text:
Governance Committee: Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel
64.1 The Council considered the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and recommendations for the scheme of allowances and expenses from May 2021, in the light of a report from the Governance Committee (pages 63 to 96).
64.2 An amendment was moved by Cllr M Jones and seconded by Cllr Walsh.
'The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group generally welcomes the report of the Panel and thanks the Panel for its work during its review of the Member Allowance Scheme. The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group support the Panel's recommendations about sustainability as a move to reducing the County Council's carbon footprint, to support our climate change emergency.
The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group welcomes the IRP's recommendation to freeze allowances in 2021/22 in view of the 'present economic environment in which Council services are being increasingly severely restricted, and constituents are suffering with furlough, loss of business income and possible looming unemployment' (paragraph 31). This is further re-enforced by the decision by the Government to impose a public sector pay freeze for public sector workers which includes all of the workers in services that the county council employs.
In light of this, the Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group recognises that recommendations (m) and (p) in the Panel's report may lead to reductions in the special responsibility allowance paid to some future postholders in the roles of senior advisers to cabinet members and minority group leaders.
However, the Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group have become concerned that there is an overall lack of consistency in the report relating to the treatment of special responsibility allowances. If it is appropriate to reduce the aforementioned allowances, then it believes it is also appropriate to apply a similar reduction by the same effective amount.
The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group therefore puts forward the following amendment to the Governance Committee's recommendation, in the light of the severe financial pressures and in order to ensure consistency with all special responsibility allowances for councillors, which could save £88,290 compared to the current cost of special responsibility allowances. Combined with the potential reductions in minority group leader of £4,285 and senior adviser to cabinet members' allowances of £7,324, this could total £99,809.
'That the Independent Remuneration Panel's report and recommendations be approved, but the Council agrees to go further than the IRP's recommended approach to freeze allowances and thereby agrees to reduce the special responsibility allowances paid to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Leader, Cabinet Members, Committee Chairmen and Foster Panel members by 25% in May 2021. This would have consequential amendments to the IRP's recommendations (g)-(k).'
An extract from Schedule 1 of the Member Allowance Scheme is shown below, illustrating the effect of the proposed amendment.
Special Responsibility Allowances
Allowance per member
£ per annum
Chairman of the County Council
Vice-Chairman of the County Council
Cabinet Member (and Deputy Leader)
Cabinet Member for Adults and Health
Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
Cabinet Member for Economy and Corporate Resources
Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
Cabinet Member for Environment
Cabinet Member for Finance
Cabinet Member for Fire & Rescue and Communities
Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure
Leaders of Minority Parties with at least three members**
Leaders of Large Minority Parties with at least 15 members*
Leaders of Medium Minority Parties (five to 14 members)*
Leaders of Small Minority Parties (three to four members)*
Chairman of the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee
Chairman of the Children and Young People's Services Scrutiny Committee
Chairman of the Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee
Chairman of the Fire & Rescue Service Scrutiny Committee
Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee
Chairman of the Planning and Rights of Way Committee
Chairman of the Regulation, Audit and Accounts Committee
Senior Adviser to a Cabinet Member
Adviser to a Cabinet Member*
Member of the Fostering Panel
* and ** reflect the IRP's recommended levels.'
64.3 The amendment was put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 35.5.
(a) For the amendment – 11
Cllr Buckland, Cllr N Dennis, Cllr M Jones, Cllr Lord, Cllr Millson, Cllr O'Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Oxlade, Cllr Purchese, Cllr Quinn and Cllr Smytherman.
(b) Against the amendment – 40
Cllr Acraman, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Barnard, Cllr Barrett-Miles, Cllr Bennett, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Catchpole, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Hillier, Cllr Hunt, Cllr A Jones, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kennard, Cllr Kitchen, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Magill, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McDonald, Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Montyn, Cllr R J Oakley, Cllr S J Oakley, Cllr Patel, Cllr Pendleton, Cllr Purnell, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Turner, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight, Cllr Whittington and Cllr Wickremaratchi.
(c) Abstentions – 8
Cllr Arculus, Cllr Bradford, Cllr Bridges, Cllr Brunsdon, Cllr Burgess, Cllr Edwards, Cllr Fitzjohn and Cllr Sudan.
Cllr Barling, Cllr Barton, Cllr Cloake, Cllr Goldsmith, Cllr Hall, Cllr High, Cllr Lea, Cllr Smith, Cllr Simmons and Cllr Walsh were absent for the vote.
64.4 The amendment was lost.
That the Independent Remuneration Panel's report and recommendations, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.
Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel PDF 67 KB
Appendix 1 - Panel recommendations PDF 227 KB
Appendix 2 - Impact on allowances scheme PDF 187 KB
Proposed amendment by Cllr M Jones PDF 88 KB
Labour amendment - result of recorded vote PDF 51 KB


text:
Huawei Mate 40 Tempered Glass Smaller Curve than Pro
Huawei Mate 40 Tempered Glass
Starting with the Mate 20 series, the Mate flagship standard and Pro editions have been designed with straight and curved screen options, respectively, and the Mate 20 series and Mate 30 series have been designed the same way.
Moving into the second half of 2020, the Mate 40 series is set to debut. Unlike its predecessor, the Mate 40 Standard Edition features a dual-curved screen scheme for the first time.
Following the previous Huawei Mate 40 Pro Tempered Film reveals, today's blogger has also released the standard version of the Huawei Mate 40 Tempered Glass.
The Mate 40 Pro will have a waterfall screen design, and the standard Mate 40 front screen has a smaller curvature than the Mate 40 Pro's, as well as a narrower chin, according to the photos.
Blessed by 5nm Kirin core Huawei Mate 40 Series 4 Emperor About to Born
Editor's Recommendation.
According to the previously revealed information, the Mate 40 Pro is also a dual-curved flexible screen; this is the first time the Mate series on both the standard and Pro version of the curved-screen solution, the form may be punch holes.
Tags: HuaweiHuawei Mate 40 SeriesLEAKS

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Grevená (, Grevená) es un municipio de Grecia, capital de la unidad periférica de Grevená. El área urbana cuenta 10 447 habitantes pero en total son 30,564. Se encuentra a 400 km al norte de Atenas y a 180 km al oeste de Tesalónica y se conecta por medio de la Vía Egnatia desde principios de los años 2000, a las ciudades de Igumenitsa, Tesalónica y Alejandrópolis, en la frontera con Turquía. Se encuentra en la rivera del río Greveniotikos. Otras localidades de la municipalidad son Amygdaliés y Mega Seirini.

Véase también

Macedonia Occidental
Anexo:Ciudades de Grecia por población

Referencias

Localidades de la periferia de Macedonia Occidental
Municipios de la periferia de Macedonia Occidental

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Community Chest
Seth Kushner Is Raising Money For A Bone Marrow Transplant
A day may be coming when comic book creators no longer have to turn to the kindness of others to help them pay their medical bills, but that day is not today. Writers, artists, colorists, letterers -- virtually everyone involved with making your favorite comics works in a freelance capacity, where h…
Matt D. Wilson
Seth Kushner Awaits Bone Marrow Transplant To Treat Leukemia
Prolific photographer (Leaping Tall Buildings), comic book writer (Creator-Owned Heroes) and general mover and shaker in the Brooklyn (and wider) comic book community Seth Kushner was diagnosed with leukemia last month. The 40-year-old husband and father has been forced to cancel convention app…
Caleb Goellner
Emerald City Comicon 'Monsters & Dames' Art Preview: Part 4
The official art book of Emerald City Comicon, Monsters & Dames is an annual release that invites a wide spectrum of talent to indulge their artistic idiosyncrasies in the name of charity, with proceeds from sales of the hardcover release and original art auctions having raised over $55,000 for …
Cartoon Art Professional Society Seeking Donations For Stan And Sharon Sakai
Even the most talented and prolific cartoonists can hit hard times.
Case in point: Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai is in need of some financial help after his wife, Sharon, who has suffered from a debilitating illness for quite a while now, had a long stay in the hospital. Sharon's back home now, bu…
Comic Book Writer Steve Niles 'Loses Everything' In Flood
Best known as the co-creator of the vampire comic book 30 Days of Night with Ben Templesmith, horror writer Steve Niles experienced his own kind of personal nightmare when he awoke last weekend to discover his home was severely flooded, his pet in danger and many of his most beloved possessions dest…
Artists To Celebrate Jack Kirby's Birthday By Waking Up And Drawing For Hero Initiative
A week from today would have been Jack Kirby's 96th birthday.
To celebrate, the Hero Initiative has recruited more than 40 artists to "Wake Up and Draw" a birthday card to Jack next Wednesday. The art will be available to view in a gallery at ComicArtFans.com and will later be auctioned off…
Parting Shot: Superhero Window Washers at Children's Hospital [Video]
This is an old story that just came to our attention over the weekend thanks to a retweet from musician Frank Ocean, who rightly observed that the image deserves "endless retweets." Last October, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh worked with Allegheny Window Cleaning Inc...


