The U-M Program in Creativity and Consciousness Studies is an initiative devoted to theoretical and applied exploration of the nature and development of human creativity and consciousness. Recent years have seen increasing interest in "peak experiences" or "Flow" states as not only episodes of heightened performance but apertures into expanded conceptions of the human being. Many visionaries consider a revolution in consciousness as key to addressing the growing number of challenges facing our world, a proposition that poses exciting ramifications for the educational leadership of our times. Viewing creativity as the exterior manifestation of consciousness growth, PCCS brings together faculty and students from all areas of campus to engage in coursework, lectures, symposia, and research that is centered around this vision.
It was a pleasure to see many of you at our Nov 2018 event featuring neuroscientist Julia Mossbridge. Our next event will take place on Wednesday, April 17th and feature U-M's own Professor Emeritus of Psychology Richard Mann reflecting on his distinguished career and what he sees as future horizons in consciousness studies. Richard has long been involved in cutting-edge ideas and findings that significantly stretch the horizons of much academic consciousness-based inquiry and I have no doubt this will be a truly fascinating and informative evening. This will also give us the opportunity to celebrate his U-M career as it comes to an auspicious close.
For those who are new to our program, I believe this is an exciting time for this work and have never felt more optimistic about PCCS emerging as a leading voice in expanding the creative and interior dimensions of the educational enterprise.
Consciousness Next! will embark on a bold and provocative exploration of ideas, findings, and educational and societal ramifications that extend from an integral understanding of consciousness. Drawing from age-old spiritual wisdom, cutting edge scientific research and the creative vitality of the arts, the integral framework challenges prevailing materialist views of consciousness and points toward a new view of human nature and developmental potential that could revolutionize the academy and its efforts to address the growing array of challenges that are unique to this moment in human history. A look at the work of organizations such as the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Society for Scientific Exploration, International Society for the Study of Human Ideas on Ultimate Reality and Meaning; Society for Consciousness Studies, and within the Integral Theory community provides a glimpse of this new direction (see Resources & Links for a more complete listing). While there is a clear disconnect between this work and the mainstream academy, I hope PCCS and Consciousness Next! will help bridge the gap.
Diversity Next! is a second PCCS initiative that seeks to take the diversity/social justice conversation into areas that are typically overlooked yet are foundational to substantive progress in the all-important quest to broaden the cultural horizons of the academy and beyond. The arts, and particularly improvised musical arts as embodied in black music, is one area. Second involves the consciousness/spirituality domain, which then links back to the PCCS Consciousness Next! initiative. A diversity commitment that is grounded in creative artistic expression and how cultures have fathomed the sacred has the capacity to redefine 21st century academic diversity discourse as well as fuel the creativity/consciousness revolution.
I would like as well to pursue new curricular possibilities, and it is hard to believe that it has been 15 years since the BFA in Jazz and Contemplative Studies degree was instituted in the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance. We are long overdue for a cross-campus counterpart to that innovative program!
I hope to see many of you at our events!
A wide range of coursework is available on the U-M campus that intersects with the terrain of PCCS. Common to much of this coursework is theoretical inquiry into the interior dimensions of human awareness and applied exploration of this realm through contemplative methodologies such as meditation. A burgeoning contemplative studies movement, which is galvanized by organizations such as the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education, suggests that these practices and studies represent the next major wave in higher education. The BFA in Jazz and Contemplative Studies program at U-M, moreover, has been regarded as at the forefront of this new wave in moving from single courses to a full degree program with a significant contemplative studies component. It might be noted that core courses in the curriculum (such as 450 Contemplative Practices Seminar, and 455 Creativity and Consciousness) are open to students from all fields regardless of musical backgrounds. An important aim of PCCS is to design a cross-campus version of the Jazz and Contemplative Studies curriculum that integrates a contemplative component and creativity studies with wide-ranging conventional concentrations.
Note: not every course is offered in each term or for credit in every degree. Check your school's course guide for more information.
The PCCS Consciousness Next! initiative examines a wide spectrum of ideas and phenomena that unite cutting-edge scientific perspectives, the creative vitality of the arts, and age-old spiritual wisdom in pursuit of not only a new paradigm for the burgeoning field of consciousness studies, but new horizons of educational and societal practice and policy.
A growing number of visionaries regard a revolution in consciousness as key to addressing the wide array of challenges facing humanity. If this revolution is to become a reality in the world at large, it will need to take hold in our educational systems.
Consciousness Next! takes a number of bold steps in aspirations to forge new terrain academic consciousness studies and beyond.
Consciousness Next! embraces a view of the human being and human development in which cultivation of interior dimensions of consciousness is considered foundational to the educational mission. An emergent consciousness-based worldview called Integral Theory, predicated on the spirituality-art-science interplay, provides the basis for a new educational paradigm. The age-old precept that consciousness is primary in the broader creation is also a key integral premise that is placed front and center in terms of its educational and broader ramifications.
Engagement with diverse epistemologies, or ways of knowing, being and creative and spiritual expression, is central to the integral paradigm.[i] Meditation and related contemplative disciplines, including embodied, nature-based and artistic practices, are as vital to a viable 21st century education as the most rigorous modes of intellectual and analytical inquiry in the humanities and sciences. This principle applies to not only creativity and consciousness development, but research as well. Direct experience of pure consciousness[ii] as uniquely invoked in meditation and the moment-to-moment creative turbulence—often accompanied by peak experience, or flow—that is characteristic of improvisation in jazz and across disciplines [iii] are just as essential to understanding consciousness as theoretical, philosophical and neurobiological approaches.
Consciousness Next! promotes the best of all worlds, combining robust and wide-ranging consciousness-based epistemologies with the analytical rigor for which the academy excels.
Consciousness Next! takes a strong stance on the shortcomings of materialist conceptions of consciousness. In defining consciousness as reducible, or even epiphenomenal to a physical substrate, the materialist worldview perpetuates a narrow conception of human nature and development that is wholly inadequate to the needs of today's world. While a gradual retreat from strict reductionism toward a more moderate materialist perspective seems to be evident, the so-called "hard problem of consciousness"[iv]—the question of how conscious experience might emerge from physical reality—looms ever large in materialist circles and strongly suggests.
The fact that materialism not only runs counter to most individuals' experience and intuition, and as examined below from a social justice standpoint, age-old wisdom from cultures across the globe only strengthens the case against materialism and points in the direction of an integral understanding of consciousness.
It goes without saying that the possibility of physically transcendent, nonlocal and intersubjective dimensions of consciousness stretches the boundaries of ordinary academic discourse when it comes to the nature of the human being, human potential, and what constitutes valid academic research. Consciousness Next! critically examines the resistance to these findings and ideas in the academy through the lens of paradigmatic change in the sciences and a range of disciplines.[vi] Indeed, when one considers the above possibilities in the context of the mission statements of most academic institutions, which typically proclaim a commitment to a broader vision of human development, questions about what paradigm—the materialist or the integral—are arguably turned on their head.
Happily, even a cursory look at the leadership and membership of organizations such as the International Consciousness Research Laboratory, Society for Scientific Exploration, Scientific and Medical Network, World Institute for Scientific Exploration, Institute for Noetic Sciences, Society for Consciousness Studies, Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, and Fetzer Institute provides reason for optimism that a consciousness-driven scientific revolution of historical significance may not be far off.
Consciousness Next! has begun to establish ties with these and other organizations in order to render U-M a leading site for this kind of innovation.
While humanity has amassed unprecedented information about the outer world, this has developed along with unprecedented challenges to the future of civilization as we know it. A growing body of visionaries views a revolution in human consciousness—which from an integral standpoint entails understanding and enlivenment of the interior creative and spiritual dimensions of the human being—as key to humanity addressing these challenges and taking its next evolutionary strides. An integral revolution in creativity and consciousness yields unifying ground that, in a single stroke, radically redefines the educational mission and renders the academy a site for global healing along multiple fronts. While domain-specific interventions will always be needed to address the various crises of the world, a creativity-consciousness revolution grounds these interventions in a vastly expanded conception of the human being and human potential and new kinds of relationship between individuals, their environment, and cosmic wholeness.
The Consciousness Next! series begins with an inaugural lecture by neuroscientist and futurist Julia Mossbridge, PhD, on Premonition. The talk is on Monday, November 5, at Rackham Ampitheatre (fourth floor), at 7pm. Admission free.
[i] See Ken Wilber, "Introduction to Integral Theory," Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, vol 1/1, 1-40. 2006. "Integral Psychology." Collected Works. Vol. 4. Boston: Shambhala, 2000.
[ii] Charles Alexander and Ellen Langer, Higher Stages of Human Development (New York: Oxford, 1990) provides significant commentary on pure consciousness. Here is where burgeoning consciousness studies and contemplative studies movements could benefit from joining forces. If prevailing distinctions between the two emergent academic fields might be not unreasonably generalized: Contemplative Studies favors epistemology yet remains ambivalent about ontology; consciousness studies—emphasizing the what (ontology) of consciousness but ambivalent about the lens of investigation (epistemology)—succumbs to the reverse. See Ed Sarath, Improvisation, Creativity and Consciousness (Albany: SUNY 2013).
[iii] Practitioners in domains as disparate as business, medicine, education, sociology, law and sports have looked to jazz's improvsitory foundations for inspiration and guidance for expert practice and innovation in their areas.
[iv] Materialism may be roughly defined in terms of two perspectives. One is the view of consciousness as reducible to a physical substrate, the second—which is a more moderate form of materialist thinking—is the assumption that consciousness is epiphenomenal to, hence a byproduct of, that substrate. However, the elusive nature of the hard problem suggests the need for foundational reexamination of the entire materialist enterprise. See David J. Chalmers, 1996, The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory (New York: Oxford University Press), and "The Singularity: A Philosophical Analysis." Journal of Consciousness Studies 17: 7–65, 2002. In a recent Ted talk, Chalmers reluctantly confesses to what might be an inevitable trajectory for contemporary philosophers of mind: materialism to dualism to panpsychism to idealism (compatible with the integral view).
[v] Imants Baruss and Julia Mossbridge, Transcendent Mind (American Psychological Association), 2017; Kelly, Edward F.; Kelly, Emily W.; Crabtree, Adam; Gauld, Alan; Grosso, Michael; and Greyson, Bruce. 2007. Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century. (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield) 2007; Dean Radin, 2006. Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in Quantum Reality. New York: Paraview Pocket Books, 2006. Charles Tart, The End of Materialism: How Evidence of the Paranormal Is Bringing Science and Spirit Together. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger. 2009. Larry Dossey, 2013, One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House).
[vi] The point is not that every single one of these studies in itself constitutes unassailable evidence against materialism and for an integral worldview, nor that there is no place for further research. Rather, that the sheer scope of this research at this point in time at the very least warrants a kind of fair consideration in the academy that has not—due to fear, intellectual provincialism and bias, and perhaps stilted imaginative capacities—been seen on any significant scale.
It might also be added that Consciousness Next! does not categorically reject (perhaps as a form of reverse hegemony) appeals for retention of a materialist worldview as research and educational template. Nor does it render immunity to alternatives to materialism. Rather, it redirects the onus within the What is Consciousness? conversation. Whereas the burden of justification has fallen on the shoulders of integralists and other non-materialists, now it falls on the shoulders of materialists to advocate their worldview against an integral backdrop that is itself subject to ongoing critical interrogation.
[viii] See Ed Sarath, Black Music Matters (Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2018) for commentary on the ramifications that extend from understanding of consciousness to a range of these issues, including social justice, environmental justice and peace. Materialism is part of a limited epistemic matrix that fuels racialized hegemony, disconnection from ecological surroundings, and societal and international conflict.
Diversity Next! in an initiative of the Program in Creativity and Consciousness Studies that seeks to broaden the horizons of diversity deliberations on the U-M campus through the lens of the arts, consciousness/spirituality, and further areas that are not commonly tied to the diversity/social justice conversation. Arts, creativity and consciousness extend the epistemological and cultural scope and help individuals and communities critically interrogate and liberate from conditioned assumptions and behavior that often impede efforts toward social justice and inclusive communities. This invites new perspectives on familiar topics and also helps place front and center areas that may elude conventional diversity discourse altogether.
As discussed below, Diversity Next! intersects with the PCCS Consciousness Next!
Following are a few of the potential themes that might be explored in the Diversity Next! series.
While prominent in not only American musical culture but much global syncretism, African American music remains marginalized in the vast majority of music curricula across the nation—a disparity whose ramifications extend far beyond the training of musicians to society at large. The fact that this goes largely unrecognized in diversity conversations within and beyond music studies is particularly conspicuous given the highly charged black-white racial dynamics that riddle our nation. Diversity Next! will critically interrogate this oversight within a celebration of the powerful tools that African American music offers 21st century musical navigation as well as American cultural unity, identity, and healing.
Artists often think of their work in terms of a spirituality that transcends (though does not necessarily reject) denominational borders, yet tend to repress this aspect of their work and being—let alone the diversity-spirituality connection—when they set foot in the academy. Indeed, in most cultures, artistic creativity and spirituality are inextricably linked; substantive inquiry into one realm is not possible without significant consideration of the other. Spirituality is thus the connecting link between Diversity Next! and Consciousness Next! Restoring this connection to diversity discourse not only deepens the conversation by recognizing interior dimensions of diversity awareness and growth, it also renders the conversation more inclusive in expanding the spectrum of cultural and other (gender, sexual orientation, philosophical, etc—for all of which corresponding spiritual perspectives may be identified) entryways that may enter into the conversation.
While there is no denying that spiritual concerns pose challenges in not only conventional academic discourse but also in diversity circles; burgeoning contemplative and studies movements in higher education, with no dearth of literature and symposia and curricular initiatives, provide precedent and models for engaging in this area in systematic and rigorous ways. Connections to social justice are also taking hold in contemplative/consciousness studies conversations and research.
While the close relationship between ecological and social justice crises steadily attract attention, this remains a neglected area in diversity discourse. The art and consciousness connection brings multiple perspectives to this issue. One involves the importance of the arts to cultural sustainability and the sense of identity that empowers individuals to not only uncover their own unique gifts, but also to maintain healthy relationships with others and the physical world. Second involves what robust creative underpinnings of the arts informs these relationships. For example, black music, linking back to the prior theme, provides a model for what might be called "improvisatory ecologies" and "improvisatory hermeneutics" (Sarath 2013, 2016) whereby individuals engage with their social and physical surroundings from the standpoint of the dynamic interplay central to the creative music environment, and critically reflect on the meaning and integrity of these relationships.
PCCS is comprised of a wide range of scholars-practitioners involved in many areas related to creativity and consciousness studies. As the list of Affiliated Faculty indicates, the field connects with virtually every area of campus, and as interest in the interior dimensions that underlie all disciplines grows, we anticipate that faculty and student involvement will expand considerably. While the focus for some colleagues is on innovative pedagogical approaches, for others cutting-edge theoretical and quantitative research, and still others direct exploration of the terrain through creative and contemplative engagement, it is the uniting of all these areas that will define the leadership in this emergent academic field. PCCS is guided by this integrative vision.
Julia Mossbridge, PhD, Neuroscience, Visiting Fellow, Northwestern University School of Medicine. Researcher, Institute of Noetic Sciences.
PCCS is at the forefront of a rapidly growing wave of activity that is expanding the horizons of academic learning, teaching, and research in an interior direction.
Dr. Robert H. Schneider, M.D.
For more information about PCCS, contact Prof. Ed Sarath.


