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10 Robots that Deserve to Be Soul of Chogokin Figures (Part 2)
"Soul of Chogokin" represents an apex of excellent giant robot toy design. With the release of Voltron and the first Megazord from Power Rangers, one has to wonder what might come next. While the obvious choice is the Dragonzord, there are plenty more robots that are worthy of the Soul of Chogokin treatment. In the last article, I gave the first five of the robots I'd love to see as Soul of Chogokin figures. Now, here are the last five.
The Soul of Chogokin line is the premiere brand for high-quality giant robot figures. With the recent release of the Soul of Chogokin Voltron, as well as the upcoming Soul of Chogokin Megazord from Power Rangers, even more eyes are on it to bring out fan favorites and nostalgic mecha. I'd love to see even more robots get the star treatment, so here's Part 1 of my list of robots that deserve to be Soul of Chogokin figures:
Tags: combattler v gaogaigar giant robots godannar pacific rim raijin-oh soul of chogokin super robots
The Shonen Jump Meat Grinder: Why So Many Manga Die Young
As the home to mega-hits such as Dragon Ball and Naruto, Weekly Shonen Jump is the most famous manga magazine in the world. If you've been paying attention to the magazine over the past few weeks, you might have noticed that they've been launching one new title after the next, such as We Never Learn by Taishi Tsutsui and U19 by Yuji Kimura. This is because Shonen Jump is a cutthroat competition for space. Titles that fail to succeed are quickly canceled and replaced, and these new works are the latest batch attempting to survive. Given the frequency that new series get aborted, I refer to this process as the Shonen Jump Meat Grinder. You might just see your new...
Tags: bakuman canceled manga new manga robot x laserbeam shonen jump shounen jump we never learn
How Dragon Ball Super Made Dragon Ball Better
Dragon Ball is undoubtedly one of the definitive works of anime and manga. However, criticisms of it (especially the series Dragon Ball Z) have been mostly fair. Historically, the television series have featured an absurd amount of filler (mostly in the form of characters powering up), fights that drag out for what seems like an eternity, and extremely sparse characterization and character development. What makes Dragon Ball Super special is that it basically tosses all of that out the window, resulting in a surprisingly well-paced product—something that is typically not associated with Dragon Ball.
Good Idol/Wise Sister: Dia, Ruby, and Notions of Ideal Japanese Women in Love Live! Sunshine!!
There are two phrases in Japanese culture that are traditionally said to describe the "ideal Japanese woman." The first is Yamato nadeshiko, which roughly translates to "Japanese carnation." The second phrase is ryousai kenbo, or "good wife, wise mother." The two terms collectively create a seemingly monolithic image of what it means to be the perfect Japanese women, one that is steeped heavily in cultural sexism. However, there is a significant amount of range within this general concept, and I find that the two characters who really demonstrate this plasticity are the sisters of Love Live! Sunshine!!, Dia Kurosawa and Ruby Kurosawa. This is not to claim that fans of either Dia or Ruby are sexist, or that their appeal...
Tags: anime dia kurosawa good wife wise mother love live love live sunshine ruby kurosawa ryousai kenbo school idol festival yamato nadeshiko
Heaven and Hell: Keijo!!!!!!!! Anime Reference Explanation
The bizarre fanservice fighting anime Keijo!!!!!!!! (aka Hip Whip Girl) parodies many different action series. However, while some attacks ("Shoryucans") are fairly obvious in their origins, the final episode of Keijo!!!!!!!! features a reference that might not be so familiar to current anime fans. When rival character Maya Sakashiro performs the attack "Heaven and Hell," she's actually referencing the mecha anime, King of Braves Gaogaigar.
Tags: anime anime reference gaogaigar giant robot heaven and hell hell and heaven keijo manga
By Cristy Cuadra
5 Reasons Why Yuri!!! On Ice Proved That It Was 'Born To Make History'
Yuri!!! on Ice is definitely one of the most popular anime in the Fall 2016 lineup, and it has caught the attention of anime fans and real-life figure skaters around the world. It follows the story of the 23-year old Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki as he tries to make it through the Grand Prix Final with the help of his idol Victor Nikiforov. The series has truly managed a lot of feats in the history of anime--something that a lot of mainstream titles, let alone a sports anime, haven't managed to do.
Tags: fall 2016 anime ice skating anime katsuki yuri victor nikiforov yuri on ice
Looking Back: 5 Amazing Anime Openings that Ended 2016
The fall anime season traditionally caps off every year, and it's often the case that fall is when a lot of studios put their best foot forward. This year, however, feels even more impressive, particularly when it comes to the beauty and impact of opening animations. Here are my top 5 for Fall 2016, and why I think they're worth watching every time.
Tags: anime anime openings gundam haikyu!! iron-blooded orphans ninja girl and samurai master nobunaga no shinobi show by rock!! yuri on ice


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Q: table with one header and data from Array inside a Map with thymeleaf I want to create a table that its data is a Map< String, List < Object> >.
So the table has one header that and the rows should have the exact data.

*

*Map.key

*Object.item1

*Object.item2

*Object.item3

So since it is a List of Object i want one row for every Object of the List and the Map.key to be repeated.
So i need to iterate through keys like

            Code
            Status
            Flag
            Message

but this solution places a table in a table. I want to use one header and iterate the lists and place the variables in the main table .

A: I think you're looking for a structure like this:

            Code
            Status
            Flag
            Message

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) Project
Interagency Partnerships
HEAR Interagency Partnerships
Following are lists of organizations and individuals who use and/or contribute to the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project, and working groups and workshops in which HEAR is/has been an active participant. (If you or your organization--or another that you know of--should be added to this list, please let us know!)
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) <!-link added 990307/pt-->
Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) <!-link added 990307/pt-->
USGS/Biological Resources Division
Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center (PIERC)
Haleakala Field Station
[the Bird People on Maui]
Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU)
Botany Department
Haleakala National Park (Maui)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Big Island [Hawaii])
The Hawaii Natural Heritage Program (HINHP)
The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii
Hawaii Natural Resources Monitoring Working Group
Melastome Action Committee
Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
Tri-Isle RC&D
Maui Land & Pineapple Co. (Pu'u Kukui Watershed Management Area)
State of Hawaii Natural Area Reserves System (NARS) (Big Island)
Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS)
Hawaii Conservation Alliance (formerly the Secretariat for Conservation Biology [SCB])
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (T&E Species; Refuges) (Honolulu)
USDA/U.S. Forest Service/Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry
Center for Plant Conservation
Hawaii Database Working Group (sponsored by USGS/BRD/PIERC)
Ecological Data Working Group (sponsored by USFWS & TNCH)
Alien Plants Working Group (sponsored by HEAR)
Rare Plants Monitoring Working Group (sponsored by CPSU/CPC/USFWS)
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly the Soil Conservation Service, is the federal government agency that works hand-in-hand with the American people to conserve natural resources on private lands. Using our scientific and technical expertise, and our partnerships with soil and water conservation districts and others, we help people conserve all natural resources on private lands.
Hawaii Conservation Conference (sponsored by SCB)
Hawaii Conservation Forum (sponsored by SCB)
Weed Control Workshop (sponsored by SCB)
Hawaii NBS State Partnership Grant Vegetation Mapping Project (sponsored by USGS/BRD/PIERC)
SPOT imagery
HEAR participates in advisory committee
Gordon Biersch Ecological & Philosophical Consortium (sponsored by PT)
[ Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk ]
Comments, questions, feedback about this website or its contents? e-mail the HEAR project (This document was created 11 September 1997 by by PT, and was last updated 26 December 2003 by PT.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Defender Screen is designed to keep you secluded when entering and exiting your tree stands, divide food plots, or force deer to enter and exit at specific locations. With Sudan Sorghum and Egyptian Wheat providing you with 8-10 ft of height, Wilder Game Sorghum will help with stand ability during wind and snow. Soil temp of 65 degrees is suggested.
--Planting Note: 1/2''-1'' planting depth. 65+ degree soil temp.


Outdoor events mean you'll be dealing with Mother Nature in the rain or shine. However, there are some things you can do ahead of time to make sure the event is still a success even in bad weather.
Read on for a few helpful tips for outdoor event success no matter the weather!
Before sending out any invitations, decide on a plan of action should bad weather occur.
What will you do in case of heavy rain?
Figure out if there's an indoor option or think about renting an event tent. By securing a tent, you will give your guests the opportunity to evade the elements and still enjoy your event.
With plenty of decorating opportunities and comfort that a tent offers, you will be happy you planned ahead to accommodate your guests.
If you're hosting a wedding, avoid light fabrics like chiffon which can get swept up in the breeze. For décor purposes, tie table cloths to the table base which give a sleek, pressed look and will stop them from flapping in the wind.
Consider an outdoor tent that has sidewalls! This will ensure that your outdoor event stays outdoors but is protected from the wind.
Similarly, it's important to make sure all decorations are tied down to prevent them from being taken up by a strong gust of wind. No one wants they're hard work swept away like that and it's not something you need to be dealing with the day-of.
In case of wind, pick heavier decorations and secure flowers with garland which can give them some weight.
Equipped with these tips and a reliable outdoor tent, you now will be fully prepared when bad weather strikes.
At Action Tents, we have a large collection of outdoor event items available. Browse our rentals or call us at 931-359-0024 with any questions!