text:
Employment helps adults with intellectual disabilities see what they're capable of
By Hunter Lacey
Hunter Lacey
Serena Ashun is a team member at Hugs Greenhouse in McKinney, Texas.
From the age of 2, I have always had at least one close friend in my life who has an array of disabilities. It started with my brother Chase and has expanded outward to his classmates and therapy buddies ever since he started attending motor therapy, speech therapy, behavioral therapy and school. When I was too young to attend full days of school, my mom and Chase were stuck with me. I couldn't be home by myself, so I spent a lot of time in waiting rooms. In those waiting rooms, I'd befriend kids who were like my brother and, at the time, didn't seem much different from me either.
/ Hunter Lacey
Kristen Lyons is a teaching assistant at the Octopus Garden Preschool in Richardson, Texas.
Blaine Harden is a team member at Hugs Cafe in McKinney, Texas.
When you're that young, it's difficult to differentiate between neurotypical and not. I knew plenty of kids from preschool who didn't talk much or behaved erratically, so the kids in those waiting rooms seemed run-of-the-mill to me. It was a long time before I realized that my brother was not "normal." It would be even longer before I realized the roadblocks that Chase would face as an adult, and what that meant for the broader disabilities community.
Jerry Winters is a team member at Hugs Cafe in McKinney, Texas.
In recent years, I have become interested with the world of meaningful employment for adults with disabilities. What does it look like? Is it possible for their unemployment rate to lower? How can more companies employ neurodiverse individuals? My interest stems from my connection to my brother Chase. I know and love Chase, as well as his friends. I want them to experience as full a life as anyone else. The difficult moments come when I remember that Chase cannot work — he is too cognitively disabled to understand the concept of a job much less hold one down. As I've looked into this subject and spent time with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are high-functioning enough to hold down jobs, I feel a bittersweet joy. There is joy because I'm seeing a community I love thrive, but there is sadness because I know that for Chase — and others like him — life will not include this specific component that, for so many, brings meaning and empowerment.
Max Adamczyk is a groundskeeper at All Saints Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas.
Marty Cole is a team member at Hugs Cafe in McKinney, Texas.
Ruth Thompson owns and operates a restaurant in McKinney, Texas, that employs adults with IDD called Hugs Café. When speaking with Ruth, it is clear that her passion lies in working with this population. Her passion created Hugs but what has allowed it to last is the team she built.
"We are a restaurant that has 0% turnover. That is unheard of anywhere," Ruth shared with me. "My initial vision for Hugs was we would train them, employ them for a while, then they'd move on and others would come in. After the first year, we had so many say, 'Please, don't tell me I have to go somewhere else' — they found a home, a family, a community."
Jacob Shaw is a team member at Hugs Greenhouse in McKinney, Texas.
For the people in this population who get to experience employment, it's a chance to prove to themselves and to others that they can contribute value. For so much of their lives, it's apparent to them that they're different. Many of the people they encounter don't have high expectations for their abilities. But employment flips that on its head. Not only does the company benefit from the person's work, but the neurotypical coworkers have their conceptions challenged and, if the employee with IDD works in a front-facing role, the customers do, too. Best of all, the person with IDD realizes how much more capable they are than they previously thought.
Andrew Dennett is a team member at Hugs Greenhouse in McKinney, Texas.
Hunter Lacey is a Texas-based photographer. Her work explores human connection, memory and personal ties to place. She also teaches journalism and photojournalism to high school students. See more of her work online, at HunterFolsom.org, and on Instagram, at @hunterfolacey.


text:
Q: uuid.uuid1, uuid_generate_time, and threads In Python, I can consistently generate a seg fault in the uuid module. This can be done by  calling uuid.uuid1() repeatedly from multiple threads. After some digging, it appears that this function eventually calls the C uuid_generate_time function via ctypes:
From uuid.py:
for libname in ['uuid', 'c']:
    try:
        lib = ctypes.CDLL(ctypes.util.find_library(libname))
    except:
        continue
    if hasattr(lib, 'uuid_generate_random'):
        _uuid_generate_random = lib.uuid_generate_random
    if hasattr(lib, 'uuid_generate_time'):
        _uuid_generate_time = lib.uuid_generate_time
        if _uuid_generate_random is not None:
            break  # found everything we were looking for

And later on in the definition of uuid1():
def uuid1(node=None, clock_seq=None):
    """Generate a UUID from a host ID, sequence number, and the current time.
    If 'node' is not given, getnode() is used to obtain the hardware
    address.  If 'clock_seq' is given, it is used as the sequence number;
    otherwise a random 14-bit sequence number is chosen."""

    # When the system provides a version-1 UUID generator, use it (but don't
    # use UuidCreate here because its UUIDs don't conform to RFC 4122).
    if _uuid_generate_time and node is clock_seq is None:
        _buffer = ctypes.create_string_buffer(16)
        _uuid_generate_time(_buffer)
        return UUID(bytes=_buffer.raw)

I've read the man pages for uuid_generate_time as well as the Python docs for uuid.uuid1 and there is no mention of thread safety. I assume it has something to do with the fact that it needs access the system clock and/or MAC address but that's just a blind guess.
I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me?
The following is the code that I used to generate the seg fault:
import threading, uuid

# XXX If I use a lock, I can avoid the seg fault
#uuid_lock = threading.Lock()
def test_uuid(test_func):
  for i in xrange(100):
    test_func()
    #with uuid_lock:
    #  test_func()

def test(test_func, threads):
  print 'Running %s with %s threads...' % (test_func.__name__, threads)

  workers = [threading.Thread(target=test_uuid, args=(test_func,)) for x in xrange(threads)]
  [x.start() for x in workers]
  [x.join() for x in workers]
  print 'Done!'

if __name__ == '__main__':
  test(uuid.uuid4, 8)
  test(uuid.uuid1, 8)

The output that I get is:
Running uuid4 with 8 threads...
Done!
Running uuid1 with 8 threads...
Segmentation Fault (core dumped)

Oh, and I'm running this on Solaris...

A: The documentation doesn't say it's thread safe so you can't assume it is. It's as simple as that.
Looking at the current OpenIndiana source for uuid_generate_time it's not entirely obvious what's causing the segfault. However while the function does use a lock, it doesn't hold this lock while performing a number of initialization tasks. This is probably related to the problem, but I can't point to a specific spot where a race condition would cause a fault. You might try calling uuid1 once before you start any threads and see if that makes the problem go away. Though you'd be better off just using your own lock, because there's no guarantee that the Python code itself is thread safe.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Freedom Fund secures the release of low-income people in jail or immigration detention who are detained simply because they can't afford bail or fees.
We post bond and fees in Florida, with an emphasis on South Florida and LGBTQ individuals. We also encourage referrals from non-LGBTQ folks.
Please call 786-233-8969 or e-mail info@lgbtqfund.org.


text:
Q: How do I disable guest mode and "Add new person" in Edge? Microsoft Edge allows you to create new profiles, and to launch guest mode. However, I would like to disable both of these functionalities.
How can I do this?

A: On Windows, open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows+R, then typing regedit, then clicking OK.
Navigate with the Registry Editor to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge. If that folder is not already there, create it.
Add these two DWORD (32-bit) Value entries:

*

*BrowserAddProfileEnabled, and set the value to 0.

*BrowserGuestModeEnabled, and set the value to 0.


STAMFORD — The city's Transportation Committee has agreed to an amended ordinance that will allow cars to be parked on the street up to five days before getting a ticket.
Ernie Orgera, the city's director of operations, said the initial ordinance of limiting parking to 72 hours was drafted in response to an increase in resident complaints regarding abandoned vehicles and long-term parkers who take spaces from residents.
After some discussion with city traffic engineer Robert Zaitooni, the committee unanimously approved an amended ordinance that extended the limit to 120 hours.
The street parking clause would enhance the city's existing stopping, standing and parking policy. This policy was originally designed to prevent drivers from blocking roads and throughways with their vehicles.
If a driver leaves a vehicle parked on any city street for longer than 120 hours, the car is considered abandoned and subject to a class-two ticket, which is at least $50. After the ticket is issued, the city would allow the owner 24 hours to remove the vehicle before it is towed.
The committee also reviewed two other parking-related proposals last week.
The committee unanimously approved a resolution to designate metered parking at the intersection of Stillwater Avenue and Virgil Street.
The second is an ongoing review of the residential parking permit program. Possible changes to the program include streamlining the application process, reducing the number of passes for each owner based on the available spaces on and off street, giving the director of operations "emergency powers" and addressing seasonal issues.
The committee did not take action on these changes, but asked Zaitooni to provide a draft of the ordinance after it has been reviewed by the city's legal department.
The ordinances the committee approved will need to be passed by the full Board of Representatives to be enacted.
Editor's note: A previous version of the article incorrectly stated a letter read into the minutes was drafted by Rep. Rodney Pratt. It was written by one of Pratt's constituents, who wished to remain anonymous.


text:
Jarud Qi (chorągiew Jarud, Dżarud Choszuu; chiń. 扎鲁特旗; pinyin: Zālǔtè Qí) – chorągiew w północno-wschodnich Chinach, w regionie autonomicznym Mongolia Wewnętrzna, w prefekturze miejskiej Tongliao. W 1999 roku liczyła 297 538 mieszkańców.

