Bijagua has a district population of about 5000 and is still quintessentially Costa Rican – it's not uncommon to see people using horses for transport through the town, and you can still buy a machete in the hardware store. We have a community run cheese factory that makes cheese from locally produced milk and distributes it all over the country and there's a weekly farmers' market on Saturday where you find the local produce (including cheese made from the local factory). Bijagua is host to several annual fiestas, including a rodeo and a cabalgata in April, Contact us for exact dates. It's Costa Rica at its best!
As in any farming community, everyone in Bijagua relies on each other – we're united by a great sense of pride in our community, and in the incredible forest that surrounds us. Bijagua is in a unique wildlife zone between Volcano Miravalles and Volcano Tenorio. The warm winds from the Caribbean rise to form condensation and rain then falls between the two volcanoes, resulting in a unique micro climate home to a diverse variety of flora and fauna including numerous endemic species. The area has also been declared of being part of the 'Water and Life' (Agua y Paz) Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The reserve is comprised of eight core zones that are protected wildlife areas legally constituted and that are administered through the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).
Increasingly, this forest is bringing new visitors to Bijagua –located in the lush tropical biological corridor between Volcano Tenorio and Volcano Miravalles with easy access to Volcan Tenorio National Park and Rio Celeste. More visitors to the area provide have been a big incentive for people in Bijagua to learn English. Pip has delivered classes to all ages levels in the town.
Why should you visit Bijagua?
Bijagua is the perfect rural town to engage in rural tourism to get a feel for the 'authentic' Costa Rica away from crowds of tourists.
Check out all our website pages for more reasons to come and visit this wonderful authentic village.


Team Skimble kept fit this week at the Samsung Developer Conference using Workout Trainer with an exclusive 'Made for Samsung' training experience. There were 5000+ SDC attendees at the Moscone Center over the course of the past two days, all looking to get the latest scoop on where the digital world is heading. We learned first-hand about the new initiatives Samsung is leading and had some great discussions about future innovations.
On the health and fitness side, we are excited to make strides together. Samsung and Skimble have been collaborating to help people gain access to move-by-move coaching that's really personalized and accessible – anytime, anywhere. To make an even greater impact, we came up with a version of Workout Trainer – made for Samsung. This flavor of our app plays on all of Samsung's latest devices such as the Galaxy S7 and Gear S2 smartwatch…seamlessly connected with S Health!
If you're a Samsung device owner, get the Workout Trainer for Samsung version from Galaxy Apps store to gain access to exclusive, premium content. Make sure you sign up with your Samsung Account to unlock this complimentary gift.
In between all this excitement, Skimble's co-founder Maria Ly was invited to take part in Samsung's Innovation Track. This fireside chat with Expedia, Lyft, and Skimble provided partners a chance to share their experiences working on next-gen products with Samsung. When asked about what changes in technology Skimble is excited about, Maria emphasized how the rise of pervasive sensors is something we can leverage, both on the trainer and the client side of the ecosystem, to help people live healthier.
If you missed this amazing industry and developer event, check out the SDC Keynote, Inspiration Keynote, and the entire Inspiration Track.
Moreover, get involved in the mobile wellness movement! Be sure to follow Skimble's blog and social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn to get the latest updates on how we are taking the guesswork out of living a healthy, active lifestyle.


Drifting… Parking… Precision Driving. Whosaidshopping was boring? Drive 4 intense cars around the carparkinglot to pass the missions in the fastest time you can. Oursmash hitMulti Level Car Parking Simulator game is back with anall-newsequel, bigger and better than ever!
With exciting Drift Handling, this car will push yourreactionsand car control skill to the limits! Use the Handbrake toget thetail out, then control that skid with your steering to makeyourway spectacularly around the parking lot!
Shorter doesn't necessarily mean easier! This tuned-uphatchbackhas a lot of power to tame! Show it who's boss and blitzaround thecar park, weaving your way through the courses instyle!
The bulky 4×4 SUV is a bit of a monster to navigate aroundtheparked cars – please don't hit anyone's vehicle, but you willneedto drive quickly to get the best scores!
This very long car will test your spatial awareness.Don'tscratch the shiny paintwork!
Tons of varied missions, featuring moving traffic toavoid,moving entry and exit barriers and a detailed multi-level carparkmap to explore.
Free to download, the main career mode is 100% free to play.Seeour other games for many more exciting Parking Simulatorgames!
▶ Easy Modes available (with separate leader boards) asoptionalin-app purchases, designed to make the game easier!


When Bridgeport and Decatur meet on the pitch Tuesday in Bridgeport, there will be much more than bragging rights on the line.
The District 3-4A title will also be at stake.
Having split the season series to this point, the Bulls and Eagles enter the district finale separated by a razor's edge in the standings. Bridgeport is 6-1-1 in league play while Decatur is 7-1.
If the Bulls win, they will repeat as district champions. If the Eagles win or tie, they will claim their first district title in school history.
Decatur has won five straight matches, including a 2-1 victory over Bridgeport at home on March 2. The Eagles' last loss came on Feb. 20 against the Bulls.
Although Bridgeport won their first meeting 5-0, Benjamin said the score was not indicative of how close the match actually was. Both teams battled a heavy, cold rain.
The Bulls are focused on getting healthy. Bridgeport coach C.J. Cartwright said forward Juan Amador, who did not play in the 2-1 loss, should be ready to go on Tuesday. Amador missed that game with an ankle injury.
Defender Giovanni Martinez was also out. Cartwright said he does not expect Martinez to be available. He is battling a severe ankle sprain that left him in a walking boot.
Cartwright said the goal is to have him back in time for the playoffs.
The Eagles dictated tempo and possession in the midfield in their 2-1 win, something Bridgeport knows it will have to counter this time around.
The Bulls must beat Decatur in order to snag their second district title in as many years. If Bridgeport finishes second, Cartwright said they would likely earn a rematch with Brownwood in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The Bulls beat Brownwood 5-1 last year.


text:
Goodnight in Norwegian Language
Hello Goodbye!
July 9, 2015 – 01:47 pm
Hei! may be the normal method to say "hi!" The seem lies approximately British hey an hi (a little nearer to hi). Give a dose of jolly optimism, and you'll seem very Norwegian.
If a person calls only you can't hear the individual, your word-of-choice ought to be hallo?
Obviously you will find even the good something! type of greetings. Like whenever you meet somenone each morning, you say god morgen [goh MOORen], in the center of your day the language to make use of are god dag [goh DAHG], and at night you opt for god kveld [goh KVELL]. Please be aware that "good day" doesn't seem strange in Norwegian – it's an entirely natural factor to state.
If you are in Norwegian and have a stroll at night, however, it's an awful idea to greet other people with god natt [goh NATT] (night), regardless of how beautiful the heavens are! They'll think you're departing for mattress, or expecting them to get it done!
This leads us to taking leave. The standard method to say bye in Norwegian is
' det!
If you've only took in to Norwegian, you may assume it ought to be written "hade" [HAHdeh], as that's the way in which it's pronounced. The expression really originates from ' det bra! [HAHdeh BRAH], meaning "have it good!" You're essentially wanting someone a great time. Now, is that not a pleasant method to leave an individual?
And I'll finish this publish by saying mire snakkes! (speak with you later!) and wanting you lykke til (best of luck) together with your language studies.
http://ramamama.ru
Source: blogs.transparent.com
Lion King II - My Lullaby (One Line Multilanguage)
Office 2013 Norwegian Language
North Norwegian Language
What languages can you translate free online with Babylon?
Babylon is a free online language translator that help one in translating from 8 languages, among them Spanish, Latvian, French, German, Russian and others.
"Hello, Goodbye" is a song by The Beatles. The song was released as a single in November 1967, and topped the charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Norway. The song also was a number two hit in both Austria and Switzerland.
Though the...
Hello Goodbye is a 2008 French language romantic-dramedy film directed by Graham Guit. The film stars Gerard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant. The film is set in both Israel and France and follows the life of a Jewish couple who try to discover their true identity, their...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Margareta Wendel (född Sparre, även gift Sederholm, Sporon och Lindgrén), född 26 juni 1900 på Gunnebo slott i Göteborgs och Bohus län, död 31 augusti 1985 i Göteborg, var en svensk friherrinna och skådespelare.

Wendel var dotter till godsdisponent Carl Ambjörn Gustaf Sixtensson Sparre (1863–1917) och dennes hustru Hilda Rakel Maria Denninghoff (1868–1948), en dotter till Wilhelm Denninghoff.