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Darien's Stueber Walter Camp Connecticut Player of Year
Darien's Andrew Stueber, a senior offensive lineman for Michigan, has been selected as Walter Camp's 2019 Connecticut Player of the Year.
The award is presented to the top college football player who is a resident and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut. The award is voted on by the Walter Camp Football Foundation membership.
An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, Stueber started at right tackle and right guard for the Wolverines. Stueber is the first Michigan player to earn Walter Camp Connecticut Player of Year honors.
Stueber did not take any penalties and surrendered just one sack among four total pressures all season. He was awarded a pass-blocking efficiency grade of 98.3, among the highest scores in the Big Ten.
An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Stueber is currently enrolled in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business pursuing a degree in business administration.
Stueber led Darien to two state titles (2015 and 2016) was a two-time Walter Camp All-Connecticut first team honoree under coach Rob Trifone.
COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 24: Andrew Stueber #71 of the Michigan Wolverines blocks against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Michigan 62-39. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
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BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: Andrew Stueber #71 of the Michigan Wolverines in action in the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on November 07, 2020 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 21: Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Andrew Stueber (71) during the college football game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Michigan Wolverines on November 21, 2020 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 21: Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Andrew Stueber (71) and Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Zak Zinter (65) during the college football game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Michigan Wolverines on November 21, 2020 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 21: Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Andrew Stueber (71)during the college football game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Michigan Wolverines on November 21, 2020 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 21: Andrew Stueber #71 of the Michigan Wolverines chews on his mouthguard during the first quarter at SHI Stadium on November 21, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Michigan defeated Rutgers 48-42 in triple overtime. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
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Stueber joins the members of the 2020 Walter Camp All-America First and Second teams, Player of the Year DeVonta Smith (Alabama) and Coach of the Year Jamey Chadwell (Coastal Carolina) as the 2020 honorees.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