Przypisy

Mongolia Wewnętrzna


"From the South of Italy to the North of England…You'll find us on the first floor of John Lewis." What is with Newcastle's department stores? Fenwick and John Lewis appear to have challenged each other to an all-out restaurant war.
While Fenwick brought in the local big guns - Terry Laybourne and his team helped create a really snazzy food hall with some great eateries, including a fishmonger and seafood bar, an Asian noodle restaurant, and an excellent Mediterranean joint called Fuego — John Lewis turned to Rossopomodoro.
I guess it's "authentic", whatever that means: there are 70 of them in Italy itself. It's a chain that originated in Naples. Not that this guarantees good food, of course. I mean, I'd scarcely expect my Italian friends to get too excited if Upper Crust suddenly announced it was bringing its uniquely British baguettes to Rome. But Rossopomodoro does make great claims for its food.
"You won't find more authentic pizza than ours outside Naples," says its British website, and the Italian version proudly declares its passion for "Neapolitan culinary culture". They clearly think they're very good indeed. I gave them plenty of time to settle in after they opened last October. I suspected that the company will have jetted in their training team for the first few weeks - I wanted to see how the restaurant had bedded down since then.
The restaurant is in ladies' wear, which is a bit dangerous when you're out with Mrs Diner. However she had no problem ignoring this maze of frocks. They haven't exactly framed their new Italian restaurant with their designer collections. Instead, we weaved our way round oversized flowery blue dresses and cotton blouses until we found it: an orange sign on wood cladding, outside what used to be the Brasserie. I quite liked that Brasserie — the food was good and you could watch shoppers wandering around down below from the balcony.
The balcony's still there, but the room has been redressed with bare wood, white chairs, a few blue and white stripes to prove you've crossed the Italian border, and, right in the centre, an enormous gold-tiled pizza oven. It looks like a giant tagine, or the shining dome of a Turkish mosque. They have installed these ovens in all Rossopomodoros across the globe, a genuine Napoli wood burning specimen, but instead of artisan tiles, shiny gold mosaic.
Inside the oven, the fire was roaring rather too optimistically, for the restaurant was virtually empty. We were sat by the balcony, being looked after by a delightful waitress. After several futile attempts to shore up our table, which was wobbling dangerously and required no fewer than three menu cards to stabilise it, she revealed that, though Romanian, she had spent 9 months in Milan.
We started with wine. She advised us to order the Montepulciano (£5.95/19.95) but I stubbornly ignored her counsel and instead chose the more expensive Nero d'Avola (£7.95/27.95). It was so appallingly acidic, I had to eat humble pie and beg her to swap it for the Montepulciano, which she did very graciously. This was smooth and balanced. Having messed up the wine, I decided to follow her advice when it came to the food.
I ordered polpette — meatballs — which were quite awful. Small mealy marbles of almost flavourless pork floated in an Amatriciana sauce that had all the subtlety of Donald Trump, a concoction so raw and spicy I needed most of my glass of wine to cool off. The tomatoes had scarcely been reduced, while the onions were undercooked and bitter.
Meanwhile Mrs Diner's bruschetta had a mundane pomodoro topping with none of the fresh, straight off the vine tomato flavour you'd expect to find in any self-respecting café in Naples. Slung on the plate, they simply tasted as though they had been hanging about a bit.
Next, we ordered two pasta dishes and a pizza of salsiccia and friarelli - pork and fennel sausage, broccoli rabe, with a white smoked mozzarella sauce. All three arrived at the same time.
I'm guessing that the pizza had been waiting around for the pasta, for it had already lost any bubbling freshness it might have displayed in the oven. As a result, the soupy smoked mozzarella centre — the special characteristic of any Neapolitan pizza — had long since turned into a congealed béchamel. Broccoli rabe was properly bitter, though, and the sprinkling of pork sausage had a nice infusion of fennel, but the pizza crust was already as flaccid as my mood.
Mind you, this pizza was almost decent compared to our pasta. Mrs Diner's rigatoni contained a couple of bits of rubber aubergine in a sea of unreduced canned tomatoes instead of the promised cherry tomato sauce. For a restaurant called the red tomato, this was almost ironic.
Meanwhile my own dish, a "Gourmet Neapolitan pasta" of wild mushrooms and smoked speck, was seriously awful. Strands of gloopy pappardelle clung to each other for comfort amongst pieces of mushroom, smoked ham, and whole, completely tasteless, chestnuts. This concoction was topped with a few shavings of "tangy" pecorino cheese that appeared to have long ago lost its tang.
"Well, it can't get any worse," sighed Mrs Diner, as we looked through the dessert menu. Oh yes it could.
Mrs Diner had a dark chocolate soufflé, which had been baked so thoroughly, its base and sides had turned solid. It was so hard it had slid around the plate during delivery.
I ordered tiramisu. Unfortunately I mustn't have read the menu properly, for when it arrived, the mascarpone had been replaced with Nutella. It was basically a slice of Nutella pie. There were squiggles of it everywhere. The word Rosso had been written across the plate in Nutella. Junior Diner would have been in heaven. I just wanted to go home.
After coffee, I noticed a card on the table with pictures of "popular Neapolitan hand gestures". The card invited customers to practice the gestures on the staff, denoting things like: Eat, Perfect, Drink, Look at that food!, and so on.
Unfortunately I couldn't find the hand signal representing my precise mood at that time. So instead I just waved my fingers in that universal language for "Can I have the bill, please?". It came to £98.38.


Blending family and business can provide the best possible working environment for those who do it right. The challenges may be greater, but so are the rewards.
The winners of the 2013 Family Business Awards have figured out how to make the combination work for themselves, their employees and their customers.
Winners were selected by the Cox Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University; the recognition program is sponsored by the center and Georgia Trend.
Ed Voyles Automotive Group, based in Marietta, is the large business winner. Forest Park's General Produce, Inc., a wholesaler, is the medium-sized business winner. Hill Aircraft & Leasing Corporation, Atlanta, a full-service fixed-base operator offering sales, maintenance and charter services, is the small business winner.
Haverty Furniture Companies, established in downtown Atlanta in 1885, is the Century Award winner.
For these businesses, employees are typically regarded as family and always treated with respect. "We try to treat our associates like we would like to be treated," says Valery Voyles.
Finalists in this year's competition are RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc., Norcross, and Pharma Tech Industries, Royston, large category; Repro Products, Smyrna, and ComSouth Communications, Hawkinsville, medium; and Moon's Pharmacy, Tifton, and Atlanta Light Bulbs, Inc., Tucker, small.
Presented with the choice of undergoing a root canal or buying a car, a surprising number of people might choose the dental procedure. Valery Voyles, chair and CEO of Marietta-based Ed Voyles Automotive Group, the 2013 Cox Family Enterprise Center Family Business of the Year Award winner (large business category), strives to eliminate the unpleasant feeling associated with purchasing a car one customer at a time.
Founded as a used car dealership in East Point in 1952, the company has transformed over the years, first by adding new vehicles to its inventory in the mid 1950s and later by relocating to Cobb Parkway in 1970 just as Marietta began to grow in commercial and residential development. By the time Ed Voyles died in 2004, his company operated over a half-dozen franchises. Today, the business consists of eight franchises (Acura, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep and Kia), three locations and 503 employees, including two generations of the Voyles family.
Presently, Valery's brothers Bill and Ben are vice presidents and partners in the company, though Bill divides his time between work and philanthropic endeavors. As the trend in automotive retail has shifted toward an increase in public companies, Valery aims to maintain a family-owned business. The next generation, Bill Voyles Jr. and Jessica Singleton, Valery's daughter, currently work for the company.
"I'd like to see my dad's legacy continue to the next generation," says Valery Voyles.
The company has experienced a surge in sales in recent years, highlighted by a record-breaking year in 2012 with the sale of 12,272 cars (7,488 new cars and 4,784 used cars sold), which yielded $473 million in revenue. This year could be even more profitable for the company, as new car sales were up five percent over 2012 and used cars sales were up three percent at the end of August.
Building strong relationships with customers and em-ployees was Ed Voyles' blueprint for success in the automotive retail business, and it remains a top priority for the company.
Loyalty to employees and promotion from within are signature company values. Today, Ed Voyles Automotive boasts 101 employees with tenures of 10 years or more, including four employees with 30 or more years of service.
When the Folds family purchased a Forest Park produce company in 1977, it had already been a family-owned business for 24 years. Since then the company, christened General Produce Inc., has been ranked several times among Georgia's top 100 privately owned family businesses, in terms of revenue, thanks in large part to leadership provided by each generation.
General Produce has 250 employees on the payroll, up slightly from the end of 2012, with plans to expand into Florida and add more workers.
The Atlanta Farmers Market-based company is known for its donations of produce and cash to area nonprofits, such as the Southern Crescent Resource Ministry food bank and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. "We give product to the local hospitals for their nurses appreciation day," Springfield says. The company employs nine family members, with four of them on its board of directors; and there are other kinds of family connections outside the Folds.
General Produce may soon have a presence in the Florida Panhandle, according to Spring-field. "We're in negotiations with a company there," she says. "It's a meat company, because we want to get into food service and distribution down there." Spring-field says the Panhandle restaurant market has opened up due to the recent closing of a large food service distribution company in the area.
James Joseph Haverty set up a furniture store in downtown Atlanta in 1885, selling tables, chairs and wares to a populace still struggling to recover from the effects of the Civil War.
Nearly 130 years on, some things have changed. Haverty Furniture Companies Inc. has been publicly traded since October 1929 and has grown into one of the nation's largest furniture retailers.
Other things remain constant. Havertys is still a family affair, in many ways, as the company is run by descendants of J.J. Haverty, as he was known. Haverty descendants control three-quarters of the company's voting stock. The company's chairman, president and CEO, Clarence Haverty Smith, is J.J. Haverty's great grandson.
Smith is joined by other family members in the corporate suites and on the board. Cousin Rawson Haverty Jr. is senior vice president of real estate and development and a board member. Another cousin, Frank S. McGaughey III, serves on the board of directors. Yet another Haverty is in management training.
As a family company, Havertys is the recipient of this year's Cox Family Enterprise Center's Century award for family businesses more than 100 years old.
Smith says because the company is public, he wasn't sure it was appropriate to take the award. However, Havertys is still very much his ancestors' firm, governed by the sober financial principles that sustained the company through world wars, the Great Depression and most recently the worst economic downturn since World War II. For example, Smith points out, the company carries no debt.
"Our ancestors were very conservative," he says. "They didn't do anything radical. We play that up a lot" in marketing.
Havertys is prospering. With 120 showrooms in 16 states in the South and Midwest, the company reported $171.1 million in net sales in the second quarter, up 12.9 percent from the same period in 2012. Sales for all of last year were $670.1 million, placing Havertys among the nation's largest furniture companies.
Havertys historically handled its own consumer credit in-house. But based on advice from Wall Street, the company outsourced its consumer credit operation in 2001.
If it seems Havertys sports a different look these days, it does. The stores are carrying more trendy furnishings, higher-end pieces and accessories at a higher price point than it historically has, departing at least in this aspect from the founder's saying "The store had only one price: anything we could get." Havertys now offers more contemporary and casual furniture and is upholstery-focused, Smith says.
"We saw an opportunity to upgrade without leaving the core customers behind," he says.


