text:
Capitaland largest city Maputo
Demonym Mozambican
Capital Maputo
Currency Metical
Official language Portuguese
Official languages Portuguese
GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate
Dialing code +258
President Filipe Nyusi
Government Unitary semi-presidential republic
Legislature Assembly of the Republic
Destinations Maputo, Lake Malawi, Pemba, Gorongosa National Park, Bazaruto Island
Points of interest Island of Mozambique, Bazaruto Archipelago, Gorongosa National Park, Quirimbas Islands, Benguerra Island
Mozambique (/moʊzæmˈbiːk/ or /mɔːzæmˈbiːk/), officially the Republic of Mozambique (Portuguese: Moçambique or República de Moçambique, [rɛˈpublikɐ dɨ musɐ̃ˈbikɨ]) is a country in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. It is separated from Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. The capital and largest city is Maputo (known as "Lourenço Marques" before independence).
Map of Mozambique
Top 10 largest cities or towns of mozambique
Bantu migrations
Swahili Coast
Portuguese Mozambique 14981975
Mozambican War of Independence 19641974
Independence 1975
Mozambican Civil War 19771992
Democratic era 1993
Rebounding growth
Economic reforms
Water supply and sanitation
Cultural identity
Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from farther north and west. Swahili (and later Arab) commercial ports existed along the coasts until the arrival of Europeans. The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonised by Portugal from 1505. The country was an important place where Somali merchants enslaved the local population, starting what is now known as the Somali slave trade. After over four centuries of Portuguese rule, Mozambique gained independence in 1975, becoming the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter. After only two years of independence, the country descended into an intense and protracted civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992. In 1994, Mozambique held its first multiparty elections and has remained a relatively stable presidential republic. However, since 2013, following more than 20 years of peace, a renewed insurgency by RENAMO has been occurring.
Mozambique is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world. Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but industry is growing, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, and aluminium and petroleum production. The country's tourism sector is also growing. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, and Spain are also among the country's most important economic partners. Since 2001, Mozambique's annual average GDP growth has been among the world's highest. However, the country ranks among the lowest in GDP per capita, human development, measures of inequality, and average life expectancy.
The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, which is spoken mostly as a second language by about half of the population. Common native languages include Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahili. The country's population of around 24 million is composed overwhelmingly of Bantu people. The largest religion in Mozambique is Christianity, with significant minorities following Islam and African traditional religions. Mozambique is a member of the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the Latin Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Southern African Development Community, and is an observer at La Francophonie.
The country was named Moçambique by the Portuguese after the Island of Mozambique, derived from Musa Al Big or Mossa Al Bique or Mussa Ben Mbiki, an Arab trader who first visited the island and later lived there. The island-town was the capital of the Portuguese colony until 1898, when it was moved south to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo).
Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, waves of Bantu-speaking people migrated from the west and north through the Zambezi River valley and then gradually into the plateau and coastal areas. They established agricultural communities or societies based on herding cattle. They brought with them the technology for smelting and smithing iron.
From the late first millennium AD, vast Indian Ocean trade networks extended as far south into Mozambique as the ancient port town of Chibuene. Commercial settlements such as Sofala, Angoche, and others along the Mozambican Swahili Coast became important centres for the Arab, Persian, and later Portuguese trade in slaves, gold, ivory, and other commodities. Connections are evident at sites including Manyikeni for 11–14th century ties with the inland Great Zimbabwe kingdoms.
Portuguese Mozambique (1498–1975)
From about 1500, Portuguese trading posts and forts displaced the Arabic commercial and military hegemony, becoming regular ports of call on the new European sea route to the east.
The voyage of Vasco da Gama around the Cape of Good Hope in 1498 marked the Portuguese entry into trade, politics, and society of the region. The Portuguese gained control of the Island of Mozambique and the port city of Sofala in the early 16th century, and by the 1530s, small groups of Portuguese traders and prospectors seeking gold penetrated the interior regions, where they set up garrisons and trading posts at Sena and Tete on the River Zambezi and tried to gain exclusive control over the gold trade.
The Portuguese attempted to legitimise and consolidate their trade and settlement positions through the creation of prazos (land grants) tied to Portuguese settlement and administration. While prazos were originally developed to be held by Portuguese, through intermarriage they became African Portuguese or African Indian centres defended by large African slave armies known as Chikunda. Historically within Mozambique there was slavery. Human beings were bought and sold by African tribal chiefs, Arab Muslim traders and Portuguese and other European traders as well. Many Mozambican slaves were supplied by tribal chiefs who raided warring tribes and sold their captives to the prazeiros.
Although Portuguese influence gradually expanded, its power was limited and exercised through individual settlers and officials who were granted extensive autonomy. The Portuguese were able to wrest much of the coastal trade from Arab Muslims between 1500 and 1700, but, with the Arab Muslim seizure of Portugal's key foothold at Fort Jesus on Mombasa Island (now in Kenya) in 1698, the pendulum began to swing in the other direction. As a result, investment lagged while Lisbon devoted itself to the more lucrative trade with India and the Far East and to the colonisation of Brazil.
During these wars, the Mazrui and Omani Arabs reclaimed much of the Indian Ocean trade, forcing the Portuguese to retreat south. Many prazos had declined by the mid-19th century, but several of them survived. During the 19th century other European powers, particularly the British (British South Africa Company) and the French (Madagascar), became increasingly involved in the trade and politics of the region around the Portuguese East African territories.
By the early 20th century the Portuguese had shifted the administration of much of Mozambique to large private companies, like the Mozambique Company, the Zambezia Company and the Niassa Company, controlled and financed mostly by the British, which established railroad lines to their neighbouring colonies (South Africa and Rhodesia). Although slavery had been legally abolished in Mozambique, at the end of the 19th century the Chartered companies enacted a forced labour policy and supplied cheap—often forced—African labour to the mines and plantations of the nearby British colonies and South Africa. The Zambezia Company, the most profitable chartered company, took over a number of smaller prazeiro holdings, and established military outposts to protect its property. The chartered companies built roads and ports to bring their goods to market including a railroad linking present day Zimbabwe with the Mozambican port of Beira.
Due to their unsatisfactory performance and the shift, under the corporatist Estado Novo regime of Oliveira Salazar, towards a stronger Portuguese control of Portuguese Empire's economy, the companies' concessions were not renewed when they ran out. This was what happened in 1942 with the Mozambique Company, which however continued to operate in the agricultural and commercial sectors as a corporation, and had already happened in 1929 with the termination of the Niassa Company's concession. In 1951, the Portuguese overseas colonies in Africa were rebranded as Overseas Provinces of Portugal.
Mozambican War of Independence (1964–1974)
As communist and anti-colonial ideologies spread out across Africa, many clandestine political movements were established in support of Mozambican independence. These movements claimed that since policies and development plans were primarily designed by the ruling authorities for the benefit of Mozambique's Portuguese population, little attention was paid to Mozambique's tribal integration and the development of its native communities.
According to the official guerrilla statements, this affected a majority of the indigenous population who suffered both state-sponsored discrimination and enormous social pressure. Many felt they had received too little opportunity or resources to upgrade their skills and improve their economic and social situation to a degree comparable to that of the Europeans. Statistically, Mozambique's Portuguese whites were indeed wealthier and more skilled than the black indigenous majority. As a response to the guerrilla movement, the Portuguese government from the 1960s and principally the early 1970s, initiated gradual changes with new socioeconomic developments and egalitarian policies for all.
The Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) initiated a guerrilla campaign against Portuguese rule in September 1964. This conflict—along with the two others already initiated in the other Portuguese colonies of Angola and Portuguese Guinea—became part of the so-called Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974). From a military standpoint, the Portuguese regular army maintained control of the population centres while the guerrilla forces sought to undermine their influence in rural and tribal areas in the north and west. As part of their response to FRELIMO, the Portuguese government began to pay more attention to creating favourable conditions for social development and economic growth.
Independence (1975)
FRELIMO took control of the territory after 10 years of sporadic warfare, as well as Portugal's own return to democracy through a leftist military coup in Lisbon which replaced Portugal's Estado Novo regime with a military junta (the Carnation Revolution of April 1974). Within a year, most of the 250,000 Portuguese in Mozambique had left—some expelled by the government of the nearly independent territory, some fleeing in fear—and Mozambique became independent from Portugal on 25 June 1975. A law had been passed on the initiative of the relatively unknown Armando Guebuza of the FRELIMO party, ordering the Portuguese to leave the country in 24 hours with only 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of luggage. Unable to salvage any of their assets, most of them returned to Portugal penniless.
Mozambican Civil War (1977–1992)
The new government under president Samora Machel established a one-party state based on Marxist principles. It received diplomatic and some military support from Cuba and the Soviet Union and proceeded to crack down on opposition. Starting shortly after the independence, the country was plagued from 1977 to 1992 by a long and violent civil war between the opposition forces of anti-Communist Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) rebel militias and the FRELIMO regime. This conflict characterised the first decades of Mozambican independence, combined with sabotage from the neighbouring states of Rhodesia and South Africa, ineffective policies, failed central planning, and the resulting economic collapse. This period was also marked by the exodus of Portuguese nationals and Mozambicans of Portuguese heritage, a collapsed infrastructure, lack of investment in productive assets, and government nationalisation of privately owned industries, as well as widespread famine.
During most of the civil war, the FRELIMO-formed central government was unable to exercise effective control outside of urban areas, many of which were cut off from the capital. RENAMO-controlled areas included up to 50% of the rural areas in several provinces, and it is reported that health services of any kind were isolated from assistance for years in those areas. The problem worsened when the government cut back spending on health care. The war was marked by mass human rights violations from both sides of the conflict, with RENAMO contributing to the chaos through the use of terror and indiscriminate targeting of civilians. The central government executed tens of thousands of people while trying to extend its control throughout the country and sent many people to "re-education camps" where thousands died.
