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Movements@Manchester
AFPP
About AFPP
The Problems with Democracy – Continuing the Conversation into a New Year
Matthew Flinders4 Jan 2016
N.B. This post is a response to Kevin Gillan's movements@manchester blog post and is being simultaneously published at Oxford University Press.
An invitation from the British Library to give the first in a new public lecture series called 'Enduring Ideas' was never going to a request I was going to decline. But what 'enduring idea' might I focus on and what exactly would I want to say that had not already been said about an important idea that warranted such reflection? The selected concept was 'democracy' and the argument sought to set out and unravel a set of problems that could – either collectively or individually – be taken to explain the apparent rise in democratic disaffection.
On the actual evening the problems emerged as somewhat more practical than intellectual. Problem 1 was relatively simple: I titled my lecture using the singular definitive article – 'The problem with democracy' but then opened the lecture by immediately contradicting my own title by emphasizing that there were indeed a number of 'problems' with democracy that each needed to be acknowledged and understood if the dysfunctions of contemporary democratic politics had any hope of being understood, let alone resolved. Problem 2 was similarly amateurish: I had seven 'problems with democracy' and that was – as a former Home Secretary who happened to be sitting in the audience told me straight after the lecture –about four problems too many for a one-hour public talk.
Anyway, I'm writing this while basking in an unusually – and to be frank, quite worrying – warm and barmy late-December evening and so let's not allow such minor errors to detract from what was in fact a jolly good event. The lecture was given, questions were asked, answers were offered and everyone went home with little cause for complaint (apart from the misleading title and the rather exhausting content).
But such is the world we live in that a lecture is no longer a lecture but rapidly becomes a multi-media 'artefact' and the beginning of a global discussion. I suppose this is probably not quite true of all lectures, I've been to quite a few that really do need to be forgotten, but I'm pleased to say that the intellectual ecosystem seems to have exploded in all sorts of ways that I could never have imagined. Within hours the lecture was available to a global audience via a British Library podcast. Within weeks the lecture was published on-line by the Oxford University Press journal Parliamentary Affairs and within a month or so the same journal had published a number of response pieces by an array of leading scholars.
I had not given a public lecture at the British Library, I had started a conversation.
It was therefore a source of some delight and contentment when the latest instalment of this conversation appeared on-line in the form of a University of Manchester blog by a former student of mine, Dr Kevin Gillan. Now some scholars might snort and snuffle at the idea of a former student seeking to challenge his former professor in such an open and accessible arena but I say 'well done, that chap!' Kevin was always a bit of a livewire but the way he tries to turn my arguments and ideas upside-down and inside-out, to get to the basic core of my logic in both an empirical and normative sense, is really a joy to read.
To my relief, Gillan's approach is less concerned with sharpening the knife with which he seeks to butcher my argument but, to the contrary, is concerned with sharpening my argument by bringing in inter-disciplinary insights from the sphere of critical social movement studies.
The problem with my 'problems with democracy' from Gillan's perspective is that my analytical lens is too narrow. I stand-up and decry the loss of 'what we might call our democratic or political imagination…our capacity to re-imagine a different way of living; to re-connect with those around us; to re-interpret challenges as opportunities or to re-define how we understand and make democracy work' [italics in the original] but for Gillan this argument reflects my own failure to look beyond the standard framework. 'The political imagination is already being exercised outside of the mainstream' he argues 'developments in the alter-globalisation and social forum movements and, latterly, among the indignadas of Spain and the occupiers of the public squares across Europe and the US'.
With this basic argument in place Gillan proceeds to highlight three issues – representation, institutional change and the internet – that add extra tone and texture to the problems I identify in my original lecture, podcast, article, T-shirt, etc.
It is true that the concept of representation is hardly mentioned in my original lecture but it is, as Gillan suggests, 'squarely in the sights of those for whom some form of direct democracy…is part of their activism'. The interesting reflection here, however, lies not in simply focusing attention on the concept of representation itself but in relating this to my original critique of market-driven individualisation and its corrosive impact of collective social values. And yet Gillan reveals the existence of a parallel paradox in the sense that many of the contemporary critical social movements have their ideological roots in anarchism, although for many protestors this may be a less relevant grounding for the fact that, for them, it fits with a deeply held respect for the individual as sovereign bearer of rights. This is a line of argument that chimes with William Gairdner's position in The Trouble with Democracy (2001) but if anarchist-inspired values and practices have really 'overtaken revolutionary socialist ones in influence in most of today's critical social movements', then The Trouble with Representation qua. Gillan is that a large proportion of the 'new' politics beyond the mainstream is imbued with its own form of individualism that grates against the logic of democratic collective action.
The issue of institutional change posits and equally thorny problem as Gillan paints a picture of an increasingly labyrinthine institutional architecture in which functions and responsibilities are spread across many governing levels and within many types of organisation. The topography of this terrain is undeniably dense. In Walking Without Order (Oxford University Press, 2008) I attempted to map this territory but the structures are so fuzzy and fluid that I achieved little more than a rough sketch of the terrain. In light of this the public's shift away from mainstream politics and political parties to a form of issue-based activism can be seen as completely rational. The problem, if one exists, lies not with the public in Gillan's analysis but in the failure of the dominant institutional structure of representative democracy to keep pace with social and economic shifts. 'So the dominant institutional structure of representative democracy, with its blend of representation-via-geography with representation-via-political-tribe is inherently unappealing for the denizen of the liquid modern: for many it is not education that is required [my main prescription for the democratic malaise] but institutional change'.
I cannot help but think of Michel Maffesoli's wonderful The Time of the Tribes (1996) and especially his systematic theorisation of 'everyday politics' by interpreting emergent forms of participation as what he terms 'neo-tribes'. The tribal metaphor of 'new-tribes' or 'post-tribal politics' resonates with much of what Gillan seems to be arguing and Maffesoli's focus on forms of political power (what he terms 'puissance' or 'intrinsic' power) and political legitimacy (what he terms 'underground centrality' or 'bottom-up' legitimacy) provides a fresh and innovative way of interpreting both 'alternative' and 'mainstream' forms of engagement. But then the shadow of individualism emerges once more in Gillan's reflection:
'But outside of mainstream political channels the activist autodidacts have already recognised that the 'young and poor' are hardly a homogenous group, even if they share the objective conditions of precarity. Perhaps they also recognise that even if there were an effective party of the precarious, the very one-dimensionality that would make it appealing to the young and the poor, would be the feature that made it problematic in relation to a whole gamut of other policy domains'.
Which brings us to Gillan's focus on the internet as a way not of overcoming individualism or issue-based politics but of embracing them and turning the deliberation they encourage to the service of the (inherently collective) polity. And he is certainly correct that in Defending Politics (Oxford University Press, 2010) I did dismiss 'digital democracy' with great polemical force. While I rage against 'echo chambers' and 'cyber-citizens' Gillan draws upon Jeffrey Juris and Manuel Castells to paint a quite different account of the internet revealing shared interests and common bonds. On-line movements have from this position 'begun to re-imagine different ways of living, to re-connect with those around them and to re-define how they make democracy work'. In essence, Gillan believes that critical social movements are forging new forms of on-line mass mobilisation with the capacity to transform democratic politics.
So where does the conversation go from here? How would I respond to former student's elegant essay? Where are the points of overlap and contestation and why might they matter?
Put very simply, I think a large intellectual and normative gap exists between myself and Kevin Gillan that might in some ways reflect the gap that seems to have emerged between the governors and the governed. This is a gap I am happy to try and close or bridge through further conversations and possibly collaborations but there is something of 'the politics of pessimism' that lurks beneath the words and between the sentences of his reflections. My thoughts on this topic remain embryonic but they seem to revolve around the themes of individuality, pace and people. Individuality in the sense that Gillan's analysis appears to accept individualism as, irrespective of its intellectual roots, inevitable whereas my sense is that there is a shared collective sense of being human, a natural desire for social bonds beyond the immediate family and an innate amount of empathy that cuts across social classes, countries and religions. The inevitability of fragmentation within Gillan's proposition is underlined by his comments on the 'activist autodidactics' who recognise that the young and the poor are by no means a homogenous group. Their shared objective conditions of precarity – the lack of permanent employment, low wages, constant re-skilling, frequent relocation, etc. – might form the basis of a new political party – 'The Precarious Party' – but for some reason 'the one-dimensionality that made it appealing to the young and the poor' would also be the feature that made it 'problematic in relation to a whole gamut of other policy domains'. But why? Gillan defends the individualised issue-based activist on the basis that this does not mean they fail to take account of the way that focus overlaps with a range of broader issues so why would the Precarious Party not achieve a similar balance of breadth and depth?
In relation to pace Gillan agrees with my original statement that 'our institutions and processes of democracy seem to evolve and change at a glacial pace while the world around it seems to move at an ever increasing pace' but then makes an argument that promotes the hyper-fast low-cost capacities of networked communications: 'It is precisely the networked nature of movements that have sprung up across the world since 2011 that mean individuals can recognise…the commonality of their bonds'. But then this 'politics of optimism' is dashed upon the procrustean reality of life as he notes 'These movements remain relatively marginal in liberal democracies and have had limited impact on mainstream political thinking'. Pace…, pace…, pace… democratic politics may well be 'the strong and slow boring of hard boards' but surely something has to pick-up the pace when it comes to democratic change which brings me to 'the people', social interaction and the internet. Gillan suggest that 'for a very large number of (especially young) people in the advanced liberal democracies the online and the offline are now so thoroughly inter-twined that pretty much the whole human experience is reflected in, and partially lived through, online networks'. That may well be true (I am not so sure) but that does not make it a 'good thing'. Or, more precisely, it appears that the blurring Gillan refers to manifests itself in the adoption of a set of expectations that are derived from on-line behaviour but are increasingly projected into off-line relationships. News in 140 characters, immediate location-based dating, real-time live gambling, virtual reality and lives lived through avatars. Technology-mediated-citizenship does little to fire my political imagination.
Matthew Flinders is Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield and Founding Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics. He is also Chair of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom and he wrote this blog during the early hours of the 23 December while he was supposed to be wrapping Christmas presents. He would like to thank Kevin Gillan for his excellent essay, wish everyone a happy New Year and disappoint those readers who may have actually thought that T-shirts were printed for my lecture at the British Library.
democracy, dialogue, internet
Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders is Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield and Founding Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics. He is also Chair of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom. His recent books include Defending Politics (2012, OUP), Democratic Drift ...
M@M contributions


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Aqui estão listados os jogos desenvolvidos e os publicados pela empresa de Video games Atlus, seguida da data de lançamento nos Estados Unidos de tal jogo.