Home Air ConditioningConfused About Getting The Proper HVAC Assist? This Article Will Help!
by Raymundo Fustonon July 5, 2018 July 6, 2018 Leave a Comment on Confused About Getting The Proper HVAC Assist? This Article Will Help!
Yearly rent somebody to present your HVAC unit routine upkeep. This will make sure that it really works correctly all through the entire year. It's going to also can help you have decrease heating and cooling payments. When your HVAC is running correctly, it should use the least quantity of power and save you cash. Each season inspect the out of doors condenser unit of your HVAC system. Remove any weeds and leaves that could be obstructing air move to the unit. Hose off the inside and outdoors of the unit to take away any dust construct up. Cover the motor with plastic bags previous to rinsing the unit in order that you don't get it wet.
If you want to pay for less energy use, contemplate putting in an HVAC-particular photo voltaic panel system. Such an installation harnesses the ability of the sun instantly in your heating and air conditioning. Don't worry although; you may have a change put in that routinely connects to the facility grid the times there isn't enough solar. Though most individuals are pondering of their heating systems during the winter months, air-con is also necessary. When installing a brand new furnace or heating system, ensure the air ducts are also set up to work along with your air condition system. Utilizing the ducts for both heating and cooling is probably the most economical selection.
When you've a brief checklist of contractors to consider, ask the individuals on their reference listing about not solely the service they acquired, but also how well the system remains to be running. Did they need more work down the road? Has the company come again to make issues proper? When your HVAC system is older than 15 years, the time has come to get yearly check-ups. These techniques aren't expected to make it past 20 years, so you have to monitor them for any points which may crop up. In reality, new systems can be more environment friendly, so it may be time for an improve.
When you need a HVAC contractor who is reliable, you need to spend a while in researching the background and popularity of several potential corporations. It is all the time sensible to verify their standing with the BBB. In addition, take a look at customer evaluations that appear online. Doing this stuff beforehand will permit you to make a smart move. When your contractor comes to repair your unit or set up a new one, he should walk around your property and investigate what is going on on with your present set-up. They need to be on the lookout for how a lot insulation you have, the place your home windows are and what quality they are and extra.
Though it is very important have a well functioning HVAC system, most homeowners are clueless about doing this. To be taught extra, you need to keep on prime of your game. The next article may help. Take a look at your ductwork for leaks in case your complete dwelling isn't being cooled or heated. Your native energy firm may do such testing at a decreased price or perhaps even without spending a dime. When you have got leaks repaired, the testing has paid for itself.
The significance of a superb HVAC system can't be overstated. Without such a system, it can be very difficult to keep your private home at a continuing temperature throughout the year. In case your outdated system is just not working effectively, you'll want to have it changed. Keep reading for some helpful recommendation on this topic. Sometimes, it can be onerous to figure out if your HVAC system must be fastened or must be changed. If your system steadily breaks down, is at all times turning on or off on its own, or if your payments are too high, it could pay to have it changed. In any other case, little things can simply be fastened.
The calculation to find out the scale of the unit is usually 20 BTU for each sq. foot of area. Combine the square footage of all rooms, in the occasion that you'll be cooling multiple.


What Makes Warm Buddy The BEST?
I'm dealing with constant pain right now in my left arm and shoulder from an injury I had earlier in the year. Heat and cold are the only things that seem to really work. The heat it gives off is amazing – totally blows my old heating pad away & the smell is wonderfully soothing.
I wanted to let you know that my son just loves this product. It is great for snuggling at night and when it is cold outside. I just throw it in the carseat or stroller to give him some extra warmth.
Warm Buddy Company creates products that promote relaxation and provide natural relief from aches, pains and stress. We have been following this philosophy since 1995, while creating our world famous aromatherapy heat wraps, heat packs, eye pillows and the original warm up plush animals.
Warm Buddy Company holds a Class 1 Medical Device Establishment Licence as a result of extensive product testing and quality control. Warm Buddy products are simply the most effective, highest quality and safest heat therapy products available.
All Warm Buddy heat therapy products are proudly designed and manufactured in Canada.
Warm Buddy heat wraps and heat therapy products have become World famous for the highest quality plush covers, natural ingredients, aromatherapy, long lasting heat and washable covers. Every heat wrap is tailored to work on specific body parts. Unlike hot water bottles, Warm Buddy heat wraps provide penetrating, moist heat which is enhanced by the addition of aromatherapy.
1 in 5 Canadians suffer from chronic pain. Despite this widespread occurrence, many individuals still suffer with unrelieved or under-treated pain. Pain's negative impact has been found to span every age and every type and source of pain in which it has been studied.
People dealing with pain have a significantly decreased quality of life and are more likely to show symptoms of depression. The Warm Buddy Company is committed to helping improve the quality of life of pain sufferers with our line up of natural heat wraps and heat therapy products.
Warm Buddy heat wraps provide pain relief with deep penetrating heat that increases blood flow. Increasing blood flow brings more nutrients and flushes out injured debris. Heat therapy also promotes speedier healing by stimulating the bodies natural metabolic rate. Applying heat to an injury activates receptors that block the effect of chemical messengers that cause pain to be detected by the body.
Warm Buddy heat wraps are a natural way to deal with pain and injuries. Many studies have concluded that heat wrap therapy is more effective for relieving lower back pain than drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Heat wrap therapy does not have the potential risk to the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract than can accompany inappropriate analgesic (oral pain medication) usage. Heat wrap treatments can be better than oral analgesics because they go beyond pain relief to provide muscle relaxation and increase flexibility.
Warm Buddy therapy wraps can also be applied as cold therapy treatments. When used cold, swelling and inflammation are decreased. Cold dulls nerve activity and reduces the sensation of pain. Cold wrap therapy provides vasoconstriction of blood vessels which stops fluid from traveling to the injury where swelling occurs thereby reducing the amount of swelling and permits natural fluid drainage. Cold also reduces muscle spasms and tightens muscles (which limits stretching) and allows them to heal.


text:
info@naac.org.cy
Home | Useful Links | Contact Us
President's Welcome Message
Illicit Substances
Pathological gambling / gambling disorder
Τreatment programs in Cyprus
Self-Assessment of Drug Use
Guide on Social Reintegration Services
Information about vending machines
Prevention of deaths due to substance use
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction EMCDDA
The modernisation of the legislation governing the operation of the Cyprus Addictions Authority expands its scope of authority to include smoking. Starting with a philosophy of prevention, which drifts apart from substances and focuses on environmental factors, NAAC has always been actively involved in the National Committee for Tobacco Control, while at the same time, it has also taken preventive actions for tobacco, in the National Strategy on Drugs and the Harmful Use of Alcohol 2013-2020. These actions aim at changing the close individual, social, and economic environment, creating an environment that discourages any kind of use.
NAAC strongly supported the amendment of the existing legislation, aimed at its stricter and more effective enforcement, as research shows that strict enforcement of the total ban on smoking in public places can significantly reduce tobacco consumption and motivate a large number of smokers to quit. NAAC stresses that protecting themselves against the effects of addictive substances and providing a smoke-free environment, is an indisputable right of every citizen, and therefore ensuring this right is not a personal responsibility, but an obligation of the State which can be achieved through collective efforts. The simultaneous involvement of all Ministries, bodies, organisations, as well as civil society, in protecting the right of every citizen to a smoke-free environment, should be an essential priority, since the unintentional exposure to cigarette smoke (a powerful mixture of poisons, toxins, and carcinogens) leads to serious health problems and even death.
Information on Smoking Cessation Programs:
The Smoking Cessation Programs offered by the Mental Health Services aim to inform, prevent and stop smoking in Cyprus. Any citizen interested in quitting smoking or in being informed about the health effects of smoking, can contact the Service through the toll-free line 1431. The line is answered by a secretary or the answering machine, where callers can report their details and the district from which they are calling. Officers of the smoking cessation programs will call you within a week to inform you about our programs and, if you wish, to set an appointment to start the smoking cessation program. Our programs offer group and individual interventions, as well as support for cessation through counseling and pharmaceutical intervention (through the use of nicotine patches).
Cessation clinics are offered in the following districts:
Limassol District
Larnaca District
It is noted that efforts are underway to launch the programs in Famagusta District as well.
Ask NAAC Anonymously
up to 14 15-24 25-34 35-44 55-64 65+
35 Iosif Hadjiosif and Andreas Avraamides,
Tel.: 22442960/72
Email: info@naac.org.cy
©Copyright 2020 | Cyprus National Addictions Authority | Designed and developed by: Cytacom Solutions Ltd


text:
i Download Free Mobile app
i Download Festival Calendar
Festivals List
Vrat/Upvas
Holidays List
Hindi Calendar
Melas & Fairs
Religious Spots
International Women's Day 2021 - 8 March (Monday)
International Women s Day : Celebration of the mystery called 'Woman'
International Women s Day is all about the journey of an ordinary women towards creating an all new history; it is rooted deep down in the centuries-old hardships and struggle.
In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women s suffrage.
The idea of an International Women s Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. Following is a brief chronology of the most important events:
The history of International Women s Day is a history of taking action. The event originated in 1908 when women garment makers in New York demonstrated to demand better working conditions. They worked in appalling conditions, earned half of men s wages, died prematurely from poor health and didn t have the right to vote.
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman s Day was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that month through 1913.
The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women s Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women s rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.
Inspired by an American commemoration of working women, the German socialist Klara Zetkin organized International Women s Day (IWD) in 1911. On March 19, socialists from Germany, Austria, Denmark and other European countries held strikes and marches. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.
Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working girls, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This event had a significant impact on labour legislation in the United States, and the working conditions leading up to the disasters were invoked during subsequent observances of International Women s Day.
As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women s Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters.
With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February to strike for "bread and peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history:
Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere.
Since those early years, International Women s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point for coordinated efforts to demand women s rights and participation in the political and economic process. Increasingly, International Women s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women s rights.
इस आर्टिकल को हिंदी में पढ़ने के लिए यहां क्लिक करें
Introductionअंतराष्टीय महिला दिवसlegendindiacelebrations
Download Hindi Festival Calendar 2021
Get free websitefor your Business
Forthcoming Festivals
Desh Prem Diwas
Putrada Ekadashi Vrat
Paush Purnima
Jaipur Literature Festival
Thai Poosam
Martyrs' Day
Sakat Chauth
Losar Festival
Goa Carnival
Taj Mahotsav
Bhishma Ashtami
Shivaji Jayanti
Hazrat Ali's Birthday
Get festival updates on your mobile & Explore and enjoy the panorama of Festivals/Fairs/Melas celebrated in India.


