text:
Monthly archives: September, 2020
We Predict… The 2020-21 Season
ArsenalBayern MunichBundesligaChelseaFC BarcelonaFootballJuventusLa LigaLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedPredictionsPremier LeagueReal MadridSeason PredictionsSeason PreviewSerie ASigned MemorabiliaSoccerTottenham HotspurWe Predict...
Usually when we write the intro to our predictions blog we try to make an impassioned case for why the upcoming football season will be the very best and most exhilarating to date. But seeing as 2019/20 finished only what seems like fifteen minutes and two ad breaks ago we're going to cut to the chase: this season could be a difficult one to watch.
Hold up, we said could be. While there's every chance this season may be dogged by injury and fatigue owing to a unfathomably packed schedule (or cut short altogether) it could also be just as marvellous as ever. Think about it this way: with Pep, Frank, Ole and Jose on their tails, Liverpool are defending an English title for the first time in decades! Chelsea have bought a vast amount of exciting continental talent! Leeds United are back! The UEFA Champions League is as wide open as it has been for years! And there are still three episodes left of that Jose Mourinho documentary!
For all these reasons and more, we promise 2020/21 will be a lot of fun. And even if it isn't, we still get UEFA EURO 2020 for dessert next summer.
So, on the eve of opening weekend in the Premier League, we, the staff of Icons.com, are back after a year off from embarrassing ourselves with wayward predictions like Spurs finishing second and Jean Michael Seri being signing of the season for 2018/19. This year we hope to more accurately answer the burning questions keeping everyone awake at night. But don't just take our word for it, send us your predictions for the season ahead on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. As ever, you can hardly do much worse.
And, of course, be sure to check out our fantastic range of signed items from Premier League stars past and present – available right now on Icons.com. Now then, let's get to it…
Are Liverpool and Manchester City set to continue their dominance in England?
Edward Freedman, Non-Executive Chairman
Premier League winners: Pep Guardiola has learned from last year's mistakes and has added to his MANCHESTER CITY squad well enough to overturn Liverpool who need to strengthen and haven't. They don't have the depth. Keep an eye on Mikel Arteta's Arsenal – hanging on to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was huge for the Gunners.
2nd – Liverpool 3rd – Chelsea 4th – Arsenal
Relegated: Fulham, Newcastle United and Aston Villa
Golden Boot: GABRIEL JESUS has to step up this season with Leroy Sane gone and Sergio Aguero ageing. It's a bold choice but I don't want to be boring and go with Harry Kane!
Serie A winners: If Luis Suarez ends up in Turin expect him to further improve JUVENTUS with goals. The man loves a challenge!
La Liga winners: There will be big changes at FC BARCELONA and while I don't trust Ronald Koeman, I just see the club getting it right again. I don't want to bet against them in any way.
Bundesliga winners: How can anyone bet against BAYERN MUNICH? They're just a juggernaut who remind me of FC Barcelona at their 2011 peak.
UEFA Champions League winners: If Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann gel as well as they can, and Ansu Fati steps in to replace Suarez, FC BARCELONA get it done.
UEFA Europa League winners: I like NAPOLI here.
Signing of the season: KAI HAVERTZ could be the next Kevin De Bruyne. He's the signing that closes the gap to the top two.
Mark my words… Erling Braut Haaland will sign for FC Barcelona in January. He's a very marketable player and with all the departures at the club, the striker is just what they need.
Who can stop Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool from repeating their title heroics?
Dan Jamieson, CEO
Premier League winners: The best team of last season has not weakened. LIVERPOOL will top the table once again. City, definitely second best last year, now are without David Silva and Leroy Sane. Chelsea have made great signings on paper but it'll be too difficult to integrate them all at once.
2nd – Manchester City 3rd – Chelsea 4th – Manchester United
Relegated: Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United
Golden Boot: MOHAMED SALAH does the business for the champions.
Serie A winners: Yawn… JUVENTUS.
La Liga winners: Half yawn… REAL MADRID.
Bundesliga winners: Big yawn… BAYERN MUNICH.
UEFA Champions League winners: This year brings lucky number seven to LIVERPOOL.
UEFA Europa League winners: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR secure a UEFA Champions League spot by winning this one.
Signing of the season: I was excited to see TIMO WERNER at Anfield but I have to say less so now.
My team, Liverpool, will… will own our perch once again with English title number 20 and European crown number seven.
Mark my words… Pep Guardiola will be gone from Manchester City by the end of the season. Everyone will fall in love with Leeds United boss Marcelo Biesla and Lionel Messi will decide to stay at Barça til the end of his career.
Can Lazio upset the odds in Serie A?
Ben Soley, Sales and Marketing Manager
Premier League winners: I could list the top four in almost any order as this year's title race will be much closer than last year's with Manchester United and Chelsea strengthening so much. That said, I'm sticking with LIVERPOOL.
2nd – Manchester City 3rd – Manchester United 4th – Chelsea
Relegated: Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa
Golden Boot: PIERRE EMERICK-AUBAMEYANG and MOHAMED SALAH will share top spot again unless Sergio Aguero stays fit for more than 30 games. Expect a valiant first season effort from Timo Werner as well.
Serie A winners: LAZIO-POOL with Lucas Leiva, Pepe Reina and Luis Alberto leading the way.
La Liga winners: Though Lionel Messi's form will be as strong as ever, a fully-fit Eden Hazard and better organisation from top to bottom wins REAL MADRID back to back titles.
Bundesliga winners: The same old story in Germany as BAYERN MUNICH fend off Dortmund and one other several games from the finish line.
UEFA Champions League winners: MANCHESTER CITY will win an all-English final.
UEFA Europa League winners: AS ROMA take a UEFA Champions League spot with success in this tournament.
Signing of the season: Let's go with the obvious choice of TIMO WERNER. Adam Lallana at Brighton and Hove Albion will be a close second.
My team, Liverpool, will… go out of the League Cup early, have a wobble in the Premier League but still end up on 85+ points and win silverware. The front three will be disbanded at the end of the season.
Mark my words… Abdoulaye Doucoure will earn a big move within 18 months of arriving at Everton – perhaps to Paris Saint-Germain? Cambridge United win automatic promotion from League Two. Aleksandar Mitrovic will get sent off at least once with seven plus yellow cards.
Is it now or never for Steven Gerrard and Rangers?
Alistair Hunter, Senior Editor
Premier League winners: Sadly, LIVERPOOL haven't gone anywhere. It won't be quite the stroll last year turned out to be but it's clear Manchester City haven't invested in the right areas (no offence, Issa Kabore). Could a change at the top come just below the title race?
2nd – Chelsea 3rd – Manchester City 4th – Manchester United
Relegated: Brighton & Hove Albion, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa
Golden Boot: I love the idea of TIMO WERNER coming into the league and tearing it up. Christian Pulisic in particular is going to love feeding this guy.
Serie A winners: This is it. This is the year INTERNAZIONALE prise the Scudetto away from Juve.
La Liga winners: FC Barcelona are a mess and Real Madrid don't inspire me all that much. Perhaps it's time for the highest paid manager in the world to go one better than simply closing the gap. Believe it: I'm picking Joao Felix and ATLETICO MADRID.
Bundesliga winners: Only a mad man would go against BAYERN MUNICH, right? Even I'm not bold enough to predict a changing of the guard in three of the top four major European leagues.
UEFA Champions League winners: At some point PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN are finally going to get it right and I'll keep backing them until they finally do. We're entering into year four of me being stubborn about this.
UEFA Europa League winners: So, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR need to win a trophy and their manager is who exactly? Dare I say it's all or nothing in Europe's second tier.
Signing of the season: I can't decide between RODRIGO at Leeds United and JAMES RODRIGUEZ at Everton. I'll go heart over head and say James.
My team, Rangers, will… get the job done and finally win Scottish title number 55. Not only is it a must in 2021 to halt ten-in-a-row, it needs to be achieved while this particularly talented and somewhat expensive squad is still intact. Lest I give up on football and start following Kabaddi.
Mark my words… injury issues will plague a number of teams, not just in England, but all around Europe. We'll see Mohamed Salah decelerate towards his Anfield exit as he wallows in the absence of dressing room bestie Dejan Lovren. There will be a 6-3 scoreline in the Premier League.
Is this the year neither FC Barcelona nor Real Madrid win La Liga?
Jamie White, Online Content & Social Media Producer
Premier League winners: MANCHESTER CITY
2nd – Manchester United 3rd – Liverpool 4th – Chelsea
Relegated: Fulham, West Browich Albion and Brighton and Hove Albion
Golden Boot: Chelsea new boy TIMO WERNER will top the scoring charts in his debut season in England.
Serie A winners: JUVENTUS get it done once again.
La Liga winners: ATLETICO MADRID upset the odds to displace the top two.
Bundesliga winners: There's no question that it'll be BAYERN MUNICH.
UEFA Champions League winners: Instead of focussing on the Premier League, which was finally won last season, LIVERPOOL win big in Europe.
UEFA Europa League winners: Them again: I'm going with UEFA Europa League specialists SEVILLA.
Signing of the season: Having spent quite a lot time watching AFC Bournemouth I can tell you Nathan Ake is a terrific player and a superb signing for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. Timo Werner will also prove value for money.
My team, Liverpool, will… not be nearly as consistent in the Premier League but will instead focus on the UEFA Champions League.
Mark my words… null and void is coming. Another major breakout of Covid-19 will bring an early end to the season.
So, that's what we think will go down during this season's campaign. But what do you think? Send us your predictions by getting in touch via our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages!
For our full range of Premier League signed products check out icons.com now!


