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Why political polarization has gone wild in America (and what to do about it)
Watching the extraordinary polarization in Washington today, many people have pointed the finger at the Tea Party saying it's ideologically extreme, refuses to compromise and cares more about purity than problem solving.
I happen to agree with much of that critique, but it doesn't really answer the question: Why has the Tea Party become so prominent? Why is it able to dominate Washington?
We've had plenty of ideologically charged movements come to Washington before. Think of Barry Goldwater or George McGovern.
But once in Washington the system encouraged compromise and governance.
Over the last few decades, however, what has changed are the rules organizing American politics. They now encourage small interest groups - including ideologically charged ones - to capture major political parties as well as Congress itself. Call it ' political narrowcasting.
1) Redistricting has created safe seats so that for most House members, their only concern is a challenge from the right for Republicans and the left for Democrats. The incentive is to pander to the base, not the center.
2) Party primaries have been taken over by small groups of activists who push even popular senators to extreme positions. In Utah, for example, 3,500 conservative activists managed to take the well- regarded Senator Robert Bennett off the ballot. GOP senators like Orrin Hatch and John McCain have moved farther to the right, hoping to stave off similar assaults.
3) Changes in Congressional rules have also made it far more difficult to enact large, compromise legislation. In the wake of the Watergate Scandal, "Sunshine rules" were put into place that required open committee meetings and recorded votes. The purpose was to make Congress more open, more responsive - and so it has become to lobbyists, money and special interests. This is because they're the people who watch every committee vote and mobilize opposition to any withdrawal of subsidies or tax breaks.
4) Political polarization has also been fueled by a new media, which is also narrowcast.
Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal in which he suggested that he might further the conservative agenda through an occasional compromise. That provoked a tirade from Rush Limbaugh, which then produced a torrent of angry e-mails and phone calls to Issa's office. Issa quickly and publicly apologized to Limbaugh and promised only opposition to Obama. Multiply that example a thousandfold, and you have the daily dynamic of Congress.
It's depressing, but the fact that our politics are the result of these structural shifts means they can be changed.
Mickey Edwards, a Republican and former House member from Oklahoma, has a highly intelligent essay in The Atlantic magazine suggesting a series of reforms that could make a difference. Some of them are large-scale, others are seemingly small but crucial changes in Congressional procedure.
Read: Fareed Zakaria's op-ed in The Washington Post on "A way out of our dysfunctional politics."
Some political scientists long hoped that American parties would become more ideologically pure and coherent, like European parties. They seem to have gotten their wish - and the result is abysmal.
Here's why: America does not have a parliamentary system like Europe's, in which one party takes control of all levers of political power - executive and legislative - enacts its agenda and then goes back to the voters. Power in the United States is shared by a set of institutions with overlapping authorities - Congress and the presidency. People have to cooperate for the system to work.
The Tea Party venerates the Founding Fathers. It should note that the one thing on which they all agreed was that adversarial political parties were bad for the American republic.
For more of my takes throughout the week and ongoing discussion, I invite you to follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and bookmark the Global Public Square.
Topics: Economy • Fareed's Take • From Fareed • GPS Show • Politics • United States
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It's breathtaking that progressive economists totally lack common sense and wisdom, while they condemn the common sense and wisdom of removing debt and explosive bloating of government. It's among the most basic financial principles that exploding debtor economy CANNOT be justified.
Neoconservatives, who infected the Republican party since GHW Bush, are a lighter version of socialists. Just examine their history. They are NOT conservatives beyond abortion and other, minor issues compared to the rocketing debt and outrageous bloat in government.
Progressives are either: 1) completely devoid of the common sense of the danger of exploding debt and the benefits of balanced budgets 2) are maliciously trying to bring down the US with exploding debt, try to to forcibly reboot the economy into a dystopia irrelevant to human nature's true influence on the economy 3) are totally incompetent. 4) a mix of 1, 2, and 3.
Far right ideologues are also nutty, in also not listening to common sense, wisdom or constructive criticism, just like progressives.
Since when is the common sense of removing exploding size in government - also directly related to exploding size (or justification of it - EXTREMIST??
Any small banker or private borrower should be able to figure this out at and individual level.
I wish people would snap out of this ideological dementia of accepting exploding debt and explosive growth in the size of government, both of which neoconservatives and progressives embrace.
From this article I surmise that Democrats are alll about reason and compromise and that their strings aren't being pulled by radical outlets like MoveOn, Kos, and Huffington.
You nailed it. When the right stands up, their extremists. When the Left stands up, their do gooders.
BettyLiberty
Dems and Repubs are all alike. On paper they're virtually identical. It's not about Left-Right anymore. It's Us against the State. I'm going for the one I can trust, who isn't owned by special interests and lobbyists, socially tolerant and fiscally conservative. We've got to stop these wars, wean people off the welfare teat and get this country back to work. I'm voting for Ron Paul!
Fareed Zakaria's books are much better than his political analysis. There's a lot better analysis out there than this grocery store magazine drivel.
STOP IT!! You are scaring the "normal" folks! For those with moderate views there is not a place to identify. Common sense MUST be restored or else this nation is in deep trouble. I don't believe this country has ever been this divided before. Extremist viewpoints from either side will not allow this country to even begin to repair itself from this giant mess it's in. Let's take back the middle ground. Go to Facebook and "LIKE" PROJECT RESTORE MODERATION.
JusMe
Judging from some of the wildly outrageous stuff here, I'm wondering why my own rather tame contribution hasn't been posted. Kind of offended, actually. If this one gets posted, guess I'll have to figure that I, somehow, screwed up the last one.
Aw, Jeez, guess it was JusMe. Wish I could remember the one I screwed up.
I would have to say that the Press is most responsible for the polarization. Few if any journalists do more than play the he said/she said game. They rarely if ever challenge a politician when they spew obvious lies and continue to give forum to the most radical of both sides. Christine Roman did call out Florida's insane governor this morning for his failure to answer or even understand simple questions. Like his partners in crime in DC, Scott merely falls back on the one or two-liners they're fed by the RNC and FOX each morning. Playing both ends against the middle as they have for years now was bound to have detrimental consequences for our country and that's exactly where we stand today. Of course, so long as they keep selling newspapers or racking up hits on the internet to impress their advertisers, they really couldn't care less.
Jim Beile
Where's the pledge that says, "I won't take any money from lobbyists and corporations?" That's the root of ALL the problems in Washington-garten. Who's circulating that pledge? I'd like to know!
TEA party is the root cause of problems. Also republican party is owned by rich people. They have almost destroyed the middle class. They are still not happy. They should remember that we had surplus when President Clinton left office. We had bad deficit and loss of jobs when President Bush left office. All the tax cuts during Bush era did not help job creation. We have more new jobs in last two years than eight years of Bush administration.
ulla nystrom
Looks to me like the wealthy americans think that they are above the working class people as human beings.
The owner of the company won't get anywhere without workers. Both need each other. So, give the guy who actually generates the product, a break. Start paying your fair share of taxes, do you really need that 4th house and the 15th car????
One reason why democrats are weaker, is that among their ranks, they don't have as many vocal nuts and extremists as republicans. Their extreme views get all not-so-smart people going and the voice of reason won't get heard because the voice of reason doesn't shout loud enough!
noteaparty4me
And the voice of reason does not garner big ratings for the tea party media like CNN and FOX. Christine O'donnel's debate was covered because she was a nut and CNN knows that hate and crazy is selling. Then when they crack and shoot a United States Congresswoman, Oh no, what did THEY do! THEY did it, not the media, we are not in this, we are non biased.
People tend to be blinded by their financial situation. Not saying they are bad,...Just blind to a certain degree.
Cut social programs at a time like this and prepare to deal with a sharp increas in crime and begging...Yes begging.
Need to fix social programs? Yes. But have some common sense.
$ thrown into a social program is not fluushed down the toilet. It buys THINGS. Things that create and keep jobs.
There are not enough jobs and have never been enough to go around.
Jobs have been trimmed over the past quarter century to make more $ for the shareholders. Good for the economy? Yes and no.
If you are $ secure, God bless you and congrats. I don't begrudge that. If you commute less than 20 miles a day or have a company vehicle and or gas card...You are blinded my friend. Fuel cost is absolutely killing this nation.
The economy is in the toilet because of FUEL. Think about it. Many folks spend over $150 a week in gas to commute. Do the math. When it reaches a certain level, they must curb spending on goods,...Goods that creat JOBS. Then they must choose which gets cut this month, the mortgage or the car payment.
Whay am I making these points? Simply put, people like Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and a whole swarm of others have lied and twisted things enough to make a large section of the working middle class (who pays way more than their fair share in taxes) believe that the Tea Party is on your side...Wake up folks! I am very much a moderate. But these exteme agendas and viewpoints are dividing us. That's a bad thing.
Tim McCoy
America is only politically polarized in any real sense insofar as there is a black US President in the White House, and many Confederate Flag bumper stickers that say, "Forget, Hell!, on the back bumpers of gas guzzlers. Many of which are being driven from gun shows to convenience stores, for cigarettes and booze, by extremists who swear there is no legit US president because the occupant of the Oval Office was born in Kenya, or Indonesia. Truly, the tea party is correct about one thing. The money spent on public education as been all but completely wasted.
barryho
Timmy is Exhibit A for the proof of the failure of public eduction.
dugee
The reason so many people watch FOX is that they want positive reinforcement for their bigoted world views.It's idiot safety in idiot numbers. It is much easier to get a bunch of stupid people on the same page than free thinkers who consider many news sources and question them all.
Well put, Dugee! Totally agree!
Rush LImbaugh said it, "IT WAS ABOUT RACE". The hatred for President Obama overrides love of coutry and what is in the best interest of country for some. When the Democratic leader concedes on tax revenues and offers cuts but debt limit increase and that's refused as well then we have to look beyond the issues. The media can partner in the big cover up but everyone sees it and is calling it for what it is. It's just good ole fashioned American as apple pie, RACISM. And if this is the legacy of Reagan's party, then so be it. The party of hate would prefer to destroy or hurt Americans than to give that "liar", j"d***head, n*****,President anything. Elections have consequences. When you have a tea party media like CNN (Erikson), FOX,, etc. you do get more than your 15 minutes. Enjoy it, it looks like it will be short lived. Next election please..
[ Anonymous P@TRi0T (S3kshuN8) ]
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/28/balkin.obama.options/index.html?hpt=hp_p1&iref=NS1
"You don't have to believe in your government to be a good American; you just have to believe in your country."
- [ George W. Bush _in_ Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay ]
(...OK so I fibbed a little when I tweeted that I was starting a Babylon 5 DVD marathon...)
I'd say that we're right on track as a nation. I'm not sure where those tracks are going, but I doubt that trying to derail the train is a viable option.
- (all me)
What you are seeing is a sharp correction of a government that has moved too far left. Prior to Obama, as I believe Peggy Noonan commented, most policies started in the middle and then tracked left. we are simply paying for that tilt now.
Obama's presidency has been wholly one sided. No compromise in him. Remember the "ditch" comment and the "Republicans should shut up" comment. Where was Mr. Zakaria's outrage then Perhaps he was too busy cheering.
I didn't see an comments on CNN about how Obama was unwilling to compromise. It's always the Republicans that are extremists and fail to compromise. CNN, it's time to get fair and balanced.
The truth is that Obama has done too much compromising , negotiator as he is by nature.
The other side is determined to drive him on his knees for
personal reasons, at the expense of the country.
AZLlib
100% correct... Sen Mitch McConnell noted that his top priority was to insure that Obama was a one term president, not to create jobs, or help the ecomomy. Like the rest of the GOP bought and paid for trash on the hill they are willing to destroy America and turn it into Mexico all for the benefit NOT of the American people as a whole, but for the super wealthy and special interests that lien their pockets. It's time for a masive display of unhappiness by the majority.
July 29, 2011 at 11:41 am |
Vicki C. Bryant
The Tea Party is descended directly from The John Birch Society – the father of the Koch Brothers (Tea Party founders) was a co-founder of the John Birch Society). The hysteria they manifest against Obama and the US Govt. has at its root an extreme resentment that a black man occupies the White House. It is good ol' American racism that is destroying this country. Unfortunately, America deserves every rotten thing in store for the evils it has committed. Unfortunately for most of us, we are stuck here and have no way out. No one needs to drop a bomb on the US – the U.S. is handily destroying itself from within. The damage has already been done by this debt-default business and it cannot be undone. The following reality is extremely unfortunate: the white race is the most spiteful race on the planet – it would rather flush the country down the toilet than to share. May the Force be with us...............
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Beehive is the ultimate celebration of 1960's female empowerment. Featuring such timeless classics as "My Boyfriend's Back", "Be My Baby", "Son of a Preacher Man", and "Me and Bobby McGee", Beehive nostalgically recalls the days of miniskirts, transistor radios and flower power. Told from the perspective of six young women who came of age in this enigmatic decade, these young ladies look back on a host of issues ranging from their first Beehive Dance to the challenges we faced as a nation – all accomplished by a vast array of the most celebrated and memorable songs of the era.
Beehive is currently available in the U.S. and Canada.
10. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?