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Accardo Real Estate
Jefferson Real Estate Search
School District No Preference Central York Dallastown Area Dover Area Eastern York Hanover Public Northeastern York Northern York County Red Lion Area South Eastern South Western Southern York County Spring Grove Area West Shore West York Area York City York Suburban
City All Abbottstown Airville Brogue Dallastown Delta Dillsburg Dover East Berlin East Prospect Emigsville Etters Fawn Grove Felton Glen Rock Glenville Hanover Hellam Jacobus Lewisberry Manchester Mechanicsburg Mount Wolf New Cumberland New Freedom New Park Red Lion Seven Valleys Shrewsbury Spring Grove Stewartstown Thomasville Wellsville Windsor Wrightsville Yoe York York Haven York New Salem
Price No Limit $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $325,000 $350,000 $375,000 $400,000 $425,000 $450,000 $475,000 $500,000 $550,000 $600,000 $650,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $850,000 $900,000 $950,000 $1 Million $1.5 Million $2 Million $2.5 Million $3 Million $3.5 Million $4 Million $4.5 Million $5 Million $6 Million $7 Million
Max List Price No Limit $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $325,000 $350,000 $375,000 $400,000 $425,000 $450,000 $475,000 $500,000 $550,000 $600,000 $650,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $850,000 $900,000 $950,000 $1 Million $1.5 Million $2 Million $2.5 Million $3 Million $3.5 Million $4 Million $4.5 Million $5 Million $6 Million $7 Million
Property Type Single Family Multi-Family
Jefferson Real Estate
Jefferson was settled in 1812, and the borough was incorporated in 1866. The town was named after President Thomas Jefferson; however, in 1866, when the town was incorporated, the name Jefferson was already taken from a town in Greene County near Pittsburgh. So, the residents of the York County Jefferson chose "Codorus", as its postal address, since it is in Codorus Township. The annual Jefferson Carnival benefits the Jefferson Volunteer Fire Company, Jefferson Sportsmen's Association, and Jefferson Baseball Association. Students in Jefferson are served by the Spring Grove Area School District.
New to the Market - Jefferson PA
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York PA 17402
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Do you want rent a house in Epsom,Auckland City,NZ? Were you tired to compare houses and wait for a reply? Were you failed to rent a house without a reference? Now you can Submit a House Rental Request FREE! Let the landlords or agents in Epsom contact you instead,No Letting Fee! What you need to do is Make a FREE House Rental Request now!
Do you have a Property(Real Estate) in Epsom,Auckland City for rent? Now you can list a house, room or flats for rent FREE! If some of your friends have 1 bedroom unused, let they know that they can list their Epsom rooms, flats, houses or other Epsom properties,even storage space,parking space on our website for FREE and earn some money weekly! Advertise a House for Rent in Epsom now!


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Q: chart js responsive design align labels on center I am using the npm package react-charts2 to use chart js in my react app . I create a chart succesfully but the problem is that if I go to mobile mode my labels are not alligned nicely .

I want to align the labels one on top of the other at the center of my page . I would appreciate your help .
My code for the chart component with tailwind css instead of normal css:
return (
    <div className="flex p-2 items-center justify-center h-80 place-items-center w-full mx-auto">

      {props.isLoading===true && <Loading /> }

      {(props.covidData).length>0
         &&
        <Line
        type = "line"
        data={{
        labels:[...props.covidData.map(arr=>{
          return arr.reduce((acc:any,itm:any,index:number)=>{
              if(index===0){
                acc.push((new Date(itm.referencedate)).toISOString().replace(/T.*/,'').split('-').reverse().join('-'));
              }
              return acc;
          },[])
        }).flat().sort((a:any,b:any)=>{
          return convertDate(a) - convertDate(b)
        })],
        datasets: [
            {
              label: 'Συνολικoί εμβολιασμοί        ',
              data: [...props.covidData.map((d:[])=>getTotalVaccinations(d)).sort((a:any,b:any)=>{
                  return a-b
              })],
              backgroundColor: [
                'rgba(255, 99, 132, 0.2)',
              ],
              borderColor: [
                'rgba(255, 99, 132, 1)',
              ],
              borderWidth: 1,
              pointRadius: 0,
            },
            {
              label: 'Συνολικά εμβόλια α΄δόσης ',
               data: [...props.covidData.map((d:[])=>getTotalDose1(d)).sort((a:any,b:any)=>{
                return a-b
                })],
              backgroundColor: '#00FF00',
              borderColor: 'green',
              borderWidth:1,
              pointRadius: 0,
            },
            {
              label: 'Συνολικά εμβόλια β΄δόσης ',
               data: [...props.covidData.map((d:[])=>getTotalDose2(d)).sort((a:any,b:any)=>{
                return a-b
                })],
              backgroundColor: 'aqua',
              borderColor: '#1799B5',
              borderWidth:1,
              pointRadius: 0,
            },
            {
              label: 'Συνολικός αριθμός εμβολιασμένων',
               data: [...props.covidData.map((d:[])=>getPeopleInjected(d)).sort((a:any,b:any)=>{
                return a-b
                })],
              backgroundColor: '#ff08d4',
              borderColor: 'purple',
              borderWidth:1,
              pointRadius: 0,
            },
          ],
        }}
        height={400}
        options={{
          responsive:true,
          maintainAspectRatio: false,
          scales: {
            yAxes: [
              {
                ticks: {
                  beginAtZero: true,
                },
              },
            ],
            xAxes: [{
              type: 'time',
              time: {
                displayFormats: {
                  'millisecond': 'MMM DD',
                  'second': 'MMM DD',
                  'minute': 'MMM DD',
                  'hour': 'MMM DD',
                  'day': 'MMM DD',
                  'week': 'MMM DD',
                  'month': 'MMM DD',
                  'quarter': 'MMM DD',
                  'year': 'MMM DD',
                }
              }
            }],
          },
          legend: {
            labels: {
              fontSize: 35,
            },
          },
        }}
      />

    }

   </div>

  )
}


text:
India to be among fastest adopters of AI based services: COAI
Telecom industry body COAI said today that India will be one of the early adopters of artificial intelligence (AI) based services.
NEW DELHI: Telecom industry body COAI said today that India will be one of the early adopters of artificial intelligence (AI) based services.
AI is a crucial enabler for achieving the national goals in the areas of healthcare, education and capacity building, COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said in a statement.
"With a positive ecosystem, driven by better connectivity and a financially robust sectoral health, AI will unveil possibilities hitherto unparalleled," he said on the World Telecom and Information Society Day.
UN telecom body ITU, in its message, said: "Enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for All is the theme of WTISD-18 and will focus on the potential of AI to accelerate the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
" The recently released draft of the new telecom policy, branded as National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP)"2018,, has also proposed provisions to encourage AI.
It lists "creating a roadmap for emerging technologies and its use in the communications sector, such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and M2M" as the strategy to achieve goals set under the proposed policy.
Mathews said the draft NDCP 2018, will be the forebearer for next generation technologies, which will provide the country a roadmap for socio-economic progress.
He said: "The NDCP 2018 recognises spectrum as a natural resource and therefore will ensure adequate availability, efficient usage and putting together a fair and transparent allocation method for service providers.
"Having taken cognizance of the steep cost of spectrum, the policy has also suggested for adopting optimal pricing to ensure sustainable and affordable access to digital communication."
He said that over Rs 10.4 lakh crore has been invested so far by telecom operators in building infrastructure in the country.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said: "Telecom service providers have already established infrastructure related blue-print for services ranging from 3G to 4G, now they are taking adequate measures to build the foundation for emerging technologies such as 5G, AI, IoT, M2M."
COAI artificial intelligence AI India


We set out a bold vision in our Strategic Plan, to be the world's leading road operator. I believe that a leading operator is a safe operator and with Aiming for Zero we have set out a similarly bold vision for the health and safety of our workforce.
The rationale for this is clear. Every year a small number of people continue to die and suffer serious injury while working on the Strategic Road Network. This is unacceptable and we must do more to protect our workers.
Aiming for Zero is our response. It sets an unambiguous goal for our health and safety performance, confirms the Agency's leadership role in the industry and brings together health and safety work across the whole business.
To deliver the vision we have put in place an overarching strategy for four key areas: road workers, construction and maintenance workers, traffic officers and office-based staff. Aiming for Zero is not about discrete groups, however, and we cannot deliver it alone. We need all of our people, both within the Agency and our supply chain, to work together and take action across the business.
That means taking practical steps to drive forward our Aiming for Zero action plans. It also means showing health and safety leadership in everything we do - challenging unsafe activities, reporting accidents and near misses, and proactively integrating health and safety in our projects. I will be a champion for this vision and I hope that you will join me as we Aim for Zero.
This group of workers* is acknowledged in our industry as being at high risk of fatal and serious injury, especially during the placing and removal of temporary traffic management. Our Aiming for Zero Road Worker Safety Strategy, launched in November 2009, sets the goals for the next two years and beyond.
maintenance and renewal schemes, vehicle recovery operators and any other activities where live traffic is present.
[My underline] I wonder what they are planning ?
Is it that they wish to simply reduce speeds and lane control or other aspects ?
Surely it's not beyond them to identify and quantify the causes of the few deaths and injuries they have had, so as better to formulate effective mitigating strategies.
And the trouble with 'aiming' at a sole goal is that you loose sight of the real aim = reducing accidents. So the goal becomes the cause and so all achievements are for the goal's aim not the actual true intended purpose.
A worrying set up and a concerning one. If they are the right people to take this decision (and are they the right and properly authorised to take these decisions about road safety), they are not meant to be 'at war' with the motorist but calculating how to work with the public and still retain safety.


This is a interesting opportunity to join a rapidly growing consultancy with an international presence. It's an exciting time for the agency and the prospects of further progression to senior team level are certainly on the table. The team are social, the work environment excellent and the salary and benefits on offer are also strong.