text:
119 Million Subscribers Have Access to the Internet - Danbatta
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has declared that 119 million subscribers now access the Internet in Nigeria as at April 2019.
He made the declaration to emphasize that broadband services are transforming the way and manner people live, work and play, and in patterns and tempo humanity never witnessed before.
This revolution according to the NCC Chief Executive, find expression in education, agriculture, healthcare, commerce, transportation, governance and other sectors of the economy.
Danbatta affirmed this recently at the 7th Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition which took place in Baze University, Abuja where he was represented by Abigail Sholanke, NCC's Director of Projects. Danbatta also noted that broadband penetration which stood at 8.50 percent as at 2015 had risen to 33.70 percent as at April 2019.
The EVC informed the audience that NCC has instituted a regulatory and licensing framework to further accelerate broadband availability, accessibility and affordability in Nigeria. The Commission has done so through auction of frequency spectrum in some bands as well as spectrum re-farming in order to optimise the resources. The NCC, according to the EVC, has also licensed Infrastructure Companies (Infraco) across the six geo-political zones in the country to facilitate the cascading of fibre to more remote areas of Nigeria.
Conclusively Danbattta therefore stressed the need for strategic collaborations between policy-making institutions and private sector players towards addressing the various challenges slowing down faster development of our digital ecosystem in Africa.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Biographical entry Iliffe, Michael Isaac Glover (1910 - 1994)
Michael Iliffe lectured in physics at the University of Adelaide for nearly thirty years. He also published at least two articles in the field.
Career position - Demonstrator in Physics at the University of Adelaide
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Adelaide
Career position - Research Assistant at the University of Adelaide
Career position - Physicist with the Radiophysics Laboratory at CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)
Career position - Lecturer in Physics at the University of Adelaide
Career position - Senior Lecturer in Physics at the University of Adelaide
'Iliffe, Michael Isaac Glover', in Physics in Australia to 1945, R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham, Australian Science Archives Project, June 1995, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/physics/P001703p.htm. Details
'Iliffe, Michael Isaac Glover (1910-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1473862. Details


Perhaps the Best Building lot on the Lake - You Simply Won't Believe It!ere.
Looking for that rare property on Lake Coeur d' Alene to build your estate home?
This is perhaps the most pristine site on what National Geographic once described as ''One of the Five Most Beautiful Lakes in the World''.
Build a home with huge panoramic lake & mountain views from 3 sides of Pugh Point. Great privacy with 6+ acres and over 1600 feet of walkable sandy waterfront wrapping from Half Round Bay around Pugh Pt with vast Southern exposure in Powderhorn Bay.
Easy access off Hwy 97. Walk or drive down to the beach and dock area on private drive!
Many recreational opportunities at the property, on the lake and in the region. Near Coeur d' Alene, Harrison ID, Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club and across the lake from The Golf Club at BlackRock. Drive to the Spokane International Airport. Forest Management plan lowers taxes.


I could list a whole bunch of excuses for why the comics are late, but I know that if I was reading a comic that did this I wouldn't really care, late is late, that's all that matters. What I will say is that you probably wouldn't want to read comics I rushed and half assed on anyways. I missed 6 updates, so you guys will get 6 extra comics, just not at once, at the moment I 'm considering doing 2 every Saturday until I've done all 6, but I might do something different. I know how annoying it is when comic authors don't update when they say they will, I really do. The good news however, is that school gets out in a couple weeks and then I'll have a lot more time to work on the comic. Once again I'm sorry for missing 6 days in a row, I going to work really hard to not let that happen again.


text:
Best Agribusiness colleges in Kansas
List all Agribusiness colleges in Kansas
Top schools offering Agribusiness degrees in Kansas
Best Agribusiness colleges in Kansas for 2022
Kansas State University offers 5 Agribusiness degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2019, 105 Agribusiness students graduated with students earning 73 Bachelor's degrees, and 32 Master's degrees.
Hays, KS
Fort Hays State University offers 3 Agribusiness degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a remote town. In 2019, 86 Agribusiness students graduated with students earning 86 Bachelor's degrees.
List of all Agribusiness colleges in Kansas
Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
Barton County Community College Great Bend, KS
Garden City Community College Garden City, KS
Cloud County Community College Concordia, KS
Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
Dodge City Community College Dodge City, KS
Butler Community College El Dorado, KS
Highland Community College Highland, KS
Coffeyville Community College Coffeyville, KS
Allen County Community College Iola, KS
Tabor College Hillsboro, KS
Agriculture Schools
Agricultural Business Operations Schools
Agricultural Business and Management Schools
Agricultural Production Operations Schools
Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling Schools


Read a pre-debate article (PDF File 120 KB), written by Dr Elaine Maxwell of the School of Health and Social Care.
Regulation is essential to ensure that our healthcare system is safe and reliable. Yet, too much regulation can have perverse consequences on practitioners, and cause more problems than it solves.
Regulation exists in many forms, and its stated purpose is always to protect the public. Many health professionals, however, experience long delays in the consideration of their cases. The cost of fitness to practise procedures for a fraction of the regulated workforce is borne by many who see little personal return on their registration fees.
Bringing together two highly respected figures in the nursing community, this debate focused on the balance between protecting the public and the professional burden that it imposes.
Jackie Smith, Chief Executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Jackie Smith was appointed as the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) Chief Executive and Registrar in October 2012. Before joining the NMC she worked for the General Medical Council for over ten years as an assistant director. She holds a degree in Law from the University of Wolverhampton and spent many years working for the Crown Prosecution Service at the Old Bailey and in the Director of Public Prosecutions Office.
Dr Peter Carter OBE, former Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing. Dr Peter Carter OBE is the former Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the world's largest professional union of nurses. The RCN has a membership of over 400,000 nurses, midwives, health visitors, nursing students, cadets and health care assistants. Before assuming the post of RCN General Secretary in January 2007 Dr Carter spent almost twelve years as the Chief Executive of the Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust, one of the largest mental health trusts in the UK and with an international reputation.


As I walked around my parked airplane, sweating in the 40 degree heat, I felt the cell phone vibrate in my pocket, and then heard the ringing a few seconds later. Slightly surprised to be getting a phone call in the middle of my flight program for the day, I pulled my phone out and glanced down at the screen to see who might be calling me now. My eyebrows lifted in surprise as I saw the caller ID telling me that it was our program manager on the other end of the line.
"We've just received word through some back channels that things are changing quickly in South Sudan. We would like you to finish up what you are doing there as quickly as possible and then head straight out of South Sudan. Don't be in such a rush as to attract attention, but be prompt. How is the security there right now? Is the police presence any different than usual?"
Taking a bit of a breath, and feeling my blood pressure beginning to rise, I looked around me. Things suddenly looked different than they did only a few seconds before. There are always a few soldiers at the airstrip with machine guns and it was difficult not to fixate on them. They were still sitting on a low wall talking and laughing with each other. I took another breath.
"No. Everything is normal. If anything it's a little bit more laid back and relaxed than things normally are."
I pressed the disconnect button on my phone and slid it back into my chest pocket. Taking a deep breath, I turned to my passengers and with a smile asked, "Who's next?"
Eight minutes later, I took another slow breath to slow my racing heart, and pulled the door of my plane closed beside me. I was thankful for the flows that we pilots learn for the start-up sequence, as my hands moved switches and levers almost of their own accord. As I taxied out, I made no radio calls and left my transponder off, doing nothing to attract any attention to myself or announcing my presence in any way. Turning around at the end of the runway, I moved the power lever forward and felt the aircraft surge forward underneath me. Acceleration never felt so good, and as my wheels left the ground and I climbed up above the treetops, I took yet another breath and felt my body begin to relax a little bit.
Fifteen minutes after liftoff, I watched the little line on the GPS move beneath the airplane icon on the screen and felt my self relax even more. I was now out of South Sudan and into East Democratic Republic of the Congo. For some, this might be taken as one of those "Out of the frying pan and into the fire" kind of moments, but I have never been so glad to cross into the DRC. Turning on my radios, I made my first radio call since landing back in Yambio.
"Fox-Fox, this is Sierra-Charlie-Oscar (SCO)."
"SCO, this is Fox-Fox, go ahead."
In those few brief moments, I could hear the relief in the voice of my wife on the other end of the radio. Karen was manning the flight following radio that morning, and the last little while had been quite stressful for her as well. After making my radio call and informing MAF Uganda of my flight details and estimated time of arrival, I continued climbing (a little higher than usual, I'll admit) and attempted to relax further as I settled into the two and a half hour flight back home to Kampala.
The story that I just told took place one Tuesday shortly before Christmas, as the political situation in South Sudan quickly deteriorated and the two groups began to make war with each other. As the situation in South Sudan continued to deteriorate, MAF Uganda began making daily flights up into the country, evacuating many of the missionaries that we support there. We also flew out many Kenyan, Ugandan, and Sudanese nationals out of South Sudan as they fled the violence that had suddenly erupted in front of them. As time has progressed, the initial violence has settled down a little bit, and we have begun to bring some of the missionaries back up into South Sudan. For the ones who live in the more volatile areas, though, they continue to wait and watch to see what is going to happen and continue praying for peace in this young country.
It has been tiring and difficult, but it is always a treat to see the relief on the faces of those who we have flown out of danger, and to hear the total thankfulness in their voice when we arrive back in Uganda. The total relief on the faces of the Sudanese refugees is something that we don't often see.
Please remember to pray for South Sudan and the people who remain there, especially the Sudanese who have no place to run to and who are simply struggling to survive the conflict. Pray for the missionaries who have left their homes and friends behind and who would love to be able to return to their places of ministry. Pray for MAF Uganda, Sudan and Kenya as we all fly into South Sudan regularly and move people and supplies from place to place.


text:
package org.apache.beam.runners.spark.structuredstreaming.metrics;

import org.apache.beam.runners.core.metrics.MetricsContainerStepMap;
import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.Nullable;

/**
 * Sole purpose of this class is to override {@link #toString()} of {@link MetricsContainerStepMap}
 * in order to show meaningful metrics in Spark Web Interface.
 */
class SparkMetricsContainerStepMap extends MetricsContainerStepMap {

  @Override
  public String toString() {
    return asAttemptedOnlyMetricResults(this).toString();
  }

  @Override
  public boolean equals(@Nullable Object o) {
    return super.equals(o);
  }

  @Override
  public int hashCode() {
    return super.hashCode();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Fit a UIView to screen I would like to add portrait orientation to an application. Is there a way to shrink or fit a UIView (created in a xib) to the screen?
I have landscape sized views in the xib files and would now like to set them to the opposite of using Interface Builder stretching (the center block).

Or is this possible in code?

A: In code, you can use self.myView.frame = self.view.bounds;. To make is stick that way, self.myView.autoresizingMask = UIViewAutoresizingStretchableWidth | UIViewAutoresizingStretchableHeight;

A: If you are adding this view to self.view in the XIB then there are two possibilities,

*

*If you have created full size view in XIB then You have to turn on all auto-resizing masks for fit to screen.