Jogos desenvolvidos pela Atlus

 ADVAN Racing
 Amazing Tater
 Bio-Senshi Dan: Increaser to no Tatakai
 Bonk's Adventure
 deSpiria
 Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
 Digital Devil Monogatari - Megami Tensei
 Digital Devil Monogatari - Megami Tensei II
 Etrian Odyssey
 Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard
 Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku
 Golf Grand Slam
 Gouketsuji Ichizoku 2: Chottodake Saikyou Densetsu
 Groove on Fight: Gouketsuji Ichizoku 3
 Growlanser Generations
 Growlanser Generations (Deluxe Edition)
 Hellnight
 Imodoki no Vampire: Bloody Bride
 Jack Bros.
 Catherine
 Kartia: The Word of Fate
 Kwirk
 Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei
 The Legendary Axe II
 Majin Tensei
 Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis
 Maken Shao: Demon Sword
 Maken X
 Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible Special
 Persona
 Persona 2: Innocent Sin
 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
 Persona 3
 Persona 3: Fes

 Power Instinct
 Princess Crown
 Purikura Daisakus
 Rockin' Kats
 Shin Megami Tensei
 Shin Megami Tensei If...
 Shin Megami Tensei II
 Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
 Shin Megami Tensei Nine
 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children: Black Book/Red Book
 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children: Messiah Riser
 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner - Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Special Box
 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
 Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
 Snow Break
 Somer Assault
 Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity
 Super Dodge Ball Advance
 Super Widget
 Tetris Plus
 Trauma Center: New Blood
 Trauma Center: Second Opinion
 Trauma Center: Under the Knife
 Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
 Tsugunai: Atonement
 Wacky Races
 Widget

Jogos publicados pela Atlus
 Arcade
 Blazeon, 1992
 Oh My God!, 1993
 Power Instinct, 1993
 Hebereke no Popoon, 1994
 Power Instinct 2, 1994
 Naname De Magic!, 1994
 DonPachi, 1995
 Power Instinct Legends, 1995
 DoDonPachi, 1997
 Groove On Fight, 1997
 ESP Ra.De., 1998
 Guwange, 1999
 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
 Golf Grand Slam 31 de janeiro de 1991
 Rockin' Kats Setembro, 1991
 Widget 1.º de novembro de 1992
 Wacky Races 25 de dezembro de 1992
 Game Boy
 Amazing Tater 24 de novembro de 1989 ("Puzzle Boy" no Japão)
 Kwirk, 1990 ("Puzzle Boy 2" no Japão)
 Cosmo Tank 8 de junho de 1990
 Pocket Stadium 18 de dezembro de 1990
 Spud's Adventure, 1991
 Wacky Races 27 de março de 1992
 Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible II 13 de novembro de 1993
 Megami Tensei Gaiden: Another Bible 3 de março de 1995
 Purikura Pocket 17 de outubro de 1997
 Purikura Pocket 2 29 de novembro de 1997
 Game Boy Color
 Purikura Pocket 3 18 de dezembro de 1998
 Hamster Paradise 26 de fevereiro de 1999
 Revelations: The Demon Slayer 19 de março de 1999
 Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible II 16 de abril de 1999
 GuruGuru Garakutaz 10 de setembro de 1999
 Hamster Paradise 2 17 de março de 2000
 Tanimura Hitoshi no Don Quixote ga Iku 11 de agosto de 2000
 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children 17 de novembro de 2000
 Robopon Sun 14 de dezembro de 2000
 Hamster Paradise 3 15 de dezembro de 2000
 Devil Children: Card Summoner 27 de julho de 2001
 Hamster Paradise 4 28 de setembro de 2001
 Sega Genesis
 Crusader of Centy 16 de junho de 1994
 Power Instinct 18 de novembro de 1994
 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
 BlaZeon, 1992
 GP-1, 1993
 Run Saber 8 de junho de 1993
 World Soccer '94: Road to Glory 1.º de dezembro de 1993
 Super Widget 31 de dezembro de 1993
 Pieces Dezembro, 1994
 Power Instinct 14 de outubro de 1994
 Super Valis IV, 1994
 GP-1: Part II 15 de junho de 1994
 Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible III, 1995
 Sega Saturn
 Groove on Fight, 1994
 Virtual Hydlide 27 de abril de 1995
 High Velocity: Mountain Racing Challenge 10 de novembro de 1995
 Lunacy 26 de maio de 1997
 Virtual Boy
 Jack Bros., 1995
 PlayStation
 Space Griffon 1.º de junho de 1997
 Persona 25 de outubro de 1997
 Ogre Battle: Limited Edition 17 de novembro de 1997
 Peak Performance 17 de novembro de 1997
 Tactics Ogre 1.º de maio de 1998
 Kartia 18 de agosto de 1998
 Trap Gunner 24 de setembro de 1998
 Bomberman World 25 de setembro de 1998
 Hell Night, 1998
 Guilty Gear 10 de novembro de 1998
 Advan Racing 19 de novembro de 1998
 Eggs of Steel 19 de novembro de 1998
 Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena 20 de fevereiro de 1999
 Bomberman Fantasy Race 27 de julho de 1999
 Thousand Arms 30 de setembro de 1999
 Tail Concerto 25 de outubro de 1999
 Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure 30 de julho de 2000
 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment 30 de novembro de 2000
 Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth 1.º de agosto de 2001
 Sol Divide 1.º de dezembro de 2002
 Nintendo 64
 Snowboard Kids 15 de março de 1998
 Snowboard Kids 2 2 de março de 1999
 Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber 5 de outubro de 2000
 Dreamcast
 Maken X 26 de abril de 2000
 deSPIRIA 21 de setembro de 2000
 PlayStation 2
 Maken Shao: Demon Sword 7 de junho de 2001
 Tsugunai: Atonement 19 de novembro de 2001
 Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land 10 de dezembro de 2001
 SkyGunner 25 de julho de 2002
 Dual Hearts 23 de setembro de 2002
 Hard Hitter Tennis 8 de novembro de 2002
 Disgaea: Hour of Darkness 26 de agosto de 2003
 Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne 14 de outubro de 2004
 Choro Q 27 de outubro de 2004
 Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity 26 de abril de 2005
 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 5 de abril de 2005
 Samurai Western 7 de junho de 2005
 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 4 de outubro de 2005
 Magna Carta: Tears of Blood 16 de novembro de 2005
 Metal Saga 25 de abril de 2006
 Steambot Chronicles 23 de maio de 2006
 Rule of Rose 29 de agosto de 2006
 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army 10 de outubro de 2006
 Odin Sphere 28 de maio de 2007
 Persona 3 14 de agosto de 2007
 Growlanser: Heritage of War 18 de setembro de 2007
 Baroque (video game) 8 de abril de 2008
 Arcana Heart 8 de abril de 2008
 Persona 3
 Persona 3 FES 22 de abril de 2008
 Persona 4 por anunciar tradução? (no Japão: 10 de julho de 2008)
 Growlanser,  1998
 Game Boy Advance
 Super Dodge Ball Advance 11 de junho de 2001
 Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis 6 de maio de 2002
 Robopon 2: Cross Version 12 de junho de 2002
 Robopon 2: Ring Version 12 de junho de 2002
 Lufia: The Ruins of Lore 6 de maio de 2003
 Devil Children: Puzzle de Call 5 de julho de 2003
 Shining Soul 16 de setembro de 2003
 DemiKids: Dark Version 7 de outubro de 2003
 DemiKids: Light Version 7 de outubro de 2003
 Double Dragon Advance 18 de novembro de 2003
 King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood 15 de dezembro de 2003
 Shining Soul II 20 de abril de 2004
 River City Ransom EX 25 de maio de 2004
 Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon 8 de junho de 2004
 Devil Children: Messiah Riser 4 de novembro de 2004
 Super Army War 22 de fevereiro de 2005
 Riviera: The Promised Land 28 de junho de 2005
 Battle B-Daman 25 de julho de 2006
 Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 25 de julho de 2006
 Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 8 de agosto de 2006
 Battle B-Daman 2: Fire Spirits 26 de setembro de 2006
 Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 17 de outubro de 2006
 Yggdra Union 24 de outubro de 2006
 Polarium Advance 14 de novembro de 2006
 Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 21 de novembro de 2006
 Xbox
 Shin Megami Tensei: NINE 5 de dezembro de 2002
 Galleon 4 de agosto de 2004
 Pro Fishing Challenge 31 de agosto de 2004
 Nintendo GameCube
 Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest 11 de novembro de 2002
 Go! Go! Hypergrind 18 de novembro de 2003
 Nintendo DS
 Puyo Pop Fever 3 de maio de 2005
 Trauma Center: Under the Knife 4 de outubro de 2005
 SBK: Snowboard Kids DS 22 de novembro de 2005
 Deep Labyrinth 15 de agosto de 2006
 Contact 17 de outubro de 2006
 Touch Detective Outubro, 2006
 Bomberman Land Touch! 17 de novembro de 2006
 Etrian Odyssey 16 de maio de 2007
 Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja 20 de fevereiro de 2007
 Luminous Arc 14 de agosto de 2007
 Touch Detective 2 1/2 9 de outubro de 2007
 Ontamarama 6 de novembro de 2007
 Draglade 4 de dezembro de 2007
 Rondo of Swords 15 de abril de 2008
 Summon Night: Twin Age 3 de junho de 2008
 Etrian Odyssey 2: Heroes of Lagaard 16 de junho de 2008
 Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 1.º de julho de 2008 (no Japão: 7 de agosto de 2008)
 Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns 22 de julho de 2008
 PlayStation Portable
 Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner 13 de fevereiro de 2007
 Riviera: The Promised Land 10 de julho de 2007
 Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone por anunciar tradução?
 R·Type Command 6 de maio de 2008
 Wii
 Trauma Center: Second Opinion 19 de novembro de 2006
 Trauma Center: New Blood 20 de novembro de 2007
 Baroque 8 de abril de 2008
 Dokapon Kingdom 18 de outubro de 2008
 101-in-1 Party Megamix 27 de outubro de 2009
 Shiren the Wanderer 2010 (Originalmente publicado no Japão pela Sega)
 Trauma Team 18 de maio de 2010 (Japão: 17 de junho de 2010)
 101-in-1 Sports Party Megamix 9 de novembro de 2010
 Naruto Shippuden Dragon Blade Chronicles 16 de novembro de 2010
 Xbox 360
 Operation Darkness 24 de junho de 2008
 Spectral Force 3: Innocent Rage 29 de julho de 2008
 Zoids Assault 26 de agosto de 2008
 Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition 30 de março de 2010
 Catherine 17 de fevereiro de 2011
 Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga 12 de abril de 2011
 The Cursed Crusade Verão de 2011
 Rock of Ages 2011
 PlayStation 3
 Demon's Souls 7 de outubro de 2009 (Originalmente publicado no Japão pela Sony Computer Entertainment)
 3D Dot Game Heroes 11 de maio de 2010 (Originalmente publicado no Japão pela From Software)
 Persona 5 15 de setembro de 2016
 Catherine 17 de fevereiro de 2011
 The Cursed Crusade Verão de 2011
 Rock of Ages 2011
 Dragon's Crown 6 de agosto de 2013
 PlayStation Vita
 Dragon's Crown 6 de agosto de 2013
 Conception II Children of the Seven Stars 15 de abril de 2014
 Nintendo 3DS
 Conception II Children of the Seven Stars 15 de abril de 2014

