Previous message (by thread): [Snort-users] reading from a pcap while listening on eht0 ?
I have a big problem. I renew your old snort infrastructure.
I show the content of the unified2 with u2spewfoo before I feed in to barnyard2. I see, there are not all information that are in the output alert.full.
I thought, that in unified2 format are all information and I can output with barnyard2 to syslog.
We need the information from alert.full with the payload that triggers the signature. How can I do that?
[    0] 00 22 64 FA 3A A6 00 1A E3 15 D0 00 08 00 45 00  ."d.:.........E.
[   16] 00 3D CE 06 40 00 3E 06 E5 57 AC 1B 21 21 AC 15  .=.. at ...843...>..W..!!..
[   32] 10 0B 9D DB 00 16 B6 C4 56 F0 36 93 78 28 80 18  ........V.6.x(..
[   48] 00 73 6A 59 00 00 01 01 08 0A FC 34 9A 59 19 A3  .sjY.......4.Y..
[   64] E2 94 61 73 64 66 61 73 64 0D 0A                 ..asdfasd..


LifeArc, one of the UK's leading medical research charities, has signed a deal to license an ion channel drug discovery programme to Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited.
How do we decide what to do in any given situation? We need to work out the payoffs and costs of actions – what we will gain and what it might cost us. But what is the exact nature of the mechanism in the brain which weighs up these payoffs and costs?
Brain Awareness Week is an annual global initiative designed to raise awareness among the public about brain-related research and the impact that neuroscientists are having on the world.
A new consortium of 27 partners coordinated by our department will tackle the challenge of discovery and characterisation of blood-brain barrier targets and transport mechanisms for brain delivery of therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.
Damage to nerves during surgery or after an injury can lead to long-term pain. Scientists have found that specialised cells help to remove damaged nerve fibres, allowing new healthy nerves to re-grow, ameliorating nerve pain.
The largest research grant ever given for neurodevelopmental conditions has been awarded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative to an international consortium academically led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London.
The 2018 Zülch Prize honours research into autoimmunity in neurological diseases. Angela Vincent shares the award with Jerome Posner and Josep Dalmau.
Chrystalina Antoniades of the NeuroMetrology Lab delivered a session to these summer school delegates about her work on change blindness with the Ashmolean.
Our Department collaborated with Oxford BioDynamics and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
We are delighted to announce the launch of the new Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation (OCNI), which aims to shed light on the causes of neurodegenerative diseases and uncover new treatment pathways.
We are delighted to announce that David Beeson, Professor in Molecular Neurosciences, and Robert MacLaren, Professor of Ophthalmology, have been elected Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences.


text:
Худжанд (; , наричан между 1939 и 1991 Ленинабад, на името на съветския политик Ленин) е град в Северен Таджикистан, център на Согдийска област. Разположен е на река Сърдаря в края на Ферганската долина. Градът е основан през 329 пр.н.е. от Александър Велики под името Александрия Есхате и се превръща във важна точка от пътя на коприната.

Худжанд е вторият най-населен град в Таджикистан след Душанбе. През 1991 г. населението на града е около 165 000 души, и е спаднало на 149 000 души през 2000 година. Населението през 2016 година наброява 175 400 души (по приблизителна оценка). Населението през 2019 година наброява 181 600 души (по приблизителна оценка).

Известни личности
 Родени в Худжанд
 Соломон Волков (р. 1944), руско-американски музиколог
 Парвизджон Умарбаев (р. 1994), футболист

Източници

Градове в Таджикистан

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Heading the list is New Zealand's Knoll Ridge Cafe, perched dramatically in the North Island's Tongariro National Park on Mt Ruapehu.
What do we love about it? Not only is this mountain home to Whakapapa, part of New Zealand's largest commercial ski field, but it is also New Zealand's largest active volcano. How's that for an exciting brew?
The design was formed after the previous Knoll Ridge Chalet was destroyed by a fire early 2009 and soon after HB Architecture took on the challenge for the redesign.
Not only did the architects have to account for the mountain's severe weather conditions, including winds up to 200km/ph and temperatures well below freezing, but due to its isolated location the delivery, placement and erection of the materials was performed via helicopter.
Extensive pre-planning was required with concrete slabs first created then taken up the slopes before the snow melted, followed by the construction the next summer. All the glass units were designed with equalising tubes to account for the helicopter's acceleration during flight and to facilitate onsite argon gas filling. A total of 25 tonnes of glass was used to form the 415m² glass facade, creating a 100% thermally broken purpose built glass curtain wall.
Summer or winter, if you're ever in the Southern Hemisphere, be sure to enjoy a hike or chairlift up to New Zealand's highest cafe, 2020 metres above sea level, and drink in the breathtaking views.


text:
Camsell Public Lecture – 7:30 pm November 21, 2018
by Mimi Kennedy-Chassie in Uncategorized
From rocks to riches…Yellowknife's success has been in part thanks to the minerals beneath our feet. But what if the gold credited with kick-starting the community back in 1934 never existed? What if the city lost its bid to become capital of the NWT in 1967? What if the diamond deposits that have sustained our economy for the past twenty years were never found? This unconventional talk looks at the keystone events in Yellowknife's history and then discusses the consequences on the community if they did not happen. Presented in support of the Yellowknife Historical Society's community museum project at Giant Mine.
Historian Ryan Silke was born and raised in Yellowknife. He has spent most of his adult life exploring the north for material remains of human activity on the landscape, documenting old mines and prospecting camps, and abandoned settler and indigenous communities. A founding member of the Yellowknife Historical Society, Silke now works as a curatorial assistant at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. He has published several books on local Yellowknife history.
7:30pm Wednesday 21 November 2018
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Public Lecture Sponsored by Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Plumerias are fragrant, drought tolerant, easy to grow and can make gardens tropical, all while reminding us of island vacations past and future. *In-store only. While supplies last. Cannot be combined with other offers or promotions. Expires August 16, 2018.
Add lush greenery and color to your shade garden. Choose from Roger's Gardens favorites including Hydrangeas, Gardenias, Camellias, Azaleas, Duranta, Loropetalum, Ferns and more! *In-store only. While supplies last. Cannot be combined with other offers or promotions. Expires June 7, 2018.


QR Codes: A Technology Asset or Failure?
Personalized Video on Bottles of Beer?
Most online marketers will tell you that old school brick-and-mortar advertising techniques are long dead- digital is now the way-to-go. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social networking are your friends, and online followers have more income-generating potential than people on the street.
-- Auto service customers are far more likely to use mobile apps (44%) than QR codes (18%).
-- 2-in-3 auto service customers that use mobile apps, use them at least daily.
-- Only 10% of auto service customers are currently using a mobile app offered by their dealer/service provider.
QR codes – Revolutionize your marketing!
See our QR Code in action. Scan the above QR Code to visit our Digital Dealer 13 site.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dealer Uplink LLC, a Missouri company that specializes in dynamic QR Barcode services and mobile marketing solutions for Auto Dealers, has just completed a $1 million capitalization by its members.
Influencer Dos and Don'ts of using QR Codes in Automotive Marketing. Compliments of my Internet Marketing Specialist Erica!
Dos and Don'ts of using QR Codes.
After writing my post on QR Codes Best Practices, I wanted to make sure those dealerships interested in starting a QR code marketing campaign knew to create QR codes in a way that will allow your dealership to track them through the Google Analytics on your car dealership website.
Some of DealerOn's car dealer website customers are incorporating QR codes on their sites, though it remains a technology that's still maturing. While others in the industry have debated the benefits of using QR codes as a part of your dealership's marketing strategy, I wanted to share some tips for running a QR Code campaign if your dealership is going to test this technology.
Have you ever heard of a QR code? What exactly is it, and how can it help your business? Keep reading to find out.
Quick Response codes (QR codes) and other two-dimensional codes are experiencing widespread use across the country and globe – and for good reason. Consumers want immediate access to relevant information and QR codes are being used to make that possible.
We hear it a lot – "Wouldn't it be better to use a QR code rather than a text message call-to-action?
It's easy to get sucked into the "whiz-bang" factor of QR codes, but before you start printing them everywhere, let's put SMS and QR codes head-to-head for 5 rounds. Ding ding ding!
I am half way through my six week QR code print advertising experiment. I wanted to post my results to date and make adjustments based on forum input. So please let me know your thoughts.
Good news for early adapters in our so beloved automobile industry. When you are one of the pioneers using in your ads, Maroni stickers, or even on Business cards the two-dimensional barcode like images – a.k.a. quick-response codes or in short QR-Codes – you past the stage of prior "thinking out of the box" with flying colors.
Text Message Marketing is a great way for an Automotive Dealership to promote inventory and service to your valued customers. Much like E-Mail Marketing, Text Message Marketing requires customers to opt in before they are given updates from your Dealership. Starting a Text Message Marketing Campaign for your dealership is a bit easier when using a QR Code.
Dos and Don'ts of using QR Codes in Automotive Marketing. Compliments of my Internet Marketing Specialist Erica!