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Copromorpha gypsota is een vlinder uit de familie van de Copromorphidae. De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1886 door Meyrick.

Copromorphidae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


During the northern summer, the Polo Instructors and Players Association, is organising the largest international Beach Polo Tour. Events will be held in the hotspots of European beach and water sport and tourism, and other beautiful locations at the mediteranean sea.
The PIPA is the World Association of Polo Instructors and Polo Players, similar to the ATP in Tennis or the PGA in Golf. PIPA features "non patron based" Polo, which is the real and authentic polo sport only played at the world's top locations such as in Argentina or England. No paying patrons are participating, rather only experienced international players. "Non patron based" polo is fast, dynamic and a pleasure to watch, especially in the special Snow Arenas of approximately 30 x 70 meters, where the audience is right next to the action.
PIPA makes polo more accessible. Polo is the new trendsport, but needs to be brought to the people. Therefore, more and more polo events are played as Arena Polo, which means that the normal polo field size of approximately 200 x 300 meters is sized down to fields of 30 x 60 meters, up to 50 x 80 meters. During the winter season PIPA also runs some of the most prestigious Snow Polo events, such as the one held at Bad Gastein or at Seefeld.


On the morning of September 11, 2001, the terrorist group al Qaeda, led by Osama Bin Laden, carried out a series of large attacks on the United States. Three years prior to these events, the US had asked the Taliban, the ruling power in Afghanistan and an ally of al Qaeda, to surrender Bin Laden, which they refused. Following 9/11 the Taliban still would not turn him over. The US rejected the Taliban's request for negotiations, and launched Operation Enduring Freedom on October 7, 2001, the goal of which was to capture Bin Laden, remove the Taliban from power, and to eliminate the potential for Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven by other terrorist networks.
The city of Kabul fell on October 13, 2001, shortly followed by Kandahar, the last Taliban stronghold, on December 7, which effectively marked the end of Taliban rule. In 2004 Hamid Karzai was elected President of Afghanistan. At this time the Taliban increased their use of suicide attacks and roadside bombs in an effort to regain power. According to NATO, it was expected that all international troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014 and the Afghan Army would take over as military power. On the morning of May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden, the man arguably responsible for the war, was killed by US Navy SEALs in Abottabad, Pakistan.


It is very important for new online business owners to properly market the websites that they have just created. Otherwise, they run the risk of the public ignoring them. People will often pay more attention to the design of their site and the selection of their inventory.
They will neglect the marketing of their site. This will eventually lead to the failure of the site. You need to realize that even the most perfectly designed online business will fail if consumers are unaware that it exists. Therefore, you need to make sure that the development of a marketing campaign is part of your plans when you launch a new online business.
1. You can create an email campaign.
One of the oldest ways that online business owners have used to promote their online businesses involves the use of email. It is true that email has been around for a very long time. However, do not let that fact make you think that email is an outdated way to promote your website. The simple fact is that the vast majority of people who use the Internet on a regular basis have an email address. This is still a very common way for people to communicate. Therefore, you need to take advantage of it. The key is to acquire the email addresses of people who fit into your target demographic. Then you need to write an effective intro email that will explain what your business is and why they should check out your site. You can hire a company that provides online marketing services to help you devise a good email marketing campaign.
2. Connect with people who might be interested in your products or services on Twitter.
It is not hard to understand why Twitter has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the word. It is very easy to use and you are able to connect with millions of people. Twitter has become one of the most important promotional tools for people who own a business. They can announce the launch of a new product and advertise it for free. This is another reason why Twitter is ideal for people who have just launched a new business and have limited financial resources. It is free to create a Twitter account. You can also send as many tweets as you want for no charge.
3. Create an account for your business on Facebook.
Like it or not, having a Facebook account for your online business is a necessity. Millions of people search for businesses on Facebook. This means that you will be missing out on all of those potential customers if you are not a part of the Facebook community. However, simply having a Facebook account is not enough. You also need to use it to interact with people regularly to tell them what you have to offer.


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'Pokémon Snap' is Coming to Switch After 20 Years on Nintendo's Shelf
Michael Crider has been writing about computers, phones, video games, and general nerdy things on the internet for ten years. He's never happier than when he's tinkering with his home-built desktop or soldering a new keyboard. Read more...
@MichaelCrider
Jun 17, 2020, 10:10 am EST | 1 min read
Back in the late 90s, Pokémon fever had gripped the world, and the only cure was more Pokemon. Nintendo rushed to make sequels to the ultra-popular games, but worked on spinoffs too. One was Pokémon Snap, an N64 game that had you taking wildlife photos instead of catching monsters. After more than 20 years, Pokémon Snap is returning on the Switch.
New Pokémon Snap was announced with a brief trailer on YouTube this morning, part of a slew of announcements for new and existing Pokemon games. The new version of the game seems to have gameplay almost identical to the original, with the protagonist roaming untamed wilds in his bubble-mobile searching for Pokémon in their natural habitat. You shoot photos of unusual creatures or behavior, getting graded on things like photo composition.
The Pokémon Snap portion of the video starts at around 5:20.
It's a fun and conflict-free take on Pokémon , with the focus more on the creatures than the battling and training. And fans of the series will be ecstatic to get the chance to check out their favorite monsters in this way—when the first Pokémon Snap game came out, only the original 150 Pokémon were available. Now there are almost 900.
Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara was mum on more concrete details, and there's no mention of an expected release date—that probably means 2021 at the earliest.
Source: YouTube via Kotaku
Michael Crider has been writing about computers, phones, video games, and general nerdy things on the internet for ten years. He's never happier than when he's tinkering with his home-built desktop or soldering a new keyboard. Read Full Bio »
Apple iPhone 14 Review: Yep, It's an iPhone
Danny Chadwick | December 5th
Amazon Smart Plug Review: Brilliant, as Long as You Use Alexa
Mark LoProto | December 29th