Please write an essay of not less than 500 words, summarizing the court's decision (you may refer to the several articles about that decision or the case itself.) Please tell me what a "patent troll" is. Please also tell me the name of the US Supreme Court case using standard legal notation.


text:
Where are they now?: The recruits that could have been
In this edition of Where are they now? we reflect on a play many Bronco Nationites are very familiar with, not only because of his stellar play, but also because of his iconic name: Squally Canada.
By Casey Joplin@kcjoplin Apr 18, 2015, 7:20am PDT
Share All sharing options for: Where are they now?: The recruits that could have been
Squally was a product of Milpitas High in Milpitas, CA and a part of the 2014 recruiting class. Listed at 5'11 and 180lbs, Canada exemplified many of the qualities common among BSU running backs: underrated, overlooked, undersize, and a big chip on his shoulder. He displayed a physical, but more upright, running style that was punishing and unforgiving. Racking up 1,916 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns his senior season brought his career total to 3,367 yards and 41 touchdowns. With those numbers, it's no wonder why the Broncos came knocking. The Broncos were his first offer, but the Pac 12 followed suit with Colorado and Washington State offering. Boise State was too good to pass up, and Canada committed on an unofficial visit to Boise in June of 2013. All was as it should be and Squally was happy with his decision. But, unfortunately, the allure of the Pac 12 was too much.
The last weekend of August, Canada planned a visit to Oregon State, who also offered him. The unfortunate part is there seemed to be a misunderstanding regarding visits between the Broncos and Canada. The relationship soon went sour as it seemed his scholarship had been pulled. The trust had been broken on both sides, whether purposely or accidentally, and the ties were broken.
Canada took his visit to Oregon State and later in the year, to Washington State. According to a Cougfan.com article in December of 2013, Canada had narrowed his list to WSU, CU, CSU, Houston and SJSU prior to his visit. (Another interesting not in this article is Squally's actual name is Bryant. Squally was a nickname given to him by his father on the way home from the hospital following his birth). Squally committed on his official to Wazzu and became a Coug.
As is standard in many places, Squally red shirted his freshman year and took most of the reps on the scout team through camps according to Christopher Shaw in a Scout.com article. As of October 21st, 2014, though, Canada was no longer a part of the Cougar program. No real details were released other than Canada leaving the program.
Canada transferred from the Wazzu program to one of the most unlikely ones: BYU. I say this only because BYU is terrible and I see no reason why anyone would want to go there. I kid, I kid, but it definitely wasn't a place I saw Canada landing. But, BYU had a need, and Canada fit the bill.
Been eating a lot, surprised I got the jersey on lol pic.twitter.com/J2mwLoLQr6
— Squally (@Squally_Canada) December 13, 2014
Whether Bronco fans thought they would ever see Canada again or not, they will. And if that sentence wasn't confusing enough, we will see him in a BYU uniform. Still confused? Me too. Due to transfer rules, Canada must sit out the 2015 season, but we could see him Coug blue (the worst shade of blue) in 2016.
Regardless of the past situations or rumors heard, Canada was one of my favorite players to (de)commit from the Broncos, not just because of his name, but his outspoken personality. We'll get a few more chances to see it on the field, just this time we will be rooting against him. Good luck Squally and we'll see you in 2016. GO BRONCOS!


"TURKEY" APPLES | Fight Bac!
Position apple so that it is turned on its side with the stem end tilted slightly up. Insert three toothpicks in middle of one side, flared out to act as "tripod" for turkey to stand on. Set apple aside.
To make tail feathers: thread dried cranberries, raisins, small colored gumdrops, or fruit ring cereal onto 5 to 7 toothpicks and top each with a mini-marshmallow. Stick toothpicks on back of apple turkey towards stem end to resemble row of feathers, with mini-marshmallow end sticking up.
To make head and neck: slide cranberries down one toothpick and top with stuffed green olive for head. Pull pimiento out slightly to simulate red wattle. Insert cloves on either side of olive for eyes. Insert decorated toothpick into end of apple opposite tail feathers.


text:
Putin's Stasi spy ID pass found in Germany
Image source, BSTU
Vladimir Putin was 33 when he received this Stasi ID card
A Stasi ID pass used by Vladimir Putin when he was a Soviet spy in former East Germany has been found in the Stasi secret police archive in Dresden.
The Russian president has expressed pride in his record as a communist KGB officer in Dresden in the 1980s.
His Stasi pass was found during research into the close co-operation between the KGB and Stasi.
Mr Putin, then a KGB major, got it in 1985. It got him into Stasi facilities, but he may not have spied for them.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Stasi Records Agency (BStU) said that Mr Putin "received the pass so that he could carry out his KGB work in co-operation with the Stasi".
Stasi was actually the nickname for East German Ministry of State Security (MfS) agents. It was notorious for its meticulous surveillance of ordinary citizens, many of whom were pressed into spying on each other.
"Current research gives no indication that Vladimir Putin worked for the MfS," the BStU statement said.
Vladimir Putin's formative German years
Vladimir Putin: Russia's action man president
In pictures: Secret lives of the Stasi
The stamps are proof of Mr Putin's years co-operating with the Stasi in Dresden
Mr Putin signed himself "Wladimir Putin" using German spelling
Mr Putin, born in Leningrad (now St Petersburg), was posted to East Germany in 1985, aged 33. His two daughters were born during that posting. He is now 66.
Mr Putin was a KGB officer in Dresden up to and including December 1989, when the communist East German regime collapsed amid mass pro-democracy protests.
His Stasi pass was renewed every three months, as shown by the stamps on it. It is not clear why he left the pass in the Stasi files in Dresden.
Image source, AFP
This building was the KGB's headquarters in Dresden during the Cold War
He witnessed protesters occupying the Dresden Stasi headquarters, while communist security forces came close to opening fire on them, on 5 December 1989.
Jubilant East Berliners had already breached the Berlin Wall in November.
Mr Putin was fluent in German at the time and has said he personally calmed the Dresden crowd when they surrounded the KGB building there, warning them that it was Soviet territory.
During his KGB service in Dresden Mr Putin was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
In 1989 he was awarded a bronze medal by communist East Germany - officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR) - "for faithful service to the National People's Army", the Kremlin website says.
After returning to Russia, Mr Putin rose to become head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) - main successor to the KGB. He became Russian president in 2000.
In June 2017 Mr Putin revealed that his work in the KGB had involved "illegal intelligence-gathering". Speaking on Russian state TV, he said KGB spies were people with "special qualities, special convictions and a special type of character".
A once top secret agreement between the KGB and Stasi, seen by the BBC, shows that the KGB had 30 liaison officers in East Germany who worked directly alongside the Stasi.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shrugged off the emergence of Mr Putin's old Stasi card. "The KGB and the Stasi were partner intelligence agencies so you probably can't rule out an exchange of such identity cards," he said.
'Agent' Putin returns to Dresden


We've recreated the look of gaslight for these popular evening tours at Glanmore National Historic Site, located at 257 Bridge Street East, Belleville. Enjoy a guided tour of Glanmore by "gaslight" as the historic house is beautifully decorated for Christmas. Traditional holiday refreshments will be served.


text:
Skalica ( Skalitz German, Hungarian Szakolca, latin Sakolcium ) is the largest city in the same county in the northernmost west of Slovakia.
The town was first mentioned in 1217 as Zaculcza. The name refers to the rock on which the first settlement was built.
The settlement was built around a rare triangular space in the middle ages. In 1372 they got the Charter and at the same time given the privilege of free royal city. 1428 she was hit by the Hussites and the majority of the predominantly German population was expelled or fled. During the 16th century Anabaptists settled here.
1918 was the city for 8 days headquarters of the Czechoslovak government delegation which unsuccessfully tried from here, to take over the control of the then Hungarian controlled Slovakia.
In 1923 Skalica became the county seat. In 1960, the District was dissolved as part of the reorganization area and the city came to the district of Senica. In 1996, she was again to the district town. By December 2007, the area was Seče a cadastral district of the city.
In addition to the remains of a city wall there in the place of one of the oldest Slovak buildings, the Romanesque Rotunda of George from the 12th century, which in the 17th century, a baroque ( " Welsh " ) hood was placed. There are also many church buildings, the St. Michael's Church, a former Franciscan monastery and three other monasteries. Interesting are still spätrenaissancene the town hall and culture house of 1905 in Secession style.
According to the 2001 census were of 15 013 inhabitants, 94.84 % Slovaks, 3.61% Czechs, 0.64% Roma and 0.91 % other. The most represented confession was 70.15 % with Roman Catholic, followed by Protestant 6.67 %. 19.92 % had no religious affiliation and 2.45 % did not respond.
HK 36 Skalica, ice hockey club in the Extraliga
Daniel Sloboda (1809-1888), a Protestant clergyman, botanist, translator and ethnographer
Vlado sidekick (* 1972), trumpeter, flugelhorn player and conductor
Richard Stehlík ( born 1984 ), ice hockey player
Kraj Okres Skalica District List of tourism regions of Slovakia Vehicle registration plates of Slovakia Obec Romanesque art Slovak Extraliga


Oh, so it's just sitting on the screen? Have you checked your email?
I only got one email, I clicked the button in that email, and this page is what I got from clicking it. How many mails are supposed to arrive?
@Ruby Eyes I've temporarily turned off needing email verification. Can you try posting on Discord whenever you have the time?
I probably can, at least it doesn't tell me to verify myself first all the time (I have a text input box now), but it still says my username is unclaimed.
You know, this is one more example of how useful MEANINGFUL message would be. Something like "permit recaptcha.net" would work.
Note that I did make sure that discordapp.com was permitted right after I clicked that invite link - and that was all that was required at that time. I didn't think there'd be MORE later.
Thanks for the patience with me!


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CAMPAIGN POST-MORTEM
Political scientists, operatives and junkies will be debating the 2004 US Presidential campaign for decades. But it is unlikely that many will be talking about a set of critical issues virtually ignored by the candidates and their parties: the erosion of civil liberties and human rights.
Surely the candidates knew these issues, albeit they would probably have had widely differing views. And if their polls and focus groups told them the voters were interested in these issues, or cared about them, we can be certain they would have crept into stump speeches, debates, and campaign ads.
They didn't. They were ignored.
We heard endless rants, though little substance, about how to win 'the war on terror'. And no sane human would argue that it is a war that must be won, not just for us, but for everyone in the civilized world.
But who can remember hearing anything about Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, or other venues for prisoner abuse? Or about US citizens being held incommunicado, without charge and without access to legal counsel? Or about Attorney General John Ashcroft's wholesale round-up of 5,000 "suspected terrorists", held for long periods in immigration prisons without charges or lawyers – and of whom not a single one was ever charged with or convicted of a terror-related crime? Or about the Justice Department's arrant defiance of the Supreme Court's finding that 'the president does not have a blank check' to arrest and detain anyone and be accountable to no one? Or about the failure of the Congress to demand an independent investigation of prisoner abuses? Or about the failure of the Central Intelligence Agency to produce its promised report on its 'ghost detainees', or its despicable practice of 'rendering' detainees to countries whose prisons are famous for practicing torture?
In 18 months of largely superficial frothing – much of it about phantom issues – the state of our civil liberties and our respect for human rights took on an eerie silence. Knowing that a candidate's every move is triggered by a poll or a focus group, one can only conclude that it is the voters who don't understand why these issues are important -- or don't care.
As I pondered this thundering silence, two quotations kept popping into my head. The first, author unremembered, says, "Be careful who you choose as your enemies, for you will become like them." Our enemies couldn't care less about anyone's civil liberties. If we take the same view, or allow our leaders to take it, we risk becoming like our enemies. In which case, they will have won.
The second quotation, from Churchill I think, says, "There can be no leadership without moral authority". We happen to live in the world's last remaining super-power. That places on us a heavy responsibility for leadership. The only credible way we have to exercise that leadership is by example – by what we do. What we do reflects what we believe, and that is the source of our moral authority.
The voters' apparent disinterest in what is happening to their civil liberties, and what we are doing to other people's human rights, have the awful potential to change precisely those attributes that make us different from our enemies. If we allow that to happen, we will sadly get what we deserve.
We deserve better.


