is instantly tuned into the crisis of the day. You've read enough of that. But it does beg the question as to whether or not we might be overreacting.
Are we rushing headlong into a fiscal stimulus plan that might be overkill? Should we take more half-measures and see where we are three or four months from now. I certainly don't have the answers but it might be worth taking our time.


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text:
Chronicle of the gospel
Blog for believers protestants
What was the role of the church during the Middle Ages quizlet?
What was the role of the church during the Middle Ages?
What role did the church play in the Middle Ages quizlet?
What was the role of the church during the Middle Ages and why was it so powerful?
What was the churches role in politics during the Middle Ages?
How did the church affect people's lives in the Middle Ages?
Why was there a conflict between church and state during the Middle Ages?
Which church ruled the daily lives of the people in the Middle Ages quizlet?
What role did the church play in daily life?
What were two effects of the agricultural revolution of the Middle Ages?
What was the most positive effect of the Church in the Middle Ages?
What role did the church play in education during the Middle Ages?
How did the church gain power in the Middle Ages?
During the Middle Ages, the Church was a major part of everyday life. The Church served to give people spiritual guidance and it served as their government as well. … Television has become more powerful than the church. The church still plays an important role in my life.
During the Middle Ages, the Pope anointed the Emperors, missionaries carried Christianity to the Germanic tribes, and the Church served the social, political, and religious needs of the people.
The Catholic Church became very rich and powerful during the Middle Ages. Because the church was considered independent, they did not have to pay the king any tax for their land. Leaders of the church became rich and powerful. Many nobles became leaders such as abbots or bishops in the church.
THIS IS INTERESTING: You asked: Why were the ideas of Wycliffe so odious to the church?
Whereas churches today are primarily religious institutions, the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages held tremendous political power. In some cases, Church authorities (notably the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church) held more power than kings or queens. The Church had the power to tax, and its laws had to be obeyed.
Even so, the Church maintained its power and exercised enormous influence over people's daily lives from the king on his throne to the peasant in the field. The Church regulated and defined an individual's life, literally, from birth to death and was thought to continue its hold over the person's soul in the afterlife.
The most important feature of the medieval political thought is the long-standing conflict between the church and the state. … Relations became strained and the conflict appeared inevitable. The accumulation of wealth in the hands of the church fathers may be regarded as another cause of conflict between the two.
In Europe during the Medieval times the only recognised religion was Christianity, in the form of the Catholic religion. The lives of the Medieval people of the Middle Ages was dominated by the church.
they admired sacraments which people believed it would lead them into eternal life,exempted from paying taxes because their work was considered noble. They provided care for the members of the community and conducted Mass in the parishes. … the roman Catholic church was a huge role in the lives of noble peasants.
THIS IS INTERESTING: How many times does the Bible say to honor your parents?
Two effects of the agricultural revolution of the Middle Ages were technology improving farming and production and population growth. Peasants started using iron plows that carved deep into the heavy soil.
The church went on to found the university system, which provided facilities and care as well as training for physicians. It was also responsible for creating the European hospital system, which began in the 13th century when Pope Innocent III ordered the establishment of a hospital in Rome.
What role did the Roman Catholic Church play in education during the Middle Ages? Most schooling took place in monasteries, convents, and cathedrals. Much time was spent memorizing prayers and passages from the Bible in Latin.
The Catholic Church became very rich and powerful during the Middle Ages. People gave the church 1/10th of their earnings in tithes. They also paid the church for various sacraments such as baptism, marriage, and communion. People also paid penances to the church.
Categories Theology
Protestantism is a Christian movement that emerged at the beginning of the 16th century. Today, Protestantism includes many different Christian communities, differing from one another in doctrine, morality and rituals. Most of these communities, like the Orthodox, profess faith in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ is recognized as God incarnate.
© 2021 Chronicle of the gospel