text:
package net.techreadiness.service.object.mapping;

import ma.glasnost.orika.CustomMapper;
import ma.glasnost.orika.MappingContext;
import net.techreadiness.persistence.domain.UserOrgDO;
import net.techreadiness.service.object.UserOrg;

public class UserOrgDOToUserOrgMapper extends CustomMapper<UserOrgDO, UserOrg> {

	@Override
	public void mapAtoB(UserOrgDO a, UserOrg b, MappingContext context) {
		b.setOrgId(a.getOrg().getOrgId());
		b.setUserId(a.getUser().getUserId());
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Callindra Chronicles Book 2: The Rise of Evil – Chapter 19
April 28, 2017 / thebenraven	/ Leave a comment
Callindra sprang out of sleep and out of bed in one combined moment. With a rattle and musical chiming of tiny links, Brightfang leapt off the floor and flew toward her in a spinning unpredictable arc of razor sharp steel. With a sound that was half laugh of joy, half cry of terror. She flailed with an arm still wrapped in sheets and just barely managed to grab him by the blade, the flat smacking into her palm with a satisfying smack.
She was wearing a thin cotton shift and nothing else, her hair seeming almost to twine around her with its vines and flowers smelling of sweet summer afternoons. The winds joyfully tugging at the hem of her shift made her smile. The sun shining on her sword made her smile. The sight of her brothers walking through the door rubbing sleep out of their eyes made her smile so hard she thought her heart would break.
"Thank you all." She began, but before she could say any more her brothers gathered around her each showing that they cared in their own way. Tryst with a pleased, but concerned look as he used a magic Delving to make sure she was fully healed. Cronos with an awkward one armed hug and off color joke. Vilhylm with an examination of Brightfang and her armor.
"I think we need to go." Callindra said, "The people looking for me aren't going to stop. What you did to get me out. I mean it's the ORDER."
"I don't care who it is." Cronos said, "None of them want to hurt you as much as we value you. But yeah, we should get out of here."
"Although you're likely to still be exhausted for a few days and you have a number of new scars, I think you're still fit to be out of bed, at least for a short time." Tryst said, "The Goddess's gift has extraordinary restorative powers, but it still draws the power to heal from your body. You shouldn't overexert yourself and you need plenty of food to help with the process."
"Your gear seems to be in order." Vilhylm said, "Your armor is in perfect repair and that chain seems like it hasn't disrupted the integrity of your sword, although the balance is likely to be off."
The bells in the Monastery began to ring and Tryst looked up sharply. "Those are the alarm bells, someone's attacking the front gate! We have to help!"
"We have to go." Vilhylm said flatly, "Odds are we're the reason the attack is happening. A few extra swords aren't going to make a difference here; your Brothers and Sisters can handle it. We need to go."
"You may be right, but I-" Tryst began, but the door being slammed open interrupted him. Larcel stood there.
"What are you still doing here?" She demanded, "You need to get out before these things get through the front gate."
"Things? What things?" Callindra asked, as she tried to take off her shift and discovered that it was far more difficult now that she had Brightfang permanently bonded to the chain on her right wrist.
"I don't know. There's a man in a black cowl with an army of green eyed freaks out there." Larcel said, "Nothing for you to worry about really, we can handle it. They're demanding we let them search our premises for fugitives, but they don't have any legal right to do so."
"Shouldn't we stay and help?" Callindra asked, freeing herself from the shift and beginning thread Brightfang's chain back through it. "This is probably all my fault."
"Not a chance toothpick." Larcel said with a good-natured poke at her ribs. "We've got this covered."
"Thank you." Vilhylm said before anyone else could respond. "Come on then, let's get moving before we make the defense of your sacred ground more difficult."
"Green eyed freaks?" Tryst said, worry creasing his forehead. "I don't like the sound of that. They're likely to be Abyssal Spawn Larcel. Do not take them lightly.
"I was there at the briefing Sir Te'Chern." She said to Tryst, "I heard the report and your warnings regarding these so-called Spawn."
"Don't underestimate even the most harmless seeming opponent." Vilhylm warned, "We made that mistake and it nearly cost us our lives."
Callindra had disentangled herself from the cotton shift and grinned to herself at Cronos's blush. She was quite nude underneath but now was not the time to discover she was shy, and she found that she really wasn't. Just like the books she'd read about comrades in arms, these men were her battle comrades and companions; she did not look on them with any possible romantic feelings.
"Cronos where are my clothes?" She asked, giving the younger man an excuse to turn away. "I need to get dressed so I can get into my armor."
Larcel chuckled, "Your things are on the shelf next to your bed. Let the poor boy be."
It took a bit of time due to Brightfang and his chain, but Callindra managed to wrap herself with a breast band, get her shirt and breeches on and finally get her armor strapped into place once more. The pressure around her chest felt comforting, like a hug from a parent, not that she remembered her parents.
"All right. Let's go." She said, finally feeling herself again.
"We've been waiting on you." Cronos grumbled, still apparently feeling salty about her teasing him.
"We have a passage that leads out of the city." Larcel said, "I'll show you where the entrance is once you're ready."
They followed her to a conspicuously blank section of wall and pressed a pair of bricks. The wall slid smoothly inward at her touch revealing a stairway that spiraled into darkness. A light breeze smelling of fresh mountain air came to curl around Callindra, tickling the ends of her unbound hair and sparring with the zephyrs that had accompanied her here.
"Take care." Larcel gripped Callindra's forearm. "I've seen some people roughed up before, but what they'd done to you was…" She shuddered. "Just take care."
"My brothers fill in where I fail." Callindra replied, a pained look in her eyes. "I try as best I can but I thank Jorda that I have good people watching out for me. I never thought I'd come closer to dying from something like that, I always figured it'd be from mouthing off to the wrong person."
It was a weak joke, but it brought a smile to Larcel's face. She nodded wordlessly and Callindra followed her brothers down the stairs.
Durrak stood and wiped his brow and stretched, feeling his vertebra crack. It had been hours since he had begun clearing this field and he was beginning to feel tired. The Dwarf wasn't exhausted, it was the good warmed muscle feeling of a morning's honest work. It had been years since he had stumbled out of the wilderness, bruised and on the brink of collapse and this human family had taken him in.
"Time for midday's Durrak." Belladin said, surprising him. She was only a few feet behind him, holding a large wicker basket and smiling mischievously. He wasn't sure why she took so much pleasure in sneaking up on him.
"My thanks Miss Verivan, the day do be growing quite warm." He said politely, taking off his hat.
"Come and sit with me in the shade." She said, turning to walk back to where a rock outcropping cast a shadow. He followed, still unsure as to why she was paying him so much attention but appreciating it nonetheless.
Many of the other humans in this Holding seemed to dislike Dwarves for some reason, but she and her family had no such compunction. Her father's name was Thanel and he was a solid, no-nonsense kind of person, almost seeming to be Dwarfish in nature rather than human.
He sat with her, her father, two of her sisters who preferred work in the fields and one of her brothers. Sandwiches with thick slices of roast venison, spicy horseradish spread and garden fresh tomato on dark heavy rolls were passed around. Durrak sat with his back to the cool stone and accepted a mug of cool mint tea from a smiling Belladin.
"When are you going to quit this drudge work and get to what you're good at boy?" Thanel asked with his usual blunt directness.
Durrak blinked in surprise. "What do you be meaning sir?" He asked politely in his strangely accented Common.
"I mean you're no farmer boy. You know the forge or I'm a bald sheep." He took a large bite of his sandwich and looked at Durrak with calculating eyes as he chewed and swallowed.
"I do have a debt to you and it do be my intent to pay it." Durrak said, meeting the man's gaze.
"I'd rather you incur more debt and pay me back faster." Said Thanel, "When I first inherited this property there was an old anvil, forge and a few hammers and other tools out in the back. I ain't got the knack but I always figured someone would come along who did, else I'd sell 'em if times got tough."
Durrak stared at him in surprise, his food forgotten. "I…" He let his voice trail off, not sure what to say.
"I ain't one who's lame brained enough to think all Dwarves are smiths, but I recognize the burns on your forearms. Ya don't get those from herding sheep." Thanel said, still studying Durrak's face. "Don't waste that talent. Besides, I got a plow with a damaged blade along with plenty of other things could use fixing.
"As you can see this ain't entirely a selfless offer." The man said with a grin, "Don't think you'll get off lightly just 'cause I want to put you to work doing something you're trained to do."
"Oh, I see." Durrak put down his mug and extended his hand, "In that case I do be accepting your offer."
Thanel took his hand and shook it firmly. "You still ain't told me what brought you here son. One day we saw the very mountain burn and you showed up about a week later. No trade has come from the Dwarven halls there since."
"It did be a dragon." He said, voice flat and dull. "My father did take a raiding party out and killed her mate. We no did know it had a mate, it was just threatening our city. The Moragainnag did be warning about destruction did we not prevail against Krrakathanak. Also her warning did say victory against him would bring peril."
"More a gain…nag?" Belladin asked, trying to sound out the strange name. "What is that?"
"The holy woman of their people." Thanel said, "Their seer. The one with the closest relationship to their God."
Durrak inclined his head, "Aye. When Storgar slew her mate, Cerioth the Black's breath did melt the gates of Farenholm to slag. I know not if any survived, but I believe I do be the only Dwarf who escaped her mighty wrath. As The Moragainnag did say, Death if we did kill him, destruction and chaos did we no kill him. I must keep faith that Thraingaar spoke truly through the bones and that she did listen."
"Well. I am at least grateful that it gave us the opportunity to meet you." Belladin said, putting a small, warm hand on his large work roughened one. Durrak felt a thrill race up his spine at her touch. He shouldn't be feeling happiness, to him it was as though feeling happiness was somehow dishonorable to his people's memory.
Thanel stood, brushing the crumbs from his thighs. "Come on boy. I'll show ya that forge and you can see what's missing."
Durrak started to his feet, breaking contact with Belladin and nearly spilling his mug of tea. He blushed slightly at the man's critical eye but also smiled. It would be good to stand at a forge again. Thraingaar would be pleased.
"That doesn't matter now. We have to get out of here." Vilhylm said, "Now how do we activate this portal?" He stepped across the silver circle in the floor and vanished.
The others followed close on his heels. When they arrived on the other side, an alarm bell was ringing and the sound of running footsteps echoed in the foyer outside. Voices shouted back and forth adding to the chaos.
"Intruders! Just when the Masters are gone!"
"Where could they be? We must find them and put a stop to their thieving!"
"There'll be a promotion in this for certain."
"Is this a test?"
"Are they trying to see how we handle an emergency? I'll show them I can handle myself."
Vilhylm stood near the door, his spear in his hand. "It looks bad out there." He said, not turning around.
"You can put me down." Callindra said, her voice weak but steady.
