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Posts Tagged 'Mail order'
100 Years Ago Today, This Was The World's Most Disruptive Technology – The Burning Platform
Posted by M. C. on September 9, 2019
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2019/09/08/100-years-ago-today-this-was-the-worlds-most-disruptive-technology/
Submitted by Nick Colas of DataTrek Research
Most Disruptive Technology
The history of US consumerism starts with the Sears Roebuck mail order catalog. Yes, the very same Sears that is struggling to emerge from bankruptcy today. But 125 years ago the company was every bit the disruptive innovator. A brief summary of how that happened:
Mail order became viable in the late 1800s because of the expansion of the US rail system, post office regulations that allowed for catalog mailers at 1 cent/pound, and Rural Free Delivery.
The first Sears catalog was published in 1894 with the slogan "The Cheapest Supply House on Earth".
Its target audience was rural America, which in 1900 was 60% of the US population. This was a deeply underserved community, often with just a thinly stocked general store to supply all their needs.
The 1903 catalog added the commitment of "Your money back if you are not satisfied", reassuring customers that buying a product sight-unseen was a viable way to shop.
We recently bought a 1920 Sears catalog from an eBay seller. Printed in late 1919, it is a fascinating snapshot of American life 100 years ago. And, at 1,493 pages, it is a remarkably wide-angle view of that image.
In studying this early bible of the American consumer, three points struck us as particularly salient when comparing 1920 to 2019:
#1: The comparison to Amazon.
Our catalog was published 25 years after Sears began its mail order business; Amazon is 25 years old today.
The scope of the Sears offering in 1920 was every bit as vast as Amazon's is today. The company offered everything from men's/women's/children's clothing to furniture, appliances, jewelry, home entertainment, toys, and even entire houses and farm buildings.
Sear's merchandising method was exactly the same as what you see on Amazon's website. Every item for sale had a picture, description, and price. The catalog is organized by the type of product offered for sale, something akin to "If you like this item, you might also like this…"
One key difference: Sears offered credit on expensive items. If, for example, you wanted to buy a "New Freedom" coal/wood stove, you could pay $86.50 ($1,100 today) or make a first payment of $10 and then $7.50/month thereafter until you had paid $95.50. That's a 7.1% annualized interest rate, in case you were wondering. Amazon, of course, takes credit cards.
Conclusion: Sears was actually a more ambitious business model than Amazon when it started. On day one, it was already selling a wide array of products – not just books. In terms of consumer offerings, Amazon now is right where Sears was in 1920. Yes, there are more SKUs on the website, but in terms of what people needed in 1920 the Sears catalog is remarkably complete.
#2: Early stage technology.
The new technologies in 1920 were electric-powered appliances and phonograph players. Radio was still some years off – the only items in the 1920 catalog were Morse code transceivers.
A 110-volt vacuum cleaner retailed for $57.50 – $68.00 ($740 – $870 today). For reference, a top-rated vacuum on Amazon goes for $70 today.
A hand-crank record player went for $30 (basic tabletop) to $225 (solid wood standup), or $385 – $2,900 today. A Bluetooth speaker today goes for about $20.
A basic bicycle sold for $53, or $680 in today's dollars.
Our takeaway: the big difference between 1920s technology and today is how quickly prices come down as demand rises. Part of that is related to infrastructure; for example, in 1920 only 35% of American homes had electricity but by 1929 68% were wired for power. That, plus the disruption created by World War II, explains why vacuum cleaners remained expensive and adoption rates remained below 50% until the late 1940s. The rest, of course, is globalization, both in terms of supply and demand.
#3: A big idea can go a long way.
Our 1920 catalog is a relatively early manifestation of a business that continued to prosper and grow for another +50 years. In 1974, at the height of its powers, Sears built the tallest building in the world in Chicago to house its home office.
The company started opening retail stores in the 1920s, predominantly in urban areas to augment its rural business, and eventually had thousands of retail locations. It built its own brands like Craftsman tools, Kenmore appliances and DieHard automotive batteries.
In 1931 Sears created Allstate Insurance and by 1934 it had agents in every store. In 1981 it added broker Dean Witter and real estate company Coldwell Banker. In 1985 it created the Discover credit card. It was even an early Internet adopter, developing the Prodigy system with IBM.
The lesson here: even if Sears is now a tiny shadow of its former self, it pays to remember this company had an almost 100 year run of success. It survived and prospered through 2 world wars and the Great Depression, living long enough to benefit from the post World War II boom. All from one big idea: a mail order catalog.
The corrupt establishment will do anything to suppress sites like the Burning Platform from revealing the truth. The corporate media does this by demonetizing sites like mine by blackballing the site from advertising revenue. If you get value from this site, please keep it running with a donation. [Jim Quinn – PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Amazon, consumerism, Mail order, Sears catalog | 1 Comment »


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UFC Heavyweight Star Cain Velasquez Very Interested in WWE Career
By Marshall Smith - February 14, 2019
Former mixed martial artists and NFL stars oftentimes find their way to professional wrestling. Take the likes of Ronda Rousey, Roman Reigns, Ken Shamrock, Baron Corbin, and more for example.
However, another one of the biggest stars the UFC has ever seen is also taking a possible WWE career into consideration. Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez seems very interested in the career switch. For those of you who don't remember, Velasquez visited the WWE Performance Center in July of last year.
Velasquez trained in the Performance Center weight room, participated in a DDP Yoga class led by WWE Hall Of Famer Diamond Dallas Page himself, and even drilled inside the ring. Ahead of his fight this weekend (Sun. February 17, 2019), Velasquez spoke about possibly going to WWE.
'Hell Yeah I'm Interested'
When asked if he's interested, Velasquez quickly responded with, "Hell yeah. I am." The Mexican star proceeded to claim that, "the transition was pretty easy." However, Velasquez said he's not one to "half-a**" anything, so if he does decide to go to WWE, he's going to give it 100 percent. Given that, any move to WWE would likely come after his MMA career is done.
For those of you interested, Velasquez main events UFC Phoenix this weekend against knockout artist Francis Ngannou at UFC on ESPN 1. Check out his comments regarding WWE in the video player below:
Would you like to see Velasquez in the WWE one day?
Tags: Cain Velasquez, mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC
Get him to come in a beat the crap out of Brock again. I think of Cain every time I see that scar under his left eye.
Nicholas Giambattista
He will probably show up the day after WM 35. LOL

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Guslar (celým jménem Guslar Veliký) je smyšlené město ruského/sovětského spisovatele vědeckofantastické literatury Kira Bulyčova, které se objevuje v desítkách povídek.

Návštěvy z hvězd
Guslar je v povídkách prezentován jako jediné místo na Zemi, kde se (nikdo neví proč) objevují kosmické expedice (poprvé v roce 1967). Starší stopy nebyly dosud zaznamenány.

S hypotézou přišel akademik Špičkin. Při sledování oběžných drah meteorologických družic dospěl k závěru, že Guslar leží na vrcholu jakési vypoukliny bublinoidního tvaru, která je zřetelná pouze při pohledu ze sousedních hvězd.

Příroda
Město Guslar leží v rovině na řekách Gus a Šmudla (v některých překladech Špindíra). Řeky v okolí Guslaru se od ostatních liší čistotou vody a pomalým tokem. Na jaře povodně, v zimě několikametrové závěje, v létě snesitelné horko a časté bouře, podzim laskavý a zářivě barevný. Koncem října se pravidelně dostaví plískanice. 1876 pozorována severní záře, 1846 trojité slunce. Nejnižší teplota -48 °C (18. 1. 1923). Řeka Šmudla dělí město na historickou část a předměstí.

V lesích žijí medvědi, srnky, divočáci, mývalové, bobři, lišky, rosomáci a vlci. V roce 1952 se pokusili aklimatizovat zubrobizony. Ti se značně rozmnožili ve Vrabčí rezervaci, kde se přirozeným způsobem zkřížili s losy, takže ke svému hrozivému zjevu získali ještě mohutné lopatkovité paroží a klidnou, mírumilovnou povahu.

V řekách a jezerech žije bohatá fauna. Do řeky Gus byly vysazeny gambuzy a bílí amurové. Dosud není známo, odkud se vzaly a rozmnožily brazilské krevety podobné langustám (Homarus vulgaris ME).

V místním tisku bylo oznámeno, že se v okolí vyskytla i moucha tse-tse. Případy spavé nemoci však zaznamenány nebyly.

Obyvatelstvo
Guslar Veliký má 18.000 obyvatel a žijí zde příslušníci šestnácti národností. V nedaleké vesnici Ostružiník Morušovitý dosud bydlí čtyři rodiny Kožuchů, potomků malého lesního národa ugrofinské jazykové skupiny. Kožuchové mluví vlastním osobitým jazykem, jenž nebyl dosud definitivně rozluštěn. Jejich latinkou psané písemnictví bylo zpracováno velkoguslarským učitelem Ivanovem, tvůrcem kožušského slabikáře.