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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« Zone Music Reporter's Review of "Beloved," an Album of World Music by Bill Leyden
New Album from Bill Leyden – "In Another World" »
"Just Take The Flute Out of It, and It Will Be Perfect!"
My Friend, Shayde Christian
In 2009, I was editing images for director friend, Shayde Christian while listening to one of the flute albums — I think that it might have been "The Longing for Good."
Shayde Christian
Suddenly, after a day of shooting his film, "Painting in the Rain," he apparently decided to come over to view the images and was peeking around my front door:
"Hey, man…is that your music playing?" Shayde asked.
"Hey, I really like what's going on there. Does that mean that you have access to all of the tracks?" he continued.
Not yet knowing where he was going with the line of questioning, I fell into his logic:
"Sure, I do! It's multi-track software."
"Hey, if you'd take the flute tracks out of it, it would be perfect!"
It has long since become a running joke between us, but at the time I felt a flush run upwards through my body and with as much humility as I could summon, I informed Shayde that:
"Yes, I could do that, but, you know, I am kind-of known to the people who listen to me as a Native American-style flute player!"
Oh! I'm sorry! I just meant that for my movie, I could really use the orchestration part, and not the flute — it doesn't fit my story!"
"Right," I mustered.
Three years later, Shayde chose the title track from the album, "Beloved" for a poignant scene in his feature, "Painting in the Rain." The flute punctuates the scene perfectly. He put together the Beloved video as a thank you:
I have enjoyed what I hope is a good joke so much that I have extended it to my Native American flute player friends, including Wolfs Robe, whose traditional albums are almost exclusively played on the Native American flute.
My blood-brother, Wolfs Robe. "Just take the flute out, and it will be perfect!"
Learning to Appreciate the Taiwanese "Ghost Month"
I have several dear friends who hail originally from the island of Taiwan. I have learned over the years that it is probably a good idea to lie low during Ghost Month. I used to take this with a grain of cultural salt, but as I age to perfection, I find myself attempting to be more flexible.
Every now and then, when I speak to someone new that I have met from Taiwan, I will ask about Ghost Month. Immediately, the response is something like,
"How do you know about Ghost Month? You'd better be careful during that time — a lot of strange things happen!"
For the benefit of the reader, I quote from Wikipedia:
"Taiwan: Ghost Month
Traditionally, it is believed that ghosts haunt the island of Taiwan for the entire seventh lunar month, when the mid-summer Ghost Festival is held.[5] The month is known as Ghost Month.[6] The first day of the month is marked by opening the gate of a temple, symbolizing the gates of hell. On the twelfth day, lamps on the main altar are lit. On the thirteenth day, a procession of lanterns is held. On the fourteenth day, a parade is held for releasing water lanterns. Incense and food are offered to the spirits to avoid them visiting homes and spirit paper money is also burnt as an offering.[7] During the month, people avoid surgery, buying cars, swimming, and going out after dark. It is also important that addresses are not revealed to the ghosts."
Burning Ghost Money during Ghost Month (image from Internet)
This year, I did not exactly follow the precepts of Ghost Month. I traveled to LA, where all appointments that I had arranged were unusually rescheduled out of the month. And I got a speeding citation in Jerome, AZ for blazing through town at 30 mph at night. At that moment, I was telling my passengers, who had suffered a motorcycle breakdown that afternoon that it was probably Ghost Month that contributed to the new tire blowing out 20 miles from civilization. They remarked that they would no longer show any disrespect for Ghost Month.
"In Another World"
I had begun the album, "In Another World" well-before the 7th lunar month this year. And by the time that I was working on the third song, Ghost Month had begun and suddenly the album took a sharp detour.
The first inkling that I had was during the recording of the song, Redona Me. The song starts in C minor, a key I don't usually use, and pulses slowly until the melody begins to soar longingly — hopefully toward an unseen destination. There is no flute present (I thought of Shayde and smiled to myself).
By the time that I had completed the track, Contessina, I knew something was going to be different. Then, when I finished the first mix, I sent a copy to Shayde for his input. True to form, he said something like,
"This is the best s— you have ever done! The album is not just a collection of songs – these are compositions with a theme!"
Not content, he continued,
"I don't know if this is good advice for you or not, but I like your new stuff so much, that I think you could lose a track or two of those flute solos."
I asked, "Oh, you mean I should just take some flute out, and it will be perfect?"
"Hey, man," Shayde quickly responded. "I know how you feel. Do you know how many of my own scenes that I have had to cut from my scripts?"
So, I continue to mix — it is yet to be seen whether I'll be able to heed his advice with grace. Maybe the ghosts with whom I have tried to make piece will guide the way.
In the days following this original post, I received a three-page write up with Shayde's comments. Nestled in the thoughts on transitions and old-Bill vs. new-Bill, there was a question about the track, "Redona Me:"
".... "Redone Me." What is the 6th note in the melody, a 6th? It grabs me by
the heart. And there's a passing tone around 1:10 that just keeps me so off balance...."
I was more than willing to give him a heart-felt response:
"After an intro of alternating Cminor and Ab major chords, the melody starts its lift on the 5th (G) of the Cminor Chord. The melody then runs up the the scale of the minor chord passing through the 6th note to the octave, where the chord changes to Ab. The octave G note, which was the 5th of the Cmin chord then becomes the major 7th of the Ab chord. So, it would appear that the Ab maj 7 chord is moving you as it almost appears out of nowhere.
The melody then 'relaxes' back a full step to the F note as the chord progression reaches for the Bb major chord. The F note is the 5th in the Bb major chord, thereby strengthening the resolve of the longing in the initial melodic reach by resting at a major triad (F/Bb/D).
At about 1:10, the melody and the chord both rest briefly at Bb again. The melody then raises 1/2 step to the B natural, either implying a G7 chord or a Bb Add B chord that transitions to the Cminor chord again. This tension is storing the energy to lift to the next melodic vault.
I am sure that answered the question.
Ghost Month, In Another World, Native American Flute Music, Shayde Christian, Taiwan
This entry was posted on October 7, 2012, 10:25 pm and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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louisianaarttherapy.org
What is Art Therapy
How to Become an Art Therapist
Find an Art Therapist
Responding to Trauma
Becoming an Art Therapist
According to the American Art Therapy Association:
National requirements for professional entry into the practice of art therapy include, at minimum, a master's degree and extensive post-graduate clinical experience under the supervision of credentialed art therapists—a process which typically requires a minimum of four years. Some art therapists also have a doctorate degree. Because of the uniqueness of the study and practice of art therapy, practitioners must be trained within approved art therapy master's degree programs recognized by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). Through the Educational Program Approval Board (EPAB), the Association has approved thirty-nine art therapy master's degree programs at thirty-five accredited colleges and universities in twenty states and the District of Columbia.
Art therapy master's level education requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours of graduate level coursework that includes training in studio art (drawing, painting, sculpture, etc.), the creative process, psychological development, group therapy, art therapy assessment, psychodiagnostics, research methods, and multicultural diversity competence. Students must also complete 100 hours of supervised practicum, and 600 hours of supervised art therapy clinical internship. The art therapy graduate curriculum is uniquely guided by the premise that focused art-making constitutes reflective practice and facilitates learning.
(Source: American Art Therapy Association: How to Become an Art Therapist)
ATR-BC: What do these Credentials mean?
In order to become a Registered, Board Certified Art Therapist, one must obtain 1,000 hours of post graduate direct client contact hours, and 100 hours of supervision by a Registered Art Therapist, in addition to the ATCB board certification exam.
Art Therapy Credentials Board: About the Credentials
Art Therapy Blog: How to Become an Art Therapist
Inner Body.com/Careers in Health: How to Become an Art Therapist
Psychology Today.com: So You Want to be an Art Therapist, Part Two: Art Therapy Education, The good, the bad and the "challenging" of art therapy education.
Spark Art Therapy.com: 7 Steps in Becoming an Art Therapist (What credentials does my art therapist have?)
Study.com: Art Therapist Education Requirements and Career Information
Artwork by Christina Vasquez, MS., ATR-BC, FT


LISBON: Pakistan's Embassy in Portugal's capital Lisbon held an event to raise funds for PM-CJ fund for Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams and promotion of ties with Pakistan and Portugal.
Charge d Affairs at Pakistan Embassy Lisbon, Fayyaz Ahmed Khan inaugurated the event with his speech.
Addressing the Pakistani community, Fayyaz Khan praised the initiative of the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) who autonomously launched a campaign to collect funds for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam along the Indus River.
"Pakistanis have already begun to suffer due to the perpetual shortage of drinking and irrigation water and this shortage will eventually multiply with the passage of time, if immediate practical measures to overcome this issue have not been taken," said Fayyaz Khan.
The event, held in collaboration with veteran Journalist Azfar Bukhari, also focused on promoting culture and tourism between Pakistan and Portugal.
Foreign diplomats, senior government functionaries, renowned businessmen, journalists, prominent members of the Pakistan community and world famous Portuguese Fashion Designer Mr. Joao Rolo attended the event.
Joao Rolo, while sharing his experience of his recent visit to Pakistan, added that Pakistan is not only one of the safest countries to visit for tourism purpose but a lucrative place to start any kind of business.
Azfar Bukhari, while addressing the Pakistani community, said that everyone should contribute for the betterment of our country, it is the fact that the capital outlay is so massive that donations alone cannot suffice to fund the dam, but the dam campaign has at least created awareness among the masses about the need for a water reservoir.
Bukhari said he would also contribute to promote Portuguese culture and tourism in Pakistan to enhance the bilateral ties between two friendly nations.
Bukhari, who is well regarded within the major quarters of EU, is on the visit of different European countries these days along with ARY News team to promote the PM-CJ fund for Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams.
Apart from journalism, Bukhari is famous for his strong socio-political ties not only in Pakistan but in other countries of the Middle East and Europe as well.
In the year 2011, Sindh Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution to honor his services rendered for the country.
The fund, which was merged with PM's fund by PM Imran Khan on September 7, can receive donations and contributions from both domestic and international donors, individuals and companies, and the general public has been requested to contribute generously.


text:
Q: How to make the add and subtrack quantity button in a for loop work well in php I am designing an ecommerce in php site and i am making all the products alongside with the buttons display with a for loop in the cart page i did a function to add and subtract the quantity of an item but the problem is that the when one button is clicked it works for all of the products instead one of the specific product it was clicked for. please how do i rectify this
<?php
             echo"
";