FlipGive Gets Funded to Revolutionize Digital Marketing while Doing Good.
$2 Million Series A Round led by iGan Partners, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund and private investors.
TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Better The World Inc., a leading provider of technology for fundraising and social responsibility programs, announced the closing of a $2 million Series A round of financing. The investment, led by iGan Partners Inc. with participation from the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) and a group of private investors, will be used to develop and market the Company's recently announced Business-to-Consumer digital marketing platform called FlipGive.
FlipGive - a pay-for-performance digital marketing platform - uses the power of people and community fundraising to guarantee sales, drive widespread social media promotion and create positive social impact for national retailers and consumer brands.
"The IAF is excited to be investing in Better The World," said Michelle McBane, Investment Director at the IAF. "We believe the FlipGive platform will revolutionize grassroots fundraising and corporate philanthropy by providing an inherently social and simple solution that can be directly tied to ROI for participating merchants."
The platform was conceived following Better The World's development of many successful digital social responsibility platforms for companies like TD Bank, Pearson Publishing and Indigo. The first retailer to launch using FlipGive technology is Indigo for the Adopt a School program (adoptaschool.indigo.ca). The program provides an easier way for schools across Canada to raise money. Parents, teachers and Indigo store staff sell Indigo digital gift cards to their online social networks using the FlipGive platform. Every gift card sold triggers a donation to the school, drives a customer to Indigo and gets the buyer a gift card that can be redeemed in-store or online.
"We fundamentally believe that FlipGive is a game-changer for retail and brand marketers. It's a risk-free way for marketers to get guaranteed results and do good," said Sam Ifergan, CEO, iGan Partners.
"The entire team is so grateful for the support of iGan Partners, MaRS IAF, and our private investors," said Steve Croth, Co-CEO, Better The World Inc. "We're looking forward to the journey ahead of us – helping thousands of companies drive sales and create positive social impact in their communities."
FlipGive will beta launch in October with Lowes, Indigo, Spy, Ethical Ocean and others.
The Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) invests in qualified emerging companies in Ontario using an equity-type instrument. As a critical component of the Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE), the IAF supports the launch and development of innovative businesses in Ontario's priority sectors of advanced materials and manufacturing, information technology, cleantech and life sciences. The IAF is funded by the Government of Ontario and delivered by MaRS.
SOURCE Better The World Inc.