Tryst incanted a spell, laying more healing magic upon her and let her stand on her own. She gripped Brightfang in both hands, facing the doorway with a determined grimace on her face. In spite of the singed hair and lines of healing scars sutured by Brightstar vines, Callindra looked fiercer than they had ever seen her.
"Nobody is going to lock me up again." She said in a flat voice, "If we have to fight our way out, so be it."
"There are too many of them." Vilhylm said, "Even if they're weak they would overpower us by sheer weight of numbers."
"Leave this to me." Cronos's Master said in his dry voice. "As long as you do not touch any of them or speak aloud you will be able to pass unseen among them. Please ensure that you bring my apprentice with you; this will likely exhaust him to the point of unconsciousness."
Cronos's eyes flashed, and azure power expanded out from him in a gossamer blanket that settled over them all. Callindra blinked in surprise; her brothers faded from her sight completely. There was a soft crash of chainmaile armor and scabbarded swords hitting the granite floor and she groped towards it.
Even as she found Cronos's comatose form, other hands began to lift him. She stifled a cry, remembering the warning not to speak. One of the others must have picked him up. The door crashed open and a wild-eyed apprentice in hastily donned armor dashed down the corridor, a large hammer held in both hands.
Feeling slightly out of focus, Callindra wove through the mass of running people taking special care to avoid touching anyone. It was surreal and she felt like it was all just a strange dream. She was sure some of it was the shock from her kidnapping, injuries and healing, but being this close to people who were hunting for her and knowing they had no idea how close she stood to them nearly made her break out into hysterical laughter.
She escaped into the courtyard and then broke into the street. Once she was clear, she ran for all she was worth, not knowing where she was going and not caring as long as it was away. After a panicked rush, Callindra ducked into an alley breathing heavily and trembling in every limb. The spell that kept her invisible dissipated.
Beside her, wavering lines in the air flickered and she brought Brightfang up in a sweeping stroke that she only barely managed to stop before it took Vilhylm's head from his shoulders. He smiled at her, "Looks like we had the same intuition."
Callindra almost stabbed him when she flung her arms around him, hugging tightly for a moment before letting go and stepping back with an embarrassed expression on her face. "You came for me. Thank you."
Vilhylm looked surprised for an instant, "Of course we came for you. How could you even doubt it?"
She shivered, "They were so powerful and nobody knew where I was…"
"Easy Callindra, don't dwell on it right now. Let's get you back to the inn and get you cleaned up." He said soothingly.
"I don't want to go back there." She said, "Can we just go somewhere else?"
"All your things are there." Said Vilhylm, "Your armor, your clothes, your money and everything you own other than that sword are there."
"He is all I need." She said, her voice hard. "Nobody will ever take him away from me again."
"We don't have to go back." Another voice said, and Tryst stepped into the alley with Cronos over his shoulder. "I will take you to the chapter house. Vilhylm can go and collect our belongings from the Golden Mantle."
"Let me help you." Callindra said, moving to his side.
"You can barely walk on your own." He said shortly, "Just follow along and keep that sword under the cloak. For the love of all that is holy keep the cloak closed and put the hood up, you'll get us all caught."
They moved through the town, keeping to alleys and less traveled streets. Once a street urchin approached looking for a handout, but a stern look from Tryst sent him running before Callindra managed to disentangle herself from her cloak and the unfamiliar length of chain now attached to her sword.
Tryst brought them to a small door at the side of an imposingly large structure and knocked with his dagger hilt. A face blocked the light on the other side of an arrow slit, closely followed by a stern woman's voice.
"If you require sanctuary you may come in by the front gate." She said, "This door is for the Member's dormitory."
"I am Tryst Te'Chern and although I am not a resident here I am in need of shelter for myself and my family."
"You were in with the Lady earlier today? The one from our Chapter House in Arkasia?" She inquired.
"Yes. My sister was taken by our enemies and my brother was injured in the rescue." He said, "You're sister Lacrel aren't you?"
"Tryst. We don't need this." Callindra rasped, her voice rough. "I've walked for a mile tonight, I'll walk another." She turned to go, the winds gusting weakly around her with weak but insistent anger. Her borrowed cloak blew wide, revealing her naked, wounded body with the chain on her wrist and the strange profusion of flowering vines growing where she had been whipped, burned and cut.
"By the Ancient One!" Lacrel said, throwing the door wide. "Get in here immediately!"
"You've changed your mind?" Callindra asked, turning to glare at her. "Just because of these few scratches?"
"I am sorry. I allowed my prejudice to delay your entry and care." Said Lacrel, "I will submit myself for penance if you wish, but please come inside."
"Normally I would make an issue of it, but I'm too gods damned exhausted." Callindra said, "I'll gladly forgive you if you just give me a safe bed to sleep in." Larcel and Tryst caught her just before she hit the ground.
April 7, 2017 / thebenraven	/ Leave a comment
"We have to find that secret door." Tryst said, "Ignore the girl, she isn't our first priority."
They moved into the bathing room, checking for hidden triggers and eventually located a section of wall that slid sideways to reveal a narrow servant's stair. As promised, it led directly to a hallway that went to the stables on one side and the wine cellar on the other.
"If she wasn't lying about this, odds are good she was telling the truth about the rest." Vilhylm mused, "Perhaps we should go and investigate this Guild eh?"
"Gods and Demons she wasn't talking about The Order was she?" Cronos swore, "I don't think we can stand against the Weaponmage's Guild."
"I am sure I can talk to them. My religious order has quite a bit of influence in this city." Tryst sighed, "Besides we don't even know if that's what she meant or not."
"Time's wasting." Vilhylm said shortly. He had taken off his mask but seemed to be nearly uncontrollably twitchy. "Let's move."
They ran through the streets, eventually arriving at a section of the city that had Chapter Houses facilities for various mercenary companies. They stopped in front of a courtyard with high walls. The symbol of two whips crossed behind a huge hammer was painted boldly on the door. Tryst went to knock on it with a maile clad fist, but Cronos pulled him back.
"Wait brother. We should think about this first. If they've captured Callindra, they're not to be trusted. We shouldn't even give them the benefit of thinking that they'll play fair."
"How else are we going to get in?" Tryst demanded.
"There's always another way in." Vilhylm said with a vulpine smile. "Usually a side or back entrance. Let's see what secrets this place has to give up."
The back of the compound was a working forge. Errand runners came and went bearing sacks of coin in and leaving with leather wrapped bundles, warriors brought weapons to be sharpened and armor to be mended. It was easy to slip into the stream of people coming and going.
Once inside, they took stock of the busy courtyard. There were three forges working full blast, the air was hot and dozens of people stood around waiting for their turn to have weapons sharpened or armor repaired. The boys and girls striving at and around the forges paused for a moment as a side door opened.
A pair of men walked from the door, a huge ogre of a man with a massive hammer strapped to his back and a slim blade of a man with a whip coiled on either hip. What brought their attention was the fact that the skinny man had a small, brilliantly white flower tucked behind his ear. Brightstar flowers didn't bloom this time of year.
"Did you see-" Cronos began.
"That flower-" Vilhylm said.
"They have her." Said Tryst grimly, "I don't know where but they have her."
As one, Vilhylm and Tryst started for the pair but the usually hot headed Cronos restrained them. "Hey. They're leaving. Now might be our only chance. If she's still alive that is."
The other two restrained themselves and managed to stay inconspicuous enough that the busy people around them ignored their presence. There were enough other folk clamoring for their attention that the workers in the yard were happy to ignore them.
Cronos led his brothers up to the door and to his amazement found it unlocked. They quickly slipped through into a spacious, quiet foyer. A fountain that looked like a quite realistic erupting volcano, complete with heat and sound stood in the center. Murals covered the walls, showing fantastic scenes of landscapes where trees, grasses and stones were made of small humanoid figures bent and twisted into impossible shapes. The floor was polished granite and, as impossible is it seemed, appeared to be one solid piece.
There were two exits, one a grand archway and the other a simple, small door camouflaged to match the painting so closely they wouldn't have seen it had it not been for the dim lighting of the foyer and the dull glow of light shining through the crack.
"She's behind there." Cronos said in the dry, cold voice of his Master. "I can feel it, and she is necessary for this fight. You must save your battle sister or be forsaken by the Gods themselves."
Tryst shivered, feeling the full force of the old man's eyes staring out through the young man's face. "Of course we're going to save her." He said, his voice sounding strained. "That's what we came here for."
"Then be about it damn you." Said the voice that wasn't Cronos's, "This kind of thing takes a toll upon my apprentice and I would think it a shame for him to perish because of your slothful behavior."
"How do we open the door?" Vilhylm asked, "I can't pick the lock, that kind of thing was more Callindra's style."
"I certainly don't know anything about that." Tryst said, "We can't break it down without attracting attention."
"Have you tried just opening the god rotting door?" Cronos said, reaching out an pushing the door open. "Come now, my time is limited and I fear you shall need my assistance."
They entered, finding themselves in a hallway lit by matching sets of torches that lined the walls. Closer inspection revealed that what had at first appeared to be torches were actually whips, the wrapped leather hanging down and glowing with flickering golden flames. The last set had guttering emerald fire instead of gold.
"I don't like this." Tryst said, looking at the last pair of whips. "I really don't like this."
"Grow a spine." Cronos rasped, "They're just dying weapons. Now if I am feeling the Power here correctly there is a circle nearby that will transport you to another portion of this place."
They moved ahead cautiously and found a circle of silver set in the solid granite of the floor. Cronos walked confidently ahead and vanished. After a moment's hesitation, the other two followed. The room the found themselves in was brightly lit, various implements were laid out in neat rows on clean white marble tables. Tiny knives, saws, pliers and other instruments that could have been for surgery, torture or dissection shared space with dozens of hammers and other heavy tools that were obviously designed for work on a blacksmith's forge.
Cronos was halfway across the room, heading for a doorway that glowed a dull red instead of the bright white of the one they were in. The other two hurried to catch up, and upon passing through the doorway stopped in shock. Callindra was strung up by her wrists, hanging from a fine shining silvery chain that connected to a pair of manacles of the same metal.
To one side was an anvil set up next to a sluggishly moving river of molten rock. Drips of lava fell from a crack in the stone ceiling of the chamber, falling with a sizzling hiss on the girl's forehead. She was naked but for the multitude of Brightstar vines that grew and twined about her, trying in vain to heal the terrible wounds that cut across her body.


