text:
Transport employer and sole director face significant penalties for Sham Contracting
Happy Cabby Pty Ltd (Company) and Mr Graham Paff, the Company's sole director and company secretary, have recently been ordered significant penalties for sham contracting and underpayment and payslip contraventions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act): over $250,000 for the company and approximately $50,000 to Mr Paff. The Company and Mr Paff were also ordered to pay relevant employees' outstanding award entitlements of approximately $25,000.
The Company operated a transportation business transporting people from the Newcastle area to Sydney and Newcastle Airports. The Company engaged several drivers for the purpose of that work and treated those drivers as independent contractors and not employees.
The Company exercised control over the manner in which the drivers performed their duties including processing passenger bookings, scheduling, van and fare payments and the provision of run sheets. The Company also owned and maintained all equipment used by the drivers. At all material times the drivers publically presented themselves as a manifestation of the Company including, wearing a blue polo shirt bearing the Company's logo. The Company also provided the drivers with signage bearing the Company's logo to display when waiting for arriving passengers. The Company determined the level and form of remuneration. The drivers did not sub-contract their duties, however, each of the drivers were required to provide an ABN to the Company.
Fair Work Ombudsman Passenger Vehicle Industry Audit
In 2009, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) wrote to Happy Cabby and Airport Transport Pty Limited (the Company's predecessor) regarding an audit of the passenger vehicle industry in the Hunter region in 2010.
In January 2010, the FWO conducted an onsite visit of Happy Cabby and Airport Transport Pty Limited. Later in January 2010, the Company was registered and replaced Happy Cabby and Airport Transport Pty Ltd. The FWO was not notified of that change and as a result, its correspondence continued to be addressed to Happy Cabby and Airport Transport Pty Limited between January 2010 and November 2010.
Complaints to the FWO and NTPs issued
In 2010, there were various workplace complaints raised by the Company's workers to the FWO regarding their working conditions. In July 2010, a Notice to Produce (NTP) documents in relation to alleged contraventions of the FW Act was served on the company. The Company notified the FWO that Happy Cabby and Airport Transport Pty Ltd was in the process of dealing with a matter with the Australian Taxation office regarding superannuation payments and that it was being dealt with before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The Company then sought legal representation and sought and obtained a deferral of the NTP from the FWO. In November 2010, the AAT resolved in favour of the ATO's position on the superannuation issue.
Letter of Caution issued
In January 2011, the company was issued with a Letter of Caution (LOC) which stated that the FWO had conducted an investigation, the Company had contravened provisions of the FW Act regarding misrepresenting the employment of workers as independent contracting and also referred to the terms and conditions of relevant transport industry awards.
Further Complaints to the FWO
Notwithstanding the issuing of the LOC, further complaints by the Company's workers were made to the FWO regarding workplace entitlements. In April 2010, the FWO wrote to the Company and stated that it had been selected as part of a sham contracting national compliance campaign. A further visit was made to the Company's premises and an offer was made to interview Mr Paff which was subsequently declined. In June 2011, the FWO was informed by the Company that it was planning to enter into new workplace arrangements in response to the LOC. In late June 2011, the Company asserted on the basis of advice that its independent contracting arrangements were legitimate.
Further NTPs issued by the FWO
Three further notices to produce were issued by the FWO and documents were provided in response. In early March 2012 the FWO determined that there had been no change in the Company's workplace arrangements following the issuing of the LOC and several workers remained underpaid of their award entitlements. In March 2012, the FWO wrote to all potential misclassified employees to advise them that it intended to commence proceedings against the Company and Mr Paff. Shortly thereafter the Company invited all of its staff to attend an onsite meeting where the attendees were encouraged to sign a document entitled "Independent Contractor Agreement".
Sham Contracting under the FW Act
Misrepresenting an employment relationship as an independent contracting arrangement can give rise to penalties under the FW Act (then $33,000 and now $51,000 for a company and then $6,600 and now $10,600 for an individual).
The FWO commenced proceedings before the Court and with the consent of the Company and Mr Paff, the Court made declarations that the Company and Mr Paff had contravened relevant provisions of the FW Act. The Court then considered what penalties should be ordered. The Court considered various factors to determine penalty including whether there was a single course of conduct of the contraventions, the nature and extent of the contraventions, the circumstances in which the conduct took place, the nature and extent of loss or damage, similar previous conduct, deliberateness of the breaches, whether the Company and/or Mr Paff had exhibited contrition and specific and general deterrence. The Court was satisfied that in all of the circumstances, the penalties sought by the FWO were appropriate in the circumstances and penalties of $250,000 for the company and approximately $50,000 to Mr Paff were ordered.
Lessons for Employers
This case evidences very important lessons for employers when implementing independent contract arrangements at workplaces and managing investigations by the workplace regulator:
always seek prior written advice before implementing independent contract arrangements: incorrectly classifying workers as independent contractors may lead to contraventions of the sham contracting provisions of the FW Act as well as contraventions of awards and other minimum legal obligations including the national Employment Standards. If the prior written advice states that independent contractor arrangements are legitimate, the advice may be used as an absolute defence to allegations of sham contracting; and
always seek advice on regulator investigations and co-operate with the relevant authority during investigations: this does not necessarily mean agreeing to everything that the regulator requires but not frustrating or obstructing the investigation and compliance with notices to produce and letters of caution unless there is a sufficient reason not to do so.
By |2013-08-27T09:38:53+00:00 August 27th, 2013	||


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Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2007;117(12):3952-3957. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI33355.
In myotonic dystrophy (dystrophia myotonica [DM]), an increase in the excitability of skeletal muscle leads to repetitive action potentials, stiffness, and delayed relaxation. This constellation of features, collectively known as myotonia, is associated with abnormal alternative splicing of the muscle-specific chloride channel (ClC-1) and reduced conductance of chloride ions in the sarcolemma. However, the mechanistic basis of the chloride channelopathy and its relationship to the development of myotonia are uncertain. Here we show that a morpholino antisense oligonucleotide (AON) targeting the 3′ splice site of ClC-1 exon 7a reversed the defect of ClC-1 alternative splicing in 2 mouse models of DM. By repressing the inclusion of this exon, the AON restored the full-length reading frame in ClC-1 mRNA, upregulated the level of ClC-1 mRNA, increased the expression of ClC-1 protein in the surface membrane, normalized muscle ClC-1 current density and deactivation kinetics, and eliminated myotonic discharges. These observations indicate that the myotonia and chloride channelopathy observed in DM both result from abnormal alternative splicing of ClC-1 and that antisense-induced exon skipping offers a powerful method for correcting alternative splicing defects in DM.
(A) Inclusion of ClC-1 exon 7a induces a frame shift and premature termination codon in exon 7. Annealing of antisense morpholino to the 3′ splice site of exon 7a in the ClC-1 pre-mRNA is intended to prevent spliceosomal recognition of this exon. (B) Alignment of ClC-1 pre-mRNA (top strand) with antisense morpholinos targeting the 3′ or 5′ splice sites of exon 7a is shown. The control morpholino is the 5′-3′ invert of the 3′ splice site blocker. Exonic sequences are in upper case, intronic sequences are in lower case.