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Goldenvoice Presents
VOYEURIST NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
with Every Time I Die, Spiritbox
Please note, orders in violation of the published ticket limit are subject to cancellation without notice.
With eight years having passed since we last heard new music from Underøath, that near decade-length absence weighed heavily upon music lovers' hearts. When you consider all of the bands that formed using their idiosyncratic power and texture as blueprints (and then hearing those pretenders fail anyway), you can clearly see the hole Underøath left behind. Whatever real-life worries, psychic baggage or other concerns plagued Spencer Chamberlain, Aaron Gillespie, Tim McTague, Chris Dudley, Grant Brandell and James Smith at the time of their 2013 farewell tour, Underøath's collective consciousness has been fortified by a renewed commitment to their art. And more importantly, themselves.
"We had been doing this for 13 or so years," says Chamberlain, the band's dynamic frontman, about the respite that got them to where they are now. "We were just done by that point. We never knew how long it was going to last. How many hardcore bands last? It's not like we hated each other, the music or the industry. We blinked, and a decade went by of never being home. But we needed that break, otherwise now wouldn't have been possible."
"We got about two weeks into the Rebirth tour," remembers drummer/vocalist Gillespie, "and thought, 'Waaaaait a second. This is too important. It's too important to our fans and it's too important to us and the feelings we have playing together are too important to ignore.' And then we slowly asked the question: What's next? Then we did Rebirth all over the world. Then we toured with Bring Me The Horizon. Then we did festivals. All along, there was this nagging thought: Are we going to make a record? It was a weird question to impose upon ourselves."
Never was an imposition more on point: On their Fearless Records debut Erase Me, Underøath have added another crucial chapter to their formidable legacy. When the band went in the studio in the summer of 2017 to record their sixth album with producer Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco, 3OH!3), they knew exactly what they wanted to do as well as what they needed to do. Having already established themselves both as melodic songwriters (2004's RIAA-Certified Gold record They're Only Chasing Safety) and as ambitious power merchants (2006's stentorian, gold-selling Define The Great Line and its majestic follow-up, 2008's Lost In The Sound Of Separation), the evolution detailed on Erase Me finds them using the sonic dialects they've crafted to reveal where they are now.
Assisted by Squire's sonic psychology and enhanced with a wildly vivid mix from Ken Andrews (co-founder of acclaimed LA outfit Failure), Erase Me never equates getting older with being complacent. Right out of the gate, "It Has To Start Somewhere" burns like a rail dragster achieving top speed before hurling itself straight into the sun. "Wake Me" is almost pop that overshadows whatever manufactured nine-person co-writing session is currently being marketed on streaming-service playlists. "Rapture" feels like prog rock that traverses generations near and far, while Dudley's electronics drive "No Frame" into universes unknown. Even the first single, "On My Teeth," seemingly sends a warning to listeners to protect their necks. Underøath may have tempered the punishing riffage of their previous releases, but they doubled-down on the urgency, via every scream out of Chamberlain's face, guitarist McTague's sense of the appropriate and Gillespie's frenetic thrashing of his kit. When considering the pretenders that came to fill the void during their absence, Erase Me inarguably proves that Underøath's only true competition is themselves.
"The only rule we had on this record was to reject the phrase we said about our previous records," says Chamberlain. "'That's not Underoath enough.' We left that *** in St. Petersburg when we played that last farewell show. To say something's 'not Underoath enough' robs us of growing. We didn't say we were going to make an artsy record, a melodic record or a record our fans will like. We made a record that stokes us out that we love. And in my whole life, I've never said that on any record I've ever been on. That's us growing up and progressing—not just as musicians but as human beings.""
Clearly, Erase Me is the apex where melodic heft, indefatigable power, spatial resonance and arcane electronic textures converge to reveal a band that's positively fearless. But like Chamberlain says, Underøath's creative and personal growth manifests itself in more ways than the stuff coming out of the speakers. For the singer, it meant him coming to terms with his struggles with chemical dependency and his quest to rise above it. In addition, the band who once openly--and without apology--professed their faith-based worldview onstage nightly, have since moved beyond the realm of seemingly impenetrable polemics. At various junctures, Erase Me illustrates those moments of sanctuary, anxiety, betrayal and conflict that inevitably arise when humanity grapples with belief systems. Underøath are not being provocative to create shock value, faux-hipster smugness or revisionist history toward their accomplishments. This is where their reality has taken them: That such a narrative exists in the first place is a true manifestation of their personal growth.
With all the accolades, the history, the fandom, as well as the hardships and growing pains in their psychic rearview mirror, Underøath are just as committed to their legacy as much as their friendships. Erase Me is a bold step for a band who want to preserve their integrity in a world where cashing in is a false equivalence for actively delivering mediocre art. When asked if he feels his band still has something to prove this far in, Gillespie is lucid.
"We've had success and we've come through a lot of waters," he offers plaintively. "There's been 11,000 things we've been through. So, you would think, almost rhetorically, 'What do you need now?' All of us are finally in that place in our lives where the only thing we care about is inclusion for everybody—for the world. For me, exclusion is the scariest thing in the world. And I think as Underøath are coming back now with a new record—which none of us thought was possible—we want people to know that this is your music and you can feel however the *** you want about it. I just want to prove that we are doing everything in the most honest way we ever have. This is the healthiest we've ever been as a group of people, as musicians, and in our worldview."