During the war, RENAMO proposed a peace agreement based on the secession of RENAMO-controlled northern and western territories as the independent Republic of Rombesia, but FRELIMO refused, insisting on the undivided sovereignty of the entire country. An estimated one million Mozambicans perished during the civil war, 1.7 million took refuge in neighbouring states, and several million more were internally displaced. The FRELIMO regime also gave shelter and support to South African (African National Congress) and Zimbabwean (Zimbabwe African National Union) rebel movements, while the governments of Rhodesia and later South Africa (at that time still apartheid) backed RENAMO in the civil war.
On 19 October 1986, Samora Machel was on his way back from an international meeting in Zambia in the presidential Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft when the plane crashed in the Lebombo Mountains near Mbuzini. There were ten survivors, but President Machel and thirty-three others died, including ministers and officials of the Mozambique government. The United Nations' Soviet delegation issued a minority report contending that their expertise and experience had been undermined by the South Africans. Representatives of the Soviet Union advanced the theory that the plane had been intentionally diverted by a false navigational beacon signal, using a technology provided by military intelligence operatives of the South African government.
Machel's successor Joaquim Chissano implemented sweeping changes in the country, starting reforms such as changing from Marxism to capitalism, and began peace talks with RENAMO. The new constitution enacted in 1990 provided for a multi-party political system, market-based economy, and free elections. The civil war ended in October 1992 with the Rome General Peace Accords, first brokered by the Christian Council of Mozambique (Council of Protestant Churches) and then taken over by Community of Sant'Egidio. Peace returned to Mozambique, under supervision of the ONUMOZ peacekeeping force of the United Nations.
By 1993, more than 1.5 million Mozambican refugees had returned who had sought asylum in neighbouring Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania, and South Africa as a result of war and drought, as part of the largest repatriation witnessed in sub-Saharan Africa.
Democratic era (1993–)
Mozambique held elections in 1994, which were accepted by most political parties as free and fair although still contested by many nationals and observers alike. FRELIMO won, under Joaquim Chissano, while RENAMO, led by Afonso Dhlakama, ran as the official opposition.
In 1995, Mozambique joined the Commonwealth of Nations, becoming, at the time, the only member nation that had never been part of the British Empire.
By mid-1995, over 1.7 million refugees who had sought asylum in neighbouring countries had returned to Mozambique, part of the largest repatriation witnessed in sub-Saharan Africa. An additional four million internally displaced persons had returned to their homes.
In December 1999, Mozambique held elections for a second time since the civil war, which were again won by FRELIMO. RENAMO accused FRELIMO of fraud, and threatened to return to civil war, but backed down after taking the matter to the Supreme Court and losing.
In early 2000, a cyclone caused widespread flooding in the country, killing hundreds and devastating the already precarious infrastructure. There were widespread suspicions that foreign aid resources have been diverted by powerful leaders of FRELIMO. Carlos Cardoso, a journalist investigating these allegations, was murdered, and his death was never satisfactorily explained.
Indicating in 2001 that he would not run for a third term, Chissano criticised leaders who stayed on longer than he had, which was generally seen as a reference to Zambian president Frederick Chiluba, who at the time was considering a third term, and Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, then in his fourth term. Presidential and National Assembly elections took place on 1–2 December 2004. FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza won with 64% of the popular vote, while his opponent, Afonso Dhlakama of RENAMO, received 32% of the popular vote. FRELIMO won 160 seats in Parliament, with a coalition of RENAMO and several small parties winning the 90 remaining seats. Guebuza was inaugurated as the President of Mozambique on 2 February 2005, and served two five-year terms. His successor, Filipe Nyusi, became the 4th President of Mozambique on 15 January 2015.
Since 2013, an insurgency by RENAMO has been occurring, mainly in the country's central and northern regions. On 5 September 2014, former president Guebuza and the leader of RENAMO Dhlakama signed the Accord on Cessation of Hostilities, which brought the military hostilities to a halt and allowed both parties to concentrate on the general elections to be held in October 2014. However, after the general elections, a new political crisis emerged and the country appears to be once again on the brink of violent conflict. RENAMO does not recognise the validity of the election results, and demands the control of six provinces – Nampula, Niassa,Tete, Zambezia, Sofala, and Manica – where they claim to have won a majority. About 12,000 refugees are now in neighbouring Malawi. The UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders, and Human Rights Watch have reported that government forces have torched villages and carried out summary executions and sexual abuses.
At 309,475 sq mi (801,537 km2), Mozambique is the world's 36th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Turkey. Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa. It is bound by Swaziland to the south, South Africa to the southwest, Zimbabwe to the west, Zambia and Malawi to the northwest, Tanzania to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east. Mozambique lies between latitudes 10° and 27°S, and longitudes 30° and 41°E.
The country is divided into two topographical regions by the Zambezi River. To the north of the Zambezi River, the narrow coastal strip gives way to inland hills and low plateaus. Rugged highlands are further west; they include the Niassa highlands, Namuli or Shire highlands, Angonia highlands, Tete highlands and the Makonde plateau, covered with miombo woodlands. To the south of the Zambezi River, the lowlands are broader with the Mashonaland plateau and Lebombo Mountains located in the deep south.
The country is drained by five principal rivers and several smaller ones with the largest and most important the Zambezi. The country has four notable lakes: Lake Niassa (or Malawi), Lake Chiuta, Lake Cahora Bassa and Lake Shirwa, all in the north. The major cities are Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Tete, Quelimane, Chimoio, Pemba, Inhambane, Xai-Xai and Lichinga.
Mozambique has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. Climatic conditions, however, vary depending on altitude. Rainfall is heavy along the coast and decreases in the north and south. Annual precipitation varies from 500 to 900 mm (19.7 to 35.4 in) depending on the region, with an average of 590 mm (23.2 in). Cyclones are common during the wet season. Average temperature ranges in Maputo are from 13 to 24 °C (55.4 to 75.2 °F) in July to 22 to 31 °C (71.6 to 87.8 °F) in February.
There are known to be 740 bird species in Mozambique, including 20 globally threatened species and two introduced species, and over 200 mammal species endemic to Mozambique, including the critically endangered Selous' zebra, Vincent's bush squirrel and 13 other endangered or vulnerable species.
Protected areas of Mozambique include thirteen forest reserves, seven national parks, six nature reserves, three frontier conservation areas and three wildlife or game reserves.
Mozambique is a multi-party democracy under the 1990 constitution. The executive branch comprises a President, Prime Minister, and Council of Ministers. There is a National Assembly and municipal assemblies.
The judiciary comprises a Supreme Court and provincial, district, and municipal courts. Suffrage is universal at eighteen.
Mozambique operates a small, functioning military that handles all aspects of domestic national defence, the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces.
In the 1994 elections, Joaquim Chissano was elected President with 53% of the vote, and a 250-member National Assembly was voted in with 129 Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO) deputies, 112 Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) deputies, and nine representatives of three smaller parties that formed the Democratic Union (UD). Since its formation in 1994, the National Assembly has made progress in becoming a body increasingly more independent of the executive. By 1999, more than one-half (53%) of the legislation passed originated in the Assembly.
After some delays, in 1998 the country held its first local elections to provide for local representation and some budgetary authority at the municipal level. The principal opposition party, RENAMO, boycotted the local elections, citing flaws in the registration process. Independent slates contested the elections and won seats in municipal assemblies. Turnout was very low.
In the aftermath of the 1998 local elections, the government resolved to make more accommodations to the opposition's procedural concerns for the second round of multiparty national elections in 1999. Working through the National Assembly, the electoral law was rewritten and passed by consensus in December 1998. Financed largely by international donors, a very successful voter registration was conducted from July to September 1999, providing voter registration cards to 85% of the potential electorate (more than seven million voters).
The second general elections were held 3–5 December 1999, with high voter turnout. International and domestic observers agreed that the voting process was well organised and went smoothly. Both the opposition and observers subsequently cited flaws in the tabulation process that, had they not occurred, might have changed the outcome. In the end, however, international and domestic observers concluded that the close result of the vote reflected the will of the people.
President Chissano won the presidency with a margin of 4% over the RENAMO-Electoral Union coalition candidate, Afonso Dhlakama, and began his five-year term in January 2000. FRELIMO increased its majority in the National Assembly with 133 out of 250 seats. RENAMO-UE coalition won 116 seats, one went independent, and no third parties are represented.
The opposition coalition did not accept the National Election Commission's results of the presidential vote and filed a formal complaint to the Supreme Court. One month after the voting, the court dismissed the opposition's challenge and validated the election results. The opposition did not file a complaint about the results of the legislative vote.
The second local elections, involving thirty-three municipalities with some 2.4 million registered voters, took place in November 2003. This was the first time that FRELIMO, RENAMO-UE, and independent parties competed without significant boycotts. The 24% turnout was well above the 15% turnout in the first municipal elections. FRELIMO won twenty-eight mayoral positions and the majority in twenty-nine municipal assemblies, while RENAMO won five mayoral positions and the majority in four municipal assemblies. The voting was conducted in an orderly fashion without violent incidents. However, the period immediately after the elections was marked by objections about voter and candidate registration and vote tabulation, as well as calls for greater transparency.
In May 2009, the government approved a new general elections law that contained innovations based on the experience of the 2003 municipal elections. Presidential and National Assembly elections took place on 1–2 December 2004. FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza won with 64% of the popular vote. His opponent, Afonso Dhlakama of RENAMO, received 32% of the popular vote. FRELIMO won 160 seats in Parliament. A coalition of RENAMO and several small parties won the 90 remaining seats. Armando Guebuza was inaugurated as the President of Mozambique on 2 February 2005.
RENAMO and some other opposition parties made claims of election fraud and denounced the result. These claims were supported by international observers (among others by the European Union Election Observation Mission to Mozambique and the Carter Centre) to the elections who criticised the fact that the National Electoral Commission (CNE) did not conduct fair and transparent elections. They listed a whole range of shortcomings by the electoral authorities that benefited the ruling party FRELIMO.
According to EU observers, the elections shortcomings have probably not affected the final result in the presidential election. On the other hand, the observers have declared that the outcome of the parliamentary election and thus the distribution of seats in the National Assembly does not reflect the will of the Mozambican people and is clearly to the disadvantage of RENAMO.