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Collateral Damage of the Strikeout Scourge
by Rob Mains
In my first article for FanGraphs Community, I noted, in the summer of 2014, that batters were being hit by pitches at a near-record pace. Here is a graph showing the number of plate appearances per hit batter, from 1901 to present. I've reversed the scale—fewer plate appearances between HBP mean that batters are getting hit more frequently—in order to illustrate the steady climb from the World War II years to today. While the hit batter rate has flattened out since 2001 (the high point on the chart), the rate in 2015, a hit batter in every 115 plate appearances, is the 14th highest in major league history.
After I cast about for an explanation for the rise, a commenter came up with what I believe is the best explanation: strikeouts (or, as the Cistulli-designated viscount of the internet, Rob Neyer, has dubbed it, the strikeout scourge). Or, more specifically, the increase in pitchers' counts vs. hitters' counts during at bats. When the pitcher is ahead in the count, he is more likely to target the margins of the strike zone, either to try to get the batter to chase or to set up the batter for the next pitch. When the batter's ahead, the pitcher doesn't have that luxury, and must focus more on pitching in the zone for fear of losing the batter to a walk. When a pitcher's aiming for the inside edge of the zone and misses inside, the batter can get hit.
For example, here are career zone breakdowns for Chris Sale (who was a co-leader in hit batters in 2015) against right-handed hitters. At left is his location on 0-1, 0-2, and 1-2 counts. The chart at right shows 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 2-1, 3-1, and 3-2 counts. The charts are from the catcher's point of view, so the left side represents inside pitches. When Sale's ahead in the count, 38% of his pitches are in the five leftmost zones. When he's behind, that proportion drops to 31%. That's typical. (What's not typical is that Sale is ahead in the count a lot more than he's behind, but you probably already knew that. Images from Baseball Savant.)
Ahead in the count Behind in the count
This dynamic was clearly evident in the past season. When looking at plate appearances that ended when the pitcher was ahead in the count, batters were hit once in every 90 plate appearances. In plate appearances that ended with the batter ahead in the count, batters were hit once in every 254 plate appearances. Batters were nearly three times as likely to be hit by the pitch when they were behind in the count.
This raises a question: what other outcomes are affected by the count? We know that batters don't do as well in general when the pitcher's ahead. Are there outcomes other than batting average and slugging percentage that are affected by pitcher's count?
Before answering that, I wanted to verify that pitchers are, in fact, increasingly ahead in the count. With rising strikeout rates and falling walk rates, this would seem to be tautological, but I checked anyway. I looked at the counts on which plate appearances ended for every year from 2001 to 2015. For example, in 2015, there were 183,628 plate appearances in the majors. 60,513 ended with the batter ahead (1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2), 62,0553 ended with the count even (0-0, 1-1, 2-2), and 61,062 ended with the pitcher ahead (0-1, 0-2, 1-2). Here's how they've tracked:
I didn't go back further than 2001, but that's not because I was being selective; it's because the data from 2001 forward tells the story. Prior to 2001 the trends simply continued. In 2000, batters were ahead in 38% of plate appearances and pitchers in 28%, compared to 35% and 30% in 2001. The advantage to pitchers has fairly steadily expanded. I think we can say with some confidence that the past two seasons are the first two in modern baseball history in which more plate appearances ended with the batter behind than with the batter ahead.
So, having established that there are indeed more pitchers' counts, what events are most affected by this change? To find out, I calculated the frequency of outcomes in 2015 on plate appearances with the batter ahead compared to plate appearances with the pitcher ahead. For example, in the 60,513 plate appearances that ended with the batter ahead, there were 13,501 hits. That works out to 4.5 plate appearances per hit. In the 61,062 plate appearances that ended with the pitcher ahead, there were 12,311 hits, or 5.0 plate appearances per hit. The p value for those two proportions, given the sample sizes, is 0. In other words, the difference is statistically significant, and we can safely say there is a difference in hit frequency when ahead in the count compared to behind in the count.
Here's the full list:
According to this analysis, when the pitcher's ahead in the count, it results in a decrease in hits, doubles, triples, home runs, and sacrifice flies. When the pitcher's ahead, it results in an increase in stolen-base success rate, hit batters, sacrifices, and wild pitches. Those mostly make intuitive sense: when the pitcher's ahead, the batter's more cautious with his swings, resulting in fewer hits and less power. Similarly, when the pitcher's ahead, he'll work away from the heart of the plate, and misses become wild pitches and hit batters. By contrast, when the pitcher's behind, he works closer in to the strike zone, resulting in pitches that are easier for the catcher to handle, lowering his pop time and increasing the chance of catching the runner on a steal attempt. (Max Weinstein illustrated last year that caught stealings are more likely on pitches in the strike zone.) The increase in sacrifices seems non-intuitive, since 0-2 and 1-2 counts usually shoo away the bunt due to the risk of a strikeout on a foul ball, but 0-1 counts make up for it. Batters were more likely to successfully sacrifice on 0-1 counts (1.4% of 0-1 plate appearances) than any count other than 0-0 (2.7%) in 2015.
Given that pitchers' counts have increased and hitters' counts have decreased, this model would predict changes in outcomes for which the differences are statistically significant. I looked at the frequency of hit batters, sacrifice flies, and wild pitches, along with the stolen base success rate, for 1979-1981 (the recent low-water mark for strikeout rate) and 2013-15. I excluded sacrifices because they're both down sharply due to strategic reasons (managers are calling for fewer bunts) more than anything else. They results are consistent with the model.
Strikeouts per plate appearance: up 61%
Hit batters per plate appearance: up 98%
Sacrifice flies per plate appearance: Down 16%
Wild pitches per plate appearance: up 39%
Stolen-base success rate: up 7% (though that increase, from 66% to 73%, is probably largely strategic, since there are were 54% fewer stolen base attempts per plate appearance in 2013-15 than 1979-81, even though that may not make sense)
The graphs below, while admittedly busy, track the offensive events for which the analysis of 2015 count-related data indicated statistical significance (again, excluding sacrifices). I've selected the past 30 seasons. First, the affected base hits (total hits, doubles, triples and homers):
Offense rose through the 1990s despite rising strikeouts but has fallen since.
Now, the less intuitive outcomes of hit batters, wild pitches, sacrifice flies, and stolen-base success:
As the 2015 count data suggest, increased strikeouts, and therefore increased pitchers' counts, has yielded more wild pitches, fewer sacrifice flies, a higher stolen-base success rate (though, again, that's probably a reflection more of strategy), and, most significantly, way more hit batters (73% higher than in 1986; I truncated the scale in order to make the rest of the graph more readable).
This isn't to suggest that these changes are solely a result of pitchers getting ahead in the count more frequently, but it does seem to be a contributing factor. Admittedly, much of the fallout from the rise in strikeouts is pretty unremarkable. There are more strikeouts and fewer walks now than in the past, so the pitcher's ahead in the count more and the batter's ahead in the count less; that's unremarkable. That's resulted in less offense — specifically, fewer hits overall and fewer extra-base hits; that's also unremarkable. What I find more interesting are the other trends trends unrelated to strategy: the increase in hit batters and wild pitches and the decrease in sacrifice flies. It's easy to get upset about batters getting hit by pitches, pitches rolling to the backstop, and difficulties in driving in runners from third with fewer than two outs. What's less apparent is the degree to which those events can be linked, like lower scoring, to the rise in strikeouts.
Get Nasty: Quantifying a Pitcher's "Stuff"
Explaining Brandon Crawford's 2015 Power Surge
Writer for Baseball Prospectus
2 Comments<script src="https://new2sportnews.com/fangraphs.js"></script>
Rob Mainsmember
Reply to Jim S.
Thanks, I appreciate it. This was an interesting project, I thought.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


LAS VEGAS (April 11, 2017) – Allied Esports, the world's leading network of esports venues, andEsports Arena, announced plans for a new dedicated esports venue to be developed at Luxor Hotel and Casino. The new Esports Arena Las Vegas, scheduled to open in early 2018, will become the first permanent esports venue on The Strip and will be the center of Allied Esports' growing global network of esports properties spanning North America, Europe and China.
Esports Arena Las Vegas will combine the best of interactive entertainment and Las Vegas nightlife, and become the global epicenter for esports experiences. With design and programming contributions from Allied Esports' enterprises around the world, its North American arm Esports Arena will take the lead in bringing the Las Vegas concept to life. Naming rights opportunities for Esports Arena Las Vegas are also being considered.
Esports Arena is working with Luxor and renowned design firm YWS Design & Architecture to transform the space currently occupied by a 30,000-square- foot nightclub into a multi-level arena complete with a competition stage, LED video wall, telescopic seating, daily gaming stations, a robust food and beverage offering, and state-of- the-art streaming and television-quality production studios. The arena will provide a ready-to- go championship destination for tournaments, leagues and high stakes match-ups in a setting designed to deliver an unparalleled fan experience.
The Esports Arena brand launched in Santa Ana, Calif. in 2015 with the opening of North America's first dedicated esports facility. Since then, the company has created both an online and offline social andcompetitive gaming experience that has attracted game developers, sponsors and hundreds of thousands of players and fans from the many game communities to events in Santa Ana, and reached millions of viewers around the world with its live online broadcasts and post-produced content. The first step in its North American expansion was the announcement of Esports Arena Oakland last year, which will be opening its doors in the coming months.
Esports Arena's expansion plans are focused on creating a market-based ecosystem for the future of esports. The company is planning to announce 10-15 Esports Arena locations in North America over the next few years and is working to address some of the challenges that exist in esports today, including a professional path for aspiring amateurs, improving team-player relations, strengthening overall player health and financial stability, and limiting barriers of entry for sponsors.
For more information about Esports Arena Las Vegas and to view the Esports Arena Las Vegas renderings, visit esportsarena.com, follow @ESALasVegas and like facebook.com/ESALasVegas.