Don't kid yourself: Even with a comeback title seemingly marinating in self-fulfilling prophecy, nobody in their right mind would dare delete Underøath's measurable contribution to the advancement of post-hardcore and heavy rock. The only thing you need to erase is your patience with their pretenders. Accept no substitutes and your culture won't feel destitute. It's great to have Underøath back—especially on their terms.
@UnderoathBand
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Date Sat, February 26, 2022
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text:
Teachers Salaries World Wide
I'm sure the devil is in the details, as usual, but aggregate statistics like this are always good background to any debate. Thanks to KD Kelly for the link!
Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:42:00 GMT
Did Keynes Support Having a "Central Plan"?
Keynes seems to a an all purpose leftist boogeyman in the conservative/libertarian narrative these days. He certainly believed in using the power of state to augment "demand" broadly speaking, but that not equivalent to wanting micromanage the private economy with the power of the state. See the following:
That he did is charged by "Hayek" in the freshly released "Keynes versus Hayek: Round 2" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQnarzmTOc , put out by Russ Roberts and John Papola, with backing from the Mercatus Center at George Mason. Like its predecssor, it definitely sides with Hayek, but is also highly hilarious, with pretty much anybody able to enjoy Papola playing Bernanke handing out wads of cash to bankers, and some other goofy stuff, such as libertarian anarchist Ed Stringham eagerly interviewing "Keynes" after he is declared the winner in a boxing match after being knocked down by "Hayek."
However, I do find it disturbing that increasingly Austrians and some others have taken to charging Keynes with having supported "central planning," as indeed done in this video. Is this correct? I think that the answer is largely "no," with it certainly being that answer if one means by that command central planning of the Soviet type that Hayek criticized in his Road to Serfdom (which Keynes praised, btw, when it first came out).
I think the strongest evidence for Keynes supporting central planning comes from two sources, which I shall quote. The first comes from his 1920s essay, "The End of Laissez-Faire," which has been identified as the inspiration for the movement for indicative (non-command) planning that was seen after WW II in such countries as France, Japan, India, South Korea, and some other places, although not UK or US.
After noting that uncertainty can lead to inequality of wealth and the unemployment of labor, he states: "I believe that the cure for these things is partly to be sought in the deliberate control of the currency and of credit by a central institution, ans partly in the collection and dissemination on a great scale of data relating to the business situation, including the full publicity, by law if necessary, of all business facts which it is useful to know. These measures would involve Society in exercising directive intelligence through some appropriate organ of action over many of the inner intricacies of private business, yet it would leave private initiative and enterprise unhindered." (p. 318 from Essays in Persuasion)
One can argue that Keynes is offering a hopeless contradiction when calling for this "directive intelligence," probably the closest he came anywhere to command, with his simultaneous limit on that regarding leaving "private initiative and enterprise unhindered," this latter certainly not fitting with the full-blowin command socialist model at all.
Regarding the information gathering, well, of course that is now generally done in most higher income economies, and many have argued that this was the essence of the indicative planning operations carried out in many countries, when they worked at their best, as some claim was the case in France in the 1950s, when businesspeople needed some sort of external push to revive their animal spirits, to use Keynesian language, and that seeing projections of demands by others helped provide this.
The other passage that some have pointed to as possibly suggesting a central planner tendency by Keynes comes from the final chapter of the General Theory, p. 378:
"Furthermore, it seems unlikely that the influence of of banking policy on the rate of interest will be sufficient by itself to determine an optimum rate of investmenet. I conceive, therefore, that a somewhat comprehensive socialisation of investment will prove the only means of securing an approximation to full employment; though this need not exclude all manner of compromises and of devices by which publich authority will co-operate with private intiative. But beyond this no obvious case is made out for a system of State Socialism which would embrace most of the economic life of the community."
One can argue again here that Keynes is setting himself up for some sort of impossible contradiction, and Hayek may well have argued that such control of investment would lead to his road to serfdom slippery slope. However, it is clear from later passages that what Keynes had in mind was ultimately the control of the aggregate of investment rather than of its specific forms or details.
These almost certainly provide the strongest evidence for Keynes supposedly supporting there being a "central plan." But it looks at most, putting the two together, like one that involves lots of provision of information and data along with some sort of control of aggregate investment, while leaving most of the decisions up to "private initiative." This hardly constitutes a "central plan," and certainly not one of the sort that the actually existing Hayek criticized. The fictional one in the video should have spoken more carefully.
Did Keynes Support Having a "Central Plan"?
Barkley Rosser
Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:12:00 GMT
Posted in Hayek, Keynes
Tagged Keynes Hayek