               $val1="SELECT * FROM cart where idnum = '$sesid' ";

               $val2=mysqli_query($db,$val1);

                $val3=mysqli_num_rows($val2);

                if($val3 != 0)
                {
                    function minusqnty( $con1e){
              $user="root";
                $pass="";
                $db="aj";
                $db = new mysqli('localhost',$user,$pass,$db) or die ("could not connect");

                $qnty1 = "SELECT * FROM cart  WHERE oid = '$con1e'";

                 $qnty2 = mysqli_query($db,$qnty1);

            $qnty3 = mysqli_fetch_assoc($qnty2);
                             $qnty4 = $qnty3['quantity'];
                            $qnty5 = $qnty4 - 1;

                //updating quantity record
                $qnty6 = "UPDATE cart SET quantity ='$qnty5' WHERE oid = $con1e";
                             mysqli_query($db,$qnty6);

                     }

                         function plusqnty( $con1e){
              $user="root";
                $pass="";
                $db="aj";
                $db = new mysqli('localhost',$user,$pass,$db) or die ("could not connect");

                $qnty1 = "SELECT * FROM cart  WHERE oid = '$con1e'";

                 $qnty2 = mysqli_query($db,$qnty1);

            $qnty3 = mysqli_fetch_assoc($qnty2);
                             $qnty4 = $qnty3['quantity'];
                            $qnty5 = $qnty4 + 1;

                //updating quantity record
                $qnty6 = "UPDATE cart SET quantity ='$qnty5' WHERE oid = $con1e";
                             mysqli_query($db,$qnty6);

                     }

                     for($x=1; $x<=$val3; $x++ ){

                         $con1c = mysqli_fetch_array($con1a);

                         $con1d = $con1c['photo'];

                         $con1e = $con1c['oid'];

                         echo"
";

                         echo"".""."	";

                         //function for quantity button

                            if(array_key_exists('minusqnty',$_POST))
                {
                        minusqnty($con1e);
                    }

                          if(array_key_exists('plusqnty',$_POST))
                {
                        plusqnty($con1e);
                    }

                          echo"".

                              "

                              Name: " .$con1c['name']."

                              Price: " .$con1c['price']." naira

                              Quantity:   "."

                    <form method='post'>". "<input type='submit' class='sectionc1b2a' name='minusqnty' id='minusqnty' value='-' />".      "</form>

" .$con1c['quantity']."

                      <form method='post'>". "<input type='submit' class='sectionc1b2c' name='plusqnty' id='plusqnty' value='+' />".      "</form>

                              "."

                              Remove Item

                              Read all about the product

                              "

                              ."	";

                         echo"
";

                        //break;
                    }
                    /*while($con1c = mysqli_fetch_array($con1a)){
                        $con1d = $con1c['photo'];

                         echo"
";

                         echo""."

                         $con1d;

"."	";

                          echo""."sdsds"."	";

                         echo"
";
                   }*/

               }
                else
                {
                    echo "
You have no items in your cart
";

                }
        echo"
";
        ?>

this is the enter image description here

A: This line here is your problem, you are selecting all items and removing them:
$qnty1 = "SELECT * FROM cart  WHERE oid = '$con1e'";

This line of code below is correct and doesn't need the line above:
$qnty6 = "UPDATE cart SET quantity ='$qnty5' WHERE oid = $con1e";

the * means ALL

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Carrier Signs Agreement to Acquire Toshiba's Global VRF and Light Commercial HVAC Business
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Feb. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions, today signed a binding agreement to acquire Toshiba Corporation's (TOKYO: 6502) ownership stake in Toshiba Carrier Corporation (TCC), a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) and light commercial HVAC joint venture with Carrier. The planned acquisition will strengthen Carrier's position in one of the fastest-growing HVAC segments, as well as scale its global VRF product platform with leading and differentiated technology and the addition of a renowned brand to its portfolio.
Established in 1999, TCC designs and manufactures flexible, energy-efficient and high-performance VRF and light commercial HVAC systems utilizing its own proprietary inverter technology, as well as commercial products, compressors and heat pumps. VRF delivers high-performance heating and cooling through systems that are typically all-electric and highly efficient, consistent with Carrier's sustainability goals to reduce its customers' carbon footprint by more than one gigaton by 2030.
Carrier's acquisition will include all of TCC's advanced research & development centers and global manufacturing operations, strong product pipeline, and the long-term use of Toshiba's deeply respected and iconic brand.
"Carrier sees significant growth potential in the global VRF, light commercial and heat pump segments and is excited by the opportunity to expand our business through this strategic acquisition. TCC's proven R&D expertise, strong global brand and talented employees will be tremendous additions to Carrier's multi-brand channel strategy," said Dave Gitlin, Chairman & CEO, Carrier. "We look forward to offering complementary, high-performance and sustainable solutions to our customers that will help them achieve their environmental goals."
The global market for VRF and light commercial equipment is the fastest growing HVAC equipment segment. Upon close, the acquisition will position Carrier as a VRF leader, more than doubling its sales in the market segment.
"We are pleased that TCC employees will continue the growth and innovation journey of Toshiba's HVAC business as part of Carrier, benefiting from its unparalleled global reach, strong dealer network and shared history of innovation," said Satoshi Tsunakawa, President & CEO, Toshiba. "This is a value-enhancing opportunity for investors, customers and employees."
Today's announcement builds on Carrier's recent acquisition of Guangdong Giwee Group, a China-based manufacturer of HVAC products, offering a portfolio of high-quality products including VRF and light commercial air conditioners. Combined with Carrier's existing partnerships, the acquisition strengthens Carrier's portfolio of innovative, environmentally responsible solutions with a broader range of highly efficient, all-electric products, positioning Carrier to lead the world's heating and cooling sustainability transformation.
The acquisitions also demonstrate the company's commitment to investing in growth, while delivering on Carrier's commitment to increase product extensions and broaden geographic coverage. In addition, the acquisition is also another step in Carrier's continuing efforts to simplify its HVAC joint venture structure.
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of Q3, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Upon closing, Toshiba will retain a 5% ownership stake in TCC, and Carrier will consolidate over $2 billion in unconsolidated revenue.
The company will provide additional information on this transaction during its earnings call scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 8:30 a.m.
About Carrier
As the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions, Carrier Global Corporation is committed to making the world safer, sustainable and more comfortable for generations to come. From the beginning, we've led in inventing new technologies and entirely new industries. Today, we continue to lead because we have a world-class, diverse workforce that puts the customer at the center of everything we do. For more information, visit www.Corporate.Carrier.com or follow us on social media at @Carrier.
CARR-IR
Cautionary Statement
This communication contains statements which, to the extent they are not statements of historical or present fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" under the securities laws. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management's current expectations or plans for Carrier's future operating and financial performance, based on assumptions currently believed to be valid. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "expectations," "plans," "strategy," "prospects," "estimate," "project," "target," "anticipate," "will," "should," "see," "guidance," "outlook," "confident," "scenario" and other words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance or the separation from United Technologies Corporation (the "Separation"), since renamed Raytheon Technologies Corporation. Forward-looking statements may include, among other things, statements relating to future sales, earnings, cash flow, results of operations, uses of cash, share repurchases, tax rates and other measures of financial performance or potential future plans, strategies or transactions of Carrier, the estimated costs associated with the Separation, Carrier's plans with respect to its indebtedness and other statements that are not historical facts. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. For additional information on identifying factors that may cause actual results to vary materially from those stated in forward-looking statements, see Carrier's reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Carrier assumes no obligation to update or revise such statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
SOURCE Carrier Global Corporation
Tags: Acquire, Agreement, Business, Carrier, Commercial, Global, HVAC, light, Signs, Toshibas, VRF
Automotive Air-conditioning System Market | Industry Insight 2022-2028
Automotive Air-conditioning System Market Size, Scope, Growth, Competitive Analysis – Valeo, Denso Corporation, Delphi, Eberspächer Group


text:
Q: Building a chrome extension- can't get it to block a div Im building a chrome extention. Im trying to block the arrows on redditp with the click on a button that only comes up when youa re on the site. The site in question is www.redditp.com.
Manifest.json
{
"name": "Redditp Button Disabler",
"version": "0.0.1",
  "description": "Disable ugly buttons on Redditp. Made by Algy.",
  "permissions": ["https://redditp.com/"],
  "manifest_version": 2,
  "content_scripts": [
    {
        "matches": [
        "http://redditp.com/*"],
        "js": ["main.js"],
        "run_at": "document_end",
        "all_frames": true
    }
  ]
}

Main.js
document.querySelector('div#nextButton').innerHTML = '';

What have I done to mess it up? At the moment i'm just trying to get it to remove the right arrow, because I assume once I know how to do one, ill be able to remove everything else I need to. When I want it to remove more, can I just put it under the first line of code? Also do I need to do anything to get my icon to show up and execute the code upon click?
Thanks Guys.


text:
#include "Activity/FocusManager/InterruptModel.h"

namespace multiAgentExperience {
namespace library {
namespace activity {

std::shared_ptr<InterruptModel> InterruptModel::create() {
    return std::make_shared<InterruptModel>();
}

MixingBehavior InterruptModel::getMixingBehavior(
    const std::string& lowPrioChannel,
    ContentType lowPrioContentType,
    const std::string& highPrioChannel,
    ContentType highPrioContentType) const {
    return MixingBehavior::MUST_PAUSE;
}

}  // namespace activity
}  // namespace library
}  // namespace multiAgentExperience