Our manual chain blocks come complete with a chain bag and are all black so as to keep them invisable to the audience.
1 tonne lifting motor, 18m chain, powered by a standard motor controller.
1 tonne lifting motor, 13m chain, powered by a standard motor controller.


A retail pack of Omnipork – the vegan pork created by Asian startup Right Treat – is now available to preorder from Hong Kong grocery chain Green Common.
First announced back in April, the vegan superfood looks tastes, and functions just like pork, but without the environmental and ethical impact.
With the introduction of the product, Right Treat – founded by entrepreneur David Yeung – hopes to disrupt the global pork industry. Yeung also created nonprofit Green Monday, which helps to promote sustainable, green living in Hong Kong, and the plant-based grocery chain Green Common where the pork will make its retail debut.
Around the world, nearly 40 percent of all meat consumed is pork. In China, the food is particularly popular, where pork consumption outnumbers beef by seven to one. Because of the nations' love of the meat, around 700 million pigs are raised for pork every year – producing 1.29 billion metric tonnes of livestock waste, which is linked to both air and water pollution.
Pork consumption is also risky for human health. Processed meat intake is linked to cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer; the pork industry is also linked to antibiotic resistance, as pigs are routinely pumped full of antibiotics to kill off infection.
But Omnipork – created from pea, non-GMO soy, shiitake mushrooms, and rice – comes antibiotic-free.
Up until now, the vegan pork has only been available from certain restaurants and hotels, including the JW Marriott. Green Common already offers a number of vegan meat products, including the Beyond Burger – created by southern California plant-based brand Beyond Meat – and Meatless Meatballs, made by Canadian vegan meat company Gardein.
According to Green Common, the Omnipork retail pack is available for pre-order until November 25.
Omnipork - a vegan pork created by startup Right Treat - will soon be available to purchase from Hong Kong grocery chain Green Common.