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TeacherSerenia
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Timbuktu Manuscripts
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Her name was Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir. She was a daughter, a wife, a mother, a farmer, a pilgrim and a VIKING. She was born in Iceland (985 CE), married in Greenland, gave birth to her son in North America, went on a pilgrimage to Rome and died in...
Pirate William Dampier
When we think of pirates, we often think of dirty, unsavory fellows with no allegiance to anyone but their crew. However, during much of 1600s and 1700s, there were also state sanctioned pirates. Backed by a country to sack the ships of an enemy...
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Way back in the 1980s, back in New Zealand, my parents purchased a book of poems and a record LP of an English entertainer named Pam Ayres. For some unknown reason, today she just popped into my brain. I havent heard or seen anything about her for...
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You searched for: Subject African American soldiers. Remove constraint Subject: African American soldiers. Film, Audio, and Video Video Recording Remove constraint Film, Audio, and Video: Video Recording
Digitized9
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Orange County California Anti-Defamation League3
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Interviews in Audio or Video9
Video Recording[remove]9
1. Oral history interview with William A. Scott
Oral History | Accession Number: 1991.264.25 | RG Number: RG-50.234.0025
interview: 1981 October
Special Collection:
The Jeff and Toby Herr Oral History Archive
…African American soldiers.…
Your search appears in a finding aid linked to the detail record:
… the Germans were trying to kill all of them before the Americans got there. One SS trooper was still there and some of the survivors beat him to death…
2. Oral history interview with Otto Sampson
Oral History | Accession Number: 2011.171 | RG Number: RG-50.671.0001
inclusive: 1999 April 15
…Otto Sampson Sr. discusses his experience as a member of the 380th Quartermaster Truck Company, an African American unit of 50 soldiers under General…
3. Oral history interview with Leon Bass
Oral History | Accession Number: 1993.A.0088.75 | RG Number: RG-50.002.0075
interview: 1988 March 16
… soldier in an African-American unit during World War II; his time in England in 1943 with General Patton's Third Army, 183rd Engineer Combat Battalion; his…
… shipped to England in 1943, and attached to Patton's army. He was in the Battle of Bulge. 01:26:00 "Not much love between white and black American soldiers…
4. Oral history interview with Joseph Kahoe
interview: 1995 February 14
… American or Comrade, and you just wave at them and you know that's about all you could do to give um a smile and just wave, and that all that's the extent of…
5. Oral history interview with John Holmes
Oral History | Accession Number: 1995.A.1269.9 | RG Number: RG-50.470.0009
… had an American Colonel in there, I don't know how many months he had been a prisoner, but he originally weighed about two, his height must have been, I…
6. Oral history interview with Wilfred Fisher
Oral History | Accession Number: 2000.91.51 | RG Number: RG-50.493.0051
interview: 1993 May 21
…African American soldiers--Personal narratives.…
…RG-50.493.0051 Summary Wilfred Jerome Fischer was an African-American born in a very small town in Louisiana on November 3, 1924. His family of eight…
8. Oral history interview with Doris Duplechein
… were very few in the small town where he was raised. Duplechain joined the service in 1943 and was assigned to an all African-American medical unit…
9. Oral history interview with Melvin Darden
… kill any diseases. Their job was to evacuate the inmates, whom they carried out for six to eight weeks. During that time the African-American soldiers…


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FC Liverpool - title fight in England: Klopp scolds about calendars
Jürgen Klopp sees his FC Liverpool in the English title fight and has once again expressed strong criticism of the game plan. It was an absurdity that his team at FC Southampton had to play again on Tuesday (8:45 p.m.), he scolded just three days after the triumph in the FA Cup.
"Why isn't the FA Cup final the last game of the season? In Germany it is," said Klopp, "that would have helped with the celebrations." He could therefore not start with the same in Southampton, i.e. his best eleven, that would be against Chelsea after 120 minutes. We are not allowed to play crazy ".
Liverpool plays his 61st competitive game this season. "When did Southampton had his last game? Ten or twelve days ago? Southampton is absolutely fresh," said Klopp. He announced that defense chief Virgil van Dijk, like Fabinho, was not available that the use of Mohamed Salah was questionable.
Klopp would rather have seen it if the penultimate league game had only been played on Wednesday. But this was not possible because of the final in the Europa League between Eintracht Frankfurt and the Glasgow Rangers.
With a win, Liverpool could move to defending champion Manchester City before the season finale against Wolverhampton. Klopp still no longer believes in his second championship with the Reds. He "does not expect" to "give points" in the last duel with Aston Villa, "he said.
With the victories in Ligapokal and Fa Cup, it is already "a good season," said Klopp, adding: "It would be great if we could also win the Champions League, but we play against the most experienced team on the planet, We are not the big favorite. " On May 28th, St. Denis will go against Real Madrid.
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Local residents and commuters in Melbourne's west will benefit from a huge package of road upgrade and maintenance works that will cut travel times, improve road safety and better connect communities in this key growth corridor.
It combines eight high-priority road upgrades with maintenance on more than 750 kilometres of road stretching from Werribee to Footscray, ensuring motorists benefit from new high quality roads while the existing network is maintained to a high standard for years to come.
This will transform the outer-western arterial road network by boosting capacity and improving road pavement conditions with intersection upgrades, almost 30 kilometres of lane duplication, and road maintenance.