Mezi osoby Guslaru které se nejčastěji setkávají s mimozemskými návštěvami patří obyvatelé domu č. 16 na Puškinově ulici:
 Kornelius Ivanyč Udalov, vedoucí stavebního odboru města Guslar (žena Xenie, syn Maximka).
 Saša Grubner, vedoucí sběrných surovin, který vyrývá do rýžového zrnka Baladu o slepém mládenci Olegovi
 Vasil Vasiljevič Pogosjan a Valentin Kac, vášniví hráči domina.
 Babka a děda Ložkinovi
 dále pak i ostatní obyvatelé města, např.
 Míša Stendhal, redaktor místních novin
 Mgr. Savič, lékárník
 Primátor Bělov
 Jelena Sergejevna z městského muzea
 Raisa Semjonovna, doktorka
 a další

Historie
Historie města Guslaru Velikého sahá 750 let do minulosti. Poprvé se Guslar připomíná jako město v tzv. Adrianovském letopisu, kde se uvádí, že kníže Gavril, řečený Dobrotivý, z rodu Potěmkinů v roce 1222 "přišech a zahubich vzpurné to obyvatelstvo městečka Guslaru".

Město pak rychle vzkvétalo, protože bylo výhodně položeno na křižovatkách obchodních cest vedoucích na Ural a dále na Sibiř a také cest směřujících na jih a do západních oblastí Rusi. Guslar byl ušetřen mongolského jha, protože tatarští baskakové (výběrčí daní) poděšeni hustými severskými pralesy raději posílali daňové výměry poštou.

Od 14. století se datuje soupeření mezi Moskvou a Novgorodem, jež se svářili právě o Guslar. Spor skončil až v 15. století vítězstvím Moskvy. V té době bylo město 3× vypáleno a 2× vydrancováno. Jednou srovnala novgorodská družina vévody Lepecha město se zemí. V násl. letech postihly Guslar postupně morové rány (včetně moru dýmějového), zátopy, cholera a hladomor. Rok co rok tam řádily požáry. Město bylo po každé epidemii i požáru znovu obnoveno.

Ze všech "cestovatelů za sluncem" pochází celá třetina z Guslaru, jež se v 16. století změnil v kvetoucí město a stal se důstojným konkurentem Vologdy, Usťugu (zřejmě Velikij Usťug) a Nižního Novgorodu. Např. Timofej Barchatov, který objevil Aljašku, Šimon Nebojsa jenž se s patnácti kozáky vydal až k břehům řeky Kamčatky, Feďko Merkartorov, který jako první vstoupil na Novou Zemi, nebo známé objevitelé Kurilských ostrovů, Čeljabinska, Kalifornie a Antarktidy. Ti všichni se na stará kolena vraceli do rodného města, kde si stavěli až jednopatrové kamenné domy v Tržní ulici, v Modrém úvozu či na Dobytčím svahu. Právě v těchto letech se Guslar začal zvát Guslarem Velikým.

Guslar se málem stal i okresním městem. Dnes je významným centrem velkoguslarského katastru.

Jméno Guslaru
Vědci se dosud neshodli na jednotném názoru, proč se Guslar nazývá právě Guslarem
 Prof. V. V. Treťjakov zastává ve své monografii Ovládnutí severu stanovisko, že slovo je odvozeno od slova guslar (v ruštině houslař), popř. gusle (housle), což je rovněž Rejzmanova hypotéza, neboť výroba těchto hudebních nástrojů byla v kraji velmi rozšířena.
 Prof. Ylonen a jiní zahraniční vědci se přiklánějí k názoru, že městu dala jméno řeka Gus, na které město leží.
 Verze dr. Tichonravové se domnívá, že na těchto zalesněných územích našli bezpečné útočiště stoupenci českého reformátora Jana Husa, kteří se sem uchýlili před habsburskou tyranií.
 Hledisko dr. Ivanova CSc. odvozuje slovo od kužušského "hus-ľja", což v překladu znamená zadní noha velkého medvěda, žijícího na vysoké hoře. Zajímavé je, že mezi Kožuchy se dosud traduje legenda o bohatýrovi Demovi, který v těchto místech našel zdechlého medvěda a snědl jeho zadní nohu. Jen ta hora je pro vědu dosud nerozlousknutým oříškem.

Průmysl / Služby
Když se koncem 19. století vyhnula Guslaru železniční trať, ztratilo město svůj původní význam obchodního střediska a stalo se provinčním újezdním městem a říčním přístavem na řece Gus. V Guslaru je pivovar (Guslarské žigulské), továrna na knoflíky, v závodě Zarja se vyrábí kancelářské sponky. Dále je zde mlékárna, pila a bednářství.

Na místě bývalého domu kupce Titova byl postaven Obchodní dům, na Puškinově ulici je papírnictví a zverimex.

Kultura a školství
Ve městě je průmyslovka pro námořní důstojníky, několik středních škol, školy základní, tři knihovny, dva biografy, klub říčních lodníků a muzeum.

Ve městě se natáčela řada historických filmů, jako Stěnka Razin (kromě exteriérů), Cestovatel Barchatov, Sadko a Guslarská balada.

Zemědělství
Pěstuje se len, rýže, maniok a pohanka. Chová se zvláštní odrůda skotu (kříženec yaka, soba a zubrobizona). Zpracovává se dřevo.

Turistika
Turisté, kteří si toto město oblíbili, mají k dispozici hotel Vologda a restauraci Gus, Dům kolchozníků a botel. Mezi památky patří Spaso-Trofimovský klášter, kostel Paraskevny Pjatnicy ze 16. století a Dmitrijevský chrám. Když se v roce 1930 zakládal Park cestovatelů (se sochou cestovatele), byl zbořen zájezdní hostinec a několik menších kapliček.

Doprava
Spojení s Vologdou zajišťují autobusy (šest hodin jízdy), letadla, která však v Guslaru přistávají jen namátkově, na znamení. Do Archangelska je to letadlem jeden a půl hodiny a lodí (přes Usťug a Kotlas) čtyři dny.

Odkazy

Literatura
 Kirill Bulyčov - Mimozemšťané v Guslaru (orig. Prišelcy v Gusljare, vydavatelství Molodaja gvardija, Moskva, 1972), Lidové nakladatelství, edice Saturn č. 108, 1978, překlad Ivo Král, cena 10 Kčs
 Kirill Bulyčov - Marťanský elixír (orig. Marsijanskoe zeljo, vydavatelství Dětskaja litěratura, Moskva, 1979), Lidové nakladatelství, edice Saturn č. 121, 1979, překlad Ivo Král, cena 14 Kčs

Fiktivní města

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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With a direct fibre connection to its local exchange, SMWCRT said it can now ditch its traditional telephone- and paper-based systems and track down and deploy its members at the touch of a button, as well as make better use of online rescue software, and access real-time data such as accurate local weather forecasts, all of which could help it save valuable time during a rescue operation.
"South Wales is an attractive location for cavers with a passion for exploring as it has some of the deepest and longest caves in the UK," said SMWCRT chair Dan Thorne. "When we are called out, we have to mobilise the right resources to the right location in a timely manner.
SMWCRT – which made international headlines in 2018 after its members played a decisive role in the safe rescue of 12 boys and their coach from 2.5km underground in the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave system in Thailand – works with three police forces and two fire brigades, and also provides technical support to mountain rescue teams and assistance in animal rescues and road traffic accidents.
Regulations that guarantee consumers' rights to automatic compensation from broadband providers when things go wrong have come into force, and many suppliers have a lot of work to do.
The connection was deployed on top of already-established fibre backhaul infrastructure built under the auspices of the Superfast Cymru Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, which was jointly funded by Openreach (then fully part of the BT Group), the devolved Welsh government and Westminster.
Kirsty Williams, Welsh Assembly member for Brecon and Radnorshire, added: "The rescue team do such great work and I'm pleased to see this improved connection being secured. It's an issue I've been pursuing and I'm pleased my letter to the minister for digital has prompted some action.