Margareta Wendel var gift fyra gånger:
 1919–1922 med godsägare Folke Bertilsson Sederholm (1891–1956)
 1922–1929 med sin kusin, grosshandlare Nils Georg Wendel (1891–?)
 1931–? med overretssagförer Paul (Poul) Egede Sporon, Danmark (1889–1937)
 1937–1960 med Sten Ragnar Lindgrén (1903-1991)

Filmografi

Källor

 Gustaf Elgenstierna: Den introducerade svenska adelns ättartavlor, band VII (Stockholm 1932), sidan 391.
 Sveriges ridderskaps och adels kalender 1949 (Stockholm 1948), sidan 1148.

Noter

Svenska skådespelare under 1900-talet
Födda 1900
Kvinnor
Avlidna 1985
Svenska friherrinnor

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Hope for indigenous young people and their families, giving these young indigenous individuals Aspirations (be they social or career in nature), as well as providing them with Leadership Opportunities so they are able to self-actualise and achieve their potential (and so they exist as role models to future generations of the indigenous youth).
Halo's unique approach to assisting young people primarily involves positive psychology and a peer-mentoring system. This system focuses not on the 'problems' that require fixing, but rather on the possibilities open to young indigenous people and the opportunities for significant change or self-actualisation.
A large part of Halo is the day program which offers young indigenous Australians many forms of social assistance and education, including literacy and numeracy support, employability and social skills training, a fitness program, and support in attaining a drivers' license. Perhaps the most important facet of this program, however, is the participation of respected members of the Noongar community, who provide a sense of cultural knowledge and belonging to the indigenous youth present.
Halo also provides motivational and training workshops directed not only at young people, but also providing those who work with these groups of children with practical tips and solutions on how to successfully reach workplace goals.
Australian society has an obviously less than ideal historical relationship with its indigenous peoples, and this is reflected in the high number of indigenous young people incarcerated in youth detention centres across the nation – the detention rate for indigenous juveniles is 397 per 100,000, over 28 times the rate for non-indigenous juveniles.
HALO seeks to address this issue by providing the above services to divert indigenous young people away from criminal activities and placement in detention centres. These activities should be seen as not only socially generous or even just, but as an obligation that the historically poor treatment of indigenous people within Australian society has created.
The agency acts to help young indigenous Australians improve in social, financial, physical, cultural as well as emotional areas, and in so doing, changes the social realities for future generations of young indigenous people.