text:
HELLYEAH: Nerves, Anxiety & Fear
INTERVIEW WITH TOM MAXWELL BY KINSEY BLAKE HAYNES
PHOTOGRAPHS BY WOMBAT FIRE
It takes great strength and determination to move on after a loss. But how do you continue when someone so integral to a band has died? Hellyeah is still trying to figure this out.
Legendary metal drummer and founding member of Hellyeah, Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Damageplan), passed away from heart disease in 2018 during production of the band's new release, Welcome Home. Paul finished tracking drums for the album prior to his death, so what listeners hear are his final recordings.
Tom Maxwell, lead guitarist of Hellyeah, misses Paul everyday. He does not know what comes next for Hellyeah, but he is trying his best to carry on in honor of his brother and mentor.
How has Welcome Home been different than previous albums, whether it be from the recording process or how it sounds?
Obviously, the biggest difference is losing our drummer right in the middle of it. I don't think there's really that big of a difference when it comes to how we did it. I think for us, just having quality songs was always the main focus. We could easily go in and write the same record and just take off from what we did before, but I think with every record, especially for me, I want to feel vulnerable and uncomfortable after we do it. I don't want to feel certain about it. Like the typical, "It's the best record we ever did!" type of shit. I literally felt like, "I don't know if this record is any good. I don't know if people are going to like this." I found comfort in that because I knew that we were going outside the box and doing different stuff. But as far as the makeup of it, we had Kevin Churko producing again. This is our third record with him. There was that sense of comfort there because we know each other and we know how the other works. The biggest thing was just trying to finish the record after Vinnie passed. That was the biggest struggle.
"WE ARE EVOLVING MORE EMOTIONALLY AND JUST TRYING TO TAKE THOSE STEPS TO HEAL"
This album seems more reflective. How would you say that has helped you evolve as a band?
I think we're still trying to figure out if we're evolving. The biggest challenge was not just finishing the record, but continuing after Vinnie, and whether I wanted to do it or not. It wasn't a matter of whether I could. It was just a matter of whether my heart was still in it. For me, that's still the biggest struggle. My love affair with touring and being a part of the whole grind has suffered greatly from losing him. If we are evolving more emotionally and just trying to take those steps to heal, we want to be able to get back out on tour and be excited about it. The tour we just finished was our first in two years. It was our first tour without Vince ever, and I was emotionally crippled. I was almost vomiting every morning leading into it just because of my nerves, anxiety, and fear levels were at extreme heights. I think down the road if and when we ever do another record, it's gonna be completely different. That's going to be the big test. Vince is not gonna be there. I'm not going to go in there and write songs and have somebody go, "What would Vinnie play?" It can't be that way. It would have to be an evolvement.
On this last tour, Roy Mayorga from Stone Sour played drums. How has he been able to incorporate Vinnie's style into your live sets, and what made him the best choice?
I'll start with the last question. What made him the best choice was that we are all brothers. We've known each other for a long time. Hellyeah and Stone Sour toured together back in 2010 and have played countless shows together since. There was a connection and friendship that was already there. We needed a guy who would always lend a generic Viagra 100mg. We knew that Vinnie loved him and respected him as a drummer and as a person, so that was important to us. We really needed to find somebody who the fans were going to be accepting of. That was a big, big thing for us. For us to get some hotshot dude who is known for good drumming but nothing else, that just wasn't gonna cut it. You need to have somebody the fans are going to be like, "I can see that happening and I'm cool with it." That's exactly what's been going on with Roy. They've welcomed him with open arms, and he's been doing great. He's learned the songs and he was practicing like six hours a day learning our stuff to get every single thing perfect. But we told him to incorporate his own style and make it his own. He's been doing that and has been doing great. We could not be more happier.
How has the response from fans been about the new singles you have released?
I was pretty shocked actually. "Welcome Home" has really been doing great. It's sitting in the Top 5 in Active Rock Radio right now, which means people are really liking it and they're spinning it. "Oh My God" wasn't really an official single, we just kind of threw it out there. It's taken a life of its own. We have been playing it live, and I have been blown away at the explosion of the crowd when we kick into that song. They know every word to it. It's fantastic.
"IT'S OUR WAY OF TRYING TO TELL HIM HOW MUCH WE MISS HIM AND HOW MUCH WE LOVE HIM."
Do you have a song off Welcome Home that you're most proud of?
I think my favorite song that I feel most proud of would probably be "Skyy and Water," even though it's a pretty somber piece of music. It was written for Vince. It was our letter to him. It's our way of trying to tell him how much we miss him and how much we love him.
How have you seen Hellyeah progress as a band over the years, not only in sound but overall?
I look at this band as two parts now. The first part is us with the original lineup until the first record Hellyeah, the second record, Stampede, and then the third record, Band of Brothers. That's the first half of the band. I loved the first record, but I felt extremely detached from the second and third albums. The type of music we were playing wasn't really my cup of tea. I think there's good stuff. There's a couple of songs on those albums that get a hall pass from me, but I don't think the band really became what we are now until our fourth album, Blood for Blood, when we got our other guitar player, Christian [Brady] and our bass player, Kyle [Sanders]. I think that period was the biggest milestone catalyst. That's really what I love about this band now. We're writing and releasing the type of songs that I've always wanted to do with this band. We've become the band that I've always wanted us to become. I think we've matured in a lot of ways. Not only musically, but also as people and as brothers. We started out wild, crazy, and alcohol fueled, not really giving a shit about tomorrow. We were just living in the moment. Over the years we've kind of pulled the reins back and really started tightening up everything. Now that Vince is gone, we really had to buckle down and pull ourselves and our emotions together to honor him and this record. That's what our focus is right now. We're still very much brothers, but there's a struggle there. We're still trying to find our footing and trying to see if we can we can still do this without him. I mean, we know we can, but the emotional side of it is a big thing. I'm hoping that we can figure it out. I have faith that we will, but it's going to be a long ride.
What comes next for Hellyeah?
The only thing we're focusing on right now is honoring this record, touring it, and honoring Vince with every show that we play. Kyle said it best, "Whatever doors the universe puts in front of us, we're gonna have to go through, whether it's good or bad." So, we're just gonna have to see. I can't really forward think that far ahead. Whether there's ever going to be another record, I don't know. Would I like to do one? Sure. Am I ready to do one? No. It's too early to say anything. We're just gonna take this one day, one tour, one song at a time right now. We're just lucky enough that we found somebody that is a brother who is going to be there to help us and step into that drum world and help us get through. There's no way we could have done it with anyone else. It's kind of cosmic.
"KNOWING THAT THE FANS WERE THERE, READY AND WAITING FOR US TO COME BACK, HAS BEEN A HUGE MOMENTUM BUILDER FOR US."
Is there anything else you want to add?
The only thing I want to put out there is directed to our fans. Thank you for being so patient. Thank you for being so loving. And thank you for being there for us, because without the encouragement, amount of love and acceptance, and support that we're getting from them, I don't think we could've done this. I don't think we could've gotten back out on the horse and continued on. I think knowing that Vinnie would want us to keep going was one thing, but knowing that the fans were there, ready and waiting for us to come back, has been a huge momentum builder for us. I just want to say thank you to everyone.
E7M
Tom Maxwell
Previous articleREFUSED Announce North American Tour Dates
Next articleLIGHT THE TORCH Drop Lyric Video for "The Great Divide"
Rodney Kusano
EXHUMED: The Horror of It All
CARNAL FORGE: Blastbeats from the Past
3TEETH: Something That Matters


text:
package org.locationtech.geogig.model.impl;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.function.Consumer;

import org.eclipse.jdt.annotation.Nullable;
import org.locationtech.geogig.model.FieldType;
import org.locationtech.geogig.model.ObjectId;
import org.locationtech.geogig.model.RevFeature;

import com.google.common.base.Optional;
import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
import com.vividsolutions.jts.geom.Geometry;
import com.vividsolutions.jts.geom.GeometryFactory;

/**
 * A binary representation of the values of a Feature.
 *
 */
class RevFeatureImpl extends AbstractRevObject implements RevFeature {

    private final ArrayList<Object> values;

    /**
     * Constructs a new {@code RevFeature} with the provided {@link ObjectId} and set of values
     *
     * @param id the {@link ObjectId} to use for this feature
     * @param values a list of values, {@code null} members allowed
     */
    RevFeatureImpl(ObjectId id, ArrayList<Object> values) {
        super(id);
        this.values = values;
    }

    @Override
    public ImmutableList<Optional<Object>> getValues() {
        return ImmutableList
                .copyOf(Lists.transform(values, (v) -> Optional.fromNullable(safeCopy(v))));
    }

    @Override
    public int size() {
        return values.size();
    }

    @Override
    public Optional<Object> get(final int index) {
        return Optional.fromNullable(safeCopy(values.get(index)));
    }

    @Override
    public Optional<Geometry> get(int index, GeometryFactory gf) {
        Geometry g = (Geometry) values.get(index);
        Geometry g2 = null;
        if (g != null) {
            g2 = gf.createGeometry(g);
        }
        return Optional.fromNullable(g2);
    }