text:
Interesting Facts about Investment in Turkey
Thread: Interesting Facts about Investment in Turkey
jacktandy00
Article Summary:
A study to monitor the most important reasons and types of investment in Turkey, real estate, tourism, industry and invest funds through profitable investment opportunities.
In 2007, the Turkish government established an investment support and promotion agency in Turkey, which launched its website in 12 languages, including Arabic, to serve as a link between Turkey and foreign investors.
What are the most important areas for investment in Turkey?
Real estate, industry, automobile industry, agriculture and food, general trade, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, automotive industry, financial services, communications and information, and many other areas.
What are the most important investment incentives in Turkey?
A promising economy is expected to become one of the fastest growing economies within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) during the period 2014-2016, attracting annually about $ 15 billion in foreign investment.
The qualitative boom in the Turkish economy, with gross national product jumping from $ 230 billion in 2002 to $ 820 billion in 2013.
The world's 16th economy, sixth in Europe, with a stable economic growth averaging 5% between 2012 and 2013.
What are the most important points of industrial investment in Turkey (automotive industry)?
Turkey has increased its vehicle production from 374,000 in 2002 to more than 1125,000 units in 2013. With this performance, Turkey is ranked 16th among the world's largest automakers.
According to the Global Competitiveness Index (GMCI) for Deloitte, over the next five years, Turkey will rise from 20th place in 2013 to No. 16.
Turkey will become Germany's second largest competitive manufacturing plant in its region covering Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Turkey's automotive product range covers a wide range of cars, from sedans to heavy trucks.
What about agricultural and food investment in Turkey?
Turkey has an estimated 11,000 species of vegetable and fruit varieties, while the total number of plant species in Europe is 11,500 species.
Turkey is a global leader in the production of dried figs, nuts, raisins and dried apricots.
Has the highest rate of milk and dairy products in its region.
What are the real estate investment options in Turkey?
Buying a property in a project under construction in a vital area or strategic and then sell it after the end of the project at a higher price will witness a high turnout. The most attractive for investors now is to look forapartments for sale in Istanbul and apartments for sale in Istanbul by the sea.
Investment of land for sale in Turkey with strategic sites that may be included within the planning schemes of cities or the possibility of building residential complexes on them later and then selling them later multiplier.
Real estate development: buy an old property and then renew and improve, and then sell at a higher price.
Buying a ready-made apartment in a project then lease it and ensure a fixed monthly return.
Why experts classify investing in real estate as the best investment in Turkey and in Istanbul in particular?
Because real estate investment is affected by the state economy and political stability significantly, Turkey is the first and best candidate for real estate investment in the region.
Real Estate is the largest growth and profit-making sector in the world.
Investment in real estate results in guaranteed, and far from risks.
What are the advantages of real estate investment in Turkey according to global indicators?
Prices of apartments in Turkey are constantly increasing due to foreign demand on a continuous basis.
According to the Knight Frank International Index, Turkey is part of the world's largest market for property price growth.
According to Ernst & Young. Turkey ranked second in the most attractive markets.
Several other indicators have nominated Turkish real estate markets offering the best achievements in the coming years.
The scarcity of real estate in all kinds compared to the demand in the markets.
What are the most prominent investment projects in Turkey currently?
Turkey is about to witness a 20-year reconstruction project in the most beautiful cities of Turkey, such as Istanbul, to renovate Turkey's old real estate and turn it into luxury apartments for sale in Turkey, farms and luxurious villas for sale in Turkey, It is an investment project involving about 6.5 million real estate units.
The Turkish investor will not be the only investor in this investment. The investment law in Turkey has opened the doors for investment to 183 citizens of Turkey, thus giving foreigners a successful investment opportunity to contribute to this architectural activity. A number of Arab countries, especially the Gulf States, are among the countries that allow their citizens to buy real estate in Turkey.
What are the main points that encouraged Arab capital to invest in Turkey?
Turkey's political and social stability in the Middle East.
Facilitating and guaranteeing the rights of foreigners who wish to own property in Turkey, to the point of obtaining life-long staying permits (renewed annually) in Turkey once they own a property.
Turkey's proximity from the Arab world and the Arab Islamic character spread in all of its cities, and the Turkish ethic, not to mention the nature of the picturesque, the mountains of Trabzon green and blue Bosphorus, Bursa falls and the mild climate wonderful summer.
Statistics from the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning indicate that there are 14,600 foreign investors in Turkey, who bought 13.5 thousand Turkish property in the last year until May 2013. At the top of the foreign investors are the Russians and the British. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia which is at the top of investors Arabs in Turkey.
Edited by: Imtilak Real Estate ©
Sources: Investment Promotion Agency in Turkey
World Economic Outlook - International Monetary Fund
Reports of the Turkish Statistical Institute "TurkStat"
« Turkish Lira's Decline Is an Attractive Opportunity for Owning a Tourist Property in | Smart Homes System »


text:
DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
cd $DIR/..

echo "building int test proxy server"
./gradlew :int-test-proxy-server:installDist
echo "building int test backend server"
./gradlew :int-test-backend-server:installDist

cd int-tests
docker-compose up --build

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Through UC Berkeley's Alternative Breaks program, Hinman volunteered at the community garden at the Alameda Point Collaborative, a supportive housing community that helps families break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.
Kati Hinman, a recent graduate of the Blum Center for Developing Economies' Global Poverty and Practice (GPP) Minor, is a 2014 recipient of the John Gardner Fellowship – a stipend given to graduating seniors pursuing careers in public service.
Hinman, who grew up in a small town in Connecticut where public service was the norm, spent her time at UC Berkeley exploring how to better understand and address the needs of underserved communities.
Hinman, who initially planned a career in medicine, spent her early undergraduate years shadowing and interning in healthcare facilities. She said what struck her most was the immensity of the social and environmental constraints to public health. The field's purview, she found, goes well beyond treatment.
Hinman's growing interest in the inequalities that contribute to structural and physical violence against people—as well as her passion for exploring different cultures and the often untold histories of those who are marginalized— led her to change her major to Peace and Conflict Studies and declare the GPP Minor. She said GPP faculty and Blum Center staff helped her explore the contradictions in development work, particularly the history and current approaches to humanitarian aid and intervention. For her GPP practice experience, she traveled to Cochabamba, Bolivia, where she worked with the Instituto Para el Desarollo Humano, an HIV/AIDS prevention program. Hinman said she found the experience unexpectedly challenging, and was frustrated by her inability to make a substantive difference.
Hinman's GPP practice experience at the Instituto Para el Desarollo Humano in Cochabamba, Bolivia, challenged her assumptions about development work. She appears here with her Bolivian coworkers at a Sexual Violence Prevention fair.
At Cal, Hinman kept herself busy outside the classroom. She served as the community partnerships director and a trip leader for Alternative Breaks, director of public internships at Berkeley's Public Service Center, and as a corps member in AmeriCorps' Jumpstart literacy program. She also became involved with the women's clinic of the Suitcase Clinic, a student organization dedicated to providing underserved and homeless people with free healthcare and social services. She worked to improve services for children in the women's shelter, and went on to serve as a community resource advocate.
Hinman's interests in public service have been wide ranging. The summer before her junior year, she began working with UC Berkeley alumna and anti-trafficking champion Minh Dang. Through their research, Hinman explored human trafficking and modern day slavery in the U.S. and joined the student abolitionist movement on campus. She later co-founded the Berkeley Anti-Trafficking Coalition, an IdeaLab supported by the Blum Center and Big Ideas that encourages interdisciplinary collaboration around the issue. Hinman worked with two peers from the IdeaLab to develop the East Bay Youth Trafficking project, which won an honorable mention in the 2013-14 Big Ideas@Berkeley contest.
More and more, Hinman's perspective on social change has shifted in favor of bottom-up development. The Gardner Fellowship will allow her to explore challenges faced by communities in the Bay Area as well as sustainable solutions that come directly from the people affected. Hinman is considering working with a mental health and trauma recovery program for homeless youth, focusing on participants' influence in shaping those programs.
Eventually, Hinman plans to pursue dual Master's degrees in public health and social work to prepare her for a career in mental health programs for underserved youth. She hopes to build programs that combine recovery and therapy, creating opportunities for children to develop as leaders and agents of change. Meanwhile, her legacy will live on at Cal through the IdeaLab, her work with the Public Service Center, the Suitcase Clinic, and the many other programs she has touched.


text:
Q: Deleting document from CosmosDb using c# SDK I am trying to delete a document from CosmosDB using the code below but each time Keep getting the following error: "Microsoft.Azure.Documents.DocumentClientException: Entity with the specified id does not exist in the system"
The document is definitely in the database:

This is the code I'm using:
    this.client = new DocumentClient(new Uri(EndpointUri), PrimaryKey);
    var docUri = UriFactory.CreateDocumentUri(DatabaseName, CollectionName, documentId);

    var result = await this.client.DeleteDocumentAsync(docUri, new RequestOptions { PartitionKey = new PartitionKey("/id") });

Anyone any idea on what the issue may be?
Thanks

A: The PartitionKey property in the RequestOptions class represents the value not the definition of the partition key.
This means that yous delete line should be this:
var result = await this.client.DeleteDocumentAsync(docUri, new RequestOptions { PartitionKey = new PartitionKey(documentId) });