text:
ALNGUYEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CO., LTD.
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Home » Empowering Rural Communities in the Pacific
Empowering Rural Communities in the Pacific | Nov 21, 2022
Pure Fiji Export Ltd., Fiji
The Pacific Ocean is the largest oceanic division in the world and home to some of the most isolated communities. Islands in the vast expanse are home to diverse flora (plant life) and fauna (animal life), with the isolation serving to create unique ecosystems. The Republic of Fiji (Fiji) is one such island country, comprised of over 300 islands and 500 islets (small, usually uninhabited islands) located in the South Pacific Ocean approximately 2,000 kilometers north of New Zealand. Formed through a combination of volcanic and tectonic activity and heavily forested, for thousands of years inhabitants of the Fijian islands have relied on the resources of the forest and ocean for survival and prosperity.
Fiji's location and geographical features endow it with rich natural resources (Photo: Flickr/Venson Kuchipudi)
Oils extracted from the leaves, branches, and nuts of Fiji's flora are one such resource that has played an important role in the country's communities. Long valued for their medicinal and beauty purposes, Fijian oils help to protect, nourish, moisturize, and heal skin and hair. In 2000, Pure Fiji Export Ltd. (Pure Fiji) was launched as a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) to bring these products and traditions to international markets. Started by Ms. Gaetane Austin and her daughter Andree, Pure Fiji has become one of the country's most successful SMEs. With an innovative branding strategy and brand names and products protected by the intellectual property (IP) system, the company continues to bring the traditions, smells, and essences of the lush islands of Fiji to consumers throughout the world.
Goods with specific geographical origin
Fiji is endowed with a total land area of over 18,000 square kilometers that comprises hundreds of islands and islets. The two largest islands – Viti Levu and Vanua Levu – are mountainous and account for most of the land area and the country's population of just about one million. Fijian islands exhibit a wide range of geographical features, such as mountain ranges reaching over 1,300 meters high, rolling hills, plains, coral reefs, and white sand beaches. With little temperature variation due to the influence of the surrounding ocean (changing only between 2 and 4 degrees Celsius (°C) throughout the year), trade winds, and healthy annual rainfall (up to 6,000 millimeters in certain areas), Fiji's climate can easily sustain most types of tropical flora.
Leaves and nuts, which are key ingredients to Pure Fiji's products, are abundantly found in Fiji's mountains and forests (Photo: Flickr/Mark Heard)
The country's remoteness is also a major reason that leads to the diverse and unique properties of its flora. One way in which trees, shrubs, and other plant species arrive to Fiji is via the ocean currents. For example, a seed will fall from a tree on a beach on another island or land mass thousands of kilometers away. When the tide changes, the seed is picked up and tossed into the warm currents of the Pacific Ocean. As it travels the waves, it absorbs nutrients and elements from the ocean while being protected from direct sunlight. The nut then washes ashore on the beach of a Fijian island, takes root, and starts to grow. This process is an important way in which the country's islands (and other Pacific islands) became forested, and it continues today. Out of the hundreds of thousands of seed-bearing plant species, only a few hundred produce seeds that can withstand the journey through the ocean currents to a new home such as a Fijian island.
The climate, geography, and remoteness of Fiji have thereby served to create a country filled with unique and diverse flora. Coconut and a variety of pine trees (such as the casurina pine that reaches 20 meters high) dot the beaches of the islands while rainforests make up the interior. Mangroves are also abundant, and are crucial to Fijian islands because they serve to strengthen the coastlines and protect the reefs. Sugarcane, papaya, and lavender are just a few in the long list of flora in Fiji that have provided local populations with natural resources for millennia.
Fijians have relied on surrounding flora and other natural resources for many different uses, passing their traditional knowledge down over generations. One such use is for weaving, which has a rich history in the country. Leaves, grass, bark, and husks of local flora are skillfully woven into useful items and artistic expressions. For instance, coconut husks are used to create magimagi, which is a rope-like material that is made from weaving together the fiber of the husks discarded during coconut harvesting. Magimagi was traditionally used as a binding material instead of nails or screws, which were unavailable. It was also used to adorn architectural structures with decorative and intricate designs, and skilled magimagi weavers continue to apply their craft today.
Surrounded by the ocean and tropical forests, Fijians also have a rich history of traditional knowledge of harnessing local resources for food and medicinal purposes. Should a drought occur, people know the appropriate trees and leaves to tap into for water. They also know what plants grow well where and in what time of year, and their skill in fishing has been perfected over thousands of years. Furthermore, Fijians have intricate knowledge of the benefits of oil extracted from nuts, leaves, and flowers, harvesting it for medicinal and beauty purposes.
While the country enjoys an abundance of traditional knowledge in handcrafts, agriculture, fishing, and medicine, much of it has not been harnessed. Pure Fiji is one company, however, that has been able to tap into this traditional knowledge, imbue it with modern techniques, and utilize natural ingredients to develop Fijian products that can be appreciated throughout the world.
One day in 1995, Ms. Austin and her daughter Andree, who recently returned to Fiji after working at a hotel chain in the United States of America (USA), were brainstorming ways in which she could continue to support her family after her husband's recent passing. "I had to find a way of creating a living," she explained. "It was a question of survival, which is a powerful motivation." A widowed mother with limited employment opportunities and financial resources, inspiration struck the mother-daughter team on two occasions. The first was when they saw a group of school children happily playing outside, their faces glowing due to coconut oil applied to ward off mosquitos. "Their faces were shining and they were brimming with energy," said Gaetane. "I thought: 'why shouldn't the rest of the world look that happy and healthy?'"
Coconut is a primary ingredient for the company's products (Photo: Flickr/Alex Masters)
The second occasion was when they saw rolls of vau (hibiscus tiliaceus, or beach hibiscus) leaves being unloaded from a nearby truck. As Andree recalls, the sun was shining on the leaves and "We looked around and said…there are all these traditional arts, magimagi, vau (used to make ribbons), and voivoi (leaves used for making mats) and beautiful weaving that the women do." From the rolls of vau, Gaetane and Andree saw significant potential to harness Fiji's natural resources and talented women to produce high quality soaps, oils, lotions, and other products.
Together with her daughter, Gaetane used family savings of 8,000 Fijian dollars (FJD$) and launched a company called Sandollars Fiji Ltd. (Sandollars) to produce pressed soap made from natural local ingredients. With no manufacturing facilities, the entrepreneurs hired a local manufacturer to produce the company's products, while all packaging took place in the family kitchen. Initially two products were produced: Waiwai ni Viti (coconut oil) and Sovu ni Viti (soap). The first completed products were sold to Tappoo Department Stores (Tappoo), a major retailer in the country. After a modest initial order of 12 quickly sold out, Tappoo increased its orders and within a few weeks placed an order for FJD$20,000 of products. With such high demand, the entrepreneurs undertook research and development (R&D) of new products and business strategies.
By 2000 Sandollars was enjoying significant domestic success, but since Fiji's population is only approximately one million the entrepreneurs knew that if their company were to enjoy continued growth they would have to expand internationally. To that end, in 2000 the Austins opened Pure Fiji to handle the development and export of new and existing products. Given Fiji's location in the South Pacific Ocean, the entrepreneurs knew that exporting the company's products would present a fiscal challenge. After researching different strategies, Pure Fiji decided to focus on the niche market of upscale (yet still affordable) soap, beauty, and health products. Doing so allowed the SME to differentiate itself, command higher prices, and help mitigate high exportation costs.
When it comes to the R&D of new products, Pure Fiji relies on those ingredients that are indigenous to the country's islands and that can be readily harvested from the forests and beaches without any need for cultivation. Over the SME's product line there are a number of core ingredients, which include organic nut oils (such as coconut, dilo, sikeci, and macadamia), sea grass (flowering marine plants), pineapple, and passionflower. The company employs a skilled industry chemist at its headquarters in the capital city of Suva to assist in the development of new and unique products made from these ingredients and, when necessary, complementing ingredients and tropical fragrances.
By 2014, Pure Fiji's R&D resulted in products such as soaps, lotions, creams, and fragrances. Moreover, the SME has used its experience and the skill and traditional knowledge of employees in local rural communities to develop additional product lines, such as biodegradable gift paper, wedding accessories, candles, and aroma sticks and mists. Pure Fiji has also created a line of infusion products based on a specific local ingredient, such as coconut, star fruit, and mango. For each ingredient, the company has developed oils, lotions, soaps, shampoos, and conditioners that can be used in spas and at home.
Core to Pure Fiji's strategy is developing brands that bring the best of Fiji to the customer. Stressing the importance of branding, Gaetane said, "Fiji branding is very important to us. I think the products have a natural and fresh look that is immediately associated with the tropical South Pacific nation of Fiji." The company has used this approach in its name and throughout its product line. For example, the company's logo features a row of colorful tropical flowers or leaves above the Pure Fiji name, and the company's use of clean designs and bright colors on packaging further evoke the South Pacific Ocean and Fiji. Through these and other products such as gift baskets, handmade with locally sourced Fijian ingredients, Pure Fiji has developed a brand that not only stands for products of high quality, but also one that is affordable and brings the Fijian experience to the customer.
In addition to the main Pure Fiji brand under which a wide variety of products are sold such as beauty, skin and hair care, and oil, the company has developed other brands to differentiate some of its products. The Reniu brand was created to serve as a platform for many of the SME's coconut-derived products, including coconut oil, lotion, and soaps. In an effort to appeal to a wider market, Pure Fiji developed the Mana'Ia brand name of products specifically for men. Eschewing the typical Pure Fiji logo and colors, Mana'Ia uses darker blues and greens and is accompanied with a Pure Fiji Man slogan.
A strong brand is so integral to the company that Pure Fiji's branding strategy has allowed it to refrain from significant advertising campaigns. Instead, the SME allows its products and brands to speak for themselves, finding much success through this and word of mouth advertising. For example, in 2002, organizers of the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (the Emmys), a major television award event in the USA, were looking for products to include in a gift basket given to each nominee. After hearing about Pure Fiji on the Internet through customer reviews, the organizers purchased some of the SME's products to test. Impressed, they chose Pure Fiji's products to be included in the gift basket, and even invited the company's founders to join the event. This brought Pure Fiji a significant amount of international attention, all which was a result of the company's strong brand. Continuing this tradition, Pure Fiji has become one of Fiji's most successful brands.
Trademarks and domain names
Pure Fiji has protected its brand names through trademark registrations
(Image: USPTO registration #4257482)
Having developed strong brand names, Pure Fiji knew that protecting them was essential for continued growth and as a deterrent to potential infringers. To that end, the SEM has relied on the intellectual property (IP) system. Pure Fiji has made two trademark applications in the USA with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which represents one of the company's largest markets. The first, for the Pure Fiji name accompanied with an image of flowers, was registered in December 2012. The second application was for a trademark for the company's name and an image of leaves, which was made in March 2014. As the company's operations expanded, it made additional trademark applications. The United Kingdom (UK) represents another major market for Pure Fiji, and in 2004 the SME made an application with the UK Intellectual Property Office for its company name and logo, which was registered in 2005. In January 2005, the company made a trademark application in Australia with IP Australia for its Pure Fiji name, which was registered in September of that year. The SME also made a trademark application for its Reniu and Mana'ia names in January 2005, both of which were registered in September 2005.
In addition to trademarks, an important way in which Pure Fiji markets its products is through the Internet. Securing its online presence, the company thereby purchased the purefiji.com domain name, through which customers can directly order Pure Fiji products. To maintain a close relationship with its customers and brand image, the company also utilizes major social networks such as Facebook (where it has over 100,000 "likes") and Twitter accounts for the company, its spa, and its Australian presence. With trademarks protected by the IP system and strong Internet activities, the company has been able to successfully expand the reach of its brands into new markets.
Following Pure Fiji's early success, the family kitchen quickly became an inadequate production premises. In late 2001, the company rented nearby space in what became Pure Fiji's first factory. Only a few years later the SME outgrew this location, and in 2004 constructed a new headquarters complex in Vatuwaqa, an industrial subdivision of Suva. This facility includes the company's offices, production factory, and a spa equipped with modern amenities where customers can experience the company's products.
Instead of mass production, Pure Fiji follows the "just-in-time" philosophy. This strategy aims to increase efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only when they are needed in the production process, which reduces inventory costs. It is a strategy that also allows Pure Fiji to provide income for those in rural areas, especially for women, who make up approximately 75% of the company's workforce. Using "just-in-time," Pure Fiji provides employment opportunities for over 500 people in village communities by relying on them to harvest and process ingredients such as coconut oil, natural paper, masi (cloth from tree bark), magimagi, and woven baskets on an as-needed basis. The ingredients are then used to produce the necessary product quantity based on orders received. Once produced, filled, labeled, and packed, the finished products are shipped once per week either by air or sea, depending on the required speed of each order.
A majority of Pure Fiji's products are based on nut-derived oils. To commercialize these oils into products, the oil must first be extracted, and three main methods exist: solvent, supercritical carbon dioxide, and pressed (with or without added heat). Solvent is the most common, but uses a chemical agent (typically hexane, which is derived from petroleum) that can leave potentially harmful residue. Many natural minerals are also lost during the process. Supercritical carbon dioxide uses heated, pressurized carbon dioxide to safely extract a high amount of nutrient-rich oil (up to 90%), but it is very expensive, with basic equipment costing over US$1 million.
Pressed extraction – in which the nut or other ingredient is ground and pressed – is cost effective and, when heat is applied, quick and efficient. However, the direct heat application (up to 230°C) results in degradation of nutrients, aroma, and color. Pressed extraction without direct heat application – known as "cold pressed" – has a lower oil yield but retains a high level of original nutrients and aromatics. This method still does involve some heat, either for indirect heating or as a result of friction, but the temperature range is typically between 27°C and 60°C. In Fiji, the Food Safety Regulations of 2009 state that cold pressed oils can only be obtained without direct application of heat.
While typical cold pressing brings with it many benefits (such as cost-effectiveness and high quality), something else was needed. Pure Fiji's goal of sourcing ingredients directly from local communities, thereby providing sustainable and easily accessible employment opportunities for women, meant that oil extraction would have to be done in these communities. While these communities use traditional extraction techniques, the resulting oil has a very brief shelf life and would not be feasible for export. Typical cold pressing could be used, but it requires large, expensive machinery that needs regular maintenance, and installing and maintaining such equipment in rural communities throughout the country meant that it was not a feasible option for Pure Fiji.