retried at the right time, too theoretical to work and so obvious it must have been tried long ago.
Currently, our two biggest passions are changing how Internet security is done and improving healthcare by industrializing therapy development. Both of these initiatives utilize the Internet to radically alter the status quo, introducing novel approaches to long-standing problems.
Our goal is to foster shared success, have fun, do good, and reinvest in the future.
CommerceNet was founded by Internet commerce pioneer Dr. Jay M. Tenenbaum, whose vision was to enhance the Internet with an open network of businesses exchanging services with each other. He established CommerceNet to serve as a business forum, fostering global collaboration and advancing the rapid, real-time exchange of business information.


Led by the Newcastle-based creative studio Precept, Shift was an internship programme for young creatives, which aimed to bridge the gap between graduate education and the creative industries. The programme provided interns with skills, knowledge, confidence and industry experience to kick start their career.
As an expert in interaction design, physical computing and locative media art, Attaya's director Lalya Gaye was one of the mentors at Shift, where she delivered workshops on understanding digital creativity in the physical space.


Hello, Bremerton! We've got your storage unit all set. See below for unit availability.
From a few boxes and bags to a space the size of a car or two, Waaga Way Reliable Storage in Bremerton welcomes every load that comes our way. Our storage units in Waaga Way include 5'x5' for the smallest and up to 10'x30' for the largest. We keep our units and our premises immaculate and our prices, reasonable—especially for military families and seniors.


The Kansas Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a Leavenworth man for charges of criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, aggravated endangering a child and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felony.
But in the same case, the appellate judges overturned a conviction of Clayton D. Wilmer for aggravated assault.
The Kansas Court of Appeals released the decision Friday.
Wilmer was convicted of the charges in 2016 in Leavenworth County District Court.
The charges stemmed from an Oct. 24, 2014, incident in Leavenworth in which Wilmer reportedly fired into a vehicle, striking another man in the leg. Wilmer's daughter and the girl's mother also were in the vehicle at the time.
Wilmer was sentenced to 239 months, or 19 years and 11 months, for the charges.
Wilmer, 28, appealed the case, but he did not challenge the conviction for criminal possession of a firearm.
The appellate judges ruled there was substantial evidence to support the convictions for criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling and aggravated endangering a child.
But the conviction for aggravated assault was reversed because an error was made when the charge was offered to jurors for them to consider as a lesser included offense for a charge of attempted first-degree murder.
The appellate judges vacated the sentence for the aggravated assault charge. But this should not affect the overall length of Wilmer's sentence in the case.
At the time of sentencing in 2016, District Court Judge Gunnar Sundby ordered the sentence for the aggravated assault and criminal firearm possession charges to run concurrent to the sentences for the criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated endangering a child.
The Kansas Court of Appeals recently overturned other convictions of Wilmer in a separate case. Those convictions were for felony counts of aggravated battery and robbery and misdemeanor charges of criminal restraint and intimidation of a witness. These charges stemmed from Aug. 3, 2014, in Leavenworth.
The appellate judges overturned these convictions because they found that the district judge erred in allowing testimony of an expert about domestic violence and the presentation of evidence about another incident involving Wilmer and the same victim.
The Kansas Court of Appeals has remanded this case back to Leavenworth County District Court for a new trial.
A hearing in this case has been set for Wednesday in Leavenworth County District Court.


While your broker's terminal may show a mouth-watering deal on Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) in the secondary market, your attempt to buy such bonds may come a cropper. SGBs are government securities denominated in grams of gold.
The SGB scheme was launched by the government in November 2015, and has been opened in tranches by the RBI over the past three years. While these bonds are traded on the BSE and NSE, most brokers do not allow buying of these bonds owing to operational challenges in the inter-depository settlement mechanism. This is despite the RBI giving a go-ahead for inter-depository transfer in SGBs two year back.
SGBs issued in the last three years are currently ₹100-250 cheaper in the secondary market than the current gold spot price, and lower than the initial price in the primary issuance. But many stock brokers do not allow buying or selling of SGBs in the secondary market, leaving investors in the lurch.
While dealing with shares, once the customer buys stocks in the secondary market, the exchange credits the shares in his/her broker's pool account, which may be kept with either of the two depositories – NSDL or CDSL.
Major brokers have accounts with both depositories. The broker then transfers the shares to the demat account of the customer held with either the NSDL or CDSL, as there is no restriction on transferring the shares between the two depositories.
In the case of SGBs, too, units are credited by the exchange to the broker's NSDL/CDSL pool account. If the units get credited to the broker's NSDL pool account, the broker can transfer these units to investor's NSDL account. But if the units get credited to the broker's CDSL pool account, they cannot be transferred to an investor's NSDL demat account. This is because SGBs are treated as government securities. Hence, as no inter-depository transfer is allowed in government securities, buying and selling of SGBs has been an issue.
But according to an RBI official (who did not wish to be named), the regulator has already removed this ambiguity by permitting inter-depository transfer in SGBs in 2016. It is the delay at the end of both the depositories in sorting out technical issues that is preventing a smooth transfer of SGBs in the secondary market.
While most brokers disallow any secondary market transactions in SGBs, some permit their customers to sell only the units of SGBs.
In response to a query, an ICICI Securities spokesperson said: "While ICICI Direct can support both buying and selling of SGBs on its platform, currently only selling is permitted due to operational challenges in inter-depository transfer and settlement mechanism.