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Soviet Labs Putin Pump yields massize doses of the most effective nitric oxide enhancing ingredients known to mankind leaving users with Vladimir-like vascularity and mind blowing pumps from the Motherland. Only Soviet era research could bring about the most effective, highly dosed, stimulant free, nitric oxide boosting pre-workout ever before seen.
Other Ingredients: Natural and artificial flavors, silica, citric acid, sucralose, acesulfame-k.
Directions: As a dietary supplement, consume 1/2 scoop mixed with 10 fl oz. of water approx 10-20 minutes before workout.


text:
Sisterwives by Rachel Connor
Buy Sisterwives by Rachel Connor at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: General Fiction
Reviewer: Louise Laurie
Summary: A closed community which sets its own rules sounds like heaven to some. Except when one husband decides to have himself two wives, he hadn't recokoned on the serious consequences.
Buy? Maybe Borrow? Yes
Pages: 223 Date: October 2011
Publisher: Crocus
When I first read the title (I hadn't yet read the back cover blurb) I glibly thought that it was about two sisters and their marriages. Wrong. This debut novel by Connor is about two very different women (one is no more than a girl really) who just happen to 'marry' the same man. I use the word marry very loosely indeed. Their community, their rules, their descriptions etc can be rather quirky. Marriages are normally called 'sealings'.'
And as I started to read, I pictured in my mind's eye a sort of Amish-type community. Very intriguing and I wanted to keep reading. There's something that satisfies when you read about a culture or a religion, for example, very different from your own.
The story opens with a young, nervous and naive bride called Amarantha - or Ammie as she's usually called. She's marrying a man who is older but more importantly perhaps, already has a wife and three children.
Connor's style is rather languid and slow-paced. She takes time to get into the head of her characters. And what stood out was that the actions of the main characters, important as they were to the story, took second place to emotions, thoughts, musings etc. So the book has a definite unhurried feel about it which was fine. After all, the community in question here have chosen a simpler way of life, away from the hustle and bustle - and temptations - of town and city.
We all know that very often in love, there are winners and losers. And this statement applies in this novel too. Big time. Rebecca, the first wife: older, hassled somewhat by her busy family life and also teaching at the community school, is not at all happy that she's soon to share her husband, Tobias. But she has no say in the matter. The community elders, who presumably have much wisdom, have already decided on the matter. But is there an ulterior motive?
For Ammie, well, she feels as if she's won the lottery. She'll have a safe and secure home, a respected place within the community as a married woman and the icing on the cake is that she feels physically attracted to Tobias. She never expectred to want him.
Connor is fond of her descriptions. So we know what the main characters look like, in the flesh as it were. Facial features, hair colour, body shapes, eye colour, even Tobias' chest hair all get a descriptive treatment.
As Ammie and Tobias' partnership grows - so too, do the problems. Two women in a kitchen is often asking for trouble. There's added tension as Ammie is asked to look after the children, someone else's children. Problems soon spiral out of control. And the book concentrates on this uneasy triangle of Ammie/Tobias/Rebecca.
The concept of a household of a husband and his two wives, his sisterwives is good and also intriguing. But a slight negative for me was that, at times, I found Connor's language to be pedantic and even repetitious. Yes, there are some lovely lines and passages, but they are the exception, so on balance, a rather average read for me personally.
If this book appeals then you might also enjoy The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
Please share on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
You can read more book reviews or buy Sisterwives by Rachel Connor at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Sisterwives by Rachel Connor at Amazon.com.
Like to comment on this review?
Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.
Retrieved from "http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/w/index.php?title=Sisterwives_by_Rachel_Connor&oldid=131670"
Rachel Connor
Reviewed by Louise Laurie


Testing is not going so well… we're discouraged by a 7 megabyte xml file taking over 30 hours until finally we stopped and restarted the server. It was the oddest thing… In the UI, course sections continued to slowly increment even though the siapi.log, and top and ps -ef gave us no indication that an import process was still running. How am I going to provision our soon to be production system (scheduled for this weekend!) if we don't even know where to look to determine the progress of the import?
I HAVE changed default logging now…just didn't have that in the test environment when it ran. I edited the log4j.properties file in the ./serverconf directory.


text:
HBCU NFL Draft Capsules: Quarterbacks
Posted on April 7, 2020 April 12, 2020 by Tee Mack
By Anthony McClean, Editor In Chief Emeritus
To say sports fans have undergone extreme withdrawal symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic would be a major understatement. However, later this month, they may get their first reprieve.
The NFL (as of press time) have stated they will still put on their annual College Draft extravaganza on April 23-25. Originally scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, all draft activities will be held on-line while being broadcast by the NFL Network, ABC, and ESPN Networks.
Today, we begin our annual look at the best HBCU football players that are eligible for this year's draft. It gives our readers a look back at some of the outstanding performers of the past season who hope to turn their Saturday dreams into Sunday realities.
First up, the quarterbacks
Deondre Francois, Hampton
After playing two seasons at Florida State, the 6-foot-2, 216-pounder passed for 2,522 yards and 26 touchdowns in his one season for the Pirates. His completions and touchdowns broke school single-season records, while his yardage count was second best. In 25 games as a Seminole, he threw for 6,291 yards and 36 touchdowns — ninth and 14th, respectively, in school history. The Orlando, Fla. native was also invited to the 2020 Hula Bowl and HBCU NFL Combine.
Slade Jarman, Fort Valley State
The 2019 SIAC's Offensive Player of The Year, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder led the conference in passing yards per game (262.2 yds/gm) and set his personal best numbers of 174 completions in 281 attempts for 2,099 yards with 18 touchdowns to five interceptions for a 61.9-percent and a 142.25 pass efficiency rating. The Pensacola, Fla., native also rushed 123 yards on 74 carries with six touchdowns. Jarman was able to do this despite suffering a season-ending injury in the start of the third quarter of week eight's game.
Jalen Morton, Prairie View A&M
The 6-foot-4, 226-pounder passed for more than 5,200 yards and rushed for 1,579 yards in his Panther career, accounting for 65 total touchdowns — 42 passing, 22 rushing, one receiving — over that span. One of the most dangerous dual-threats in the SWAC, Morton posted five games where he accumulated 100 yards or more passing as well as 100 yards or more on the ground. The Arlington, Tx. native was also invited to the HBCU NFL Combine.
Ryan Stanley, Florida A&M
The 2019 MEAC's Offensive Player of The Year, Stanley led the Rattlers to a 9-2 overall record and the program's first national ranking since 2009. The Pembroke Pines, Fla. native was the top passer in the MEAC, averaging over 256 yards per game. He has broken four program career records at Florida A&M, setting new marks for passing touchdowns, passing completions, passing attempts and passing yards. He threw for 2,566 yards and 23 touchdowns this season and had three 300-yard games, including a 427-yard outing against South Carolina State. Stanley leaves FAMU as the all-time career leader in touchdowns (67), pass attempts (1,187), completions (636) and passing yards (8,424). He is ranked first in MEAC history in pass attempts and second in total passing yards (8,424) and pass completions.
Akevious Williams, Bethune-Cookman
A three-year starter and a 2019 All-MEAC selection for the Wildcats, the Madison, Fla. native threw for 1,774 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 571 yards and scoring 10 times last season. He also caught a touchdown in BCU's win at North Carolina Central. The 6-foot-2, 188-pounder converted from running back to quarterback during his freshman season following a series of injuries.
NEXT: Running backs
Anthony McClean can be reached via email at anthonymcclean@basnnewsroom.com.
Tags: HBCU football, NFL Draft, Pro FootballCategories: NFL
Editor In Chief Emeritus, BASN Newsroom


text:
Tigné Point
Tigné Point - Sliema
Tigné Point was born with a vision of modern comfort and sophisticated living set against the stunning historical backdrop of Valletta's bastions. It is one of the most forward-looking and comprehensive real estate projects ever planned for Malta. Part of the circa €600 million MIDI development, Tigné Point bridges the gap between the island's rich cultural heritage, and an altogether newer sense of luxury and sophistication.
Conceived as a mixed-use, lifestyle development, Tigné Point is currently best known for its luxurious apartments. Whilst these continue to attract buyers from different corners of the globe, the residential component of the project comprises just 55% of the area of the peninsula. This is complemented by 'The Point' shopping mall, one of Malta's largest retail centres, and car-free Pjazza Tigné – the heart of this mixed-use project and the largest square in the fashionable Sliema district. An international grade business block, known as The Centre, further compliments this exclusive development. This contains some 14,000 sqm commercial and leisure outlets that completes the piazza environment and the surrounding retail and catering outlets.
Strong emphasis has been put on the restoration of the important historic sites in the area including Fort Tigné, St Luke's Garrison Chapel, the Garden Battery and the Clock Tower blocks. These have now been restored to complement the contemporary architecture that characterizes the site.
The development also offers leisure activities, retail outlets, bars, cafés and restaurants. One of the most salient aspects of this project is the fact that all traffic has been routed underground, providing a 30 acre car-free zone at ground level. The development also provides extensive open public spaces, a series of foreshore walkways and a second open square planned for the Tigné North phase. Tigné Point apartments and townhouses offer residents dramatic views and a calm, car-free environment of private gardens and courtyards.
From the drawing board to the finished product these homes have been individually conceived, planned and finished to provide uniquely stylish and functional spaces for living, working and entertaining.
Framed on three sides by the Mediterranean Sea, Tigné Point draws its inspiration from the interplay of light and water that has for centuries fascinated artists and writers alike. Standing at any point on the promontory, one is beset from all angles by a visual testimonial of man's interaction with the sea. Dominating the skyline is the graceful symmetry of the walled city of Valletta – itself a lasting tribute to the islanders' long history of dependence on maritime trade. Elsewhere, one cannot fail to be struck by the ever-changing palette of hues and shades that is Marsamxett harbour, where 'dghajjes' – traditional blue, green and yellow fishing boats – rub shoulders with modern racing yachts in a festivity of colour.
Tigne Point Prices starting from Eur850,000 (correct at time of publishing)
Tigne Point lifestyle development comprises:
a variety of one, two, three and four bedroom high end apartments & penthouses
Open Mediterranean sea views, as well as Valletta and Manoel Island views
Modern Comfort & sophisticated living
Mixed use development: 14,000sqm shopping mall, cafes, and restaurants.
30 acre car-free zone at ground level
45% of the development is dedicated to landscaped open spaces that incorporate, 'piazza's', and original historical buildings,
Among the amenities, Tigne Point includes
an underground car park
Stunningly set communal swimming pool
private gardens & walkways
Please do call us today to assist you with any further information or viewings.
Back to Lifestyle Developments Section
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Are you interested in viewing properties in this SDA?
Please do get in touch with us today. We will gladly assist you with any further information or viewings.
Ta' Monita Residence
The Shoreline
St.Angelo Mansions
Mercury Towers – St.Julians
Verdala Mansions – Tal-Virtu – Rabat
Fort Cambridge
Pendergardens