Ligações externas

Atlus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Reclaimed-looking wood shows the distress and worn essence of the Roseanne dining tray. Featuring a uniquely crafted design that is as timeless as it is classic, Roseanne has a intriguing light and dark stained appearance to show its age and wear to perfection. Measuring 17.75 inches long by 13.8 inches wide and 3 inches deep, Roseanne is the perfect size for serving your guests.
The Barrel Shack's Roseanne brings you a rustic serving tray using reclaimed-looking wood that shows off expert craftsmanship. Once you've used the Roseanne serving tray, you'll understand its worth.


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Libańska Biblioteka Narodowa (, ) – biblioteka narodowa Libanu w Bejrucie.

Historia
Pod koniec XIX wieku wicehrabia Philippe de Tarrazi zaproponował rządowi utworzenie biblioteki w której intelektualiści mogliby czytać i prowadzić badania. Po uzyskaniu zgody zajął się jej organizacją dzięki czemu 25 lipca 1922 roku została otwarta Wielka Biblioteka Bejrutu. Tarrazi przekazał do niej 20 tysięcy książek, rzadkich manuskryptów i gazet. Po otwarciu został mianowany sekretarzem generalnym, a potem do 1939 roku kuratorem biblioteki. Gdy w 1922-28 wyjechał do Europy i Egiptu, gdzie gromadził finanse i zbiory dla biblioteki, ta z powodu braku dozoru biblioteka podupadła. W 1937 roku biblioteka została przeniesiona do budynku parlamentu i mieściła się do 1979 roku, gdy zamknięto ją po grabieżach podczas wojny domowej z 1975 roku. Najcenniejsze ocalałe dokumenty przeniesiono do Archiwum Narodowego. Pozostałe książki umieszczono w skrzyniach na terenie Ministerstwa Kultury, często w niekorzystnych warunkach. Gdy w latach 90. XX wieku zakończyła się wojna domowa podjęto działania w celu otwarcia biblioteki narodowej. W latach 2003- 2006 roku po podpisaniu umowy z Unią Europejską biblioteka otrzymała 1,5 miliona euro na projekt "rehabilitacji biblioteki narodowej". Jego efektem było przywrócenie działalności biblioteki jako niezależnej instytucji, wyszkolenie nowych kadr i techniczne przygotowanie zbiorów.

W 2006 roku Katar na odbudowę budynku biblioteki przekazał 25 milionów dolarów. W latach 2011-17 na potrzeby biblioteki przystosowano dawny budynek Wydziału Prawa Uniwersytetu Libańskiego. Budynek został zbudowany w latach 1905–1907 pod panowaniem sułtana Abdülhamid II. Po przeniesieniu zbiorów 4 grudnia 2018 roku biblioteka została ponownie otwarta.

Zbiory
17 stycznia 1924 roku generał Weygand wydał dekret o egzemplarzu obowiązkowym. Przed wybuchem wojny domowej Libańska Biblioteka Narodowa posiadała kolekcję 200 tysięcy książek i dokumentów oraz 2 tysięcy rzadkich manuskryptów. W 1999 roku w Archiwum Narodowym znajdowało się 1588 rękopisów i inkunabułów, a także kolekcja gazet i czasopism. Zarówno one, jak i książki przechowywane w budynku Ministerstwa wymagały odgrzybienia, odkurzenia i naprawy. W 1995 roku rząd Libanu prawo do otrzymywania egzemplarza obowiązkowego wobec braku biblioteki narodowej tymczasowo przekazał Archiwom Narodowym. Obecnie (2018) zbiorach nowej Biblioteki Narodowej znajduje się obecnie 300 tysięcy książek i dokumentów.

Przypisy

Kultura w Libanie
Biblioteki narodowe


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Home>Faculty & Staff>Faculty>Joel Levine
For 14 years Joel Levine has served as Mediator in over 1000 cases and as Arbitrator in over 100 commercial cases. He arbitrates domestic and international matters for the American Arbitration Association, other institutions and ad hoc for private parties.
After graduating from Harvard Law School, Joel served in the Peace Corps Venezuela, retuned and became a civil rights lawyer for a year before practicing corporate/commercial law in Senator Javits's law firm in Manhattan. During that period he co-authored "Getting In," published by Random House and taught Real Estate Financing Law at Seton Hall Law School.
Joel moved to Florida in 1973, became a member of the Florida Bar and continued practicing law first with Greenberg Traurig. He founded a law firm, and co founded First Capital Financial Corporation which eventually grew to be the largest real estate syndication company in the southeast. After taking the company public in the first Section 351 Roll up in the real estate industry, which Joel created, and selling the company to GAMI, Joel moved to Los Angeles, teamed up with two former clients, and founded Gibraltar Entertainment. He produced 12 movies and 52 episodes of television and transacted business in over 60 countries.
Joel returned to Miami in 1996 and became a full time State and Federal mediator and arbitrator handling a wide range of commercial, matters including business, employment, construction, technology, intellectual property, insurance, real estate, securities, communications and entertainment. Joel was appointed as a Reviewer providing mediation and arbitration like services to resolve claims in the Prudential Insurance Company of America class action and as the Special Master in the American Bankers Insurance Company Class action resolving insurance and employment issues. The core of his ADR practice is mediating and arbitrating complex commercial disputes for law firms and their clients.
He is a speaker and author of articles in the ADR field and recently published a novel entitled "The Corruption of Michael Levitt."
Joel's life on all sides of the economic spectrum and extensive business and arbitration experience gives him a pragmatic insight into the arbitration process and he will share very specific tips and suggestions on how counsel (and arbitrators) can perform better in this field.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Friday's come around again - this one marks the day my boys break up for Easter and don't go back until April 18th. Son1 is on a WWI trip to Ypres, Son2 off sick with painful legs caused by Vitamin D deficiency, so their holidays have already started. My task - get Son2 out of the Technolair and into the sunshine, which is easier said than done.
While I'm doing that, have a look at these stories and blogs I found (or wrote myself) in the past week. Lots of good stuff. If I missed your great blog post or news story, leave it in the comments and I can add you to my RSS feeds.
Special Needs Jungle: Unofficial exclusions – Has it happened to your child?
On a fun note, there is a lovely new book out 'The Wild Book' by Margarita Engle chronicling her grandmother's journey with dsylexia, a novel in verse. A real delight.