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Budget surpluses are Robertson's aim but well-being pressures will test his prowess
poonzteam5443	Government spending	 April 11, 2019 5 Minutes
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has headed for Washington for the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank, as well as for talks with other finance ministers and senior US government officials.
Despite the darkening cloud on the global economy Robertson is gung-ho about the state of the NZ economy, although he concedes that, as an outward-facing export nation,
" … NZ is not immune to this global uncertainty, and we have to bear that in mind as we transition to a more productive, sustainable, and inclusive economy".
In Parliament before his departure for Washington he cited reports which indicate the NZ economy continues to out-perform its international peers.
He reckons it is great to see the relevant strength of the economy recognised,
" .. but we are conscious of the impacts of a global slowdown, and we are getting on with implementing our plan for a more modern and resilient economy that is fit for purpose in an uncertain global environment".
Brushing aside an interjection from National's Gerry Brownlee ("who will run the government?"), Robertson says his mission will provide an opportunity to discuss current and potential challenges to the international economic outlook and what this may mean for NZ.
"It is a timely trip to gauge thinking as these clouds gather on the international economic horizon, but also to reinforce the strong fundamentals of the NZ economy and our credentials as a place to do productive investment and business".
With his "well-being" budget now very much in the frame, and due for delivery in late May. Point of Order believes the Finance Minister – for all his ebullience – may be under-estimating just how difficult it will be to deliver on his promise of a "productive, sustainable and inclusive economy".
Critics have been banging on for some years about NZ's inability to raise its productivity rates, and many see an inherent conflict between raising productivity and increasing sustainability (if the latter means reducing agricultural emissions, eliminating fossil fuel production and cutting irrigation).
Labour elements in the coalition have made no secret of their drive to increase spending on education, health and the social sector generally.
But as Education Minister Chris Hipkins is finding, meeting the demands of teachers could prove far more expensive than he ever imagined.
Similarly Health Minister David Clark is scrabbling to stretch the health budget to meet not only the government's goals but satisfy the demands of doctors, nurses, midwives, and whoever, in the health sector as well as easing the pressures on DHBs and Pharmac.
Then there's the unexpected costs – for example – of the buyback of weapons under the proposed new gun laws. Some estimates put that as high as $500m.
And what about all those inquiries and taskforces, with their $1000 a day chairpeople? Plus the expanding budgets for Royal Commissions? (Let's not mention the soaring costs for such schemes as light rail in Auckland and the Kiwibuild wreck).
For Robertson, who has made sticking to budget surpluses a priority in his oversight of the economy, it must feel as if they are coming at him from all directions. He could be regretting the $1.3bn splashed out on student free fees, or the $3bn on the provincial growth fund (which Shane Jones appears to be using as a re-election fund for NZ First).
In the wake of the Christchurch massacre, the pressure on the police budget will be severe. Extra allocations will have to be made for the huge security screens having to be mounted for events like Anzac Day.
There are question marks, too, about the funding of other security agencies such as the SIS.
Labour has made a rod for its own back with every minister parroting rhetoric about under-funding by the previous government in virtually every state activity. That means ministries will be demanding more funding this time round (except for Foreign Affairs where Winston Peters got in his bid last year).
The education sector offers an interesting case study. For teachers in the primary sector, the government's most recent offer amounted to almost $700m over four years, with an average increase of around $10,000 after 24 months for the vast majority of teachers.
The Employment Relations Authority described the offer as "handsome and competitive" and the NZEI claims as "unrealistic".
Nevertheless teachers are threatening more industrial action. The NZEI insists the government's offer still leaves teachers trailing by 3.9% with their peers (whoever they are) in pay parity. The NZEI argues their claim would mean an outlay of $900m over four years.
The following exchange in Parliament is instructive:
Nikki Kaye: Is he completely ruling out increasing the government's funding envelope for primary teachers; and if not, how does he expect to break the stalemate?
HIPKINS: Yes, $700m is worth more than all of the settlements reached under the previous government put together.
Kaye: Why won't he reduce teacher ratios and provide the further additional learning support that he promised in Opposition; or is he just a lion in Opposition and a mouse in government?
HIPKINS: This government—
SPEAKER: Order! Order! No—the member will resume his seat. That question's ruled out.
HIPKINS: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I should be allowed to answer the first part of the question, otherwise it becomes a very one-sided exchange.
SPEAKER: Ok.
HIPKINS: This government has already spent half a billion dollars extra on learning support, so I utterly reject the premise of the member's question. This government is delivering where the National government chose many, many other things to prioritise well ahead of teachers and kids.
Kaye: Is he saying to parents and students who are facing a third round of strikes that the ministry won't settle because he refuses to shift on further additional funding for learning needs, workload, and recruitment issues?
HIPKINS: No.
The minister went on to detail the pay increases currently on offer as part of the negotiations: for around 30,000 primary school teachers, they would receive three lots of 3% pay increases, plus an additional higher salary step for those on the top of the salary scale, (which is the vast majority of primary school teachers), amounting to an additional 3%—so around 12% overall.
The teachers have also been given the choice between bringing forward the timing of some of those pay increases and having additional classroom release time—an extra 10 hours of classroom release time.
For the record, if the NZEI demands were to be met in full, it would cost around $2.5bn annually.
The teachers' union, now one of the most militant in the country, seems to be convinced a Labour government will succumb to its pressure. It may even see it as payback for the support given to Labour in the last election.
The pressure in the education sector for extra funding is not coming just from the teachers. The reforms proposed by Bali Haque's taskforce, with the establishment of about 150 hubs, would add substantially to administrative costs. And the polytech sector is pushing back against the costly changes proposed in that sector.
All a bit of a headache for those writing this year's budget.
So good luck to Robertson as he works on his sums. Let's hope he can succeed in putting NZ's economy on the road to a more productive, sustainable and inclusive future.
We are not holding our breath.
Chris Hipkins
Grant Robertson
Nikki Kaye
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This page presents the Google satellite map (zoomable and browsable) of Champagne Gully in Otago district in New Zealand.
Geographical coordinates are -45.1286 and 169.3184 and its feature type is Gorge/valley. More information below.