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Bert Depiere
We need to get out of our comfort zone and go out and experience new things.
Director, Digital Innovations, At GROHE since 2000
LET BERT TELL YOU ABOUT HIMSELF
When you look back on the past week, what was your most interesting experience at work?
I wouldn't limit it to last week only, because so many things have happened. But I guess the highlight and the outcome of all our hard work was being invited to give a speech at the Amazon Web Services congress in front of 3,000 people.
Which aspect of working at GROHE means the most to you?
The fact that I can do things on my own initiative. I think GROHE has the advantage that if you have a good idea, you can place it and people pick up on it. In my case, I have always taken every opportunity I could since starting at GROHE in Belgium and when I was asked for something I always said – let's do it. If you see everything as an opportunity, then you can go and go and go. This is also how I would describe my career.
What is your vision for GROHE's future and where do you see the biggest challenges in the years to come?
Technology is changing so rapidly that I think we have to keep up as a company. We also need to change people´s behaviour internally. We need them to get out of their comfort zone and go out and experience new things. Not just let them be dictated to by their superiors. So I think we need much more initiative from people. I am currently working on a plan to move us into the field of "big data" and system algorithms. I see that as a big challenge because it is completely different from what we do right now.
At GROHE you never stop learning. In what ways has working at GROHE helped you develop?
I am someone who always does things on their own initiative. I got my NBA and came here from Belgium and shifted my career; originally I worked in IT. You can really move your career here if you make use of the capabilities that you have and show that you want to learn. I am always saying "I want to learn: here, here and here!" And the company has given me this opportunity. They have invested a lot of time in my development.
What was it like for you to work on one of the most recent innovations, GROHE SENSE and GROHE SENSE GUARD?
Very challenging, especially in the beginning because it meant additional work on top, again due to my own initiative. But I look on the bright side: now we are building a whole new team from scratch, one that works cross-functionally. I also find it very important for the company to learn the modern way of making products.
How can GROHE constantly come up with new innovations?
An important aspect is that we need to get closer to the customer. I think that's an important role for GROHE's future. Due to our three-tier business model, I would say at the moment we are too distant from them and miss out on a lot of information. We need to change and shift to a bottom-up approach, which means we have to react to every little thing the customer says and wants. This is not easy but also creates a lot of opportunities and ideas.
Everyone needs inspiration to build a career. Where do you find yours?
From reading books and getting information from the internet like everybody else. But inspiration is more about being with the family. At 40 you really start to see the importance of the family. Having kids inspires and challenges you all the time.
What is your favourite GROHE product and why?
I would probably name two things that I'm most proud of. GROHE Sense and GROHE Sense Guard of course, because these two products can really change the company and they will. The second thing I'm very proud of is GROHE SmartControl.
What advice would you give someone who wants to apply to GROHE?
As I said, I think that the people who want to come here should actively take responsibility. They shouldn't work with an archaic top-down German approach too much but instead with a cooperative approach.


text:
Q: Does the Swift Package Manager support regex literals? I am using the Swift Package Manager, with Swift 5.7.1. I would like to compile code with a regex literal. For example, main.swift could be as follows:
let message = "Hello, world"
print(message.replacing(/[aeiou]/, with: "[vowel]"))

I am not at present interested in the output, in with the compilation.
If I create a project in XCode, it works just fine. However, if I try it in the Swift Package Manager (using swift build) it obviously does not recognize that /[aeiou]/ is a regex literal. Instead, I get messages like '/' is not a prefix unary operator.
Is there any way to get this to work with the Swift Package Manager, or is it simply not yet supported?

A: Swift 5.7's regex literals can work when using the Swift Package Manager, but they must be explicitly enabled in your Package.swift. By default, the new syntax is disabled since it's a source-breaking language change (due to the existing use of "/" in comment syntax and operators the / operator).
Here's an illustrative Package.swift that sets "-enable-bare-slash-regex" for all the package targets. I've also included a couple of additional settings that you may want if you're working towards fully adopting Swift 5.7:
// swift-tools-version: 5.7

import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
  name: "your-package-name",
  platforms: [...],
  dependencies: [...],
  targets: [
    .target(
      name: "FooBar",
      dependencies: []
    ),
    .testTarget(
      name: "FooBarTests",
      dependencies: [
        "FooBar",
      ]
    ),
  ]
)

for target in package.targets {
  target.swiftSettings = target.swiftSettings ?? []
  target.swiftSettings?.append(
    .unsafeFlags([
      "-Xfrontend", "-warn-concurrency",
      "-Xfrontend", "-enable-actor-data-race-checks",
      "-enable-bare-slash-regex",
    ])
  )
}

In a future Swift version and once there's been time for existing code to transition to Swift 5.7, regex literals will likely be enabled by default.


text:
Q: creating and adjusting color of L.polygon in leafletjs I am working with the leaflet library v. 0.7.7  I want to create a polygon, set the markers and define the polygon colors, but there is no way
  var polygon = new L.polygon();
    <c:forEach var="marker" items="${markers}" varStatus="rowIndex">
    var marker${rowIndex.index} = L.marker([${marker.lat},${marker.lng}],{icon: yellowIcon,title: '${marker.title}'}).addTo(mymap)
            .bindPopup( "${marker.HTMLMarkerPopupCode}").openPopup();
    polygon.addLayer        (marker${rowIndex.index});
 </c:forEach>

    polygon.setStyle({fillColor: '#0000FF'});
    polygon.setStyle({color: 'red'});
    polygon.setStyle({fillOpacity: 0.5});
    mymap.addLayer( polygon );

A: Unfortunately an L.polygon is a single layer, not a Layer Group. It is not supposed to contain other layers / markers.
The polygon.addLayer() line should throw an error.
If my understanding is correct, you would like to draw a polygon which vertices are markers? In that case, you should read your markers coordinates and store them into an array, then build your polygon using that array of coordinates.
Then the styling / colors should work.


Cher's "Believe" set off a trend for electronically tweaked vocals while bamboozling listeners into questioning their own trust in love. It was a revolutionary act for a fiftysomething camp icon with serious credibility issues — a bizarre and rather lovely accident. Living Proof endeavors to make lightning strike twice in the same place. Repeating the synthesized hiccups, stirring Europop tunes and anxious up-tempo digital beats of Believe, Living Proof gets the job done well. Unlike house music or modern R&B, Cher's twenty-first-century disco is built on fully fleshed songs and detailed arrangements, and the studio wizardry is even grander than before. But Living lacks its predecessor's unexpected impact. "Song for the Lonely" clearly intends to evoke September 11th, and other tracks such as "A Different Kind of Love Song" return to themes of tragedy, heroism and universal brotherhood. Coming from a willfully wiggy billion-dollar diva, this noble stuff feels calculated, particularly when it's presented in such a sparkling, showbizzy package. Cher believes in love — no problem. Convincing us she's a selfless social commentator demands a much taller leap of faith.


text:
Babylon & Beyond
Observations from Iraq, Iran,
Israel, the Arab world and beyond
« Previous Post | Babylon & Beyond Home | Next Post »
WEST BANK: U.S. comes to the rescue
November 10, 2010 | 1:42 pm
The United States on Wednesday proved once again that it is a friend the Palestinian Authority can rely on in times of difficulty, at least economically. Politically, the Palestinians are not so sure.
After a brief signing ceremony at Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's office in Ramallah, the U.S. forwarded to the Palestinian Authority $150 million for budget support.
Even though the amount is only a fraction of what Israel gets every year from the U.S., which amounts to billions of dollars, Fayyad nevertheless warmly welcomed the support, considering it a lifesaver.
"We really appreciate this assistance because it is highly responsive to our needs," said Fayyad. "We have faced quite serious financial difficulty for the past few months that made our life extremely difficult," he said.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joined the event from Washington via a video conference connection. She started her speech by criticizing Israel for continuing to build in what she described as "sensitive areas of East Jerusalem."
She said the U.S. was "deeply disappointed" by this policy, which was "counterproductive to our efforts to resume negotiations" between the Palestinians and Israel.
The short-lived talks ended abruptly late in September when Israel refused to extend a 10-month moratorium on construction in West Bank settlements.
The Palestinians were also strongly critical of Israel's latest announcement that it intends to build 1,300 Jewish housing units in East Jerusalem. Israeli news reports also have said that Israel is moving ahead with 800 units in the West Bank settlement of Ariel.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas decided Wednesday to ask the United Nations Security Council to hold an emergency session to discuss Israel's construction on land that Israel occupied in June 1967 and which Palestinians hope will be their future state.
Clinton applauded Abbas and Fayyad for their efforts to consolidate what she termed as "a credible partner for peace."
"I want to congratulate President Abbas and you, Prime Minister, on everything that your government has accomplished. It is a testament to your leadership and skill as well as to the talents and determination of the Palestinian people themselves," she said.
The $150-million budget support is part of a $225 million the U.S. has pumped into the Palestinian budget this year and part of an overall $600-million financial support to the Palestinian people.
"This figure underscores the strong determination of the American people and this administration to stand with our Palestinian friends even during difficult economic times, as we have here at home," said Clinton.
"This new funding will help the Palestinian Authority pay down its debt, continue to deliver services and security to its people and keep the progress going," she said.
But the Palestinians want more than just financial support. They want Israel's No. 1 ally to help rein in a government that is taking 17 years of peace process down the drain and the region down the path of war and strife.
"Madam Secretary," said Fayyad addressing Clinton, "in the period ahead we certainly will continue to look to you for continued strong leadership as you continue to try hard to put together elements that are necessary to have a strong political process, a credible political process, one that is capable of delivering that which we all want to see happen, an end to the Israeli occupation."
-- Maher Abukhater in Ramallah, West Bank
Photo: Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah and Secretary Clinton from Washington via video conference. Credit: Mustafa Abu Dayya, prime minister's office