*If you have not created full size view in nib then you have to make origin of this view to x=0 and y=0. for settings of auto-resizing masks like you have done.

If you are adding this view to self.view using code then you have to set frames manually.

A: The solution for Swift 3 :
//define view size
self.mTableView.frame = self.view.bounds
//define resizing
self.mTableView.autoresizingMask = [UIViewAutoresizing.flexibleWidth, UIViewAutoresizing.flexibleHeight]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Obama's approach toward the Muslim world may be diplomatic but there needs to be more action.
Certainly, the equivalences were limited. Equating Palestinians and Israelis as "two peoples with legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history…" doesn't reflect the reality that Israel is an occupying power with specific obligations under the Geneva Convention, while Palestinians living under occupation are a protected population under international law. But in the context of decades of U.S. privileging of Israelis as the only ones who have suffered, equating the two was a major step forward.
As expected, Obama focused first on the historic contributions of Arabs and Muslims to global civilization and to U.S. culture and history. His articulation of U.S. policy – and particularly U.S. active obligations – on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were addressed only in broad strokes, although there was more detail regarding Iran.
The shift in discourse, away from justifying reckless imperial hubris, unilateralism and militarism and towards a more cooperative and potentially even internationalist approach was potent. The actual policy shifts were much smaller. It remains the work of mobilized people across the U.S. – starting with the millions who mobilized to build a movement capable of electing Barack Hussein Obama as President – to turn that new language into new policies – reversing the escalation and moving towards ending Obama's war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, ending the occupation of Iraq immediately rather than years from now, ending U.S. military aid to Israel and creating a policy based on an end to occupation and equality for all, launching new negotiations with Iran not based on military threats, implementing U.S. nuclear disarmament obligations, and more.
But on Afghanistan, Obama's own war, he continued to claim that "Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals," and that the U.S. invaded Afghanistan "because of necessity." He claimed "we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan" and "we seek no military bases there." But he went on that the U.S. troops are there because there are "violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can." This was a clear statement of intention to remain occupying or militarily engaged in those countries for a long time to come. As an after-thought, Obama added that "military power alone is not going to solve the problems" and bragged of a plan to invest $1.5 billion a year in Pakistan for schools and hospitals and refugee assistance, and that the U.S. is "providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy." That claim might have had legitimacy if it reflected more than a tiny pittance of the current $97 billion of war-funding the Obama administration has requested for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars just through September.
Obama's overall language was stronger than that of any earlier U.S. president: Israel "must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's." His description of Palestinian suffering went beyond earlier U.S. accounts, including references to 60 years of "the pain of dislocation" and "the displacement brought about by Israel's founding." And he described the Palestinians' situation as "intolerable." His definition of the "legitimate Palestinian aspiration," however, was limited to "dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own," and despite the reference to Palestinian refugees and 60 years of dislocation, he did not mention the right of return.
Obama mentioned Israel's obligations only as statements – "Israel must also live up to its obligation…" "Israel must acknowledge," etc. He did not, in the crucial weakness of the speech, make any U.S. commitment to insuring that compliance – such as conditioning all or even part of the $3 billion annual U.S. military aid to Israel on a complete settlement freeze or other adherence to other aspects of U.S. or international law.
Similarly, regarding the Arab peace initiative, Obama ignored the reality that the initiative's starting point – a complete Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders – has never been implemented. Instead he demanded that the Arab states "must recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities." He called on them to "help the Palestinian people develop the institutions that will sustain their state, to recognize Israel's legitimacy, and to choose progress over a self-defeating focus on the past," as if it were a Palestinian choice, rather than the consequence of continuing Israeli occupation and apartheid, that make creation of a Palestinian state impossible.
Obama did move the discourse significantly by his linking the Palestinian struggle to that of the U.S. civil rights movement and those in South Africa. While Obama referred only to the non-violent nature of those struggles, and didn't explicitly describe the Palestinian struggle for human rights as a civil rights or anti-apartheid struggle, those parallels are now part of the U.S. framework for understanding the fight for Palestinian rights. This gives new legitimacy to the anti-apartheid and "BDS" (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) movements that shape the global civil society mobilizations in support of Palestinian equality.
The Iran discussion was perhaps the most significant in actual policy terms. Obama again turned to his pattern of equivalence, describing the U.S. "role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government" and Iran's role in "acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. troops and civilians." While that's hardly an equal comparison, for a U.S. president to take full responsibility for the overthrow of a government and link it to Iran's later actions, is a huge step forward.
And on the prospects for diplomacy, Obama used language that parallels almost word-for-word the way Iran intellectuals, diplomats and government officials describe what Iran is looking for in future negotiations: "we are willing to move forward without preconditions on the basis of mutual respect." That commitment to respect, and the lack of a preliminary demand for what Iran must acquiesce to, could be the hallmark of a potential new diplomatic process. He didn't, unfortunately, call for a regional peace conference, involving all countries in the region including Iran, to replace his current call for Arab governments to join the U.S. and Israel in a regional anti-Iran alliance.
Importantly, Obama did restate the U.S. commitment "to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons." And he stated officially that "any nation – including Iran – should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty." Unfortunately, Obama simultaneously indicated an old-style unilateralist super-power approach to U.S. and international obligations to that treaty (NPT). He described the "core of the treaty" as the commitments of those nations wanting access to peaceful nuclear power not to seek nuclear weapons – Article IV of the NPT. But he made no mention of the reciprocal and at least equally (if not more) important Article VI – which requires the recognized nuclear weapons states – including the United States – to move towards comprehensive nuclear disarmament. So Obama's own commitment to "seeking" nuclear abolition is not linked to recognition of an actual treaty obligation to end Washington's own nuclear arsenal.
He also didn't call for a Middle East-wide nuclear weapons-free and weapons of mass destruction-free zone, as called for in the U.S.-backed Article 14 of Security Council resolution 687 that ended the 1991 Gulf War. Such a call would have included the need to disarm Israel's dangerous 100-300 high-density nuclear weapons, and at least tacitly recognized the destabilizing impact that nuclear arsenal in fomenting a Middle East nuclear arms race.
Phyllis Bennis is a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies. Her most recent book is Ending the Iraq War: A Primer.


text:
Google plans to split $5M among Canada's 10 most innovative non-profits
Eric Emin Wood
Google Canada managing director Sam Sebastian addresses the audience the company's inaugural startup conference, Go North, on Oct. 28.
TORONTO – Google Inc. wants to make 10 Canadian non-profit organizations very happy.
On Friday the company revealed it was bringing philanthropic arm Google.org's Impact Challenge to Canada for the first time.
"Google's always believed that technology can change the world and has the power to transform lives," Sam Sebastian, Google Canada's managing director, told the audience at the very end of the company's inaugural Canadian startup conference, Go North. "So we developed a competition that would help us identify and support non-profit organizations that are harnessing the power of technology to… change the world."
Previously run in seven other countries, including Japan, India, and the U.S., the Impact Challenge is a nationwide competition that invites non-profits to submit technology-based projects for consideration by a panel of judges – and the public. The top projects chosen are then given a series of grants from Google.
In Canada's case, the top five organizations will receive $750,000 grants, while five additional finalists will receive $250,000 each – $5 million total.
And as Sebastian was quick to point out, Google won't simply be cutting a cheque – the company's staff will be supporting winners as well.
"We're going to have our talent… rolling up our sleeves and working on projects with folks," he said. "We're going to help bring some of these great ideas to fruition."
Eight judges, including Minister of Canadian Heritage Melanie Joly, author and War Child Canada/War Child USA founder Samantha Nutt, author and professor Joseph Boyden, NHL player and philanthropist P.K. Subban, and Google executives Don Harrison and Jacquelline Fuller will evaluate the projects based on four criteria:
Impact: How will the proposal improve lives? If successful, how many people will be affected and to what extent?
Technology/Innovation: Does the proposal use technology in a new and creative way to address its chosen issue?
Scalability: If successful, how easily can the project scale, or serve as a model for other efforts?
Feasibility: Does the team have a realistic, well-researched plan outlining how they plan to execute their proposal?
The company is looking for projects that use technology to solve a specific social problem. However, they don't need to use Google tech and they don't need to be developed especially for the challenge; organizations can apply with projects that already works in progress.
On March 6 the judging panel will announce the competition's 10 finalists, who will then be invited to pitch their projects at an event in Toronto.
The judges will ultimately select four of the winners, while the public will choose the fifth through an online vote that will run between March 6 and 28.
"We have huge expectations of what Canada can deliver through this impact challenge," Sebastian said. "We're as ambitious as we've ever been in this country, but you pair that with an openness and a humanitarianism that I just don't think you can find anywhere else around the world, and… amazing things can happen."
Nonprofit organizations across Canada are invited to submit their proposals to Google before Nov. 26. Winners will be announced on March 30, 2017. More information can be found here.
Google Canada
Google.org
Former editor of ITBusiness.ca turned consultant with public relations firm Porter Novelli. When not writing for the tech industry enjoys photography, movies, travelling, the Oxford comma, and will talk your ear off about animation if you give him an opening.
3 insights for advertisers from Google's Canadian DoubleClick leadership summit [infographic]
Is Toronto a better startup environment than Silicon Valley? Google's engineering head thinks so
Hashtag Trending January 30- Big Tech face pressure over AI; Intel's devastating...
Hashtag Trending January 26th- Layoffs hit IBM and SAP, smartphone shipments decline,...
Google monopolizes online advertising, U.S. alleges in antitrust lawsuit
Hashtag Trending January 25th- DOJ files lawsuit against Google, Microsoft checking...
More from Eric Emin Wood
How former tech exec Robert Buren is digitally transforming mentorship
Eric Emin Wood - October 4, 2018
Procure some digital transformation tips from the September 2018 Municipal Interface
Eric Emin Wood - September 20, 2018
How the Esri platform helps the City of Cambridge reduce drug waste


text:
Catlin, George "Mah-to-toh-pa. (The four Bears) 2nd Chief of the Mandans."
George Catlin. "Mah-to-toh-pa. (The four Bears) 2nd Chief of the Mandans." From James C. Prichard's The Natural History of Man.
London: Hippolyte Balliere, [1844]. Octavo (9 1/2" x 5 1/2" full sheet). Etching. Original hand color. Very good condition.
About the same time that Catlin was having his portfolio produced, James Prichard borrowed a number of the images of Catlin's paintings for his scientific publication, the Natural History of Man. Prichard began the research for his study in 1813, intending to establish that the human race originally was all dark-skinned. He modified this view over the years, but still concluded that the human race was all one species, one family. Eventually Prichard gathered all available research about various races of humankind and his work became an important foundation for modern ethnological science. Included in Prichard's History were fine portraits of different human races taken from original drawings of various artists, most notably these by George Catlin. Based on first hand studies made in the field by Catlin, these prints provide us with some of the most authentic images of Plains Indians from the mid-nineteenth century.
https://philaprintshop.com/products/catlin-george-mah-to-toh-pa-the-four-bears-2nd-chief-of-the-mandans