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Born: Tacoma, Washington
Racing weight: 160 lbs
Sisters: Josie, Carrie, Margaret
Business: Tool & Die Maker Precision Machine Works
Championships: 1970 NMA 200cc Champion, 1970 AMA Western Region 200cc Champion Scrambles & Motocross, 1971 AMA Western Region 200cc & 250cc Champion Motocross, 1972 AMA #2 Washington State Novice Dirt Track, 1972 NMA Open Champion Motocross – 2nd 250cc, 1973 #2 NMA 250cc & Open Motocross, 1974; 2nd Daytona Supercross, Houston Supercross 1st Moto winner, 2nd place Supercross Series, 5th place AMA 250 National Motocross Championships. 1975; Laureritide 250cc & Open Champion (Quebec, Canada), 3rd place Trans-Am 250 Support Class, 2nd place Canadian National Championships, 1980 Qualified 4-stroke at Washougal National.
Major sponsors in your career: Penton (KTM) Motorcycles, Can-Am Motorcycles, Terry Saxlund, University Honda-Bultaco-CZ, Cliffs Cycle Center, Bremerton Yamaha, Highland Honda, NW Yamaha
I could write about how Buck was always knocking on the door with a moto win and another sewed up when something happened to end his chances of ever winning a national event. Instead I will write about the man instead. Buck was just a kid who loved to race motorcycles and have fun doing it. Before the factory team semi rigs and the professional managers he was a racer that traveled the country in his green 1974 Dodge van looking for fun and friends. He found them both. He never set limits on himself by riding only the fastest bikes. He rode the extreme in a Rokon 340, the terrifying Suzuki TM's and a Honda XL 350 4-stroke in the age of two strokes. If you could twist the throttle on it he would go "Yee hah!" In many ways Buck defined the term extreme in the way he rode and lived. He can't remember names he says but there isn't a face that he has forgot over all these years. Talk to anyone from that era and mention his name and he will say, "Did I tell you the story?" In an age that was the crucible of NW racers he was one of the best and he had fun when doing it.
Bench Racer: What got you started in motorcycles in the first place?
Buck Murphy: I was about six or seven when I first started riding. My Dad and his friends used to ride up in Lester, Washington where we lived at the time. I was just itching to ride with them. I got to go and watch a race at Graham Speedway and smelled the addictive scent of Castrol oil and felt the cool air rush by me as the expert riders came by me and I was hooked from then on. My Dad didn't race but he told me that we didn't have enough money for both of us to race and that if I didn't watch my P's and Q's he would go out and race instead. It was a good scare tactic to keep me on the straight and narrow. I loved it so much all I wanted to do was ride my bike and go race on Sunday.
BR: What role did your family have in supporting your early riding?
BM: It was a total family effort with four kids, two parents and two dogs in a 1967 Dodge Charger with a trailer and away we went racing every Sunday. My Dad really enjoys coming out to the Dinosaur Days races to meet up with old friends from Graham Speedway and other tracks. My Mom was my staunchest supporter but was always terrified by me racing. Every time I needed a cheerleader she was there. My mom never got a picture of me crashing though. We had this super 8mm camera and every time I was about to crash my mom would turn off the camera. So I never got any motion pictures of me crashing.
BR: Were you successful when you first started?
BM: My very first race was in the fall of 1967 when I was 12 years old on a Hodaka Ace 90 at the Jolly Rogers Racetrack. I was a complete nerd going around the corners with both feet down and my elbows sticking up in the air. I didn't know what I was doing so I started watching the experts. I made the "C" main and a friend of my dad's showed me how to get a good start off the line. I holeshot the race and was leading until this one guy went flying by me. Then he crashed and I passed him, and then he passed me again and crashed twice more. I won that race just barely in front of the crasher and got this four-inch trophy that I thought was the coolest thing. For the next four years I worked my way up through the "B" and "A" mains and started finally winning.
BR: When did you first race in Motocross?
BM: They first started what they called back then European Scrambles in 1966 at a track in Enumclaw. There was no practice except for one parade lap and then you went racing. Motocross really started happening in late 1969 and early 1970 as a real race format as it currently is today. Before Motocross there was only flat track, scrambles and the odd European scrambles race for any off-road racing.
BR: Did the film "On Any Sunday" affect you in any way growing up?
BM: Oh my God! That was probably the greatest motorcycle movie ever made. I only watched it maybe 200 times and it was great every time. If you knew nothing about motorcycles and didn't like motorcycles and you still came out of the movie and didn't like motorcycles there was something drastically wrong with you.
BR: What was your first race that made you stand out from the rest of the crowd?
BM: I was racing a Suzuki TM 250 in 1972 at a professional race in Boise, Idaho. It was on a Saturday and my practice times were equivalent to the factory Suzuki of Sylvain Geobers and other Trans-Am racers who were racing on Sunday. Suzuki race team manager Paul Garnett came up and started talking to me about getting some support because they liked what they saw of me.
BR: What was your biggest regret?
BM: That I didn't work harder. I wasn't serious enough when I needed to be. I was a young kid and somebody else was paying the bills and going to places I had never been before. I had opportunities to do great things that I let slip away. I was just running amuck and not training as hard as I should have. I was too interested in going to the beach, chasing girls and of course playing golf. I wasn't doing my job.
BR: When did you retire from racing?
BM: I quit professional racing in 1980. I qualified for the 500 National at Washougal on a 4-stroke Honda that year. I started working after that trying to build a home life so racing took a back seat. I still race as often as I can and do pretty well when I do it. The vintage racing has brought a lot of fun back into it for me. When I first started racing I really wanted to be a dirt tracker so dusting off my Triumph dirt tracker and racing it has been a joy. In my Novice year I finished 2nd in the state but nobody came forth and offered me a Triumph to ride. There was a $600 Yamaha down at Tacoma Motorcycle Sales so we went motocrossing instead.
BR: You were the first successful racer on a 1972 Suzuki TM 400 how was it to ride?
BM: They were exciting! It was like pulling the pin on a hand grenade. You went through a corner and pulled the pin and went as fast as you could and then try to stop for the next corner. If the brakes didn't lock up and stall the motor you could make another corner. They were twitchy and REAL fast. I weighed about 120 pounds back then and it was real easy to get a holeshot but a brand new world arrived when you hit the first corner.
BR: If you were in your racing prime and riding the same equipment as today's racers, how do you think you would do?
BM: I think in Supercross I could be in the top five fairly easy. I did real well in Supercross although I didn't really care for it. I liked natural terrain racetracks like Unadilla with big hills and off camber corners. If I was in top shape for the outdoor nationals I think that I could hang with anybody today. My problem back then was that I was great for the first 30 minutes of a 45-minute moto. It was that extra 15 minutes that killed me.
BR: What attributes make a championship racer?
BM: You have to have confidence in your abilities. You also have to be humble because at any given time you can be beat by anybody. Every dog has its day (I beat Murphy for the win in the 250 Pro class at Straddline ONCE, woof woof). In the beginning days of motocross you could get away without having a training program. We just used to ride and race to stay in shape. Today you have to be in peak physical condition or you are not going to go very far in motocross.
BR: Who do you think was the most talented racer who didn't make it to the top and why?
BM: Rick Poulin (Also metioned by Chuck Sun and Jim Pomeroy). He came up through the ranks with Myself, Jim Pomeroy, Rick Burgett and he was clearly better and faster than all of us. Ricky had the same problem that I did in that he didn't train for physical fitness back then and he partied hard. Ricky was blazingly fast and smooth. When Ricky put his mind to it there was nobody faster. The problem was that we all knew it.
BR: Throughout your racing career who was your greatest rival?
BM: My factory Can-Am teammate Jimmy "Cobalt" Ellis and I pushed each other to new heights racing against each other. We were best friends and teammates and I was absolutely not going to lose to him. Jimmy made more money than I did so I wanted whip him and show the executives why I should get a raise in my salary. There was Factory Honda rider Rich Eiderstadt, because he hated mud and I loved it. Billy "Sugar Bear" Grossi was always a kick to race against. You always knew there would be a little contact racing against Grossi. Ron Pomeroy and I raced against each other for many years. I really enjoyed beating Jim Pomeroy; I just didn't get to do it very often. I still keep in contact with all these guys and we are still friends.
BR: Who was your greatest NW racing rival?
BM: There were quite a few in Rick Poulin, Jim Pomeroy, Rick Burgett and Chuck Sun. There were a lot of good riders out of the Portland area for quite a long time like Mark Gregson. We all raced at the same tracks to race against each other. We weren't there to chase points and win a local championship; we were there to beat the best.
BR: Who was the best racer you saw or raced against?
BM: Dick "Bugsy" Mann was the man. He was the best all around racer there has probably ever been. People don't know this but he was the first AMA 250cc National MX Champion from the Inter-Am series in 1970. He was the first racer to win in the five types of racing on the national circuit in roadracing, short track, TT, ½ mile and mile racing. He also won two Grand National Championships in 1962 and 1971 and snapped up some ISDE Gold medals. I don't know what that man hasn't won at. I was fortunate enough to beat him in the first moto in Boise, Idaho on my Suzuki 400. I thought to myself that "Wow, I beat Dick Mann." We lined up next to each other for the 2nd moto and I said "Dick do you have one of those 500cc bikes?" and he answered "No. That's my 250cc 4-stroke BSA." I was seventeen years old and Dick was in his mid to late 30's and I had to work my ass off to beat him for 30 minutes. That dowsed my fire real quick.
BR: What do you think made you different from all the other racers?
BM: I was a pretty nice kid whose parents didn't let me get out of control. I was polite and always had time for the little kids in helping them out at the track. I always had time for the fans because without them the sport was taken out of racing. I loved racing so much that instead of sitting in the pits and telling everybody how cool I was I would be next to the track and watching the fast guys. I watched racers like Dave Clift, Sonny Burres, Dick Mann and Skip Van Leuwen to see how they rode their bikes. Then I went out and practiced, practiced and practiced and tried to do what they did. My racing style was a combination of 25 to 30 top racers styles that worked for me.
BR: If you were to start motorcycle racing today, what type of racing would you do?
BM: I would probably do some roadracing. I never did roadrace but it has always really intrigued me. Of course I would also do some flat track racing. Motocross tracks have all become Supercross tracks. I like natural terrain courses like Unadilla in New York that test your riding skills instead of the size of your male anatomy. Were losing a lot of riders due to spinal injuries and practice crashes because of the Supercross style jumps. There exciting to watch and has made Supercross a big fan favorite, but if you have to do that triple jump 35 to 40 times a day its only a matter of time until you don't get it right and miss. You can either crash real hard and not get hurt or crash real hard and get hurt. I'm not sure that I would motocross today the way the tracks are designed for just maximum airtime instead of accelerating, braking and cornering.
BR: What was your favorite track?
BM: My favorite tracks were Unadilla and Ulverton in Quebec with real big uphills and natural terrain. Locally I liked Highside Park in Bremerton. People remember me most from the Puyallup track but I rode there so much that I knew where every hole and pebble was. The main reason I went there was because it was the Trans-Am track and it was where all the fast guys went to race.
BR: What do you miss about professional racing?
BM: The atmosphere and excitement of the fans at the different tracks in the U.S. Traveling to the different races with your racing friends and the fellowship of your competitors.
BR: Define your riding style?
BM: I'm pretty smooth with little wasted effort. I didn't hang my rear end out if it wasn't going to make me faster. I always believed that the time for showing off was after the checkered flag fell. If you fell down in the last corner from showing off then you were just stupid. The point in racing is to be the first one to the checkered flag, not the best looking.
BR: Best party?
BM: The party at Gary Semics house after the 1975 Saddleback race in Huntington Beach, California. The Evel Knievel jump at Snake River had a party that lasted a week and was pretty wild.
BR: Most memorable moment as a racer?
BM: Winning the first moto in the Houston Astrodome Supercross in 1974. It was real intense to see my name up on the reader board when I went across the big jump in the center of the track.
BR: How was it to be a factory racer?
BM: It was great in that you didn't have to worry about fixing your bike every race and that you knew where your next meal would be coming from. It was great to have that responsibility taken off your shoulders, but it was replaced with something else. Riding for a factory team required you to live, eat and breathe for the factory 24 hours a day seven days a week. There were times when I felt I had lost my freedom. I couldn't go out golfing with my buddies because I had to make an appearance for the company in some hotel banquet room. I understand the reasons for the business to succeed, but I was young and wanted to have some fun with my racing friends like Marty Tripes and Ron Pomeroy. I always thought that racing first and foremost should be fun.
BR: What rider from another era do you wish you had a chance to race against in your top form?
BM: Jeremy McGrath. That's who all the racers measure themselves against today. Outdoor racers like Jeff Stanton, Mike LaRocco and Mike Kiedrowski who are tougher than the Chinese alphabet. I always tried to be tough at the end of the race when other people might be tired and falter. That was one way to win a race. When I first saw Bob "Hurricane" Hannah in the winter Florida series all he needed was two hands to be hooked on the handlebars to win. I didn't give him two years in racing because he was such a loose pilot that he would be either dead or gone from racing by then. He was an amazing talent.
BR: What was your biggest disappointment?
BM: Not getting to win the big one. I had so many wins over the years in Inter-Ams, Trans-Ams, Supercrosses and there was always a bolt breaking or shock shaft snapping or the ignition failing that stopped me just short. These problems would only happen once but they always seemed to happen to me. I can't count how many times I had a big race all wrapped up and the Big Guy upstairs would say it's not your turn yet. I keep wondering if it will ever be my turn.
BR: Tell us about your infamous Dodge van?
BM: It was the first new vehicle I ever bought in January 1974. I took off to do the Florida Winter Series and two months later my 12,000-mile warranty was expired. I averaged 1,000 miles a week on it for 26 years and I just don't have the heart to get rid of it. There were too many good times and trips across the U.S. in it and maybe a couple of girls got in there also. It could go 117 mph with a little bit of a tail wind behind it. What more could you ask of anything.
BR: What was your worst crash?
BM: I was racing for Can-Am in 1975 at a racetrack near Quebec and my shocks had blown out. I went through a big berm and the rear end sprung the bike up and I wrapped the bike and myself around a dead snag on the side of the course. It bent the forks and wheel back into the frame. I ended up hitting a tree and had some internal injuries and I thought I broke my face. That was pretty scary.
BR: Which racers did you hang with in your career?
BM: On the national circuit it would be Ron Pomeroy, Billy Grossi, Tom Rapp, Gaylon Mosier and most of the Honda team. Locally it was Rick Poulin, Doug Raines, Dan Brown, Bobby Boock and Billy Joyce. We would all travel together and see different parts of the country. We were all friends who would work together and for each other except for an hour and a half on Sundays when we were all enemies.
BR: Tell us about one of the most weirdest MX bikes ever the Rokon 340?
BM: If my career wasn't over then I think that finished it. I was planning on riding a University Honda XL 350 4-stroke at the Puyallup Trans-Am in 1974 when the gearbox broke two weeks before. We searched everywhere we could to find a 3rd gear but the dirt trackers had taken them all. Two days before the race Red Lumsden from Bremerton Yamaha offered me the Rokon to ride. I called Terry Saxlund at University Honda and asked him if he would be upset if I rode the Rokon and he told me that they couldn't get me a bike so it was OK by him. I rode that thing and it was terrible! It was the worst motorcycle I ever put my leg across. It was a snowmobile engine with a torque converter on it with cases that would make you bowlegged. That Trans-Am race was super muddy and in the last race I was in 11th place out of 13 survivors. The clutch was so full of mud that the Rokon was stuck in high gear so I rode it through a water hole to clean off the rubber belt drive to make it up the finish hill. On the last lap it ran out of gas a few feet away from the checkered flag. You can't push a Rokon on a flat floor and after two 45-minute motos I was out of steam and couldn't push it any farther up the hill in the knee-deep mud. A spectator helped me get it across the line and then the AMA disqualified me for outside help. To think I almost finished in the top ten on a Rokon.
BR: Will there be another national class MX racer from the northwest?
BM: At the present moment it doesn't look like it, but the way things change a guy could pop up at a local race and start-putting people away. Motocross is so different today with all the double and triple jumps. I have lost touch with the young racers in that I would rather race than be a spectator. If I am at a track I have to do something to keep me occupied because racing is where it's at.
BR: You are a member of the Tacoma M/C that puts on Dyno Daze. Do you like old bikes?
BM: You go to motocross race today and there are no trophy presentations. You just go and pick up your trophy when you feel like it. Everybody loads up there motor homes and goes home. We used to sit around after a race and bullshit about "I would have beaten you if only" and have a great camaraderie. Those were the moments among friends that I really cherish. That is what vintage racing is still about. I enjoy vintage racing because of the people in it.
BR: Best musical group to listen to on the road?
BM: If the sun is coming up in the morning and you've been driving all night the Eagles hit the spot. If you're trying to stay awake at night I like "Terrible" Ted Nugent to keep the blood flying. Pink Floyd was a great group to listen to at all times of the day.
BR: Was it more fun to race in the 70's professionally than today?
BM: It was more fun because we weren't cluttered up with big contracts and big money. I finished 3rd in the Supercross series in 1974 and there were no year-end bonuses. It was just a race and a championship. Today if you get 3rd in the Supercross championship you get around $40,000. We did it because we loved to race and not because there was a lot of money involved. We did it because it was cool and it was fun.
BR: Widest racer off the track?
BM: There were a lot of racers who could win that prize. I hate to do this to these guys they were my friends but Billy "Sugar Bear" Grossi comes to mind first. The motocrossers weren't as crazy as the dirt trackers as to what they did off the track. We got into competitions when we were training as to who could jump the farthest off the hotel roof into the swimming pool.
BR: What do you ride better in mud or dust?
BM: Mud! If I go into a cloud of dust and I can't see my throttle just goes off. If you can't see, you can't punch it. The mud always slowed down the fast guys to my pace and then they had to deal with me. Unless something broke I was going to do pretty well in the mud. Mud is the great equalizer in racing. You have to float above it with the throttle or sink like the Titanic. I think there are still a couple of bikes buried deep into the earth at some old tracks.
BR: Corners, jumps or bumps where were you the fastest?
BM: I tried to be good over the entire track. You can look spectacular off a jump or a corner but it may not help you lower your lap time. You have to use a corner to set up for the jump. Then you have to use the jump to set up for the next corner. All the pieces have to fit into a whole lap after lap.
BR: What advice would you give a 15-year-old racer?
BM: To be dedicated and serious about your sport, and try to enjoy it while you can. If you are not enjoying what you are doing then you won't be successful. Even when you are training you can make it fun. I'm going to sound old here but the tattoos, nose rings and haircuts that look like a raccoon on the side of your head don't do it for me. If you want to be extreme, be extreme by winning.
BR: In one word what would you say about your racing career?
BM: Wonderful!