Many digestive woes including indigestion, reduced enzymes and stomach acid, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and difficulty digesting certain foods like fat are remedied with classic bitter and aromatic digestive tonics.
Try bitter-tasting herbs like artichoke leaf, citrus peel, and dandelion as well as carminative spices including ginger and turmeric.
Classic "bitters" formulas incorporating a combination of these ingredients can be sipped just before or after a meal.
Although digestive enzyme supplements can help, herbs may be even more effective because they reinvigorate the body's natural production of enzymes.
A spoonful of bitters or unpasteurized apple cider vinegar can help ease most cases of reflux and heartburn, more often caused by weak digestive function than too much acid.
Stress puts our digestive system into lockdown. Sip calming digestive teas like chamomile or lemon balm for relief.
Tension in the structure of the GI tract can lead to spasms that aggravate pain, gas, and bloating. Peppermint, fennel, and anise act quickly and taste great.
Enteric-coated peppermint essential oil capsules deliver potent medicine right to the lower GI, while chewing fennel seeds works in a pinch.
Poor food choices and NSAID pain relievers gradually inflame and break down the lining of the GI tract, causing painful damage.
Dietary changes including increasing greens and vegetables, fiber, and water, eating smaller meals, and not eating for several hours before bedtime, can help.
Healing herbs can too. Try licorice (the DGL form avoids side effects and drug interactions), slippery elm, or marshmallow root to relieve symptoms.
In almost all cases, digestive herbs work better if you taste them. Opt for teas, liquid extracts, cordials and elixirs, powders, or adding herbs to food. You may notice immediate improvements, but give yourself two months for the effects to build.


Have you ever injured your gums, lips, cheeks, or lips—which are accumulatively referred to as soft tissue? As you probably know, if you fall or accidentally bite any of the soft tissue in your mouth, you could end up with a cut in your mouth. If this happens to you—or to a loved one—what would you do?
Unfortunately, soft tissue injuries are more common than you might expect. In fact, nearly 40% of accidents with adults occur during sports. Fortunately, you can avoid this problem, by simply wearing a mouth guard. This will protect your soft tissue and your teeth. In reality, if you don't wear a mouthguard, you are also more likely to chip or fracture your teeth—which can lead to more soft tissue injuries.
Sadly, there isn't a simple way to keep your child's safe. The majority of soft tissue injuries in children are a result of their falling. This is especially difficult to prevent when your little one is learning to walk. As you probably know, falling is a part of learning to walk. Unfortunately, falling can damage your child's soft tissue or their teeth—which makes knowing what to do even more important.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do after a soft tissue injury happens. First, rinse your mouth with a salt-water solution. Next, place a piece of wet gauze or tea bag against the cut. Hold that piece of gauze in place for about twenty minutes. Next, hold a cold compress against the outside of your mouth for ten minutes. If the bleeding still doesn't stop, please contact Dr. Robert E. Hansen Jr., DDS or go to an emergency room. While you travel, keep putting pressure on the cut with gauze.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact Hansen Dental Care at 626-793-2273. We're eager to hear from you.


text:
Jade City (The Green Bone Saga) (Digital Audiobook)
By Fonda Lee, Andrew Kishino (Narrator)
Paperback (6/26/2018)
Hardcover (11/7/2017)
Hardcover, Japanese (10/17/2019)
In this World Fantasy Award-winning novel of magic and kungfu, four siblings battle rival clans for honor and power in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis.
*Named one of TIME's Top 100 Fantasy Book Of All Time
* World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, winner
* Aurora Award for Best Novel, winner
* Nebula Award for Best Novel, nominee
* Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, finalist
Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for -- and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion.
Now, the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon's bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering the jade market, and defending the districts under their protection. Ancient tradition has little place in this rapidly changing nation.
When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone -- even foreigners -- wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones -- and of Kekon itself.
Praise for Jade City:
"An epic drama reminiscent of the best classic Hong Kong gangster films but set in a fantasy metropolis so gritty and well-imagined that you'll forget you're reading a book." --Ken Liu, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning author
"A beautifully realized setting, a great cast of characters, and dramatic action scenes. What a fun, gripping read!" --Ann Leckie, Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author
"An instantly absorbing tale of blood, honor, family and magic, spiced with unexpectedly tender character beats." --NPR
The Green Bone Saga
Jade War
Jade Legacy


By begonia, January 25, 2006 in INTRODUCE YOURSELF!
Janet thank you for posting. Right now we are looking at a prognosis of 1 year, so if she makes it longer, like your mom, that will be even better. Do you think she would have done all the chemo and everything if she had it to do all over again? My mom is undecided whether or not she is going to do chemo. I think she will. She has always been a fighter. Right now she has the opinion that nothing is going to help any way. She just doesn't want the time she has left to be sick. Sorry you lost your mom. But for those of us still going through the process, thank you for posting even after your mom died. I can't imagine life without my mom. But I know you felt the same way too. But if we live long enough we will see our parents die. My son died at age 22, killed by a drunk driver. That was the hardest thing I have ever been through. I want to remain strong for my mom. Thank you for your words.


text:
Swedes (Hatred)
fictionspawn Aak Mar 10, 2018 Jun 12, 2019 Horror, illustrations, Monsters, Short Stories
This story has been rewritten and republished. It was first published on fictionspawn.com September 29. 2016.
Johnny hated Swedish people. They disgusted him. All the time more of them came to his neighbourhood, always so hip, so modern. It was unbearable.
They gave him bad dreams. Hordes of evil Swedes doing him harm. He woke up, sweating. They were gone, but in the darkness there was something else. Something was feeding on his fear.
One night, in a horrible nightmare, the Swedes were about to murder him. The creature appeared and destroyed them all.
The dark creature is my friend, he thought when he woke up. It will protect me.
It appeared frequently in his dreams. Sometimes he saw it when he was awake as well. Staring at him. Comforting him.
One night, when he had come home from the his favourite bar, he sat for a long time staring at the wall. A Swedish guy had started working there. In his bar. So polite, so excessively friendly. Repulsive. Oh, how he hated them, the friendly ones. The worst kind. The annoying smile, that stupid language. Why couldn't they just speak Norwegian like normal people? He couldn't stand it.
In his darkest moment the shadows started moving. At first he got scared. He recognized the creature from his dreams. His protector. Its eyes told him not to worry.
We'll get the fucking Swede. We'll get him good.
From that day it was there every night. He didn't always see it, but he could feel its presence. It was there, sharing his troubles. It was them against the Swedes, and the more he hated them, the stronger his friend seemed to become.
One day the newspaper told him someone was found dead in his neighbourhood. There was a picture. The Swede from the bar. His body had been found somewhere by the river. Torn to pieces. Tortured to death. "A horrendous act of evil", the police had said. "Never seen anything like it"
The creature was there, lying in front of him. He could see it clearer now. It was real. It was looking at him calmly. Satisfied. Could it be…? Its eyes gave him the answer.
It was what you wanted. The words came from inside Johnny's head, made of his own thoughts. I did it for you.
-No… I… I didn't want him to be murdered. You can't murder people!
It's too late now… The monster didn't look friendly any more. It looked evil. As it crawled towards him the shadows followed. Johnny took a step back.
-What are you doing? Let me be!
He was trapped in a corner. The creature pushed him to the floor. Licked its dark lips with a pointy tongue. Its eyes stared into his. Hunger. Hatred.
Johnny screamed. Its slimy mouth came down over his head. His screams could no longer be heard. Its lips moved down over his shoulders, his body. Swallowed him alive.
It left through the window. The nightmare had just begun.
The original story will be published monday on my Tumblr account.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/165/racism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice
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Mr. Militant Negro says:
Hatred has no bounds. Love the way it totally consumed your character. Super!
Thanks, George. Prejudice and hatred devours you if you let it I grow, and then it goes for society…
hupsutupsu says:
well done. hatred/prejudice murdering johnny in the end. if only real life could demonstrate that allegorical ending? sometimes i feel that prejudice does nothing but hurt those toward whom it is directed rather than those who do the hating…
Thank you. It might seem that way sometimes, but I sincerely believe it cuts both ways. Our lives are a lot better when we free ourselves from these destructive feelings, and repression steals the feedom of both parts. But of course, the repressor is to blame.
When hatred becomes all consuming, it gives birth to murderous thoughts and sometimes murder.
It does. Then it spreads.
landmers says:
Hatred is a self-inflicted virus. It's easy to get rid of in the beginning, but if it's allowed to burrow its way inside . . . . well, your tale tells the outcome quite well.
Thank you. It sure is a consuming feeling, hurting both hater and hated.
gj60cvwd.ga says:
i love gj60cvwd.ga http://gj60cvwd.ga/, these are so comfty and wonderful.