Influences: Elton John, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Sam Smith, Martina McBride, Sarah McLachlan, The Eagles, Ed Sheeran, Rob Thomas, Stevie Nicks, Adele, Gloria Estefan, people...life.
Looking forward to sharing and listening to your music!
Hi Kristi, thank you, I'll be in touch. Have a wonderful weekend.
Hi Kristi, thank you for your kind note. As always I'll keep you posted if any of our collaboratins have demos. Looking forward to collaborating again and happy to collaborate any time. I have some new compositions I recently recorded so I'll listen and see if I could send you anything for your consideration unless you are busy. Please let me know. Thank you.
Hi Kristi, thank you so much for your beautiful comment on It's Okay To Cry. I can't believe we didn't collaborate this time around. We still have songs though I'd love to have vocals for. Wishing you a very happy Spring.
I have music to "I Am Fighting" if you want to list me as collaborator.
Thank you so much fpor continous support and the kind words on mine and Cindys collab.
I got behind on some of my listens. So happy I got back! Two of my talented favs! Brilliant!
Thank you for your kind comments on, "I've Heard It All! Say It Again!!". I really appreciate them!
Thanks for you comments on "Really Meant to Be"!
Thank you for your kind words on "Barbra", really glad to see people connecting with that song.
Hi Kristi, I'm glad you liked our song. I'm so rusty on my guitar I hesitated even trying it. But great lyrics pulled it along.
Thanks! I had a go at A long time ago and would have harmonised, but I was just so happy to get through it first time round, that I left it as is. I hope I have managed to capture the melancholy in the lyrics and that you don't hate it.
Thank you for the listen and kind comments regarding The One Who Catches Me.
Hey Kristi - thanks for your kind words on The Cave of Old Forgotten Women. I have been feeling a little out of the FAWM loop this year! Will take some time to listen soon as well!
Thank you Kristi, for your kind and knowlegeable comments on my collab with @maddie!
Thank you for your comment on the Bon Odori music!
Hi Kristi and thanks. I really need to post some new songs so it's a rough demo. I'll get to it and post it in an hour or so. It's a nice slightly country influenced melodic pop song.
Thank you for your comment on Bon Odori! I need to get a demo done so I can send it to our Obon dance teachers to look at. I figured if the Japanese dancers can dance their own versions of samba and fandango they should be able to come up with something fun!
Thanks for listening to and commenting on 'Step into the Twilight night', Kristi!
Thanks, Kristi! Blood Wolf Moon is finally posted with music! Phew!
Thanks for listening to our jazz tune. We both had fun with it!
Thanks for listening to Red Rose Valentine, Cindy's lyric were very good. I am looking at your lyric as well.
Thanks so much for your kind comment on my collab with Nadia! I really appreciate it. We're still looking for someone who wants to sing.
Thanks for listening, and you nice comments Kristi!
Thank you for your kind words on "The Journey".
Thank you for your comment on Bucket List!
That's because your doubly good! 😀 Happy FAWM!
Ah;KRISTI !!!----Yep on cold -------Just a suggestion but why don;t you write a couple love songs this year????
Hi Kristi, yes I think everyone was missing the challenge. Looking forward to your new amazing lyrics.
Hey Kristi, good to know you'll be sharing your lyrics here. Have another great fawm!
Hey Girl!! Hope you will be dusting off the pen!!!


text:
Analogue Modelling
Structural Interpretation
Virtual Outcrop
My Instagram Profile
My Twitter Profile
RISE – the Role and Influence of Salt in the Evolution of fold and thrust belts
Aerial view of the Mânzălești salt diapir and Meledic plateau (for more info, see Tămaș et al. 2021).
Postdoctoral project financed by UEFISCDI – PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2021-0165
Project manager: Dr. Dan Mircea TĂMAȘ (danmircea.tamas@ubbcluj.ro)
Duration of the project: 01.04.2022-31.03.2024
Abstract: The scope of this project (RISE – the Role and Influence of Salt in the structural Evolution of fold and thrust belts) is quantifying the deformation of rocksalt and its influence on the structural evolution of fold and thrust belts. To achieve our goals, we will focus on the Romanian Carpathians and Transylvanian Basin. First, we will create and analyse high-resolution 3D models of fold structures in world-class outcrops in salt mines, reproduce the evolution of these salt structures by means of scaled analogue modelling and collect samples for microstructural analysis. This is the first integrated study combining such techniques in Romania and one of the few worldwide. The results of the microstructural analysis will be compared with the different structural settings exposed in mines and in rock salt layers with different strains and different rheological contrasts, as determined from fold morphologies. This, coupled with scaled analogue modelling experiments, will provide crucial insights into the deformation history, mechanical properties, paleo-stress, recrystallization and will provide improved quantitative models of rheology and evolution of the different salt structures in Romania and worldwide.
Project objectives: The main research questions of this study are: What is the kinematic evolution of the salt structures in Romania? Can a combination of regional, mesoscale and microstructural analysis be used to understand the kinematics and structural style of the diapirs in Romania and worldwide?
The objectives of this research project are 1) the characterisation of salt microstructure, composition, fabric and kinematics and 2) linking them to the analogue models and 3D reconstructed models of salt mines and outcrops in Romania. These objectives are highly relevant for understanding salt deformation worldwide and understanding the link between the salt fabric, composition and fold behaviour, especially now, with the renewed interest in salt tectonics worldwide.
List of publications:
Schléder, Z., Lăpădat, I.A., Trandafir, G., Fernandez, O., Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Filipescu, S., Krézsek, C., Rădoiaș, M.A. and Vasiliu, M., 2023, Structural inheritance and style within the Getic Depression, South Carpathians, Romania. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 106068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2022.106068
Bercea, R.I., Balc, R., Tămaș, A., Filipescu, S., Tămaș, D.M., Guillong, M., Szekely, S.F., Lukacs, R. 2023. Insights into the palaeoenvironments, structure and stratigraphy of the lower Miocene of the Eastern Carpathians Bend Zone, Romania. Geological Quarterly, 67(2), 25-50. http://doi.org/10.7306/gq.1673
List of conference presentations:
Tămaș, D. M., Adamuszek, M., Tămaș, A., Barabasch, J., and Urai, J. L., 2023, The role and control of impurities in the deformation of salt (Ocnele Mari salt mine, Romania). Tectonics Studies Group Conference, Leeds, UK.
Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A. 2022, Importance of salt in energy transition: can machine learning help us to better constrain the geometries of salt bodies? "Ion Popescu-Voitești" Annual Scientific Session, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Schléder, Z. and Krézsek, C. 2022, Coupling machine learning and subsurface data to define the geometry of a salt diapir: Eastern Carpathian Bend Zone. Seismic Encounters I – Budapest, Sept. 2022.
Copoț, B., Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Krézsek, C., Schleder, Z., Lapadat, A. and Filipescu S., 2022, Effects of multiple detachments in thin-skinned fold and thrust belts: insights from analogue modelling. EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-11360
Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Barabasch, J., Rowan, M.G., Schleder, Z., Krézsek, C. and Urai, J.L., 2022, Do diapirs ever lose their heads? Insights from the Romanian Eastern Carpathians. EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-4498
structuralmg.com


Quick update for everyone, four news items here a couple of which will make my Kickstarter contributors happy.
The Archer, the Horse and the Princess now the 3rd most Downloaded Fairy Tale on the Nook!!!
The Girl & Troll available for $0.99 in eBook format in the Apple iBookstore, Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords Multi eReader Formats.