Paras Planet provides customized solar energy solution to commercials, IT parks, and hospitals and help them to produce their own electricity and save on external power buying charges.
How can your business entity meet the ever-increasing energy needs and manage it efficiently? Solar energy gives companies access to round-the-clock access to electricity, helping them in their growth.
At Paras Planet, we are at the forefront of this mission – providing turn-key solar solutions to businesses. With the commitment to reliability and innovation, we propose to build up highly energy efficient solutions by adhering to world-class standards in the industry. Our effort to enable solar across all business continues.
There's a way to do it better-Go Solar!


text:
Seminar 'World politics in emergency Mode'
Seminar with Professor Frank Biermann on the global governance implications of drastic climate change.
The current stalemate in international climate negotiations gave rise to an increasingly alarmist discourse about the need to prepare for a global warming that exceeds 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Frank Biermann addresses this challenge of adapting to possibly drastic climate change from the perspective of international relations and global governance. He first assesses adaptive governance capacities in six domains of world politics with a view to potential drastic climate change. He then identifies three dilemmas of global adaptation governance that complicate international political responses to drastic climate change, namely adaptability versus stability, effectiveness versus legitimacy, and effectiveness versus fairness. Third, he outlines several institutional mechanisms and instruments that could assist in resolving these three dilemmas of global adaptation governance.
More information available at the website of the Stockholm Resilience Centre


There is a popular, tongue-in-cheek saying in America — attributed to the writer Mark Twain, who lived through the early phase of the California Water Wars — that "whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over." It highlights the consequences, even if somewhat apocryphally, as ever-scarcer water resources create a parched world. California currently is reeling under its worst drought in modern times.
Among the issues that will shape our future world are water and other natural resources, demographics, and sustainable economic growth, as well as an accelerated weaponization of science and other geopolitical elements. A combination of these factors will create winners and losers in the world.
Adequate availability of water, food and energy is critical to global security. The sharpening, international, geopolitical competition over natural resources has turned some strategic resources into engines of power struggle and triggered price volatility. The geopolitics of natural resources promises to get murkier.
Water — the sustainer of life and livelihoods — is already the world's most exploited natural resource. With nature's freshwater-renewable capacity lagging behind humanity's current rate of utilization, tomorrow's water is being used to meet today's need.
More ominously, the struggle for water is exacerbating impacts on the earth's ecosystems. Degradation of water resources has resulted in aquatic ecosystems losing half their biodiversity since just the mid-1970s. Groundwater depletion, for its part, is affecting natural stream-flows, groundwater-fed wetlands and lakes, and related ecosystems.
If resources like water are degraded and depleted, environmental refugees will follow. Sana'a city in Yemen risks becoming the first capital city to run out of water. If Bangladesh bears the main impact of China's damming of the Brahmaputra, the resulting exodus of thirsty refugees will compound India's security challenges. Internal resource conflicts are often camouflaged as civil wars. Sudan's Darfur conflict, for example, arose from water and grassland scarcity.
The United Nations in 2010 recognized access to safe, affordable water and sanitation as a human right. Yet the reality remains stark: More people today own or use a mobile phone than have regular access to a toilet. Unclean water is the greatest killer on the globe, claiming thousands of children's lives every day, yet a fifth of humankind still lacks easy access to potable water. More than half of the global population currently lives under water stress — a figure projected to increase to two-thirds during the next decade.
The risks of overt conflicts over water are increasing. Water wars in a political and economic sense are already being waged in several regions, including by building dams on international rivers and by resorting to coercive diplomacy to prevent such construction. Examples include China's frenetic upstream dam building in its borderlands and downriver Egypt's threats of military reprisals against the ongoing Ethiopian construction of a large dam on the Blue Nile.
Decisions in many countries on where to set up new manufacturing or energy plants are increasingly being constrained by inadequate local water availability. Where availability is already low, a decision to establish a new plant often triggers local protests because it is likely to spur greater competition over scarce water resources. One such example is the POSCO steel plant in Odisha.
The seriously water-stressed economies, stretching from South Korea and India to Iran and Egypt, are paying a high price for their water problems. The yearly global economic losses from water shortages are conservatively estimated at $260 billion. South Korea is encouraging its corporate giants to produce water-intensive items — from food to steel — for the home market in overseas lands. China, facing growing water paucity in its arid north, risks slipping into the category of water-stressed states.
Water is a renewable but finite resource. Nature's fixed water-replenishment capacity limits the world's renewable freshwater resources to about 43,000 billion cubic meters per year — the maximum theoretical amount of water regenerated under natural conditions, excluding human influence and the effects of climate change. But the human population has doubled since 1970 alone, while the global economy has grown even faster.
Major increases in water demand, however, are being driven not merely by economic and demographic growth but also by energy, manufacturing, and food-production needs to meet rising human-consumption levels. Lifestyle changes, for example, have spurred increasing per capita water consumption in the form of industrial and agricultural products. Take the United States: Although its per capita water resources are more than six times larger than India's, water disputes have gradually spread from its west to its east.
Globally, consumption growth is the single biggest driver of water stress. Rising incomes, for example, have promoted changing diets, especially a greater intake of meat, whose production is notoriously water-intensive. Production of meat, on average, is 10 times more water-intensive than plant-based calories and proteins. If the world stopped diverting food to feed livestock and produce biofuels, it could not only abolish hunger but also feed a four-billion-larger population, according to a University of Minnesota study.
In China, South Korea and Southeast Asia, traditional diets have been transformed in the last one generation alone, becoming much meatier. The only silver lining for India's dismal water situation is the fact that its per capita meat consumption remains the lowest in the world, with a large segment of its population vegetarian. Had India's consumptive profile been similar to that of the U.S. — the world's largest consumer of meat, energy and water — it probably would have become one of the planet's most-parched states.
Compounding the diet-change impacts on the global water situation is the increasing body mass index (BMI) of humans in recent decades, with the prevalence of obesity doubling since the 1980s. Obesity rates in important economies now range from 33 per cent in the U.S. and 26.9 per cent in Britain to 5.7 per cent in China and 1.9 per cent in India.
Heavier citizens make heavier demands on natural resources, especially water and energy. They also cause much greater greenhouse-gas emissions through their bigger food and transport needs. For example, greater car use is common among the overweight. A study published in the British journal, BMC Public Health found that if the rest of the world had the same average BMI as the U.S., it would be equivalent to adding nearly an extra billion people to the global population, with major implications for the world's water, food and energy situations.
The issue thus isn't just about how many mouths there are to feed but also about how much excess body fat there is on the planet. The point to note is that a net population increase usually translates into greater human capital to create innovations, power economic growth, and support the elderly. But a net increase in body weight only contributes to state liability and greater water stress.
This background helps explain why water is becoming the world's next major security and economic challenge. Averting water wars demands rules-based cooperation, water sharing and dispute-settlement mechanisms. However, most of the world's transnational basins lack any cooperative arrangement, and there is still no international water law in force. Worse yet, unilateralist appropriation of shared water resources is endemic where autocrats rule.
With the era of cheap, bountiful water having been replaced by increasing supply-and-quality constraints, many international investors are beginning to view water as the new oil. Looking ahead, water shortages are not only going to intensify and spread, but users also will have to increasingly pay more for their water supply.
This double whammy can be mitigated only by smart water management and sustainable use of scarce water resources. New and emerging technologies ought to be leveraged to innovatively manage resources and develop non-traditional supply sources, including through public-private partnerships. Water, food and energy must be integrated in a holistic policy framework. The world can ill-afford to waste time — or water.
Make no mistake: Water poses a more intractable problem for the world than peak oil, economic slowdown and other oft-cited challenges. Addressing this core problem holds the key to dealing with other challenges because of water's nexuses with global warming, energy shortages, stresses on food supply, population pressures, pollution, environmental degradation, global epidemics and natural disasters. Effective water management can help transform economies and power security.