After clashes between RENAMO guards and the police in Muxungue and Gondola in April 2013, RENAMO said it would boycott and disrupt local elections in November 2013. Since the end of the civil war in 1992, about 300 RENAMO guards had remained armed and refused to join the national army or the police force.
While allegiances dating back to the liberation struggle remain relevant, Mozambique's foreign policy has become increasingly pragmatic. The twin pillars of Mozambique's foreign policy are maintenance of good relations with its neighbours and maintenance and expansion of ties to development partners.
During the 1970s and the early 1980s, Mozambique's foreign policy was inextricably linked to the struggles for majority rule in Rhodesia and South Africa as well as superpower competition and the Cold War. Mozambique's decision to enforce UN sanctions against Rhodesia and deny that country access to the sea led Ian Smith's government to undertake overt and covert actions to oppose the country. Although the change of government in Zimbabwe in 1980 removed this threat, the government of South Africa continued to back RENAMO in its war with the FRELIMO government. Mozambique also belonged to the Front Line States.
The 1984 Nkomati Accord, while failing in its goal of ending South African support to RENAMO, opened initial diplomatic contacts between the Mozambican and South African governments. This process gained momentum with South Africa's elimination of apartheid, which culminated in the establishment of full diplomatic relations in October 1993. While relations with neighbouring Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania show occasional strains, Mozambique's ties to these countries remain strong.
In the years immediately following its independence, Mozambique benefited from considerable assistance from some Western countries, notably the Scandinavians. The Soviet Union and its allies became Mozambique's primary economic, military and political supporters, and its foreign policy reflected this linkage. This began to change in 1983; in 1984 Mozambique joined the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Western aid by the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland quickly replaced Soviet support. Finland and the Netherlands are becoming increasingly important sources of development assistance. Italy also maintains a profile in Mozambique as a result of its key role during the peace process. Relations with Portugal, the former colonial power, continue to be important because Portuguese investors play a visible role in Mozambique's economy.
Mozambique is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and ranks among the moderate members of the African bloc in the United Nations and other international organisations. Mozambique also belongs to the African Union (formerly the Organisation of African Unity) and the Southern African Development Community. In 1994, the government became a full member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, in part to broaden its base of international support but also to please the country's sizeable Muslim population. Similarly, in early 1996 Mozambique joined its Anglophone neighbours in the Commonwealth of Nations. At the time it was the only nation to have joined the Commonwealth that was never part of the British Empire. In the same year, Mozambique became a founding member and the first President of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and maintains close ties with other Portuguese-speaking countries.
Mozambique is divided into ten provinces (provincias) and one capital city (cidade capital) with provincial status. The provinces are subdivided into 129 districts (distritos). The districts are further divided in 405 "Postos Administrativos" (Administrative Posts) and then into Localidades (Localities), the lowest geographical level of the central state administration. Since 1998, 53 "Municípios" (Municipalities) have been created in Mozambique.
The districts of Mozambique are divided into 405 postos.
Postos administrativos (administrative posts) are the main subdivisions of districts. This name, in use during colonial times, was abolished after independence and was replaced by localidades (localities). However, it was re-established in 1986.
Administrative posts are headed by a Secretários (secretaries), which before independence were called Chefes de Posto (post chiefs).
Administrative posts can be further subdivided into localities, also headed by secretaries.
The official currency is the New Metical (as of November 2016, 1 USD is roughly equivalent to 75 New Meticals), which replaced old Meticals at the rate of a thousand to one. The old currency was redeemable at the Bank of Mozambique until the end of 2012. The US$, South African rand, and recently the euro are also widely accepted and used in business transactions. The minimum legal salary is around US$60 per month. Mozambique is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The SADC free trade protocol is aimed at making the Southern African region more competitive by eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers. The World Bank in 2007 talked of Mozambique's 'blistering pace of economic growth'. A joint donor-government study in early 2007 said 'Mozambique is generally considered an aid success story.' The IMF in early 2007 said 'Mozambique is a success story in Sub-Saharan Africa.' Yet, despite this apparent success, both the World Bank and UNICEF used the word 'paradox' to describe rising chronic child malnutrition in the face of GDP growth. Between 1994 and 2006, average annual GDP growth was approximately 8%, however, the country remains one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in the world. In a 2006 survey, three-quarters of Mozambicans said that in the past five years their economic position had remained the same or become worse.
The resettlement of civil war refugees and successful economic reform have led to a high growth rate: the country enjoyed a remarkable recovery, achieving an average annual rate of economic growth of 8% between 1996 and 2006 and between 6–7% from 2006 to 2011. The devastating floods of early 2000 slowed GDP growth to 2.1% but a full recovery was achieved in 2001 with growth of 14.8%.. Rapid expansion in the future hinged on several major foreign investment projects, continued economic reform, and the revival of the agriculture, transportation, and tourism sectors. In 2013 about 80% of the population was employed in agriculture, the majority of whom were engaged in small-scale subsistence farming which still suffered from inadequate infrastructure, commercial networks, and investment. However, in 2012, more than 90% of Mozambique's arable land was still uncultivated.
In 2013, a BBC article reported that, starting in 2009, Portuguese had been returning to Mozambique because of the growing economy in Mozambique and the poor economic situation in Portugal.
More than 1,200 state-owned enterprises (mostly small) have been privatised. Preparations for privatisation and/or sector liberalisation are underway for the remaining parastatal enterprises, including telecommunications, energy, ports, and railways. The government frequently selects a strategic foreign investor when privatising a parastatal. Additionally, customs duties have been reduced, and customs management has been streamlined and reformed. The government introduced a value-added tax in 1999 as part of its efforts to increase domestic revenues. Plans for 2003–04 include Commercial Code reform; comprehensive judicial reform; financial sector strengthening; continued civil service reform; and improved government budget, audit, and inspection capability. Further political instability resulting from the floods left thousands homeless, displaced within their own country.
Mozambique's economy has been shaken by a number of corruption scandals. In July 2011, the government proposed new anti-corruption laws to criminalise embezzlement, influence peddling and graft, following numerous instances of the theft of public money. This has been endorsed by the country's Council of Ministers. Mozambique has convicted two former ministers for graft in the past two years.
Mozambique was ranked 116 of 178 countries in anti-graft watchdog Transparency International's latest index of global corruption. According to a USAID report written in 2005, "the scale and scope of corruption in Mozambique are cause for alarm."
In March 2012, the government of the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane uncovered the misappropriation of public funds by the director of the Provincial Anti-Drugs Office, Calisto Alberto Tomo. He was found to have colluded with the accountant in the Anti-Drugs Office, Recalda Guambe, to steal over 260,000 meticais between 2008 and 2010.
The government of Mozambique has taken steps to address the problem of corruption, and some positive developments can be observed, such as the passages of several new anti-corruption bills in 2012.
In 2012, large natural gas reserves were discovered in Mozambique, revenues which have the potential to dramatically change the economy.
Mozambique attracts tourists. The country's natural beauty, wildlife, and historic heritage provide opportunities for beach, cultural, and eco-tourism.
Water supply and sanitation in Mozambique is characterised by low levels of access to an improved water source (estimated to be 51% in 2011), low levels of access to adequate sanitation (estimated to be 25% in 2011) and mostly poor service quality. In 2007 the government has defined a strategy for water supply and sanitation in rural areas, where 62% of the population lives. In urban areas, water is supplied by informal small-scale providers and by formal providers.
Beginning in 1998, Mozambique has reformed the formal part of the urban water supply sector through the creation of an independent regulatory agency called CRA, an asset-holding company called FIPAG and a Public-private partnership (PPP) with a company called Aguas de Moçambique. The PPP covered those areas of the capital and of four other cities that had access to formal water supply systems. However, the PPP ended when the management contracts for four cities expired in 2008 and when the foreign partner of the company that serves the capital under a lease contract withdrew in 2010, claiming heavy losses.
While urban water supply has received considerable policy attention, the government has no strategy for urban sanitation yet. External donors finance about 87.4% of all public investments in the sector. The main donors in the water sector are the World Bank, the African Development Bank, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.
The north-central provinces of Zambezia and Nampula are the most populous, with about 45% of the population. The estimated four million Macua are the dominant group in the northern part of the country; the Sena and Shona (mostly Ndau) are prominent in the Zambezi valley, and the Shangaan (Tsonga) dominate in southern Mozambique. Other groups include Makonde, Yao, Swahili, Tonga, Chopi, and Nguni (including Zulu). Bantu people comprise 97.8% of the population, with the rest made up of White Africans (largely of Portuguese ancestry), Euro-Africans (mestiço people of mixed Bantu and Portuguese heritage), and Indians. Roughly 45,000 people of Indian descent reside in Mozambique.
During Portuguese colonial rule, a large minority of people of Portuguese descent lived permanently in almost all areas of the country, and Mozambicans with Portuguese blood at the time of independence numbered about 360,000. Many of these left the country after independence from Portugal in 1975. There are various estimates for the size of Mozambique's Chinese community, ranging from 7,000 to 12,000 as of 2007.
According to a 2011 survey, the total fertility rate was 5.9 children per woman, with 6.6 in rural areas and 4.5 in urban areas.
Portuguese is the official and most widely spoken language of the nation, spoken by 50.3% of the population. Most Mozambicans living in the cities speak Portuguese as their first language.
The Bantu-group languages of Mozambique that are indigenous to the country vary greatly in their groupings and in some cases are rather poorly appreciated and documented. Apart from its lingua franca uses in the north of the country, Swahili is spoken in a small area of the coast next to the Tanzanian border; south of this, towards Moçambique Island, Kimwani, regarded as a dialect of Swahili, is used. Immediately inland of the Swahili area, Makonde is used, separated farther inland by a small strip of Makhuwa-speaking territory from an area where Yao or ChiYao is used. Makonde and Yao belong to a different group, Yao being very close to the Mwera language of the Rondo Plateau area in Tanzania.
Prepositions appear in these languages as locative prefixes prefixed to the noun and declined according to their own noun-class. Some Nyanja is used at the coast of Lake Malawi, as well as on the other side of the Lake.