Thanks to the DME method, oils from coconuts and other flora can be quickly and sustainably processed at the source (Photo: Flickr/Mattie Hagedorn)
After further research, the SME discovered the Direct Micro Expelling (DME) method, which is a cold pressing variant that was pioneered by Dr. Dan Etherington. The DME method uses simple, affordable equipment to quickly produce small and manageable daily batches of oil that are ready for sale to companies such as Pure Fiji. After nuts have been ground with a simple mechanical grater, the material is placed on a flat metal sheet that is heated to a low temperature (not exceeding 60°C) by solar energy or a low fire. Once dried, the material is manually pressed into a vertical cylinder to extract the oil, which retains most of its natural nutrients, aroma, and color and has a long shelf life. The DME method can extract up to 85% of a nut's oil within one hour, does not use any fuel, can be done in teams of 3 to 7 people in as much or as little time as desired, and is sustainable.
Because of the benefits of the cold pressed DME method, Pure Fiji uses it for all of the company's oil derived products. In line with the SME's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, it uses passive solar dryers. Striving to leave as little waste as possible, leftover materials such as shells from nuts and the pressed paste are milled into fertilizer. Moreover, in the case of harvesting ingredients, only the nut, fruit, flowers, or branches of a plant are used, the rest remaining untouched. In the case of nuts in particular, only those that naturally fall to the ground are harvested. To ensure sustainability many trees and plants are left alone and new ones are regularly planted, which guarantees future supply while allowing the company to abstain from large-scale irrigation and cultivation.
Quality control is essential to Pure Fiji's brand reputation, and the company is also required to meet the standards of its export markets, such as regulations from the Food and Drug Administration of the USA. Before a product is manufactured, the raw materials are inspected, tested, and a sample of the finished product is produced. Once approved, the rest of the batch is produced and personally inspected before it is ready for shipping. To ensure that the company's products were not damaged during shipment, they are inspected again upon arrival and any necessary repairs are made before they are distributed to the client.
By 2014, Pure Fiji was producing and exporting products in ten different categories. In addition to its line of beauty products, the SME also commercializes ambience products (such as candles, mists, and aroma sticks) based on natural Fijian ingredients; skin repair products using the dilo tree and marketed as Dilo Rescue; coconut oil marketed under the Reniu brand name; and the Mana'ia line of treatment products for men, which includes lotions, gels, and oils again made from natural Fijian ingredients.
Most of the company's products are sold to international hotels (including Bellagio, Wynn Resorts, and Ritz Carlton), spas, airports, and department stores. In addition, the company operates the Pure Fiji Boutique on Denarau Island in Fiji and offers its products for sale directly to individual customers through its online stores in a number of countries (including Australia, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA), and on airlines such as Fiji Airways and Air Pacific.
Public health and food security
For women in many rural communities in Fiji, there is limited access to employment opportunities, educational and health care services, and a secure supply of balanced food for themselves and their families. Recognizing this, Pure Fiji launched initiatives to help two such small communities (with populations between 150 and 300), particularly Makoi, located on the outskirts of Suva, and the remote community of Wai-ni-Makutu, located in Namosi province west of the capital. The company achieved this through training new skills to women in these communities, promoting the development of cooperatives, and then relying on them to supply certain ingredients integral to Pure Fiji's products.
Traditional skills used to make products such masi cloth have empowered women in traditional communities (Photo: Flickr/Matt Westoby)
To reflect the natural ingredients in their products and their Fijian origin, many are packaged in colorful paper. Initially importing this paper from the Republic of Indonesia, the Austins realized that the resources necessary to produce handmade paper were available at home in Fiji and that it would be ideal for a community-based supplier initiative. Fijians have a long and rich history of using the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree (broussonetia papyifera) to hand make masi (or tapa cloth), which is a cloth used for traditional ceremonies. When masi are produced, the outer bark remains unused and is discarded. The Austins surmised that if these leftovers are harvested and combined with other organic pulps from local plants and trees (such as bamboo, sugar cane, and pineapple leaves), it could be used to make natural and beautiful handmade paper.
With the help of the New Zealand High Commission of Fiji and the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (an international organization that provides non-financial services to African, Caribbean, and Pacific enterprises), Pure Fiji recruited an expert from New Zealand to teach women in the Wai-ni-Makutu community how to make paper of a high quality that can be internationally competitive. Called the Pepa Ni Viti project, the company set up a processing plant, complete with the required equipment, and provided the necessary training. As a result, women in the community became skilled paper makers. They are able to complete all steps of the production process, from sourcing the correct natural ingredients to the final steps of dying and testing the paper. Previously unemployed, women participating in the project create between 1,000 and 5,000 sheets of paper per week in two types: thicker sheets for bags and thinner sheets for wrapping products. Thanks to this initiative, these women – and many of their relatives who have joined in the sourcing and processing – have not only been able to make a high quality product appreciated by consumers around the world, but have also been able to increase their livelihood.
Empowered by this change, women involved in this project have used their newfound income to significantly help their communities. For example, they were able to install a generator, providing electricity which brought with it access to pumped water, which is very important for the public health and food security of the community. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, poor access to water represents a critical constraint to adequate food production and is a major cause of poverty and hunger. Because it is typically women that gather and manage water resources, pumped water allows them to spend more time to increase their income – such as through Pure Fiji's paper initiative – which improves their diet and that of their family's.
Increased income and access to electricity also allowed the community access to a refrigerator and freezer. This has brought significant public health benefits, as people are able to access previously unattainable food (such as items that require preservation in a refrigerator or freezer), have a more balanced diet throughout the year, and enjoy increased food security. Refrigeration ensures the safety of perishable food items of plant and animal origin, substantially reducing bacterial growth and foodborne diseases. This benefits all members of the community, helping to provide a balanced, safe diet, and keep people properly nourished. In addition, the paper production initiative has helped pay for the construction of new educational facilities. New classrooms and a library were added to a secondary school in Wai-ni-Makutu, increasing access to education for over 150 children.
On a trip to the markets in Suva one would be able to find woven baskets for sale by women from Makoi village. While they are skilled weavers, on a good day they would only be able to sell a few baskets. Pure Fiji saw an opportunity to tap into their talent to launch another initiative that not only provided the company with a supply of woven baskets, but also provided the women with increased income and a better quality of life. The company uses woven baskets as a container for some of its product lines or at special events, such as at the Emmys (2002). Instead of importing these baskets, the company created a partnership with the weavers of Makoi.
When baskets are required, Pure Fiji supplies weavers in Makoi with the dimensions (in the form of a wooden block that the basket can be woven around), number needed, and quality standards that must be met for the baskets to be purchased. The weavers create the baskets and bring them to Pure Fiji's factory, where the company purchases them for cash. Because the SME requires consistent quality, many of the weavers have been able to increase their skill. As a result, they are able to sell more baskets to Pure Fiji and other customers. "My life has changed since starting the business," said Ms. Mereani Rogo Walesi, a weaver from Makoi, when explaining how the initiative has benefited her and her family. "We are able to…send children to school and meet other domestic and traditional commitments." Depending on the order, weavers in Makoi produce up to 200 baskets per week.
Pure Fiji's programs have benefited the public health and food security of people in rural communities, including children (Photo: Flickr/Kanaka Menehune)
Because of this initiative, weavers in Makoi have been able to increase their income, enhance their skill, and benefit their community. For example, many households now have access to electricity and water tanks, which provide safer water and lessen the need for daily water collection. This means they can focus more on their individual basket weaving businesses, thereby increasing their livelihood and better providing for their families and communities. A number of weavers in Makoi have also been able to use their increased income to pay school tuition fees for their children.
Beyond these initiatives, Pure Fiji's use of the DME cold press method has contributed to greater food security and access to health care for the company's suppliers. Because raw ingredients are processed at the source, suppliers in rural villages – predominantly women – have access to employment that does not require them to travel outside of their communities. Moreover, the quick processing feature of the DME method means that suppliers can spend as little or as much time as they have available to process raw ingredients. Given the important role these women play in their communities and individual families, the ability to work in their own homes over flexible time periods has given them a sustainable form of employment. As a result, women can spend more time on improving their communities with the money they earn, such as installing generators for electricity and refrigerators for food preservation, the ability to pay for necessary health care, and increasing educational access for children through building schools.
When raw ingredients are processed for oil, waste is left over in the form of shells, husks, and the compressed cake from which the oil was extracted. Instead of being discarded, this waste is used to increase the food security of rural communities. Shells, husks, and other plant waste are mixed together and used as fertilizer for gardens, which contributes to the increased supply of fresh vegetables and fruit. The compressed cake, now devoid of most oil, is used as food for both people and livestock. Still containing many nutrients such as protein, the leftover cake ensures healthy livestock (a vital source of food resources), which in turn increases the communities' public health. In addition, because the cake is suitable for human consumption it can be finely ground into flour and used as a valuable dietary supplement.
In September 2011, the Pacific Cooperation Foundation, an independent, non-profit partnership between the public and private sectors in New Zealand and other Pacific island countries, launched the True Pacific program. Working closely with producers of food, beverage, and unique artesian products in the Pacific islands, the program helps these producers grow and reach new markets. To that end, True Pacific developed a quality mark – "True Pacific, the Best of the Pacific" – and associated licensing scheme.
To join the program and license the quality mark, a producer must register with True Pacific and meet a set of assessment criteria, such as the implementation of sound business practices, consistent product quality and shelf life, and compliance to all health and safety standards of target markets. Pure Fiji was the first company to receive True Pacific accreditation, which verifies to customers the origin and quality of the Pure Fiji brand and helps the company expand in New Zealand and other countries. Explaining the importance of the certification to the company, Carla Konia, spokesperson for Pure Fiji in New Zealand, said "We feel very passionately about what True Pacific is trying to achieve. Not only do we promote businesses, we also lift the profile of the area and were the products are produced."
Business results
Starting out with limited resources and in a region where exporting is expensive, Pure Fiji has become a fast growing company and brand. Only a few years after its foundation, the SME's products were in demand by major international hotel chains (such as Sofitel), were featured in magazines (such as Women's Day and Healing Arts), and were used at major award shows (such as the Emmys in the USA). Pure Fiji is the only cosmetic manufacturer based in Fiji, and it grew from a small family operation to employing over 100 people and providing opportunities for over 500 more through the sourcing and processing of raw ingredients. With the company's brand names protected by the IP system through trademark registrations, by 2014 Pure Fiji's products were being exported to distributors in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
The company's products and success have also been recognized on numerous occasions. Pure Fiji was the first company that is solely owned by women to win the Fiji Prime Minister's Exporter of the Year Award (2001) and has won many awards since, such as the ECO Packaging Award from the Health & Beauty Association (2007), the Fiji-Australia Business Council Exporter to Australia Award (2011), and the Asia and Pacific Coconut Community Award (2013).
Traditions from across the ocean
With warm beaches, beautiful reefs, and lush tropical rainforests, the natural beauty and resources of Fiji are readily apparent. The country's location in the South Pacific Ocean, however, perhaps makes it less apparent that it is an ideal location to base an exporting company. Indeed, Pure Fiji faced many challenges when it first started, which included high export costs due to the distance of the company's target markets. By harnessing local traditional knowledge and ingredients, Pure Fiji was able to develop sustainable, environmentally friendly products while providing employment means for hundreds of people and bringing an affordable piece of Fiji to customers throughout the world.
Source: WIPO
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Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa
STAR/ File
IC: Make claims process easier for typhoon victims
Mary Grace Padin (The Philippine Star) - November 20, 2020 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Insurance Commission (IC) has instructed all its regulated entities to ease the procedures for the filing of claims for victims of Typhoon Ulysses, which caused massive flooding in various areas in Luzon.
In a recent circular letter signed by Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa, insurance companies, pre-need firms and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) were told to implement claims management policies that would fast-track the processing of Typhoon Ulysses-related claims.
This came after a circular, ordering all IC-regulated entities to ease the claiming process for Super Typhoon Rolly victims was released by Funa two weeks ago.
"This commission recognizes that the damage and/or loss to life and property resulting from the onslaught of Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses may give rise to claims against insurance and reinsurance companies, mutual benefit associations (MBAs), pre-need companies, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs)," Funa said.
"Consequently, there is a need to prescribe guidelines that will aid in the facilitation of the immediate processing and/or payment of such claims against said regulated entities that are related to Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses," he said.
The IC also told its regulated entities to relax the notice of claim period and the period for completion of claim requirements, and to enhance their services to improve the overall customer claims process.
"It is our hope that the two circular letters will aid our fellow Filipinos to ease the burden of recovering from these devastating typhoons and that, in the spirit of bayanihan, our regulated entities will follow the direction provided by this Commission," Funa said.
Due to the widespread damage brought by the series of typhoons that hit the country in the past two months, President Duterte has placed the entire Luzon under a state of calamity.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) had recommended the declaration, which will allow local government units (LGUs) to access quick response funds.
Super Typhoon Rolly, with the international name Goni, is considered the strongest tropical cyclone thus far in 2020. Rolly ravaged parts of the country, particularly Bicol. Typhoon Ulysses (international name Vamco), meanwhile, triggered massive flooding in different areas of Luzon, including Metro Manila, Cagayan and Isabela.