The Surge is a part of the Rocklin exotic woods series of basses. The Surge comes with a Spalted flamed maple top with a beautiful polycoat finish and is adorned with gold hardware.
A 5 string maple/mahogany neck through body design for long sustain and fast attack. It sports a beautiful rosewood fretboard with smooth rounded sides, black offset position markers and 24 frets to make this a very fast playing bass.
2 tone controls for bass or treble saturation of each pickup.
A balanced and attractive 34" scale unique Maple Body design with a beautiful high gloss polycoat finish adorned with gold quick response adjustment controls makes this a no-nonsense players bass. Easy to play and great on tonal delivery every time.


text:
Possible Reasons to Stay with x86 Windows for PCs
By Mitch Tulloch / September 16, 2011 October 18, 2017
You're going to migrate your corporate PC environment Windows 7. Should you deploy x64 or x86 Windows 7?
If you're thinking toward the future, then x64 Windows is the logical approach because of its larger memory and enhanced security (and because 64-bit is the future). But are there any business-valid reasons you may want to still stay with x86 Windows for the present? Here are some possible ones:
Kernel-mode driver dependencies for legacy hardware
Legacy 16-bit code stubs which are often found in ancient installers
Lack of POSIX or OS/2 NT support if this is an issue for your organization
What about compatibility issues for 32-bit applications running on x64 Windows? This is rarely an issue as most 32-bit applications will run fine on Windows 7 x64.
Mitch Tulloch is a seven-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award and widely recognized expert on Windows administration, deployment and virtualization. For more tips by Mitch you can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
Tips and Best Practices for Small Business Email Management
Are your employees struggling with managing their emails? The reality is that electronic communication is productive only if it's appropriately managed. Otherwise, it can lead…
Top 9 NGFW Solutions for 2023
Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are the wave of the future for small businesses to large enterprises. So far, for 2023, they represent a 20% market share!…
What Is the Network Layer and How Can You Protect It from Cyberattacks?
In this article, you'll learn what the network layer is, also known as Layer 3, in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. Understanding this layer…
Why You Need Application Performance Monitoring Tools
You've probably spent countless hours building and perfecting your application. So you'll definitely want to ensure it operates at peak performance. To do that, you'll…
Mitch Tulloch is Senior Editor of both WServerNews and FitITproNews and is a widely recognized expert on Windows Server and cloud technologies. He has written more than a thousand articles and has authored or been series editor for over 50 books for Microsoft Press and other publishers. Mitch has also been a twelve-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award in the technical category of Cloud and Datacenter Management. He currently runs an IT content development business in Winnipeg, Canada.


The Apostle Battery is located on the lower slopes of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range above the rocky coastline between Llundudno Beach and Oudekraal Beach. The Apostle Battery was one of three Batteries located along the Cape Peninsula during World War II. A total of nine 9.2" guns were located at Robben Island, Simons' Town and Hout Bay and were connected via a telemetry network associated with the surrounding topography. Their principle aim was to track enemy ships moving around the Cape and to prevent enemy attack to protect Cape Town as a strategic base for the Allies. Three of the original 9.2" guns remain at the Apostle Battery.
The site falls within the Table Mountain National Park and is currently utilized by school groups as part of eco-adventure camping initiative. The site is largely unknown to residents of Cape Town and is under-utilized in terms of its tourism potential. The guns at the site have fallen into disrepair and are no longer well maintained. SANPARKS intends to re-envision potential uses for the site in order to ensure that it can be developed in a sustainable way, taking its sensitive heritage context into consideration.
Although the site is located in a visually sensitive heritage area, it is not clearly visible in the landscape, as the intention was for the gun emplacements to be well camouflaged during the War. Fast-growing invasive Eucalyptus species were planted to rapidly screen the site from view. These trees have not spread into the surrounding indigenous vegetation, yet they do form an important component of the historic context of the site.
We prepared visual and ecological mapping to illustrate important landscape opportunities and constraints that should be incorporated into the development proposal. The landscape character of the site was analysed and spatialized and prominent historic visual axes and viewpoints towards the site were identified. Opportunities and constraints for context sensitive development were identified and mapping was prepared to influence the proposed design intervention. The intention is for the mapping to inform historically and contextually appropriate development proposals, thereby ensuring that the heritage sensitivity of the site is preserved and enhanced.


text:
Public joins in slow handclap against 1% pay offer for NHS workers
Thousands of people showed their support for health workers on 11 March by joining a nationwide slow handclap protest against the government's controversial recommended 1% pay rise for staff.
The event, organised by health unions and the TUC, mirrored the weekly applause for the NHS at the height of the coronavirus crisis last year. Anger has been mounting since it was revealed a week ago the government had suggested to the NHS Pay Review Body that health workers should receive a 1% wage increase.
Unison thanked members of the public and health workers who took part in the slow handclap, which will be repeated on April 1, the day staff should have been getting their next wage increase. Unison said many porters, midwives, cleaners, healthcare assistants, nurses, domestics and other NHS workers will end up leaving the health service unless there is an urgent rethink by the government.
The union's head of health Sara Gorton said:
The public took time to show the Government what they think of its plans for a stingy 1% pay rise for health workers. NHS staff across the UK have gone to amazing lengths this past year, saving lives, supporting families and nursing patients back to health. They deserve not just our thanks, but to be properly recognised for their efforts, and rewarded too.
Regret takes hold in Brexit bastion
Health workers have given 100% but the Prime Minister and Chancellor think NHS staff are worth a measly 1%. The public doesn't agree. People can see NHS staff been pushed to the limit. They know health workers shouldn't have to wait a moment longer for a decent pay rise.
It's a sound investment in the future of the NHS and would also be good for struggling local economies. It's time the Government realised this too.
The Royal College of Nursing has set up an industrial action fund and Unite has warned of strikes in protest at the 1% figure.
NHS pay will be one of the biggest political issues in the coming weeks and could have an impact on local council elections in May, the same month the Pay Review Body is due to make its recommendation after considering submissions from the Government and unions.
Some reports suggest the government is now considering a pay offer which would "exceed" the demand of Keir Starmer's Labour Party:
This story doesn't seem to have got much attention. The government is considering giving nurses a pay rise which would, again, exceed Labour's demand. https://t.co/gMWhHCbR8f
— Ellie Mae O'Hagan (@elliemaeohagan) March 12, 2021
Labour was criticised for not backing union calls for a "12% pay rise for NHS nurses".
The Canary , 27th January 2023
Steve Topple , 23rd January 2023
Public approval for strikers continues as nurses begin two days of industrial action
Glen Black , 18th January 2023
BBC attempts to 'modernise' lead to all white news board
Campaigners pressure Government into 'startling U-turn' on Cumbria coal mine


Meet the cast and crew and preview scenes from the film. This free event will offer you a chance to talk with our great actors and the West Michigan creative team behind our film. Meet star Deborah Staples who cowrote the script with producer Roger Rapoport as well as production director and editor David Darling, cinematographer Bruce Schermer, our actors and crew from the local community. Grand Haven 9 owner Robert Goodrich is an executive producer of this film along with Grand Haven's Dorothy Johnson. Our crew includes Tyler Joslin, Kristian Bringedhal, and Brandon Popp. See our cast and crew list on this website for more details.