text:
The Demands of the Position
New Buccaneer quarterback Josh Freeman enjoys the responsibilities of his job and knows that he will ultimately be judged by the wins and losses Tampa Bay compiles on Sundays
Josh Freeman got his chance at quarterback when the expected freshman starter at Grandview High School broke his hand
Josh Freeman started playing soccer and flag football at the age of six, and later found a talent for basketball, as well. On the gridiron, he developed primarily into a running back and linebacker as he advanced through grade school and middle school. His father, Ron, played professional football in the USFL, so Freeman developed childhood dreams about making it to the NFL himself.
You could definitely say that the seeds were sewn early for Freeman's arrival in Florida as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' franchise-quarterback-in-the-making. However, he might never have found his talent as a passer – or at least not uncovered it as quickly – if it weren't for a particularly rough moment of sibling rivalry.
Not for Freeman himself, though he did have a younger brother. Rather, we speak of another young man who was earmarked to play quarterback in 2002 for the freshman team at Grandview High School in the Kansas City metro area. Those plans changed when the freshman-to-be got irritated at his younger brother, tried to throw a punch and ended up with a fractured hand.
The Grandview coaches, knowing Freeman was a talented athlete with a good arm, gave him a choice as he entered the ninth grade: He could start at linebacker for the varsity team or play quarterback for the freshman squad.
Freeman chose to play quarterback, which proved to be a wise decision. He would eventually throw for over 7,000 yards as a prep and by the time he was finished with his Grandview career would be the top-rated QB prospect in the state of Missouri.
It didn't hurt that Freeman sprouted in his sophomore year of high school, going from slightly taller than average to roughly his current height of 6-5. He took over as the varsity starter that year and, despite enjoying the linebacker position, rapidly became convinced that quarterback was where he wanted to be.
"I think it's something about having the football in your hands throughout the entire game, being in control of making plays," said Freeman. "I enjoy the demands of the position."
There are no diverging options for Freeman now as he begins his NFL career in Tampa. That choice he made as a prep freshman put him on a path towards the 17th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and all that comes with being a first-round quarterback. First-rounders sometimes start right away, like Atlanta's Matt Ryan, and sometimes bide their time behind established starters, like Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, but they all are meant to be franchise cornerstones. Given the Bucs' unsettled situation under center, it could go either way for Freeman, but he's not looking that far ahead.
"I really have no expectations, other than eventually being a starter," he said on Monday as he was introduced to the Bay area media in a press conference at team headquarters. "I don't know if it's going to be this year, I don't know if it's going to be next year or when it's going to be. All I'm going to do is come in and work as hard as I can and try to put myself in the best position to make this team better."
Ron Freeman told his son, as he left for college, that working hard and staying quiet was the only way for a newcomer to earn the respect of his teammates. The younger Freeman believes that is also the best way to accelerate one's path to a starting position in the NFL.
"Really just keep your mouth shut and go to work. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for all these guys and I can't wait to get to know them a lot better, but I'm just going to come in and work as hard as I can and hope for the best. I think that's the only way a rookie can come in and earn respect.
"I think it's hard work, for sure. I was talking to Coach [Jeff] Jagodzinski last night about Matt Ryan and really it's just about how hard you're willing to work, the time you're willing to put in, that will ultimately lead to your success. Coming into this situation, I really like the coaches I'm going to be with. I plan on spending a lot of time in this building. I just think it comes down to how much effort you put in to see where you end up."
Of course, even with his head down over his playbook, Freeman won't be able to miss the amount of scrutiny that a quarterback attracts, particularly a "franchise quarterback." Instant reaction to his arrival won't matter in the long run; he'll be judged solely by wins and losses.
"I've been talking to a number of quarterbacks that are in the league and they say the same thing: It's not about what people are saying, it's about the attitude you carry into the office every day and your willingness to work," he said. "A great example is Donovan McNabb. They're ready to bench him and then he comes back and they win six games in a row and he takes them all the way to the NFC Championship Game. It's all about the attitude and listening to the right people.
"I think ultimately your judged by how you play, not where you get drafted. I'm fired up. I want to go out and win games, for the city of Tampa, for Ra, for myself and for the Buccaneers. I want to go out and help this team be successful, and that's my ultimate goal. I hear that they're great fans here and people respond to winning. I think if I go out and play well, we'll have no complaints."


Wales is known for its spectacular mountainous national parks, rugged coastline, magnificent glacial lakes and Celtic culture; a simply unforgettable location for an equestrian based holiday.
Whether a weekend of trail riding in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park takes your fancy or a day of fast beach riding along the vast sandy stretches of secluded West Wales, this country will delight. From novice riders and family groups to advanced equestrians, the panoramic vista of picturesque Wales is the quintessential backdrop for a riding holiday.
Gwydir Trekking and Riding Centre is situated amongst the superb scenery of the Snowdonia National Park.


Out of all the repiping services that we have to offer, we believe this is the most essential. Gas lines can go from completely secure to volatile in a matter of moments if improperly installed. If you need gas repiping you need to hire professional help, not only to make sure that the job is done correctly but also for peace of mind. Doing a job yourself comes with much second-guessing, and you do not ever want to have that state of mind with one of the few things in your home that is immediately life threatening.
Do you Smell Gas – The easiest way to tell if you need your gas lines replaced will be if you smell gas. Which by the way, if you do, you need to call us immediately and vacate your home. If you can turn off the gas line or open a window before you do, that will be a great way to keep your home safe during your absence.
Failed Inspection – Sometimes your gas line is only leaking a small amount. This is why you should do routine inspections either with an emissions detector or with the famed 'bubble test' which uses soapy water or a different mixture to see if bubbles pop or rise with gas.
In Preparation – There are always easy ways to increase property value and if you are appraising your home, having recently done gas line installation is a great way to bump up the property value as well as increase safety of the overall building.
We provide the best gas repiping services in the industry. We work hard to make sure that you are safe and happy with the services that we have provided. If you would like to know more about the company, our services, or schedule a consultation, make sure to give us a call at (800) 964-3886!


However, most females surveyed said they had experienced gender-based discrimination.
Activists with the MeToo movement in Los Angeles on Oct. 4, 2018.
A majority of Canadian girls and young women have found the #MeToo movement heartening when it comes to the prospects of increased gender equality, but feel they still face discrimination, a new survey suggests.
The survey also looked at the effect of the #MeToo movement, which was sparked by the downfall last year of Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood mogul whose alleged abuse of women over decades led to an international debate and backlash over pervasive sexual harassment.
Activists rally in support of the #MeToo movement in California.
According the poll, 28 per cent of Canadian girls and young woman said #MeToo had made them hopeful about gender equality in the future and another 40 per cent were somewhat hopeful. Only 11 per cent said they were left somewhat or totally pessimistic.
Asked what #MeToo means to them, respondents cited support for victims of sexual harassment and awareness to end such bullying.
More than 60 per cent feel an affinity with the feminist movement, while 25 per cent do not feel that way.
Most say they are more or less optimistic about the future of gender equality at home and abroad.
Girls 18 to 24 reported lower levels of perceived gender equality and higher levels of discrimination than their younger counterparts.
About one-third reported feeling occasionally discriminated against because of their gender; the same percentage said they rarely felt that way.
About one in five said they never felt they were discriminated against.


text:
namespace swift {

namespace rewriting {

/// A simple histogram that supports two operations: recording an element, and
/// printing a graphical representation.
///
/// Used by the rewrite system to record various statistics, which are dumped
/// when the -analyze-requirement-machine frontend flag is used.
class Histogram {
  unsigned Size;
  unsigned Start;
  std::vector<unsigned> Buckets;
  unsigned OverflowBucket;
  unsigned MaxValue = 0;

  const unsigned MaxWidth = 40;