Play is a powerful source in people's encounters with their everyday life, surroundings and society. Further, play is increasingly intertwined with a range of different fields, from learning, exercising, city planning to creative work relations. Identities are built through playful interactions with games and social media, playful learning engages students' abilities and competencies, and organisations use play as a motor for innovation and engagements. The attempts to utilize playful behaviour in cultural, educational as well as organisational contexts reveal tensions when rational social organization meets forms of playful participation that are less bound by instrumental obligations. The articles in this issue ask: what exactly is playful participation? and: How might playful encounters motivate participation? To what extent can playful participation be utilised for e.g. cultural or educational purposes without losing sight of 'being playful'? And how does playfulness challenge pre-established norms of participation?
In 2015 we began, in collaboration with the NGO CounterPlay, to prepare a call for papers on playful participation. Due to the collaboration with CounterPlay we decided to invite both academics and practitioners to contribute. We knew that this would result in very diverse forms of articles. But what we didn't expect was the interest from academics to publish articles on the kinds of work that they do in collaboration with practitioners. These kinds of collaborations are often difficult to fit into the normal form of academic publications. The result of our call was thus a number of articles that are examples of the kinds of transdisciplinary ventures that Conjunctions was launched to investigate. The articles are examples of collaborations between different kinds of participants, disciplines and institutions. Taking this transdisciplinary approach as a starting point the articles in this issue investigate what playful participation is, how playful encounters might motivate participation, to what extent playful participation can be utilised for e.g. cultural or educational purposes and how playfulness challenges pre-established norms of participation.
The concept of participation has become increasingly important in a range of institutions and disciplinary contexts. The different institutional and disciplinary fields often interact indirectly by building on the same or interconnected ideals, logics and discourses or by using the same or similar theories. But it is quite rare that spaces enabling interaction and learning about cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary participation are created. This special issue is an attempt to do just that, and thus also to stress the importance of such transdisciplinary 'spaces' of learning and knowledge. By facilitating such transdisciplinary spaces this issue strives to: show how various disciplines understand, use and design 'participation'; learn from already established insights and faults; potentially develop common understandings of what participation is; understand how ideal and processes of participation are linked to structures of power; and create better tools or models to explore, valuate and create participatory values, qualities and effects among researchers and practitioners. The articles in the issue are dealing with participatory processes in healthcare, political NGOs online, the cultural sector, education, employment and urban design.
The articles in this special issue of Conjunctions are investigating and theorization new and emerging forms of participatory politics and the ways in which cultural activism is transformed in relation to different forms of mediatized practices. The articles address several topics of concern: 1) First, the articles address questions of what a politics of participation – and of collectivities – might be in the Anthropocene, 2) the articles address the assemblage of events in mass movements' resistance of state power, 3) the articles investigate local responses to mediatized events, and 4) the articles address action repertoires that are often overlooked when engaging with mediatized activism, namely mediatized cultural activism conducted by extreme right groups, activism that deliberately shames humanitarian forms of participation, and finally mediatized cultural activism that is not necessarily media-savvy and vocal, but rather thrives in and through silence.
The recent participatory turn of contemporary cultural analysis and theory has high hopes in terms of democratic activation and empowerment of non-institutional voices (Jenkins 2006, Fenton 2008, Bruns 2008, Gauntlett 2011, Lievrouw 2011) and it has given rise to notions of the end of what was previously known as the passive audience/spectator, emergent collaborative working processes and to concepts such as participatory culture, DIY-culture, DIY urbanism, co-creation, produsage, creative place-appropriation, everyday creativity, participatory planning, social production and social entrepreneurship. Yet it has also, over time, raised concerns regarding the type of democratic interaction and citizen voicing enabled (Hess 2009, Couldry 2010, Fuchs 2013). From these perspectives the articles in this special issue address questions of Participatory Cultural Citizenship and investigate the opportunities, limits and challenges of collective creation and citizen empowerment and evaluate the political potentials or impacts of cultural participation.