Somewhat different from all of these are the languages of the eMakhuwa group, with a loss of initial k-, which means that many nouns begin with a vowel: for example, epula = "rain".
There is eMakhuwa proper, with the related eLomwe and eChuwabo, with a small eKoti-speaking area at the coast. In an area straddling the lower Zambezi, Sena, which belongs to the same group as Nyanja, is spoken, with areas speaking the related CiNyungwe and CiSenga further upriver.
A large Shona-speaking area extends between the Zimbabwe border and the sea: this was formerly known the Ndau variety but now uses the orthography of the Standard Shona of Zimbabwe. Apparently similar to Shona, but lacking the tone patterns of the Shona language, and regarded by its speakers as quite separate, is CiBalke, also called Rue or Barwe, used in a small country near the Zimbabwe border.
South of this area are languages of the Shangaan group, which are quite different again. XiTswa or Tswa occurs at the coast and inland, XiTsonga or Tsonga straddles the area around the Limpopo River, including such local dialects as XiChangana. This language area extends into neighbouring South Africa. Still related to these, but distinct, are GiTonga and CiCopi or Chopi spoken north of the mouth of the Limpopo, and XiRonga or Ronga in the immediate region around Maputo. The languages in this group are, judging by the short vocabularies, very vaguely similar to Zulu, but obviously not in the same immediate group. There are small Swazi- and Zulu-speaking areas in Mozambique immediately next to the Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal borders.
Arabs, Chinese and Indians primarily speak Portuguese and some Hindi. Indians from Portuguese India speak any of the Portuguese Creoles of their origin aside from Portuguese as their second language.
The 2007 census found that Christians made up 56.1% of Mozambique's population and Muslims comprised 17.9% of the population. 7.3% of the people held other beliefs, mainly animism, and 18.7% had no religious beliefs.
The Roman Catholic Church has established twelve dioceses (Beira, Chimoio, Gurué, Inhambane, Lichinga, Maputo, Nacala, Nampula, Pemba, Quelimane, Tete, and Xai-Xai; archdioceses are Beira, Maputo and Nampula). Statistics for the dioceses range from a low 5.8% Catholics in the population in the diocese of Chimoio, to 32.50% in Quelimane diocese (Anuario catolico de Mocambique 2007).
The work of Methodism in Mozambique started in 1890. The Rev. Dr. Erwin Richards began a Methodist mission at Chicuque in Inhambane Province. A Igreja Metodista Unida em Moçambique (the UMC in Mozambique) observed the 100th anniversary of Methodist presence in Mozambique in 1990. Then-Mozambique President Chissano praised the work and role of the UMC to more than 10,000 people who attended the ceremony.
The United Methodist Church has tripled in size in Mozambique since 1998. There are now more than 150,000 members in more than 180 congregations of the 24 districts. New pastors are ordained each year. New churches are chartered each year in each Annual Conference (North and South).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has established a growing presence in Mozambique. It first began sending missionaries to Mozambique in 1999, and, as of April 2015, has more than 7,943 members.
The Bahá'í Faith has been present in Mozambique since the early 1950s but did not openly identify itself in those years because of the strong influence of the Catholic Church which did not recognise it officially as a world religion. The independence in 1975 saw the entrance of new pioneers. In total there are about 3,000 declared Baha'is in Mozambique as of 2010. The Administrative Committee is located in Maputo.
Muslims are particularly present in the north of the country. They are organised in several "tariqa" or brotherhoods. Two national organisations also exist—the Conselho Islâmico de Moçambique and the Congresso Islâmico de Moçambique. There are also important Pakistani, Indian associations as well as some Shia communities.
Among the main Protestant churches are Igreja União Baptista de Moçambique, the Assembleias de Deus, the Seventh-day Adventists, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Igreja do Evangelho Completo de Deus, the Igreja Metodista Unida, the Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique, the Igrejas de Cristo and the Assembleia Evangélica de Deus.
The fertility rate is at about 5.5 births per woman. Public expenditure on health was at 2.7% of the GDP in 2004, whereas private expenditure on health was at 1.3% in the same year. Health expenditure per capita was 42 US$ (PPP) in 2004. In the early 21st century there were 3 physicians per 100,000 people in the country. Infant mortality was at 100 per 1,000 births in 2005.
After its independence from Portugal in 1975, the Mozambique government established a primary health care system that was cited by the WHO as a model for other developing countries. Over 90% of the population had been provided with vaccination. During the period of the early 1980s, around 11% of the government budget was targeted on health care. The Mozambique civil war led to a great setback in the primary health system in Mozambique. The RENAMO's attack on government infrastructures included health and education systems from 1980 to 1992.
The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Mozambique is 550. This is compared with 598.8 in 2008 and 385 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate, per 1,000 births is 147 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5s mortality is 29. In Mozambique the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 3 and the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women 1 in 37.
The official HIV prevalence in Mozambique in 2011 was 11.5% of the population aged between 15 and 49 years. For the southern parts of Mozambique—Maputo and Gaza provinces, and city of Maputo itself—the official figures are more than twice as high as the national average. In 2011 the health authorities estimated about 1.7 million Mozambicans were HIV-positive, of whom 600,000 were in need of anti-retroviral treatment. As per December 2011 240,000 were receiving such treatment, increasing to 416,000 in March 2014 according to the health authorities. According to the 2011 UNAIDS Report, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mozambique seems to be levelling off.
Since independence from Portugal in 1975, school construction and teacher-training enrolments have not kept up with population increases. Especially after the Mozambican Civil War (1977–1992), with post-war enrolments reaching all-time highs due to stability and youth population growth, the quality of education has suffered. All Mozambicans are required by law to attend school through the primary level; however, a lot of children in Mozambique do not go to primary school because they have to work for their families' subsistence farms for a living. In 2007, one million children still did not go to school, most of them from poor rural families, and almost half of all teachers in Mozambique were still unqualified. Girls' enrolment increased from 3 million in 2002 to 4.1 million in 2006 while the completion rate increased from 31,000 to 90,000, which testified a very poor completion rate.
After grade 7, pupils must take standardised national exams to enter secondary school, which runs from eighth to 10th grade. Space in Mozambican universities is extremely limited; thus most pupils who complete pre-university school do not immediately proceed on to university studies. Many go to work as teachers or are unemployed. There are also institutes which give more vocational training, specialising in agricultural, technical or pedagogical studies, which students may attend after grade 10 in lieu of a pre-university school.
After independence from Portugal in 1975, a number of Mozambican pupils continued to be admitted every year at Portuguese high schools, polytechnical institutes and universities, through bilateral agreements between the Portuguese government and the Mozambican government.
According to 2010 estimates, the literacy rate of Mozambique is 56.1% (70.8% male and 42.8% female).
Mozambique was ruled by Portugal, and they share a main language (Portuguese) and main religion (Roman Catholicism). But since most of the people of Mozambique are Bantus, most of the culture is native; for Bantus living in urban areas, there is some Portuguese influence. Mozambican culture also influences the Portuguese culture. Mozambican food, music, movies (by RTP África), and traditions are now part of everyday lifestyles of Portugal.
The Makonde are renowned for their wood carving and elaborate masks (see picture), that are commonly used in traditional dances. There are two different kinds of wood carvings: shetani, (evil spirits), which are mostly carved in heavy ebony, tall, and elegantly curved with symbols and nonrepresentational faces; and ujamaa, which are totem-type carvings which illustrate lifelike faces of people and various figures. Theses sculptures are usually referred to as "family trees", because they tell stories of many generations.
During the last years of the colonial period, Mozambican art reflected the oppression by the colonial power, and became symbol of the resistance. After independence in 1975, the modern art came into a new phase. The two best known and most influential contemporary Mozambican artists are the painter Malangatana Ngwenya and the sculptor Alberto Chissano. A lot of the post-independence art during the 1980s and 1990s reflect the political struggle, civil war, suffering, starvation, and struggle.
Dances are usually intricate, highly developed traditions throughout Mozambique. There are many different kinds of dances from tribe to tribe which are usually ritualistic in nature. The Chopi, for instance, act out battles dressed in animal skins. The men of Makua dress in colourful outfits and masks while dancing on stilts around the village for hours. Groups of women in the northern part of the country perform a traditional dance called tufo, to celebrate Islamic holidays.
With a nearly 500-year presence in the country, the Portuguese have greatly impacted Mozambique's cuisine. Staples and crops, such as cassava (a starchy root of Brazilian origin), cashew nuts (also of Brazilian origin, though Mozambique was once the largest producer of these nuts), and pãozinho (pronounced [pɐ̃wˈzĩɲu], those are Portuguese-style French buns) were brought in by the Portuguese. The use of spices and seasonings such as bay leaves, chili peppers, fresh coriander, garlic, onions, paprika, red sweet peppers, and wine were introduced by the Portuguese, as were maize, millet, potatoes, rice, sorghum (a type of grass), and sugarcane. 'Espetada (kebab), the popular inteiro com piripiri (whole chicken in piri-piri sauce), prego (steak roll), pudim (pudding), and rissóis (battered shrimp) are all Portuguese dishes commonly eaten in present-day Mozambique.
Mozambican media is heavily influenced by the government.
Newspapers have relatively low circulation rates, due to high newspaper prices and low literacy rates. Among the most highly circulated newspapers are state-controlled dailies, such as Noticias and Diário de Moçambique, and the weekly Domingo. Their circulation is mostly confined to Maputo. Most funding and advertising revenue is given to pro-government newspapers. However, the number of private newspapers with critical views of the government have increased significantly in recent years.
Radio programmes are the most influential form of media in the country due to their ease of access. State-owned radio stations are more popular than privately owned media. This is exemplified by the government radio station, Rádio Moçambique, the most popular station in the country. It was established shortly after Mozambique's independence.
The T.V. stations watched by Mozambicans are STV, TIM, and TVM Televisão Moçambique. Through cable and satellite, viewers can access tens of other African, Asian, Brazilian, and European channels.
The music of Mozambique serves many purposes, ranging from religious expression to traditional ceremonies. Musical instruments are usually handmade. Some of the instruments used in Mozambican musical expression include drums made of wood and animal skin; the lupembe, a woodwind instrument made from animal horns or wood; and the marimba, which is a kind of xylophone native to Mozambique and other parts of Africa. The marimba is a popular instrument with the Chopi of the south central coast, who are famous for their musical skill and dance.
Some would say that Mozambique's music is similar to reggae and West Indian calypso. Other music types are popular in Mozambique like marrabenta, and other Lusophone music forms like fado, bossa nova, and maxixe (with origins from kizomba, Maxixe, and samba).
Football (Portuguese: futebol) is the most popular sport in Mozambique.
Mozambique Wikipedia
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Gorongosa National Park