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LCQ10: Reducing consumption of hydrofluorocarbons
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Siu-hung and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (December 7):
It is learnt that hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), commonly used as refrigerants in equipment such as air-conditioners and refrigerators, have high global warming potential (GWP). In June 2021, China officially ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, with a view to progressively phasing down the consumption and manufacture of HFCs, thereby mitigating global climate change. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has discussed with members of the industry the reduction in the consumption of HFCs; if so, of the latest progress;
(2) whether it has drawn up a timetable for reducing the consumption and manufacture of HFCs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) as it is learnt that other refrigerants with low GWP that can be used as alternatives to HFCs are available in the market, of the measures the Government has in place to encourage the industry to use such refrigerants?
President,
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are mainly used as refrigerants in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. They are greenhouse gases that cause climate change, as their global warming potentials (GWPs) can be over ten thousand times higher than that of carbon dioxide. In June 2021, our country officially ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (the Montreal Protocol), which aims to gradually reduce the manufacture and use of 18 types of HFCs to mitigate global climate change. According to the Kigali Amendment, Hong Kong must establish and implement an import and export licensing control system for HFCs and import quota control to progressively reduce the use of HFCs by 85 per cent from the baseline level by 2036. To fulfil the international obligations of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) under the Montreal Protocol, the Government is formulating a control proposal for HFCs.
My reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Siu-hung is as follows:
(1) The Environmental Protection Department has been in regular contact with relevant local trade associations and professional bodies to brief them on the requirements of gradually reducing the use of HFCs under the Kigali Amendment, and to exchange views on the use of low-GWP alternatives. After our country officially ratified the Kigali Amendment in June last year, we have held further meetings with the relevant trades, including trade associations, equipment suppliers and HFCs importers, to discuss and assess their preparedness for gradually reducing the use of HFCs, and to gauge their views on the control of HFCs. The Government has already formed an inter-departmental task force to draw up the control proposal for HFCs based on the information gathered, and will formally consult the trades concerned in 2023.
(2) The Government plans to commence the relevant legislative amendment work after consulting the trades on the control proposal for HFCs next year. Such work is expected to be completed by 2025. Once local legislation is enacted, the Kigali Amendment and its HFCs phase-down schedule shall become legally binding on the HKSAR.
(3) Alongside the global commitment to combating climate change and the adoption of the Kigali Amendment, refrigerant manufacturers have developed more and more low-GWP refrigerants that can serve as alternatives to HFCs refrigerants. At present, different types of such alternatives are available in the global market and many of them have already been introduced to the Hong Kong market, such as R1233zd (GWP value: 1) and R514A (GWP value: 2) for water-cooled chillers, R600a (GWP value: 3) for household refrigerators, and R1234yf (GWP value: 4) for automotive air conditioners. Apart from implementing the aforementioned import and export licensing control system and import quota control for HFCs, we will also consider incorporating appropriate measures into the control proposal for HFCs. For instance, the Government should take the lead in using low-GWP refrigerants and procuring refrigeration equipment that use low-GWP refrigerants. The benefits of using such alternatives should also be widely publicised to encourage members of the public and the related trades to follow suit, thereby fuelling the growth of these products in the local market, with a view to helping Hong Kong achieve the reduction target for HFCs as required by the Kigali Amendment and hence mitigating global climate change.
Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2022


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In craft chocolate, there is one pair of brothers known for their gumption, their signature old world style and past scandal that rocked their operation. Brothers Rick and Michael Mast were the subjects of a major blogging expose in 2015. The Mast brothers chose not to take action against their attackers and focus on their chocolates while the internet raged. Despite the onslaught, Mast Brothers remains in business and the brothers seem steadfast in their decision to keep doing things their way.
Company co-founder Rick Mast agreed to an email interview with Craft Sense. He gave us his take on the negative internet campaign and the future of his company.
The Mast Brothers Backstory
The brand Mast Brothers chocolate first appeared on the market in 2007 first as truffles and later, bars. Their product stood out thanks to stylish packaging and a quality product. Starting off in their apartment the brothers experimented with different types of cacao and ingredients. They sold their chocolate at special events and the Brooklyn Flea, a weekend market in the hipster borough of New York City.
Soon Mast bars appeared on the shelves of major retailers and caught the attention of the blog Dallas Food. The blog's writer Scott, (no last name available), wrote an expose that accused the brothers of being frauds.
In December of 2015, Scott published a four-part piece on his blog, claiming that during a workday in 2008 one of the brothers confessed a major secret to Art Pollard of Armano Chocolate. Scott reported the Masts admitted to remelting other chocolates and repackaging them, despite their promise of original recipes and methods.
Mast has publicly stated that they are a bean-to-bar company (meaning they don't remelt) and always have been. The blog's claims of cheating were especially salacious in the face of their sworn devotion to originality. Websites and major publications grabbed the story and ran with it. An article in Dmagazine was one of the many that reported on the reporting, helping the story spread further.
The allegations soon had an impact. Food writer Megan Giller, writing in Slate, claimed she had found several stores that refused to carry the brother's bars in an article published in March of 2015. According to Business Insider reporter Kate Taylor, the shop Bklyn Larder saw a 66 percent dip in Mast Brothers Chocolate sales in 2016.
None of the challenges proved fatal. Mast Brothers are still making and selling their chocolate both online and in retail outlets across the country.
Rick Reflects
When Craft Sense caught up with Rick Mast and asked what his biggest takeaway was from the 2015 controversy. He had this to say:
"I try and laugh through it but let's face it, internet smear campaigns are no fun. Especially if you are the target (understatement of the year). What can seem funny on the surface is often some serious bullying, or worse… These days, little by little, the public is becoming more discerning and hopefully demanding more from their news sources and their food sources. That's a good sign. I'm thankful for that."
One of the original issues cited in the Dallas Food Blog piece was Mast Brothers' lack of transparency in their labeling. Unlike almost every other craft chocolate maker, Mast did not list the origin or percentage of cacao used in their bars. Currently, the company's site mentions a few countries of origin but the names of the farms growing the cacao are left out. We asked if that will change and Mast clarified that it will not.
"Over the past decade, we have experimented with several different labeling methods and have found the most success with focusing on simplicity, clarity, and beauty…There are some changes to our labeling that you will see this year, but the philosophy remains the same."
A Closer Look at Sourcing
Mast's minimalistic labeling
When answering Craft Sense's questions about their business, Mast broke down the company's sourcing like this:
"We have always been committed to purchasing the highest grade, organic beans at well beyond a fair trade premium… We continue to source from thousands of family farms throughout the country."
Almost every other bean-to-bar chocolate maker takes a different approach, one that highlights their farmers. Dick Taylor Chocolate, for example, is an entirely transparent business. They include each farm's name and origin on their packaging and dedicate significant space on their website to backstories and photos of the growing process. They also print statements of how much farmers are paid per metric ton of cacao beans.
A grower front & center from Askinosie Chocolate
Askinosie Chocolate does them one better. The Missouri company has a complete breakdown of their financial interactions with each individual farm on their website. Askinosie also often features photos of their farmers on the front of their packaging.
Beauty Before Sources
This kind of transparency has come to be accepted as part of the craft business. So many chocolate experts bristle at Mast Chocolate's decision not to follow suit.
"We design our label to be beautiful, delicious and pleasurable," Rick Mast explained. "Our current back label focuses on clarity and simplicity of ingredients… We don't do it as a marketing or messaging strategy. Consumers are smarter than that.
Of course, this begs the question as to whether or not consumers are discerning enough to make good choices. After all, Nestle is a major chocolate company with a terrible reputation, and yet it still has a strong foothold in the food market. The company's financial report from 2016 shows they generate billions in sales despite allegedly using child slaves to farm cacao.
Another question is whether it's a sound decision to reduce transparency when Mast Brothers continues to be plagued by trust issues from the scandal. Rick explained their purchasing to us in our interview when asked directly. However, the brothers don't capitalize on their history as an early purchaser for many emerging cacao farmers. Mast Brothers was one of the first craft chocolate makers to purchase the Tanzanian cacao from Kokoa Kamili and beans from Bertil Akesson's plantations in Madagascar.
Other companies would jump up to claim credit to be the first purchaser from new high-quality cacao farms. For whatever reason, the Mast brothers have not.
Mast Chocolate Today
One of the biggest developments in Mast Brothers chocolate is the closure of their branded retail outlets in Los Angeles and London. Rick Mast says the closures are part of regrouping, returning to their roots by concentrating on their Brooklyn Navy Yard production facility.
"We knew the move [to open retail outlets] was going to be a cash burn and eventually we had to make a decision; continue to invest in our own retail expansion or invest in simply making more chocolate…We still have a strong presence in London and Los Angeles, just not a retail one at the moment."
For now, it seems that Mast Brothers will continue to ride out the last of the negativity. A recent GrubStreet article published in March 2017 stated the Mast Brothers' Brooklyn facility has the capacity to produce $100 million worth of chocolate. So the capacity is there, if the demand is. Whether or not the bad news persists, one thing is clear: the Mast brothers' remain enthusiastic about chocolate – and doing things their own way.
"..the awesome thing about being an entrepreneur is that on any given day you get to be a chocolate maker, an architect, a therapist, an activist, an accountant, a janitor, a writer, an engineer and just about everything in between," Rick Mast said. "It's my dream job."
Have you tasted Mast Brothers chocolate? Want to weigh in on the debates on the packaging? Want to give your take on the treatment of the company in the media? Post and comment below to tell us what you think.
Lindsay Redifer2018-03-17T13:17:57-08:00
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Rick Mast February 26, 2018 at 5:50 PM	- Reply
For anyone interested in the actual and insightful conversation that took place: https://mastbrothers.com/journal/2018/2/26/the-curious-conversation-with-lindsay-redifer
Team Craft Sense March 1, 2018 at 1:47 PM	- Reply
Hi Rick, Thank you for linking the complete interview text. We appreciate the transparency. Was there anything you wanted to clarify or provide further comment on? We'd be happy to do a follow-up and/or provide an update to the story. We were going to ask you on your blog page, as well, but it doesn't seem to be enabled for public comment.
Andrea Wong March 2, 2018 at 2:05 AM	- Reply
@Rick – I read both this article and the full transcript you posted as I also hate misleading articles by journalists. But I don't understand why you think this article is so different. What do you think is missing or misrepresented in this article? Genuinely curious.
While this article doesn't publish every single word from the transcript (and it shouldn't, since it's an article and not a transcript), it seems very fair and doesn't take your words out of context, but gives background based on what the journalist considers useful for the reader to know interspersed with your quotes, as articles should not just reflect your words, but help readers see all sides.
That said, as a reader, I actually thought the journalist didn't drill down enough in your full interview to get your response on whether or not you guys did deceive your customers. It almost reads like you guys were given a free pass because they liked you guys and were happy you were speaking to them. So it seemed a gentle treatment. Hence my confusion. If I'm missing something here, happy to learn more.
Rodney M. March 1, 2018 at 1:56 PM	- Reply
Great story! Their chocolate is okay. Packaging is top notch. Treatment in the media…when the NYT, Washington Post, Guardian, Quartz, and AP all are calling you out, that's no "internet smear campaign." If Rick Mast doesn't like the coverage he's gotten, he has only himself to blame for deceiving the public back in the day and refusing to come clean, even when he's been flat out busted.