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Actress Dame Helen Mirren signed 8x10 photo
8x10 inch photo HAND SIGNED by actress Dame Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Lydia Mirren, DBE (née Mironoff; born 26 July 1945), is an English actor. Mirren has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards, and one Tony Award. In 2003, she received a Damehood in the Order of the British Empire for Services to the Performing Arts.
Mirren began her acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the latter half of the 1960s. From her very first film appearances (e.g., playing the young muse to a middle-aged artist in 1969's Age of Consent), Mirren displayed the overtly sensual screen persona that would become her trademark. Other early movies included O Lucky Man! (1973), The Long Good Friday (1980) and Excalibur (1981).
During her career, she has portrayed three British queens in different films and television series: Elizabeth I in the television series Elizabeth I (2005), for which she received Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress, Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006), which won her the Academy and BAFTA Award for Best Actress, and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in The Madness of King George (1994), for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She is the only actress to date to have portrayed both Queens Elizabeth on the screen.
Mirren played the no-nonsense police detective Jane Tennison on the praised ITV series Prime Suspect for a total of seven seasons from 1991 to 2006, and won numerous awards for the role, including BAFTA and Emmy awards.


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John Frank Davidson FRS FREng  FIChemE (  -  ) est un ingénieur chimiste britannique et ancien professeur Shell de génie chimique à l'Université de Cambridge. Il est considéré comme le père fondateur du sujet de la fluidisation en génie chimique.

Jeunesse
John Frank Davidson est né à Newcastle upon Tyne, le centre industriel du comté de Northumberland. Ses années scolaires (1937-1944) tombent pendant les jours difficiles de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. En 1944, il entre à l'Université de Cambridge, à laquelle toute sa vie future est associée. Après avoir obtenu un baccalauréat ès arts en 1947, Davidson rejoint Rolls-Royce à Derby, où il travaille deux ans et demi au département de développement mécanique. De retour en 1950 à Cambridge, il devient étudiant diplômé au département d'ingénierie (1950-1952). À la fin de 1952, il passe au département de génie chimique récemment fondé de l'Université de Cambridge. Au cours de cette période, Davidson commence à étudier théoriquement le mouvement des grosses bulles de gaz dans les liquides et écrit ses travaux encore largement cités sur le transfert de masse entre une bulle et un liquide qui la traverse. Mais, ce qui est plus important, ces études le stimulent à réaliser un certain nombre de travaux pionniers sur la fluidisation, qui sont généralisés dans son livre Fluidised Particles (1963), écrit avec David Harrison. C'est l'un des premiers livres sur la fluidisation, et il suscite un vif intérêt.

Carrière
Les travaux de Davidson apportent une contribution importante au développement de l'hydrodynamique d'un lit fluidisé circulant et du transfert de chaleur dans un lit fluidisé ainsi qu'à la création et à la mise en œuvre de méthodes de combustion du lignite en lit fluidisé. Davidson obtient un doctorat en 1953 et un doctorat en sciences en 1968 à l'Université de Cambridge. En 1974, pour des travaux sur les écoulements diphasiques et, tout d'abord, pour des réalisations en fluidisation. En 1974-1975, il est membre de la commission d'enquête pour la catastrophe de Flixborough.

Les travaux de recherche de Davidson sont toujours étroitement liés à ses activités pédagogiques. Il commence comme démonstrateur universitaire en génie chimique (1950) puis est chargé de cours à l'université (1954), lecteur en génie chimique (1964) et professeur (1975). De 1975 à 1993, Davidson dirige le département de génie chimique de l'Université de Cambridge et contribue beaucoup au développement du département, à la mise à jour du programme et au renforcement des relations avec l'industrie. De 1978 à 1993, il porte le titre de professeur Shell de génie chimique puisque Shell est un important sponsor de la fondation du département.

II a des liens avec le Trinity College, l'un des plus anciens collèges de Cambridge, qui durent de 1949 à sa mort. En 1957, il devient l'intendant du Collège responsable de toute la maisonnée, notamment l'organisation des réceptions de la famille royale. Le défi le plus difficile de cette période est la reconstruction de la Vieille Cuisine, construite en 1605. Cette reconstruction dure plusieurs années au début des années 1960. En 1992–1996, Davidson est vice-maître du Trinity College.

En 1970-1971, Davidson est président de l'Institution of Chemical Engineers ; il est membre associé étranger de la Académie nationale d'ingénierie des États-Unis (1976), docteur honoris causa de l'Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse (1979), docteur honoris causa en sciences de l'Université Aston (1989) et membre étranger de l'Académie nationale indienne des sciences (1991). Il reçoit la médaille commémorative Kurnakov donnée par l'Institut Kurnakov de chimie générale et inorganique de l'Académie des sciences de l'URSS (1991) et est élu membre étranger de l'Académie russe d'ingénierie (1998).

Davidson est un participant fréquent et un invité des congrès de Mendeleïev, au cours desquels il prononce des conférences plénières. Il poursuit ses travaux de recherche actifs au Département de génie chimique de l'Université de Cambridge après sa retraite en 1992.

Il reçoit la médaille royale en 1999 pour son travail de génie chimique et est membre de la Royal Society depuis 1974. Il est président de l'Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) de 1970 à 1971 et vice-président de la Royal Society en 1989. Il est nommé Fellow  de la Royal Academy of Engineering. En 1994, la National Portrait Gallery de Londres, avec la Royal Society, commande un portrait de Davidson au photographe Nick Sinclair, qui est acquis pour sa collection permanente.

Références

Liens externes

Lauréat de la médaille royale
Membre de la Royal Academy of Engineering
Membre de la Royal Society
Étudiant de Trinity College (Cambridge)
Décès en décembre 2019
Naissance en février 1926
Décès à 93 ans