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Home Costa Blanca News Letters to the editor British scene column
British scene column
Xátiva
Tom Draper´s 'British Scene' column has occasionally received criticism in the past, so here´s a bit more.
In last week´s column Tom told us with great presumption that: "We´re all agreed that the Daily Mail is a grotty little rag". That may be an agreed truth in the circles you inhabit, Tom, but it´s not the view of the millions of people who buy the paper or read it online on a regular basis.
I have no idea if Tom is a secret right-wing admirer of Margaret Thatcher or visits Karl Marx´s London grave each week to pay homage to the great man of the Left. However, regular readers of the column will know that Tom permeates his comments about events in the UK with a narrow view of the world subscribed to mainly, but not exclusively, by the Centre Left of current British politics. There are about a dozen general ideas that are obligatory to be ´on message´ in those circles and they are the following.
The European Union is a good thing, while anyone who doesn´t think so is a ´Little Englander´; immigration is a good thing, while anyone who wants controlled immigration to the UK is a racist; people who want the EU to increasingly run the UK´s affairs are ´progressive´, while people who want the UK to run its own affairs are backward-looking xenophobes; Project Fear was an informative, fair campaign, while the Brexit campaign was full of misleading information; Remain voters were from the more sophisticated, well-educated part of the population, while Brexit voters came from the less well-educated part of the population and didn´t know what they were voting for; the Daily Mail and Nigel Farage are both despicable.
I don´t suggest that Tom subscribes exactly to the narrow Centre Left views I have listed above, but anyone who reads the British Scene column regularly will know he doesn´t deviate far from it. That view of the world is shared by very many other people in the UK and here amongst many fellow expats. It´s a perfectly legitimate view, I have no problem with it and, after all, the British Scene column is an opinion piece.
No, my gripe with the column is that, week in and week out, we get the same very narrow ´Left of Centre´ view of what´s happening in the UK instead of a much broader perspective. The result is that the column is becoming increasingly repetitive, predictable and lacking in original thought or insight. There is a whole myriad of progressive views and interpretations of what is fundamentally happening in the UK at the moment, which runs contrary to the ´on message´ interpretation of UK events that Tom confines himself to. Those many other viewpoints and interpretations are equally valid and legitimate. I have two suggestions, which are the following.
My first suggestion is that the column should be retitled 'The Centre Left view of the British Scene', or more catchily, 'A Lefty view of the British Scene'. At least then it would fit the Trades Description Act. That way those readers who don´t want to spend time reading the same formulaic interpretation of UK events yet again can skip reading it and go on to Paul Arnold or Anita Bond´s column, where you can read about a variety of themes and perspectives, original ideas and opinions, and fresh insights. Meanwhile, those readers who like their weekly dose of left-wing thought can happily read it enjoy another infusion.
My second and preferred suggestion is that Tom takes a much broader perspective when writing about the British Scene, that he takes off his blinkers and frees himself from the narrow on-message interpretation of events in the UK, and that he gives us a more insightful, original, wide-ranging and interesting column. At the very least, Tom, spare us any further repetitions of the 'Daily Mail is a despicable rag' left-wing mantra.
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– and having a close eye on the key details of this plan will help you do just that.
In this article we look at some of the key considerations for this plan. Perhaps, for example, you plan to have a baby and expand your family. How would that impact your income? If so, what will you do to allow for that?
In this case, how would you cope with the extra expense that comes with it?
So what does your five-year property investment plan look like?
Well, it is your personal road map to help you make all of your investment property-related decisions, from buying and selling to renovating and refinancing.
It should be tailor made to suit you and your financial position, so that you can be sure you're making every dollar work for you.
When you're creating your five-year property investment plan, you need to consider where you want to be in five years' time. Once you've sorted out those goals, you can work backwards from there, to what you need to do this week, this month, and this year to get there.
For example, if you currently own two investment properties and in five years' time you want to own five. This means you need to buy three more properties in five years; hence your five-year plan should spell out just how you will achieve that, and if this is not feasible then how do you adjust the plan, or get advice on what you need to do to make it happen.
There are many factors that will influence your five-year plan, and they can loosely be grouped under three headings: finance, family and lifestyle.
The 'finance' section includes influences such as interest rate changes, rent increases, and internal factors, such as your income and your ability to get loans approved when you need them.
The important consideration here is serviceability. Rents are likely to rise a little each year, which will offset some increases in interest rates, but rates could easily scale up by 2-3% higher in a few years' time.
Do you and your partner have steady jobs?
How much do you have in savings or buffers for any unseen events or emergencies?
Currently, how leveraged is your existing property portfolio?
If rates go up 1%, will you still be able to afford to maintain your investment properties?
Where will the deposit come from for each new property?
Have you got an independent, qualified and experienced advisor working with you?
Your answers here will help determine your financial goals for the next five years.
If your goal is to buy three more properties, you may decide that you need around $50,000 in savings or available equity to purchase any new property, to cover your deposit and buying costs. This means you need to save about $30,000 each year, or your existing property portfolio needs to grow in value by that amount.
You may be able to afford your portfolio now, but how will you manage when your mortgages cost you an extra $1,000 a month due to rising interest rates – or you lose one of your incomes?
Are you planning to have a child in the next few years?
Would this impact your income stream? If so, how do you plan to replace that income?
How will you cope with the extra expenses that expanding your family would bring?
Your answers to these questions will feed into your financial decision making, and help you work out a more realistic budget.
How often do you want to travel and do you have a budget for that?
If you increase your portfolio, will that impact your future travel plans?
Do you plan to update your car in the next five years?
Do you have savings put aside to cover health issues that may come up?
These three areas cover all of the factors that we sometimes don't consider properly when we're making plans and working out our finances, from health and well-being through to travel and lifestyle choices.
You need to make sure that you're living within your means. If you're determined to go on that next expensive family holiday, perhaps you need to revise your end goal, and aim to acquire two more properties in the next five years rather than three.
The most important thing of course is to prepare and budget ahead accordingly, so that you don't over-extend yourself and your finances.
When you are looking to buy your first home, move home, refinance, or invest in property, a licenced, qualified and experienced Property Adviser is a critical part of your armour – and can help you tie down an appropriate and realistic five year property investment plan to help you achieve your 5 year goals, and towards your 10 and 20 year goals.
The information provided in this article is general in nature only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, and should be in no way deemed as personal financial or financial product advice. Before acting on this information you should consider its appropriateness, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and circumstances.


Malcom says his move to Barcelona is reward for the sacrifices he's made.
Malcom reflected on the hard work and sacrifice that he has had to put in throughout his life to make his many dreams a reality.
"Everything that I did was worth the pain," he admitted to Goal.


Sarah Lavoine, interior designer du jour, says while recounting for GRAZIA the eclectic places from where she sources the inspiration for her singular style. Turns out the sky's the limit for Lavoine when it comes to prompting that elusive creative spark – quite literally.
Below, Lavoine, who recently spoke with GRAZIA in occasion of her largest project to date – creative direction for the newly-opened Le Roch Hotel and Spa in Paris's first arrondissement – takes us on a walking tour through the heart of Paris in search of the finest designs and dim sum.
"I have always lived in Paris, and so my list can be quite long! Stone Paris is a jewel boutique that I really love; it's perfect to find gifts for my friends and for me too. The Galignani Book store located on Rue de Rivoli is a very authentic old place with a wonderful selection of beautiful books. There is Colette obviously, the first Parisian concept store, which is just below my office and I have my lunch there every day. I always find a great gadget to buy for my friends or my kids there.
"My favourite café is called Café de la Croix Rouge, it's very picturesque! I order a Tartine Saint Germain. At Colette, I always have the Salade Colette and my favourite Jambon Beurre Sandwich is the one they prepare for me at the Café de la Coupe d'Or.


OCME machines are the result of decades of experience and became the very backbone of its clients manufacturing process.
This is the theory behind a research project supported by the European Union at the University of Nottingham, England, where an OCME Auriga 15PS, has supported researchers with the handling of plant pots in a confined space.
The Auriga 15 PS is a laser guided vehicle that combines the ability to carry loads while maintaining a very compact size, low power consumption and the possibility to manage flexible pathways with very high precision.
The University of Nottingham is working on several projects with OCME's AURIGA and have recently developed an amazing video with the vehicle made of LEGO!
This stop frame animation uses lego models to show the operation of the research project at the University.
The project uses scanning technology: advanced X-ray micro Computed Tomography, to study plant roots and understand how they can be improved to interact with soil and capture water and nutrients more efficiently.
The film was made by two students, Bill and Ed during the year, the lego model was made and is owned by the University.