    @Override
    public void forEach(final Consumer<Object> consumer) {
        values.forEach((v) -> consumer.accept(safeCopy(v)));
    }

    private @Nullable Object safeCopy(@Nullable Object value) {
        return FieldType.forValue(value).safeCopy(value);
    }

    @Override
    public TYPE getType() {
        return TYPE.FEATURE;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
        builder.append("Feature[");
        builder.append(getId().toString());
        builder.append("; ");
        boolean first = true;
        for (Object value : values) {
            if (first) {
                first = false;
            } else {
                builder.append(", ");
            }

            String valueString = String.valueOf(value);
            builder.append(valueString.substring(0, Math.min(10, valueString.length())));
        }
        builder.append(']');
        return builder.toString();
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Is there a philosophy of the infinitely small?
Does anyone apply it to qualitative experience, and ask if that is divided up into instants?
It seems to me that the infinitely small could not be like something, but I can think of no conclusive reason to suppose that it cannot be like something.
A brief philosophical analysis of the present moment is given by H.Bergson in Matter and Memory. He tried to prove that the infinitesimally small time moment of our internal life is rather an ideal construct, which does not correspond to the present that we experience. His objective was to demonstrate that the present is indivisibly entangled with the past and should be associated not with a time point but with a time interval.
One can argue, indeed, that in order to perceive a light, which is the wave with periods in space and time, our sensory receptors need some time span. If we see the color at one instant, this means that this instant is de facto an interval of time.
In physics it's called Planck Time. It is theoretically the smallest possible measurement of time, since no change could possibly be observed beyond this measure.
However when it comes to length? Well, zoom in on the graph of a function, call it f(x), you could zoom in forever and never find a point where you couldn't zoom further. So for that reason, in math anyway, you examine something called a 'limit'. You can't just zoom in forever, or move x towards c forever, so you examine the limit as x->c.
Which is very very very small. So small that we couldn't even measure it. So we don't really know if it's possible to measure anything smaller. We do know however, at these sizes, the laws of physics get very weird. This is the world of the quantum. Interesting stuff!
Democritus theorised atoms as the infinitely small & indivisible parts of matter; mathematically we tend to think them of points; physically not so; Aristotle agreed with this - he was against the possibility of the infinitely small being points; since points need to cohere somehow they must have extension; in mathematics where we do have points this cohesion is provided by topology.
Democritus claimed everything was made of atoms; but his theory of the perception of light strangely went against this dictum; he theorised infinitely thin films - eidolon - carry the image being seen and enter the eye; this sounds bizarre but isn't in fact far from wavefronts entering an eye; Newton when he read of Democritus's theory in Lucretious's De Rerum Natura corrected this discrepency by inventing the notion of light corpuscules.
In general, qualitative terms the atomic theory saturates the modern outlook in physics, mathematics, economics and the Anglo-American tradition of philosophy; where they go under the name of atomic theory of matter (classical) & the quanta of energy (Planck), the analytic theory of sets (Georg Cantor), the rational self-interested actor of classical economics (Adam Smith) and logical atomism (Wittgenstein); this side of modern thinking is also called reductonism.
All of the above isn't really applicable to qualitative experience; as experience requires the self; Kant, however, does have a theory how experience is synthesised from intuitions (qualia); though this isn't theorised as infinitely small - it is qualitively so - along the lines that de Craema pointed out.
If the infinitely small was also infinitesimal there are arguments first marshalled by Aristotle that this cannot be possible; cohesion is required, thus for a time like thing we need duration, and for a spacelike thing we need extension; though it is perhaps a little strange it is possible to have an infinitely small, but not infinitesimal 'object'; and this can be demonstrated quite rigourously by whats called synthetic geometry.


text:
Men's and Women's Cross Country
A Big Season Ahead
Leo Hainline '22
Sports Co-Editor
The Providence College Men's and Women's Cross Country teams are off to a flying start, both winning the Friar Invitational that took place just outside state lines in Attleboro, MA at Mark Coogan Course. The Friar women dominated their race, scoring 18 points compared to competitors University of New Hampshire's 54 points and Stony Brook University's 67 points.
The women's success this past weekend was no surprise given that preseason polls ranked the Friars 26th in the nation and second in the Northeast region. Their roster is very international, with four women hailing from Ireland, two from New Zealand, one each from England and Canada, and the seven others being local products from the Northeast.
In addition to having a global team-makeup, the Friars are full of key members who have multiple years of eligibility remaining. Apart from Maria Coffin '21GS, who was the only Friar to qualify for last year's Women's Cross Country NCAA Tournament, the team is primarily led by juniors and a few underclassmen, which was highlighted in the Friars' performance on Sept. 10. PC's Laura Mooney '24 (Cappincur, Ireland), Lilly Tuck '23 (Sunderland, Canada), and Orla O'Connor '23 (Waterford, Ireland) took first, second, and third in the Friar's Invitational. Maria Coffin (Annapolis, MD) was not close behind, finishing fifth. Other Friars Alex O'Neill '23 (Ennis, Ireland), Kimberley May '25 (Auckland, New Zealand), and Holly Brennan '25 (Bettystown, Ireland) also finished in the top 10.
Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics
Coffin will look to lead this current squad as she is the only Friar to have qualified for the NCAA tournament in cross country this past year. Her qualification followed her fourth-place finish in the 2020/21 Big East Tournament race, which was the best out of any Friar. At the NCAA tournament, she was able to finish 99th out of 253 runners.
One of the main goals of the current squad is to make the NCAA tournament in Florida this November. Mooney, who topped the field in Attleboro two weeks ago, conveyed that "one of the key things for the team to achieve their goal is to work together." As a sophomore, she is particularly excited about the season as she has yet to experience one under normal conditions given that COVID-19 prevented the team from having a normal season during her first year in Friartown.
The men's cross country team was similarly successful in Attleboro, scoring 29 points to defeat Stony Brook (34 points), Boston College (77 points), and New Hampshire (102 points). The Friars, who are ranked fifth in the Northeast region, looked sharp with four runners listed in the top 10. Marcelo Rocha '21GS, the Friars' star runner from last season who had a fantastic spring track season as well, finished first in the men's side of the Friar Invitational. He dominated the entire race and finished over 30 seconds faster than second place, earning him Big East Athlete of the Week. PC also had three other runners finishing in the top 10, with newcomer David McGlynn 'GS taking third, Liam Back '24 finishing sixth, and Ryan Gallagher '21GS finishing eighth.
The Friars return many of their key members from last year's roster, with their top seven runners from last year's Big East Tournament all returning. In addition, many of these runners on coach Ray Tracey's squad are seasoned veterans. Rocha, who finished eighth in the tournament, Gallagher, who finished 21st, and David Rosas '21GS, who finished 32nd, were all seniors that season who returned to Friartown as graduate students. Matthew Lepine '22 is now a senior, as is Sean Meehan '22. The two finished 47th and 51st respectively. Shane Coffey '24 and Back were the two young guns on the roster who made valuable contributions. The foreigners, with Coffey from Ireland and Back from New Zealand, had a nice introduction to the states last year in regards to their performances and aim to grow into a bigger role their sophomore year.
This Friday, both the men's and women's cross country teams will face tougher opposition in the Battle of Beantown, hosted by Boston College. The top five teams in the Northeast on the women's side will all be in attendance, including the Friars, University of Connecticut, Boston College, Syracuse University, and Harvard University, as well as over 20 other schools. As for the men, every top-five team in the Northeast is competing except for the top-ranked Iona College. In both competitions, the Friars will be the sole BIG EAST representative. This will be a prime opportunity to send a message from afar that PC is a force to be reckoned with on both the men's and women's sides. Last year, the men finished fifth in the Big East Tournament, while the women finished third. All signs suggest that both have notably improved since the previous season and should not be overlooked as title contenders.


text:
Narendra Modi Is Most Followed World Leader on Facebook, Donald Trump on Second Place With 43.5 million likes on his personal Facebook page and 13.7 million on his official page, Modi is the most popular world leader on the social network.
http://www.gulfwishesh.com/ 13 Apr, 2019 13 Apr, 2019
Narendra Modi Is Most Followed World Leader on Facebook, Donald Trump on Second Place
Narendra Modi Is Most Followed World Leader on Facebook, Donald Trump on Second PlaceSocial Media
(Image source from: m.dailyhunt.in)
Anyone who keeps an eye on Indian politicians and their social media regime would probably know Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi's following on social media platforms.
Burson Cohn & Wolfe, the global communications agency released a new report titled '2019 World Leaders on Facebook', in which they look at the world leaders with the largest followings on Facebook, and apparently Modi has made his way to the top.
With 43.5 million likes on his personal Facebook page and 13.7 million on his official page, Modi is the most popular world leader on the social network.
The United States President Donald Trump secured second places with over 23 million likes on his personal Facebook page. In third place is Jordan's Queen Rania with 16.9 million likes.
In the meantime, Brazil's new president as of January 1, Jair Bolsonaro, is the most engaged world leader on Facebook. His page has more than 145 million interactions, almost twice as many as Trump's 84 million.
Modi was the second-most popular world leader on Facebook back in 2016 when then-U.S. President Barack Obama was in the number one spot.
By Sowmya Sangam
If you enjoyed this Post, Sign up for Newsletter
(And get daily dose of political, entertainment news straight to your inbox)
Tagged Under :
facebook social media narendra modi
Other Published
Facebook to Ban Ads That Urge People Not to Vote in 2020 U.S. Presidential Election
37% of Hate Speech, Misinformation on Facebook Is Islamophobic
Malaysia Teen Commits Suicide after 69% of Followers in an Instagram Poll Voted for Her to Die
Youngsters Are Now Ditching Social Media Apps for All the Weighty Reasons
Kadaram Kondan Tamil Movie
Kadaram Kondan is an upcoming Kollywood film directed by Rajesh Selva, produced by Kamal Haasan and R. Ravindran. The film…
President Donald Trump on Sunday used racist language to attack progressive Democratic congresswomen, falsely implicating they weren't natural-born American citizens.Trump…
7 Haunted Places in India and Their Spooky Horror Tales
If you are a person who has a great liking towards horror stories or ghost tales, then this write-up is…
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday launched raids targeting undocumented migrants across the country, according to the U.S.…
Novak Djokovic Beats Roger Federer to Win Fifth Wimbledon Title in Longest Ever Final
Defending champion Novak Djokovic claimed his fifth Wimbledon title on Sunday defeating oldest Grand Slam champion Roger Federer 7-6 (7/5),…
Movie ReviewsMore »
Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene Movie Review, Rating, Story, Cast and Crew
Super 30 Movie Review, Rating, Story, Cast and Crew
Oh Baby Movie Review, Rating, Story, Cast and Crew
Never miss another great story.