Central bank has announced it will spend $40bn a month to buy mortgage-backed securities, so as to stimulate economy.
The Federal Reserve has announced bold steps to stimulate the still-weak US economy and reduce high unemployment, saying it will spend $40bn a month to buy mortgage-backed securities for long as necessary.
"We're not sure what the economic effects of this programme will be, it should help growth and employment on the margin"
The US central bank also extended a plan to keep short-term interest rates at record lows through mid-2015. And it said it is ready to take other steps to boost the economy even after it strengthens.
Chairman Ben Bernanke was scheduled to hold a news conference at 18:30 GMT, shortly after the Fed releases its economic forecast at 18:00 GMT.
Thursday's actions pointed to how sluggish the US economy remains more than three years after the Great Recession ended. With less than eight weeks left until the presidential election, the economy remains the top issue on most voters' minds.
The Fed announced the steps after its two-day policy meeting ended.
The bond purchases are intended to lower long-term interest rates to spur borrowing and spending.
Stocks rose after the announcement. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 15 points for the day just before 16:30 GMT. It surged by 105 points within minutes of the announcement, then gave up some gains to be just 35 points higher.
The dollar dropped against major currencies, and the price of gold shot up about $16 an ounce, roughly one per cent, to $1,750.
"We're not sure what the economic effects of this programme will be, it should help growth and employment on the margin," Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG LLC, said in a research note.
Investors had been expecting action from the Fed after Bernanke said in a speech last month that persistently weak hiring remains "a grave concern" that inflicts "enormous suffering."
The Fed expressed concern on Thursday about overseas markets but did not mention Europe or China, two regions that help drive the global economy but are struggling.
"Furthermore, strains in global financial markets continue to pose significant downside risks to the economic outlook," the Fed said in a statement released after the meeting.
At home in the US, "If the outlook for the labour market does not improve substantially, the committee will continue its purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities, undertake additional asset purchases and employ its other policy tools as appropriate until such improvement is achieved in a context of price stability," the statement said.
The statement was approved on an 11-1 vote. The lone dissenter was Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker, who worries about igniting inflation.
The Fed has previously bought $2tn in Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities since the 2008 financial crisis.
Sceptics warn that further bond buying might provide little benefit. Rates are already near record lows. Critics also warn that more bond purchases raise the risk of higher inflation later.
Many Republicans have been critical of the Fed's continued efforts to drive interest rates lower, saying they fear it could ignite inflation.
The Fed is under pressure to act because the US economy is still growing too slowly to reduce high unemployment.
The unemployment rate has topped eight per cent every month since the Great Recession officially ended more than three years ago.
In August, job growth slowed sharply. Employers added just 96,000 jobs, down from 141,000 in July and well below what is needed to bring relief to the more than 12 million who are unemployed.
The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 per cent from 8.3 per cent, but that was because many Americans stopped looking for work, so they were no longer counted as unemployed.


Although Big Pharma product portfolios are often very deep and well-established, as are their pipelines, they're also facing an unprecedented number of patent expirations, which have challenged the growth prospects for quite a few of these pharma giants. This has given Big Pharma management teams even more reason to focus on shareholder incentives, such as dividends and share buybacks, to keep investors happy.
The highest paid CEOs in pharma However, Big Pharma's recent struggles with losses of exclusivity also make investors question whether the pay of CEOs in the pharma industry has gotten out of control.
Last year, according to aggregated data from The New York Times which used filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission to compute CEO compensation, four of the highest-paid CEOs in pharma saw their pay increase. Are these pay package increases merited? Let's find out.
With the exception of AbbVie's chief Richard Gonzalez, all four CEOs saw their pay increase in 2014, with Bristol-Myers' chief Lamberto Andreotti, Merck's head Kenneth Frazier, and Johnson & Johnson's leader Alex Gorsky seeing substantial compensation increases.
One major difference from smaller drug developersPerhaps the biggest standout of the compensation data above relative to the pay structure of biotech CEOs and other smaller drug developers is just how reliant pay is on stock options. Biotech companies tend to reward their CEOs heavily with stock options, whereas Big Pharma CEOs are often rewarded with common stock, tying their interests immediately and directly with that of their shareholders. If pharma CEOs want a raise, they need to do nothing more than push their company's share price higher through outstanding operational results, and deliver a robust dividend.
Andreotti at Bristol-Myers Squibb, for instance, was the highest-paid CEO in pharma, but he didn't receive a cent in stock options in 2014 (or 2013 for that matter). Slightly more than $18 million of Andreotti's pay was awarded as Bristol-Myers' common stock, while he also walked away toting a handsome $5.6 million bonus.
Of course, Andreotti isn't alone. Merck's Frazier received $13 million of his $21.4 million in common stock, nearly $9.5 million of Gorsky's $20.4 million at Johnson & Johnson came from shares of his company's stock, and close to half of Gonzalez's pay at AbbVie was derived from common stock awards. Pfizer's Ian Read might be the oddball of the group, with "only" 35% of his pay coming from common stock awards.
Is this pay deserved? On one hand, it's hard to argue against the 2014 results for four of these companies. The S&P 500 rose by 11.4% last year, while Bristol-Myers, Merck, J&J, and AbbVie saw their share price increase by 14%, 17%, 17%, and 27%, respectively. Pfizer was the laggard of the group, with a share price appreciation of only 5%.
But, rising and/or lofty pay in the wake of a sea of patent expirations may not make sense for a few of these companies. For instance, Ian Read's pay increase of only 2% in 2014 may not seem like much, and investors have certainly been willing to overlook his generous compensation package thanks to a 125% increase in Pfizer's share price over the last five years. However, what's not easy to overlook is the midpoint of Pfizer's revenue guidance in 2015 of $45 billion. This is close to $23 billion less in sales than Pfizer generated in 2010, and is a direct result of the negative effects of patent exclusivity losses. With minimal growth prospects on the horizon, I personally have a difficult time justifying Read's compensation package.
The same could be said for Ken Frazier at Merck, whose pay rose by a meteoric 72% in 2014, including a substantial increase in his stock awards and a doubling in his bonus. However, the underlying fundamentals tell an entirely different story. Merck's sales shrank by 4% in 2014, its third straight year of declines, while its free cash flow was nearly halved on a year-over-year basis to just $5.5 billion. The only reason Merck saw an enormous jump in its profitability last year was due to the divestiture of its consumer care business for $11.2 billion -- a one-time gain. I'd hardly qualify this group of data as justification for a 72% pay hike.
Conversely, Alex Gorsky appears to be worth every penny, as J&J's profitability keeps motoring higher thanks to the introduction of more than a dozen new pharmaceutical products since 2009. The cornerstone to success for Johnson & Johnson is healthy growth from its pharmaceuticals business, which provides much better margins than its consumer health or medical device operations.
The article The Highest Paid CEOs in Pharma originally appeared on Fool.com.
Sean Williamshas no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen nameTrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Johnson & Johnson and Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Beck Lets Fans Pick Tracklist for Upcoming Record Club Release
By Alex Hudson
For over a year, Beck has rolled out a string of cover albums with his Record Club project, doing full-length interpretations of LPs by the Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, Skip Spence, INXS and Yanni. Now, the eclectic songwriter is finally looking to turn the project into a physical album, and he's letting his fans pick the tracklist.
If you go to Beckvoting.com and register, you'll be able to chose your favourite ten of the 56 songs he's released for the project, including the alternate version of the Velvet Underground's "Heroin." The voting page has embedded clips of every track.
It's not entirely clear when the album will be out or in which formats, but the logo on the main page is a record (see above), so we're guessing it will be available on vinyl.
If you need a refresher on what the Record Club is, the concept: Beck and a group of collaborators convene in a studio without any previous preparation. They then pick a classic album and cover every song within the day. Among the artists who have appeared on Record Club releases are Feist, Devendra Banhart, Thurston Moore, Wilco, MGMT, Tortoise, St. Vincent and Nigel Godrich.
We will have to see whether this physical release means that the Record Club project is over or if it's simply a look back before Beck rolls out another series.
Go here to cast your vote.
Thanks to Some Kind of Awesome for the heads-up.
Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico "All Tomorrow's Parties" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.
More Beck


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Breaking News: Robert Fairchild, Mara Davi, Jason Tam, Sabrina Bryan & More Will Lead A CHORUS LINE at The Hollywood Bowl
BroadwayWorld.com Jun. 2, 2016
Casting for the Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of A Chorus Line, which won the Tony® Award for Best Musical, has been announced: Sabrina Bryan as Valerie Clark, Robert Fairchild as Mike Costa, Spencer Liff as Larry, Ross Lynch as Mark Anthony, in addition to Mara Davi as Maggie Winslow, Denis Lambert as Gregory Gardner, J. Elaine Marcos as Connie Wong, Jason Tam as Paul San Marco, and Leigh Zimmerman as Sheila Bryant. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
A Chorus Line will be directed and choreographed by Baayork Lee, who appeared as Connie Wong in the original Broadway production and choreographed the Broadway revival in 2006. A Chorus Line will be conducted by Patrick Vaccariello and have choreography adapted and re-staged by Baayork Lee, from the original by Michael Bennett.
A Chorus Line will have three performances at the Hollywood Bowl this summer - Friday, July 29, at 8 PM, Saturday, July 30, at 8 PM and Sunday, July 31, at 7:30 PM.
Sabrina Bryan appeared as Dorinda Thomas in Disney's The Cheetah Girls series. She has also appeared on CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful as well as ABC's Dancing With the Stars.
Robert Fairchild recently starred as Jerry Mulligan in the original Broadway production of An American in Paris, for which he won the Drama Desk® Award and was nominated for a Tony® Award. He is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.
Spencer Liff recently choreographed the Tony® Award nominated Broadway revival of Deaf West's Spring Awakening. Liff also did the musical staging for the Broadway revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch with Neil Patrick Harris. He is currently choreographing the upcoming Broadway revival of Falsettos, directed by James Lapine. He is a two-time Emmy nominee for his work on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance.
Ross Lynch starred as 'Austin Moon' in the Disney Channel hit series Austin & Ally for 4 seasons. This role earned him 4 Kids Choice Awards for 'Favorite TV Actor' (2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016), 2 Teen Choice Awards for 'Choice TV Actor: Comedy' (2014 & 2015) and the Number 1 spot on iTunes for the Austin & Ally soundtrack. In 2013, Lynch starred as 'Brady' in Disney Channel's blockbuster Teen Beach Movie as well as the Teen Beach Movie sequel. This summer, Ross will star in Voltage Picture's Status Update. Along with his successful acting career, Lynch is the lead singer of the Hollywood Record's recording group R5 that continues to sell out shows around the world.
Mara Davi played Maggie in the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. She's also appeared in Broadway in Dames at Sea, Irving Berlin's White Christmas and The Drowsy Chaperone. Her TV credits include NBC's Smash and CBS' Blue Bloods.
Denis Lambert appeared as a replacement in the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and recently appeared in Doctor Zhivago on Broadway in 2015.
J. Elaine Marcos has appeared on Broadway as Lily St. Regis in Annie, Cynthia in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, as well as in Broadway productions of The Wedding Singer, Sweet Charity, Flower Drum Songand the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line.
Jason Tam played Paul in the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. His incredible audition was a highlight of the 2008 documentary, Every Little Step. He has also appeared on Broadway as David inIf/Then and Xander in Lysistrata Jones.
Leigh Zimmerman won the Oliver Award in 2013 for her portrayal of Sheila in the West End revival of A Chorus Line. She has appeared on Broadway in The Will Rogers Follies, Crazy For You, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Chicago. Her film credits include Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Proof, and United 93.
Baayork Lee appeared as Connie Wong in the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line. Her other Broadway performing credits include the original Broadway production of A King and I, Flower Drum Song, A Joyful Noise, Golden Boy, and Promises Promises, among others. She choreographed the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line, from the original choreography by Michael Bennett.
Conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, A Chorus Line has a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban.
A Chorus Line is the groundbreaking show about life as a dancer auditioning for a Broadway musical; with its unforgettable score and riveting real-life story, it's the Hollywood Bowl's annual, fully staged production. From "I Hope I Get It" to "The Music and the Mirror" and "One," united by the iconic choreography of visionary Michael Bennett, A Chorus Line's music and message remain fresh and true, capturing the excitement and drama that all performers face, having chosen a life on the stage - in one thrilling sensation of a musical!
A Chorus Line will be presented without intermission.
Subscriptions and single tickets for performances during the Hollywood Bowl 2016 summer season are available at www.HollywoodBowl.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000, and in person at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office.


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Q: How are the real-space RG transformations defined? I'm reading Shang-keng Ma's book Modern theory of critical phenomena, and I'm a bit confused as to how the real-space RG transformations are defined. Ma basically says that these transformations are defined for any integer $s\ge 1$, $\mu^{\prime} = {\rm R}_s \mu$, in the parameter space to represent the transformation of probability distribution ${\rm P} \propto e^{-\cal{H}}$ to probability distribution ${\rm P}^{\prime} \propto e^{-\cal{H}^{\prime}}$, according to the rule:
$$e^{-\cal{H}^{\prime}[\sigma]} = \int e^{-\cal{H}[\sigma^{\prime\prime}]} \prod_{x^{\prime}} \delta (\lambda_s\sigma_{x^{\prime}} - s^{-d}{\sum_{y}}^{x}\sigma^{\prime\prime}_y)\prod_y d\sigma^{\prime\prime}_y$$
where $x^{\prime} = x/s$, $\lambda_s > 0$ is real, and $${\sum_{y}}^{x}$$ represents a sum over the position vectors $y$ of $s$ blocks that form a big block centered at $x$. (The system is a cubic spin lattice in $d$ dimensions.) Then, he goes on to say that $${<\sigma_x>}_{\rm P} = \lambda_s {<\sigma_{x^{\prime}}>}_{{\rm P}^{\prime}}$$ and I don't see how this relation can be proven. I would very much appreciate a detailed proof.
Frankly speaking, I don't even know how to interpret the spins $\sigma_x$ and $\sigma_{x^{\prime}}$, i.e. how they correspond to each other, since $\sigma_x$ is a variable of the initial block Hamiltonian $\cal{H}$, whereas $\sigma_{x^{\prime}}$ is a variable of the renormalized Hamiltonian after one RG transformation ${\cal{H}}^{\prime}$.
Also, how can one rigorously prove that ${\rm R}_s{\rm R}_{s^{\prime}} = {\rm R}_{ss^{\prime}}$ (if $\lambda_s = s^a$)? It seems that Ma's notation is a bit misleading since $\cal{H}^{\prime}[\sigma]$ also depends on $\lambda_s$.

A: It seems the author is implicitly using translation invariance so that
$$
\langle \sigma_x\rangle_P=\langle s^{-d}\sum_{y}{}^x\ \sigma_y\rangle_{P}\ .
$$
Then insert $1=\int \prod_{x'}
\lambda_{s}
\delta(\lambda_s\sigma_{x'}-s^{-d}\sum_{y}{}^x
\sigma_{y}'') d\sigma_{x'}$ in the numerator and denominator of Gibbs expectations, and finally integrate over the original spin field $\sigma$ or $\sigma''$.


Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add onion, garlic and celery. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add curry powder. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add tomato, stock, 2 cups cold water and lentils. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add capsicum and eggplant. Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Season with pepper. Serve soup with yoghurt and coriander.


The FY09 budgets for homeland security research and development programs in the U.S. are summarized. Homeland security policy developments that can influence future efforts are discussed. Initial indications of the new administration direction on homeland security R&D are summarized. An overview of the Optics and Photonics in Global Homeland Security V conference is presented.


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VIEWFIELD IMPACT STRUCTURE
Age Ma: <190 ± 20 a – JURASSIC
Diameter: 2.5 km
Location: N 49° 35' W 103° 4'
Shock Metamorphism: PDF
a Based on Jurassic-Triasic lower Watrous red beds being post-impact deposit (Grieve 2006).
Saskatchewan, Canada – Gow Lake and Deep Bay craters,Carswell, Dumas, Elbow, Maple Creek and Viewfield impact structures. Yellow = ATHABASCA FORMATION, Pink = PRECAMBRIAN BASEMENT COMPLEX, Grey = INTERIOR PLAINS. Courtesy Breaking Science News at Sci-News.com Science Website.
Viewfield – Saskatchewan (Google image). The superimposed circle illustrates the position of the buried crater.
Viewfield – the superimposed circle illustrates the position of the buried crater. This image, aimed looking west at the approximate point of impact, was taken from GO ZooM at approximately 2500 feet AGL.
The Viewfield structure (103°04'W; 49°35'N) is considered to be a 2.4 km simple crater formed in Jura-Triassic time (~ 200 Ma), based on geophysical and drill hole data. Target rocks consist of Mississippian strata, of which at least 200 m are missing in the center of the structure and replaced by young Watrous Red Beds (WRB). In the rim, Mississippian carbonates are found sandwiched between Lower WRB. There are 50 producing hydrocarbon wells, with estimated primary reserves of 10.5 MMBO and 4.5 BCFG. An impact origin for the structure was suggested by Sawatzky [6]. Detrital quartz grains in the WRB display decorated PDFs. The specific nature of these grains and their very limited occurrence in materials overlying and filling the crater suggest they were washed into the Lower WRB. (Grieve 1998)
Planar deformation features in quartz. This sample is from the Manicouagan impact crater.
The red dot represents the approximate area of the Viewfield impact 190 million years ago in the Jurassic Period.
Viewfield Impact Structure is located south of the town of Stoughton near the unincorporated area of Viewfield. It is located within the hydrocarbon-producing Williston Basin. It was discovered in 1972 during oilfield drilling activity. It is 2.4 km in diameter, and 100 m deep from the top of the rim to the bottom of the structure. The impact event occurred in the Early Jurassic period, about 190 million years ago. None of the features of the structure is visible on the surface, as the crater is buried under 1,000 m of overburden.
Recent examination of samples from cores of the Lower Watrous red beds has recorded the presence of PDF's in quartz (Grieve et al 1998).
The Viewfield Structure forms a trap for hydrocarbons, and is an important source of oil. With over fifty active wells in its rim and a reserve of 27 million barrels, it accumulates 400 barrels per day. To date there are 23 oil wells completed in Mississippian strata along the periphery of the crater (Sawatzky 1972).
Isopach of the brecciated Mississippian rim facies at Viewfield oil pool (Donofrio 1981).
The rim facies isopach, reveals an irregular lobelike pattern radiating outward from the central cavity, with highest isopach values generally found midway between the inner and outer 0-foot contour intervals. It is interpreted to slump towards the central cavity, and in the 13-33 and 14-20 wells, lies between the same red beds filling the central depression near the 15-29 location.
Isopach – a line on a map connecting points below which a particular rock stratum has the same thickness.
Cross-section of Viewfield structure (Donofrio 1981).
Sawatzky (1972) proposed an impact origin for Viewfield and showed that the dimensions could be explained by employing empirically-derived explosion-crater equations which indicate that almost two-thirds of the original rim has been eroded. The calculated depth of the structure is similar to the profile. He also presented seismic isochron and well-control data which precluded any possibility of explaining the entire Viewfield anomaly by means of multi-stage solution and collapse of the underlying Middle Devonian salt horizon. Post-impact solution and collapse did, however, appear to have contributed to the present-day configuration.
2D seismic section over the Viewfield impact structure representing the displaced subsurface horizons, Jurraic (JUR), Missiipion (MISS) and Birdbear (BIRD). Image from Sawtazky [1972].
Sawatzky H.B. Buried impact craters in the Williston Basin and adjacent area Lunar and Planetary Institute 1977
Donofrio, R.R.: Impact Craters: Implications for Basement Hydrocarbon Production. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 1981.
Grieve, R. A. F., Kreis, K., Therriault, A.M.and P.B.Robertson., Impact structures in the Williston Basin. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, v 33, n 4, p A63-A64. 1998.
Grieve R.A.F., Impact structures in Canada, Geological Association of Canada, 2006.
Sawatzky, H.B.: Viewfield – A Producing Fossil Crater. CSEG Journal V8 No1, Dec. 1972.
H. B. Sawatzky, Buried impact craters in the Williston Basin and adjacent area, Impact and explosion cratering – Lunar and Planetary Institute 1977