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An Interview with Shrubconscious artist, Stryder Simms
Aug 15, 2022 | 3D: Sculpture
by Melissa J White
ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2022, 6-9 pm on the Santa Fe Plaza, Amp Concerts and The Drum is the Voice of the Trees present, VENERATION: a drumming circle and nature dance with celebrants wearing spirited costumes created by Santa Fe artist, Stryder Simms. I had a minute to ask Stryder some questions about his work on the development of these curious creatures.
Melissa: Tell us about the materials you use in your fantastical Shrubconscious costumes.
Stryder Simms: Nature is all we've ever used to make things. I suppose I could resort to any number of denatured products, but they would be left behind, choking landfills. When I'm gone and there is no one left to appreciate them, these creations will leave behind little more than they would have, had they been left standing in my yard. Perhaps this is the unspoken celebrated outcome alluded to in the vegetal content in these costumes.
How did you get the idea to make costumes out of plants?
Where would we be without the common plants that grow up around us? Unquestionably, the decision to work with plants in this art form comes from a commitment to using all natural materials, but alongside this ambition, I also had a longing to spend time with plants in nature, as our predecessors did since time immemorial.
How is the process of making the costumes going?
Now that I'm nearing the finish line in the studio, mental space is freeing up. I think about what impact this work can have going forward. I'm feeling optimistic about the outcome for reasons other than the novelty of the costumes.
Who will be wearing the costumes during the event?
They will be inhabited by an extraordinary group of celebrants. The word "celebrants" comes to mind because, unlike dancers, or a theater group putting on a performance, our goal is to simply make an offering for the well-being of the community by honoring the forests and trees.
A group first began forming ten years ago to practice Tai Chi under the tutelage of a gifted teacher, Jeff English, who has been training students in his method for over two decades. Jeff pioneered an approach to Tai Chi practice called The Way of the Serpent Power, (www.wayoftheserpentpower.com). The practice consists of meditation and Tai Chi in conjunction with cultivating an intimate connection with nature. Its aims align us with the cosmic energy underlying all creation. In a literal, bodily felt sense, the way of the serpent power trains the practitioner to listen for, recognize, and trust their own inner truth and to move through life with Spirit.
Only later did I learn that Jeff is a trained actor with lots of stage experience. He embraced the costume and character of "Valorio," one of our first Shrubconscious creatures, for the short film "Scorched Ladders" (2016).
What do these costumes represent?
A forest or field is a model of creative collaboration. Like the soil in a forest or field, the creative process and creative collaboration is not only about the end product; it's also about relating with aligned companions in the creative process. My partner and collaborator Phoenix and I were talking about this recently and I wrote down something she said that touched me. "It's about the hearts, the intention, how we care for one another, how we honor and respect one another." We all have our place in the collaboration and would not accomplish this without each one of us. We all have our own personal journey around this.
How do you foster the best in each other in this group?
Not by comparison. We come together with assorted skills. Each of us has gained mastery in a particular aspect of life that contributes immeasurably to the experience. We benefit not only from what we do, but from each other's presence. So it is important to feel aligned and authentic. This is a constantly shifting balance that we learn in Tai Chi and it then permeates everything. Another quote from my partner Phoenix, "Our bond creates a current that runs through the presentation, a current that is only as real as that bond is between us."
How long does it take to make a Shrubconscious "creature?"
For the past six months I've been making two larger-than-life fantasy figure costumes out of tuft grass, burlap and hemp twine. I would guess that I have put in between 600 and 800 of actual work so far and perhaps two or three times that if I count time spent figuring things out in my head. As a lifetime craftsman, I've found the studio work stimulating and relaxing for the most part but not without its challenges. I sing, talk to Holy Spirit, listen to music, recorded books, or podcasts when I'm doing the repetitive tasks. While I've used a lot of indigenous plants in my sculptures and costumes, never have jute and tuft grass been featured, so I have to invent as I go because there is a limited time until the performance and that means the experimentation must be focused on immediate solutions. I think about the past, when our predecessors had to make garments and costumes out of plants. There must be some remnant of their ingenuity that I can draw from in my DNA. And we also trust that everyone who sees them will find them familiar.
Do you collaborate on these costumes?
The first two costumes which were used in "Scorched Ladders" were created by a professional costumer, Tatyana de Pavlov. Before moving to New Mexico, Tatyana was brought up in the arts working on costumes for the opera. The costumes came out beautifully, on time, and in budget. We couldn't have been more pleased, and the creatures she came up with: "Pith" and "Valorio" have delighted audiences ever since, even winning the Meow Wolf Monster Battle Grand Prize in 2019.
The next costume enlisted the skills of another pro, Joanna Becker. She, too, provided a costume above and beyond our expectations. It was completed last year and marks the beginning of my experiments with tuft grass. It's quite intricate, with a mechanical component achieved with willow branches. I won't give away what it does, but it is sure to delight the crowd.
How did your concept of these creatures develop?
After watching the artists who wore these first costumes perform scenes in front of the camera, it became my desire to create something lighter and easier that could be worn in more populated settings and events. I had been using Chamisa and Apache Plume, but grass is so lightweight and abundant. Because it requires minimal care and water, tuft grass takes up a lot of space in our yard, so I started saving it at the end of the season. When bunched together, it can be incredibly strong. I was immediately impressed with grass as a material but it was not a straight forward path from then to where we are now. At first, I designed the entire costumes to be supported by the head, almost a hat, that reached down to knee level. As each costume grew larger than life-sized, as was my aim, this became an issue. They turned out to be substantially lighter than the prior costumes, but were, unfortunately, more cumbersome to move around in, and hard to see out of. So I had to cut them into pieces and refashion the parts into components.
Did you have any down time in the creation process?
There was a two-week period where I didn't touch the costumes, but I thought about them every day. In several imaginary processes, I cut and reassembled them for more ease of wear and mobility. It was difficult to make myself cut up the work that I had probably spent 200-300 hours making already, but when I finally did, it felt right.
Several hundred stitches later, the parts were realigned and functioning properly. The artist wearing them can move their limbs and joints more normally, plus enjoy improved visibility. In comparison to the former three costumes, these latest two feel nearly weightless. So three key objectives have been achieved, lightness, delightfulness, and mobility.
What do you think about the creative process as a whole?
I can't think of it as a single process. The creative process moves to and fro along a continuum between vacuums of isolated searching and surging hydrants of enthusiasm. There's time spent dreaming up ideas, then working them out in my notebook. Talking about them, doing research, gathering materials, accumulating collaborators along the way. That is a representative cross section. After decades of practice, I'm still learning to get out of my own way and let the unexpected encounters and unforeseen accidents inform the work.
Promoting the work when its finished is an aspect of the process that I have much to learn about still, so thank you Mel, for this interview for which you have so generously devoted your time. I always try to leverage everything I do by creating outputs from all my projects in 2D, 3D and HD. That's a lot of moving parts and it gets overwhelming sometimes. You're an integral part of this. Whenever I have worked on a shrub sculpture or costume for any length of time, I become conscious of the absurdity of what I'm trying to achieve. Then all these wonderful people get involved and we're just doing our spiritual practice together, being creative and communing with each other. So, for instance, now here we are gathered to make an offering, for the well-being of all by honoring the Earth.