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August 5, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Bon Scott
This year would have seen Bon Scott's 75th birthday. Bon – born Ronald Belford Scott – was the front man for AC/DC in the 1970s. He never made it out of that decade alive, or you could say he did…but only just. He's been dead now for longer than he was ever alive – February 1980 was the last time he drew a breath. Death by misadventure. Poisoned by alcohol. He lived fast. So he died quick. Etc.
When young you celebrate these hooligans and the music is the key, but the stories of the associated madness are funny or fascinating, sometimes both.
When you're older than the dead icon you just feel sad for the waste of a life.
But 75 years ago, Bon Scott was born. In Scotland. Where he spent his first five or six years. The family moved to Melbourne, then WA. Scott played drums and sang – he moved through a few bands including the group Fraternity. They cut two records and a few singles and 50 years on from their debut the music was finally reissued. So you can pick up a three-disc anthology of Bon's very early years – pre-AC/DC. It is probably 2.5 discs more than you need. But the band Fraternity was not terrible.
Bon wasn't the first singer in AC/DC. But he was the first singer that mattered. Dave Evans never really stood a chance – it's just not a very rock'n'roll name. We know that because an Irishman also carrying the name Dave Evans decided to rename himself The Edge. And that worked out pretty well, as stupid as it is. He's now and has forever been the guitarist in U2. They're not very good. And they've been terrible for longer than they were ever bordering on great. But it really doesn't matter – and take the critical high ground all you like, that Dave Evans is laughing all the way to the bank.
Anyway, the other Dave Evans was easily pushed aside and Bon became the singer in AC/DC in the mid-70s. In half a decade he helped to make the band. And the music from his era has been the bedrock of the group's live act for the 40 years since his death.
It's one of the great – weird – ironies in the AC/DC story that they would go on to release their greatest and best-selling album after Bon died. But that doesn't mean he was easily replaceable. A
Old mate, Brian Johnson has a similar story to Bon Scott. Instead of being in WA, he was in Newcastle – the British one, not the Aussie one. Instead of being in a band called Fraternity he was in a band called Geordie. When he replaced Bon Scott people said nobody could replace Bon Scott. Some people have been saying it ever since – but Brian has kept the machine's wheels turning. And he never went all petty like other poisoned chalice "Second" singers, never refused to sing the gems. Why would you? Sammy Hagar would sing some of David Lee Roth's Van Halen hits, but he made us all hear some of his forgettable solo material during Van Halen gigs. And that still seems wrong to me. Johnson, no way. No Geordie also-rans. Just the best he could muster himself – and all of Back in Black counts, much of The Razor's Edge and a few other hits in there as well – and all of the great songs from the Bon years. All of 'em. Or as many as they could squeeze into a big stadium show.
I don't remember all of the circumstances around me falling under the spell of AC/DC. But it's cliched enough. I was 15. Or thereabouts. And a mate loaned me a tape. Told me something along the lines of how it might change my life. And it was a Bon Scott-era album. It was Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. And that's still my nostalgic/sentimental favourite. There's a great AC/DC song on almost every album, there are magic moments scattered throughout, and it's a solid debate to be had as to whether Back in Black or Highway To Hell is the very best. Either answer could be correct. But I'm still going for Dirty Deeds as The One. Because it was the one that introduced me to an unforgettable sound.
(Well, actually, the song Highway To Hell was the first thing I ever heard by AC/DC and the first song I ever learned to play along to on the drums. It remains a blueprint).
I've fallen in and out of love with the band many times since I was 15. But there have always been a few constants. Malcolm Young's meat-and-spuds rhythm guitar. His riffs. His songwriting. Angus Young's tone and his assimilation of blues scales into a rock sound. He chews up blues and spits out the absolute best heavy metal blueprints. Phil Rudd's engine-room drumming. I even included him in my series Drummers You Just Can't Beat. (There's an e-book you can buy if interested).
All of those things are equally important about this band. And they were never reinventing rock'n'roll – just doing their version of it. Just paying tribute to the sound and songs they loved. They found a genius formula and perfected it. They made the same song, and the same album over and again. And it worked. Because it was a good trick. And they were good at it.
But I don't think it could ever have had any real cut-through without Bon Scott. He injected the best thing into the songs and the performances. Ribald humour. Dirty nods and winks. Juvenile poetry. Silliness. Cheekiness. Sauciness. Haughtiness. He's the kid at the back of the class not listening to the teacher but still managing to charm them even as he's being told off for the constant disruptions.
When I first fell under the spell of AC/DC it was Bon Scott's big, obvious jokes and his filthy sounding swagger and his naughty schoolboy humour that most appealed.
And I can probably trace it back to what I consider to be one of the most influential poems I've ever heard. It had a propound effect on me, as a writer, a listener, and appreciator of fine words.
I'm talking, of course, about the lyrics to the song Big Balls. There were many great things about the version of the Dirty Deeds album I heard – the title track, obviously. And Jailbreak. Ride On. A couple of other songs too, sure. But it was Big Balls that I looked forward to. It was Big Balls that made me laugh. And perhaps I should be embarrassed about this, but it made me laugh again. And then again.
It's not so much the lyrics as the delivery. Well, it's the combination. That was Bon's great skill I reckon.
I'm 15 again whenever I hear the demented "Ballroom" punning of this song. "My balls are always bouncing/My ballroom always full/And everybody comes and comes again…"
But there's one line in particular that kills like the best comic doing the best stand-up.
"Some balls are held for charity/And some for fancy dress/But when they're held for pleasure/They're the balls that I like best".
When Bon says the half line "But when they're held for pleasure" he can barely hold in the giggle because he knows, erm, what's coming. And he knows it ahead of us. And he's, um, itching to tell us.
In 2021, this sort of puerile nonsense is swiftly cancelled on Twitter as soon as it rears its ugly head. But you can't cancel over 200 million record sales.
So, today, I'm thinking a bit about Bon Scott. And how he was never going to make it much past the 33 (and a third) that he made it to. But if he had made it to 75 I'd be campaigning for Big Balls to win the Nobel Prize. Dylan was about that age when he snagged it. It'd be worth a shot.
I love AC/DC. And every now and then I still listen to their music.
For example, I was blown away by their last record. I don't think anyone could have guessed it could be that good. And I finally got to see the band for the first time in 2010. And it was fine. Often amazing. But somehow they were even better in 2015. And by that time vital members had dropped out and popped off. But it seems you just can't kill this band.
I've made a playlist of Bon's best moments with AC/DC. He's been gone 41 years so I made it 41 songs long.
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Posted in Blog, Miscellany and tagged with 75, 75th Anniversary, 75th Birthday, AC/DC, Bon Scott, In Praise Of, In Praise of Bon Scott, Praise, ttps://linktr.ee/Simonsweetman, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron. RSS 2.0 feed.
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It is important to take time to celebrate the important things in life!
The team at Salford Translations Ltd celebrated our 25th anniversary in 2013 (the company was founded in Manchester in 1988). And to mark the occasion, we organised a special one-day translation conference in Stockport on 10th December 2013.
Our 25th anniversary conference gave us an opportunity to bring our translator team together for a day of celebration and of professional development.
During the morning, we updated our translators on the latest developments with specialist translation memory tools, and in particular with MemoQ (our translation memory tool of choice).
The afternoon's training revolved around industrial safety, with a presentation on the European Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) and on other safety regulations (such as IEC 61508) applicable to functional safety of industrial processes and control systems, which are two of the key areas that we translate. The speaker was an expert in engineering safety systems from our friends at Amtri Veritas, a specialist engineering consultancy firm based in Macclesfield.
What is the difference between a Declaration of Conformity and a Declaration of Incorporation?
What are the main points to include in these Declarations, both in terms of content and in each language?
What do the key safety standards look like in German, French and Dutch?
After which, our Managing Director Nick Rosenthal invited the team to join him in celebrating our 25th birthday in a restaurant in Manchester!
The Visitor Centre at Robinsons Brewery - just round the corner from our offices on Lower Hillgate in Stockport. How convenient!