  /// This is not really the base-10 logarithm, but rather the number of digits
  /// in \p x when printed in base 10.
  ///
  /// So log10(0) == 1, log10(1) == 1, log10(10) == 2, etc.
  static unsigned log10(unsigned x) {
    if (x == 0)
      return 1;
    unsigned result = 0;
    while (x != 0) {
      result += 1;
      x /= 10;
    }
    return result;
  }

public:
  /// Creates a histogram with \p size buckets, where the numbering begins at
  /// \p start.
  Histogram(unsigned size, unsigned start = 0)
      : Size(size),
        Start(start),
        Buckets(size, 0),
        OverflowBucket(0) {
  }

  /// Adds an entry to the histogram. Asserts if the \p value is smaller than
  /// Start. The value is allowed to be greater than or equal to Start + Size,
  /// in which case it's counted in the OverflowBucket.
  void add(unsigned value) {
    assert(value >= Start);
    value -= Start;
    if (value >= Size)
      ++OverflowBucket;
    else
      ++Buckets[value];

    if (value > MaxValue)
      MaxValue = value;
  }

  /// Print a nice-looking graphical representation of the histogram.
  void dump(llvm::raw_ostream &out, const StringRef labels[] = {}) {
    unsigned sumValues = 0;
    unsigned maxValue = 0;
    for (unsigned i = 0; i < Size; ++i) {
      sumValues += Buckets[i];
      maxValue = std::max(maxValue, Buckets[i]);
    }
    sumValues += OverflowBucket;
    maxValue = std::max(maxValue, OverflowBucket);

    size_t maxLabelWidth = 3 + log10(Size + Start);
    if (labels != nullptr) {
      for (unsigned i = 0; i < Size; ++i)
        maxLabelWidth = std::max(labels[i].size(), maxLabelWidth);
    }

    out << std::string(maxLabelWidth, ' ') << " |";
    out << std::string(std::min(MaxWidth, maxValue), ' ');
    out << maxValue << "\n";

    out << std::string(maxLabelWidth, ' ') << " |";
    out << std::string(std::min(MaxWidth, maxValue), ' ');
    out << "*\n";

    out << std::string(maxLabelWidth, '-') << "-+-";
    out << std::string(std::min(MaxWidth, maxValue), '-') << "\n";

    auto scaledValue = [&](unsigned value) {
      if (maxValue > MaxWidth) {
        if (value != 0) {
          // If the value is non-zero, print at least one '#'.
          return std::max(1U, (value * MaxWidth) / maxValue);
        }
      }
      return value;
    };

    for (unsigned i = 0; i < Size; ++i) {
      if (labels) {
        out << std::string(maxLabelWidth - labels[i].size(), ' ');
        out << labels[i];
      } else {
        unsigned key = i + Start;
        out << std::string(maxLabelWidth - log10(key), ' ');
        out << key;
      }
      out << " | ";

      unsigned value = scaledValue(Buckets[i]);
      out << std::string(value, '#') << "\n";
    }

    if (OverflowBucket > 0) {
      out << ">= " << (Size + Start) << " | ";

      unsigned value = scaledValue(OverflowBucket);
      out << std::string(value, '#') << "\n";
    }

    out << std::string(maxLabelWidth, '-') << "-+-";
    out << std::string(std::min(MaxWidth, maxValue), '-') << "\n";

    out << std::string(maxLabelWidth, ' ') << " | ";
    out << "Total: " << sumValues << "\n";
    out << std::string(maxLabelWidth, ' ') << " | ";
    out << "Max:   " << MaxValue << "\n";
  }
};

}  // end namespace rewriting

}  // end namespace swift

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Can I receive more bytes in one transfer from this c# to android device? I'm trying to transfer a long string (2286 bytes) over Bluetooth. I've a bit of an issue about receiving a long json string over the bluetooth.. Well, not an issue, because it is receiving it, but in the manner it is receiving it. I was wondering if it was possible to receive more bytes in one transfer or if it's just a limitation.
OK, so on the c# side.. Here's the server loop..
 _screenWriterCallBT("Bluetooth Server started, waiting for clients..");
        BluetoothListener blueListener = new BluetoothListener(mUUID);
        blueListener.Start();
        BluetoothClient conn = blueListener.AcceptBluetoothClient();
        _screenWriterCallBT("Bluetooth Client has connected");

        Stream mStream = conn.GetStream();
        while (true)
        {
            try
            {
                byte[] recieved = new byte[1024];
                mStream.Read(recieved, 0, recieved.Length);
                string content = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(recieved);
                _screenWriterCallBT("Recieved: " + content + "via bluetooth");

                ParseJson parseJson = new ParseJson();
                JsonReturn = parseJson.InitialParsing(content); //parse message

                byte[] sent = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(JsonReturn);
                mStream.Write(sent, 0, sent.Length);
                _screenWriterCallBT("Test" + sent.Length);
                string messageSent = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(sent);
                _screenWriterCallBT("sent via Bluetooth: " + messageSent);
            }
            catch (IOException exception)
            {
                _screenWriterCallBT("Bluetooth Client has disconnected. Exception:" + exception + "\n");
            }
        }

It seems to work.
_screenWriterCallBT("Test" + sent.Length); // says 2286 bytes on the long string i'm trying to send.

On the Android side I have a server listening and sending too:
 public void run() {
    byte[] buffer;
    int bytes;

    while (true) {
        try {
            buffer = new byte[1024];
            // Read from the InputStream
            bytes = mmInStream.read(buffer);

            System.out.println(bytes);

            if(bytes != 0)
                listener.messageReceivedFromServer(MESSAGE_READ, bytes, -1, buffer);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            break;
        }
    }

}

It works, and receives the bytes, but it receives them in an odd way.
System.out.println(bytes); prints 1010, 1010, 266

So, basically i'm getting a truncated json string every time and I can't turn that into a JSON object.  I had an idea of when a message was received, it writes it to a temporary string, and it tests if it is a valid json object then carries on until its valid. Anyway, I thought i'd come check if any Stack overflow guru's could shine any light on if i'm doing something wrong or can change something?
Cheers
Ben

A: You need to read until all data is received, you're only reading from the stream once, thus end up with part of the data. You're partially doing this in the while(true) loops, but you don't know when you have a complete data transfer like you've found out.
From the c# side here's an illustration of what is required:
var sb = new StringBuilder();
while(mStream.DataAvailable())
{
    byte[] received = new byte[1024];
    mStream.Read(received, 0, received.Length);
    sb.Append(Encoding.ASCII.GetString(received));
}
var receivedString = sb.ToString();
_screenWriterCallBT("Received: " + receivedString + "via bluetooth");

ParseJson parseJson = new ParseJson();
JsonReturn = parseJson.InitialParsing(receivedString); //parse message