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Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review
The first Tango phone is neat, but you don't need it
By Cameron Faulkner published 14 December 16
The Phab 2 Pro is a strong effort and value on its own, made sweeter by the Tango AR. Your mileage may vary with Google's experimental tech, but it's undeniably ripe with potential and novelty.
Near-stock Android Marshmallow
Tango is fun to try and show off...
...but it loses its luster quickly
Awkwardly-placed fingerprint sensor
The large smartphone, redefined
TechRadar Verdict
Introduction and design
What's it like to use?
Battery and camera
As Lenovo's first serious crack at breaking into the stream of conversation-sparking smartphones, the Phab 2 Pro is an interesting place to start.
It's a hulking, chiseled Android Marshmallow device, which doesn't earn it any points for originality. But, here's what does: it's the first phone to ship with Tango, Google's new environment-scanning augmented reality (AR) setup.
The Phab 2 Pro serves as the launch-point for the experimental technology that could very well go on to be a household name in the next wave of smartphones, if not even sooner in the company's own Moto Z as a rumored Moto Mod.
Sure, Tango's current app count is small, but it's plentiful enough to showcase its potential, allowing users to flex their inner interior decorating skills, build a Hot Wheels track in the middle of the room, and inject silly holograms of sorts into the real world, to name some examples.
Although not without its issues, the tantalizing Tango functionality is undoubtedly this phone's killer app. But, is that enough of a reason to buy this phone?
For $499 (£499), you're getting a lot of phone for the money, with a next-gen feature that makes it stand out from the rest, to boot. But without Tango, the Phab 2 Pro comes up a bit short on reasons to buy in compared to more powerful alternatives, OnePlus 3T and the ZTE Axon 7.
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro price and release date
Looking for this Tango-enabled phone? You won't find it in your local brick-and-mortar retailers. It's only available online through Lenovo's site (US, UK) for $499 (£499) plus tax.
The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro comes unlocked, but will only work on GSM networks. In the US, this excludes Sprint and Verizon from the supported carriers list.
This price puts it in direct competition with devices, like the OnePlus 3T, Nexus 6P and the iPhone SE. But, of course, only the Phab 2 Pro has the ability to Tango. Plus, it's just an absolutely massive phone, which could qualify it as a capable tablet replacement for some.
Redefines what you'll consider to be a "big" phone
Compared to the massive Tango dev kit, this is an engineering marvel
A familiar design that leaves us wanting something more unique
If you're after a smartphone that will fit easily into your pocket, the Phab 2 Pro isn't it. This 6.4-inch device weighs 259g – over a half pound, and just shy of the Apple iPad Mini 4 – and measures up at 179.8 x 88.6 x 10.7mm. It's just massive all around.
But, its large size serves another purpose than just its vibrant 2K screen. It provides enough wiggle room for Google's Tango technology inside, too. Jumping straight to the phone's backside, the space made for the multi-camera setup takes the place of where you'd usually find a fingerprint sensor. Don't worry, it's here, but much lower and thus, more awkward to reach, than you might be used to.
The matte-textured, gun metal enclosure of the Phab 2 Pro gives off a familiar look and feel, like the OnePlus 3, if it had sharp edges. Flipped around to its front, the glass covering the IPS panel takes on a bit of a curve around its edges, which definitely gives off a high-end quality. However, the thick bezels surrounding the screen take away from that a bit.
Around its thick, flat edges, you'll find the usual arrangement of buttons and features. On its bottom, there's a micro USB port fit between two speakers. Given the sheer size of this phone and its bezels, it would have been nice to have sound firing toward the user instead of away from them. The volume rocker and power button are easy to access without looking, as is the 3.5mm jack on its top. Lastly, the left side hosts the SIM and microSD card tray.
Current page: Introduction and design
Next Page Tango
Cameron Faulkner
Cameron is a writer at The Verge, focused on reviews, deals coverage, and news. He wrote for magazines and websites such as The Verge, TechRadar, Practical Photoshop, Polygon, Eater and Al Bawaba.
5 new movies releasing on OTT platforms for R-Day - Bro Daddy leads the pack
Huawei's latest running watch challenges Garmin with fast GPS lock and 'AI' coach
Apple discounts for students no longer need any kind of verification


Add INC and DEC script commands to perform numeric increment and decrement operations on variables.
Add DOSCMD script command to perform MS-DOS commands such as copy, mkdir, del, etc. from a Robo-FTP script file.
Add LOGMSG script command to permit highlighted messages to be added to the script log file under script control.
Fix bug related to the row of pixels beneath the toolbar buttons.


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Science Beyond Their World: Toasha Jirodano on the Science in Sci-Fi
September 30, 2019 August 22, 2019 Belinda CrawfordInterviews
BELINDA: Tell us about the science in the Epoch Series.
TOASHA: My series is set in a mildly distant future. Natural progression of some technology has made it look and feel different to what we're used to today, but not too foreign to be unrecognizable. However, the main technological focus is on microchips implanted in the population's heads. These chips, and the social unrest surrounding them, is what leads to the Uprising and eventually the Great Glitch.
BELINDA: How much research did you do for Epoch?
TOASHA: Tons and tons. I love research so much. I needed to research many different topics like the microchip technology, terraforming, and bioengineering. Not to mention later books in the series where space-time became a major factor.
BELINDA: Do you come from a science, or science-related background?
TOASHA: Not at all. My degree is mathematics and statistics, mostly data analytics. And I can't say that I was a fan of science as a kid. For these novels, I knew what I needed to figure out so I did. It became a great joy of mine, in the end. It's fascinating stuff once you make it click.
BELINDA: Do you ever think that the "science" in sci-fi could put some readers off giving the genre a go?
TOASHA: I definitely think the harder science could turn off a reader. It did for me for so long. Then I found a story as a teenager that changed my mind. I can't remember the name of it now, but it was an alien species and the book was done from the POV of one of the children. He could speak telepathically with his unborn brother. It was very character driven, but had the science and technology needed to tell the space part of the story. That was my first look at sci-fi done properly and it made me wonder about many possibilities.
BELINDA: What are some of the mistakes people make when combining science and fiction?
TOASHA: I think it's very difficult for a writer to know when to draw the line, especially someone who's fascinated with the science behind their world. It's natural to want to explain how each thing works, or to worry that you haven't explained it enough for people to believe that it will work. The important thing is that you know how it works and tell it to your audience how it interacts with your character that they care about.
BELINDA: What books do you recommend to people new to sci-fi?
TOASHA: My favorite sci-fi right now is Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I read it about a year ago and still can't stop thinking about it. I'm currently reading the 2nd book, Children of Ruin. Plus, it's about to be a movie. I hope they do it justice because it's an amazing story.
About Toasha Jiordano
Toasha Jiordano is a reformed ghostwriter who left her day job to start telling her own stories. With a history in sci-fi, urban fantasy, and romance, she blends multiple genres seamlessly into great works of fiction. When she isn't weaving tales of wonder, she's living on a farm in South Carolina with her family and many woodland creatures.
You can find out more about Toasha and her books on her website, or catch up with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Feature image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
<< A Tough Balance: Kristin Ward on the Science in Sci-FiFloating Cities & Microchips: LJ Higgins on the Science in Sci-Fi >>
Humble Mortals: Clare Rhoden on Non-Humans in Fiction
Flipping The Paradigm: S.Y. Humphrey on Writing Diverse Characters
Posts in series
Posts in this series:
A Tough Balance: Kristin Ward on the Science in Sci-Fi
Floating Cities & Microchips: LJ Higgins on the Science in Sci-Fi


At Puut knowledge sharing is central to our interaction with each other. We are passionate about our work and we enjoy taking part in planning all of the company's processes, thanks to the flat organizational structure that characterizes Puut.
Puut are continuously looking for new colleagues for exciting and challenging jobs. Vacancies will be shown here.
We welcome unsolicited applications and always evaluate the received material seriously.


WaterField Designs unveils new Keyboard and TrackPad cases to protect and carry Apple's Upgraded Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic TrackPad 2. These Made-in-America tan waxed canvas and black ballistic nylon cases provide varied levels of protection and can easily be stowed under an arm or in a messenger bag, backpack or briefcase.
One small spill can instantly ruin a Keyboard or TrackPad. We designed the Magic Keyboard and TrackPad 2 cases to protect these devices so that users can take them from workstation to workstation or from work to home with peace of mind.
WaterField Designs—a San Francisco manufacturer of custom laptop sleeves, bags and cases for digital gear—unveils the custom-fit Magic Keyboard Slip, Keyboard Socket and Keyboard Travel Express to hold the new smaller and thinner Apple Magic Keyboard. Ready for the new Magic TrackPad 2 as well, WaterField announces a new custom fit TrackPad Slip and Socket case. The Magic Keyboard sleeve s and Magic TrackPad 2 case s protect these redesigned, rechargeable Apple devices from bag contents, dings and spills, and the Travel Express organizes the Magic Keyboard, Magic TrackPad 2 or Magic Mouse 2 and a few other necessities all in one, protective case.
WaterField designs and manufactures all its gear in San Francisco allowing for quick turnaround time on custom cases for new devices from Apple and its competitors. Three options for the new Apple Magic Keyboard offer mid to light protection for these sensitive keyboards. The Keyboard Slip, in black ballistic nylon or tan waxed canvas is lightly padded, and the Keyboard Socket, a soft pouch, keeps dust and grit from getting into the device. Each includes a rear mesh pocket to hold the Lightening to USB Cable. The Keyboard Travel Express has no-scratch, padded pockets for the new Magic Keyboard, a Magic TrackPad 2 or Magic Mouse 2 and other essential accessories. WaterField's TrackPad Slip case and TrackPad Socket offer similar levels of protection for this refreshed Apple device.
The new Keyboard Travel Express, Keyboard Slip, Keyboard Socket, TrackPad Case and TrackPad Socket can be stylishly stowed in any of WaterField Design's messenger bag s, briefcase s or tablet bags.
Keyboard Travel Express—Price: $59. Colors: Black ballistic nylon or tan waxed canvas.
Keyboard Slip—Price: $29. Colors: Black ballistic nylon with black piping or tan waxed canvas with copper piping. Rear mesh pocket.
Keyboard Socket—Price: $15. Color: Black.
TrackPad Slip—Price: $25. Colors: Black ballistic nylon with black piping or tan waxed canvas with copper piping. Rear mesh pocket.
TrackPad Socket—Price: $12. Color: Black.