text:
Has Marvel Fallen Off?
Tahlia Asarese, Staff Reporter
Do you love action movies with comedy in them? Well the Marvel franchise might just be the perfect match for you! Unless you've read the comics. Ever since Kevin Feige announced that Marvel is now entering phase 4 of its franchise, these movies have been a major let down to not only the Marvel comic lovers of their community, but their long lasting MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) fans that they have been forming since the first movie in phase one, Iron Man.
One reason why Marvel is so popular is because they come out with all these movies and then piece them together to form one big story. While producing all these movies at such a fast pace keeps the fans wanting more, it tends to also rush production and cause holes within the storylines, thus making it harder for new fans to join when they are first introduced to the MCU by a movie like Thor Ragnarok, that's in the middle of the storyline and have no idea what's happening, everything is so engraved into each other, with the exception of the new TV show Moon Knight, newer fans can easily get overwhelmed and nobody would blame them.
When asked ¨What is something in the MCU that can be improved?,¨ Alyssa Parker, a 10th grade student at South Hadley High School, replied ¨They should work on their storyline and stop making dog water¨, referring to the rushed storylines. That seems like a recurring theme in the newer movies, along with TV shows. Marvel has so many movies that they have to describe each movie with a phase just so it can be easier when talking about. Talk about overload. With all these plans for the future, not just the storylines get rushed. An article made by Gizmodo not only gives us insight on the marvel VFX (Visual effects) team, but gives us a new perspective on what is happening with VFX artists everywhere.
Another student at South Hadley High School, Alannah Mackay, when asked ¨What is something in the MCU that can be improved?¨ replied ¨CGI should be improved,¨ referencing the rushed VFX that the producers of the Marvel Studio have been giving out unrealistic expectations to the Artists working with Marvel in such a short time frame. Now the VFX team is going to be pushed to their limits with the new Multiverse mayhem going on, and already more talk about phase 6. It's clear to see what's going to happen in the future if Marvel doesn't slow it down. Maybe if they just slowed it down and started looking for an ending point, I'm sure we all wouldn't mind a break from this superhero overload.
Don't get me wrong. Who doesn't love a good comedy? But in Marvel they have a tendency to put humor where it doesn't belong. For instance, in Thor Love and Thunder, when Jane passes away it doesn't really have that sad feeling to it because Jane is a character that was inconsistent in the Thor movies. But in Thor Ragnarok we hear that she just broke up with him? Then right when she and Gorr (the main villain in Thor Love and Thunder) are both dying and Gorr needs to make a wish, a lot of people thought he was going to save Jane and have her be back in the Marvel franchise alongside Thor so he could have someone to confide in since all of his family members are dead (keep in mind this: Thor's Loki is indeed dead). But no, her death gets pushed to the side again and we are met with another new young addition to the MCU, making it impossible for us to feel emotion for Jane because we are quickly met with a new shocking surprise. Marvel has begun to kill off its older characters rather than giving them a proper retirement or just going away to live in peace.
I enjoy seeing all these new characters in Marvel as much as the next guy but they're going about it in all the wrong ways. A good story needs tension and resolution to help these characters grow, like confiding in other people around them to not only give them so semblance of closure, but to also give the audience a better understanding of the character. Many fans have fallen in love with the original characters of the MCU and are mad about not having a conclusion to the characters' stories that they need. Characters like Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers finally had a fulfilling character arc that led to a sense of happiness that their characters can finally be put to rest, but with their other characters not so much. For instance, Bruce Banner´s transformation into Professor Hulk felt out of character for Bruce considering he hated that side of him. Then come to find out in the new She Hulk Attorney At Law he can't turn back into Bruce on his own. He needs a special device to change back into Banner? What? Along with other characters, like how Sam Wilson was a person who didn't get a lot of screen time, but when he did he was a cool, fun-loving guy who just wanted to keep his friends safe. Then later on we learn that he is a character that a lot of people out there can relate to, but as the story goes on, Steve Rogers giving him the shield felt just odd. I did not feel the friendship between Sam and Steve. I mean the only time we really get to see them together is Avengers Civil War with Sam blindly following Steve to the very end and getting Sam locked in the Raft because of a war between all of them which probably could have been avoided.
Marvel has a lot of great ideas for their stories but when it comes down to it, it's all about the money. Let's hope that Marvel just might see what they're doing to their movies, or they might just not do anything about it and continue making these disappointing storylines. When it all comes down to it though, we all need to hope that the new Black Panther Wakanda forever (coming out November 11, 2022) will break the curse.
The problem of women basketball players wearing mens basketball shoes
Dunkin vs. Starbucks: Who Has the Best Peppermint Mocha?
Kanye West Doesn't Deserve His Platform
Why is Fashion So Important
Climate Change; What can we do about it?
Texas Shooting Highlights Need for Gun Control Laws
Roe vs. Wade Overturned
Teen Mental Health & Relationships
Social Media: The Uprising Problem
Weight Room Opinions


Hard water results from high levels of calcium and magnesium in water. It's a natural occurrence that affects over 85% of the water supply in North America. Hard water minerals stick to everything water touches, and do more than leave an unsightly residue - they can actually harm your home and cost you money! Locate hard water in Fayetteville NC, Wilmington NC, and Greenville NC and the surrounding areas using the map below.


text:
Blogger News Network
High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news.
About BNN
BNN Radio
US Grant and the Railroad
Login & Write!
India's biggest sporting event takes off to a colourful start
by shantanudutta in All News, Country News, India News, International Sport, Shantanu Dutta Plagiarism Scandal, Sports News
Attention – Due To Allegations of Plagiarism, This Article Is Highly SuspectÂ
Congress president Sonia Gandhi declared the 33rd National Games open here Friday evening amid clamorous cheering from the 30,000-strong crowd at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium. For once the rejuvenated spirit of the culturally vibrant state of Assam came to the fore, brushing aside the recent orgies of bloodbath by a separatist group, as it showcased snippets from its vast heritage reservoir. The weather that had threatened to play spoilsport also gave way. Nothing could deter the spirit of the spectators and participants – not even a bomb blast that rocked a railway station in the morning. With a cool breeze blowing across the stadium, in the Sarsujai Sports Complex, host Assam was fortunate to have a perfect setting for the evening, which saw the nation's largest sports festival colourfully open.
In his speech, a proud Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, recollected the difficulties that the state had faced in the run up to the games. "Today is a red letter in the history of Assam and an epoch-event that is going to put the state in the sports map of the country. In spite of our financial constraints, floods, insurgency, we have overcome all hurdles on the way to organise this mega sporting event," he said. Noted Assamese singer Khagen Mahanta and his troupe presented the welcome song and it was followed by colourful dance by the local school children. Assam's classical dance form, the Sattriya and the vivacious Bihu dance, were also presented in their splendid best.
The stadium literally went up to a hysterical height of exhilaration when the cute mascot Rongmon, the rhinoceros, entered the stadium to take the centre stage accompanied by 100 little girls. The mascot also responded back to the cheering crowd by waving its hand and blowing away a series of flying kisses. Rongmon's entry was one of the much-awaited moments for the spectators. The Indian Air Force participated in the gala event from the skies as three MI-17 helicopters displayed a fly past enthralling the spectators with petal showers from a height of about 3,000 feet.
The spectators warmly greeted the paratroopers as they landed on the ground. The paratroopers jumped from a height of 7,000 feet and formed different formations including that of the tricolour. The team march past took place with Andaman and Nicobar leading the way with hosts Assam in the last. Arjuna awardee and Asian Games gold medallist Bhogeshwar Barua lit the games torch. Union Home minister Shivraj Patil and Indian Olympic Association Suresh Kalmadi were present on the occasion.
Click Below To Rate This Post:
No user commented in " India's biggest sporting event takes off to a colourful start "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackback
Username (*required)
Email Address (*private)
Website (*optional)
BloggerNews On The Air
We are pleased to announce our latest endeavor, Blogger News is now sponsoring some radio shows on Blog Talk Radio. You can check our full schedule, and listen to previous broadcasts here, and we hope that you will join us on the air in this new venture.
Listen to internet radio with Simon Barrett on BlogTalkRadio
Most Recent Articles:
4 Cool Ways to Get More People to Shop at the Mall
6 Practices You Can Adapt to Make Your Business Eco-Friendly
Review: At Their Own Game: A SpoCompton Crime Novel by Frank Zafiro
Review: Robert B. Parker's Angel Eyes: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins
Blogger News Network is © 2008 Local Info Company


An oaked classic fashioned from the King of grapes. Black currants, plums, and tobacco are the flavors that best describe this timeless grape. It is a full-bodied dry red that goes well with steaks, BBQ, and your favorite red sauces.


G. Willow Wilson is a blogfriend of mine who used to post at Eteraz.org. She's just published her first book, a graphic novel titled Cairo ($16.49 at Amazon; hardcover, 160pp), which is illustrated by M. K. Perker. While I have some constructive criticisms of the work (which I'll get to a bit later), I want to emphasize right up front that Cairo is a fabulous read that is well worth picking up, particularly if you have an interest in fantasy literature and/or the Middle East peace process.
The story begins with Ashraf, an Egyptian drug-runner, as he attempts to dispose of a hookah he collected from the lair of a drug lord. Only after he pawns the item to an American traveler, however, does he discover that it's a magic hookah, and that if he doesn't get it back, very bad things could happen to people he cares about. What follows is a delightful romp through the streets of Cairo, deep into the Pyramids, and in the subterranean world of the Undernile. Along the way, we encounter a cast of zany and personality-filled characters including an out-of-luck genie, a would-be suicide bomber, a naive American journalist (modeled, perhaps, on Wilson herself), and a tough-yet-fragile female Israeli soldier.
Before I talk about Wilson's writing, I should mention the artwork, because it is mind-blowingly outstanding. Perker's style is based in well-worn comic-book traditions -- his depictions of demons and the evil drug lord could come right out of old Spiderman comics -- but he adds outstanding visual techniques that draw the reader forcefully into the action of the story. A few examples are his use of shifting perspectives -- at times we appear to be looking through the eyes of some of the characters, as when we watch a female character's feet while she removes her veil -- and his technique of building two sequential frames around a single drawing of an individual, which gives the impression that the reader is revolving around the character to see the entirety of the action. Beyond these tricks, Perker's vivid illustrations make the reader feel as if he is actually in the streets of Cairo, a real thrill for those who, like me, have never visited the Middle East. My only quibble with Perker is in his depiction of Tova, the Israeli soldier; his attempt at rendering ethnically Jewish features often makes the character look ugly rather than distinctive.
Against this vivid backdrop, Wilson spins a memorable tale of magical battles and human interactions. Her fertile imagination and whimsical wit imbues all the characters with an infectious spirit which renders them at once believable and three-dimensional. None is more astutely portrayed than Ashraf, whose brusque, street-smart persona masks a humanity and leadership ability that is eventually revealed in the late pages of the book. Ashraf is the fulfillment of every writer's dream: a fully-drawn, completely realistic character who undergoes a persuasive transformation and brings the reader right along with him. Not all of Cairo's characters attain this exalted brilliance (again, Tova in particular seems somewhat caricatured to me), but all are still impressive and very endearing. In fact, the book is probably most notable for how memorable its characters are and how human and likable they seem even to the skeptical reader; as a moderate supporter of Israel politically, I didn't expect to enjoy characters like Ashraf and his friend Ali, a Caironese alternative newspaper publisher, as much as I did, nor did I anticipate having these figures and their interactions stick in my head for days after reading Cairo.
In addition to her memorable characters, Wilson also excels at creating a narrative out of a mixture of fantasy, mythology, and documentary-like reality. Imagine a cross between Brian Jacques' Redwall, Joss Whedon's "Firefly," and the Indian film Monsoon Wedding, and you've got a general picture of the sort of off-the-wall storytelling Wilson is doing here. Unlike fantastical elements in many fantasy-inflected works, the genies and demons in Cairo don't seem at all out of place in the realistic world of drug-runners and border guards in which the story takes place. Instead, they both add to the exoticism of the setting and provide Wilson with a shrewd way of getting at the higher motivations of the hard-bitten realists the novel portrays. Wilson's hit on an excellent strategy here: myths and religious traditions represent the basic hopeful yearning of even the most jaded and downtrodden people, and using Muslim allegory to argue for peace in the Middle East, as Cairo rather blatantly does, is a very effective way of breaking through entrenched emotional resistance to the ideas of peace and humanity Wilson espouses. These sections are some of the strongest in the book.
A previous reviewer commented that "Wilson's talent as a writer and an agent of change cannot be denied." I'm in complete agreement about her literary talent, but I'm not so sure about the "agent of change" part. While I hesitate even to make this criticism given how much Wilson has risked by even discussing these issues openly, I think Cairo is not pitched correctly to move recalcitrant hearts and minds in the Middle East. Wilson's discussion of the destructiveness of conflict in the Middle East is imbued with the eager preachiness of youth, a flaw I too often find in my own writing -- we young people want to state our truths too directly, without realizing that the skeptics have heard it all before and require a fresh portrayal. Wilson needs to develop a language like that used by Orwell in Animal Farm, where the allegories and allusions of the story show the message without need for the editorial comment she so greatly overuses in the later sections of the book.
Perhaps more importantly, readers who sympathize with the more extreme camps on either side of the Israel question -- whom polls show are the majority in both Israel and Palestine -- will not recognize themselves in any of the characters. Tova, the Israeli soldier, takes a principled stand against the Israeli settlements in the West Bank; none of the Muslim characters has any interest in eradicating Israel from the map, with the exception of the American wannabe suicide bomber, Shaheed, who comes off as an idealistic outsider rather than a native embittered by a lifetime of coexistence with the Israeli army. There's little attempt in this book to integrate Hizballah or Likud supporters into the happy picture of harmony, yet those are the people who drive the debate and control the levers of power in the region. It's relatively easy to show how moderate Arabs and Israelis can solve the problems of the Middle East, but I would have liked to see Wilson draw on her unique experience as a former resident to try to humanize the extremists and show a path for them, too, to find peace.
Again, I've been harsh in these critiques in an effort to be constructive, not to condemn the book in any way. Cairo is an excellent first effort by Wilson, who is clearly someone to keep an eye on in the future, and is a delightful and meaningful read that will leave you contemplating the characters and the story, as I have been, for days after you finish it. You'll be left wanting more reading material by this young author, who will, I think, swiftly develop into one of the major writers of her generation on Middle Eastern issues.
his attempt at rendering ethnically Jewish features often makes the character look ugly rather than distinctive.
" as a moderate supporter of Israel politically, I didn't expect to enjoy characters like Ashraf and his friend Ali, a Caironese alternative newspaper publisher, as much as I did"
um...what exactly is the "political" hindrance to enjoying "aesthetic" creations such as Ashraf or Ali? Are people who are politically critical of Israel barred from enjoying Etgar Keret?
The comic book sounds intriguing, nonetheless.
Ahistoricality, as an ethnic half-Jew myself, I'm sure you're right, but let me put it this way: I could tell what kind of features Perker was trying to get at, and I don't think he succeeded. Sorry for the Potter Stewart defense ("I know it when I see it"), but I think it eliminates some of the language you, probably rightly, found troubling.
Manan, I knew (from reading Willow's blog) that the book had a distinct political point of view and portrayed Arabs as the main characters. As a supporter of Israel, I expected to find the Arab characters portrayed in a manner I found uncomfortable -- in a way that indicated that their point of view was somehow superior to that of Israelis, for instance. That didn't happen.