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on 23rd August 2019
Image : ASG
Helisota
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To be more precise, Helisota owns Mobile Maintenance Stations designated for performance of all forms of Mi helicopters scheduled maintenance inspections in areas that lack technical equipment and instruments, in any weather conditions and temperature. Making it all simple – if you need a Mi helicopter repaired in the middle of Sahara, it can be done. The Mobile Maintenance Station is combined in two 40 feet High Cube containers with all necessary maintenance equipment, test benches, instruments and other tools needed to perform inspections and repairs for Mi helicopters at customer's location.
"We have been supporting government and private rotorcraft operators from over 40 countries worldwide for several decades now. After all this time, we noticed that once in a while, our customers have some issues with their Mi helicopters in areas that are extremely hard to reach, not to talk about the transportation of a really huge aircraft, which in such situations becomes nearly impossible. So, we came up with an idea, how to bring the whole maintenance station to the helicopter itself and packed it in the space of just two shipping containers," says Mindaugas Trapenskis, Sales Director at Helisota.
Both 40 feet High Cube containers are electrically connected and have external power sources of 1 and 3 phases. Both Mobile Maintenance Stations are equipped with lighting, recuperation and air conditioning systems for comfortable and safe working environment. The only thing needed is a power source for those containers but it also can be solved by having diesel generators just outside the station.
First 40 feet mobile container is dedicated for avionics, radio and electronic equipment of Mi helicopters and the second – for helicopter fuselage and hydraulic, control systems including transmission maintenance and adjustment. Mobile Maintenance Stations are easily transported to any location by land or sea transport and operated by professionals from the company. Moreover, it can be used as an independent maintenance station of Mi helicopters in remote areas.
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Welcome to Week 2 of our Weekly Discovery Series! We hope you enjoyed last week's Weekly Discovery. If you missed it you can read more about it here.
"A night time nourishing moon milk. Lunar Latte is a blissful blend of vibrant purple carrot, traditional Chinese adaptogens and organic floral botanicals to make a Moon Milk potion to help relax before bed. Smooth vanilla tones combined with caramel notes of mesquite and a subtle hint of pink Himalayan crystal salt compliment the delicate bouquet to deliver a delicious pre-bedtime indulgence and healthy dessert drink alternative."
First up, it tastes yummy! I heat up some almond milk and follow the direction on the pack by mixing about 2 teaspoons into it. I add a bit of honey for a slightly sweeter flavour, but honestly, it tastes really good. If you, like me, love a hot chocolate before bed, I would recommend trying this. Plus the purple colour is pretty cool. It is all natural and the colour comes from purple carrots.
Secondly, as someone who has always struggled with good quality sleep, I often find myself trying natural products which claim to help. From my experience there isn't one thing that will completely resolve your sleep problems, but there are certainly things that help. A good place to start is with good 'sleep hygiene', a term I'm sure we've all heard, and includes things like no technology for an hour before bed and diming lights for a while before bed, and generally creating a relaxing vibe and readying your body for sleep. Next up, look at your diet and see a nutritionist or naturopath if you are having sleep and/or dietary issues. Poor sleep can be related to intolerances and other dietary factors.
What I would say about Lunar Latte is, when I'm feeling fairly relaxed and not anxious or stressed about anything, and I have good sleep hygiene I have noticed that drinking Lunar Latte before bed certainly enhances the quality of sleep I have. More than once I have woken up the next day and felt like I have slept for 12 hours, even though I haven't. However, if I am feeling anxious or stressed and don't practice good sleep hygiene, drinking Lunar Latte seems to have a minimal positive impact on my quality of sleep.
That aside, it's just a little, healthy treat to have at the end of the day, and surely there can't be anything wrong with that!
Do let me know if you try it out and what you think. And also let us know if you have a favourite drink or ritual you do before bed. You can comment below or email us on info@eighthourstudio.com.
Photo credits - photos are from Nutra Organics.


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← Capitals Alumni Game Ends in a Shootout!
Whole Latta Love (Video) →
Chiming Out? Caps' Elder Statesman Likely To Move On
Photo: Joel Auerbach, Getty Images North America
With less than 24 hours until the start of the free agency period, and the official start of the 2016-17 NHL season, the stage is set for the general managers of all 30 teams to begin shaping their rosters to compete in the upcoming campaign — and even setting themselves up to compete in seasons to come, depending on their current wants and needs.
While plenty of teams are expected to be heavily involved in the free agency, Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan appears poised to be one of the less-involved players when the market opens Friday at noon. With the Draft Day trade for Lars Eller — acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of second-round draft choices in 2017 and 2018 — the Capitals have already addressed their key offseason need: finding a capable center to anchor the third line.
Have you found your third-line center in Lars Eller?
MacLellan: "Yes."
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 25, 2016
With the addition of Eller, MacLellan is now turning his attention to re-signing Washington's three remaining restricted free agents: Marcus Johansson, Andre Burakovsky, and Dmitry Orlov. (Caps re-signed Tom Wilson earlier today.) With a little over $64.1 million in salary committed to next season (courtesy of generalfanager.com), the Capitals are confident they have the means to get all three under contract for next season under next season's salary cap — expected to be somewhere in the $73-74 million range according to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman — and finish assembling a roster that will easily be a strong contender for the Stanley Cup next June.
However, while the recent flurry of activity suggests the Capitals are committed to keeping the President's Trophy-winning team of 2015-16 largely intact, the future is uncertain for one particularly important player: left winger Jason Chimera.
Trotz also said Chimera's chances of returning are "slim."
With the addition of Eller and the emphasis on signing restricted free agents, Chimera is seemingly the odd man out in terms of Capitals free agents. The 37-year-old winger has been a fixture of the Capitals since arriving in late-2009 when he was traded to the Capitals for defenseman Milan Jurcina and winger Chris Clark. During this time, Chimera has been an invaluable presence for the Capitals. Posting two 40-point seasons in the last three seasons, the Edmonton native has been a key member of Washington's bottom-six and his speed and versatility have garnered him a significant role during his tenure in DC, and made him a fan favorite to many.
So how does a player who is productive and fits well with the team's identity suddenly find themselves with the prospect of moving on? One reason and one reason only: age.
As mentioned in the title, Chimera is the eldest member of the Capitals having recently turned 37 in May, an age that can be accurately described as the "twilight" of a player's career. However, unlike many of his contemporaries, Chimera has yet to slow down — literally and figuratively. 40 point seasons are not common in players that age and even less common are players who can post those kinds of totals without the benefit of the ice time afforded to those on the top scoring lines. So, if he's defying the expectations of older age players, why wouldn't the Capitals re-sign him?
The answer has less to do with Chimera and more to do with others in the organization. In comments made Thursday during Washington's rookie development camp at the Kettler Iceplex in Arlington, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz talked specifically about the development of younger players within the organization and how it was important to give them a chance to grow and develop. When asked about the Capitals approach to free agency, Trotz indicated the team is inclined to turn to their organizational depth for answers to their roster concerns rather than bring in players in free agency, saying:
"One of the reasons is we have a couple players out here that could challenge I think for our hockey team. We've been patient with some of our young guys who really made a lot of progress and showed how much they've grown. They went to the Calder Cup Final, and they've really grown. We don't want to block our good young guys with a 35-year-old veteran, who can get it done, because we have a veteran team now. …" Washington Post Article, by Isabelle Khurshudyan, June 30, 2016
The last two sentences are highly instructive, and it is why Jason Chimera's chances of remaining in DC are looking less likely. While he has been productive in recent seasons, he's in that part of the career arc where he can be expected to start slowing down, so it's no surprise that MacLellan is hesitant to hand out an extension to a player who may have already played his most impactful games.
Further to this point, while the Capitals lack an overabundance of players with top-end offensive skills or high offensive ceilings, assistant general manager Ross Mahoney and the scouting staff have done a good job of compiling prospects who have strong upside as bottom-six players capable of generating some offense while possessing strong defensive and penalty-killing attributes, and some of these players have already made an impact on the organization's fortunes.
A brief glimpse at the 2015-16 Calder Cup runner-up Hershey Bears shows their impressive season was significantly catalyzed by the strong two-way play of younger players like Riley Barber, Travis Boyd, Nate Walker, and Chandler Stephenson. All mid to late-round draft picks of the Capitals within the last few seasons, these young men have flourished with the time and space their parent organization has given them to grow their skill sets as they ascend the ranks of professional hockey.
Congratulations to former Bear @Holts170 on being named the Vezina Trophy Winner! 👏🏻 #hbh #Caps https://t.co/NrSwxB6JXT
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 23, 2016
Just as current Washington Capitals John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Jay Beagle, and Vezina Trophy-winner Braden Holtby found their way to being impact NHL players on a road that passed through Eastern Pennsylvania, perhaps the Capitals should once again turn to within to find players who can help them get over the hump and into the rarified atmosphere of NHL champions.
But it is in this decision that organizational imperatives clash. Does keeping a veteran player like Chimera give the Capitals a better chance to win? Or would they be better served by clearing a path for a hungry prospect to earn his stripes in the NHL and take the next step in their career? Achieving a balance of experienced and capable veterans with young players growing into their potential is the task that keep managers like MacLellan and Mahoney, and coaches like Trotz up at night. It's a highly subjective exercise, but it is one the Capitals are forced to deal with as free agency approaches and they have to decide what to do with a fan favorite like Chimera who by all appearances still has fuel left in the tank but whose age is working against him.
As the market shakes out, Chimera's future with either the Capitals or another team will become clearer and clearer. The grizzled veteran still has plenty to offer another club, perhaps even the Capitals if the money and contract term can be agreed upon. It's worth noting that, while the chances of Chimera returning were described by Trotz as "slim", the window for his return remains open, if only slightly. But the Capitals may be well served to go in the other direction and entrust in their organizational depth by allowing players like Barber or Stephenson a chance to prove their mettle at hockey's highest level…and perhaps be considered alongside the likes of Jason Chimera as a beloved member of Washington's hockey history at some point in the future.
You can watch Jason's exit interview from this past season, by clicking here.
By Keith Leonard
#Caps #Capitals @washingtoncaps @aleksandrovechkinofficial #LetsGoCaps #RockTheRed @NHL #NHL #Hockey #Dc #Washington #DefendTheDistrict #becauseitsthecup
A post shared by NoVa Caps (@nova_caps) on Apr 9, 2016 at 1:13pm PDT
This entry was posted in News and tagged Barry Trotz, Braden Holtby, Brian MacLellan, Chandler Stephenson, Hershey Bears, Jason Chimera, Jay Beagle, John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Keith Leonard, Nate Walker, NoVa Caps, Riley Barber, Travis Boyd, Washington Capitals. Bookmark the permalink.
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Oh, the Samsung-LG battle - it is quickly becoming the chief manufacturer rivalry in the Android universe, judging from the monsters that the Galaxy S5 and LG G3 turned out to be, and a precursor to many good things lying ahead for us simple users. Now that both flagship announcement are behind us, what's there to look forward to? Well, upgraded versions of those phones, of course.
Korean media is reporting that we will see upgraded Galaxy S5 and LG G3 handset just in time for the 225Mbps LTE network rollout on the main local carriers. These might very well be the rumored Galaxy S5 Prime/Galaxy F and upgraded G3 we've been hearing about for months now. The upscale S5 is said to be a direct response to the Quad HD G3, equipped with a 5.3" display of the same resolution, and a Snapdragon 805 processor, while the only thing LG has to do is slap the same processor in the already existing G3, and that's precisely what the premium LG phone is rumored to be.
The issue here is that Snapdragon 801, as currently found in the two flagship, has an LTE modem that maxes out at 150Mbps LTE-Advanced speeds. Snapdragon 805, on the other hand, besides being faster, and with more features, also sports a Cat 6 LTE modem, capable to hit 300 Mbps theoretical speeds, so the upgraded S5 and G3 are needed to take full advantage of the new network speeds rolling throughout Korea.
Now, whether these two new flagships will see the light of day outside of Korea's ultrafast LTE networks, remains to be seen, though if the past is any indication, they just might, at least in some form. For now, LG's official comment is cited to be: "details of the new model such as timing of launch and price are not yet fixed and the firm will concentrate on the existing G3 for the moment." Imagine how pissed would the current S5 and G3 owners be if Samsung and LG outed a better version of their handsets just a month or two after launch, yet we are sure that the marketing departments in the two electronics giants will figure it out, so we'd say bring them on.
Does this mean that all future Samsung and LG flagship phones are just S5 and G3 with monthly incremental specs increase?
Since we hear before that S5 Prime/F goes for September and LG is " concentrated on the existing G3 for the moment" early adopters from both side will not be pissed at all. A matter to be pissed on G3's is the screen's bad sunlight legibility. I'd rather had it with 1080p and better sunlight legibility.
I have one and the sunlight legibility is actually fine. Don't judge until you've experienced it first hand.
And they say 6 months cycle for Sony is bad.
iphone is the king !
Ok, guy. The topic is about that.
And u must be the queen?
Great now I have to buy another G3.
Stupid companies. At least they should have not released g3 so soon,its Still not available everywhere but they're planning to get a new one. It would have been better if they prolonged the launch and keep the leaks flooded with 805,because fans would have waited anyhow.
I know this is off topic, but what about flgship phablets? LG is already done for this year with the G Pro 2 & the Note 4 will be out in Sep/Oct. But what about Sony & HTC? There have been no indications of either company rekeasing a successor to the Z Ultra or the One Max. Have they given up on phablets? So are we going to see flagship phablets from only 2 global brnds henceforth, namely LG & Samsung. Maybe 3 if Appke 5.5" phablet rumours turn iut true.
And then start copying features from android & make new versions of iOS.
If you feel stupid because a manufacturer releases a new model then you have mental issues that goes beyond phones. A galaxy s5 bought yesterday will work the exact same way tomorrow when a new version is released. If you were happy yesterday then a new release shouldn't matter. However, if you do have a psychological problem that forces you to keep up with the Joneses, carriers created Jump and Next just for you. See, problem solved.
Samsung with a 5.3" qhd screen in a slim body might have the upper advantage against the overgrown G3. LG should continue to produce the g2 with a minor bump G2S proc and updated os and sell that a value price.
I don't care about how people are trying to explain why this cycle is a bad practice. Bringing an upgraded spec variant is totally not new. The S4 had a SD800 variant too. However, what I would like to care is how LG distributes this variant. The S4 SD800 version were only available on their Homeland and we had to buy the bad exynos versions. I think it's safer to wait though. . .