text:
Board index Other areas What if
Could a German invasion of Turkey succeed?
Discussions on alternate history, including events up to 20 years before today. Hosted by Terry Duncan.
ljadw
Re: Could a German invasion of Turkey succeed?
Post by ljadw » 11 Aug 2021 18:10
glenn239 wrote: ↑
TheMarcksPlan wrote: ↑
That's a silly argument that only works if you assume there was only one version of Barbarossa possible.
Invading the Soviet Union is on the shortlist of the worst decisions ever made in military history. Ten Sealion failures would not have amounted to that one war-ending debacle.
1 There was only one version of Barbarossa possible .
2 Saying that Barbarossa was a bad decision is totally besides the question : in war you do not decide things because they are good or bad, but because they are possible .
There was no serious alternative for Barbarossa : the stupid proposals from Raeder would not help Germany .
Time was running against Germany . Only a short successful campaign in the East could eliminate Britain before the intervention from the US .
TheMarcksPlan
Post by TheMarcksPlan » 11 Aug 2021 18:27
glenn239 wrote: I was curious for your explanation on how the Germans could possibly capture the skilled Soviet labor force given that this would be moved eastward as necessary to avoid the German army
Simple answer. They don't need that labor force.
As I showed upthread, completely unskilled Russian women were at least as productive as the average Soviet industrial worker, once they were put into the German system.
Systems are important. Germans fought like German soldiers under the German system, Germans fought like Russian soldiers under the Russian system (e.g. Rennenkampf in WW1), Japanese and Italians fought like Americans under the American system, Russian women produced like German women under the German production system.
The German production system was more efficient than the Russian (and less efficient than American).
https://twitter.com/themarcksplan
https://www.reddit.com/r/AxisHistoryForum/
https://medium.com/counterfactualww2
"The whole question of whether we win or lose the war depends on the Russians." - FDR, June 1942
glenn239
Post by glenn239 » 11 Aug 2021 21:13
ljadw wrote: ↑
There were many versions, probably the best for Germany being a 2-season campaign built in. IMO, no conceivable variation of Barbarossa achieves the aim of the invasion in that Germany will be weaker off against the West in all cases than if Germany had not done it. Even if Germany somehow managed to recoup the resources spent in the invasion, the weakening of the USSR assisted the Anglo-Americans, not Germany.
Hitler invaded the SU because he thought it was a good decision. Had he thought it a bad decision, he'd not have done it.
There was no alternative strategy Germany could have selected that was worst than Barbarossa. All the alternatives were better.
Only a German alliance with the Soviet Union could deter the United States from entering the war.
From Kennedy, the war production of the Anglo-Americans in 1943 was 48.6 billion. Germany's was 13.8, Japan's was 4.5, Italy's was 1.0 (in 1941). So, the West had the Axis 48.6 to 19.3. The USSR's output in 1943 was 13.9 billion. Even if, somehow, the Germans managed by some miracle to add a third of the Soviet production to their own production, (ie, beyond anything possible), the Axis are still outproduced 48.6 to 24. The only possible solution for the Axis was the Soviet Union joining the Axis, in which case the balance would be 48.6 to 33, (no Barbarossa might increase the Axis production total). (An undamaged Soviet Union and a Germany not sucked into the Eastern Front could probably have exceeded their wartime production results, of course).
glenn239 wrote: From Kennedy, the war production of
What book? It only makes sense to talk of these things in detail, which requires examining data. Primarily, what is exchange rate used for international comparison and what is the data set. All war production or armaments?
I'm happy discuss this with you but only if we are explicit and detailed on parameters.
If, for example, I advance an argument that X Soviets working for Germany at Y% of average Soviet industrial productivity would give Z% of Soviet war production then you have to tell me which values of X, Y, and Z you reject or accept. If you're just going to say it'd be a "miracle" for Germany to get 1/3 of Soviet production then we probably both have better uses for our time and we productively reconvene on a different issue.
Here my X, Y, Z values are 7.5mil workers, at least 100% of Soviet productivity, and ~3/4 of Soviet production. With which elements do you disagree, or which unstated premises?
1 The reason for Barbarossa was not to defeat the USSR, but to force Britain to give up before the US would intervene .
A 2-season campaign would not convince Britain to give up .
Hitler attacked the USSR because the alternative was to remain idle and to wait till the US would intervene .
2 There was no alliance possible between Germany and the USSR ,because there was no benefit of such alliance . For both parties .The Soviets would not send 1 million men to defend the Atlantik Wall .
The USSR could do nothing against the US . And the US could do nothing against the USSR .
The policy of the USSR was to remain neutral ( neutrality is profitable during a war ) and, IF possible,to ''invade '' a part of Central/Eastern Europe at the end of the war .
Between October 1939 and May 1940,the German army was concentrated at Germany'western border,but Stalin did not use this opportunity to invade eastern Europe .
After the fall of France,Stalin could have invaded the ME, he did not do it .
Thus, why would he ally himself with Germany when this was losing the war ?
An alliance with the USSR would not help Germany and an alliance with Germany would not benefit the USSR .
Tom from Cornwall
Joined: 01 May 2006 19:52
Post by Tom from Cornwall » 12 Aug 2021 09:14
completely unskilled Russian women
Why do you think Russian women were "completely unskilled"? Is that what your primary source was saying?
pugsville
Post by pugsville » 12 Aug 2021 13:24
unstated premises.
That German woudl have enough resources to feed that production'
That German would have the factory space to accommodate the increased workforce,
That Germany would have the transport capacity to support that increased production requiring movement.
That forced Russian labor would achieve high productivity. Thr Entire German production methods were radically different from Russian productive methods. IT simokly not a matter of smashing a sqaure peg into a round hold.
Integrating that sort of increase in the workforce would take at least 3 years, Where is the Russian labor population going to live how are they going to get where they are needed, who is going to train them and how,
Kennedy, Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, all war production converted to US dollars. The Americans had the Germans 37 to 14, the British added on top of that made it 48 to 14.
In 1943 the Anglo-Americans produced 48 billion in war goods. The Germans produced about 14, and the Soviets also produced about 14. If by some miracle the Germans managed by invasion to add 5 billion of the Soviet production to their own by 1943, they're still down 48 to 19 against the Anglo-Americans. The basic facts are that the Soviet Union did not have the capacity to bring Germany's production up to anywhere near the Anglo-American resources. This was one of the fundamental reasons why Barbarossa was the worst military decision in modern history; it had no chance of success because it's basic premise of exploiting Soviet resources to overmatch the Americans was impossible.
The Soviet Union in its entirety produced 14 billion in war production in 1943. Even if Hitler reached the Urals, he would not capture more than 50% of that production because much of it was beyond where German armies could reach. Of that 7 billion he captured, let's say by a miracle he recoups most of it - 5 billion. (Not a chance, IMO, but let's just say). Add 5 billion in Soviet captured production to 14 billion in German production in 1943 and you have the Allies overmatching Germany 48 billion to 19 billion. It's simply not a workable strategy. Invading Russia was the way Germany loses WW2.
glenn239 wrote: Kennedy, Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, all war production converted to US dollars. The Americans had the Germans 37 to 14, the British added on top of that made it 48 to 14.
Obviously I disagree with your conclusions for reasons I've exhaustively set forth in this thread. I'll just briefly restate the main points for anyone reading along who'd like to go back and dive into the details:
I see German armament having >twice the labor inputs at ~30% higher productivity than OTL. From demob'd domestic and more foreign workers. Total: >2.5 the armaments production.
Aircraft production would be ~70% of total armaments production vs. ~45% OTL: ~4x OTL aircraft production.
Under those conditions, the Allies can't bomb Germany and can't even imagine invading Europe.
We don't even need to address total war production; it's not necessary to making the above argument.
But on that topic, a few very brief points because I've put enough detailed work into this thread (readers can search for "TMP bookmark" for intensive work).
US armaments production didn't grow in '43-'44, Germany's grew by ~45% between 1943 average and July '44 per Wagenfuehr's index (accurate in this period, as even Tooze would say). That adds 6.3bn to German war production if that category grew similarly to armaments. Say 5bn annualized delta by July '44 levels, now we're at 19bn OTL.
While US production could have grown OTL, ATL it cannot because US must raise a larger army.
2.5x OTL German production at July '44 annualized level is 47.5bn. Now Germany equals the West's production.
Germany doesn't need to equal the West's production because US was horribly inefficient (militarily) and had to do many things Germany didn't (e.g. shipping and navy took ~1/3 of US war effort, <10% for Germany).
I won't be convinced by arguments based on topline OTL economic statistics because ATL is dramatically different. There is no point to hammering on OTL statistics in a discussion with me unless one is willing to dive into the fundamentals of production factors and military efficiency.
The premise was that the US could not intervene in strength before Germany conquered the USSR and turned back west. The idea that Britain would give up before the US intervened was not considered.
The basis for an alliance between the USSR and Germany was the looming threat of US global hegemony.
By that logic, North Korea must not exist today because North Korea was at war with the United States in 1950 and apparently the Soviet Union could "do nothing" against the United States in US wars.
The policy of the USSR was to keep the capitalist countries in conflict and to overthrow as many countries as possible and replace them with communist governments. The Axis were the weaker alliance, so Soviet support would have to be for them. The weaker countries available to be overthrown and supplanted by Communist regimes were largely in the British, French, and Japanese empires.
Germany was not losing the war in 1940. If Stalin attacks Germany, (as your wishful thinking implies), then the outcome would be US global hegemony and the Soviet Union totally isolated. If Stalin supported the Axis, then the Axis could stalemate the Allies and the US would not achieve global hegemony.
Reverting to the topic of this thread from yet another fruitless discussion on what Nazi Germany could or could not do after a putative collapse of the Soviet Union, I stumbled across this mention of Turkish railways in the British COS committee meeting minutes for 18 August 1941 and thought it might be of interest:
CAB79-13-40 - Rail links Syria to Turkey - Aug 41.JPG
I'll see if there is any more information as to whether anything was done to close the gap between Arada and Diarbekir and the linking together of the Palestinian and Syrian railway systems.
Post by Peter89 » 12 Aug 2021 16:30
Tom from Cornwall wrote: ↑
Peter89 wrote: ↑
Meanwhile, the Wallies competed their preparations in August and December 1942, respectively. Their railway, which connected the Suez with Turkey's network, was improved to a standard gauge railway (20t/axle), with multiple entry points with metre gauge and also in connection with the Baghdad(-Basra) line. These two lines alone - without other entry points to port terminals of the Turkish railway system - would overwhelm the German logistics at least by 2 to 1 (the narrow gauge lines of the ME was designed to haul at least 150 tons per train, about the third of the standard gauge ones, and the Balkan load was 2/3 of the standard gauge load).
If you are interested in the detailed report of that railway, I'm happy to send it to you.
"And while I am talking to you, mothers and fathers, I give you one more assurance. I have said this before, but I shall say it again, and again and again. Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars." - FDR, October 1940
Tom from Cornwall wrote: CAB79-13-40 - Rail links Syria to Turkey - Aug 41.JPG (108.4 KiB)
Thanks Tom. I've previously discussed the Mardin-Diyarbakir rail link here here.
I've also documented that the British later decided that completing this link could only help the Germans, as the Turkish border couldn't be held. I can't remember where in this thread; it was before started using my book-marks.
These lines also underlie my argument that, at least had Turkey been Axis/acquiescent, the Germans could have supported a force in the MidEast larger than any conceivable Allied shipping resources could match.
Note the requirement for supporting Turkish civilian needs. That's because Turkey's trade with Germany/Europe would, obviously, cease if invaded by Germany. The notion that Britain could shipped enough to support Turkey at this time - August '41 the US is neutral - is pure folly. To Britain's credit, they faced the reality that they were not holding anything north of Turkey's border in this scenario. As with most folks in this thread still going through that process, it took them awhile to reach a realistic, rather than wishful, appraisal of the contingent situation.
1 NO : Hitler said several times in his meetings with his generals that the aim was to force Britain to give up .
2 There was no looming threat of US global hegemony .
3 1950 is not 1940 ,besides US did not fight against the SU in 1950 .
4 If the Soviets had wanted to attack the ME,that was dominated by Britain they would have done it before Barbarossa . They did not do it,because they had not the power to do it and because it was not in their interest if Germany could defeat Britain in 1940 .
5 It was in the interest of the USSR that the capitalist civil war would last as long as possible . Who would win was irrelevant .If Germany won,it could not attack the USSR,and a victorious Third Reich would collapse before 1953 .
If the West won, France and Britain would be that exhausted that they would no longer be a danger for the USSR . And the US would leave Europe as after WWI :the US left Europe after 1945 : there were only two US divisions in Europe in 1950 .
The only wise policy for the Soviets was to remain neutral ,as they did in 1939 ,not to ally themselves with a loser : Germany was in a dead end at the end of June 1940 :the army, LW and the KM tried to force Britain to give ,but they failed and every day Britain was becoming stronger .And every day the danger of war with the US was increasing .
Return to "What if"