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Jimmy Seewald steps in, sparks Valparaiso University past Trinity International
By John Mutka
Sep 17, 2016 | 6:50 PM
Valparaiso University quarterback Jimmy Seewald passes under pressure from Trinity International linebacker Mario Williams on Saturday. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)
Butterflies? If Valparaiso University's Jimmy Seewald had any, they quickly fluttered away.
The freshman quarterback tied a school record Saturday with five touchdown passes.
"Oh, yeah, of course," Seewald said of having pregame jitters. "I got some playing time the last two weeks, which helped out a little bit. The first play helped."
That was a 61-yard floater to Jean Rene, immediately after Idode Kerobo's interception on the first play of the game. It jump-started the Crusaders in a 49-24 victory over Trinity International.
Pressed into service for Ryan Clarke, who was sidelined last week by a concussion, Seewald connected on 22 of 29 passes for 345 yards to spark Valparaiso (1-2).
Trinity (1-2), an NAIA team, was coming off a 55-21 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran.
Before the season began, the 6-foot-5 Seewald wondered if he might be redshirted since the Crusaders were armed with two experienced quarterbacks. But besides Clarke, Dalton Stokes is still nursing a shoulder injury.
"I wanted to come in and make an impact right away," Seewald said. "When Ryan got hurt I needed to step up."
Valparaiso opened up a 21-3 lead against Trinity, but the Trojans quieted a budding blowout with two touchdowns in the last 1:20 of the first half. Crusader fans are accustomed to collapses, but this time VU pushed back.
Valpo opened the second half with a 65-yard drive, scoring on Rene's 19-yard catch in the corner of the end zone for a 28-17 advantage. Still having some fight left, the Trojans responded on J.J. Burmeister's 33-yard TD pass to Brad Hargis.
Undeterred, the Crusaders countered on Jarrett Morgan's 52-yard run, only their second rushing TD of the season. It came with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
Morgan followed with another score on Seewald's 20-yard TD strike to widen the gap to 42-24. That came after Joey Diaz-Martinez picked off a deflected pass inside Trinity's 40.
Trinity's triple-option attack was a concern. The Trojans had scored 75 points in their first two games.
"They're a good offensive team and we knew we'd have to score on some big plays," said Morgan, who finished with 189 all-purpose yards.
VU men's basketball notes: Donovan Clay continues to make an impact as a freshman for Valparaiso
Girls swimming notes: Chesterton's Maisyn Klimczak and Veronika Ozimek keep winning, and keep their teammates loose too
Post-Tribune girls swimming rankings and swimmer of the week for Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020
Post-Tribune Local Scoreboard for Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020
Girls basketball notes: Munster clinches a share of its first conference title since 2009 with its first win against Kankakee Valley in eight years
Seewald capped his debut with a 14-yard TD pass to tight end Mason Sutter to wrap up the scoring with 9:48 left.
Safeties Diaz-Martinez and Kellan Hughes, a pair of hard-hitters, led the Crusaders with 10 tackles apiece.
The Crusaders, who Pioneer Football League play next Saturday against visiting Davidson, were without defensive back J.J. Nunes and offensive tackle Terrance Roberts. Both are sidelined with season-ending injuries.
John Mutka is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.


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Find accommodation venues in the Atlantic Seaboard Region of the Western Cape.
The Atlantic Seaboard is an incredibly beautiful region, with the glistening Atlantic Ocean on one side and the magnificent slopes of Lion's Head and the Twelve Apostles on the other. The accommodation venues in the Atlantic Seaboard region of the Western Cape, matches the beauty of the region. Whether you are a business traveler or looking for holiday accommodation, choose from our collection of venues in the Atlantic Seaboard region.
Sea Point Inn is situated in Cape Town, 400 m from Sea Point Promenade & Pavilion Swimming Pool. 3 km from Long Street and a mere 12 minutes walk to Clifton and Camps Bay Beaches. Rooms are fitted with a TV and every room is equipped with a private bathroom. Sea Point Inn is a 23 bedroom boutique hotel located in the heart of vibey Sea Point! Our rooms all have en-suite bathrooms with showers and in-room satellite tv, as well as tea+coffee making facilities. Traveling together?! We offer 2 or 3 rooms in one zone, privately secured with your own entrance!
Hout Bay Backpackers is a quiet and comfortable backpacker lodge in the beach-side suburb of Hout Bay. Just 20 minutes from Cape Town, and easily accessible by public transport our hostel suits budget travellers wanting to explore Hout Bay (restaurants, harbour, beach, seal island, world of birds), discerning backpackers looking for a place from which to hike Table Mountain National Park or bike Chapmans peak, surfers wanting to surf Llandudno and travellers interested in township tours and meeting interesting international volunteers working on community development projects. Hout Bay Backpackers is conveniently located within walking distance to the beach and shopping centre, where a variety of activities are offered. These include: Surfing, fishing, diving, sailing, hiking trails, top restaurants, wine and township tours, and if that's not enough there's loads of live entertainment! Local volunteer projects and language courses are also available.
Welcome to Brightwater Lodge, a charming double storey cottage situated in the heart of scenic Hout Bay, five minutes from the beach and harbour. Restaurants, shops and amenities are just around the corner. The fully en-suite and cosy bedrooms have lovely views of the surrounding mountains. The spacious lounge leads out to the enclosed garden with braai area. A full breakfast is served in the sunny breakfast corner. You will be welcomed with traditional Cape hospitality, making your stay, whether holiday or business, a memorable occasion.
Described as "two steps up from a backpackers" Altona Lodge offers clean, comfortable and affordable accommodation to the discerning traveller, student or businessman. Situated in the heart of trendy Green Point it offers the benefit of being in a peaceful suburban area while being located within walking distance of some of the best attractions The Mother City has to offer. Altona Lodge is within walking distance from world renowned sites like the V&A Waterfront and Green Point Stadium and within 15 minutes from sites like the world famous Table Mountain and blue flag beaches like Clifton and Camps Bay beach. Cape Town City centre is also just a stone's throw away where you will find attractions like Green Market Square and Company's Gardens as well as numerous world class restaurants, galleries and other tourist attractions.
The Cape Royale offers award winning 5 star Accommodation in Cape Town. Situated close to the V&A Waterfront and De Waterkant offering a Rooftop Pool Deck, Spa and 6 Restaurants. It offers bright spacious One, Two & Three Bedroom Suites with a Juliet balcony and includes a well-equipped kitchen and large living & entertainment areas. Rooftop Penthouses has a 270 degree view of Cape Town. It offers a separate dining area, a lounge with satellite TV and a private pool and terrace. Guests have a choice between several dining options, Wellness Centre, Fitness Centre and a Rooftop Pool Deck offering views of Cape Town Harbour and Table Mountain. The Cape Royale offers Deluxe One-Bedroom Suites, Superior Two-Bedroom Suites and Executive Three-Bedroom Suites with Living Areas. Each designer suite features contemporary décor, luxurious fabrics, fine textures and carefully selected artwork to create an ambiance of elegance and understated opulence.
A sophisticated mix of raw brick, woods, stainless steel, porcelain tiles and glass sets us apart in style. Minutes from the Cape Quarter, V&A Waterfront, World Cup Stadium, Convention Centre, and a refreshing range of restaurants and night life. Enjoy our perfect position in the heart of the mother city. Retreat to a cocoon of comfort with natural fabrics and earth tones in our luxury en suite rooms. Enjoy spacious bathrooms with large showers for your private indulgence. Twin basins. Heated towel rails. We believe in the detail. Choose a view: Waterfront or Mountain? The quiet hillside suites, each with their private plunge pool, look onto Signal Hill – the "rump" of fabled Lion's Head mountain.
Newly renovated, this grand and modern 3 story mansion has all the facilities you would expect from a top quality backpackers: internet access, free Wi-Fi, BBQ area, and an on the ball travel desk. Relax in our lounge complete with 40″ flat screen TV, cook up a storm in our self-catering kitchen, or grab a drink and play a game of pool in our funky entertainment area. Choose from a variety of rooms, including mixed or female dorms, single bed dorms, and private rooms – some of which are en-suite for added comfort. Our efforts are focused on giving all our guests a great experience from start to finish. We have furnished the lodge with hotel standard beds and linen. We are trying to lead the way in the hostel/ backpacking industry by setting the trends and upholding a high standard of service and quality, each year we invest money directly into the hostel. Maintaining and improving our current property is a constant challenge but one we are really excited to manage.


Just how wonderful are capybaras? Yes, they should be on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. That goes without saying.But how much more wonderful is a capybara than you are? Or do you imagine yourself to be the more wonderful? Before you answer that, you should read this poem.
All can be measured by the standard of the capybara.
Everyone is lesser than or greater than the capybara.
Everything is taller or shorter than the capybara.
more or less frequently than the capybara.
than the capybara. Everyone eats more or less bark.
he is going downhill at all times.
of fishdom by the 16th-century Catholic Church.
the Venezuelan variety mates continuously.
Consider the last time you mated continuously.
but they will not say it to you.
That was just a teaser. To read the whole poem you need to go to the Poetry Foundation page, it is well worth the trip.