This short book contrasts the philosophies of technology of Heidegger and Marcuse, one of Heidegger's star pupils, and relates their work to contemporary technology studies. Feenberg sets out the historical and theoretical background of the debate, then discusses each philosopher's theory in turn, and ends with an important analysis of the implications for contemporary technology studies. Although Heidegger's work in the philosophy of technology is widely discussed and has already been addressed in a handful of books, Marcuse's work has been largely overlooked. This book will be the first to critically engage Marcuse as a philosopher of technology, and as such is sure to make an important impact on the field.


text:
package org.sanelib.eboss.core.domain.view;

import java.util.Date;

public class Employee extends ViewBase {

	private String code;

	private String firstName;

	private String middleName;

	private String lastName;

	private Date dateOfBirth;

	private String addressLine1;

	private String addressLine2;

	private String city;

	private String state;

	private String country;

	private String zipCode;

	private String phone;

	private String email;

	private String gender;

	private Date dateOfJoining;

	private Boolean isActive;

	public Employee() {
	}

	public String getCode() {
		return code;
	}

	public void setCode(String code) {
		this.code = code;
	}

	public String getFirstName() {
		return firstName;
	}

	public void setFirstName(String firstName) {
		this.firstName = firstName;
	}

	public String getMiddleName() {
		return middleName;
	}

	public void setMiddleName(String middleName) {
		this.middleName = middleName;
	}

	public String getLastName() {
		return lastName;
	}

	public void setLastName(String lastName) {
		this.lastName = lastName;
	}

	public Date getDateOfBirth() {

        return dateOfBirth;
	}

	public void setDateOfBirth(Date dateOfBirth) {
		this.dateOfBirth = dateOfBirth;
	}

	public String getAddressLine1() {
		return addressLine1;
	}

	public void setAddressLine1(String addressLine1) {
		this.addressLine1 = addressLine1;
	}

	public String getAddressLine2() {
		return addressLine2;
	}

	public void setAddressLine2(String addressLine2) {
		this.addressLine2 = addressLine2;
	}

	public String getCity() {
		return city;
	}

	public void setCity(String city) {
		this.city = city;
	}

	public String getState() {
		return state;
	}

	public void setState(String state) {
		this.state = state;
	}

	public String getCountry() {
		return country;
	}

	public void setCountry(String country) {
		this.country = country;
	}

	public String getZipCode() {
		return zipCode;
	}

	public void setZipCode(String  zipCode) {
		this.zipCode = zipCode;
	}

	public String getPhone() {
		return phone;
	}

	public void setPhone(String phone) {
		this.phone = phone;
	}

	public String getEmail() {
		return email;
	}

	public void setEmail(String email) {
		this.email = email;
	}

	public String getGender() {
		return gender;
	}

	public void setGender(String gender) {
		this.gender = gender;
	}

	public Date getDateOfJoining() {
		return dateOfJoining;
	}

	public void setDateOfJoining(Date dateOfJoining) {
		this.dateOfJoining = dateOfJoining;
	}