I was born and raised here in Minneapolis. I have worked at Avant since 2003. Over the years, I have deeply enjoyed the friendships and interpersonal relationships that developed. In my free time I love to do photography, read fantasy novels, write, and spend time with my pets. Some personal heroes of mine include Harry Potter, Gandalf, Aragorn, and Captain America.


If you've been viewing my website, please excuse all the loose-ended pages, etc. In March, the setting for my site mysteriously switched from "private" to "public" (obviously a kick from The Universe to get a move on it)… I figured that since it is mostly done, I might as well start publicizing my website and SHOUTING my goal to the world.
So, to sum it up: The website is under construction.
But still explore its content because there is much to see!


There's a brilliant up and coming photographer who takes the coolest pictures ever.
His name is Jacob J. Scheiner, and he happens to be my brother.
If you like looking at pretty pictures (and who doesn't?), then you must check out his awesome photo blog at http://themomentthatwas.tumblr.com. It's full of pictures of his travels, near and far, and interspersed throughout with meaningful quotes.
Check out the blog for more awesomeness. Follow it, pin it, comment, and share it.
For a long time, I had the same view of YouTube that I used to have of blogging.
Like blogging, I've come to realize that I don't care that I'll be joining the masses (in this case, masses of people-armed-with-cameras).
Blogging has been amazing, and the little experience I've had of YouTube so far has been as thrilling as those first weeks of blogging were.
And so, without further ado, I give you my first YouTube video.
Do you like fashion, makeup, reality TV, and other fun stuff? Then you might want to check out this cool blog by Devorah.
You can trust that I'm being totally unbiased here, because it's not like the blogger is my sister or like she dedicated her first ever post to yours truly.
For most of my internet life, I've been a lurker. That makes me sound like some forty year old deadbeat perv.
I just rarely contributed anything to cyberspace.
I found answers I needed on relevant forums, browsed people's blogs that I liked, and just plain surfed the web.
I didn't leave comments (surely, someone else would have the same thought as me and leave a comment), didn't have twitter (seriously, who needs to know that I just missed my bus?), and didn't even think of starting a blog (completely unique, like every other kitschy blog out there).
But then I realized that I don't care if my blog joins the million (or is it billion?) other blogs floating in cyberspace.