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WHIRLWIND RECORDINGS
Acadia: Way Of The Cairns
Patrick Cornelius
Contemporary, Jazz
WR4766
Over the course of eighteen years living in New York City, Patrick Cornelius has earned a substantial reputation as a saxophonist, composer, solo artist and educator, and created an impressive body of work comprised of nine albums as a leader, featuring some of the finest musicians from the global jazz and improvised music scene.
Now for 'Way of the Cairns' he reunites a 'TransAtlantic Collective' of like-minded musicians for a brand-new project of original compositions. Fourteen years ago, Cornelius and bassist (and Whirlwind label boss) Michael Janisch teamed up with Luxembourgish drummer Paul Wiltgen and virtuoso Estonian pianist Kristjan Randalu for a tour that turned into a band that turned into a recording project that delivered, in Cornelius' own words, "some of the best musical experiences I've ever had".
This new music takes inspiration from his experiences of hiking with his growing family among the untamed wilderness of Maine's Acadia National Park. The band delivers an outstanding set of first and second-take performances that combine the heat of New York's jazz scene with the depth and subtlety of the European jazz tradition to create a set of recordings that are accessible and melodic, but as powerful and compelling as the landscapes that inspired them.
Though Cornelius is leader and principal writer, Way of the Cairns is very much the sound of a collective - "My idea was to feature the band as the lead voice, rather than myself. There's a definite chemistry here - not super-straight ahead but not avant-garde either - embracing the European aesthetic, but with the ability to swing hard as well - that's the unique magic of this band." The inspiration from Cornelius' favourite landscapes that underlies the compositions, combined with the special rapport between the players, gives the album a powerful, highly characterful unity that makes this a stand-out release.
Personnel: Patrick Cornelius (alto saxophone), Kristjan Randalu (piano), Michael Janisch (double bass), Paul Wiltgen (drums)
Way Of The Cairns
Star Party
Blueberry Mountain
Seawall Sunrise
Darkest Night
Valse Hésitante
Personal Beehives
On The Precipice
Ten Years Later


This month, we will be exploring the topic of Domestic Violence and Housing. The speakers for this event will be Erin Slattery from WIRE (Women's Information and Referral Exchange Inc) which offers a free information and referral service for all Victorian women; Mike Collins from Moreland City Council, who will discuss what Moreland is doing in this area, and Erika Martino, a PhD student from The University of Melbourne who will discuss housing policy.
This event will be held in Room G01, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Parkville.


text:
Eaton Towers signs pivotal agreement in Egypt
Eaton Towers, the leading independent telecommunications tower company in Africa, announced that it has raised $350 million in new equity resources from existing and new shareholders, to fund expansion and acquisitions across Africa.
On the back of the equity raise, Eaton Towers has signed the first independent tower deal in Egypt, with the purchase, leaseback and management of over 2,000 Mobinil towers.
Capital Group Private Markets, the controlling shareholder of Eaton Towers through its sixth global emerging markets private equity fund, DPI a leading pan-African private equity fund and Eaton Towers management all invested additional equity. They are joined by new shareholders: a consortium led by Ethos Private Equity, a leading South African fund manager with a 30-year track record, and Standard Chartered Private Equity.
The agreement with Mobinil, part of the Orange Group, a leading mobile operator in Egypt, consists of the purchase of approximately 2,000 towers with a 15-year leaseback contract for the operation and maintenance, and additional build out of new sites.
Terry Rhodes, CEO Eaton Towers said: "We are very pleased that our existing and new shareholders support our strategy and vision to create a market-leading, independent, pan-African tower company. We are delighted to sign the first purchase and leaseback tower deal in Egypt. Egypt is the second largest mobile market in Africa and we will invest over $200 million to provide world-class shared infrastructure to help the Egyptian operators provide better coverage and data services to their customers.
"Once the Mobinil deal and the agreements with Bharti Airtel for six countries signed and announced last September are completed, Eaton Towers will be operational in eight countries, representing the most diversified portfolio of shared infrastructure on the African continent."


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Swiss voters ponder: Are CEOs paid too much?
A Sunday referendum in Switzerland could force companies to cap salaries for the highest paid so that they don't exceed 12 times that of the lowest paid.
Reuters/Files
Flags supporting the 1:12 Initiative for Fair Pay adorn various houses in Bern and Zurich in November 2013. Switzerland will vote Sunday on the initiative, which would limit the salaries of top executives so they don't earn more in a month than the lowest paid workers earn in a year.
By Meritxell Mir Contributor
Top executives in Switzerland beware: If voters outraged over corporate salaries have their way in the latest Swiss referendum Sunday, their pay could be drastically cut – a surprising turn for a country known as much for its wealthy, business-friendly attitude as its alpine scenery.
The ballot question pushed by the 1:12 Initiative for Fair Pay would amend the Swiss Constitution to ban companies from paying their top employees more than 12 times their lowest-paid workers.
Currently, Swiss executives earn 73 times as much on average as the employees at the bottom of their companies' wage scale, say referendum proponents. Some companies have an even wider gap. The ratio at pharmaceutical giant Roche is 1 to 261 if its CEO's salary is taken into account, according to Travail.Suisse, a labor union.
"These numbers are economically senseless," says David Roth, president of the Young Socialists, the party leading the "Yes" campaign. "We need a better distribution of wealth."
Controlling CEO pay
The Young Socialists launched the Initiative in 2009 and in the following 18 months they manage to collect the 100,000 signatures needed to put the issue to a binding vote. Other left-wing political parties and labor groups are also campaigning for the "Yes."
Corporations and employers' associations didn't pay much attention to the 1:12 Initiative until March, when Swiss voters decided in another referendum that shareholders should decide executive and board members' salaries, bonuses, and golden parachutes. The measure was the first among a recent series of proposals in Switzerland to address widening income disparities in society.
Fearing Switzerland might lose ground as one of the world's most competitive countries if the referendum passes, many large corporations are fighting the 1:12 Initiative.
Nestle, Swiss railway company SBB, and others have sent letters to thousands of their employees claiming the proposal, if adopted, could put their jobs and the Swiss economy in jeopardy.
The chief executive of commodities giant GlencoreXstrata, Ivan Glasenberg, even threatened to move his company abroad if the law passed. Other critics have raised similar concerns.
"The 1:12 Initiative is not the solution because large corporations will find a way out," says Bernhard Salzmann of the Small and Middle Swiss Companies Association (USAM). "They could take the contracts of their top executives to other countries and then have them work here, for example."
But Mr. Roth says the same fearmongering took place before the March vote on shareholders' role in executive compensation. No firm left the country as a result of the referendum's passage, he said.
"Switzerland offers so many other advantages such as well-educated workers, good infrastructure, and safety," he says. "That's the reason why companies are here, not because they can pay millionaire salaries to greedy managers."
Taxes at risk?
The referendum would mandate that top executives' monthly salary can't exceed the annual pay of their company's lowest-paid employees, including all sorts of remunerations (bonuses, assignment packages, etc.)
Roth describes the proposal as sensible, not just part of a utopian dream. Executive pay in Switzerland in recent years has ballooned out of proportion compared to the past, he says. "In the 1980s, the ratio was 1 to 6; in the 1990s, it was 1 to 13. And our economy worked just fine."
According to a KOF Swiss Economic Institute study presented in October using data collected in 2010, life for the vast majority of Swiss executives wouldn't necessarily change if the referendum passes, as only around 4,400 people received salaries that surpass the proposed limit. In terms of companies, only 1.5 percent of the companies based in Switzerland currently top the 1-to-12 limit.
Mr. Salzmann at the USAM says that the average salary gap is distorted by the high salaries of the large corporations so the figures are deceiving. At more than 96 percent of the 43,600 firms examined in the study, the ratio between the top and lowest salaries was less than 1 to 8.
Small and medium-sized firms will suffer disproportionally if the 1:12 Initiative passes, Salzmann says. "If the salaries of top executives fall, so will the tax revenues of the state, so taxes for smaller companies will be raised."
Another study, by the University of Sankt Gallen, estimates that should the measure pass, tax revenues would fall by $1.64 billion annually due to its impact on the salaries of the top 2 percent of earners, who contribute almost half of all federal tax revenue.
The Young Socialists admit there will be lost revenue for public coffers in the short term. They say that as salaries at the lower levels increase that would also raise tax revenue as well as provide a boost to purchasing power.
A toss-up proposal
Earlier this year, the Swiss public appeared to be evenly split over the referendum. But in a Swiss Broadcasting Corporation poll conducted in the first week of November — the last survey of public opinion before the vote — 56 percent of respondents said they would vote against the proposal. Only 34 percent said they would cast their ballots in favor. The 10 percent of voters who remain undecided will therefore be key to the initiative's final outcome.
Thomas Hofmann, who owns a two-employee company in Basel, says he will vote 'No' on Sunday because, although some salaries are "indecent," shareholders should regulate the wage gap, not the government.
If the referendum passes, Mr. Hofmann believes companies would find a way around the new law by creating separate firms to employ their least-paid workers or, even worse, outsourcing low-paid jobs to other countries.
"Instead of low-paid jobs, we would have no jobs," says Hoffman.
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Famously corporate-friendly Switzerland set to get tough on CEO pay