Just do the same in the android side.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The country's consumption per capita reached 6.3 toe in 2017, which is around twice the EU average; electricity accounts for about 10 700 kWh, which is close to twice the EU average. Part of this high consumption is linked to the fact that Luxembourg produces steel and to fuel tourism for motor fuels.
Most of the oil products are imported from Belgium (over 90%). Oil product imports amounted to 27 Mt in 2017, of which 67% was diesel.
Luxembourg aims to increase the share of renewables in final energy consumption to 11% by 2020, in accordance with the EU Directive on renewables (5.4% in-2016). By 2020, the share of renewables should account for 8.5% of the heating consumption (7.3% at end-2016), 11.8% of electricity production (6.7%) and 10% of the transport's consumption (5.9%).
Luxembourg failed to achieve its 28% GHG emission reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol as GHG emissions in 2012 were 8% below their level in 1990. In 2016, GHG emissions were 12% below their 1990 level at 11.5 MtCO2eq.
Energy-combustion related emissions decreased by 20% between 2010 and 2016. They rebounded in 2017 by 2.4% to 8.7 MtCO2.


text:
Our Town SarasotaDecember 26, 2022
November home sales in the two-county region are as low or lower than the lag reported from Hurricane Ian just a few months ago. Median sales prices continue to show year-over-year increases, while other factors…
FeaturedDecember 26, 2022
Florida is the fastest-growing state, Census data shows The Sunshine State saw a 1.9 percent population increase from 2021 to 2022. Since 1946, Florida's population has grown every year. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images By KELLY GARRITY…
Flyin' West WCBTT
Sarasota EventsDecember 20, 2022
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will bring in the New Year with its production of "Flyin' West" by Pearl Cleage. WBTT had previously presented this show as a staged play reading in the summer of 2018…
Florida's Housing Market
Forbes, Andrew DePietro Florida is notorious for how volatile its housing market can be. During the housing bubble and subsequent crash of the late 2000s, Florida was one of the hardest-hit states. Many Florida housing markets…
Boutique Resort Casa de Las Olas : Biosphere…
Boutique Resort Casa de Las Olas : Biosphere Tulum olastulum.com If you want to get away to a small little resort with only 5 suites right on the Gulf of Mexico, near Tulum and the…
FSU/Asolo Kicks Off Stick Fly
The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training continues its 2022-23 season with Lydia Diamond's Stick Fly. Former Conservatory graduate Marcus Denard Johnson returns to direct the play, which runs Jan. 3-22 in the Cook Theatre at…
SMH Participates in National Study
UncategorizedDecember 13, 2022
SMH Participates in National Study Assessing Treatments to Prevent Ovarian Cancer – While ovarian cancer is relatively rare, it is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. It is a stealthy disease, with no…
Florida Studio Theatre Stage Series
Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce the lineup for its 2023 Stage III Series, dedicated to presenting edgy new work that is challenging in both content and form. The 2022-2023 Winter Season marks…
Tickets are now on sale for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens' annual Lights in Bloom® holiday light show. Ranked among the 10 best botanical garden holiday light displays in the country last year by USA TODAY,…
Our Town SarasotaDecember 7, 2022
Good Day Mates, we bring you some of the best dishes served in our area. We set the bar high and see what restaurants can meet them with one or more of their dishes. We…


Santander UK has opened the first of its newly designed customer-centric branches in Tottenham Court Road offering state of the art digital facilities, and an innovative design to place the customer at the centre.
Customers entering the new branch will be greeted in a special reception area and directed to a range of tailored services so they can decide how they want to bank. Facilities include Express Banking with a new ATM wall, counter services for more secure transactions, private interview rooms as well as online banking via new digital workstations.
The branch also offers a range of state of the art digital services which include access to free wifi, special customer tablets, and digital ATMs, with four inside the branch and a further one accessible 24hrs.
A contemporary seating area with a large video wall provides customers with the bank's latest initiatives, this includes tips, such as how to avoid being the victim of a scam, as well as up-to-date information on products and services. There is also a personalised picture wall showing the branch's role in its local community with details of the different initiatives the bank is supporting such as the Santander Foundation grants, Community Days, volunteering and fundraising activities.
The newly designed branch, officially opened by the bank's Head of Retail and Business Banking and Deputy CEO Javier San Felix, is the first in a series of 20 branches set to be refurbished with the new design in 2017.
To celebrate the branch opening, the bank ran a #SpintoWin competition in Tottenham Court Road on 9th December; where members of the public participated in a special digital game available on tablets. There was also a range of prizes up for grabs including cash prizes of up to £123, available to collect from the branch where staff were also handing out goodies to all visitors. The branch is located at 164-167 Tottenham Court Rd, London W1T 7JE.
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. As at 30 June 2016, the bank serves around 14 million active customers with c. 20,000 employees and operates through 841 branches (which includes 58 university branches) and 69 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.
Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas. Santander is among the world's top banks by market capitalization. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.52 trillion in managed funds, 12,500 branches and 190,000 employees at the close of June 2016. In the first half of 2016, Santander made underlying profit of EUR 3,280 million.
The press office operates from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Outside of these hours please call 0800 5877708.


Compact Concrete Crushers' LEMTRACK 4825 is a mobile/tracked crushing plant able to crush glass, porcelain, marble, granite, tile, rock, bricks, blocks, asphalt and reinforced concrete.
Sep 13, 2015 · Crushing waste blacktop with a RM 100GO! compact crusher to a usable 3/4" final material. Ideal base material for paving contractors.


A member has the right to speak or otherwise take part in the proceedings of the National Council or Committee, for which he/she shall enjoy the right to freedom of speech.
A member has the right to be provided with information by the Government and to inspect any official document on any matter of relevance in the exercise of parliamentary mandates.
A member of the National Council is immune from any inquiry, arrest, detention or prosecution on account of any opinion expressed in the course of the discharge of his/her functions or votes cast in the National Council or joint sitting. No person is liable in respect of any report, paper or proceedings made or published under the authority of the National Council.
A member will not be prosecuted or arrested for an offence when the National Council is in session, without first informing the Chairperson.
The above immunities do not cover corrupt acts by any member in connection with the discharge of his/her duties or other acts of accepting money or any other valuables in consideration to speak or to vote in a particular manner.
A member of the National Council loses his/her right of immunity with the concurrence of not less than two thirds of the total number of members.
A member or officer of the National Council cannot be compelled to give evidence or produce documents in courts of law, relating to the proceedings of the National Council without the prior permission of the Chairperson.
No legal process will be served or arrest made within the precincts of the National Council without obtaining the permission of the Chairperson, whether the National Council is in session or not.
The National Council has the right to receive immediate information of the arrest, detention, bail, conviction, imprisonment or release of a member from the concerned authority.


The Monaco Grand Prix offers a fresh challenge for Lance Stroll and a very well known one for Felipe Massa.
Felipe Massa: "It will be the first time we go to Monaco with wider cars. So we will need to adapt to the new size for the extremely tight track. It will be challenging, for sure, but it always is in Monaco. It's going to be an interesting race. It's a race where anything can happen. Qualifying can be more important than the race, as the position where you start often decides where you will finish, so it's important to have a good Saturday. Monaco is also like my second home Grand Prix, so I'm really looking forward to it."
Lance Stroll: "It goes without saying that I am looking forward to my first Monaco race. It is going to be a special weekend on and off track, as I have some friends coming to see me race there. I have seen the race a couple of times and know the track from video games. I always go on the simulator a few days before leaving for the race so it is fresh in my mind, and then a track walk with my engineers is where I can pick up on the little things. Without doubt it's going to be tricky. However, this is always the case with street circuits, especially for your first race, but I am going to enjoy the challenge. With the barriers so close there is less room for error, so it is important to build up to quick laps and then really push when it matters."