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PressSales Efficiency
Sportsdigita On Shortlist For 2020 Sports Technology Awards Agency Of The Year
By Krista Boyum March 11, 2020 June 18th, 2020 No Comments
LONDON — On March 11, 2020, The STA Group announced the shortlist for the 2020 Sports Technology Awards and revealed that Sportsdigita had been shortlisted for the Agency of the Year category for its work with the online presentation platform Digideck.
Having received hundreds of entries from 31 countries representing 45 sports, 50 industry leaders from sports, technology and business spent approximately 25 days collectively determining which were the best. Once again, the full shortlist comprises some of sports biggest organizations as well as many of its most visionary, including F1, ASICS, World Athletics, Manchester United and La Liga lining up to contest the coveted Sports Technology Awards trophies.
Sportsdigita On Shortlist For 2020 Sports Technology Awards 'Agency Of The Year'
See the full list here.
"We're proud to stand side by side with so many other leaders in the sports technology space," Sportsdigita founder and CEO Angelina Lawton said. "Sportsdigita continues to expand, optimize, and revolutionize sales enablement via our online presentation platform Digideck. This is an exciting time for sports technology companies, and we look forward to continuing to a bright future both for ourselves and the entire industry."
Rebecca Hopkins, STA Group CEO, said: "The range of technology showcased this year, as well as the caliber of organizations participating, has been outstanding. The Sports Technology Awards are a highly prized, internationally respected mark of excellence but this has only been achieved thanks to our amazingly knowledgeable, committed judges and the support of visionary brands across the global sector. Consequently, it is reasonable to claim that this shortlist is a comprehensive, unique and authoritative representation of what innovations are important in sport. We look forward to announcing the winners at our ceremony on June 25 at The Londoner, Leicester Square."
The 2020 ceremony will be held at The Londoner, London's newest super-boutique luxury hotel on the hugely prestigious Leicester Square – giving guests the chance to walk the red carpet at an iconic landmark. Gathering to see which brands will win are leading sports industry figures, technology visionaries and elite athletes. Tickets are available through the Group's Global Ticketing Partner, Ticketmaster Sport, on its Universe platform.
Editors Notes: The Sports Technology Awards is the leading global celebration of technology-led innovation across the international sports sector. Held annually as a competition to highlight outstanding advances in the industry, the Awards is run by The STA Group, judged by over 50 visionaries from sports, technology and business. Between three and seven brands are shortlisted in every category, with one outright winner being awarded in each. The Awards were first held in 2014 and now attract hundreds of entries from more than 30 countries and 50 sports. The Group is also proud to be partnered with Ticketmaster Sport, lawyers Charles Russell Speechlys, the English Institute of Sport and Capgemini
More information about The Sports Technology Awards can be found at www.sportstechgroup.org