	public Boolean getIsActive() {
		return isActive;
	}

	public void setIsActive(Boolean isActive) {
		this.isActive = isActive;
	}

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Employee{" +
                "code='" + code + '\'' +
                ", firstName='" + firstName + '\'' +
                ", middleName='" + middleName + '\'' +
                ", lastName='" + lastName + '\'' +
                ", dateOfBirth=" + dateOfBirth +
                ", addressLine1='" + addressLine1 + '\'' +
                ", addressLine2='" + addressLine2 + '\'' +
                ", city='" + city + '\'' +
                ", state='" + state + '\'' +
                ", country='" + country + '\'' +
                ", zipCode='" + zipCode + '\'' +
                ", phone='" + phone + '\'' +
                ", email='" + email + '\'' +
                ", gender='" + gender + '\'' +
                ", dateOfJoining=" + dateOfJoining +
                ", isActive=" + isActive +
                "} " + super.toString();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Samantha Henderson is co-founder and president of RevCascade, the dropship automation platform that powers a massive new ecommerce revenue stream for brands and retailers. Prior to RevCascade, Henderson worked at the Rubicon Project, a digital advertising platform that went public in 2014. She played key roles in Product, Operations and Business Development during her five years there.


(Only QUALIFIED Healthcare Professionals accepted) Physical Therapist - General job duties. Types of procedures required.
Evaluates patient' condition and|or disability, by selecting and administering appropriate tests and measures; formulates and administers a treatment plan; interprets testing and treatment to staff, patient, family; determines need for referral to other specialties and|or agencies; maintains proper records and reports.
Must have Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degree in physical therapy. Must hold or be eligible to receive a physical therapy license in the state of Indiana from the Indiana Professional Licensure Board. Must have valid state driver's license, reliable transportation, and proof of insurance. Must have current CPR certification.
Hours can be flexible (willing to do 4 – 10 hour days 8am-7pm or 5 – 8 hour days 8am-5pm). There is a possibility for weekends so I would say no more frequently than every third weekend. There is no call.
They will attend New Hire Orientation on Monday 7:30am-12:30pm then Patient Care Orientation on Tuesday 8:00am-4:30pm.
2. Drivers having over 10 points as assigned by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be unacceptable.
3. Drivers having a conviction for operating under the influence within the last three years will be unacceptable.
4. Drivers having a conviction of reckless driving within the last three years will be unacceptable.
5. Drivers having a speeding violation in excess of 20 mph within the last three years will be unacceptable.
6. Drivers with more than two speeding violations within the last three years will be subject to further review.