text:
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<link rel="import" href="/controls/controlled_radio_button.html">
<link rel="import" href="/controls/extension_controlled_indicator.html">
<link rel="import" href="/controls/settings_radio_group.html">
<link rel="import" href="/on_startup_page/on_startup_browser_proxy.html">
<link rel="import" href="/on_startup_page/startup_urls_page.html">
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  <template>
    <style include="settings-shared"></style>
    <div class="settings-box block first">
      <settings-radio-group id="onStartupRadioGroup"
          pref="{{prefs.session.restore_on_startup}}">
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            ntpExtension_, prefs.session.restore_on_startup.value)]]">
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text:
require 'spec_helper'
include Rosemary
describe Changeset do

  let :changeset do
    Changeset.new( :id => "123",
                                  :user => "fred",
                                  :uid => "123",
                                  :created_at => "2008-11-08T19:07:39+01:00",
                                  :open => "true",
                                  :min_lat => "52.2",
                                  :max_lat => "52.3",
                                  :min_lon => "13.4",
                                  :max_lon => "13.5",
                                  :tags    => { :comment => 'A bloody comment' })
  end

  context 'attributes' do

    subject { changeset }

    it "should have an id attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.id).to eql(123)
    end

    it "should have a user attributes set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.user).to eql("fred")
    end

    it "should have an uid attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.uid).to eql(123)
    end

    it "should have a changeset attributes set from attributes" do
      expect(subject).to be_open
    end

    it "should have a min_lat attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.min_lat).to eql(52.2)
    end

    it "should have a min_lon attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.min_lon).to eql(13.4)
    end

    it "should have a max_lat attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.max_lat).to eql(52.3)
    end

    it "should have a max_lon attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.max_lon).to eql(13.5)
    end

    it "should have a created_at attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.created_at).to eql Time.parse('2008-11-08T19:07:39+01:00')
    end

    it "should have a comment attribute set from attributes" do
      expect(subject.tags['comment']).to eql 'A bloody comment'
    end
  end

  context 'xml representation' do

    subject { changeset.to_xml }

    it "should have an id attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@id='123']"
    end

    it "should have a user attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@user='fred']"
    end

    it "should have an uid attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@uid='123']"
    end

    it "should have an open attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@open='true']"
    end

    it "should have a min_lat attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@min_lat='52.2']"
    end

    it "should have a min_lon attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@min_lon='13.4']"
    end

    it "should have a max_lat attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@max_lat='52.3']"
    end

    it "should have a max_lon attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@max_lon='13.5']"
    end

    it "should have a created_at attribute within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//changeset[@created_at=\'#{Time.parse('2008-11-08T19:07:39+01:00')}\']"
    end

    it "should have a comment tag within xml representation" do
      expect(subject).to have_xml "//tag[@k='comment'][@v='A bloody comment']"
    end

  end
end


text:
Home Aquatics Swimming 3 medals for Sri Lanka at Singapore Nationals
3 medals for Sri Lanka at Singapore Nationals
Neo Garden 15th Singapore National Swimming Championship 2019
Dinushki Ranasinghe
Five of the 15 swimmers representing Sri Lanka Swimming have swum up 3 medals overall at the 15th Singapore National Swimming Championship 2019.
Sri Lanka fielded 15 swimmers for the 2019 Singapore National Swimming Championship which kicked off on the 19th June.
Read More : Lankan swimmers on the hunt for qualification
4 days of exciting competition brought Sri Lanka 3 more podium finishes in the likes of Kimiko Raheem and Akalanka Peiris while Cherantha De Silva, Ramudi Samarakoon and Kavindra Nugawela won 3rd place in their respective B Finals.
In the Men's 200m Backstroke event, Kavindra Nugawela qualified for the final with a preliminary time of 2:13.59 minutes. In the final, he was 2 seconds behind the front runners who clocked in times at 2:10 + minutes, whereas Nugawela clock in 2:12.70min to grab 3rd place in the B Final.
Cherantha De Silva won the Bronze place in the B Final of the Men's 100m Butterfly event. His final lap was a close battle between Supriya Mandal and Wine Wongchareon who won second and first places respectively. Eventually, De Silva settled for Bronze with a time of 54.77second on the clock.
The last of the tournament came from Ramudi Samarakoon of Sri Lanka as she bested 7 other top swimmers behind her to win Bronze in the Women's 50m Breaststroke event. With a qualifying time of 35.53 seconds and a final time of 35. 50 seconds, Samarakoon will be content with her performance at this year's Championship.
Read More : Akalanka doubles up with a Silver
Day 2 Results
In his preliminaries, Akalanka qualified with a time of 26.99 seconds behind Malaysia's Jian Han Tern who finished at 26.00 seconds. The final was a heated affair, Peiris and Tern besting each other with every stroke. But Akalanka's timing of 26.68seconds just didn't cut it for Gold and Tern pulled a 26.30 seconder to finish first.
Read More : Olympic medalist in the making?
Ganga Seneviratne competed in the Women's 100m Backstroke event and won 3rd place in the B Final. She swam a 1:08.54min lap in the preliminaries and finished off with a timing of 1:0758min in the final swim off.
In the same event, the 100m Back, Sri Lanka alumni Kimiko Raheem won Gold in the A Final with a final timing of 1:04.10min. Her qualification timing was clocked at 1:04.62. This first-place finish has won Raheem 740 FINA points which will be a major boon into earning her spot in the FINA World Championship later this year.
Kimiko will also be recorded as Sri Lanka's first female swimmer to score over 700 FINA points, which is both a personal and national achievement.
Read More : 12 Lankans for the World Swimming Championship
Sri Lanka's Akalanka Peiris swam the Men's 100m Backstroke event and secured a third place in the A Final. His preliminary timing was at 59.40sec and swam a 57.93sec lap in the finals to win Sri Lanka a Bronze.
Meanwhile, Kaveen Weerasinghe found the 18th place in the Men's 800m Freestyle event with a final timing of 9:1360sec.
>>Click here for more Swimming News<<
Ganga Seneviratne
kavindra nugawela
Kavin Weerasinghe
Dhinal Weerasinghe
Akeleshwar Padmanathan
Singapore Nationals Swimming
Singapore National Swimming Championship 2019
Singapore Nationals 2019
Dilrukshi Perera
Kimiko Raheem
Akalanka Peiris
Ramudi Samarakoon
Matthew Abeysinghe
Sri lanka swimming
Cherantha De Silva
Kyle Abeysinghe
Sandhu Savidi
Akalanka doubles up with a Silver
Lankan swimmers on the hunt for qualification
12 Lankans for the World Swimming Championship
Dilanka and Seneshi rule the Sea
Ananda and Lyceum Wattala dominate the Relay Championships
Age Group Relay Championships scheduled for this weekend
Killer Whales for the win