The serviced apartment at #22, Novy Arbat street features a living room, a bedroom, a fully equipped kitchen and a bathroom with bath-tub.
Check in time starts at 2.00 p.m.
Check out is before 12:00 p.m. in the afternoon.
If you want to arrive before 2:00 p.m. or to leave later than 12 p.m. please send a request to our e-mail.
There is a fully equipped kitchen in the apartment so you can feel free during cooking.
Our multilanguage and friendly staff will do everything that you can feel yourself at home. Once you make a reservation, we will contact you via e-mail to know your arrival time to Moscow and organize the manager who will be waiting for you to make check-in in the apartment.


Did you know that brushing your teeth only cleans the surface. That is roughly around 60% of our teeth. But what about the plaque and bacteria that seeps into the gaps between the teeth? Flossing is a fundamental part of keeping teeth clean and needed to break up and remove plaque not only from between the teeth but also the gum line. This build-up can lead to cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease.
According to a poll by MouthHealthy.org 53% of readers brush before they floss, while 47% said after. So, who is right? Both. The thing about flossing is that it is important to do it. Before or after brushing doesn't matter as long as you do a thorough job at least once a day. But slowly so your entire mouth can be clean. Brushing will miss bacteria and debris.


Like most of the centuries-old towns, Haskovo has had different names. Some say that the first name of the settlement was "The Clean Town" or "White Spring" ("Чист град" or "Бял извор"/ Chist Grad or Bial Izvor), but this hypothesis cannot be supported with convincing facts. In 1792 the name "Marsa" was mentioned for the first time in writing. The Short History of the Bulgarian Slav People of Spiridon tells about the Turkish raids in the Thracian valley in the second half of the 14th century. Among the conquered settlements are Dalgo Pole and Marsa, i.e. Uzundzhovo and Hasköy. The Turkish name Hasköy, used during the Turkish yoke period, can be translated "Ruler's Village" ("Владетелско село"). This name was met for the first time in Ottoman documents of the time of Sultan Mehmed II - The Conqueror, i.e. the second half of the 15thc. It is assumed that the Turks had renamed the town immediately after its conquering at the end of the 14th c.
In the next centuries, the name Hasköy can be seen in different versions: Haskiuy, Haskeni, Haskivi until reaching the present form of the name – Haskovo. In its present form the name was first used in the literature of the Bulgarian National Revival from the mid 19th c.
It is interesting to know that our prominent writer of the Revival and fighter for pureness of the Bulgarian language – Ivan Bogorov translated the Turkish name Hasköy as "The Clean Village". It could not, however, be imposed as a name of the town. In some newspapers of the time one can see that Haskovo was called by such strange words as "Chistograd Uzunzhovskij" (Cleantown of Uzundzhovo) or just "Cleantown". Most probably the journalists of that time had meant or referred to a local myth about the oldest name of Haskovo.


text:
By TVNZ 6
Sunday 31 August, 5.30pm
In BeTWEEN is a new local issues-based series for tweens presented by Julia Wright and Jeremy Hollis in front of a live studio audience. The show deals with all the hard stuff that tweens want to know about but don't know who to ask.
This time on in beTWEEN, Julia and Jeremy find out everything there is to know about parties. We follow one of our tweens as she plans the party of a lifetime and two celebrity party goers- Carena West and Junior from Nesian Mystic – share their good, and not so good, party experiences on the studio couch.
Topics include dating, bullying, sport, sex, friends, music, and parents. in beTWEEN questions tweens about their feelings and knowledge on the topics and also includes interviews with well-known Kiwis such as Temepara George, Anna Fitzpatrick, Carena West and Junior from Nesian Mystic, Hayley Holt and Lani Purkis from Elemeno P.
This time on in beTWEEN, we find out just how much fun you can have working in sport even if you can't catch a ball; an intrepid tween lives like a professional tennis player for a whole week; and netball star and Dancing with the Stars champion Temepara George joins die-hard fans Julia and Jeremy on the couch.
Julia Wright and Jeremy Hollis tackle the tough topic of bullying this week on in beTWEEN.
This week on in beTWEEN, Julia Wright and Jeremy Hollis talk about bullying. One brave tween tries to be nice to her younger brother and sister for a whole week and Anna Fitzpatrick – a model who is also bald – tells us her personal story about being targeted by bullies.
Wright thinks that it is particularly important that tweens don't miss this episode. "Bullying is such a massive issue, so serious and I hate it so much. It is completely ruining young peoples' lives and I get passionate about bringing that into the light. Also letting victims know that they are not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."
In episode two of In BeTWEEN, Julia and Jeremy get the low-down on kissing from Shortland Street's popular nurse Tania Jefferies, played by Faye Smythe. In her four years on the show Nurse Jefferies has dated and kissed quite a few Shortland Street hotties. But who is the best smoocher on the Street?
Then there's the other side of the story from someone who's 22 and only kissed one girl. Christian Parker plays in a band, he's a model and he's also studying. Julia and Jeremy find out why he's only pashed one girl and what it would take for him to pucker up again.
Starts Sunday 3 August at 5.30pm
Julia Wright and Jeremy Hollis were delighted to land roles on the informative series.
"I was involved with the show from the very first stage so have been excited about it for a long time now!" says Wright.
"I'm glad I get to be one of the people talking about stuff that hasn't been talked about before – especially because all of the issues we focus on are so real and so big for our audience."
Both believe that In BeTWEEN is an important show.
"When I was a tween, it was tough," says Hollis. "Not only are you going through all the body changes, but you're learning how to deal with your own emotions, with other people, and girls! A show like this where tweens get to hear from others who are going through the same thing can realise that they're not alone, and even get some tips on how to best deal with everything!"
Wright agrees. "No one has done it before but it is so needed. Tweens really love that game 'Chinese Whispers' and information can get very twisted. So we are here telling it like it is and finding out the truth about the issues they are facing." Wright believes that the bullying episode will have a big impact.
"It is such a massive issue, so serious and I hate it so much. It is completely ruining young peoples' lives and I get passionate about bringing that into the light. Also letting victims know that they are not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."
Hollis particularly enjoyed making the music episode as he plays bass in a band called The Gaze, but the show he thought was the most relevant was the one on divorce.
"Neither Jules' or my parents are still together, and it's an issue that affects so many children. I went to an all-boys boarding school where most of the boys came from broken homes and know first-hand the huge effect that kind of change can have on people, and it's not nice mostly. What I liked most about this episode was that we really explored how things get better – though it does take a bit of time."
In the first episode of In BeTWEEN, it's all about body, there are top tips for surviving puberty with your dignity intact, one brave tween gets 'pierced' for your viewing pleasure and Rachel Henderson – one of New Zealand's top skiers who hasn't let having one arm keep her off the medal podium – joins Julia and Jeremy on the couch.


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Africa: Nobel Economics Prize – Wilson and Milgrom's Insights Into Auctions Could Drive Down Carbon Emissions
October 16, 2020 by afur
[The Conversation Africa] Many would argue that the global financial crisis of 2007-09 taught us not just the irrelevance but the dangers of economic theory. Yet the Nobel committee has awarded its economic prize for 2020 to two high theorists – Robert Wilson and Paul Milgrom — for advances in game theory, and specifically auctions.Read the Original Article
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