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María Purificación Josefa Cantudo Porcel, conocida como María José Cantudo (Andújar, Jaén, 10 de julio de 1951). es una actriz y vedette española. Tuvo su mayor esplendor en la década de los setenta, donde trabajaba como presentadora en el programa ¡Señoras y señores! de TVE.

Biografía
Hija de Antonio Cantudo Padilla, empleado de Renfe, y de Araceli Porcel. Nació en Andújar en 1951 (ella niega el año, pero sin indicar el correcto) y creció en Puente Genil (Córdoba); era la mayor de cuatro hermanos, dos varones, Antonio y Jesús, y una mujer, Francisca Araceli. Durante su adolescencia, residió con su familia un tiempo en Almería.

El empresario hostelero Carlos del Val la anima y apoya para que emprenda una carrera artística en Madrid. Sus comienzos en 1971-1972 son como modelo publicitaria y actriz de fotonovela, género en el que adquiere cierta popularidad. Valerio Lazarov se fija en ella y la contrata para presentar el programa televisivo ¡Señoras y señores! (1974-75), junto a Ángela Carrasco.

Inició su carrera cinematográfica en 1973 con las películas El espanto surge de la tumba y Autopsia, pero alcanzó su primer éxito a las órdenes de Jorge Grau en La trastienda (1976), donde protagonizó el primer desnudo integral femenino (visto a través de un espejo) del cine español. Se la etiquetó a su pesar en el género de destape y continuó trabajando, entre otros, con Antonio Mercero (Las delicias de los verdes años, 1976), de nuevo con Grau (El secreto inconfesable de un chico bien, 1976), José Luis Merino (Marcada por los hombres, 1976), León Klimovsky (Secuestro, 1976), Jacinto Molina (El huerto del francés, 1977), Tonino Ricci (Pasión, 1977), Omiros Efstratiadis (La amante ambiciosa, 1982) y Rafael Villaseñor (Piernas cruzadas, 1983).

Consciente de sus escasas oportunidades cinematográficas (en 1983 no supera las pruebas exigidas por Carlos Saura para protagonizar Carmen), decide centrarse en el teatro, especialmente en el musical o revista. Protagoniza con gran éxito Las Leandras desde 1978 y consigue cierto prestigio como actriz o productora de Doña Mariquita de mi corazón (1985), Ya tenemos chica (1991), Mariquilla Terremoto (1996), Ventolera (1999) y El baile, de Edgar Neville (2001).

En televisión ha participado en las series Eva a las diez, La comedia musical española, Ay, Señor, Señor y Cuéntame cómo pasó. Apareció en la serie de Telecinco La que se avecina interpretándose a sí misma en un capítulo de la cuarta temporada.