text:
Las siglas PRP pueden referirse a varias organizaciones políticas:

Partido Republicano Paulista partido político de Brasil (1873-1937)
 Partido Republicano Progresista partido político de Brasil fundado en 1991
Partido Republicano Progresista, o también Derecha Liberal Republicana partido político de España (1930-1936)
 Partido Republicano Progresista partido político de Venezuela (1936-1937)
Partido de Representación Popular, partido político de Brasil (1945-1965)
Partido Republicano Portugués, partido político de Portugal (1876-1926)
 Partido Revolucionario del Proletariado, partido político de México (1964-1970)
Partido Revolucionario del Proletariado, partido político de Portugal (1973-1982)
Partido Revolucionario del Proletariado, partido político de Venezuela (1946-1952)
Partido Riojano Progresista, conocido hoy en día simplemente como Partido Riojano (1982-presente)

También puede referirse al Plasma Rico en Plaquetas en términos médicos

En biología, las siglas PrP son la abreviatura de los priones, proteínas infecciosas no asociadas a células

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Chelle was born and raised on the Wirral in the United Kingdom. She grew up with a passion for all things creative, and trained in dance, acting, playing the cornet and singing.
As she got older, she began to craft more and more, and last year started to paint, and made a point of trying as many new things as possible. This resulted in her making bath bombs at Lush (her favourite store) for her hen party! She just cannot control the crafting fever!
Chelle is married to her very patient husband Stevie, and they live in Gateshead in the UK.


Save money on tumble drying and look after the environment with this Beldray clothes airer. Perfect for indoor or outdoor use, it is strong and durable so you can leave your washing outside on a warm day and be confident that it will not end up on the floor. With 9 arms over 3 levels, you can dry your clothes on their hangers, helping creases to naturally drop out. When your clothes are dry and put away, just fold the arms in and conveniently store it ready for next time.
Dry your freshly cleaned clothes outside in the sun or in your laundry room on a rainy day using this compact Beldray 9 arm airer.
With 9 arms on 3 levels, the airer enables you to place your clothes on their hangers to dry naturally, allowing creases to drop out.
Each arm can hold up to 8 hangers so you can dry all your clothes at once, and then place them straight into the wardrobe afterwards.
Measuring 54 x 54 x 170 cm, it will take up minimal space while in use, and can conveniently fold up after use to be stored away.


text:
Q: Is it possible to represent non gregorian dates as DateTime in .NET? I'm having trouble representing Persian (Solar Hijri Calendar) dates as DateTime in C#, specifically on certain days of particular months, for example 31/04 where in the Gregorian calendar such a date is meaningless:
System.Globalization.PersianCalendar p = new System.Globalization.PersianCalendar();
DateTime date = new DateTime(2013,7,22);
int year = p.GetYear(date);
int month = p.GetMonth(date);
int day = p.GetDayOfMonth(date);
DateTime d1 = new DateTime(year, month, day);

The above code will result in an ArgumentOutOfRangeException saying:
Year, Month, and Day parameters describe an un-representable DateTime.
Which is expected.
How can I represent Persian Dates as DateTimes in .NET taking into accounts dates such as 30/02 and 31/04?

A:
The above code will result in an ArgumentOutOfRangeException saying: Year, Month, and Day parameters describe an un-representable DateTime.

Yes, because unless you specify a calendar, the DateTime arguments are expected to be Gregorian. You can specify a calendar though:
DateTime d1 = new DateTime(year, month, day, p);

Note that if you now take d1.Year, you'll get back 2013, not year... DateTime is always Gregorian, basically. However, if you use a culture which has the Persian calendar as the default calendar, that will convert the values appropriately when you format a DateTime into a string. EDIT: Unfortunately, as per the documentation:

Currently, the PersianCalendar class is not an optional calendar for any culture supported by the CultureInfo class and consequently cannot be a default calendar.

As a comment has mentioned Noda Time, I can address that: it doesn't support the Persian calendar yet. It supports the lunar Hijri calendar, but not the solar one :( I could look into adding that into a future release...

A: From MSDN;

Each DateTime member implicitly uses the Gregorian calendar to perform
  its operation, with the exception of constructors that specify a
  calendar, and methods with a parameter derived from IFormatProvider,
  such as System.Globalization.DateTimeFormatInfo, that implicitly
  specifies a calendar.

Also from PersianCalendar Class

Currently, the PersianCalendar class is not an optional calendar for
  any culture supported by the CultureInfo class and consequently cannot
  be a default calendar.