text:
Usher Audio Technology S-520 loudspeaker
Robert J. Reina | Dec 18, 2005
The last few years at our annual Home Entertainment Show, many readers have come up to me and asked: "How do you select which speakers to review?" In my case, most candidates are either new products that have impressed me when demonstrated at our HE Shows, or new products from manufacturers whose designs have impressed me in the past. Occasionally, editor John Atkinson gets wind of a speaker and asks if I'd like to review it. But once in a while, a manufacturer reads a rave review of a competing product that makes his or her blood boil.
That's what happened with Usher Audio Technology's S-520 bookshelf speaker. Earlier this year I received an e-mail from Stan Tracht, of Thee High End, Usher's US distributor: "I read your review of the Epos M5 in [the April 2005 issue] Stereophile. I concur, the Epos is a good little speaker. However, Usher makes a little monitor, the S-520, that is beyond belief in terms of performance, construction, quality, and price. The Usher S-520s are selling as fast as we can import them. Retail price is $375–$400, depending upon finish." As I had enjoyed reviewing the S-520's bigger brother, the Compass X-719, for the May 2004 Stereophile, I thought I'd give this little new guy a whirl.
A marriage of Chinese and American design
The S-520 is the entry-level two-channel bookshelf speaker from Usher Audio Technology, a Taiwanese company that manufactures more than two dozen two-channel speakers (not counting their home-theater models), all designed by Dr. Joseph D'Appolito in the US and, in Taiwan, Usher's Tsai Lien-Shui. The two-way, front-ported S-520 has a 1" silk-dome tweeter and a 5" polypropylene mid-bass cone. It also employs a proprietary technology that Usher calls Symme-Motion, which consists of several magnetic and moving systems designed to ensure that the diaphragm's forward and backward motions are symmetrical. The suspension system of driver surround and spider, as well as such construction details as how the glue is applied, are all part of the Symme-Motion approach. The crossover uses low-loss, audiophile-grade polypropylene capacitors and air-core inductors, as well as internal wiring of high-purity OFC. The crossover itself is a low-loss, low-phase-shift circuit said to be highly efficient.
The smallish S-520 is available in a standard birch finish; matte black or glossy black or white finishes cost $25/pair extra. I was a bit partial to the glossy white samples I received, though they made me hungry. They reminded me of Eskimo Pies with the chocolate coatings removed—a compliment.
As usual, I auditioned the Ushers on my Celestion Si stands, loaded with sand and lead shot. I always listen to speakers with their grilles (if any) both on and off, and ask the manufacturer or distributor what they recommend. Stan Tracht was adamant: The S-520s must be listened to with their grilles off, otherwise there would be measurable and audible diffraction problems.
Usually, removing a speaker's grille results in slightly more detail; sometimes there's also a slight shift in tonal balance, with more emphasis on the high frequencies. Still, I wasn't prepared for what happened when I removed the S-520s' grilles. The highs became sweeter, more laid-back and natural, and the aural images were much more coherent. I don't understand how removing the grilles could make such a difference; perhaps JA's measurements will reveal something. In any event, I agreed with Tracht; the S-520s' grilles remained off for the balance of my listening sessions.
I was immediately taken by the Usher S-520's midrange and high-frequency resolution. The sound was detailed and natural throughout the midrange, with a degree of low-level dynamic articulation unusually realistic for such a low-priced speaker. The highs were also detailed and uncolored, though I noticed a slight highlighting of the lower highs (2—4kHz)with certain recordings. This could by no means be called "brightness" or "hardness," but when listening to recordings with significant energy in this region, I found it easy to follow instrumental details in this range. Although the highs were extended, I also noticed that the Usher didn't retrieve as much top-octave "air" or room ambience as I've heard other speakers do. At no time, however, did the S-520 sound dark or "hooded."
Every recording of the female voice sounded extraordinary through the Usher. Cassandra Wilson's New Moon Daughter (2 LPs, Blue Note 8 37183 1) was supple and seductive. On "Hey, Sweet Man," from Madeline Peyroux's Dreamland (CD, Atlantic 82946-2), her voice was rich, silky, and holographic. Mark Ribot's dobro exhibited perfectly natural transients and excellent low-level dynamic articulation, though the sliding of his fingers on the strings (round-wound, I presume) was a touch highlighted.
The S-520 was a particularly natural reproducer of percussion. Steve Nelson's vibes solo on "The Mooche," from the Jerome Harris Quintet's contribution to John Atkinson's Editor's Choice (CD, Stereophile STPH016-2), was natural, detailed and uncolored. I was mesmerized by Jack DeJohnette's delicate hi-hat and ride-cymbal work on "Melting," from Bill Connors' Of Mist and Melting (LP, ECM 1-1120)—the only recorded pairing, I think, of my favorite guitarist and favorite drummer. Moreover, on this track, Jan Garbarek's alto sax was "floating, rich, and detailed," according to my listening notes. For some free-jazz improvisation I turned to the Tertiary Trio's Title Goes Here (CD, Rent Controlled RCRCD 009) and found myself fixated on the delicate, rolling groove drummer Paul Corio sets up on "Brushes with Death."