the christmas season is full of yummy cookies. we love to bake all sorts of cookies this time of year. here is a round-up of decoration ideas from snowflakes to snow globes to hurt gingerbread men.
i am so inspired to roll up my sleeves and get baking! i love, LOVE decorating cookies!
what kind of cookies are you baking this holiday season?
do you prefer gingerbread cookies or sugar cookies, or do you bake both?
korvapuusti or finnish cinnamon bun recipe!
i've shared our korvapuusti recipe before. the name korvapuusti is finnish for "slapped ear" based on the appearance of the bun. they are a common treat in finnish cafe's and homes. they are simple to make, with most of the time spent waiting for the dough to rise.
this summer these treats became a camping tip hit in our family. DH would bake them before a camping getaway, and then we would enjoy them during our cool summer mornings at camp.
– dissolve the yeast in the water and add the milk, sugar, salt, and half of the flour. mix vigorously for one minute.
– stir in butter and enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
– place dough in greased bowl and let rise in a warm location until size has doubled. may take up to 2-3 hours depending on current temperature.
– roll out half the dough into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle. spread with butter (DH melts butter and brushes it on) and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
– roll rectangle firmly into a log roll. cut roll diagonally to make triangular:ish pieces and press down on centre of each korvapuusti spreading out the cut ends.
– glaze each korvapuusti. place rolls onto greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
– do the same with the other half of the dough.
my mouth is watering just looking at these pictures!
these are perfect school lunches too!
the kids are officially back to school. the trees are starting to slowly change colour and lose their leaves. people are taking about going apple picking and there's even a crispness in the air on some mornings, oh yes, fall has definitely arrived.
this time of year i like to use my oven a lot for baking and dinners; we don't have our furnace on so it's a great way to warm up the house when needed. here are 10+ fall recipes to get your home smelling delicious and cozy this fall!
let me know if you try out any of these recipes!
millions of peaches… 20 awesome peach recipes!
we LOVE peaches! and, when they're in season we devour baskets of them! to get ready for the world's best peaches, which will be in season in a matter of weeks here in southern ontario, i have collected some awesome peach recipes, from pizza's, to sorbet's to salsa's!
i did include a crisp and a cobbler for good measure, as well!
mmm… my mouth is seriously watering after compiling this peachy list of yummy peach recipe's. let me know if you try any of them or if you have a must-try peach recipe of your own!
i found a recipe from here, the whole living web magazine, but as usual i had to tweak it a bit to make it my own.
it was best banana bread loaf i had ever tasted, never mind baked myself! it was perfectly moist, just sweet enough and my family agreed as it was all almost gone by bedtime!
1. preheat oven to 350F. butter your loaf pan.
2. in a bowl mash your bananas, add melted butter, eggs/ egg substitute, vanilla and both sugars. in another bowl add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. then combine all of the ingredients, careful not to over mix.
3. fold in seeds and pour into baking pan.
4. bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean. let cool for about 15 minutes first and then transfer to a wire rack.
i had some help, as usual. a pro masher in fact!
look at that colour! perfect!
tasted as good as it looked!
i know, i know treats and yummy things can be unhealthy, but on special occasions i think, a little something delicious is worth the extra calories! here are some treats i compiled that i would be delighted to taste, enjoy and devour if made for me on Mother's Day!
let me know if you're lucky enough to try one of these, or if you decided to make something from here for another mama.
today i am sharing a recipe from my motherland, finland. pulla is a traditional, popular coffee bread enjoyed by everyone. it's the kind of food my mummo always had on hand to offer people when they came for a visit.
we make pulla for all the major holidays. it's a special treat and something yummy we love to enjoy!
the original recipe is from "the finnish cookbook" by beatrice a. ojakangas, but we make a few modifications to suit our own taste and fit our allergy needs.
1. dissolve the yeast in warm water. stir in milk, sugar, salt, cardamom eggs and 2 cups of flour to make a batter. beat until the batter is smooth and elastic. then add 3 more cups of flour, ensuring the dough remains smooth and glossy.
2. add melted butter and the remaining flour stir until a stiff dough forms.
3. place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. once the dough is smooth, place it into a greased mixing bowl, turning it over once to grease the top. let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour (doubled in bulk). then, punch the dough down and let sit for another 30 minutes.
4. preheat the oven to 400F. lightly flour a board or your flat work surface and divide the dough into three even sections. roll out each section until about 16 inches long, and then braid the three sections together. pinch both ends and tuck under. let sit and rise a little longer, approx. 20 minutes.
5. glaze the braids with your beaten egg mixture. add almonds and sugar as desired. bake for about 25-30 minutes on a lightly greased baking sheet. ensure they don't get overcooked as they will dry out. remove from oven when braids are golden brown.
6. serves 3 braids. slice and serve with a fresh cuppa coffee!
we love cookies around here and the boys love to bake them! recently we made these family faves, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, with colourful chocolate sprinkles thrown in for good measure. this recipe is not really any different from most cookie recipes except, it is egg free!
1. preheat over at 350F and line two cookie sheets.
2. add dry ingredients and mix in a bowl.
3. blend and mix wet ingredients in a bowl.then add dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
4. shape dough in to balls and place about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets, then flatten. bake one cookie sheet at a time until cookies are lightly browned all over. approx 12-15 minutes. place on rack to cool.
5. enjoy with a glass of milk!
what kind of cookies do you like to dunk into your cuppa tea or coffee?
this recipe is a big hit at our house!
the kids love it, dear hubby slathers mountains of butter on it and i like to nibble on a chunk while sipping fresh coffee. yum!
1. preheat your oven to 350F, and grease your bread pan.
2. mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves together.
4. scrape batter into your pan. bake for about 45 minutes or until bread pulls away from the sides of the pan. let cool before serving.
baking can be demanding, exhausting work, especially when you're two and it's right before lunch and one's afternoon nap. this pouty lip appears quickly, but disappears just as fast, if lion is distracted by something else.
it's so nice to have a helper around!
and, voila carrot bread. because i don't bake with eggs my breads and loafs don't rise quite as well, as yours will if you use them. we discovered a year ago bear's terrible eczema was caused by eggs, so we stopped eating them just like that, all four of us.
with spring looming on the horizon, but at a distance still, i am craving light, air, open windows and sips of lemonade. well, maybe not quite like that, but you get the idea. i am yearning warmth and bright and sun, and i figure the best way to include those in my life is through food.
so, i pinned my way through pinterest and found a handful of delectable lemon flavoured foods. there's even a pizza included in the mix!


text:
General News of Thursday, 1 December 2022
Source: www.lindaikejisblog.com
FG blames state governments for rising poverty
Clement Agba
The federal government has blamed the high poverty rate in the country on state governments.
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, who addressed State House Correspondents after the week's Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said failure of state governments to contribute their quota of development responsibilities to the grassroots where the major production activities take place, has contributed to poverty level in the country.
The Nation reported that Agba who also attempted to defray the notion that rising levels of hunger and lack were peculiar to Nigeria, explained that the Federal Government, through many of its social security programmes, has been dedicating resources to alleviating hardship on the public.
The minister also accused state governments of misdirecting their share of national resources to projects that have almost no direct effect on the needs of the people.
Agba lamented that 72 percent of the poverty in Nigeria is found in the rural areas, which he said had been abandoned by governors who he claimed prefer to function in the state capitals.
He also said some Governors are concentrating on building flyovers, airports and other projects that are visible in the state capitals rather than investing in areas that directly uplift the standard of life of the people in the rural areas.
The Minister added that while states are in charge of land for agriculture, they do not invest in them for the desired effect on their rural citizens.
'I've read manifestos of parties, Peter Obi's own stands out' - Tinubu's former campaign DG tells Nigerians
Governor Sule loses son
Aregbesola links incessant jailbreaks to climate change
'We are not denying visas to Nigerian students' - Turkish Embassy denies report
2023 Elections: 'Attacking Buhari won't save your failing campaign' - Atiku tells Tinubu


The project focuses on promoting a discussion about human rights.
It will use artistic processes to create new arenas for meetings and discussion, thereby strengthening the democratic and multi-vocal public influence. Gender issues will be in focus in every step of the project.