What you want seems not possible to me.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Startups rarely fail because of a bad idea. Most novice entrepreneurs blame failure on external factors, market shifts, unforeseen circumstances, or the more famous "we ran out of money" excuse.
But in my experience, startups almost never fail because of these reasons. Startups fail because of the flaws of their founders. We humans are all deeply broken. Consequently, we bring this into our startups. Our financial immaturity, lack of wisdom, poor planning, passive aggression, fear, sub-par management skills, the absence of marketing knowledge, weak leadership, and the list goes on. And while we'll never remove them all, here's three practical flaws that that will place your startup on death row.
Look, I get it. You're a startup. You have a limited budget. You're an entrepreneur willing to do things yourself. And that's all very admirable. But if you're launching a company that hopefully one day will become something great, and you're unwilling to invest in the parts of your startup that really matter, then you're better off having never launched your business in the first place.
You never cut corners on the things that truly distinguish what you're doing.
Yet, I see it all the time. Online businesses who develop or design their own website because they believe it's not worth the $2,500. Or tech companies who develop their own explainer video. You know the number one message that every potential customer will see when they hit your site, the sales pitch that will drive the almost all conversion required to pay back the investment of launching your company? That video.
It's areas like these where entrepreneurs should never be cheap. Instead, you're patient. You save and you spend smart. You don't hire anyone either. You research and interview and plan. And when you find the best person for the job, the guy who's talent is worthy of putting your baby in their arms, you pull the trigger.
To push it a bit further, you pay them on time and you expect first class results. And then, and only then you experience the magic. A deliverable that is beyond beautiful. A masterpiece of a website or a genius video that provides you (the new entrepreneur) the confidence required to run with the best.
On the other hand, you can join the camp of folks who paid a friend because they gave them a "bro-deal". And you end up with a mediocre website that looks just like everyone else and a video that resembles the commercials from your hometown's insurance company on Main Street.
Let's face it, entrepreneurship is almost always expensive. There is a cost to be in this club. But it's those who pay to play that win in the end.
2. So Fast You Hurt People.
On January 3rd, 2013 a mentor of mine asked me point blank,"give me 10 important memories from last year." My response was less than impressive. I couldn't remember much. I was so busy making a living that I literally forgot to make a life.
My dream of running my startup had created a blurred mental history that wasn't healthy for anyone.
He later told me his question was prompted from his view of my life's unsafe velocity. Over the recent months, I had become so engulfed in the achievements at my feet that I had forgotten to look at the future. I was unprepared for meetings. I would forget to ask important questions during critical phone calls. I would make purchases, hires, and important decisions with little thought and I almost never kept my promises. I was late to meetings, late to home, and late to bed.
There is nothing worse in the world of business than classic egotistical arrogance. Everyone know's that guy who just can't help but tell everyone how great he is. But the truth is–if he was that great, why would he have to tell anyone?
When I look back at the kind of people I want to rally behind or listen to it's never someone who's loud, out-spoken, or flashy. Instead, it's a man or woman who walks into the room and commands everyone's attention, without asking for it. They are gentle but strong. They are humble but genius. They are calculated and well planned.
He who has the most power in the room, often speaks last.
Confidence is not something that comes from what you've accomplished or how much attention you draw to yourself or even how much money you've made. It's a trait you must nurture by taking daily steps to confront your fears. Self-esteem and personal fortitude are characteristics you must decide to sharpen. Confidence is about what you believe you can produce in the present. It's the manifestation of your level of self-worth.
The problem is, entrepreneurs usually have too much or too little and finding the right amount and how to show it, is a delicate balance.
A few years ago, I had crossed the line from confident to cocky. After looking back, you could almost watch the people leaving me. Nobody wanted to work for a leader who believed he was more important than the rest. At the time, it frustrated me. It got to the point where I was almost forcing people to follow me. It's this moment where entrepreneurs get in trouble. Your business is only as good as the people who are following you. If people are following you for a paycheck instead of your vision, you're putting your company at risk.
Solving this problem is hard. It's humiliating, embarrassing, and awkward. And there is only one way to do it. Get in a room with 4-5 people who are willing to speak truth to you. Ask them point blank, "how do I come off to people?" And then, to make it even harder, you must apologize. An empathetic, gut-wrenching apology that conveys to people that you are now leading with new eyes and a restored view of others. It's this change that will kill your cockiness and hopefully put others willingly behind you.
Have you struggled with being cheap, fast, or cocky? What have you done to mitigate the consequences or grow through them? Let me know in the comments below.
A very well written article, Dale! All the three points you mentioned are definitely the worst mistakes any start-up founder can make. One thing I have noticed these days is entrepreneurs are trying to cut down on office costs by opting for a poor office location. These people forget that the look of the office creates the very first impression on the minds of your client. Instead of going for cheap and poor office locations, one wonderful alternative available these days are serviced office spaces. I say this from personal experience. Two of my friends started their own businesses in the same field; almost at the same time. One of them opted to cut down on office costs by setting up his business in the basement of an old building as the rent was less over there. The other one invested a bit more and set up his office in serviced offices Sydney ( http://theofficespace.com.au/services/our-services ). The results after 2 months were quite clear. The one who played smart and invested in a good office environment was obviously more successful than the other one in-spite of running the same business. Thus, I say that there are other ways to cut down costs. You have to know what will work the best for your business and respond likewise. Blind cost-cutting is one of the worst mistakes to do.
Hi Dave, Your content is simply fantastic! I have been hesitant to register for your professional camp, but I have no doubt that it will be amazing! I've seen a lot of your content geared towards product oriented businesses. Would you recommend your camp for someone who is doing sales consulting and coaching?
WOW! Dale, I am so sorry! Oooof names are hard for me.
Hey Amanda! Sorry for the insane lag. Yes. StartupCamp would be perfect for a coaching business. We have LOTS of consultants at Camp. Hope this helps.
Till now all my attention was to find some one who can get things done at a very cheap rate but now I understand that it is better to invest more one time to get the best product than getting it repaired hundred times by hundred people. I will implement all your points from now so that my New Year brings me a great Success. Thank You very much Dale.
Here's to a brilliant New Year for you, my friend.
I am young, and wanting so badly for my small but wonderful, to me, superhero blog to take off and Ive been fortunate enough to find quality employment but i still find myself cutting corners because i'm cheap – or i think i'm too smart for my own good and i try to do things myself and i'm moving too quickly and having to back track. Your entire article literally stopped me in my tracks and immediately pointed out my flaws and i'm am so gracious to have found this so early. Thank you for allowing me to see my downfall before it occurs. Thank you for essentially giving my dream a new plan and new life. I know Nothing! but now i know something.
Thanks Erica! Glad I could help.
I am the second generation of entrepreneur. I saw my father learning and am learning myself these same things.
or I do not know something. I have learned to listen to my clients. Yes I get more information than I need from them to do my job, yet they have a place to come and talk.
Hey Susan! Great strategy. Keep crushing.
Great article!! The honest look back on your own mistakes is refreshing and really makes one look back more honestly on their own.
It is 1:30am and I can't sleep. I crawled out of bed and began surfing the internet. Not very productive, but hey I can't sleep. Surfing for me helps me calm down sometimes but recently it's only use is to fill a void. You see, I am an employee of a start up and it is really starting to kill me. You have nailed so bluntly I want to send this article to my boss. The job is not fun and challenging anymore, it is just painfully taxing. I AM working for a paycheck not a vision anymore. I hope I will be able to get out before I do permanent damage to myself.
Thank you for writing this post and making me feel a little less alone and a little less crazy.
Ps Ill be in Bend Next week again for a house I'm looking at. I FB Messaged you.
Good stuff, Dale! I'm aiming to make some bigger investments in the startup, now. Keep bringin' it!


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Celebrity Cruises features their intimate Celebrity Xpedition, doing 7-Night Galapagos Islands cruises (sailing round trip from Isla Baltra all year long). Celebrity Xpedition, a very upscale 92-passenger cruise ship, is a small (yet spacious) ship that was built specifically for the scenic cruising you'd desire to do in the Galapagos Islands. This ship offers all-inclusive cruises, with staff gratuities and shore excursions included in the price. Available for use onboard Celebrity Xpedition are plush Frette bathrobes, a hot tub, sauna, fitness room, and a lounge that features nightly lectures by naturalists and live music. With a guest-to-staff ratio of better than 2-to-1 you're going to see what great service is all about.
Silversea Cruises, Avalon Waterways, and Lindblad Expeditions are the only other major cruise lines currently sailing in the Galapagos Islands.
Departures on the 100-guest Silver Galapagos don't begin until September of 2013, but reservations are being taken and are sure to fill up quickly. Silversea is well known around the world for all-inclusive pricing, luxury service, and a personalized experience for every guest. With a fantastic guest to crew ratio of 1 to 1.4, there will always be someone to meet your every need. Offering exciting itineraries and tours of the Galapagos Islands, why not explore in the lap of ultra-luxury?
Lindblad Expeditions, in a partnership with National Geographic, offers weekly 7-night Galapagos cruises (sailing round trip from Isla Baltra) aboard the 96-guest, all-oceanview National Geographic Endeavour and the 48-guest, all-oceanview National Geographic Islander. Like Celebrity, Lindblad includes shore excursions during their Galapagos cruises. Avalon Waterways features several Galapagos Islands cruises aboard M/V Santa Cruz, a 88-guest, all-oceanview vessel.
American Discount Cruises & Travel is proud to offer the best deals possible on all Galapagos cruises booked with us. Backed by our "Low Price Guarantee," and powered by our team of expert travel agents, we're sure to exceed your expectations when booking your next Galapagos cruise!
The vast array of rare wildlife in the Galapagos include whales, dolphins, penguins, iguanas, giant tortoises, stingrays, flamingos, sea lions, and many other exotic species. In few other destinations, if any, would you be able to see such a wide range of species as you could during a Galapagos cruise.
One of the main reasons to take a Galapagos cruise is to take part in a variety of in-depth shore excursions, including fantastic wildlife encounters as well as scenic tours of the diverse Galapagos Islands. A major plus is that, as mentioned above, the cruise lines that currently offer Galapagos cruises usually include complimentary shore excursions.
Located on the island of Isabela, this area offers a can't miss view for those on a Galapagos cruise. If you'd rather not do a long hike you can make this experience easier by taking part in some horseback riding to help you get up this volcano. Make sure you bring snacks during this exciting excursion!
Lindblad Galapagos Cruises - Call for details!