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The Love Actually Cast Reveal 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Film
by Stacy Lambe 11/4/2013
As the tenth anniversary of the theatrical release of Love Actually nears, VH1 takes a look back on the now classic holiday film. After talking with cast members and digging through old interviews, we learned some interesting things about ensemble film starring Colin Firth, Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson. For starters, it was never supposed to be a Christmas film! Say what?! We can't even imagine our holidays without an annual viewing of this movie.
1. Love Actually was never meant to be a holiday movie.
While talking to VH1, director Richard Curtis admits that LA was never intended to have a Christmas theme. But the director loves Christmas films, so it seemed natural to make one of his own.
"I'm so surprised and delighted by the Love Actually thing, because when I first started the movie it wasn't set at Christmas then I love Christmas movies so I thought I'll make a Christmas movie, but it didn't occur to me that it might be one of those Christmas movies where people actually watch it again and again and it's a delightful surprise to me," Curtis explains. "And I think maybe it's because it's got so many plots that people can't remember what's going to happen next, so it's sort of satisfying–it's not like watching a thriller where you know he's about to get killed, I think you can't quite remember where you are. But Love Actually, 'tis like a gift that my past has given me that people still like it."
2. Love Actually came out of two different films written for Hugh Grant and Colin Firth's characters.
In an interview with Vulture, Curtis explains how LA wasn't originally written as an ensemble film. Curtis wrote two scripts before switching gears and opting to write an Atlman-esque movie.
After Notting Hill, I took my time, and I thought that I might write the film that turned out being Hugh's story [in Love Actually] and the film that turned out being Colin's story [in Love Actually] as whole films," Curtis says. "I'd worked out whole films on those subjects, and then I thought, Oh, I don't want to do these because they are just turning out to be a shape I know. And I said, 'I'd be more interested in writing a film about love and what love sort of means, and how, you know, about the subject than rather than one example of a story about that subject.' And then I remembered how much I loved Robert Altman's movies with lots of stories — Nashville and Short Cuts. And how much I loved those Woody Allen movies with three or four stories. And Pulp Fiction. And Smoke. And I suddenly thought, Oh, I'll write one of those. And then if I write one of those, I can not only deal with the Jolly-People-Fall-in-Love-and-Kiss ones, but I can also deal with the Emma Thompson story and the Laura Linney story and the father and son story and stuff."
3. Richard Curtis originally thought Love Actually was a catastrophe.
"I'm immensely critical and uninterested in what I wrote in the first place," Curtis tells Variety of the creation of the film. "It read really well, seemed to go well when we shot, then we watched it — catastrophe!"
It turns out, Curtis had to reassemble a number of vignettes and story lines to make sure audiences actually cared about the characters in the film. Even though they are woven together, Curtis is not sure it all comes together. "I'm not sure all the stories are from the same universe," he jokes.
4. Claudia Schiffer was never supposed to be in the film.
In an interview with VH1, Elisha Cuthbert revealed that Schiffer was someone who came in last minute after the director had difficulty finding someone who matched her appearance.
"If I'm not mistaken, Richard Curtis wanted to have someone who looks like [Schiffer] and couldn't find anyone that was right, and then actually calling her and getting her," Cuthbert says. "So that's amazing… I think in the script, it was always, I remember reading it being, you know, just a version of and then I don't know if they were able to find anyone, I mean, how could you find another Claudia Schiffer? If you found another Claudia Schiffer, we'd all be rich. But yeah, so it was funny how it ended up, you know, him getting the real deal. I just thought it was brilliant."
5. Little did Andrew Lincoln know, but he was actually playing Richard Curtis.
In the film, Lincoln played Mark, a character who secretly pines for Juliet (Keira Knightley) and later reveals his true feelings on a bunch of handwritten cards. Prior to filming the movie's most iconic scene, Lincoln learned that he was playing a version of Curtis.
"Halfway through filming it, Richard's partner Emma (Sigmund Freud's great-granddaughter) came over and whispered in my ear, 'You know, you're playing Richard.' I said, 'What?'" The Walking Dead star recalls. "And she said, 'Yeah. This is the closest to Richard that he's ever written.' That made it a double honor, because Richard is such a wonderful, extraordinary human being."
6. Laura Linney wishes Sarah never picked up the phone.
One of the most frustrating story lines in the movie involved Linney's character Sarah, who finds herself trapped by caring for her brother who constantly calls her. As a result, she's unable to express her true feelings for Karl. In fact, answering her brother's call is one thing Linney wishes she could have prevented her character from doing. "Oh, easy… don't pick up the phone," she says of her character's biggest regret.
7. A lot of Colin and the American girls' story line was improvised.
In the same VH1 interview, Cuthbert says that she and Kris Marshall (Colin), January Jones (Jeannie) and Ivana Miličević (Stacey) had a lot of opportunities to improv during their scenes.
"I do remember, though, on set, it was just a lot of fun and it was such a creative space and we were allowed to improvise and try different things and it wasn't just completely set into Richard's writing," Cuthbert says of filming. "I mean we were allowed to sort of venture, at least in the scenes that we got to play with, January Jones, myself, the other girls. It was nice that we got to sort of play around. "
8. Bill Nighy never wants to get naked again.
In LA, Bill Nighy's character famously threatened to go nude if his song, "Christmas Is All Around," topped the year-end charts. As luck would have it, the song did prompting Nighy to shed his clothes on camera. However, it's not something he ever plans to do again.
"I wouldn't get naked again," Nighy tells VH1. "No, I'd do most things for Richard, it's a very good day when I script from Richard comes through. As you say, quite different. I also made another movie with him, he didn't director it but he wrote it, called The Girl in the Cafe, which again was a very different thing. I'm just very grateful, I treasure our association. He writes great parts for me."
9. Sam is still a 13-year-old boy on… Game Of Thrones.
"I'll probably always be remembered as the cute little boy who plays drums and gets the girl in the end," Sangster says of his breakout role as Sam, the stepson of Liam Neeson's character. The child actor was 13 years old when Love Actually premiered in theaters, and ten years later, the actor is playing a 13-year-old again in Season 3 of Game Of Thrones. After a decade, Sangster surprised many American fans of the show when he suddenly appeared on the HBO series. Even though he's worked on several films since LA, it has been the first time many had seen Sam, err Sangster, again.
10. 2013 is turning out to be a big year for LA alums.
Not only are Jones, Lincoln and Sangster starring on TV's most popular shows (Mad Men, The Walking Dead and Game Of Thrones, respectively), but several other stars are having breakout year. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Peter in the film, is getting tons of Oscar buzz for his lead role in 12 Years A Slave. Alan Rickman co-starred in the Oscar-buzzworthy ensemble film, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Laura Linney is back in the spotlight with the WikiLeaks film, The Fifth Estate, and Liam Neeson has a cameo in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Bill Nighy stars in About Time, another film directed by Richard Curtis, Denise Richards is back to work on the ABC Family drama, Twisted and Rodrigo Santoro takes center stage in next year's sequel to 300.
[Photos: Universal Pictures]
Stacy Lambe
Tags: Andrew LincolnBill NighyChiwetel EjioforLove Actually


text:
package vtgate

import (
	"fmt"
	"html/template"
	"net/http"
	"sync/atomic"
	"time"

	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/logz"

	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/vtrpc"
	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/vterrors"
	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/vtgate/engine"
)

type statsResults struct {
	TotalReadOnlyTime  time.Duration
	TotalScatterTime   time.Duration
	PercentTimeScatter float64
	Items              []*statsResultItem
}

// using this intermediate data structure to make testing easier
type statsResultItem struct {
	Query                  string
	AvgTimePerQuery        time.Duration
	PercentTimeOfReads     float64
	PercentTimeOfScatters  float64
	PercentCountOfReads    float64
	PercentCountOfScatters float64
	From                   string
	Count                  uint64
}

func (e *Executor) gatherScatterStats() (statsResults, error) {
	scatterExecTime := time.Duration(0)
	readOnlyTime := time.Duration(0)
	scatterCount := uint64(0)
	readOnlyCount := uint64(0)
	totalExecTime := time.Duration(0)
	totalCount := uint64(0)

	var err error
	plans := make([]*engine.Plan, 0)
	routes := make([]*engine.Route, 0)
	// First we go over all plans and collect statistics and all query plans for scatter queries
	e.plans.ForEach(func(value interface{}) bool {
		plan := value.(*engine.Plan)
		scatter := engine.Find(findScatter, plan.Instructions)
		readOnly := !engine.Exists(isUpdating, plan.Instructions)
		isScatter := scatter != nil

		if isScatter {
			route, isRoute := scatter.(*engine.Route)
			if !isRoute {
				err = vterrors.Errorf(vtrpc.Code_INTERNAL, "expected a route, but found a %v", scatter)
				return false
			}
			plans = append(plans, plan)
			routes = append(routes, route)
			scatterExecTime += time.Duration(atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecTime))
			scatterCount += atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecCount)
		}
		if readOnly {
			readOnlyTime += time.Duration(atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecTime))
			readOnlyCount += atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecCount)
		}

		totalExecTime += time.Duration(atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecTime))
		totalCount += atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecCount)
		return true
	})
	if err != nil {
		return statsResults{}, err
	}

	// Now we'll go over all scatter queries we've found and produce result items for each
	resultItems := make([]*statsResultItem, len(plans))
	for i, plan := range plans {
		route := routes[i]
		execCount := atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecCount)
		execTime := time.Duration(atomic.LoadUint64(&plan.ExecTime))

		var avgTimePerQuery int64
		if execCount != 0 {
			avgTimePerQuery = execTime.Nanoseconds() / int64(execCount)
		}
		resultItems[i] = &statsResultItem{
			Query:                  plan.Original,
			AvgTimePerQuery:        time.Duration(avgTimePerQuery),
			PercentTimeOfReads:     100 * float64(execTime) / float64(readOnlyTime),
			PercentTimeOfScatters:  100 * float64(execTime) / float64(scatterExecTime),
			PercentCountOfReads:    100 * float64(execCount) / float64(readOnlyCount),
			PercentCountOfScatters: 100 * float64(execCount) / float64(scatterCount),
			From:                   route.Keyspace.Name + "." + route.TableName,
			Count:                  execCount,
		}
	}
	result := statsResults{
		TotalReadOnlyTime:  readOnlyTime,
		TotalScatterTime:   scatterExecTime,
		PercentTimeScatter: 100 * float64(scatterExecTime) / float64(readOnlyTime),
		Items:              resultItems,
	}
	return result, nil
}

// WriteScatterStats will write an html report to the provided response writer
func (e *Executor) WriteScatterStats(w http.ResponseWriter) {
	logz.StartHTMLTable(w)
	defer logz.EndHTMLTable(w)

	results, err := e.gatherScatterStats()
	if err != nil {
		http.Error(w, err.Error(), 500)
		return
	}

	t := template.New("template")
	t, err = t.Parse(statsHTML)
	if err != nil {
		http.Error(w, err.Error(), 500)
		return
	}

	err = t.Execute(w, results)
	if err != nil {
		http.Error(w, err.Error(), 500)
	}