text:
News AC Schnitzer-Tuned BMW 5 Series Is M5 Powerful
AC Schnitzer-Tuned BMW 5 Series Is M5 Powerful
AC Schnitzer BMW 5 Series | Photo: AC Schnitzer
If, for some reason, you don't want an M5 but desire the power, AC Schnitzer will deliver
AC Schnitzer pulls 620 horsepower from the M550i's turbo V8.
They offer a complete list of aero upgrades for both the sedan and the wagon.
Based in Aachen, Germany, AC Schnitzer is another well-established tuner of European cars and Toyotas. They are best known for building impressive BMWs and they've just released their collection of tuning upgrades for the new BMW 5 Series.
As can be expected, AC Schnitzer will visually upgrade the 5 Series will a complete aerodynamic kit that features side-sill extensions, rear spoilers, diffusers, and, of course, various wheels sized between 19- and 21 inches. We use the plural for the accessories as they are offered for both the sedan and the sublime station wagon. A lowering suspension, which drops the 5 Series by 30mm or 1.2 inches, is another option.
At the moment, AC Schnitzer has engine tuning options for the petrol-powered 540i and M550i. According to formacar.com, the 6-cylinder's output grows to 400 horsepower from the standard 335. The M550i's power shoots to 620 horsepower from 523, which places nearly on par with the current M5 Competition with its 617 horsepower.
If you are in the market for a new BMW M5, know that AC Schnitzer's previous M5 tune extracted 720 horsepower…
Get Ready for Less Wait Times and Lower Prices With Ford's 2023 Mustang Mach-E Plans
Price cuts range from $4,750 - $8,500 depending on the model. Ford will increase Mach-E production for 2023. Ford recently announced plans to significantly...
EPA Says the Hyundai IONIQ 6 can Drive up to 581 Kilometers on a Charge
The shortest-range versions are the SEL and Limited AWD, which can drive 435 km on a charge. The IONIQ 6 has a drag...
The GMC Hummer EV SUV Began Rolling Off the Assembly Line Yesterday
The SUV version joins the electric pickup in the GMC lineup. The first deliveries are expected to take place before the end of...
Previous articleVolkswagen ID.4 First Edition Already Sold Out In The US
Next articleThe Ferrari Omologata Project Is A Bespoke GT


text:
Hilltop Credit Partners completes £2m loan for residential development in Latton, Wiltshire
• Funds advised by Hilltop Credit Partners Limited ("Hilltop") have provided a development finance facility of £2m to Pars Developments
• The funds will be used to develop five private houses in the village of Latton, which sits on the Wiltshire / Gloucestershire border
• In recent months, the market for houses in rural locations has been much stronger than expected, driven by demand for larger, more affordable spaces with private gardens
• To date in 2020, Hilltop has provided over £30m in lending commitments to SME developers to fund the construction of c.150 residential units across England
(businesspress24) - London, 3rd November 2020: Funds advised by Hilltop Credit Partners, a specialist funding partner for SME residential developers, have completed a £2m loan to Pars Developments to fund a private residential development in the Wiltshire village of Latton. The development sits on the edge of a National Nature Reserve and is a short drive from both the Cotswolds and Swindon.
The facility will be used to fund the site acquisition, development of four new detached houses, and refurbishment of an existing semi-detached house; the facility also includes a VAT bridge loan. The target audience for the development is families looking to upsize, including London-based buyers seeking more rural locations with work-from-home space, private gardens and access to countryside leisure activities.
Latest Rightmove data suggests that homes sales agreed nationally were up +70% y/y in September, reflecting a number of factors, including strong pent-up demand, the introduction of government stamp duty incentives, and emerging structural changes in the nation's housing market. The regional house price statistics from Land Registry also show pricing for newbuild housing stock in Wiltshire +7.2% y/y.
The project has been sponsored by Pars Developments, who have decades of experience delivering high-quality, affordable family housing in the local Swindon / Wiltshire market.
Commenting on the partnership, Sepehr Izadpanah of Pars Developments said:
"We are excited to be partnering with Hilltop, who have worked hand-in-hand with us to get this project funded. We believe this niche development will be received well by the market, particularly given the trends that have emerged post-Covid."
Paul Oberschneider, Founder and CEO of Hilltop Credit Partners, commented:
"We are pleased to be working with Sep, Morri and their development team on this project. Pars has a long history of successfully developing affordably priced housing in their local market, and this development fits perfectly with the direction the post-Covid market is headed – an increased focus on indoor and outdoor space and an ability to work from home in a beautiful part of the country."
http://https://www.realwire.com/releases/Hilltop-Credit-Partners-completes-2m-loan-for-residential-development
hilltop-credit-partners, latton, hilltop, wiltshire, residential,
More PressReleases in Financial Services & Insurance
SINGAPORE, Jan 19, 2021 - Moonstake has entered into a strategic partnership with Singapore-based RockX to support the Polkadot ecosystem. RockX aims to develop the Polkadot ecosystem. It not only runs its own Polkadot's node, but in September, launc ...
HONG KONG, Jan 18, 2021 - The start of the new year proves to be auspicious for Blockpass and Matic as the two companies reveal Blockpass' integration with Matic - the scaling solution for public blockchains. Providing fast, efficient and effective K ...
MILAN, Jan 18, 2021 - Italian football giants AC Milan, in partnership with fintech blockchain company Chiliz, have announced plans to launch an $ACM Fan Token on the fan engagement and rewards platform Socios.com in the coming weeks. AC Milan are amon ...
Artesian takes Underwriting Acumen to the Next Level with the Launch of Artesian Connect™
15th January 2021: Artesian Solutions, a leading provider of client relationship intelligence and risk solutions, has today announced the launch of Artesian Connect™, a new way to solve complex and high-value commercial underwriting challenges. Artesia ...
TradeCore selects Tribe Payments as issuer processor
London, 12th January 2021 – Tribe Payments, an issuer/acquirer processor and payment technology provider, today announced that TradeCore, the full stack fintech platform, has selected it as its issuer processor. The partnership means that Tribe Payments w ...