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Tag Archives: renewable energy
Argyll Array Project Update #37 – October 2012
Public Information Day (PID)
A final reminder that this year's Public Information Day will be held on Tuesday 30th October between 2.00 pm and 7.00 pm in An Talla, Crossapol. Refreshments will be available throughout the day.
What's a decommissioning plan?
Decommissioning is the term for the removal of the wind farm from the site at the end of its life. The lease of the seabed from the Crown Estate will be for 50 years. The turbines will have an anticipated life of 20-25 years. The original turbines may therefore be replaced after 20-25 years, enabling the wind farm to be productive for the whole life of the lease. However, whenever the productive life of the wind farm, or any part of it, ends it will be removed from the site. That removal will be a massive operation in itself. It will be carried out under the requirements of the Energy Act 2004 and in accordance with the best practice at that time. The current best practice requires all elements of the windfarm having visual, sea-use or environmental impacts to be removed. The process is essentially the construction process in reverse. It's also expected to take a similar period of time and have similar environmental impacts as the original construction phase.
The Environmental Statement (ES), which will be such an important part of the consenting and licensing process, will give equal weight to the effects of the decommissioning of the wind farm as it will to its building and operation. The final design of the wind farm will therefore take account of the need for decommissioning. The Energy Act requires the Secretary of State to approve the project's decommissioning plan before construction starts. The plan cannot be finalized until after engineering design for the wind farm has been completed and this is confirmed after the licensing and consenting process.
Finally, the decommissioning will take place relatively far in the future and be a very expensive process. Therefore, a financial security arrangement, funded by SPR, will be agreed with the regulators before construction begins. This will guarantee that the decommissioning plan can be funded and carried out when the time comes.
· Progress with the Tiree Community Partnership Fund
If anyone has any questions or comments on any of the above, or indeed any aspect of the project, please contact me at – Donnie Campbell, ScottishPower Renewables Community Liaison Officer, Machair, Kilmoluaig in the first instance. My land line telephone number is 220352, mobile number 07881 983753 and email donnie@argyllarray.com
Argyll Array Project Update #34 – September 2012
This year's Public Information Day (PID) for the project will be held on Thursday 4th October between 2.00pm and 7.00pm, in Tiree Rural Centre, Crossapol. Complimentary light refreshments will be available all day from the Cobbled Cow. The format will be the same as at the last PID; members of the public are invited to drop in anytime during the day to view a number of information and consultation displays. These will include displays on;
· How protecting the wildlife at the wind farm site may influence the project
· An update of SPR's technical and environmental studies.
· Consultation on SPR's current thinking regarding the wind farm converter station
· Information and consultation on the proposals for sharing the benefit of the project
· Information on the project timetable and the next steps
There will be a chance to discuss these and any other aspects of the project with the project team and a number of other specialist staff from SPR. There will also be a number of ways of making comment.
The Environmental Statement (ES)
Avid readers will recall that I outlined the background and purpose of this important document in my last update. It's a legally required part of the planning application, written by independent consultants. It assesses the environmental impacts that the building, operation and decommissioning of the project could have and how any significant impacts can be reduced or avoided.
So, what are some of the aspects of the environment that it actually assesses? It assesses the potential effect on all aspects of-
· tides, currents, waves, sediments, seabed and water quality at the wind farm site
· seabed life, marine mammals, basking sharks, birds, fish and shellfish at the wind farm site
· the ecology of Tiree itself
· commercial fishing, navigation, air traffic, radar and military activity at the wind farm site
· tourism, recreation, general socio?economic conditions in Tiree and other human activity
· landscape, seascape, cultural heritage, noise, air and climate
Each of these headings will be studied in detail and the final Environmental Statement will be the result of a process that has continually evolved the project design in order to take account of environmental impacts. This is the process which is just beginning now.
The Environmental Statement will be used as a very important (but not the only) piece of evidence to weigh in the balance when the decision is made whether to give permission to build the windfarm. If permission is given, the ES may also form the basis of any conditions imposed on the development.
No responsible developer, such as SPR, will propose an effect on the environment that is outside the law and neither can any regulator approve such a proposal. The Environmental Statement will be used to demonstrate and ensure compliance with the law regarding offshore windfarm development. While there will be no specific presentation at the PID on the process of producing an Environmental Statement, SPR staff will be happy to discuss any aspect of it on the day.
· What's a pre?application consultation?
· What's a decommissioning plan?
Questions or comments If anyone has any questions or comments on any of the above, or indeed any aspect of the project, please contact me at – Donnie Campbell, ScottishPower Renewables Community Liaison Officer, Machair, Kilmoluaig in the first instance. My land line telephone number is 220 352, mobile number 07881 983 753 and email donnie@argyllarray.com
Argyll Array Project Update #33 – August 2012
September 1, 2012 admin	Leave a comment
This year's Public Information Day (PID) for the project will be held on Thursday 4th October between 2.00pm and 7.00pm. The venue has still to be finally confirmed. The format will be the same as at the last PID; members of the public are invited to drop in anytime during the day to view a number of information and consultation displays. There will be a chance to discuss these and any other aspects of the project with the project team and a number of other specialist staff from SPR.
There will also be a number of ways of making comment. There have been some significant changes to aspects of the project since the last PID 14 months ago. This PID will explain the effects of these changes and also consult people on how the project should develop further in the future.
There will be further information about the day, including confirmation of the venue, in my next update.
· What is the Environmental Statement?
It's the document used to convey the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the regulator, Marine Scotland, and all others interested in the application. It provides a description of the project (its construction, its operations/ maintenance and its eventual decommissioning). It also describes the environmental impacts the project could have, the ways significant impacts can be reduced or avoided and the research data used as evidence. It is a legal document forming part of the planning application in 2014.
· What's the Environmental Impact Assessment?
This is the first step towards the Environmental Statement and, as the name suggests, the EIA assesses the environmental impact of the project. The immediate objectives of the EIA are to improve the project's environmental design, check its environmental acceptability and identify ways to reduce any impacts. The main long term objective is to avoid serious damage to the environment.
It works by identifying any changes needed to the project and then assessing those changes in turn, in order to refine the project design and reduce environmental impacts as much as possible. Most of the Environmental Impact Assessment work will be done in 2013 but work has already started on possible effects on basking sharks and bird life at the site.
· How complicated is the Environmental Statement?
As Marine Scotland and others interested require more and more detail, the ES gets quite large and technical. For this reason a Non Technical Summary (NTS) is produced which may, for example, summarise a 400 page ES in 20 pages.
To keep the ES itself to a manageable size and readable by the layperson, it will refer to Technical Appendixes which are very detailed reports on individual topics. All are usually public documents when planning is applied for.
· Who writes the ES?
It will be produced for SPR by professional, independent environmental consultants, who will in turn employ specialist sub-contractors.
· How can we be sure the ES is accurate and impartial?
Windfarm Environmental Statements are rigorously evaluated by regulators and also non government agencies and the general public. The issues can also end up being discussed at formal planning inquiries so developers must ensure evaluations are accurate. An inaccurate Environmental Statement would invite serious problems for the developer at the decision making stage. Incorrect decisions made by regulators based on an inaccurate Environmental Statement also invite problems for them.
· When will Tiree see the ES?
The final ES is submitted as part of the planning application. However, an early draft will be available in the form of a preliminary environmental report at least 3 months before a planning application to Marine Scotland. This is currently planned to be in mid-2014, as part of the pre-application consultation on the project. (More about pre-application consultation in a future update.)
· What aspects of the environment will the ES report on?
This is what makes it such an important document. This will be dealt with in my next update.
Detail of what aspects of the environment the Environmental Statement will report on.
What's a pre?application consultation?
If anyone has any questions or comments on any of the above, or indeed any aspect of the project, please contact me at – Donnie Campbell, ScottishPower Renewables Community Liaison Officer, Machair, Kilmoluaig in the first instance. My land line telephone number is 220 352, mobile number 07881 983 753 and email donnie@argyllarray.com
No Tiree Array Update
SNH is currently conducting a Basking Shark survey of the Skye-Mull area, including Tiree & Coll, as part of the environmental study with regard to possible MPA status for, or within, the Area. Tracking details have been impressively revealing in terms of shark location, confirming Tiree-Coll and Skerryvore as a basking shark hot spot. SPR's survey boat is reported to have sighted 918 Basking Sharks within the proposed Tiree Array Area on 6th August.
NTA will provide a detailed analysis of this data on its website www.no-tiree-array.org .uk
HVDC CONVERTER
SPR has stated it is 'minded' to put this offshore. This is based on feedback from last years Public Information Days and the Scenario Mapping Consultations. Notwithstanding this background, SPR still wants to 'provide more information' on locating a convertor onshore in Tiree.
In SPR's view there may be some 'benefits in respect of jobs and infrastructure'. SPR advise that it is their intention to provide this information at their next Public Information Day. Irrespective of the reasons offered by SPR to reconsider their 'minded' offshore location for such HVDC converters, there are technical ,and operational reasons why SPR would wish to have one, at least, of what could be up to three such HVDC converters on shore Tiree .
NTA has requested SPR to present appropriate visualisations and montages of both options. SPR has refused this request, consequently NTA is requesting Marine Scotland and Fergus Ewing, Scottish Government's Minister for Energy, to intervene.
NIGHT-TIME VISUALISATIONS
SNH in Marine Scotland's Scoping opinion stated :-
We highlight that 'dark skies' at night are a major attribute to Tiree. SPR has consistently refused to present appropriate visualisations. NTA will endeavour to present same, shortly, using data provided by SPR.
Argyll Array Project Update #28 – June 2012
June 30, 2012 admin	19 comments
Public Information Day 2012
The SPR Public Information Day for 2012 will be held in the autumn, on a date yet to be fixed. There will be a number of SPR staff on hand to give information on such issues as the implications of the new project timetable, the process of preparing our Environmental Statement and any other matters raised on the day.
There will also be direct consultation on the options for the location of the wind farm converter station. As announced earlier in the year, SPR is currently minded to site the converter station off-shore. However, after consultation with the Tiree Trust, it was decided to present more detailed implications of siting the facility either offshore or on-shore in Tiree.
There are advantages and disadvantages to the island of each option and the information and discussion at the Public Information Day will assist in the making of the final decision. I hope to be able to provide details of the date, venue etc for the day in the near future.
Tiree RESET Fund
An important part of SPR's liaison and engagement in Tiree has been to highlight the potential economic and social benefit to people in Tiree of employment in the renewable energy sector and to encourage access to the skills, education and training needed for such employment.
During SPR's discussions earlier in the year with the Tiree Trust regarding the future establishment of a Community Partnership Fund, it was agreed that a separate fund for Renewable Energy Skills, Education and Training (RESET) be established immediately.
The intention is for this to be funded by SPR on an annual basis and available from this year until a final investment decision is made on the project in 2016/17 after which a more broadly based skills fund with a remit beyond Tiree, could operate. For 2012/13 a total of £10,000 will be made available from SPR to the fund for people who attended secondary school in Tiree and/or are currently living in Tiree.
Whilst it is anticipated that a number of recipients of funding will be those in the 16-22 age group attending university or college, it should be emphasised that the fund is not restricted to those candidates. The fund is designed to help people of all ages and of all aspirations to gain qualifications that will help in getting employment in the renewable energy sector. A formal invitation to candidates to apply for support from the fund will be published in the next edition of An Tirisdeach on July 6th, along with a copy of the Fund Rules which give full details of the fund objectives, eligibility and the criteria for the award of support.
Basking Shark surveys
As highlighted in a previous update, further work is required to better understand the potential effects of the Argyll Array wind farm on Basking Sharks and Great Northern Divers.
To help inform this work, Basking Shark surveys will be undertaken on behalf of SPR throughout July, August and September of this year, at sea in the wind farm site. These surveys will be similar to those that have been undertaken previously on the site and will feed into the project's Environmental Statement.
· What's in an Environmental Statement?
· What's a pre-application consultation?
NTA Update
June 1, 2012 admin	Leave a comment
NTA decided at the end of February to look at environmental issues associated with the proposed Tiree (Argyll) Array.
We reported in the 16th March edition of AnT on the unique Tiree status of the Great Northern Diver and Basking Shark. This highlighted their relationship to possible Special Protected Areas on Skerryvore Reef, and the context of the marine environment to the proposed Tiree Array. Such status issues may have crucial and fundamental implications in the consenting process for the proposed Tiree Array- NTA expanded upon these themes in the 30th March edition of AnT. Coincidentally in the same edition, SPR tucked away a discreet announcement of an 18 month delay in the project. SPR gave environmental reasons for this delay, coincidentally, with specific reference to the Great Northern Diver and Basking Sharks!
The latest JNCC report shows that a substantial basking shark HOT SPOT has been recognised overlapping the Great Northern Diver HOT SPOT within the entire proposed array area. This concentration of sharks is equal if not more important than the nationally important Gunna Sound hotspot.