The little S-520's bass response was quite interesting. The midbass was very neutral, but seemed a tad warm with certain recordings. Ray Brown's double-bass solo on "I'm an Old Cowhand," from Sonny Rollins' Way Out West (CD, JVC VICJ 60083), sounded as natural as any bass solo on any jazz recording I've heard. And I'm curious to hear what JA concludes about the Usher's low-bass extension. With most recordings, the S-520 didn't call attention to its low-bass capabilities (or lack of them). However, whenever an instrument with considerable low-bass energy appeared, the Usher surprised me with its realism, especially with classical music. My notes are filled with such comments as "Wow, nice timpani!" and "Bass drum very realistic but not quite room-shaking."
The Usher's impressive bass was not limited to classical recordings, however. I cranked up the volume on "Dazed and Confused," from Classic Records' vinyl edition of Led Zeppelin's eponymous first album (Atlantic/Classic SD 19126). John Paul Jones' bass blasts were "perfect," according to my notes. Continuing to test the S-520's ability to realistically render rock music, I cranked the volume higher for Ultra High Frequency's Sun Never Sets in Dramaville (CD, Mugshot MUG 0001) and noted that the Usher could party loud—no matter how loud the guitars thrashed, the vocals were detailed and natural.
My most memorable experience with the Usher S-520 was with Kraftwerk's new live album, Minimum Maximum (CD, EMI ASW 60611 26). I inserted the CD, turned up the Creek 5350SE integrated amp to "11" (I'd guess about 98dB), and stood unable to move, transfixed by the opening strains of "Mensch Machine," which has very deep electronic bass and intricate dynamics. Chills ran through my body as I was transported back to the Kraftwerk concert I'd seen earlier in the summer, which the band had opened with this very tune (footnote 1).
The only aspect of the Usher that approached a coloration was that, whenever I loudly played any passage with highly modulated upper-midrange and lower-high-frequency energy, the sound had a slightly forward tenseness. This occurred during the fortissimo tuttis of Stravinsky's The Firebird, as performed by Antal Dorati and the London Symphony (CD, Mercury Living Presence/Classic 90226), as well as during the bombastic bridge of Aimee Mann's "How Am I Different?," from Bachelor No. 2 or The Last Remains of the Dodo (CD, Super Ego SE 002). However, at no time was there any sense of strain, coagulation, or compression during these passages—rather, it was just a temporary shift in tonal balance.
I compared the Usher S-520 ($375/pair) with the Infinity Primus 150 ($198/pair), the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 ($350/pair), and the Epos ELS 3 ($350/pair). (Although my Epos M5 review inspired this one, I felt it fairer to compare the Usher S-520 with the Epos ELS 3, which is much closer in price.)
The Infinity Primus 150 was warmer and more romantic than the Usher, with equally excellent low-level dynamic articulation. However, the Infinity's bass did not go as deep, and its high-level dynamics were inferior, compressing a bit during very loud passages. The Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 was more detailed in the midrange, with more delicate and sophisticated high frequencies. Overall, the Wharfedale's dynamic performance was equal to the Usher's, but its mid and upper bass were warmer and thicker.
The Epos ELS 3 was more detailed and delicate in the midrange and highs than the Usher S-520, and far better at revealing ambience and hall sound. The Epos's midbass was clean and articulate and slightly less warm than the Usher's, though about as extended. The Epos compressed a bit on high-level dynamic passages; the Usher did not.
I'm glad I had a chance to experience Usher Audio Technology's S-520. Over a wide range of music, the Usher S-520 satisfied me during the many weeks it visited my system, and I found its modern white cabinet attractive. The Usher S-520 is an excellent value with many strengths and negligible shortcomings, and should find a home in many an affordable system. Thanks for giving me the heads up on this one, Stan.
Footnote 1: That New York City concert moved me more than any other rock concert in two decades—yes, JA, even more than Cream's reunion concert in London. When the lights dimmed, the four gentlemen of Kraftwerk emerged onstage wearing identical gray suits and launched into two hours of updated arrangements of their best work of the last 30 years, performed on four laptop computers with MIDI controllers. The music was amplified to earsplitting volumes but with no trace of distortion, against a backdrop of elaborate, perfectly synchronized video graphics and vintage film clips.
NEXT: Specifications »
Usher Audio Technology
US distributor: Thee High End
6923 Inwood Road
www.usheraudio.com