Now this is a good deal! If your child owns a Nintendo DS Lite you will want to purchase this New 4 Piece Stylus Pen Set Multi Color for Nintendo DS Lite for only $1.13 with FREE Shipping! A great stocking stuffer idea!


text:
Skoda VisionS Concept
NiceCarsInfo Team March 6, 2016
The crossover segment is growing very fast and automakers are trying all means to take advantage of this growth. One such automaker is Skoda, a Czech Republic based Volkswagen subsidiary. The automaker is currently showcasing their new CUV dubbed the Skoda VisionS Concept at Geneva Auto Show with a production model expected this fall.
The new Skoda VisionS Concept features a passive elegance and a crisp shape which Skoda claims is inspired by the Czech Cubism. The VisionS is meant to showcase the automaker's new design language for its SUV segment. Though its lines are not explicitly flashy, the model still manages to put up a handsome appearance.
Skoda VisionS Concept Exterior
The VisionS is 185 inches long, 75 inches wide and stands at a height of 66 inches which makes it slightly smaller than the 2016 Chevy Equinox. The model introduces a new design language for future Skoda crossovers and SUVs. The exterior features a rugged twist of the Skoda's sharp design language. It is based on the modular MQB platform which it shares with the new Tiguan, the 7th generation Golf and the Euro-spec Passat.
At the front, the CUV features the unique Skoda grille with an airdam down below. A horizontal splitter dominates the middle. Its thin headlights look sleek and a recessed. Fog lights are fitted below the headlights.
On the sides, its doors augur well with the body and there is a small touch panel on each door which is a new design meant to replace door handles on cars. There's a sharp line running from the headlights through to the taillights. The vehicle also features lower body lines between the wheels similar to the VisionC concept. It also features a black trim around the wheel arches and also on its rocker panels and high belt line.
At the rear, the roofline slants sharply and cuts down headroom for rear passengers and goes on to hang over the rear hatch resulting in a spoiler-like look. Its taillights resemble those on the VisionC, however, Skoda has added reverse lights below the taillights to introduce a different look. There is also a reflector that runs along the middle position of the bumper and a large black insert below it which also surrounds the exhaust tips.
Pictures from 2016 Geneva Auto Show
Skoda VisionS Concept Interior
The Skoda VisionS will feature a seating capacity of 6 passengers who will be spread across three rows. According to the automaker, the cabin space is "democratic" meaning it offers plenty of head, leg and shoulder room for all passengers. Insider reports indicate that the production version will feature 7 seats rather than the 6 on the concept.
The automaker has also introduced new technology to the cabin. There are two, 16-inch displays which are mounted on the dashboard between the air vents. These screens enable access to instruments information (digital instruments cluster) and the vehicle's multimedia system for the driver. The front passenger has access to the infotainment system. The center stack is also digitized and is accessed through one of the displays.
The seats are upholstered in premium leather and there will be a rear-seat entertainment system. The vehicle also features Smartphone-like gadgets on the armrests making the VisionS fairly technically advanced. Being a concept not much of interior styling is revealed at this moment so expect more from the production model.
Under the hood of the Vision S is the VW sourced 1.4 L TSI engine which is rated at 156 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. It drives the front wheels. The engine is combined with two electric motors with the small electric motor providing 64 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque of additional power to the front wheels.
The second electric motor kicks in all-wheel drive by providing 115 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The power is sent to the wheels via a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission system. When combined, the setup produces 322 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque. Extra power is stored in the large lithium-ion battery pack located just before the rear axle.
The concept is rated to return 124 mpg in combined drives (European testing) in terms of fuel economy. The vehicle runs from 0-60 mph in 7.4 seconds and can reach a top speed of 124 mph.
We hope Skoda will feature this drive-train or something close in the production model.
The independent nature of the power-train setup means the drive-train doesn't use mechanical coupling but a "smart-four-wheel drive" which is very flexible. The engine is offered with different driving modes which are; All-Electric Drive Mode, All-Wheel Drive Mode and Charging Mode.
Price, release date and competition
The Skoda VisionS concept is debuted on show at the 2016 Geneva auto show. A production model will be released later this year in the fall first in Europe. As for the price, Skoda is known to offer utilitarian models at a fair price and we believe the VisionS will go this way.
We believe it will undercut its rivals which include Land Rover Discovery Sport, Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe and start at around £25,000 in Europe.
Honda first released the Insight in 1999 as a 2-door …
2019 Honda Insight Concept
Hyundai is betting a huge chunk of its future on …
2019 Hyundai Nexo


My belief is that the tire wells are a controlled environment of sorts for several reasons but not obvious ones perhaps.
Tires are commonly made of rubber compounds that cure near boiling temperature of water. In space temperatures swing from -250 to 250 deg F as the sun rises and falls. The tires would not survive this without delamination.
Boyle's law of pressure in a contained vessel of constant volume (essentially a tire is that) results in a pressure rise of about 1psi for every 4 deg F rise. Taking Shuttle tires from 70deg nominal at launch to 250 deg would see a rise in internal pressure of about 62 psi, more than a car tire might safely handle perhaps but not extreme by any means and certainly accounted for in the Shuttles design.
Atmospheric air pressure at sea level is about 14psi, at 5,000 ft it is about 12psi, going to 0 is not that traumatic for these tires.
Big mine haul tires and other applications sometimes fill tires with nitrogen to prevent rubber oxidaation.


text:
The moment British 'Bali drug Queen' was dragged to hospital after refusing to eat as dramatic fall from grace takes its toll
Rachel Dougall has not eaten for FIVE days and is constantly crying out for her six-year-old daughter Kitty
The 38-year-old's lawyer says she has fallen into a depression
She was arrested by police on suspicion of drug trafficking along with fellow Britons Julian Ponder and Paul Beales
Arrests came after British housewife Lindsay Sandiford was allegedly caught with 4.8kg of cocaine stuffed in the lining of a suitcase
It is believed she decided to help the police trap other members of the drugs gang over a £1 bowl of chilli fried rice
By Anthony Bond
Published: 04:59 EST, 1 June 2012 | Updated: 10:37 EST, 1 June 2012
They are images which show a woman in the darkest moments of despair.
Rachel Dougall, 38, was used to the high life in Bali, living in a £1,000-a-week palatial villa.
But following her arrest on suspicion of drug trafficking, along with three other Britons, including her partner, it appears she has fallen into a deep depression.
Despair: Prison officials struggle to take Rachel Dougall, the British woman held over a £1.6 million cocaine haul, to Bali Police Hospital
Depressed: Dougall was moved to hospital after collapsing twice and constantly calling out for her daughter
Unhappy: Ms Dougall, who could receive the death penalty for the alleged smuggling operation, has complained of being treated badly while held in police custody
After refusing to eat for the past five days during questioning at a Bali police station, police officers today became extremely concerned for her health.
She has been crying out constantly for her six-year-old daughter Kitty and left officials with no choice but to send her to hospital for treatment.
The Bali cocaine trap: Police 'turned smuggler into... The King and Queen of Bali: Villagers say Britons in cocaine...
These pictures show her struggling with police officers and prison officials as they try to get her to the local hospital this morning.
She was arrested by police in Bali over a £1.6 million cocaine haul along with fellow Britons Julian Ponder and Paul Beales at the end of May. An Indian man was also arrested.
Troubled: According to her lawyer, Ms Dougall has fallen into depression since her arrest
Difficult time: Her lawyer Mr Suroso said: 'Rachel is always crying and shouting out that she misses her daughter and her mother'
Force: Prison officials are seen struggling to get Ms Dougall into a van so that she can go to hospital for treatment
The four suspects were held in a sting operation after British housewife Lindsay Sandiford, 55, was allegedly caught with 4.8kg of cocaine stuffed in the lining of a suitcase as she arrived on the sunshine island.
It is believed she decided to help the police over a £1 bowl of chilli fried rice.
They told her she would face the death penalty unless she helped trap the other suspected members of the drugs gang.
Ms Dougall, who could receive the death penalty for the alleged smuggling operation, told the BBC she had been given a sedative on arrival at hospital.
Problems: Ms Dougall is also believed to be seeing a psychiatrist in hospital
Starved: Reports have said she did not eat anything for more than five days
Treatment: Ms Dougall was transferred from a Bali police prison to Bhayangkara Hospital at 11 a.m local time today
She said she was being treated badly and complained that she had not been able to shower.
Her lawyer, Mr Suroso, said: 'Rachel is always crying and shouting out that she misses her daughter and her mother,' he said.
She was transferred from a Bali police prison to Bhayangkara Hospital at 11 a.m local time today.
Ill: Rachel Dougall, who is being held over a £1.6 million cocaine haul in Indonesia, has been taken to hospital claiming that she is being poorly treated in police custody
Hospital head Is Arifin said she was under the care of psychiatrist Oka Sumadi.
He said: 'She is currently being observed. The doctor has been to see her and we will do our best to treat her.'
Police officers who transferred Ms Dougall to the hospital on the Indonesian island told waiting journalists that she was a junkie suffering from withdrawal symptoms.
A hospital spokesman refused to give any more details about her condition citing the medical code of ethics.
Ms Dougall's lawyer, Mr Suroso, said his client was being treated in a special room in the hospital.
'Police were forced to transfer her to the hospital because she suffering from depression,' he said. 'She even didn't eat anything for over five days because she doesn't want eat any meal that is provided by a police officer.'
He added Ms Dougall was suffering from deep despair and depression because she missed her little daughter, who is being cared for by a housemaid in their rented villa.
'After some of her friends in Bali came to visit she looks better but she still needs treatment from the doctor,' Mr Suroso said.
The Bali Police spokesperson, Sr Comr. Hariadi, confirmed officers had been forced to stop questioning Ms Dougall temporarily due to her bad health.
'We don't interrogate sick people,' he said. 'It will be against their human rights. We will be waiting until she is healthy again and then we will continue the questions.'
The mother has maintained her innocence since her arrest, insisting she was the victim of a 'fit-up'.
It is believed she is in a relationship with Mr Ponder and the couple have a little girl Kitty, who is reportedly in the care of the couple's maid and gardener on the island.
Poor conditions: Ms Dougall has claimed she is being treated badly and has not been able to shower. This image shows the Bali Police headquarters where she has been held
Concerns: Ms Dougall, left, is believed to have not slept or eaten for days. She is pictured with fellow suspect Julian Ponder, right
Mr Ponder has alleged that he was set up by Ms Sandiford as he went to pick up a birthday present for his daughter.
The Foreign Office said British officials were helping Ms Dougall's daughter as well as the arrested Britons.
A spokesman said it did not have any information regarding the reports that Ms Dougall had been taken to hospital.
Customs officials have said that Mrs Sandiford, originally from Redcar, Teesside, may be spared the death sentence because she helped catch three other members of the smuggling operation, who could face a firing squad.
Police have 60 days before they have to hand over their files to prosecutors, it is believed Mrs Sandiford is thought to have told police she only agreed to make the smuggling trip because her children in England were being threatened.
Informant: Sandiford reportedly gave police information about the other suspects over a £1 bowl of chilli rice
Suspect: Paul Beales, right, was also arrested and later sentenced to four years in prison for possession
She was paraded at a press conference wearing an orange prison T-shirt, flanked by masked, armed officers in Kuta, a town on the holiday island, while a customs official cut open packages wrapped in brown tape to reveal a white powder.
Mrs Sandiford, 55, was driven to Nusantara Hotel in the capital Denpasar by detectives after being allegedly caught with cocaine worth £1.6million.
Under the gaze of undercover officers posing as tourists, she spent 12 hours wandering around the hotel's gardens pondering her options.
After a short spell in her £25-a-night deluxe room the former legal secretary from Redcar, Cleveland, ordered chilli fried rice – nasi goring – from the restaurant. When she finished she stood up and told police she would give them her full co-operation.
Home: This is the villa where Rachel Dougall and Julian Ponder were living before they were arrested
Family: It is believed Ms Dougall is in a relationship with Mr Ponder and the couple have a little girl Kitty, pictured here in the villa without her parents
In the days that followed she was watched as she met the alleged buyers at hotels and villas across Bali. The officers stormed in moments after Mrs Sandiford allegedly passed the drugs, disguised as a present in pink wrapping paper, to fellow Briton Julian Ponder, 43.
Officers then arrested Mr Ponder's partner Rachel Dougall, 38, at their luxurious villa where they also allegedly found other hidden drugs.
A fourth Briton, Paul Beales, and Indian national Akkinemi Mandagopal, who has two young children with his British wife, were also arrested.
About 68g of cocaine, 280g of powdered ecstasy and a small amount of hashish were also seized following the arrest of the other gang members at separate locations in Bali, officials said.
Luxury: This picture shows the villa in Bali rented by drug accused Julian Ponder and Rachel Dougall
Smart: This picture shows the entrance to the villa
Bewildered: Six-year-old Kitty Ponder standing with her family's maid Dayu Ariani and her gardening husband Ketut Suranchan