text:
'Tis the season for a marketing campaign
It's that time of year again, market leaders everywhere emerge in a bid to bring out the most memorable adverts and campaigns. The Christmas advertising industry has grown astronomically in recent years, with adverts that are more like short films becoming the norm – and it looks like it's only going to get bigger. We've taken a look at some of the latest campaigns rolled out by the biggest superstores leading up to Christmas.
SPICE UP YOUR AD
Last month we saw the latest adverts from Tesco's 100th-anniversary campaign. The campaign showcases iconic moments and people from the last 100 years, with a Tesco touch in the tagline: "Prices that take you back". Their latest series of ads feature the likes of comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, and tennis player John McEnroe. There was one advert that stood out from the rest – perhaps for all the wrong reasons.
Tesco used an image of scary spice performing at the 1997 Brit awards in a bid to target consumer nostalgia. The scary spice lived up to her name, taking to Instagram to publicise her disdain for the ad. The Instagram post racked up over 48,000 likes and 2,500 comments, taking this ad into the digital realm and giving it a far greater consumer reach and impact in a matter of seconds than a bus stop ad could do in a day.
The ad was pulled following the star's public statement on social media, teaching us all two valuable lessons; 1) Make sure the images you use in any marketing or advertising campaigns are approved 2) Social media can take down a campaign in the blink of an eye, so be prepared.
Excitable Edgar – John Lewis & Waitrose's first Christmas ad
John Lewis is renowned for their tear-jerker Christmas ads that are brought to us each year, often with an emotional accompanying soundtrack that becomes destined for chart success. This year they teamed up with their partner Waitrose to bring us their latest small-screen Christmas film. They brought us the story of excitable Edgar, an over-excited dragon who's enthusiasm causes him to breathe fire and leads to various problems, such as burning down the village Christmas tree.
Going down the sentimental route, the advert's message is one that focuses on kind gestures told through the advert's perfect mix of funny, heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments. The retail giant's focus wasn't exclusive to the small screen when it came to this year's campaign. A Snapchat filter of Excitable Edgar has been created, as well as an Edgar inspired Twitter emoji (available until 25th December), perfectly reaching a wider audience through social media and increasing their brand awareness.
There's no denying that the John Lewis Christmas adverts have always been the most eagerly anticipated and with their first Waitrose partnered ad, they didn't disappoint. Now, please excuse us while we go and get our very own Excitable Edgar.
IKEA – silence the critics
Swedish home superstore Ikea, took a different approach when it came to their Christmas advert. While many brands go for sentimental value, Ikea has focused on an emotion that is often overlooked when it comes to Christmas – dread. Ikea's message aims to help consumers suffering from festive home shame by showing what a difference a few spruces can make, making their home ready for any festive event.
The advert shows a couple's family home being ridiculed and shamed by critics. Of course, being Ikea, these critics come in the form of objects around the homecoming to life. Combining this TV ad with bespoke social content, Ikea has also released short films showing customers how they can get their home ready for the festive season with a few simple tips.
The advert is fun and ties in with the previous ads from Ikea in which inanimate objects come to life, while still conveying a festive theme. Ikea's approach is one of realism rather than fantasy, with consumers being able to relate to the emotions raised in the advert. One thing's for sure, Ikea's modern (see feature track from grime artist D Double E voicing the home's "critics") advert takes an alternative approach to the festive season and makes them stand out from the crowd.
Sainsbury's – Nicholas the sweep
This year 150 years of Sainsbury's was celebrated and the supermarket giant marked the occasion with a festive tale that brought consumers back in time. The advert tells the emotional story of a young orphan named Nicholas who is helped by Mary Ann Sainsbury, set around the first-ever Sainsbury's store. Nick the sweep goes on to help others, giving out gifts to the children of the village, all while wearing a red cloak and hat.
Sainsbury's used their 150th anniversary to look back and celebrate the part they've played in helping the nation celebrate Christmas, emphasising the festive theme with a Dickensian setting and a Santa-origin storyline. Sainsbury's uses their brand experience to insinuate that the store is synonymous with Christmas and what better way to associate your brand with Christmas than suggesting you invented it? The supermarket giant also used the product placement of clementines to bring their orange brand colour to the dull Dickensian scene.
Not only did Sainsbury's focus on the small screen premiere of their ad, but the social media one as well. After posting their advert to Twitter, Sainsbury's engaged with consumers, replying to comments and asking Twitter users what their favourite thing about this years advert was, showing how valuable consumer and customer opinions are to them. Sainsbury's are consistent in their brand presence and their engaging approach to this year's Christmas campaign humanises the brand, a valuable asset for any business to have, especially around Christmas, that could help them see an increase in sales.
Expanding target markets at M&S
It's not just an M&S campaign, it's an M&S campaign that targets a whole new market. M&S have always been known for their high-quality and aspirational status in the supermarket industry.
In an attempt to widen their target market to families and not appeal exclusively to those affluent enough to fork out for the chain's high prices, M&S are changing the way they talk about food and its value. Their new "Re-Marks-able" tactic shifts the focus onto making everyday food items more affordable by marking down prices, whilst still emphasising their value.
They've marked down over 500 lines, including every-day items such as milk; once £1.15 for 4 pints, now costing 65p with emphasis on their milk pledge that promises to pay dairy farmers fairly. With a focus across digital content, social media pushes and a whole new web page explaining the campaign, M&S kept their campaign simple, focusing on food necessities. Social posts using their trademark slow-motion videos of food, including a mouthwatering Yorkshire pudding and gravy combo, helped the supermarket giant keep their luxury and quality centred branding strong.
It's clear that M&S' aim is to widen the horizon of their target market. Will it be detrimental to the supermarket's luxury branding, or will it help the chain grow and become more relatable to the every-day shopper? We'll have to wait and find out. One thing we do know, it's gonna take some serious price reductions before we all start doing our 'big shop' at M&S.
The greatest (Christmas) advert
Everyone's favourite Christmas carrot is back. Yes, it's that time of year again, the battle of the Christmas adverts has begun. Kevin and his nemesis Russell sprout helped Aldi nab the crown for most effective Christmas advert, according to Kantar. This year saw Aldi recreate the box office hit 'The Greatest Showman'.
Aldi has nailed their ad once again, managing to keep it fresh by changing the theme each year. The German supermarket has managed to do what many brands simply couldn't, they bring back the same character every year and take audiences on a journey through storytelling to stop it becoming stale.
Not only is Aldi's advert prominent on our TV screens, but across social media as well. The German supermarket even used Instagram's IGTV to showcase their Christmas spectacular, marketing to avid social users who might not watch terrestrial television due to the prominence of streaming and subscription services. This tactic helps Aldi's brand recognition in an ever-changing technological age. Using new features such as IGTV prevents the brand from coming dated, helping Aldi and Kevin the carrot stay relevant and present.
Kevin the carrot and his endless Christmas adventures have become an integral part of the Aldi brand. Aldi has nailed it in terms of brand storytelling and we can't wait to see what Kevin the carrot has in store for us next year.
Join us next month for more thoughts on the latest campaigns and creative projects that catch our eye.


text:
Sealaska shareholders have dividends to spend. With reduced ferries, it's tough to shop.
Claire Stremple, KHNS - Haines
Sealaska Plaza, the corporation's headquarters. (Photo via KCAW)
Sealaska Corp. announced its biggest dividend in decades to shareholders with ties to Southeast Alaska.
Thousands of them live in the Inside Passage, and there's a tradition to take shopping trips to larger communities. But gaps in ferry service mean many aren't able to make the trip.
Sealaska distributed $8 million to shareholders on Friday. Albert Kookesh III lives in Angoon, where he's the city clerk. He said he usually spends a night or weekend in Juneau this time of year.
"We go over on a Thursday, do our shopping Friday, come back on a Saturday," Kookesh said.
The capital city has larger retailers like Fred Meyer and Costco.
"You get basically 16 good hours of shopping in, and then you jump back on the ferry the next day," he said.
But this year, he'll likely have to shop online — if at all. Angoon has no ferry service since the LeConte was taken out of service abruptly over a $4 million repair bill. With seaplanes charging around 85 cents per pound on freight, flying back with goods wouldn't pencil out.
It's a similar story for Haines, Skagway, Gustavus, Hoonah, Tenakee Springs and Kake. All are operating on a reduced ferry schedule.
More than 2,000 Sealaska shareholders live in these outlying communities near Juneau. More than 200 are in the Upper Lynn Canal. They're usually likely candidates for capital city shopping sprees.
"You're not gonna buy a giant flat screen and then stick it on the airplane," said Craig Dahl from the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce.
Dahl said lack of ferries is bad for business. Native corporation dividends — much like the PFD — give the Southeast economy a shot in the arm.
"I've been here a long time and certainly enjoy and appreciate the impact when people do distribute this ton of money," he said. "It's important to the merchants."
The 3,500 shareholders in Juneau should give local businesses a boost, and local merchants in outlying communities may benefit if shareholder spending stays close to home.
Sealaska CEO Anthony Mallott says the corporation is more than just dividend checks — they're working to keep the Southeast region in ferry service, too.
"The ferry budget is a top priority for us," Mallott said. "Whether it's dollars, whether it's just, you know, letter writing, whether it's being up in the halls of our legislature … We've done all of it."
State officials are working on restoring ferry service to affected communities. But for places like Angoon, the added sailings won't be until next month at the earliest.
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Next articleFuture of Alaska ferry Malaspina in question as state consigns ship to 'long-term layup'


text:
Potou District () is a district of Zhanjiang, which is located at the southwestern end of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, facing Hainan to the south.

Location

Potou consists of five towns, including Qiantang, Potou, Longtou, Nansan and Guandu, spanning between 109 degrees 20 minutes - 110 degrees 38 minutes east longitude and 21 degrees 5 minutes - 21 degrees 26 minutes north latitude, is located in the southernmost part of the Chinese mainland and southwest of Guangdong province. It faces Southeast Asia, and is with the hinterland of South and Southwest China to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

Climate
Potou is located in the southern low-latitude region of the Tropic of Cancer, enjoys a tropical and subtropical monsoon climate. Regulated by a marine climate all year, it is neither severely cold in winter nor intensively hot in summer. The average annual temperature ranges between 22.7 C and 23.3 C, with mean annual sunshine duration reaching 1,864-2,160 hours and mean annual precipitation running up to 1,417-1,802mm.

Featured sights

Jianjiang Water Hub
The Jianjiang Water Hub, which was completed in March 2013, is a comprehensive water supply project. The 4.1-billion-yuan ($664 million) conservancy project is designed to supply 600,000 cubic meters of water daily, or 280 million cubic meters a year. The project is supposed to provide an iron-steel base in Zhanjiang and the Sino-Kuwaiti Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated project with 250,000 cubic meters and 85,000 cubic meters of water, respectively, on daily bisis.
In addition, it will be able to meet production and daily water needs in the nearby area till at least 2020. The project helps improve the investment environment in Zhanjiang and contributes to its economic and social prosperity. It has a particular significance for the development of Donghai Island.

Zhanjiang Bay Bridge
The Zhanjiang Bay Bridge (), is a cable-stayed bridge that crosses the harbour in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. The bridge's main span of 480 metres (1,575 ft) ranks it among the largest cable-stayed bridges in the world. The Zhanjiang Bay Bridge is one of the longest bridges in China with a main span about 500 meters long and navigational clearance of 45 meters. An advanced health monitoring system developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago was employed and it is still used today.

References

County-level divisions of Guangdong
Zhanjiang


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