Look closely. It gives you a very clear idea of how Skerryvore will be dwarfed if this Array goes ahead. Don't forget Skerryvore will be surrounded by 180-300 Turbines. Scottish Power Renewables has PERSISTENTLY refused NTA's requests to publish its June 2011 Visualisations and Montages. As recently as 14th May SPR still resisted when stating "It's not consumer friendly to put such a large files on line". Two days later however, SPR finally posted their visualizations on their website. (http://www.argyllarray.com/news-detail.asp?item=134). Just WHY it has taken SPR nearly a year to do so is a mystery. Perhaps they were worried at what your reaction might be, to what these monsters might look like close to Tiree's shores? Maybe it is coincidental that NTA's detailed March 2012,submission to Marine Scotland criticised SPR 's Public Information and Consultation? NTA advised Marine Scotland that: – "contrary to previous undertakings SPR had not posted these June 2011 visualisations". NTA's submission to Marine Scotland also advised that SPR had not updated its Tiree (Argyll) Array website since July 2011. For those who follow the SPR website, there has, in the last few weeks, been a veritable deluge of updates!
At the end of February, NTA contacted the RSPB to protest at a serious omission on the RSPB website. It contained no specific reference, or information, on the proposed Tiree (Argyll) Array. The omission was made more shocking by the RSPB's site having specific references to other Scottish offshore wind farm sites. NTA is pleased to advise that the RSPB has now rectified their omission, and the RSPB site now has a dedicated Tiree (Argyll) Array page. To find out how they see things NOW, go to www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/casework/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-313798. Friends of the Earth, WWF & RSPB have been reported in the national press as recipients of funding from wind farm developers. NTA has been in contact with the chairpersons of each organization, asking for details of such funding.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: NTA'S NEXT CAMPAIGN MILESTONES:
Following SPR's recent confirmation that they will study the possible local climate change caused by the inshore array, NTA will try to ascertain what methodology SPR intend to use to study these affects on our island's weather, on our agriculture, on our environment and ultimately affects to our homes. NTA will confirm the current International, European & UK protection legislation, furnished upon the local areas proven to already meet and exceed the SPA/NIMA & MPA criteria, ie the areas that would be damaged or destroyed by the industrialisation of Skerryvore Reef and the entire area of the proposed Array.
Following the recent tourism boom at the UK's incredible first 'Dark Sky' park in Galloway, NTA will further investigate Tiree's posible 'Dark Sky' status and future loss of our beautiful night skies caused by the Tiree Array. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukscotland- south-scotland- 17988825
NTA has been criticized for making reference to the Nov 2011 CITI report that there would be investment uncertainty created in the light of the independence issue. SPR's rivals Scottish and Southern (SSE), it must be said, has been open and forthright on this issue, by stating that it would honour existing investment in Scotland. SSE warned, however, that the uncertainty created by the 2014 referendum could jeopardize future investment plans. (http://scottishutilities.co.uk/news/78.htm). The renewable industry is subsidy driven and subsidy dependent. Subsidy policy is, currently, UK Government policy. But uncertainty of the subsidy policy of a possible independent Scotland is a matter of deep concern to any investor. Spain is in financial crisis. Only last week Ignacio Galán, Chairman of Scottish Power, and its parent Iberdrola, stated his commitment "to sell assets, cut investments and improve efficiency in an effort to reduce debt We are going to revise all of our investments that aren't already allocated … focusing much more on our debt situation." It would appear that debt reduction has become the number one priority for Iberdrola-Scottish Power.
Wobbles and Delays In Tiree Turbine Plans
April 30, 2012 admin	One comment
The controversial proposals to erect giant turbines close to Tiree are hitting delays and uncertainties.
As we know, Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) now will not submit planning applications until the latter half of 2014. Tiree folk have to accept at face value the company's explanation that this is due to 'environmental issues'. However, there may be other factors at work to put brakes on SPR's plans. Citi Group, the global investment bank, warned that investors would be cautious until after the Scottish referendum on independence. These ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES were more recently compounded by market worries about the exposure of Scottish Power and its parent company, Iberdrola, to Spanish banks. Spain's economic crisis is mounting by the day. The issue of the withdrawal of Doosan, the Korean manufacturer who planned to develop offshore turbines in Scotland, was clarified by the company as the result of '…the overall economic conditions in Europe'. In other words, the wind energy industry is feeling the windchills of all the economic woes!
TRANSMISSION HEADACHES
A recent SPR update stated it was minded not to place a huge converter station on Tiree. Last week the Oban Times reported that SPR were exploring options via Mull. SPR reasoned that if offshore cabling risked being dredged up it could take months to fix it!
This happened near Tiree two years ago and it took five months to get power transmission back to normal. If this is such a real risk it makes one wonder why the Tiree Array is being proposed in the first place! SPR itself is not allowed to build or own the kind of high voltage equipment needed for these jobs. The transmission network will be constructed by an Offshore Transmission Operator (an OFTO) appointed by OFGEM the energy industry regulator. Had things been on track for Tiree, the OFTO tendering process for the Tiree Array should have been started by now. There is no sign yet of this happening.
The Moray Array made its first moves on this process last November, and it is hoping to submit for planning in 2012. It would appear to the layman, then, that transmission problems for SPR continue to mount and may be contributing to their own planning application delay. NTA has asked for clarification on this from OFGEM and SPR.
The issue of the Tiree Array is now at the heart of Europe! NTA made a presentation to an EU symposium on offshore windfarm environmental issues, including the Blue Carbon question and potential destruction of wildlife, flagged up by NTA itself.
These also may have contributed to SPR's problems. The meeting was attended by folk from the Scottish Government and Marine Scotland, the planning agency.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE IF THE ARRAY IS BUILT
Regrettably, the Tiree Trust has withdrawn from a previously agreed joint approach with NTA to this question of visuals and the selection of viewpoints on the island. Because of delays, SPR will pursue this issue next year. Last November Marine Scotland announced that it was 'currently reviewing its licence manual and the consultants working on this will include visual impact.' This shift on visual impact will replace and update current guidelines and when these are published NTA will consult with the various statutory bodies involved. We've told SPR we'll be doing so. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE CONSULTATION PERIOD FOR THE ON-SHORE MAPPING SCENARIO CLOSES ON FRIDAY 27 AUGUST. ALSO BE AWARE THAT CONSTANT UPDATES ON ALL THESE ISSUES AND MORE ARE AVAILABLE ON NTA'S WEBSITE AT www.no-tiree-array.org.uk
Argyll Array Project Update 25 – Febrary 2012
March 3, 2012 admin	7 comments
Community Partnership Fund
The second meeting with Tiree Community Development Trust to discuss this initiative took place on the 14th of February and the third meeting on 21st February.
A joint report on the meetings will appear in the next issue of An Tirisdeach.
Engineering Foundation Programme
A reminder that any young person interested in applying for a place on this year's programme should contact either myself or Ralph Thornton on 0141 614 0418. Staff at Tiree High School will also be able to give prospective candidates further information and support. Obviously, places are open to both female and male applicants.
Coastal Communities Fund
Further to the item in the last update, any group seeking funds from the Highlands and Islands part of the Fund can download a prospectus from www.communities.gov.uk/documents/regen eration/pdf/2085591.pdf.
Preliminary research has now been completed for SPR regarding the siting of the converter station at the wind-farm end of the grid export cable route to Dalmally. Most will recall that a short-list of possible export cable routes has already been drawn up, all of which involve either a route over Mull to Oban or a completely sub-sea route to Oban, with no cable coming on to either Coll or Tiree. At the moment, SPR is minded to apply for permission to site the converter station offshore within the wind farm and not onshore in Tiree. The current position is based on feedback received through last year's Public Information Day (PID) on Tiree, and the Scenario Mapping consultations. However, SPR has agreed with Tiree Community Development Trust to provide more information on the onshore convertor station at this summer's Public Information Day. There are some benefits in respect of jobs and infrastructure on Tiree which would occur irrespective of the strategy for the windfarm. The island's views will be sought at the PID in the summer, and if there is strong feedback in favour then SPR would reconsider the possibility of an onshore location.
If anyone has any questions or comments on any of the above, or indeed any aspect of the project, please contact me at – Donnie Campbell, ScottishPower Renewables Community Liaison Officer, Machair, Kilmoluaig in the first instance. My land line telephone number is 220 352, mobile 07881 983 753 and email donnie@argyllarray.com
Argyll Array Project Update #24 – February 2012
February 21, 2012 admin	Leave a comment
The second meeting with Tiree Community Development Trust to discuss this initiative took place earlier this week, on the 14th of February. A joint report of the meeting will be in the next Tirisdeach, as the meeting was held too late for it to appear in this week's newsletter.
Marine Traffic Survey
This survey, conducted from the top of Ceann a'Mhara, ended on Thursday 16th February. A further survey will take place during the summer.
An advertisement for this exciting opportunity appears elsewhere in this week's newsletter. If any young person from Tiree is interested in applying for a place on this year's programme then, in the first instance, please contact either myself or Ralph Thornton on 0141 614 0418. Staff at Tiree High School will also be able to give prospective candidates further information and support. Obviously, places are open to both female and male applicants.
In the summer of 2011 the UK Government announced the setting up of the Coastal Communities Fund. This is a Fund made up of 50% of the revenues from the Crown Estates marine assets in the UK. The Crown Estates receive revenues from fish farms and off shore wind farms and a number of other sources of income. The Government has now published a Prospectus for the Fund, which invites expressions of interest for funding by the end of March, with those successful at that stage invited to submit full applications by September. This is not an SPR initiative and is completely separate from the Community Partnership Fund for Tiree which is being discussed currently. Tiree is, however, an obvious coastal community and any group interested in applying to the Highlands and Islands part of the Fund can download the prospectus from www.communities.gov.uk/documents/regeneration/pdf/2085591.pdf
February 4, 2012 admin	Leave a comment
The first meeting with Tiree Community Development Trust to discuss this initiative took place on the 24th of January.
A joint report of that meeting appears elsewhere in this issue.
As I said in the last update, there are due to be two surveys of marine traffic on the wind farm site this year. The first of these has started this week.Marico are the company carrying out the survey on SPR's behalf, for the next two weeks or so.
The main survey point will be near the top of Ceann a'Mhara to gain the best radar sweep of the wind farm site. This is difficult work, not least due to the difficulty of getting the equipment on to the hill and coping with the wind exposure. Anyone interested in seeing how the work is done and how the data is gathered is welcome to go along to visit the survey, subject to any safety restrictions that may be in force at the time. The team are based at MacKay's Cottage in Balephuil for the duration of the survey or can be contacted through myself.
ScottishPower's 2012 Engineering Foundation Programme is now open for applications and this is a tremendous opportunity to learn valuable skills and start off a worthwhile career in the electricity industry.
The programme is a partnership between some Scottish colleges and ScottishPower and is designed to equip school leavers with the skills and qualifications to support progression onto an Engineering Apprenticeship.
Over an academic year the individuals achieve a qualification that focuses on Electrical Engineering at Level Two. ScottishPower currently recruits for the programmes in Scotland and also in the North West of England and North Wales.
If any young person from Tiree would be interested in applying for a place on this year's programme then, in the first instance, please contact either myself or Ralph Thornton on 0141 614 0418. Staff at Tiree High School will also be able to give prospective candidates further information and support. Obviously, places are open to both female and male applicants.
In 2011, three Engineering Foundation Students secured an apprenticeship with ScottishPower's Energy Networks business and a further four have been offered positions with the contractor IQA.
If anyone has any questions or comments on any of the above, or indeed any aspect of the project, please contact me at – Donnie Campbell, ScottishPower Renewables Community Liaison Officer, Machair, Kilmoluaig in the first instance. My land line telephone number is 220352, mobile number 07881 983 753 and email donnie@argyllarray.com
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Culture & Life
Judgment day for Juncker and government?
The final showdown in the government crisis is set to start at 2pm on Wednesday with the presentation of the secret service enquiry commission report, followed by a debate, which could lead to the ousting of Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker or the government as a whole.
(CS) The final showdown in the government crisis is set to start at 2pm on Wednesday with the presentation of the secret service enquiry commission report, followed by a debate, which could lead to the ousting of Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker or the government as a whole.
François Bausch ("déi Gréng") is set to start his presentation of the SREL report at 2pm. At 3pm, the Prime Minister is expected to speak for up to two hours. In his speech the Premier is likely to defend himself against allegations that he was responsible for the mismanagement of the Luxembourg secret service during his time at the helm of the government.
From 5pm, the parliamentary groups of the CSV, LSAP, DP and "déi Gréng" have up to one hour each to speak on the subject, with the ADR, "déi Lénk" and the independent MPs getting a 20-minute slot.
It is expected that a motion will be introduced in parliament, either attacking Juncker individually, or demanding the resignation of the whole government. This echoes previous motions, which "déi Gréng" and the DP tried to introduce in parliament in June, but which failed.
However, there is speculation that the LSAP, the CSV's coalition partner and thereby crucial in any vote, will side with the opposition.
The possible outcomes of Wednesday's session include:
The resignation of Jean-Claude Juncker, either voluntarily or through a vote of confidence. Juncker could either name a successor or a new Prime Minister would be appointed to form a new government;
the resignation of the entire government, which would call for re-elections. These would have to take place within three months of the obligatory dissolution of parliament. This would mean elections in October;
the motions against the Prime Minister and the government fail.
Before the session of the Chamber of Deputies, the government council is set to meet at 11.30am.
Wort.lu will follow the debate and report on the final outcome. The session in parliament could end as late as 10pm.
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The World Youth Forum (WYF) official Facebook page announced that registration is now open for participation in the second WYF 2018. WYF 2018 will be held in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh from 3 to 6 November 2018.
Registration is open for youth aged 20-40 from all over the world. One can register as an attendee, as a participant in the Model Arab African Summit (MAAS), a participant in the WYF Theatre that will be held on the sidelines of the Forum, or as a speaker.
The WYF theatre will host acts, stand-up comedy specials, and talks.
To register as a speaker, applicants are required to upload an abstract about any of the topics scheduled for the Forum.