text:
KOBRA—HONEY PRODUCER
She always used to watch bee movies and video clips on TV and loved to buy honeybees, once she wanted to buy bee box from the beekeeper in her village,...
HAMIDA A DILIGENT WOMAN
Hamida, her husband and their five children aged nine – 18-years-old were lucky to escape with their lives when their village of Mirza Shams was almost washed away by floodwaters...
MOHAMMAD ALI'S STORY
Mohammad Ali has been in quarantine for a long time without correct information about the Coronavirus. He even did not go to the yard of his own house as someone...
SAMARGUL'S STORY
Samargul, 46 years old is living with her husband, her two daughters, one son and her mother in law in Deh Meskin village of Bagram district, Parwan province. Her husband...
ZAHRA'S STORY
Zahra, 29 years old is living with her husband, her two daughters and two sons in in Wali Aser village of Marzar-Sharif, Balkh province. Her husband works in a shop...
MEET BIBI NABAT
Ten years ago her husband separated from her because she had no children and he married with another lady. She inevitably started living in a room at her brother's yard....
HAWA JANA'S STORY
Hawa Jana 56 year old living in Qadeem village of Sholgara district, Balkh province and has 6 sons and 2 daughters. She is living with her 2 sons who are...
MEET MEENA, PICKLE PRODUCER
Meena is 30 years old married and has 5 children, 2 daughters and 3 sons. Her husband collects fruits from Khulm district and sells it to the neighboring provinces. He...
MEET, TAHERA
Tahera, an Afghan women whom was born and raised in Iran, She with her husband and her two years old daughter migrated to Germany in 2016. They returned back to...
MEET, ANISA
Anisa, 38-years-old, lives in Deh Meskin village in Bagram district of Parwan province with her five daughters, two sons and husband. Anisa went to school only until she was 12-years-old,...
MEET, SAMAR GUL
Samar Gul 28 years old, a widow lives in Hayet Qul Baay village of Khulm district. Samar Guls's family consists of four kids (two girls and two boys). Her eldest...
SABRO, THE SHOPKEEPER
Sabro 45 years old, mother of 8, lives in Asyabe Sharaf village of Chimtal district. She says all of my kids are young and most of them are married. She...
1 2 3 4 … 7 8


The Eagle County Airport has recently reopened the main runway after a runway extension and maintenance project. It is ready for the winter ski season. [R36R, Beaver Creek] chefs brought freshly-baked cookies to welcome the first commercial flight to touch down after the summer-long closure.
The Eagle Airport is a convenient option to get you to your favorite Colorado resort. The airport is centrally located between resorts such as [R482R, Vail] and Beaver Creek as well as [R445R, Sunlight Mountain Resort] in Glenwood Springs. The Aspen-area resorts ([R25R, Aspen Mountainj], [R406R, Snowmass], [R92R, Buttermilk], and [R24R, Aspen Highlands]) are about 70 miles away. [R425R, Steamboat] is 90 miles to the north. The Summit County Resorts of [R197R, Keystone], [R77R, Breckenridge], and [R113R, Copper] are between 60 and 70 miles away. You can rent a car or take a shuttle.
The airport is served by four commercial carriers: American, Continental, Delta, and United, with non-stop service from 13 major markets nationwide. United Express offers four daily non-stop flights from Denver. American Airlines offers service five days a week from Dallas/Fort Worth. The full winter schedule begins in mid-December.
Flights from some cities get you even more. Book a ticket into the Eagle Airport from Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Fort Worth, or Denver, from Nov. 20 through April 11 and you can ski for free at Vail or Beaver Creek upon the day of your arrival. You must have a valid boarding pass and a Vail Valley lodging confirmation.
American Airlines offers a deal for kids ages 2-12 flying into the Eagle Airport. You can get one free child ticket for every adult fare purchased with the Kids Fly Free program. This offer also allows kids to ski and stay for free at Vail or Beaver Creek. Colorado Mountain Express transports kids for free as part of this offer. There are some blackout dates and restrictions and you must book by Feb. 10. Call 866-668-8245.
Commercial flights have been flying into the Eagle Airport for 20 years. The airport is estimated to contribute more than $982 million dollars to the local economy annually by serving 440,000 passengers every year.
More Information: FlyVail; Vail Resorts Snow . Or call 800-503-8748.


text:
Billy Price - Dog Eat Dog (2019)
Click on CD cover
to listen or purchase
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TNVWVLJ/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=soultracks-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07TNVWVLJ&linkId=08c3c857c494cd27a3c41eabc3daa956
Billy Price - Dog Eat Dog
Billy Price is the kind of guy who is going to do it as long as his pipes allow him to sing, fingers let him write the ideas created in his brain, and his body allows him to tour. Dog Eat Dog, his latest, is Price's third project since 2015. That year, he collaborated with Otis Clay on This Time For Real, which turned out to be one of Clay's final projects. Last year, Price dropped the excellent solo album, The Reckoning.
Price's husky, rangy and emotive voice, and his status as a soul and blues survivor pretty much assures that he is able to attract top flight talent, and that remains the case of Dog Eat Dog. Eight of the 12 tracks on Dog Eat Dog are originals, and one of the covers is, of course, the title track. Price's originals prove that he possesses the blues writer's flair for crafting stories out of a metaphor.
He takes image of a man working on a prison work crew and tells the story of how his woman has turned their relationship into a thankless chore on the upbeat "Working On Your Chain Gang," while the funk infused blues number "Toxicity" likens the impact that someone has on his or her relationships to a poison being injected into the system. Price showcases his ability to expand his vocal repertoire into straight soul territory on the ballad "More Than I Needed."
Another, blues/funk track, "All Night Long Café," is a good time number about a 24 hour hangout that includes some in the pocket work on the bass by Jerry Jemmott and a James Brown influenced horn section. Price collaborates with fellow blues men Mike Estrin, Alabama Mike and Mike Zito on the cover of the blues classic "Dog Eat Dog," a song that seems to gain in relevancy every generation.
I've always felt that the most slept on aspect of blues music is the lyricism. Whether Price is working with one of his originals or a cover such as the mid-tempo soul/blues track "Same Old Heartache," Price shows that blues and southern soul writers are craft-people who whose work stacks up well against anyone writing in any other genre. Solidly Recommended.
By Howard Dukes