Wow! Can you believe that there is only 6 more days until Christmas and 13 days until the new year! I will say that 2015 was a good year but went by too quick. Does anyone else feel the same? I feel that while my house is decorated for Christmas, gifts are wrapped and the cards have gone out, I have not really sat down and relaxed this holiday. I did manage to start baking again this year and I have a little more to do before next week!! I will get it done though between going to the new Star Wars movie and a Girl Scout Troop outing on Sunday.
Yesterday was my daughter's last final and she survived her 1st semester as a freshmen in high school. She is now off for winter break for 3-1/2 weeks! Crazy, right!!
Saturday we are heading to the El Capitan Theater to see the new Star Wars movie, can't wait! Right across the street is the Mann's Chinese Theater where my brother and I saw the first Star Wars movie back in 1978.


Put March 10, 2018 in your calendar if you want to test your mettle. All else is TBA, but the date is solid. That's a Saturday. It's probably going to go down sometime betwixt 5:00 and 8:00PM. More later.
We're going to put some miles (meters, really) on this rubber.


Ethiopia's rich historical heritage is unique in sub-Saharan Africa. The country looks back on a history of more than 3,000 years when the city of Axum became the centre of an empire stretching from the Nile River across the Red Sea to the Yemen. Even today, ruins of palaces and monuments, old inscriptions and underground catacombs demonstrate the city's ancient magnitude. While the medieval capital of Lalibela is home to a cluster of monolithic rock-hewn churches built in the 12th and 13th century, the imperial city of Gondar is best known for its 17th century castles built by Emperor Fasiladas and his successors and the beautifully decorated church of Debre Birhan Selassie. In the east of the country lies the old walled city of Harar with its numerous mosques and shrines, considered a holy city among Muslims. Or would you like to discover the ancient and secluded island monasteries of Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of the Blue Nile? Or be one of the few visitors to Ethiopia's remote rock-hewn churches, testimonies to the country's centuries-old Christian legacy?
Axum became the royal capital of Ethiopia more than 3,000 years ago and the wealth of the empire was used to build one of the greatest ancient cities of Africa. Its five-storey palaces, intricate water system, gold and silver coinage, its mysterious and extraordinary stelae and subterranean catacombs were a marvel for merchants, ambassadors, and travellers who came to the city.
Today, visitors can admire the stelae field where a single-piece granite obelisk stands 23 metres high, another, believed to have fallen soon after, or even during construction, is nearly 34 metres long, weighing over 500 tonnes. A third, which was returned to Ethiopia from Rome in 2005, will soon resume its 26 metres' height.
Ethiopia's most ancient city has an archaeological museum, the bath and palace of the Queen of Sheba, the tomb of King Caleb and his son Gebre Meskel. Other sites worth looking at are the historical Ezana Park, and within walking distance, the 17th century structure and the newer church of St Mary of Zion, and the sanctuary chapel of the Ark of the Covenant.
From Axum, breathtaking excursions can be arranged through dramatic scenery to the country's oldest temple at Yeha, the Axumite styled and beautifully decorated monastery at Debra Damo, and the battlefield of Adwa, where Menelik's army defeated the Italians in 1896 to keep Ethiopia as the only African country to successfully resist 19th century European colonization.
In the remote, almost inaccessible mountains of Wollo, a near 3,000 metre high town has a unique array of churches that have been cut out of solid rock. Lalibela, after whom the town is named, carved the monolithic churches out of the natural volcanic rock from the outside-in during the 12th century.
The building method used, carving out each of the unique churches below ground, left the 11 main churches separated from the surrounding rock by a trench which is now the courtyard of each of the buildings.
Now a World Heritage Site these monolithic and semi-monolithic churches are complete with carved doors, windows, arches, rooms and interior decoration. The effect is stunningly dramatic. They are the outcome of a major sculpturing exercise.
Indeed, the elaborately shaped, intricately designed buildings are a delight to both tourists and archaeologists and a visit here during one of the special religious festivals can only add to the very unique experience that Lalibela offers.
The ancient walled city of Harar was established from 1520, although it was a major commercial centre in the east of Ethiopia for many centuries.
Founded by one of Harar's most notable rulers, Abu Bekr Mohammed, it became a prestigious trading centre through contact with the interior, Gulf of Aden ports, and many eastern lands. Its 3.4 kilometre wall, constructed in the 1560s by Nur Ibn al-Wazir, contains about 90 mosques and the 48 hectare town is considered to be the fourth holiest city of Islam, having a heritage that is almost entirely Muslim and Oriental. Wars affected the city economically and then Emir Ali idn Daud revived the city in 1647 and initiated a ruling dynasty.
Harar is renowned for its handicrafts, notably its fine weaving, and beautifully bound manuscripts, which are rated as virtually unequalled in the Islamic world. The coffee from this area is also highly esteemed. Wandering around the network of narrow cobbled alleys, the unique housing, colourful dress of the inhabitants, the ancient five gated walls and the harmony of Muslim and Christians together, leave an impression of being in another world. There are also two museums, colourful markets and, at night, thepopular attraction of the daring 'hyena man' on the outskirts of the town, which add to a momentous tour.
During the 17th century, Emperor Fasiledas and his dynasty constructed some of the most remarkable structures in Africa, and Gondar became an imperial walled capital with a number of towers and castles. Today, they continue to crown Gondar in a 70,000 sqm enclosure, like priceless diadems, reminders of its past power and grandeur.
The numerous castles, built between 1640 and 1769 by various emperors, are unlike any in Africa and display the rich architectural Axumite tradition and the influence of Arabia. Their historic value has been recognized in that the Royal Enclosure is included on the World Heritage list.
A wealth of other castles, churches and historical buildings are scattered around Gondar. Probably the most charming of these is the bathing pool of Emperor Fasiledas which is used for the colourful annual Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany) celebrations in January. Nearby, is a small domed mausoleum said to have been built for the Emperor's favourite horse, and ruins of the palace for the redoubtable and beautiful 18th century Empress Mentewab at Kuskuam, which offers visitors an extraordinarily impressive sight and a wonderful view of the town.
Within easy reach is the rectangular and stunningly decorated Debre Birhan Selassie Church – one of the most amazing displays of religious art in Ethiopia. Eighty wide-eyed angels look down upon mesmerized visitors and other frescoes depict Christian scenes. Then, just three kilometres from Gondar is, Woleka, the former Felasha (Ethiopian Jewish) village with its highly decorated pottery, which, with all the other sights, offers the visitor an inspiring experience.
As an excursion from Gondar, or even en route to Axum, one can combine fascinating historic beauty with natural rugged scenes by visiting either Kosoye, with its panoramic views of the Simien Mountains or actually heading into the mountains themselves and gaining the comparison to the Gondarine architecture.
The tropical-like town of Bahir Dar with its palm-lined avenues and colourful markets stands on the southern edge of Ethiopia's largest lake, Lake Tana. Local fisherman still use (tankwa) papyrus canoes and the lake's peninsulas and islands are home to more than 20 monastic churches.
The spectacular 45 metre high Blue Nile Falls is only 32 kilometres away. The fall's local name, Tis Isat, reflects the awe-inspiring image of the 'smoking water' as the river crashes into the gorge below.
Lake Tana has attracted mystics and religious people for centuries and most of the islands' monasteries, house invaluable historical documents, relics, beautifully painted walls, and the tombs of mediaeval Ethiopian kings. Daga Istafanos, with its priceless collection of icons, Kibran Gebriel, with many ancient books, and the impressive and beautiful Ura Kidane Mirhet and its intriguing frescoes, are among the many that may be visited.
A day of visits to these wonderful sights can be concluded with a spectacular sunset view, from Bezawit Hill, across Lake Tana and the town, while overlooking hippopotami in the river below.
Some 76 Kilometers from Axum is the monastery of Debre Damo ( closed to Women), which is said to have the oldest existing intact church in Ethiopia. Local tradition says that Abune Aregawi, one of the nine Saints, built the church in the 16th Century. The Monastery of Debre Damo can only be reached by rope pulley.
Many of the Tigray rock hewn churches lie along the main road between Adigrat and Mekele, or can be visited from it. Four main clusters are covered in this chapter, of which the churches that lie along the main road between Sinkata and Wukro are the most accessible to those without private transport or limited time. The pick of these churches is undoubtedly Adi Kasho Medhane Alem, part of the highly accessible Teka Tesfai cluster 10km south sinkata. A second rather loose cluster consists of Wukros Chirkos – the most accessible of all the Tigrayan churches, as it lies 500m from the main road in the town of Wukro – and the magnificent Abreha we Atsbeha church along the Hawzen road. The most extensive cluster is found in the Gheralta region, which lies to the south of Hawzen and includes some the most stunningly situated churches anywhere in Ethiopia. Gheralta can easily be explored out of Hawzen with a vehicle, or over a few days of hiking, bearing in mind that the region's finest churches are reached by long, steep walks that require a fair level of fitness. A fourth and more dispersed cluster lies in the Atsbi area, to the east of Wukro. With one exception, the Atsbi churches can be explored only with a vehicle.