MANCHESTER UNITED manager Jose Mourinho needs to use Marcus Rashford's good international form to spur him on at Old Trafford.
That's the view of former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, who says that the 20-year's talent is being wasted for his club side.
Rashford has struggled for United but shone for England during the international break, netting against Spain on Monday.
The goal was his third in four matches for the national side, and he is already becoming a talisman for Gareth Southgate.
In contrast, Rashford has scored just one goal for United this season and has been used sparingly at times, usually playing on the left.
Rashford's strong England showing came with him floating in from the left but Mourinho tends to prefer Romelu Lukaku as a lone striker, not allowing him much freedom.
And pundit Martin Keown has suggested that the Portuguese needs to let Rashford have a bit more freedom if he wants to see him succeed.
"We all know Rashford is a great talent," Keown told the Daily Mail.
"How does he go from being magnificent with England and then struggle at Manchester United?
"He has three goals for England this season - including his cool finish against Spain on Monday - but just one for United.
"Is he trying too hard for Mourinho? Is it too daunting playing in a United shirt?
"You look back to the summer when Paul Pogba returned from the World Cup. Rather than share in Pogba's success, Mourinho talked about what his player couldn't do.
"Mourinho has to see what players have achieved for their countries and then build on it when they return to Old Trafford.
"I feel that when Rashford plays for United, he spends too much time stuck on the left trying to wrestle his way past the full back.
Rashford's cause has not been helped this season by United's poor form, with the team making their worst start for almost 30 years.
The Red Devils take on Chelsea on Saturday in their first match back after the international break.
And United legend Gary Pallister believes Rashford can take confidence from his England performances.
"Confidence is an amazing drug and he can take that into the next game but who's to say he will play against Chelsea?" Pallister said.


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Grotta Bella è una cavità posta a 530 metri di altitudine sulle pendici calcaree del monte L'Aiola, nel territorio di Santa Restituta, frazione del Comune di Avigliano Umbro (TR).

Descrizione
La più antica citazione della cavità è dovuta a Bernardino Lotti, un geologo che ebbe modo di visitarla nel 1902, che così ne scriveva:

L'area dell'ingresso, cui segue un enorme salone sotterraneo, risente della vicinanza della superficie, tanto a livello di microclima quanto a livello di luminosità, restando per lungo tratto in una penombra.

Più internamente la grotta si sviluppa negli approfondimenti, di cui alcuni facilmente in qualche modo facilmente raggiungibili, altri, invece, caratterizzati da percorsi piuttosto difficili e per tale motivo generalmente frequentati solo da speleologi esperti. Il salone d'ingresso, ha assunto la forma attuale dopo vicende evolutive assai travagliate, che l'hanno visto soggetto a numerosi fenomeni di crollo, quasi certamente anche a seguito di eventi sismici. Motivo per cui oggi il suo piano di calpestio è completamente costituito da accumuli di detriti rocciosi, in parte ricoperti da sedimenti terrosi dovuti ad apporti provenienti dall'esterno.

Lungo la gran parte delle pareti della vasta sala, e in modo particolare su quelle orientali, si osservano possenti e tozze stalattiti, da cui deriva, soprattutto nei periodi fortemente piovosi, un intenso stillicidio interno.

Ovunque qui, purtroppo, si scorgono profonde buche e accumuli disordinati di sedimenti, frutto dell'intensa attività degli scavatori clandestini la cui presenza nella cavità è attestata e segnalata da oltre sessant'anni a questa parte. Gli sterri rappresentano una vera piaga di questa grotta: oltre a rovinare lembi di giacimento ancora in situ, dislocano e disperdono reperti che, invece, potrebbero fornire importanti informazioni scientifiche.

Oltre il grande salone iniziale, allorché la penombra dipendente dalla vicina superficie cede definitivamente il passo all'oscurità, si raggiungono una serie di approfondimenti, di cui alcuni facilmente accessibili, altri molto meno.

Il buio completo, qui, permette ad una fauna diversificata di trovare un ambiente ideale per vivere. È possibile vedere chirotteri, che dimorano nella cavità con varie colonie, chiocciole penetrate nella grotta dall'esterno e poi adattatasi alla vita in profondità. E, ancora, le Dolichopoda, una cavalletta delle grotte, anch'essa una formidabile colonizzatrice dei settori ipogei più discosti dalla superficie.

I settori più profondi della grotta, peraltro, sono anche quelli che raccontano storie di vecchie visite effettuate nel sistema ipogeo. Tutta la parete di una condotta terminale, e la sala in cui essa sbocca, riportano centinaia di firme di coloro che, soprattutto agli inizi fino alla metà del secolo scorso, si internarono nella cavità per ammirarne le bellezze e le peculiarità interne.

Archeologia
Grotta Bella possiede un giacimento archeologico di grande interesse scientifico. Le tre campagne di scavo compiute dall'Università di Milano nei primi anni Settanta hanno messo in evidenza una sequenza stratigrafica riferita ad un periodo di circa 6000 anni, con fasi di frequentazione umana nell'età neolitica, durante l'età del Bronzo, quindi – oramai in tempi storici – in età preromana e romana.

Di particolare interesse risulta l'aspetto cultuale rivestito dalla grotta che, per un periodo di circa 1000 anni, dal VI secolo a.C. sino al V secolo d.C., svolse la funzione di importante centro religioso del territorio, come attestano numerose offerte votive tra cui questi splendidi bronzetti.

Le esplorazioni del Gruppo Speleologico Todi, svolte nel 1981, hanno permesso di scoprire un'area di frequentazione preistorica dapprima del tutto sconosciuta, che può fornire nuove importanti conoscenze sulla cavità. In uno di questi luoghi, ostile per i più, dove si arriva utilizzando corde e a costo del superamento di alcuni passaggi stretti e potenzialmente pericolosi, è stato scoperto, inaspettatamente, il cranio di un individuo di sesso femminile probabilmente di giovane età. Il cranio è semi-inglobato nella concrezione stalagmitica e parte della calotta è addirittura compresa nella calcite. Come si è potuto osservare, altri resti ossei sono evidenti a fianco del cranio: si tratta, in particolare, di frammenti di costole e le falangi delle mani, anch'essi variamente inglobati nella concrezione.

Parte della mandibola giace sotto il cranio, mentre nella zona più interna si riconoscono alcune vertebre toraciche. Con ogni evidenza si tratta di resti ossei umani che non sono capitati là casualmente. Questi resti giacciono in un luogo dove sono arrivati con le parti molli del cadavere ancora attaccate alle ossa. A tal riguardo due sono le ipotesi da prendere in considerazione: o si tratta di un individuo deposto intenzionalmente in quel luogo da altre persone (quindi una sepoltura intenzionale) oppure si tratta di un individuo che, pervenuto in quel luogo con le proprie gambe, vi sia infine rimasto intrappolato per cause che non conosciamo.

Un aspetto di grande interesse è l'età dei resti ossei: considerando che il cranio è parzialmente inglobato alla base e dentro una stalagmite alta circa 80 centimetri, se si considerano i tempi lentissimi di accrescimento delle concrezioni stalagmitiche, sembra logico ipotizzare una pertinenza dei resti umani ad età preistorica. Al momento non sappiamo quale sia il periodo di riferimento, ma contiamo sulle eventuali analisi scientifiche dei reperti ossei e lo studio antropologico del luogo di giacimento, per saperne di più nel prossimo futuro.

Un altro aspetto archeologico che attende risposte esaustive è la curiosissima e formidabile dispersione di tegole di età romana negli ambienti sotterranei. La quantità di tali manufatti è impressionante, assolutamente atipica per un contesto sotterraneo, e lascia prefigurare scenari interessanti.

Forse la grotta conteneva, nella sua fase d'utilizzo a fini cultuali, uno o più edifici con alzato ligneo (di cui oggi non resta alcuna traccia) e copertura con tegole di terracotta? Oppure tali tegole rappresentano ciò che resta di un sistema di raccolta e canalizzazione delle acque di stillicidio, abbondanti in tutto il salone d'ingresso nei periodi fortemente piovosi? Interrogativi di grande interesse, cui si potrà dare una risposta solo con futuri studi.

Note

Bella
Avigliano Umbro

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia