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Our commitment to help put a stop to the COVID-19 pandemic
Roche is deeply committed to supporting the global response to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around the world, we are working with urgency, passion and purpose each and every day to deliver high quality tests that are essential for healthcare systems and patients alike.
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As a leader in diagnostics testing, we have a responsibility to deliver effective solutions for patients fast. Testing is a critical part in fighting this unprecedented global healthcare emergency and we are proud to be able to contribute.
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Q: HMAC API authentication issues in Python I'm attempting to pull JSON data from an API and struggling to nail down the source of my problems. Currently I get accurate data if message = "" but so far any non-empty query parameters return a 403 error. The API documentation asks for parameters to be formatted as "customerCode=XXX" and  I've been able to produce valid queries in the API Sandbox. I assume the problem is somewhere in the getSignature function, but I've rewritten it a few ways and .encode() or bytes() gives me the same result. If the code looks coherent and it's a syntax error on my end I can reach out to the support team. Again, when message is an empty string I get valid results back so I'm puzzled. Error occurs on all tested Report pages with multiple different query parameters tested per page. Relevant import functions are not pasted here but are included in the code.
#Current hash
def getSignature(message):
    hashed = hmac.new(key, message.encode('utf-8') , hashlib.sha256)
    return base64.b64encode(hashed.digest())

#Header per API specs
def getData(report, message):
    headers = {
        'Content-Type' : 'application/json',
        'Accept' : 'application/json',
        'api-auth-id' : api_id,
        'api-auth-signature' : getSignature(message)
    }

    data = requests.get(url + report, headers=headers)
    data = data.json()

    return data

A: EDIT: I just noticed that message is only being used for the signature, and is not being included in the request.  I think you probably need something like data = requests.get(url + report, data=message, headers=headers).
Old, almost certainly incorrect theory is below:
Since it works for an empty message, my guess is that it has to do with the byte encoding of the message.  The utf-16 or utf-32 encodings of the empty message will be the same as the utf-8, but they will differ for non-empty messages.
So perhaps try message.encode('utf-16') or message.encode('utf-32')?  The API docs should describe this detail of how auth is done.
Is it possible to link to the docs for the API, or is it internal?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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cryptocurrency usage in Nigeria continues on an all time high.
Shambhavi Soni· August 2, 2021
BitcoinCrypto
Despite a government crackdown, cryptocurrency usage in Nigeria continues to grow, with peer-to-peer (P2P) trading volume for Bitcoin (BTC) achieving its second-highest week on record last month.
Nigeria still ranks first in terms of search interest for the keyword "Bitcoin" according to Google Trends as of this writing. According to Useful Tulips, P2P Bitcoin trading in Nigerian naira has rapidly increased in 2021, with Nigeria ranked second only to the United States as the second-largest market for peer-to-peer BTC trading.
With $18.8 million in P2P volume, Sub-Saharan Africa has overtaken the United States as the leading region by Bitcoin adoption.
Local crypto acceptance has been sparked by a slew of political and economic issues, including social repression, currency controls, and widespread inflation.
Tensions in Nigeria have been rising since major public protests against police brutality and the infamous "Sars" police unit swept the country in October.
During the EndSars protests, demonstrators were attacked with tear gas and water cannons, resulting in the deaths of more than 50 citizens, including a dozen who were shot dead by police with live bullets on Oct. 20.
The government crackdown was accompanied by economic repression, with social organisations supplying food and medical aid to protestors having their bank accounts frozen. Protesters have increasingly turned to cryptocurrency to keep their financial operations out of the hands of the government in the midst of the turmoil.
"I think EndSars is the major driver for some of these actions the government is making," Adewunmi Emoruwa, the founder of Gatefield, a public policy organisation whose accounts were stopped for providing funds to journalists covering the protests, told The Guardian.
Despite the financial embargo, an anonymous individual claiming to represent a social organisation whose bank accounts were targeted during the crisis told the publication that their organisation has been able to pay members' salaries with bitcoin.
"We hold some securities in crypto – not too lot, but enough to cover us," they explained. "Thankfully, we were able to pay salaries when the ban was imposed."
In an attempt to discourage the use of digital assets, the government forbade licenced banks from handling cryptocurrency transactions in February.
Also read: Kenyan insurance executive calls bitcoin a "ponzi scheme"
Nigeria's constantly increasing P2P Bitcoin volumes, on the other hand, show that the country's burgeoning crypto user base has been mostly driven underground.
The ban has only made cryptocurrency trading harder to monitor, according to Marius Reitz, Africa general manager of crypto trading platform Luno, who told The Guardian: "Despite the financial embargo, an unidentified representative of a social organisation whose bank accounts were targeted during the crisis told the outlet that their organisation has been able to pay members' salaries in bitcoin.
They stated, "We have some crypto securities – not a lot, but enough to cover us." they said. "We were able to pay salaries when the ban was implemented, which was fortunate."
In February, the government banned licenced banks from conducting cryptocurrency transactions in an attempt to discourage the usage of digital assets.
The government's efforts to repress crypto have been criticised within the government, with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo publicly criticising the ban in February.
Despite its opposition to decentralised crypto assets, Nigeria is investigating the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Nigeria's central bank said in late July that it would begin testing its CBDC on October 1 of this year.
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Shambhavi Soni
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


> Thank you for your refreshingly constructive followup.
> talking about poor lost newbies.
> > in a place where it can be read by those who will be using it.
>   can be read by those who will be using it.
markup (http://docutils.sf.net/). How about the following text?
read by those who need it.
already set to the correct value?"
site.py for information about this.
>   please set the environment variable PYTHONDOCS to indicate their location.
unless they're reading this thread already.
> the other three. Any ideas what's going on there ?
the Python 2.3 interpreter. Which versions of each are you using?
> Furthermore, is there anyway of getting help of keywords via pydoc ?


I am a 28 year old elemetary teacher, originally from Chicago, IL. I went to the University of Minnesota where I received my BA and M.Ed in elementary education. I met my amazing husband Matt during my junior year of college. Since getting married in 2010, our life has been a wonderful journey.
I previously taught in an urban public school, teaching grades K, 1, and 4. Matt is a mechanical engineer for a manufacturer of snowmobiles, ATVs, and motorcycles. We were living a typical suburban life before accepting the opportunity to move abroad.
In July of 2013 we moved away from all of our comforts to Jaipur, India. Matt took an expat job opportunity here for two years. Since we have moved, life has been challenging, frustrating, exciting, and spontaneous. Living in a foreign country brings about many emotions and interesting experiences, which I hope to share with you through this blog.
I came across your blog while searching for India topics. I'm a fellow midwest girl turned expat here! I'm originally from Michigan and have been living in London since 2007. I recently married a British Indian man and have been to India twice now. Jaipur is my favorite Indian city! I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog.
I am a television producer working on the US travel show 'House Hunters International'. We are looking for English speaking expats who have moved to India within the last 2 years or so... I wonder if you might like to share your story?
We would love to film in India again so please get in touch if you might be interested in finding out more!
I work for a television company based in Brighton (UK) called Ricochet, I'm not sure if you'll have seen the programmes we make – they include international series like Supernanny and domestic ones like Food Unwrapped (a food science show that transmits on Channel 4).
My job is to come up with new ideas and I'm currently trying to develop a possible series that would look at the real lives of ex pats in different countries, with particular emphasis on wives who move with their husbands as they work in places away from the UK.
I'm looking to find out more about the lives of ex pats and I was wondering if it would be possible to speak with you about your experiences beyond what you write on your blog. I'm keen to find out how big the ex pat community is in Jaipur, what the average daily routine is and in general, whether there would be interesting stories to follow in a hypothetical programme.
Would it be possible to make contact with you via the phone? If so, I can reassure you that there'd be no obligation to take part in anything (if a programme of this kind were to get commissioned), I'm purely researching at this stage.
Hi Laura, I came across your blog and absolutely loved it! I just moved to Jaipur for work, and expect to be here for the next ~6 months. I haven't encountered that many expats in Jaipur and I was hoping to get your advice on (1) day-to-day living here (2) your volunteer experiences with Vatsalya. On the latter, I really liked what I read from their website about the work they do etc. Would love to see how I might be able to help. If you have a moment, would you be able send a note to my personal e-mail: chshawn.low@gmail.com? Thanks in advance and hope to hear from you soon.


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Q: Why is invertibility of $A$ necessary for $\langle u,v\rangle:=Au\cdot Av$ to be an inner product? I'm reviewing for my final and I encountered a statement that puzzles me. Let $u,v$ be vectors in $\Bbb R^n$ that are expressed in column form, and let $A$ be an invertible $n\times n$ matrix. Then we can express the Euclidean inner product on $\Bbb R^n$ to be $\langle u,v\rangle = Au \cdot Av$.
Why does $A$ have to be an invertible matrix? I had a review question asking if everything but the invertibility property of $A$ held, if the statement was true, and the solutions in the back says that it was false.
Thanks in advance!

A: By definition an inner product must have the property that $\langle u,u\rangle=0$ if and only if $u=0$.
Suppose $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle$ is an inner product, $A$ is not invertible, and $\langle u,v\rangle_A:=\langle Au,Av\rangle$ is a bilinear form; can you show that there is a nonzero vector $u$ for which $\langle u,u\rangle_A=0$? $\color{White}{\mathrm{Hint}:Au=0\implies \langle u,u\rangle_A=0.}$


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Please contact us sales@gallagherelectricfencing.co.uk for help and advice about Gallagher Solar Powered Electric Fence Energisers.


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Showing posts with label Jang Qing. Show all posts
Speaking of the Other: China
by Eve Fisher
(NOTE: Using my emergency blog because I have just emerged from computer hell, and a weekend at the pen, and I have literally not had time to work on anything but that. Will update you on the boys next time.)
What's the deal with China? Are they really out to take over the world? (Maybe)
Are they going to invade? (No)
What do they want? (Life, food, clothing, shelter, a little fun...)
Why don't they understand human rights? (Define your terms.)
How can they call themselves Communist if they practice capitalism? (see below)
Don't they know that's wrong? Don't they know what's wrong? Don't they practice Zen Buddhism? Is that where the samurai came from? (Sigh.) Yes, I've heard all of these and more back in my teaching days.
Jade Emperor
First of all, China has been in existence since the Shang Dynasty (around 1600 BCE) and ever since has considered itself to be the center of the world: that's why China's name for itself is Zhongguo, the Middle Kingdom. And China has been the dominant powerhouse of Asia for almost all of those millennia. To grasp this, consider that America has been a superpower for less than 80 years, and we're pretty possessive about our status. Every week - probably every day - some pundit/politician is screaming about America losing its dominance in the world sphere as if that is going to bring about the end of the world.
Meanwhile, China laughs. Being the dominant cultural, economic, and military presence in Asia for over 3000 years has meant that the Chinese pretty much see everyone else as culturally inferior barbarians. Yes, they're willing to adopt the technological advancements or cultural quirks those crazy barbarians come up with that might be helpful or fun, like KFC or cars– but that doesn't mean they're going to adopt Western ideology. Why should they?
The truth is, China and the West share almost nothing in background, history, religion, or social values. China never experienced Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, or Napoleon. The West never experienced Qin Shihuangdi (the emperor of the Qin Dynasty, from which we get the name China), Cao Cao, Empress Wu, or Kublai Khan. And most Westerners have never even heard of them.
Empress Wu
China knew absolutely nothing of the Roman empire, the Renaissance, the Reformation, or the discovery of the New World. On the other hand, the West knew absolutely nothing about the Zhou, Qin, Sui, Tang (a Golden Age), or Song Dynasties. Chinese and Western history only merge in the 1840's. And even then, the West never bothered to learn Chinese history. (For the most part, we still don't.) They just wanted the porcelain, silk and silver.
NOTE: Porcelain is French for pigs in wool: the first imports to the West (post-Roman empire) were to the French court, which was the only one that could afford them, and the merchants brought lots of pigs (porc), a symbol of good luck and fortune in China, wrapped in wool (laine) to keep them from breaking.
SECOND NOTE: The West got gunpowder, paper, pasta, and various navigation equipment from China, but, since (once imported) all of these could be made at home, the Chinese did not get credit for them for a very long time.
Back to differences: in the West, the religious background is primarily Judeo/Christian/ Islamic; in China, it's Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist.
Lao Tze, Confucius, and Buddha frolicking in a glade
The great Western religious are monotheistic, exclusive (you can only believe in one at a time) and have a strong belief in the afterlife; the Eastern religions aren't and don't. You can be a Daoist Confucian Buddhist, no problem. On the other hand, in the West, science has practically become a religion, in which nature is a group of objects that we can use, shape, predict, control. In Asia, animism– the idea that every stick and stone has a living spirit in it– was (and still to some extent is) the norm.
The Western philosophical background is Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; theirs is Confucius and his followers. Our philosophical tradition is one of logic and reason, and it's bred in our bones. We believe, naturally, innately, that when a thing is proved, it's proved, and you cannot hold two opposite beliefs at the same time without something serious being wrong with you. The Eastern way of thought is based on harmony and synthesis. Just because you prove one thing doesn't automatically mean that its opposite is wrong. In the Eastern mind, two opposites can - and should - balance each other very well, because that's what life is all about: yin/yang, male/female, good/evil, etc. Instead of creating equality by erasing differences, equality comes through fulfilling separate spheres that balance each other.
Our social background, especially in America, emphasizes individualism, freedom, and equality. The Chinese social background emphasizes community (especially the family), loyalty, filial piety, and hierarchy. Harmony is the primary goal on all levels of life, which can lead to a lot of sublimated emotions in the search for exterior peace. It also means that, if there's a choice between order and freedom, guess which wins? Order, every time. For thousands of years, the watchword of every government has been "Stability above all."
Qin Shihuangdi
A lot of this is thanks to Qin Shihuangdi, the most ruthless emperor of Chinese history. In less than 20 years, the Qin Emperor set up a system of unified weights and measures, laws, money, and written language, all of which are still pretty much in place. He built roads, bridges, and much of the Great Wall of China using slave labor. He also came up with all sorts of ways to control the people, including thought control.
Legend has it that he burned all books except for "useful" ones like medical or agricultural works; that he tried to wipe out Confucianism and its teachers; and set in place the still-useful idea of collective responsibility. Basically, under collective responsibility, if one person committed a crime, or was just suspected of it, his entire family, perhaps his entire clan, would be arrested, tortured, perhaps killed. This encouraged people to police their own family, even to the point of turning them in, in order to save the clan. Harmony, order, above all.
Mao Zedong liked the Qin Emperor's style, and claimed to be his reincarnation. Certainly the Cultural Revolution appeared to be a Qin repeat, in which entire families were wiped out or sent to the country for reeducation because someone was a teacher, doctor, or otherwise educated. (NOTE: Mao was crazy, but not a fool - during the Cultural Revolution, Chinese nuclear scientists were kept carefully protected from any harassment.) Today all of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution are blamed on Mao's 4th wife, Jiang Qing, former actress and leader of the "Gang of Four". Mao is still officially revered, even worshipped as a (minor) deity among some. But the cult of Mao is why any current Chinese leader who appears to be rising up above the norm (i.e., have a personality) is quickly chopped down (see Bo Xilai, soon to be tried by the Supreme People's Court for everything from corruption to murder; he may be guilty of some of it, but his primary crime was being interesting).
But what about Communism? Well, I could go into all the philosophical/political differences between Chinese Communism and Russian Communism - for one thing Chinese Communism basically threw out the thought of Karl Marx and Lenin because they had to. But the real way to look at it is quite simple: The Chinese Communist Party is basically the latest Chinese Dynasty. Mao Zedong led a cult of personality, just as the founder of almost every dynasty has (especially the Qin Emperor - maybe Mao was the reincarnation). But really, the style of government barely changed: the Chinese government always had tight control of almost every aspect of Chinese life, laws have always been strict, the peasants have always been screwed, and everyone has always been scrambling to get wealthy. As Deng Xiaoping said (after Mao's death): "Poverty is not socialism: to get rich is glorious." They're still practicing that, too.
Posted by Eve Fisher at 00:01 4 comments
Labels: China, communism, Eve Fisher, Jang Qing, Mao Zedong, Qin Emperor


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❮ Resource Center
High and Dry Down Under: Water Risk in Australia
Associate Analyst, Research Products Sustainalytics
In June, Sydney introduced water restrictions[i] amid an ongoing two-year drought in New South Wales. Authorities stated that the city was experiencing some of the lowest inflows into its catchment dams since the 1940s. At the end of the month, the City of Sydney also officially declared a climate emergency[ii], joining over 600 other local governments around the world.
With the effects of climate change becoming apparent even to the most skeptical of deniers, Australia seems headed to a situation where droughts become the new normal, not an emergency. Risk mitigation and adaptation measures are crucial for the sustainability of our societies and economic systems.
In this article, we examine some of the most notable recent water-related occurrences in Australia, the risks facing Australian companies and how they are managing them, and what investors can do to mitigate related portfolio risks.
Is the alarm justified?
Are newspapers ringing alarm bells to make headlines or are concerns justified? There is both anecdotal evidence and hard data to suggest that water scarcity issues may be underestimated.
In addition to the water restriction in Sydney, some notable occurrences in recent months include:
The ongoing crisis of Murray-Darling River basin[iii], an area larger than Egypt, stretching 3,375 km across New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, as well as parts of Queensland and South Australia. The drought conditions have resulted in health warnings forcing locals to buy fresh water; over a million fish deaths[iv]; criticism of the political and regulatory failings[v]; backlash against intensive agriculture and water prices reaching AUD 650 per megalitre[vi], putting farmers under enormous pressure.
An independent report in May 2019 asking the New South Wales government to take measures against excessive water use at two coal mines, as an investigation found mining-related water losses of up to 1.28 billion litres per annum in the state, almost double the previously predicted 690 million litres.[vii]
Controversy around the groundwater management plan for Adani Carmichael mine. It is estimated that the mine will divert 12.5 billion litres of water from the Sutton River to the detriment of local towns and the region's farmers. The plan was found to have serious flaws[viii], and its approval by authorities was criticized for failing to adequately consider community submissions and environmental impacts.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that between 2009 and 2017, the amount of water extracted from the environment and used within the Australian economy increased 19% from 64,076 gigalitres (GL) to 76,159 GL[ix]. This is equivalent to 150 times the amount of water contained in the Sydney Harbour (1GL=1 billion litres). Water consumption (i.e. not returned to the environment) increased by 23% from 13,476 GL to 16,558 GL, or about 33 times the Sydney Harbour. Most of the water is consumed by agriculture, followed by industry and households.
Over the same period GDP grew by 23% and the population by 10%, indicating that the increased rate of water consumption is not exceptional. However, the sharp increase in water use should still be of concern. The prolonged drought facing the country and the anticipated increase in water demand in the coming decades will create enormous pressure on freshwater accessibility. Therefore, decoupling human and economic growth from depletion of a vital resource like water is paramount.
The image below, taken from the World Resources Institute's AQUEDUCT Water Risk Atlas, shows many parts of Australia are already under significant water stress, which is projected to worsen in the coming decades, especially in the most populous urban areas. Indeed, analysis from CSIRO and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology found that there has been a decrease in streamflow across southern Australia, largely due to decline in rainfall.[x] Their future climate models also forecast a decrease in rainfall across many regions of southern Australia, with more time spent in drought. [xii]
Source: World Resources Institute's Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas
Insights from our research
The Australian economy relies heavily on water-intensive sectors such as agriculture, energy and mining. Water can pose material risks and impacts to a company's business and social license to operate, particularly if it operates in water-scarce regions.
Concerns over water use and availability are key drivers of community tensions, and the perception of greater water stress can make it difficult for companies to obtain water permits and project approvals. Constraints on water quality and availability may lead to higher water prices and increased production costs, disrupt or shutdown operations, or force companies to cut back production or undertake costly workarounds. Water overuse can trigger conflicts with local communities, scrutiny from regulators and negative reputational attention.
Resource Use is one of the material ESG issues in Sustainalytics' ESG Risk Ratings framework, and addresses water-related risks. We have identified it as relevant for 64 companies in the ASX200, together representing 34% of the total market cap of the index.
Sustainalytics recently published a report outlining the results of a benchmarking exercise on water management and stewardship in the food and beverage, garment and mining sectors. The study, which included 11 Australian companies, ranked Australia among the top five regions with relatively strong preparedness. At the same time, it also found that over a two-year period only three of these companies had made progress on the assessed key performance indicators, while eight showed either no progress or deteriorated performance.
As shown in the graph below, according to our analysis on the broader sample of 64 companies, on average two thirds of the risk exposure is potentially unmanaged. Of course, values can vary considerably among companies, reflecting the variations in risk exposure and management, and therefore the probability and magnitude of the potential impacts.
Risk Decomposition
Source: Sustainalytics ESG Risk Ratings
Companies have begun recognizing the risks associated with water scarcity and the strategic importance of freshwater management and conservation. Leading companies have invested in the research and development of drought-resistant crops and innovative irrigation techniques, desalination plants, and process and equipment optimizations. They may also use non-potable water for industrial processes and increase rates of water recycling and water efficiency over time. However, many of these initiatives are sporadic. Gaps remain between group-wide water risk and management programs and what we consider best practice – as evidenced by the average management score of 34 out of 100 points.
For example, 30 companies still do not publicly report basic data on their water use. Over 80% of the companies in the sample don't provide evidence of conducting regular water risk assessments and don't report detailed information on their water scarcity risks and their response strategies. Moreover, only seven companies have established clear managerial or board oversight on water risks and have publicly adopted water reduction targets and deadlines.
Water Management - percentage of companies that do not report
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Source: Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating
Managing water risks in portfolios
Recognition of the investment risk posed by climate change is becoming increasingly mainstream and understood, as the economic implications are little disputed and starting to be priced in. The effects of global warming are also becoming clearer, particularly around freshwater availability and stress. As described above, water-related risks can be significant and can have major impacts on companies' operations and supply chains.
So, what can investors do to manage and mitigate water risks in their portfolios? We suggest three steps that can be useful in this regard:
Assess the extent to which a portfolio is exposed to water risks – you can't manage what you don't measure. For example, modelling potential impacts of water restrictions or price hikes on investee companies can yield valuable insights.
Understand companies' strategies and management approaches, engage with them on the issue, and stimulate more reporting and disclosure. If there is value in such information, then a company should be reporting on it at par with other financial and non-financial disclosures – or it may fail to fulfil its disclosure duties.
Apply the insights gathered from exposure mapping and company response: for example, by diversifying a portfolio with regards to geographic exposure and water stress, tilting portfolio allocation in terms of the water risk profile of companies and sectors, and increasing investments in companies that provide solutions to water challenges.
In our recent report, we observed evidence of a positive engagement impact, with benefits to investors and companies alike. See the full report here, and stay tuned for an upcoming blog post from Tytti Kaasinen, Associate Director of Engagement Services.
If you're interested in learning about water-related engagement opportunities, please visit Sustainalytics' Engagement Services website. Or learn more about the Sustainalytics solutions that can help you address water-related risks in your portfolio:
ESG Risk Ratings and Research
Sustainable Products Research
Blog – Water Risks in Extractive Industries
Blog – The Water Scarcity Challenge: Opportunities for Investors to Support Sustainable Solutions
[i] The Guardian
[ii] The Sydney Morning Herald
[iii] The Guardian 2
[iv] ABC News
[v] The Sydney Morning Herald 2
[vi] ABC News 2
[vii] Mining Technology
[viii] The Conversation
[ix] Australian Bureau of Statistics
[x] CSIRO
[xii] CSIRO 2
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Amidst a hot streak, the MSUM women's basketball team has hit its stride.
On Dec. 8, the Dragons were defeated at home by the University of Minnesota Crookston. It was an uncharacteristic loss for MSUM, as the Golden Eagles dwell near the bottom of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with a 5-13 overall record, 5-9 in conference play.
Following the loss, the Dragons bounced back the next day by beating Bemidji State 70-47. Then, MSUM split close games with Northern State, losing 69-65 on Dec. 15 and winning 64-61 on Dec. 19.
The Dragons have not lost since that Dec. 15 setback. On its nine-game win streak, MSUM has taken the top spot in the NSIC North division with a 15-3 overall record, 12-2 in the NSIC.
Nelson talked about her team still looking sluggish during the first string of wins, but after the Jan. 5 win over Minot State, the Dragons have defeated its opponents by an average of 16.8 points per game.
Defense and rebounding are often stressed by Nelson as major keys to winning. The Dragons are holding opponents to a 36.4 field goal percentage during the win streak, while grabbing about nine more rebounds per game than the other team.
On offense, the Dragons have had an even attack, with four starters (Jacky Volkert, Drew Sannes, Cassidy Thorson, Megan Hintz) averaging over 11 points, led by junior guard Volkert's 14.1.
Freshman guard Kiley Borowicz leads the Dragons' reserves, averaging 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Along with a steady offense, Nelson wants the Dragons to tweak smaller aspects of the game such as free throw shooting and footwork to sustain the recent success.
Earning the Dragons' seventh consecutive win on its current streak, MSUM topped Wayne State 86-84 in overtime on Jan. 13. Senior guard Cassidy Thorson made seven three-point shots in the game, which put her at 198 career three-pointers made, a new program record. She surpassed previous record holder Marisa Yernatich's mark of 197.
Although there was an announcement during a stoppage in play, Thorson did not realize she etched her name in the Dragons' record books until after the game.
Thorson, a senior from West Fargo, leads the team in three-pointers made with 53. She is also second on the team in three-point percentage (.371) and second in free throw percentage (.875) and third in scoring with 11.7 points per game.


There's never really a great way to say you're sorry, but there are plenty of terrible ways.
One of the worst ways is the non-apology apology, which sounds like an apology but doesn't really accept any blame. For example, "We're sorry if this upset you" or "I'm sorry that you don't feel like we lived up to your expectations." Whatever.
A good apology accepts responsibility. It has no conditional if phrase attached. It shows people that the buck stops with you. And then it provides real details about what happened and what you're doing to prevent it from happening again. And it seeks a way to make things right.


It is the first few days of Ramadan, the month of fasting that Muslims all over the world are participating in. As an act of love, faith and hope, an estimated one million Christians are praying for their Muslim friends and neighbours during these same 30 days. What is not often considered is that those of us who are of the Christian faith can not only offer prayers for Muslims, but at times pray with them. What do I mean? Read on.
A few months ago I wrote blog posts on the life of one of the greatest saints of the Church of the East, Isaac of Nineveh or Isaac the Syrian. (see what-can-a-7th-century-qatari-mystic-teach-a-world-of-constant-noise). It is fascinating to consider the influence that Isaac had beyond his own Christian tradition, into the beginnings of Islam's own mystical movement called the Sufis. The religion of Islam, like Christianity, encompasses a broad variety of movements and influences. Though considered heretical to some more orthodox Muslims, the Sufis as emphasizing a more practical and experiential faith have been a stream within Islam in a more organized sense since perhaps the eighth-ninth centuries.
According to Muslim historian Saiyid Rizvi, "Sufism did not develop in isolation… the Christian influence in the development of Sufism is undeniable." (1978:32) Even the name itself, coming most likely from the wearing of wool (suf), was "according to Sufis a legacy of the prophets and Christian apostles and ascetics." (:28) By the ninth century, Church of the East monks like Ephrem, Aprahat and Isaac of Nineveh had been translated into Arabic and were being read by Muslims. It is always difficult to trace historical influences in a direct sense, but later important Muslim writers like Al-Ghazali (d. 1111) also used phrases common to the earlier Isaac, like "entering the cloud" of deeper experiences in prayer.
A few years ago a French movie titled "Of Gods and Men" appeared that powerfully showed a group of Christian monks in the 1990's in Algeria, caught between a violent Muslim extremist group and the Muslim villagers they were called to love and serve. (You can watch this movie with English sub-titles. I highly recommend it) These monks, led by a very sensitive priest who was well-versed in Arabic and Islam, end up martyred not so much for their Christian faith alone but for their love and commitment to their local Muslim neighbours.
One of the most profound parts of the movie is when the leader of the Islamist group comes to the monastery one night to ask for medical supplies for their wounded comrades. The priest denies the request for supplies due to the needs of the villagers, but quotes from the Qur'an and prays for and with him. While this extremist leader was alive, the monastery and monks were protected, and only after his death happened the abduction and death of the monks.
How are we called to live out the qualities of faith, hope and love among our Muslim friends? As many Christians pray for them this month, praying for dreams and visions of Isa al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah), the loving sensitive approach of the French monks can be our response. Realizing that many parts of early Islam and groups within Islam like the Sufis have been highly influenced by Christianity in earlier centuries, a greater sensitivity can develop. For many of us, witnessing to Muslims about our faith involves endless discussions (or even arguing) over various areas of belief. This can often result in our being confirmed in ideas of a negative portrayal of Muslims as driven by media outlets. Ir can lead to a feeling that there is no use in loving Muslims or even praying for them.
But what if we regularly sought to pray with Muslims, to create opportunities, however short, to pray with them for their needs. I have done this, and have never had a Muslim say they don't want to pray with me. Some readers may have heard of J. Christy Wilson, who worked many years in Afghanistan and helped start the International Assistance Mission (IAM) that still serves there today. Wilson had a regular practice of praying with a Muslim before he would leave them, in their homes or after a conversation. He would say, "would you join me in prayer before we part?" Wilson believed that bowing before the Lord with Muslim friends was one of the greatest ways to let the presence of God work, far greater than words about beliefs alone. Some of my own most memorable times of witness and relationship with Muslim neighbours have been in times of coming into the presence of God together in the Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The influence of Isaac of Nineveh on Muslims, even up to today, and particularly his teachings on prayer, provide us encouragement for creative Spirit-led opportunities to not only pray for Muslims during these 30 days, but to pray with them. One of Isaac's sayings, using a similar phrase of earlier Christian monks, was that "we should stay in our cell (or prayer and learning space), and our cell will teach us everything." Why not think and pray about inviting a Muslim friend into your cell with you sometime??
How offended might a Muslim be by a Christian praying with him or her in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in a prayer addressing God as Father, Steve? Would such sensitivity require that you refrain from acknowledging these fundamentals of what prayer is as taught by Jesus, and keep these to yourself? I have been prompted to contact you because of your contribution to the 30 Day prayer initiative this year in your piece on 'true hijra'. Surely all true hijra worthy of its name is a journey that ultimately brings any Muslim to eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and knowledge of God as Father?
Yes, very much agree with your comments, Keith! I think when we pray with Muslims we open up space for the Holy Spirit to touch their hearts in a different way than by argument or fervent discussions. (not that we shouldn't have fervent discussions especially!) We can also pray with Muslims in the name of Jesus and also to the Father. If we are careful how we do it, and the spirit in which we do it, there is much less chance of offense for them than if we are insensitive in our witnessing.
Thanks also for your comment related to "True Hijra". Yes, very much agree that the greatest journey for a Muslim or any of us is to one of faith in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. But that is where the great bridge is that I mentioned in the article, as we spend time with Muslims and share with them our own faith journey.
Thanks again for writing, and for praying!!!
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US Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke twice with the Russian ambassador in 2016 — he told Congress he had "no contact" with Russians. Snapchat's parent company is expected to be valued at $24 billion. And from Britain to Singapore, BuzzFeed News followed the grandmother who was deported after 30 years as she navigates her new life in exile.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Congress he had no contact with "the Russians" during the election. But he did — twice.
Sessions spoke with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak on two occasions in 2016 when he was a senator and Trump surrogate, the Washington Post first reported. One was an office visit on Sept. 8 and another was a discussion involving several people at a Heritage Foundation event in July.
Those contacts seem to contradict what Sessions told members of Congress during a confirmation hearing to become attorney general. On Jan. 10, Sen. Al Franken asked Sessions if he was aware of anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign having contact with Russian officials during the campaign.
Following the revelation, Democrats are calling for Sessions to remove himself from an investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election.
The marijuana industry says Trump can't turn back the clock on legal pot. While cannabis is legal in over half the country, the federal stance is unambiguous: Cannabis remains illegal — and President Trump's administration has recently said it intends to enforce federal law.
Trump's tribute: Some politicians, pundits, and media loved Trump's shoutout during his big speech on Tuesday to the widow of William "Ryan" Owens, the Navy SEAL killed in a raid in Yemen. Active military officers? Not so much.
Snapchat's parent company is expected to be valued at $24 billion, setting a high bar for a company that lost $515 million last year.
Snap Inc. is still considerably less valuable than the $104 billion Facebook was valued at when it went public in 2012, but more than twice Twitter's current $11 billion valuation.
Investors will buy the company's stock for an initial price of $17 a share, the company said, creating expectations for dramatic growth in users and revenue at the company, which will spend the coming years trying to live up to those expectations.
Some of the company's Venice, California, neighbors rallied outside its headquarters' doors on Tuesday, aiming to send a message to the fast-growing social media phenom: Get out. And Snapchat's top influencers have felt neglected for years. Now some are pushing their followers to other platforms, including Instagram and YouTube.
Anti-Semitic threats: The FBI is investigating the possibility that a "troll" was involved in the recent bomb threats to Jewish centers and schools in the US.
Oscars oops: How the Oscars flub demonstrates the limits of black graciousness. And the two accountants responsible for the epic Best Picture envelope screw-up won't be invited back, says the Academy.
Biz & tech: McDonald's is trying to figure out how to keep sales growing as the all-day breakfast boost dies down, and the chain seems to have identified the next big thing: ~delivery~. And Facebook's AI is often better than humans at identifying suicidal posts, so the platform is putting it to work.
DWTS: Mr. T, Nancy Kerrigan, Simone Biles, and more — meet the new cast of Dancing With the Stars.
Immigration: An undocumented immigrant was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, moments after she spoke out about her fear of being deported at a news conference. And from Britain to Singapore, we followed the grandmother deported after 30 years as she navigates her new life in exile.


Before you know it, the days will get longer, spring will be in the air, and spring break will be happening all around. The roads will start to fill up with busy teenagers, either learning to drive, driving to and from work, or cruising in their downtime. But teenage drivers and their parents should be careful: the longer and warmer the days get, the higher the percentage of teenage accidents in vehicles also grows.
It can be so tempting to look at your cellphone, talk on the phone, play on the radio, and even text while driving–sometimes all at once! Emphasize with your teenage driver that it takes just a second for an accident to happen, and even less time for an inexperienced driver to lose control of a vehicle. Parents, we suggest you model good driving habits as well and refuse to be distracted while you drive. Nothing is truly that important.
Explain the importance of anticipating situations and having a plan for how to drive well. For example, if there is a biker on the road, drivers need to be aware of the fact that they accelerate differently and also have a higher chance of losing control. Plan ahead for how to drive well with bikers and other drivers in mind, and consider all possible scenarios when choosing where to place your vehicle accordingly.
Before your teenage driver gets rolling, he or she needs to have their GPS coordinates not only punched in and calculated, but the driver should review the anticipated route. This allows the driver to have an idea of what to expect and minimizes distractions while driving.
We cannot stress enough the importance of teaching your young drivers how to maintain their vehicles. Advise them on how to check fluid levels, tire pressure, and the logistics of how to do simple tasks like wiper blade replacements, etc. Also, teach your teen how to change a tire! If they don't learn now, they're likely to never learn, and that's just not safe. If you don't feel comfortable teaching them, we will happily do so. In fact, it teaches your young driver responsibility if they are the person who brings their car in for maintenance. We suggest you allow your teen to bring his or her car in, and we can teach them quite a lot about proper maintenance and care while they sit and wait!
And if you're in the market for a great vehicle, check these out!
2007 Ford Freestyle for sale. Clean and ready to hit the road!
2007 Pontiac for sale. 4 doors and clean!
2008 Chevy Suburban, black for sale. A nice ride and ready to go.
1991 Jeep Wrangler for sale. Ready for some nice summer days!
Many more to choose from….just come see us and check them out!
And as that grass grows, so does your need for Husqvarna!
All of these great options and more in mowers. And we have a brand new shipment in. If you don't see what you want in front of the shop, just ask!
Mark your calendars: we have an OPEN HOUSE on Saturday, April 1st! More on our Facebook event page and more to come soon in our next blog post.
Keep up-to-date with all that is happening at Crumpler's by following us on our very active Facebook pages: Crumpler's Custom Cycle and our main page: Crumpler's Automotive.
We thank you for following our blog and ask that you comment, like and share it! Also if you need any more information, call us at (910) 483-2958 or visit our website at Crumpler's Automotive.
Unfortunately, sometimes things don't go the way we want. Maybe it was their fault, maybe it was our fault, maybe it was just a complete accident, but wrecks happen. We've had enough people panic and not know how to handle the aftermath, that we decided to share what we think is the best course of action after the wreck occurs. This is in order to help keep you calm and to get you safely out of harm's way in the aftermath.
One of our tow trucks. We're always here to help you in those rough moments.
The easiest and most unproductive thing to do after an accident is to panic. Instead, try to pause for a second and take a breath. The most important thing is to make sure you and your passengers are safe first. If there are injuries, you must call 911. Follow their instructions. Wait on emergency personnel and listen to their advice.
If there are no injuries thankfully, you still need to call law enforcement or 911. Even if you're not injured, you're alone, or it was an accident that was not involving other vehicles, you should involve law enforcement, especially if you will need to repair your vehicle or get a wrecker to come out.
Once the officer arrives, explain the situation and how it occurred. At this point, the officer can tell their dispatch to call a towing company. You may request any company you'd like, which is why we suggest you tell the officer that you'd like to call Crumpler's Automotive. Please note that if there are no injuries and the damage is minor (meaning you know you just need a tow to get the vehicle back to the shop to get something small fixed) you may not want to involve your insurance company. However, if the damage is major, you'll need to call your insurance company. You can do this the same day or the next day. The point is, you don't have to do it at the scene of the accident. But you will need an accident report from a police officer.
Upon getting a call from dispatch, we will bring one of our tow trucks and get your vehicle. At that point, we'll also help you get somewhere safe if you don't have someone to pick you up. Then the vehicle will come back to our shop and will wait for the insurance adjuster to come to the shop and assess the damage. Then the insurance company will contact you as the owner as tell you how they suggest you proceed considering the damage. If you have full coverage and the vehicle is not totaled, insurance will help pay for the repairs of your vehicle. If it's totaled, then you will have a compensation congruent with how the insurance company values your vehicle at that time. We will then dispose of the vehicle.
All in all, it is no short process, and it's one that requires patience. But allowing for these steps and doing it correctly will help your particular process run much more smoothly. All the above steps also apply to your motorcycle if you happen to have an accident. We sure hope you aren't in a bad situation. But if you are, we certainly want to be the one to help you and make sure above all that you stay safe.
Time for some fall clean-up!
Check out all of our Husqvarna products in stock at Crumpler's. If we don't have it we can always order it!
Chainsaws fit nicely under that tree as well.
Make life easier on yourself by getting a blower to deal with all of those leaves this season!
And if you're on the hunt for a vehicle, check out all the great pre-owned vehicles we have on our lot right now!
Clockwise: 1988 Monte Carlo, 2005 Escape, 1991 Jeep Wrangler, Silver Cadillac CTS, 1998 Red Chevy Suburban, Black Chevy Suburban, 2003 White Lincoln LS, 2001Cadillac Deville.
Our products and services rival any of our competitors and our prices are competitive with national chain stores. But that's not why we are here. We're here to serve our community and proudly bring our best to work every day. We have a goal of excellence, and we're only getting better with age!


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Investors flock to Fresheasy
by thebell July 21, 2020 October 13, 2020
South Korea's largest meal kit company Fresheasy is attracting close attention from the market with financial investors moving fast to secure the company's stake due to its strong performance.
Financial investors are seeking investment opportunities in Fresheasy, according to sources on July 17. The private equity (PE) unit of South Korea's Hana Financial Investment, Hana Financial Investment PE, which already invested in Fresheasy reportedly wants to make a new investment in the company. Previously Fresheasy received a combined 20 billion won ($16.6 million) from Korea Development Bank (KDB) and NAU IB Capital in March – 10 billion won from each.
Financial investors are seeing high growth potential in the company while interests in the meal kit market and demand for meal kits have soared after the outbreak of Covid-19. At the end of 2019, before the outbreak of the Covid-19, Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) expected the country's meal kit market to grow to 700 billion won by 2024. However, the market is expected to grow faster than the KREI initially expected after the outbreak of Covid-19.
Founded in 2016, Fresheasy is a start-up which provides pre-packaged meals. Fresheasy's revenue has shown an exponential growth in recent years. Its revenue recorded 71.1 billion won in 2019, up from 1.5 billion won in 2017 and 21.8 billion won in 2018. With the company's revenue surging 47 times in just two years, financial investors have flocked to the company for investment opportunities. Fresheasy secured a total of 93 billion won in Series B and Series C rounds of funding last year.
The company received 26 billion won from Hana Financial Investment PE in February 2019, followed by 4 billion won from GS Home Shopping in March. It secured 50 billion won from nine investors including SoftBank Ventures Asia, NAU IB Capital, NongHyup Bank, NH Investment & Securities, SBI Investment, Union Investment Partners, Industrial Bank of Korea, Korea Investment & Securities and GS Home Shopping at the end of 2019.
The proceeds have been used to build its new plant and secure working capital. It has spent 45 billion won to build the new plant in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do province, last year to meet rapidly growing demands. The company has also been in need of working capital as it spent 6.6 billion won in shipping meal kits in 2019, up four times compared to a year earlier. Also, Fresheasy spent 4.3 billion won on advertising last year, up about 10 times compared to 2018.
"A number of financial investors are willing to make additional investments in Fresheasy, including Hana Financial Investment PE," said an industry source. "Considering the company's strong presence in the meal kit market, it will continue to attract attention from the financial market." (Reporting by Se-hun Jo)


text:
ADFD and ICBA officials at the signing ceremony.
ADFD inks deal to build new soil museum in UAE
ABU DHABI, September 7, 2016
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has signed a deal with International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) to build a soil museum in Dubai, UAE.
The Emirates Soil Museum will be the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, said a statement from ICBA.
A unique hub for soil education, the museum is set to open in December, it added.
The facility will provide vital information on the critical role of soil in the natural environment and demonstrate the importance of soil in urban planning and how it's the underlining measure to manage and secure food sources, said Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, the director-general of ADFD, after signing the agreement with Dr Ismahane Elouafi, the director-general of ICBA.
"At ADFD, we possess the expertise, know-how and resources to profoundly drive socio-economic growth, stemming from 45 years of experience and the successful development of 481 projects, 55 of which fostered expansions in the sector of agriculture and irrigation," he stated.
Dr Elouafi said: "As soil is a non-renewable resource, it is essential to ensure its preservation for food security and a sustainable future. This requires continued public awareness of the importance of soil and the negative impact of its unsustainable uses."
"Therefore, we are setting up the Emirates Soil Museum with support from the Government of the UAE, and in particular ADFD, so that the museum will serve as a repository of knowledge for scholars and the general public who are interested in soil preservation," he added.
The funding by ADFD will also equip the exterior landscape with interactive learning features, enhance the interior exhibits with augmented reality, advance learning modules, develop an engaging and user-friendly website for children and cover operating costs for 24 months.-TradeArabia News Service
Tags: abu dhabi	| fund	| ICBA	| soil museum	|
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text:
Collegio plurinominale Lazio 1 - 03 – collegio elettorale della Camera dei deputati del 2017
Collegio plurinominale Lazio 1 - 03 – collegio elettorale della Camera dei deputati del 2020

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Tomislav Momirović graduated from the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law. Momirović has been employed at Mona Ltd. since 2007 as an advisor, after which he takes the Managing Director position of the Mona Hotel Management Ltd. when it was established. He is an active participant in the HORES business association – where since 2013 he has been holding the position of President of the HORES Assembly (Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs – a business association for the hotel and catering industry). From 2009 to 2013, Momirović served as President of the HORES Board of Directors. His active engagement and that of his team, contributed to the rate of VAT for accommodation rising to only 10% and not 20%, as was originally decided.
Miljan Kalinić graduated from the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Civil Engineering. After completing his studies, Kalinić worked for several companies on the installation and design of various buildings in the field of building construction. During this period, Kalinić also held the position of technical and managing director. Kalinić has been employed at Mona Ltd. since 2003 and today he is the CEO of investments, in charge of the overall investment activity (planning, construction and reconstruction, contracting, supervision), as well as current investment maintenance.
Petar Platiša graduated from Singidunum University, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management.
Platiša has been employed at Mona Ltd. since 2008, where he has worked as an assistant marketing manager, internet marketing manager and sales manager.
Nowadays, he is the sales director at Mona Hotel Management Ltd., in charge of corporate sales, market research, internet marketing and sales.
Platiša has published several articles on the subject of internet marketing in tourism, as well as texts on the subject of the internet as a rapidly growing sales channel in tourism. Platiša is a participant in the HORES business association and Serbia Convention Bureau.
Dragana Boričić graduated from the Belgrade University, Faculty of Economics, majoring in Accounting, Auditing and Financial Management. Boričić has been employed at the company since 2012 where she performed accounting associate tasks. Since 2014, she has worked as a finance manager, in charge of relations with financial institutions, key suppliers and tax authorities, as well as of finances and accounting, cost control and management of financial and administrative aspects of investment projects.
Marija graduated from the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philology, majoring in German language and literature. She got her Master's degree at Singidunum University, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management. She's been part of the Mona Hotel Management Team since January 2018.
She is an international certified Master Trainer for the hospitality industry and has delivered training in more than twenty countries worldwide. She gathered experience in foreign and domestic hotel management companies and hotel groups and as a trainer and facilitator for IFH Institute for Hospitality Management from Frankfurt, Germany.
She's in charge of running the MHM training academy, organizational culture creation and delivery, performance management, employee recognition and reward programs, team development and improvement of service culture standards.
Golubović graduated from the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law, majoring in Business Law. She has been employed at Mona Ltd. since 2012 as a legal council.
Golubović is in charge of all statutory, regulatory, commercial and legal affairs of the company, legal aspects of cooperation with the state authorities and other companies, as well as of the implementation of legislation in the field of human resources.
Bojana Atonić graduated from the Belgrade University – Faculty of Economics, majoring in financial management.
She has been employed at the company since 2014, on the position of accounting associate,where performs tasks in the field of accounting, administration and finance. Since 2015, she is dealing with budgeting and internal reporting.
Maja Komrakov graduated from the Belgrade University – Faculty of Economics, Department of Tourism and Hotel Management, where she also completed master studies in Business Communication and Public Relations.
Since 2015, she has been employed at the company on the position of Sales executive. Komrakov is engaged in the researching potential clients, improving corporate sales and development of the CRM database.
In 2018 starts role as Sales Manager.
Jovana Grilihes graduated from the Belgrade University – Faculty of Architecture, where she completed her Master's degree, majoring in Architecture. During her studies, Jovana has also worked for 3 years as a teaching fellow, at the Department of Architectural Technology, in the field of Architectural Constructions.
She has been employed at the company since 2016, as an Architect, where she is in charge of the investment operations – planning, building, reconstruction and current investment maintenance.
Graduated from the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Economics, Department of Tourism and Hotel Management. Employed since 2016. at the position of Sales and Marketing associate.
In 2018 starts role as Digital Marketing Manager.
In charge of setting marketing goals, creating a marketing strategy and controlling activities and results.
In addition, performs tasks related to monitoring development marketing plans and improving CRM sales analytical system.
Ivan Jevremović graduated from the University EDUCONS – Faculty of Business Assistance.He has been employed since 2006 at hotel Zlatibor Mona where he performed the duties of a receptionist, administrative and accounting tasks.
Since 2007, Jevremovic has been director of the hotel "Zlatibor Mona" where he is responsible for the hotel operational business in accordance with the mission, vision and goals of the company.
Graduated from the Belgrade Business School – College of Professional Studies, department of taxes and duties.
He has been employed since 2011. at hotel Javor ltd where he performed the duties of a receptionist and assistant hotel manager.Since 2015. Orestijević has been director of hotel Javor hotel, where he is responsible for the organization and operation of the hotel, as well as for the quality and legality of services that hotel offers.
Graduated from the College of Hotel management- hospitality department.
During 2012 and 2013 acquires initial experience through practice in Germany where he passed through several departments such as housekeeping,kitchen, restaurant and reception.
He has been employed since 2014 at hotel Argo as a part of pre-opening team. He performed the duties of receptionist and later as a front office manager.
From november 2016 he performing duties as adirector/manager of hotel Argo where he is responsible for organization and management of hotel forming and maintenance of pricing policy on the market and human resources.
Another challenge successfully taken up!