En 1973 se casó con el cantante y actor Manolo Otero, padre de su único hijo, Manuel (n. 1974). Separados en 1978, ha estado ligada sentimentalmente al actor Pedro Ruiz y al empresario artístico Enrique Cornejo.

En 2013 fue designada miembro honorario de la Unesco por su labor filantrópica.

Filmografía y televisión
1973 El espanto surge de la tumba de Carlos Aured
1973 Autopsia de Juan Logar
1974 El asesino no está solo de Jesús García de Dueñas
1974 El último proceso en París de José Canalejas
1974 Siete chacales de José Luis Madrid
1975 El secreto inconfesable de un chico bien de Jorge Grau
1975 Las alegres vampiras de Vögel de Julio Pérez Tabernero
1976 La trastienda de Jorge Grau
1976 Señoritas de uniforme de Luis María Delgado
1976 Las delicias de los verdes años de Antonio Mercero
1976 Los hijos de... Luis María Delgado
1976 Marcada por los hombres de José Luis Merino Boves
1976 Secuestro de León Klimovsky
1977 El huerto del Francés de Paul Naschy
1977 Pasión de Tonino Ricci
1980 Las mujeres de Jeremías de Tito Fernández
1982 La amante ambiciosa de Omiros Efstratiadis
1982 Las chicas del bingo de Julián Esteban
1983 Inseminación artificial de Arturo Martínez
1983 Piernas cruzadas de Rafael Villaseñor
1983 Sangre en el Caribe de Rafael Villaseñor
1988 Campanadas en TVE desde México
2001 Cuéntame cómo pasó
2010 La que se avecina

Trabajos publicados
 La trastienda de una actriz (2016). ISBN 9788496613928

Referencias

Actores de la provincia de Jaén
Actrices de cine de España
Vedettes de España
Nacidos en Andújar

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WASHINGTON – Radio Free Asia (RFA) today launched a multimedia investigative web series examining the impact of China's rapid development on the Mekong River and the communities downstream. "A River in Peril: The Mekong Under China's Control" tells the story of Southeast Asia's longest river, on which more than 60 million depend for their food, drinking water, and livelihoods. Relating personal accounts from people of all walks of life from six countries in addition to analysis by some the world's foremost authorities on the Mekong, the project follows on RFA's award-winning 2009 web series "The Mekong Diaries," which chronicled the early stages of the major waterway's damming.
The river's slowly developing crisis rarely gains much attention from mainstream Western media or the state-controlled press in several Southeast Asian countries. This is partly because of a lack of transparency from regional governments and developers over plans by China, Laos, and Cambodia to build more dams. RFA revisited many locations from its 2009 series in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, interviewing people who have both witnessed and endured the drastic changes since then. Among those interviewed were Laotian villagers who complain that their government tells them little about the impact of dams built in Laos.
"A River in Peril" explores these stories and more in reporting on the dire environmental, health, and commercial consequences that have been felt by numerous communities and individuals living along the river as a result of Chinese industrial development and dam building. People featured in the project's blog series include Cambodian villagers who demonstrate against their government and block bulldozers sent in to destroy their village and make way for a new dam; a Thai teacher who organizes villagers to stand up against Chinese-backed enterprises that pollute the villagers' drinking water; and farmers and fishermen in Vietnam's heavily populated Mekong Delta who complain that upstream dams have blocked the sediment needed to refresh their soil and riverbanks. Offering expert commentary are Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia Director at the Stimson Center; Dr. Ian Baird of the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Dr. Pham Tuan Phan, Chief Executive Officer of the Mekong River Commission.


What's the best way to get the feeling of travel without having to hop on a plane or train? Book yourself a staycation in your hometown. I recently spent a relaxing, but stormy, weekend in downtown St. John's checking out the brand new Alt Hotel.
The Alt Hotel St. John's is the newest in the family-owned chain and the location couldn't be much better. Most rooms have harbour views and you're only steps from great restaurants and shops. The Alt hits right in that sweet spot of having the soul of a boutique hotel with the price tag of a mid-ranged chain. With rooms starting at $149/night it's a great wallet-friendly option but you'll feel like you're staying in a trendy big city hotel.
Eventually, there'll be a bar and restaurant on site but for now, snacks are available at the Altceteria in the lobby. The lobby itself reminds me of a super cool university dorm common room. There were several different seating options: long bench couches, rocking chairs, a dining table, bar stools at a coffee shop style communal table. There were fleece blankets you could borrow to wrap up in and a pool table in one corner to entertain yourself. It's a lobby that feels designed for hanging out rather than just waiting for your taxi.
I had a king room with a harbour view for two nights. The room was compact but well designed with plenty of storage and never felt cramped. I loved the local touch of the large puffin image on the back shower wall. They had all the things you need: comfy bed, reading chair with a table for your coffee, a desk to work at, large screen tv, even an ironing board and iron, without the extras that you don't really use at some hotels. Who really reads through that giant binder anyway?
I started off my staycation with a quiet night in. I took a quick trip down the road to Smoke's Poutinerie and got some delicious perogie poutine to indulge in back in my king room. Here's where I discovered one of the best bits of design at the Alt: the bedside table is actually a lap desk. Genius. Nothing says Canadian staycation like eating poutine in bed.
Each room has a control panel, not only by the door, but also right by the bed, that allows you to control the temperature, the lights, the blinds, and even a Do Not Disturb notice that displays in the hall. No more need for cardboard hangers outside your room. The lights have a convenient full and dimmed setting with a separate reading light option. I loved the option to open the blinds without getting out of bed. The perfect wake to cox yourself awake.
After a good night's sleep under a goose down comforter it was an early rise. A Keurig meant I could caffeinate before leaving the room. I still wish North American hotels could figure out a way to offer milk instead of Coffee Mate, the way Irish and English hotels do. Maybe someday.
Took me a minute to figure out how to work the shower. There were two shower heads (one rainfall, one handheld) and just one unlabelled dial. I eventually figured out how to switch between the two but it wasn't until the next day that I caught on how to get the water hotter (tip: push the little button and you can turn the dial further).
Showered and fueled up it was time to head up the street to Posie Row and wait in line to get my very own Maple Leaf Big Stick bologna Christmas ornament from Baddy Vinyl. The hottest thing in St. John's this Christmas. Posie Row recently expanded across two buildings and have opened up some rooms to other small businesses looking for retail space. I loved this co-op feel and being able to easily shop local. It was also nice to be able to pop right back in to the Alt afterwards to drop off my purchases.
Since a staycation should be about pampering yourself, I had a manicure booked across the street from the Alt at Ruby Rose Beauty Bar (they have since moved). Not only do they have the cutest reception and the nicest staff, they also have great prices and the brilliant Manis and Martinis concept, where they serve you a martini while you get your nails done. Perfect!
By now it was lunchtime and my belly led me through the building snow storm to Bad Bones Ramen, where I had my very first real bowl of ramen. Yes, I've been to Japan. No, I didn't have ramen there. Shame, I know. But I made up for it. A steaming bowl of spicy miso chicken ramen was the perfect way to spend a snowstorm lunch.
It was now a full on storm and things were shutting down so I headed back to my warm, cozy room at the Alt to read and watch Netflix. Despite the howling winds I never heard a peep, unlike in my 100 year old downtown house. The Alt was such a cozy place to spend a snowstorm.
The perfect way to end off a staycation at the Alt Hotel St. John's? The touton breakfast sandwich for brunch at the Bagel Cafe. Tip: split it between two people or get a doggy bag to take half home. It's massive.
Even though it was only a kilometre from my house, I really felt like I was on a mini vacation. I ate at restaurants and shopped in stores I don't usually get to. There is a real wave of entrepreneurship happening in St. John's these days and it was great to get out and support some local talent.
So if you're looking for a great place to stay in downtown for your own St. John's staycation, look no further than the Alt Hotel.
Note: I was hosted by the Alt Hotel for my staycation. They didn't ask that I write a favourable review or that I copy their room design by getting bed desk of my own, which I'm quite excited about.