	_, err = w.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("Percentage of time spent on scatter queries: %2.2f%%", results.PercentTimeScatter)))

	if err != nil {
		http.Error(w, err.Error(), 500)
	}

}

const statsHTML = `

		Query
		# of executions
		Avg time/query
		% time of reads
		% time of scatters
		% of reads
		% of scatters

{{range .Items}}

	{{.Query}}
	{{.Count}}
	{{.AvgTimePerQuery}}
	{{.PercentTimeOfReads}}
	{{.PercentTimeOfScatters}}
	{{.PercentCountOfReads}}
	{{.PercentCountOfScatters}}

{{end}}
`

func findScatter(p engine.Primitive) bool {
	switch v := p.(type) {
	case *engine.Route:
		return v.Opcode == engine.SelectScatter
	default:
		return false
	}
}

func isUpdating(p engine.Primitive) bool {
	switch p.(type) {
	case *engine.Update, *engine.Delete, *engine.Insert:
		return true
	default:
		return false
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Section XV
Section XV: Public conduct on school property
Public conduct on school property
The district is committed to providing an orderly, respectful environment that is conducive to learning. To create and maintain this kind of an environment, it is necessary to regulate public conduct on school property and at school functions. For purposes of this section of the Code of Conduct, "public" shall mean all persons when on school property or attending a school function including students, teachers, and district personnel.
The restrictions of public conduct on school property and at school functions contained in this Code of Conduct are not intended to limit freedom of speech or peaceful assembly. The district recognizes that free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the objectives of the district. The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to maintain public order and prevent abuse of the rights of others.
All persons on school property or attending a school function shall conduct themselves in a respectful and orderly manner. In addition, all persons on school property or attending a school function are expected to be properly attired for the purpose of which they are on school property.
No person, either alone or with others, shall:
Intentionally injure any person or threaten to do so.
Intentionally damage or destroy (including graffiti and arson) district property or the personal property of a teacher, administrator, other district employee or any person lawfully on school property.
Disrupt the orderly conduct of classes, school programs or other school activities.
Display, distribute or wear materials on school grounds or at school functions that are obscene, advocate illegal action, appear libelous, obstruct the rights of others or are disruptive to the school program.
Use language that is inappropriate for a school community.
Intimidate, harass or discriminate against any person on the basis of factors which include, but are not limited to, actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender/gender identity or age.
Enter any portion of the school premises without authorization or remain in any building or facility after it is normally closed.
Obstruct the free movement of any person in any place to which this Code of Conduct applies.
Violate the traffic laws, parking regulations or other restrictions on vehicles.
Possess, consume, sell, distribute or exchange alcoholic products or beverages, controlled substances, or be under the influence of either on school property or at a school function.
Possess or use weapons in or on school property or at a school function, except in the case of law enforcement officers or except as specifically authorized by the school district.
Loiter on or about school property.
Gamble on school property or at school functions.
Refuse to comply with any reasonable order of identifiable school district officials performing their duties.
Willfully incite others to commit any of the acts prohibited by this Code of Conduct.
Violate any federal or state statute, local ordinance or board policy while on school property or while at a school function.
Possess a skateboard and hoverboard on school property.
Persons who violate this Code of Conduct shall be subject to the following penalties:
Visitors shall have their authorization, if any, to remain on school grounds or at the school function withdrawn and they shall be directed to leave the premises. If they refuse to leave, they shall be subject to arrest.
Students shall be subject to disciplinary action as the facts may warrant, in accordance with the due process requirements.
Tenured faculty members shall be subject to disciplinary action as the facts may warrant in accordance with Education Law §3020 and/or any other legal rights that they may hold.
Staff members in the classified service of the civil service entitled to the protection of Civil Service Law §75 shall be subject to immediate ejection and to disciplinary action as the facts may warrant in accordance with Civil Service Law §75 or any other legal rights that they may hold.
Staff members other than those described in subdivisions 3 and 4 shall be subject to warning, reprimand, suspension or dismissal as the facts may warrant in accordance with any legal rights they may hold.
The building principal/designee has the overall responsibility to ensure the Code of Conduct is enforced within their building or for conduct which have a nexus to the school environment. When the Code of Conduct is being violated, the prohibited conduct should be addressed and corrected.
If the person refuses to correct the prohibited conduct, the person should be warned of the consequences. If the person's conduct poses an immediate threat, the person should be removed from school property or the school function. If necessary, local law enforcement will be contacted to assist in removing the person.
The district shall initiate disciplinary action against any student or staff member, as appropriate, with the "Penalties" listed in the section above. In addition, the district reserves its right to pursue a civil or criminal legal action against any person violating the Code of Conduct.


text:
Features December 6, 2016 April 11, 2017
Virtual Embodiment | Christina Smiros
Christina Smiros explores the tensions between technology and the self. In virtual embodidment, she forms and erases her "pixelated form" where she describes her "identity as mine, everyone's and no one's–all at once." The piece questions where the screen begins and the body ends, and who, if anyone, is in control of identity formation in this new world.
Christina Smiros is a multimedia visual artist and scholar, who sees the world through GIFs, video, and large scale installation. Smiros holds a BS in Neuroscience and a BA in Studio Art from the University of Rochester. She lives between Manhattan and Portland, OR, and is a current student in the Program in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University, as well as the Low-Residency Visual Studies MFA program at Pacific Northwest College of Art. She is influenced by the mass content consumption of never knowing a computer without the internet.
Features, Female Body, Issue 8, Video Art, Virtual Embodiment
Cyber Black Girl | Elizabeth Montague
Gregory Eddi Jones | Q + A
Search Engine Vision "ISIS" | Eric Souther
THANK YOU | Vi Trinh
About Digital America
Digital America is an online journal on digital art and culture supported by the University of Richmond's Department of Art and Art History.
Thanks for spending time with Digital America- and making it to the footer of our homepage. That means a lot to us. Each issue we're more blown away with the quality of work that comes through our inbox. We're incredibly privileged to publish it. Issue no. 13 raises the bar yet again and we can't wait for you to love it as much as we do. If you're interested in learning more about our pieces or anything Digital America, please reach out. Thanks for loving digital art as much as we do!
If you'd like to submit, please send your work to submissions@digitalamerica.org
Animation Art Columns Comics Crooked Data Digital Art Digital Culture Facebook Features Feminism Humanities Internet Interview Interviews Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 Issue 4 Issue 5 Issue 6 Issue 7 Issue 8 Issue 9 Issue 10 Issue 11 Issue 12 issue 13 Millennials Movies Music net.art Online Identities Photography Pop culture Process Piece Response Reviews Social Media Social Networking Sound Art Technology Trolls Trump video Video Art


Slow Cooker Mulled Cranberry Punch.
I absolutely love the smell of mulled spices. There's just something super comforting about walking into a house and having it hit your senses first thing. It immediately relaxes me and makes me want to sit down, put my feet up and grab a blanket. Maybe that's just me. We've found a little shortcut to making this into a punch that doesn't involve simmering away stovetop for hours. No stove required, just a slow cooker. And if you're feeling inspired to take this up a party notch we've got you covered too.
My slow cooker gets prime counter space property during the fall and winter months. I make all the comforting winter dishes that have me dreading bathing suit season but are oh so pleasing right now, and it's cold so they win. Sigh. I'm not sure why I didn't think to try making beverages in it before now, but I'm going to more than make up for it now that I'm in the know.
This recipe takes about an hour and a half and then you can simply set it on warm and serve it directly out of the slow cooker. NO need to dirty up a pitcher when it's supposed to be served hot and you know how much I hate dishes. You simply put everything in, give it a little stir, cover and go on with sitting on the couch with your feet up. Pipe dream I know. If it's like my typical day it would be more like, clean, reply to 100 emails, start the laundry, remember to put some make up on, figure out what's for dinner, Yada yada yada.
This punch not only smells amazing it tastes like winter thanks to cranberry juice and fresh cranberries, cloves and cinnamon. When you're ready to pull out your slow cooker and make it, you can find the recipe for our SLOW COOKER MULLED CRANBERRY PUNCH on Dixie Crystals site.
If you'd like to give it an adult kick, add a shot of rum to each glass prior to serving. Because sometimes we can use a little extra something something. If you do, as always, please remember to drink responsibly.
Disclaimer: I am a recipe developer for Dixie Crystals. I was compensated for my time. Opinions are my own. Always have been. Always will be. Thank you for supporting that companies that we work with.
This punch looks perfect for this cooler weather we're finally getting, so delicious!


text:
require('bee-loading/build/Loading.css');
module.exports = require('bee-loading');