text:
Vendola Left beat Democratic Party. D'Alema: PD has failed.
Stories and News No. 94
Banality.
If reality were the result of imagination the world would be different.
In Haiti the richest countries in the world would save people as good as they are to kill when they make war.
If we were living in the realm of dreams the church would be different too, since reading that a priest stole money to a disabled person to give presents at his lover, it would realize that before talking to politics should deal with itself.
If life were written by our imagination, a government that organizes against TAV a manifestation of thousand people to respond to the protest of twenty thousand, would have the decency to admit that, maybe, there is something undemocratic in what it is doing.
If our country were what we would like, after the sixth night that ten workers are sleeping on a roof, the Fiat would use the money it took from the State, to not dismiss them.
If Left Italians waked up one morning to vote a leftist man, not allied with the centre leftist, which is another thing, in dreams as in reality...
If people who want a Left opposition stopped tolerating compromises to get the catholic votes, by parties that do not really get them at all...
If that were the reality, finally D'Alema, with the mouth of Bersani…
Indeed, directly D'Alema - because this is fantasy… - noting that Democratic Party allied with catholic UDC failed to win twice in southern Italy, against a so-called radical Left man, attacked for months by the newspapers and declared homosexual too, would invite the press to declare: "The Democratic Party has failed. The PD has failed because it has not an identity. The PD has failed because it is not a leftist party, or even a centrist party, because it is not a party. The parties are liable when they come from people and we do not understand, do not listen and do not see the people. We are not a party. We are just us..."
The News: Vendola victory.
Stories and news: "invented" Stories, fruit of my imagination, inspired by "true" media News.
Stories and News, the Storytelling show: February 12 2010, Rome.
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Labels: centre, democratic party, left, politics, stories and news


text:
County lines gang dismantled as GMP secure first child criminal exploitation convictions
Three men and a woman have been sentenced after being rumbled by our detectives in Tameside investigating a drugs line that profited around £80k from the criminal exploitation of teenage boys.
Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard today (18 November 2021) how Ryan Wall, 24, Claire Daniels, 36, Christopher Thornton, 20, and Leigh Sleddon, 38, were involved in an organised crime group that trafficked class A drugs as well as vulnerable young people from Tameside to Blackpool.
Wall, of Lakenheath Road, Liverpool and Thornton, of Barlow Road, Dukinfield, were sentenced to a total of 17 years after admitting arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act - becoming GMP's first county lines offenders guilty of this offence.
Despite not being charged with the same offence, the court also accepted that Daniels - herself a mother - of Fitzroy Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, was aware and complicit in the movement of the teenagers in order for them to deal drugs and she was given a one year and two month suspended sentence.
Sleddon, of Claremont Court, Blackpool, admitted that the children had stayed at his address in return for him being supplied with drugs. He was given a two year suspended sentence.
The verdicts conclude an eighteen-month investigation into the transportation of drugs and children - aged between 13 and 16 - led by detectives in GMP Tameside's Complex Safeguarding Team.
Investigators began the operation - codenamed 'Fairview' - following the report of a boy missing from the Hyde area. After close work with Lancashire Police, it was identified that he had been moved to Blackpool and that he was being used by the gang to supply class 'A' drugs on the streets.
Enquiries confirmed that two other teenage boys who had been missing from the nearby Ashton area had been in contact with a number associated with Ryan Wall - who was jailed for nine years today.
Already a picture was starting to develop of a group conspiring to supply class A drugs - namely heroin and crack cocaine - and also transporting the young boys to Blackpool to deal these drugs on the streets, often leaving them to fend for themselves for days.
While it is not thought the two boys - and a third boy also found to be exploited - were ever injured, detectives believe by leaving the boys alone to be involved in illicit enterprises in towns miles away from home was exposing them to a real and significant danger.
Officers ensured the boys were immediately referred to relevant specialist agencies and safeguarded away from further harm, and have pursued with a victimless prosecution to ensure that the gang are still held to account for their crimes.
A strike day was executed at the start of October 2020 where eight people - aged 16 to 67 - were arrested, before Wall, Thornton and Daniels were charged and eventually admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug. The detectives were also able to prove to the court that Thornton, who was jailed for eight years today, was also controlling a 'drug line' local to the Tameside area supplying heroin, cocaine and cannabis. He had also entered guilty pleas for these matters.
Wall and Thornton pleaded guilty of four modern slavery offences between them while Sleddon pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
While similar charges have been secured in other complex safeguarding teams in Greater Manchester for offences relating to Child Sexual Exploitation, the unit in Tameside is the first to land a conviction under the Modern Slavery Act in relation to Child Criminal Exploitation 'county lines' gangs - with support from the Crown Prosecution Service.
Comprising of specially-trained detectives, safeguarding officers, and partners from Tameside Council; the Complex Safeguarding Team currently has nine ongoing investigations and a number of suspects have been arrested. Children who have been identified as needing to be safeguarded have in some cases been re-homed.
The team behind Operation Fairview
Detective Constable Matthew Elliot, from Operation Fairview, said: "Today, this group has been jailed for their roles in a county line gang - wrecking lives along the way through the dissemination of illegal drugs.
"But what we've been able to prove to the court during this investigation, is that Wall and Thornton - in particular - were not just trafficking drugs but also trafficking people.
"They were running their drugs line to Blackpool by deliberately targeting teenage boys, and exploiting them for their own illicit gains.
"These were boys who were identified by the group as vulnerable, and groomed into travelling between counties - left to fend for themselves and exposed to danger - to do the dirty work on the ground that these offenders didn't wish to do themselves.
"The act of exploiting children and peddling them for such selfish and criminal ways is an abhorrent crime - but one that is complex and wide-ranging which makes today's outcome all the more of a success.
"And it isn't just putting offenders behind bars that makes this operation a great result. The fact we have been able to work with partners and ensure victims have been safeguarded and away from harm is just as - if not more - significant.
"I would like to thank our partners at Tameside Council, Lancashire Police, and the Crown Prosecution Service, for the extensive support they have offered to this investigation and helping us ensure these historic convictions for GMP.
"This has been a tireless eighteen-month investigation by our Complex Safeguarding Team in Tameside, and hopefully the first good result of many.
"We have demonstrated how by working with local police forces, local authority, and other relevant supporting agencies, that we are able to target and dismantle those involved in this truly despicable criminal activity - while identifying and protecting victims in the process.
"If you feel you are being criminally exploited, or know someone who is, then please come forward to the police or Crimestoppers, knowing information will be treat with the strictest confidence."
Tameside Council Executive Member for Children and Families, Councillor Bill Fairfoull, said: "Superb partnership working has resulted in this first conviction of Modern Day Slavery in Greater Manchester. We have removed these drug dealers from our streets and stopped them from exploiting our children. Our Children's Services staff have worked tirelessly with the police to secure this result and I'd like to thank everyone involved for their hard work.
"All of the children involved are being supported by our Tameside Complex Safeguarding Team and Tameside Youth Justice Service. I'm also pleased that the learning from this successful operation with be shared across Greater Manchester Complex Safeguarding Teams as a model of best practice."