text:
PlayStation appoints Guerrilla's Hermen Hulst as head of Sony Worldwide Studios
Former WWS president Shuhei Yoshida to lead 'newly formed independent developer initiative.' (Image: ANP)
Guerrilla Games co-founder and studio head Hermen Hulst is the new head of Sony Worldwide Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced.
Hulst, who co-founded Guerrilla back in 1999 with Arjan Brusse, Arnout van der Kamp, Martin de Ronde and Michel Mol as a merger of two Dutch developers, takes up his new role with immediate effect. A three-person team comprising of producer Angie Smets, art director Jan-Bart van Beek and technical Michiel van der Leeuw will be co-leads for the Horizon and Killzone studio going forward.
With Smets now a co-studio head at Guerrilla, it means that a quarter of Sony's first-party studios are now run by women. As well as Smets, there's Siobhan Reddy at Media Molecule, Shannon Studstill at Sony Santa Monica and Tara Saunders at Studio London.
"I have worked closely with PlayStation and the entire Worldwide Studios family since 2001, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for the creative talent and ambitious ideas within the network of studios across the US, Europe, and Japan," said Hulst.
"I am beyond excited to have the opportunity now to lead such an inspired and talented team whose singular mission is to build amazing games for PlayStation fans."
Yoshida has been with Sony for more than 30 years
PlayStation president and CEO Jim Ryan added that Hulst was "one of the most effective and well-respected leaders in the video game industry," and that he was "a passionate advocate for the teams he leads and understands how to empower creative talent to build great experiences."
He continued: "Worldwide Studios is a critical part of the future success of the company, and we must deliver on the promise we have made to gamers to create imaginative and exciting content that is truly unique to PlayStation. I have no doubt Hermen can lead our teams to deliver compelling and diverse experiences at a steady cadence."
Shuhei Yoshida, who's been president of Worldwide Studios since 2008 after replacing Phil Harrison, will now lead up a brand new initiative that will be focused on independent developers. Yoshida will report to Ryan as part of this new initiative.
"Everybody knows just how passionate Shu is about independent games – they are lifeblood of the industry, making our content portfolio so special for our gamers," said Ryan. "These wildly creative experiences deserve focus and a champion like Shu at PlayStation who will ensure the entire SIE organization works together to better engage with independent developers through a culture of supporting and celebrating their contributions to PlayStation platforms."
The news comes off the back of the departure of Shawn Layden as chairman of Sony Worldwide Studios last month. But in an interview with GI.Biz to discuss today's news and what the recent global reorganization means for Sony Interactive Entertainment, Ryan said it was a mere case of needing to globalize ahead of PlayStation 5's launch next holiday season.
"When we look at this transition and the ambition to do things at a scale and pace that we haven't seen, we have to look at ourselves and make certain changes. Some of which are in the ways we work, and some in the way we organise," said Ryan.
"If we are to be successful, we really have to leverage the opportunities that globalisation brings. I am going to give you some examples. One is around the productization of PlayStation 5, the definition of the feature set, of the development and the implementation of those features. That process, this time around, has been massively more streamlined compared to anything we've done in the past.
"The product planners are now having one conversation instead of three different regional conversations, where they needed to reconcile positions that were often conflicting or contradictory, with an endless process of iteration and consensus. That's not happening anymore. We have one conversation and we get on and do stuff."
He continued: "The second area is in our marketing. The first global campaign that we ran was around Spider-Man. It's a great game, obviously, but it also ended up as PlayStation's bestselling first party game. It was one global campaign conceived and executed in an outstanding manner, as opposed to three different regional campaigns that are often executed very well, but the same thing in essence done three times."
Ryan went on to add that while "we need to become a more global organisation," it did not come at the expense of "Americanisation" and vice versa.
"Becoming a global organisation does not, in any way, shape or form, mean becoming an American organisation. I'm living proof of that, as a good Geordie boy sitting here running PlayStation." [Ed note: Ryan hails from Newcastle in England. Geordie is slang for describing someone from Newcastle.]
For Kantan Games' Dr. Serkan Toto, this is more than a reorganization. He called it a "major shakeup," adding, "It's interesting that Yoshida didn't leave Sony outright. In my view, this is clearly a demotion. It's also notable that positions were filled internally, with Sony hiring nobody from a competitor or other game studio to do the job, for example."
Since the departure of Shahid Ahmad in 2015, who served as PlayStation's head of strategic content, and Adam Boyes in 2017, who led third-party relations, there's been a sense that Sony hasn't prioritized indies on PlayStation Network the way it once did. While it might seem strange that someone as high profile as Yoshida is "stepping down," it could also be viewed as a vote of confidence in the indie community. With Yoshida now leading a new indie initiative in advance of PS5, it'll be interesting to see what deals he signs and how proactive PlayStation gets with the indie community again. After all, new hardware is nothing without great content, and as we've seen with Nintendo Switch, the role that indies can play in supporting a platform can be significant.
Toto agreed that moving Yoshida into this role could be a sign of Sony's PS5 content strategy at this early stage. "There can be no doubt that Sony drastically reduced the support of indie gaming on PS4 in the last 2-3 years. The focus shifted on producing blockbusters and system sellers, on the expense of smaller titles," he noted. "If this position is meant to be serious (and not provide a soft landing spot for Yoshida), he will restart doing the good job he did when his company actually took indies seriously and get them on the PS5. I believe that Nintendo has shown this generation how a wide indie game catalogue can contribute to platform health."
Going into the next generation, it's critical that Sony presents a unified front. While David Cole of DFC Intelligence previously told us that investors are concerned about "continued upheaval and internal disorganization within SIE," the fact that Hulst is taking over now, a full year before PS5 launches, is a sign that PlayStation knows it needs to get its ducks in a row before hitting the acclerator on PS5's campaign.
(Updated 11/8/2019 with comments from Serkan Toto)


text:
Debussy – Images, Hallé Orchestra, review: a delicious feast for the ears
Ivan Hewett reviews a new recording of Debussy's Images and Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un Faune, conducted by Mark Elder
By Ivan Hewett, Classical Music Critic 11 August 2020 • 11:30am
Formidable: Mark Elder, music director of the Hallé Orchestra Credit: Benjamin Ealovega
The Hallé Orchestra has been renowned for many things in its 162-year history, but the music of Debussy has not been one of them. The meat-and-potato repertoire of English symphonists and Brahms has been more its line, rather than the exquisite sauces and scents of French music.
Its long-standing music director Mark Elder has changed all that. In recent years he and this Northern powerhouse orchestra have become formidable in Debussy's music, well able to challenge traditional front-runners such as Pierre Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra. Their latest recording tops their fine release of Debussy's La Mer made in 2007 and the Nocturnes of 2019.
The centrepiece is "Images" (Pictures), an extraordinary set of five musical picture-postcards. It launches off with the dancing Gigues, sometimes described as the "British" postcard because of its cheerful high-kicking energy and the fleeting references to the Northumbrian folk-tune "The Keel Row". Then comes a set of three Spanish scenes, the first bustling and busy, the second evoking "perfumes of the night", the third a morning fiesta. Finally comes the most refined and evanescent of the set, a "Rondes des Printemps" (Spring Dance) saturated with Debussy's favourite French folksongs.
The orchestral detail is fabulously refined, and every part of it shines out in this recording. But that's not the real reason it stands out from the crowd. Orchestral standards (and recording quality) have risen so much in recent decades that the kind of "forensic clarity" people praised Boulez's performances for 40 or 50 years no longer seem so special. In any case is "forensic clarity" something we really want in Debussy? The term has connotations of a police investigation, but what we're dealing with here isn't cold, hard fact; it's poetic suggestiveness and subtle shades of feeling. And this is where Elder and the Hallé score so highly.
Debussy wanted the tempo of these piece to be constantly varied (the word "rubato" appears throughout the score – it literally means "stolen", referring to a way of accelerating and then relaxing the tempo). Elder and the players catch this sense of a music as spontaneous and eager and flexible as life itself. They are also true to the many-layered quality of the music, the way it can summon more than one feeling at once. There's an especially striking example in the first Spanish postcard "In the Streets and Alleyways", where the percussion summons up the bustle of a street, but the melody in the violins suggests something erotic hanging in the air, emphasised by the tipsy, sliding quality in the performance.
Alongside the Images are a wonderfully tender and refined performance of the epoch-making "Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un Faune," (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), a delicious arrangement by Debussy himself of his waltz "La Plus que Lent" (The Slower than Slow), plus the first ever recording of an arrangement of the piano Prelude "Et la Lune descend sur le Temple qui fut" (The Moon descends on the ruined Temple) by Colin Matthews, which brings out all the music's sepulchral majesty. In all it's a feast for the ear and the imagination.
Debussy: Images is released by Hallé
Classical concerts,
More from Music
RSNO returned with a concert that sought to do more than soothe, plus the best of January's concerts
By Ivan Hewett 16 Jan 2021, 12:42pm
Cerys Matthews: 'Poetry's the new rock'n'roll'
By Tristram Fane Saunders 16 Jan 2021, 6:00am
If Nobody is Listening to Zayn Malik, it's because he has nothing mature to say
By Kate Solomon 15 Jan 2021, 10:53am
Has Covid ruined Britain's next generation of stars?
By Marianka Swain 15 Jan 2021, 10:00am
Mick Fleetwood sells rights to 300 songs
At last – the perfect way to hear Schubert
By Ivan Hewett 14 Jan 2021, 3:00pm


The 4th Action Group 4 Meeting took place on 14 February 2017 in the frame of the Action Group Forum hosted by the Bavarian EUSALP Presidency in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
This AG4 meeting was an important opportunity to discuss the activities which are going to be implemented within the current year 2017. Stakeholders and external experts have been invited to share their expertise and experience as well as to provide valuable input for the implementation of the activities proposed by the AG4.
In the frame of the Bavarian presidency 2017 each Action Group identified a priority topic. The focus of the AG4 lies on "Improving cross-border connectivity in passenger transport". In this regard the AG4 takes first steps towards the development of a cross-border travel information system for the Alpine Region.


Tiger Woods' scorned ex-wife Elin Nordegren is back on the market again after splitting from businessman Jamie Dingman, People magazine reports.
Nordegren simply wasn't ready for a serious relationship, a pal told People.
"She says Jamie's a great guy -- and they're still friends -- but I think it was just too early after the divorce for her to get serious with anyone," the friend told the magazine.
Despite reports to the contrary, including one that placed the pair at a New York Rangers game last week, Nordegren isn't getting serious with Dingman.
Woods' ex, who has two children with the pro-golfer, is a part-time college student working on her psychology degree. In addition to being a mom and student, she is also working on overseeing construction of the family's new home in North Palm Beach, Florida, People reports.


World Wide is not responsible if information made available on this Site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on this Site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on this Site is at your own risk.
The Site and all content and materials included on the Site, including but not limited to all data, information, documents, images, graphics and software (collectively, the "Content"), are the sole property of World Wide, its affiliates and third parties. The Content is protected by copyright and other laws, both in the United States and in other countries. You may not reproduce, modify, republish, distribute, resell, broadcast, reverse-engineer, create derivative works from or otherwise exploit in any manner, in whole or in part, the Content, except as expressly permitted by World Wide. You may download and copy Content made available to you as part of the Site for your personal and noncommercial use, provided that you keep intact any copyright or other proprietary notices displayed therein. Except for this limited license, World Wide does not convey any interest in or to the Content. All rights not expressly granted herein are reserved by World Wide.
This Site may contain links to other websites which are operated by third parties. These links are provided solely as a convenience to you and should not be viewed as an endorsement by World Wide of the content of linked sites. We are not responsible for the content of those or any other sites or any products or services that may be offered through those or any other sites.
THIS SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, AND YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE USING THIS SITE AT YOUR SOLE RISK. World Wide makes no representations or warranties of any kind regarding this site, its content or your use of EITHER OF THE FOREGOING. to the maximum extent permitted by law, WORLD WIDE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGMENT.
YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THIS SITE AND ITS CONTENT ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE. RECOGNIZING SUCH, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, NEITHER WORLD WIDE NOR ITS AFFILIATES WILL BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST REVENUES OR LOST PROFITS ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE SITE, ITS CONTENT OR YOUR USE THEREOF, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, WHETHER OR NOT WORLD WIDE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
If any provision of this agreement is unlawful, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of the agreement will remain in place. This is the entire agreement between you and World Wide relating to the subject matter herein.