text:
Battle of the screens
The emergence and penetration of Internet & Telecommunications technology has made a big difference in the way content has been consumed in the past. Video content is no longer restricted to just TV or Cinemas. Video on Demand (VOD) services and an evolving broadband infrastructure have allowed consumers to view what they want, when they want on devices of their choice. This new kind of entertainment is at present the most convenient source and in huge demand. The liberty one gets with these services is something that cinemas wouldn't be able to provide its audience. There will only be certain shows playing every day whereas with VOD services will always fulfill your demands. Although a few cinemas have come up with concepts where you can select the content of your choice and book the show, but it may take a while to take off and is a far stretch from the whenever-wherever mode.
Online streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon has paved the way and has successfully produced and distributed original content. Further to this earlier the release windows had shortened: that being the time period from cinema release to becoming available on VOD. This had resulted in the loss of the competitive advantage that traditional cinemas enjoyed in the past, but with the Indian film industry coming up with a definitive solution to this there honestly seems to be nothing to worry about for the Multiplex Industry.
That being said I believe all content has medium different formats on which they work. A film made for the big screen will be very different from the one made for VOD. There have been multiple production houses which have argued that films are made for big screen and are best enjoyed on them only. While VOD may have higher views, producers definitely have more to gain from cinemas as a medium in terms of revenue. In the recent past only Qarib Qarib Singlle and Tumhari Sulu were made with a different ratio aspect on screen, it was small screen friendly, the technical reason behind doing will be best known to the filmmaker. There will always be massive films like a Baahubali or a Padmaavat that is best enjoyed in the theaters. Hollywood has made its mark in India because of the kind of storytelling their films have which appeal to India mentality. Moreover, these films are dubbed in various Indian languages and released simultaneously with its English version. A superhero fan will never wait for the film to come on a VOD service, in fact that one fan might go and watch the same film in different versions like IMAX, 4DX etc. Studios like Marvel and DC announce the release date of their films well in advance assuring that the fans will make their weekend plans in advance. Cinema owners look forward to such weekends where there is a certain assurance about a good occupancy and healthy collections at the box office. Even today a Baaghi 2 is looked forward to because the confidence of these big ticket films doing wonders at the box office is still there. Cinemas probably are not going to die out because of this reason. In my opinion for films, VOD services act more as catching up on the missed films.
Mulitplexes today have made movie going an outing, an experience completely different from that of sitting in your drawing room or while commuting. Today most cinemas offer a variety of Food and Beverage to complete the outing experience. The kind of food served in theatres might make one skip their dinner or lunch plan. They have been catering to all kinds of audience through segmentation like cine diners where you can watch the film while having your meal luxuriously. Special kid's friendly screens dedicated to kids with a play house where the kid can go and play if he does not enjoy the film. They have reached Tier 3 & 4 markets in India with the concept of miniplexes and touring talkies. This boasts the quantity of content in the regional cinema. Movie watching experience has become convenient with more than two multiplexes available in every 10 to 15 kilometers of a residential areas. We are in an age of cinema where if one wants to make a Bengali, Marathi or Malayalam film there will be producers ready to back that content because they know the reach of cinemas is increasing with every passing day. These filmmakers know that are Miniplxes in the interior parts of the nation which will screen their film. Cinemas has the power to sustain every kind of obstacles, it has survived numerous and various kinds of strikes, and it survived the IPL wave. Cinemas have been known to bring people together and will continue to do so. The format is here to stay despite all kinds of new formats and content in the world.
Rahul Puri
MD, Mukta Arts Ltd
Source - Supercinema.co.in


text:
Tag: IPL Format
IPL Format
Cricket, Cricket Team List, Domestic Cricket, Dream11, Indian Premier league IPl-2022, IPL 2022, Latest News, News, Player, Premier League, Schedule, Sports, T20 Cricket, Team Squad
IPL 2022 Dates, Schedule, Players Team Squad, Matches Groups, Formats, Captains, Venues
IPL 2022 Dates, Schedule, Players Team Squad, Matches Groups, Formats, Captains, Venues Hello guys, the 15th season of the Indian Premier League is going to start on 26 March 2022. Board of Control for Cricket in India has revealed IPL 2022 Format and Groups of 10 teams. Apart from this, the board has announced Venues…
Cricket, Indian Premier league IPl-2022, IPL 2022, Latest News, News, Premier League, Schedule, Sports, T20 Cricket
IPL 2022 Groups, Format, Total Matches & Venue Officially Revealed
IPL 2022 Groups, Format, Total Matches & Venue Officially Revealed The Board of Control for Cricket in India has revealed about IPL 2022 Team Groups, Format, Number of Matches and Venue. A big Twenty20 Champion League Indian Premier League is all set to begin on 26 March 2021. In this league total of 70 Matches…


glass headboard glass bed modern platform bed with glass inserts headboard sea glass bedroom walls glass panel door headboard.
glass headboard custom made metal and fused glass headboard frosted glass headboard.
glass headboard mirror glass headboard stained glass window headboard.
glass headboard dark gray velvet tufted headboard with snow glass lamps old glass door headboard.
glass headboard luxury glass headboard on the wall double size hotel bedroom furniture stained glass window headboard.
glass headboard glass oard old door frosted bed with luxury bedrooms good looking marvellous glass mirror headboard.
glass headboard stained glass headboard deans stained glass old glass door headboard.
glass headboard frosted glass headboard bed.
glass headboard glass panel door headboard designs frosted king size bookcase white bookcases platform bed with bedrooms outstanding glass mirror headboard.
glass headboard bed with glass headboard glass mirror headboard.
glass headboard stained glass headboard mirror frosted bedrooms for rent sets full bedroom furniture king and more glass headboard uk.
glass headboard stained glass headboard old door tile bed with mirror on top risers medium size of bedrooms glass headboard images.
glass headboard frosted glass headboard bed stained window mirrored bedroom furniture dark near with set bedrooms gorgeous glass panel door headboard.
glass headboard a grey tufted fabric headboard pairs perfectly with leather metals and glass accents stained glass headboard.
glass headboard headboard glass tile headboard.
glass headboard cute bedroom furniture design glossy headboard bedroom furniture glass wall wooden floor frosted glass headboard bed.
glass headboard pallet and ideas headboard glass pictures images dark barn platform fine wood carved rustic design headboard glass wood.
glass headboard bed w glass headboard bed w glass headboard glass headboard designs.
glass headboard decorated glass headboard decorative panel by by glass headboard uk.
glass headboard medium size of headboard glass headboard built in headboard storage queen bed with bookcase headboard headboard glass wood.


text:
Diabetic Retinotherapy
Miscellaneous Macular Diseases
New Developments in Retinal Pharmacotherapy
Posterior Segment Infection and Inflammation
Relevant Clinical Trials
Retinal Degenerations
Retinal Imaging
Retinal Vascular Diseases
Surgical Techniques and Instrumentation
Treatment Burden in nAMD – How to Address Barriers in Care
In this MedEdTalks Micro-CE podcast, Rishi P. Singh, MD, and Dilsher S. Dh…
Expiration Date: 9/27/2020
Max Credits: 0
Treatment of Wet and Dry Macular Degeneration: What Every Ophthalmologist Needs to Know
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a deterioration or breakdown of …
Stopping Vision Loss in Diabetes: Impact of Early Intervention
Despite a number of effective treatment options, diabetic eye disease is a…
Expiration Date: 5/8/2017
Imaging Modalities in Clinical Trials
The primary endpoint in a clinical trial is the outcome measure that is sp…
Key Components in the Design and Execution of a Successful Clinical Trial
The design and execution of a successful clinical trial includes the follo…
Conducting Macular Clinical Trials in a Private Practice Environment
Clinicians are exposed to basic science and clinical research during resid…
Improving Management of Patients with Diabetic Eye Disease
Diabetic eye disease is one of the most common causes of vision loss in th…
Dr. Boyer reviews the basics in the design and execution of clinical trial…
The Role of Imaging Studies in the Design and Evaluation of Macular Clinical Trials
Dr. Waheed reviews the role of imaging studies and reading centers in clin…
Dr. Scott discusses the basics in the design and execution of clinical tri…
These continuing medical education activities are provided by
Copyright © Vindico Medical Education. All rights reserved.
New to English? Translate here.
Contact Us FAQ Privacy Policy