Websites optimized for smartphones are gaining ground on phone-only apps these days, giving consumers two ways to play. Such is the case with DogVacay and Rover, a pair of websites and associated apps (free) that aim to match traveling dog owners with host families nationwide.
DogVacay, a 2012 Santa Monica startup, has received a lot of positive press and a lot of good reviews from users. It's easy to use: hosts create profiles about themselves and their services, while pet owners share reviews online after they pick up their pets.
Rover, based in Seattle, likewise seeks to connect dog owners with dog sitters nationwide. It plans to add cats and horses to its repertoire soon.
Both services tout the benefits of home-stays over traditional boarding kennels, provide training and insurance for hosts, suggest pre-trip meet-and-greets and encourage daily photo and text exchanges between parties. Hosts set their own rates and pay a percentage to DogVacay or Rover.


text:
Cratyna adrostylata är en tvåvingeart som beskrevs av Hardy 1956. Cratyna adrostylata ingår i släktet Cratyna och familjen sorgmyggor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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A Salute to 70th Anniversary of D-Day 2 p.m.
Friday, June 6 - 2 p.m.
A Salute to the 70th Anniversary of D-Day honoring those in our community who served in WWII. Brief program will be followed by screening of WW II documentary Heroes Among Us. Reception in Library immediately following. Presented by the Friends of the UPPL and sponsored by The Dallas Foundation. Free and open to the public.


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text:
The Cuban exile who calls Guantanamo Bay his forever home
Fearing reprisals, refugees found safe haven at US naval base during Cuban Revolution six decades ago
Noel West, 88, holds a plaque commemorating his 55 years of service to the US naval station in Guantanamo Bay. Willy Lowry / The National
Willy Lowry
In February 1964, Cuban national Noel West was working as a clerk on the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay when he chose to stay in his barracks and watch a baseball game instead of returning to his home on the Cuban side of the fence.
Little did he know that decision would save his life.
The next day, he learnt Fidel Castro's soldiers were hunting him.
"My next door neighbour who lived on the Cuban side called me and he asked me if I had gone out the night before. I said, 'No, why?'" recalled Mr West.
"He said, 'Well, there were about eight soldiers looking for you.'"
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At first, Mr West couldn't understand why Castro's men wanted him, but he soon realised that a close friend had sold him out to the nascent communist regime after a casual conversation they had days before.
"We started talking, and he said, 'Well what do you think about the situation in Cuba now?' I said 'Well, I mean, there's nothing to eat, there's no jobs, looks like communism is going to take over,' and, well, I didn't have anything good at all to say," said Mr West, who was 32 years old at the time.
That conversation would define the rest of his life. Unable to return home, he was granted permission from the US government to live in an enclave of the naval station until it was safe.
Mr West, now 88, has not set foot in Cuba since and doesn't believe he will ever be able to return.
The Guantanamo Bay base, which after the September 11 terror attacks became notorious for housing detainees in America's war on terror, was the first naval station established outside of the US.
A sign for the Cuban Community Centre at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Willy Lowry / The National
It is a spoil of the Spanish-American War, when Cuban and American forces wrestled the strategically located bay from Spanish control, helping pave the way for crucial victories later in the conflict.
Since 1903, the US has leased the land from Cuba. The original lease cost $2,000 per year. Since the mid-1970s, the US has paid Cuba $4,085 for the land, though the Castros never actually spent the money.
In the early 1960s, following the Cuban Revolution in which Castro clawed his way to power and established a communist government, some 350 Cubans escaped to the US base at the south-eastern tip of the island.
Some of the Cuban exiles moved to the US, but a small cohort, including Mr West, stayed at the base and made a life for themselves on their native soil under the protection of the US government.
Today, there are only 19 Cuban exiles, known as Special Category Residents, left on the base.
The base provides health care to the ageing community, whose youngest member is now 78 and the oldest is 92.
The US government has even built a home health facility for those unable to live alone.
Mr West lives in a low-slung, mid-century home across the street from the Cuban Community Centre in one of several residential compounds on the base.
A passenger barge docked at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, on the south-east coast of Cuba. All photos: Willy Lowry / The National
His house is filled with Christmas ornaments - an ode to his first name, Noel - which can be seen alongside pictures and other memorabilia of a life spent in service to the base.
On a mantle in his living room sits a plaque commemorating Mr West's 55 years of service.
For five and half decades, he worked as a clerk on the base, primarily in charge of ordering fuel for private vehicles. He retired in 2011.
In his spare time, he played baseball and umpired games for American soldiers and other people living on the base.
Eventually, he obtained US citizenship, and though he's travelled to the US many times and has a son who lives in Florida, he prefers life on the island of his birth.
Gregarious and light-hearted, Mr West jokes he would not make a movie out of his life, but he acknowledges he is part of a little known quirk of history.
Mr West now spends his retirement reading up on events in Cuba on the large computer monitor in his living room.
Nearly 60 years after he last stepped foot in Cuba proper, he still thinks about his community and what life would have been like if he had returned home that night all those years ago.
But he has no regrets over how his life has turned out.
"The thing that I miss about not living there is some of the people that I made friends with that I miss, the opportunity to sit and talk to them."
Updated: September 14th 2021, 8:09 PM
CubaUSRefugeesCaribbean
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text:
The Webster to Open First Store Outside the US
The American boutique has emerged as a winner in the pandemic even as other multi-brand luxury retailers face challenges
Shoppers at The Webster in Los Angeles. Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The Webster plans to open its first store outside the US – and eighth overall – in Toronto next summer, signalling that customer service-oriented, multi-brand boutiques can escape the downturn facing other parts of the wholesale and bricks-and-mortar sector.
Founded by Laure Hériard Dubreuil in 2009, The Webster has emerged as a winner in the pandemic despite that challenges that many of its competitors are seeing in multi-brand luxury retail. In May, Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy; two months later, Totokaelo and sister store Need Supply shut down. The overall luxury market is expected to contract by 23 percent this year, according to Bain & Company, with bricks-and-mortar wholesale down 40 percent globally and the US luxury market in total declining by 27 percent.
But The Webster, which is privately owned and declined to share revenue figures, is expected to see sales grow between 10 percent and 20 percent year-over-year in 2020. And September marked the most successful sales month in the history of the company, despite the lack of tourists and downturn in spending this year.
Hériard Dubreuil attributes that success to the company's close relationships with luxury shoppers, who are catered to by The Webster's private client team. Even before the pandemic, many shoppers, particularly women, came into the store for private appointments, prepped beforehand in consultation with The Webster's team and the clients' personal stylists. The boutique can also pre-order runway looks and couture for clients, among other services, and offer pieces on consignment so private client shoppers can try them on at home.
"Since the beginning, for us, The Webster has been about fostering a personalised curated experience, with amazing service, one on one," said Hériard Dubreuil.
That service-oriented business has grown in the pandemic, she said. Meanwhile, the men's customer is driven more by highly anticipated collection drops, and they come to The Webster to get special pieces like Fear of God's sell-out collaboration with Zegna, or Dior's collaboration with Stüssy.
The Webster's stores in Miami, Houston, Los Angeles and southern California, New York and now Toronto also serve as a way to bring new shoppers to the business, particularly tourists browsing the shops during their visits.
Limited-release events, like when Rihanna staged her first physical retail event for LVMH line Fenty at The Webster's New York location in 2019 — the entertainer is a customer, according to a market source — also serve to draw in new shoppers, as does its e-commerce business. But the store is not aiming to compete with online luxury players like Farfetch and Matches Fashion for sales.
"[We are] definitely not in the chase of recruiting clients, recruiting clients, recruiting clients, and all the massive investments that have to do with that," she said. "I'm more into developing relationships, building relationships, building trust, building a curated assortment, building wardrobes."
Editor's Note: This article was updated on 11 December 2020. A previous version said The Webster has a store in Aspen, Colorado. It does not.
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