text:
Interim report January – September 2012
Production exceeded 500 barrels per day in the third quarter
January-September 2012
Total revenue for the period: SEK 76 (25) million
Operating result for the period: SEK 23 (-1) million
Result for the period after tax: SEK 18 (-3) million
One-off item affects revenue and profit by SEK 7 (11)* million
Basic earnings per share: SEK 1.70 (-0.33)
Diluted earnings per share: SEK 1.63 (-0.33)
Revenue during the quarter: SEK 24 (21) million
Operating result during the quarter: SEK 5 (10) million
* Relates to payment from the shareholding in Tomsk Refining
Q1-Q3 2012
Barrels per day
Statement from the CEO
Shelton Petroleum reached an important milestone during the third quarter. For the first time, we are able to report a production level exceeding 500 barrels per day for a full quarter. Both the Rustamovskoye field in Russia and Lelyaki field in Ukraine produced record volumes.
The results from the fracking of the wells at Rustamovskoye performed during the third quarter are encouraging and strengthen our confidence in the potential of this and the company's adjacent fields. We are looking forward to pursuing this through the drilling of additional wells in the area. In November, a drilling contract was concluded and mobilization of the rig has commenced. Spudding of the first of up to two wells in the first stage of development drilling is expected to take place early next year. We will develop the field step by step in order to manage geological risks and balance investments against the financial resources available to the company.
The workover program at the Lelyaki field continued to raise production volumes during the quarter on the very profitable Ukrainian market. In October, the second of two new wells for the year was spudded with the objective of further increasing daily production.
This week, the Shelton Petroleum share commenced trading at NASDAQ OMX Stockholm's main market. Migration to an internationally well-recognized stock exchange will open up new opportunities for the company as well as for our shareholders.
In summary, we continue to grow our profitable oil production and have established a stable platform for future investments and partnerships. I am looking forward to further pursuing the company's potential in the quarters to come.
Robert Karlsson
Revenue from oil sales amounted to SEK 69 (14) million. During the period, Shelton Petroleum sold 129,100 (51,900) barrels of oil. The average price per barrel in 2012 was higher than in 2011.
Production during the period amounted to 128,700 (38,500) barrels, which is significantly higher compared to the same period last year. The production has increased in both Russia and Ukraine compared to last year.
The average daily production during the first nine months 2012 amounted to 470 barrels compared to 141 barrels for the same period 2011.
Operating expenses in the period amount to SEK 56 (29) million and consist primarily of production costs, personnel costs and other external expenses.
The operating result for the period January – September 2012 amounted to SEK 23 (-1) million, which is a significant improvement compared to the same period last year. The result for the period amounted to SEK 18 (-3) million.
Shelton Petroleum reports other revenue of SEK 7 (11) million. The majority of other revenue relates to a capital gain on the investment in Tomsk Refining AB (TRAB) due to the voluntary liquidation. In the beginning of April 2012 the company received the final payment, SEK 18 million, from TRAB. In total, together with the first payment received in 2011, the company has received approximately SEK 69 million from the liquidation and has reported a total gain of SEK 18 million.
An adjustment of the fair value of the investment in Pan European Terminals (PAN, previously Baltic Oil Terminals) of SEK -2 million and translation differences of SEK -9 million related to intra-group loans in foreign currency are included in other comprehensive income. The adjustment to fair value and translation differences do not affect cash flow.
The group held SEK 50 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period compared to SEK 56 million at 30 September 2011 and SEK 46 million at 31 December 2011. Cash flow for the period was SEK 4 (-34) million. Investments in exploration and development activity in Russia and Ukraine amounted to a total of SEK 17 (11) million in the period. During the period the company repaid SEK 8 million to those holders of the convertible loan that chose not to exchange it for the new convertible loan, which was issued in December 2011.
Financial fixed assets amounted to SEK 22 million at the end of the period compared to SEK 35 million at 31 December 2011. The decrease is related to the final payment from TRAB and the adjustment of fair value of PAN mentioned above.
Shareholders' equity per share at 30 September 2012 was SEK 24.54 (23.96) and the equity to assets ratio was 81 (78) per cent.
July – September 2012
Russian operations
Shelton Petroleum's production of oil in Russia during the third quarter amounted to 14,150 (17,400) barrels. Production per day amounted to 154 (189) barrels. Due to the fracking program described below, the wells produced for approximately two months out of three months in the third quarter 2012.
On the Rustamovskoye field in Russia, measures were implemented during the quarter to counteract the natural depletion that all wells are exposed to and also to maximize information on reservoir characteristics in order to determine drill locations and optimize drilling technology. The company completed a vertical seismic profile (VSP) and fracking of two wells. As a direct result of the fracking, the field's production increased to over 200 barrels per day, compared to 120 in June.
The results from the work performed during the summer are encouraging and strengthen the company's confidence in the potential of Rustamovskoye and the company's adjacent Aysky and Suyanovskoye fields. Based on analyses and modeling of available data, the company has initiated a production drilling program. In November, the drilling company commenced mobilization of the rig. Spudding of the first well is expected to take place early next year. Drilling and evaluation of the first well is expected to take up to 90 days to complete. The field will be developed step by step in order to manage geological risks and balance investments against the financial resources available to the company. Shelton Petroleum has therefore entered into a contract that allows it to drill one well with an option to drill one more well. Following the first stage of drilling, the company will review drilling data and geological information to develop a new project design on how to optimally target and extract the pool's reserves. The new design will encompass the possibility of horizontal drilling, which, given suitable geological conditions, allow for enhanced well economics.
The Rustamovskoye field is covered by a production license on the northern part of the block and an exploration license on the southern part of the block. The company is currently producing oil from the northern part and the production license is valid until 2030. The exploration license on the southern part of the block, previously valid until 31 December 2012, has recently been prolonged by the license authority for three more years.
Ukrainian operations
Production in the third quarter amounted to 32,250 (7,000) barrels. Production per day amounted to 351 (76) barrels. The average daily production during the third quarter was 25 per cent higher compared to the fourth quarter 2011. The Lelyaki field production generates a strong USD 40 per barrel in operating profit and contributes financially to the development of Shelton Petroleum's other oil assets.
The increase in production is a direct result of the continued field development program performed by Shelton Petroleum (Zhoda 2001 Corporation) and its partner Ukrnafta, Ukraine's largest oil and gas company. The objective is to step by step enhance productivity and increase production volumes. Production can vary somewhat between months but the company's objective is to continue to increase production by performing additional workovers. A new well #310 was spudded in October 2012. The field operator Kashtan Petroleum expects that it will be drilled and completed before year end.
The annual general meeting in May 2012 approved the issue of maximum 320,000 warrants to management. All warrants have been subscribed to at a market price determined by the Black & Scholes pricing model. The subscribers paid SEK 0.5 million for the warrants in July 2012. The warrants give the holders the right to subscribe to 320,000 B-shares during 1-15 June 2015. The subscription price for the shares is SEK 18.69. A full subscription for the shares in 2015 would increase the share capital by SEK 1.6 million and lead to a dilution of 2.92 per cent.
Significant events occurring after the reporting period
In October, the company spudded the new well #310 at the Lelyaki oil field.
In November mobilization of a rig was commenced in preparation for drilling a new production well at the Rustamovskoye oil field.
The Shelton Petroleum share commenced trading at NASDAQ OMX Stockholm's main market on 19 November 2012. The last day of trading on NGM Equity was 16 November.
The parent company's total assets as at the period end amounted to SEK 304 (311) million. Cash and cash equivalents amounted to SEK 32 (33) million. The result after tax January – September 2012 was SEK -2 (-5) million. The improvement is mainly related to the gain on the investment in TRAB.
Risk factors and uncertainties
A detailed account of the risks facing the company can be found in the 2011 annual report. During the period, there has been no major change in material risk factors or uncertainties for the group or the parent company. Risks include exploration risk, oil price risk, exchange rate risk, liquidity risk, credit risk, interest rate risk and political risk, among others.
Upcoming financial reporting
Year-end Report January – December 2012 25 February 2013
Annual Report 2012 April 2013
Interim Report January - March 2013 21 May 2013
Interim Report April – June 2013 23 August 2013
Interim Report July – September 2013 22 November 2013
Annual General Meeting 2013 21 May 2013
Publication under Swedish law
Shelton Petroleum is publishing this information in accordance with the Swedish Financial Markets Act (Sw. Lag om värdepappersmarknaden) and/or the Swedish Financial Trading Act (Sw. Lag om handel med finansiella instrument). This information was released for publication on 22 November 2012 at 08:30 CET.
This report has not been reviewed by the Company's auditors.
(For full report, see attached file)
Robert Karlsson, CEO, +46-709565141, robert.karlsson@sheltonpetroleum.com
Shelton Petroleum AB
Swedish corporate identity number: 556468-1491
Hovslagargatan 5B
Tel: +46 8407 18 50
info@sheltonpetroleum.com
Shelton Petroleum is a Swedish company focused on exploring and developing concessions in Russia and the resource-rich basins of Ukraine. The company holds three licenses in the Volga-Urals area and has commenced production on the Rustamovskoye field after a successful exploration program. In Ukraine, Shelton Petroleum's wholly owned subsidiary has a joint venture with Ukrnafta and Chornomornaftogaz, two leading Ukrainian oil and gas companies. Shelton Petroleum is pursuing an integrated business model and holds an equity stake in Pan European Terminals PLC (PAN). The Shelton Petroleum share is traded on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm under the symbol SHEL B.
Vertical seismic profile (VSP) is a method of measuring seismic velocities of rock layers in a well. VSP provides higher resolution on a defined area compared to surface seismic. The results give operators a clearer understanding of the best ways to exploit the reservoir, enabling more accurate drilling decisions.
Fracking is a method of breaking up the rock of the reservoir by inserting fluids with additives under pressure. It allows for oil to flow more freely in the reservoir into the wellbore.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Kamil Kubik Foundation Grant Program consists of a $500 grant to one eligible New York metropolitan area fifth to twelfth grade public school applicant. 2018 Grant Application closed on May 30th. Winner was chosen in June. Please look for 2019 application later this year.
The Kamil Kubik Foundation aims to enhance Kamil Kubik's vision and generous spirit through the promotion of his works of art, annual grants to talented artists in need of development, and the support of art educational programs for children.


Let your piecing skills take flight with this precut-friendly quilt top! Brilliant butterflies in purple, teal and blue are accented by gold metallics for an ultra-luxe look. Use sew-and-flip triangles to create the log cabin-inspired design. Once you get the hang of the basic block unit, it's smooth piecing ahead.


Bags are sorted from clothes in collected original.
Worn bags, detroyed bags, and bags with deffect in zippers are defined as trash, thus sorted out.
The rest are packed in small black plastic sacks (10-12Kg/Sack), bigger white plastic sacks (16-18Kg/sack), and bigger sacks (90Kg/sacks).
Price/Kg: Since bags are sorted differently, with different packaging and also different palces with various standard of living, the quality varies from one place to other, therefore a price-range is presented. Please contact us to receive price_list.