South Korea will provide financial assistance for cash-strapped auto parts makers to help them tide over the liquidity squeeze amid auto industry slump, the government said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced plans to provide 3.5 trillion ($3.1 billion) worth of funding and loan guarantee for local auto parts makers, which have been grappling with shrinking sales at home and abroad.
South Korea's auto industry is going through a hard time after GM Korea shut down its underutilized Gunsan plant in May, and Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors have posted disappointing earnings this year.
To maintain the local supply chain, the government has already provided 1 trillion won worth of credit guarantee for small- and medium-sized auto parts makers and offered 1 trillion won of guarantee for them under the new plan.
State-run financial institutions will extend their loan deadline by another year for contractors of GM Korea and auto companies in the southwestern city of Gunsan, which was designated as "an industrial crisis zone" following the American automaker's plant shutdown.
In addition to the financial package, the government plans to boost domestic demand by extending a consumption tax cut for new vehicle purchases.
The government will apply a 30 percent consumption tax break on new cars by June and a 70 percent reduction for those who replace diesel cars aged over 10 years with new gasoline vehicles next year.
The number of diesel vehicles aged over 10 years, often blamed for greenhouse gas emissions, reached 3.34 million in the first half of this year, according to the ministry.
The ministry also vowed to expand subsidies to eco-friendly cars, setting a goal of putting 430,000 electric cars and 65,000 hydrogen-fueled cars on the road by 2022.


text:
Q: Can you add doxygen tags for CMake scripts/files? Basically, can I add doxygen-style tags for CMake files (mostly, I'd like to add file and author tags to stay consistent with the existing C++ code). Something like
###
###@file Stuff.CMake
###@author  Bob Smith <bob.smit@nonubuisness.com>
###
###
###@section EDITS
###
### 2013.10.02 Created
###
###@section DESCRIPTIONS
### Does stuff
###
###@section License
###Copyright Info, License, ect
###
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)

###
###@brief Macro that does something
###
###@param bar thing to do something to
###
macro foo(bar)
endmacro()

A: Some thing what would work is adding *.CMake to the FILE_PATTERNS option in the doxyfile and comment as follwing:
#///
#///@file Stuff.CMake
#///@author  Bob Smith <bob.smit@nonubuisness.com>
#/// etc.

One thing what might be an issue is that Doxygen doesn't know the CMake syntax...


There is yet another way to use the DISCHARGE output. However, this changes the behavior of the circuit.
Consider to the circuit shown.
Circuit diagram connecting the output of a DISCHARGE NE555 with a capacitor II.
DISCHARGE becomes high impedance, C1 charges via the resistors R1 and R2.
When across C1 the voltage reaches V = 2/3 Vcc, the THRESHOLD switches OUT to LOW.
DISCHARGE becomes low impedance, C1 discharges.
When across C1 the voltage reaches V = 1/3 Vcc the TRIGGER switches OUT to HIGH.
This is the basic circuit of an astable multivibrator using a NE555. More on that later.


Ease and elegance. Simplicity and affordability.
You can have it all at The Hamilton in Savage, Minnesota.
You will enjoy the lifestyle at The Hamilton; a gracious and relaxing 55+ apartment community. The Hamilton is a distinctive rental community with roomy well-appointed apartment homes.
The Hamilton is an exceptional apartment community, beautifully decorated and maintained. Each well designed and spacious apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, laundry facility and heating and cooling system.


Thursday, 27th June, 2013, to Saturday 29th June, 2013.
The workshop provides an opportunity for psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, educators, managers, health care professionals, and allied professionals, to enhance their awareness of their own power and authority. In addition, as participants gain greater awareness of these aspects of themselves, they will gain greater insight as to how to help their clients explore and own their own power and authority. Many individuals do not fully own their own powerfulness and project it onto others: friends, partners, siblings, colleagues; or onto organisations, and experience themselves as relatively powerless in interpersonal or organisational life. In addition, individuals who may be formally qualified as professionals, or who may be formally appointed to roles with authority, experience difficulty exercising their authority, due to internal feelings of powerlessness.
The 'internal world' of the person is fundamental to how he or she experiences and uses power and authority. This, in turn, is largely a function of the person's relationships with past authority figures such as parents and teachers. Self-doubt, can lead to the person never being able to fully experience his or her powerfulness, whilst it's opposite, an inflated self-image, can lead to authoritarianism. When individuals explore their relationship with power and authority, they can experience much greater aliveness and energy, an expanded sense of personality, and greater choice in life.
The learning over the three days is highly experiential with a focus on participant's process and experience. We will use Gestalt work, Biodynamic work, attention to Dreams, and small and large Group Process. The work will include Music, Movement, Dance, Drawing, and Guided Visualisation to bring into the present aspects of the participant's relationship to Power that are normally outside awareness.
Mike O'Halloran, M.A., B.A., E.C.P., M.I.A.H.A.P., M.I.A.C.P.
Mike is a Gestalt Psychotherapist and Trainer who has been involved in the training of Counsellors and Psychotherapists since 1990. Some of his trainings and workshops include "Gestalt Psychotherapy Intensive" and "Existentialist Psychotherapy Intensive." Mike has previously facilitated workshops for professionals with Evelyn on "Sexuality, the Body, and Body Image", and "Exploring and Owning the Shadow".
Evelyn P. Gilmore, B.A., M.Sc., Reg. Psychol., Ps.S.I., M.I.A.H.I.P.
Evelyn is a Consultant Psychologist and a Biodynamic & Integrative Psychotherapist. She has an Honours Degree in Psychology from N.U.I.G., a Masters in Psychology from DCU, and a Diploma in Biodynamic & Integrative Psychotherapy. She has facilitated trainings for professionals in Group Facilitation, Body Image and Food Issues. Evelyn has previously facilitated workshops for professionals with Mike on "Sexuality, the Body, and Body Image", and "Exploring and Owning the Shadow".
The workshop will be held in the Croi Nua Spirituality Centre, Rosary Lane, Taylor's Hill, Galway, and will run from 9.30am to 5pm., each day. The total cost of the workshop is €390. If you would like to reserve a place on the Workshop, please complete the attached booking form and forward it, with a non-refundable deposit of €200 to Galway Psychotherapy & Consulting, 1 Devon Place, The Crescent, Galway. Telephone 091-861638 or 086-8391756.


Enjoy Egyptian and Mediterranean foods, such as kabobs, falafel, gyros and baklava at Staunton's first Egyptian Festival on Oct. 10-11.
Staunton now has its first Egyptian Festival. Enjoy homemade Egyptian and Mediterranean foods, such as grilled kabobs, falafel, gyros, baklava and more for two days on Oct. 10-11 at the St. Mary and St. John the Baptist Coptic Orthodox Church.
John Mansour, the festival's organizer and part of the congregation of the church, said Mediterranean food is kind of new to many people in the area.
"We figured we'd make our homemade food, like what we eat for dinner, for the community to enjoy," Mansour said. "We are hoping to have the festival every year moving forward in order to raise proceeds for the church."
There will be a raffle with prizes, and the plan for entertainment is to have inflatables for the kids and live music.
"We are flying in family and friends from all over, including Canada, to help us out with the festival," Mansour said. "We are making handmade jewelry, there will face painting and there's going to be pastries – Egyptian pastries like baklava and some pastries that people in the Valley may not recognize that taste amazing."
The purpose of the festival is to help raise funds for the new church the congregation is building.
"There's no Coptic Orthodox Church around here," said Mansour. "Although the building of the church began in mid-July, it's been a long process bringing the church to Staunton. We had to get permission from our Pope and then make sure we found a good location before we began building."
The congregation consists of families from Staunton, Waynesboro, Lynchburg, Roanoke and the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University Coptic Clubs in Charlottesville and Richmond.
"There is an Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox community in Harrisonburg that has been driving to Winchester to a temporary service once a month," said Mansour. "They will be coming to the Staunton when it has been completed."
"There is a physical church, and we own roughly 7 acres. We do have enough to close up the church; however we're trying to reach out to the community in order to complete the inside and the cosmetic work."
All proceeds will benefit the church.
The Coptic Orthodox religion is similar to the Russian, Greek and Ethiopian Orthodox religions.


Balance billing for emergency services. Establishes that an individual shall not be required to pay to an out-of-network provider for emergency services any amount in excess of the amount the health carrier is required to pay for covered services except applicable deductibles, copayment, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing amounts deemed by the health carrier to be non-covered services. The measure also replaces one of the three tests for determining the benefit the carrier is required to provide to an out-of-network provider of emergency services. The new test is the average of the contracted commercial rates paid by the health carrier for the same emergency service in the geographic region, which test replaces the amount negotiated with in-network providers for the emergency service, or if more than one amount is negotiated, the median of these amounts. The measure also authorizes an out-of-network provider to request the Bureau of Insurance to determine whether the benefits that the health carrier has determined to satisfy its obligation to provide benefits for emergency services provided satisfy that obligation.


The National Initiative for Service Excellence, an organization created by the Social Partners (The Trade Unions, the Private Sector and Government) for the people of Barbados, will be at the forefront of a nationwide effort to help Barbados consistently deliver Service Excellence and be recognized internationally for this. In this way, an enabling environment will be created within which Barbados will be able to attain its vision of being a developed country by 2025.
National Initiative for Service Excellence Inc.


I'd like to mix more sand into my soil to help break up the clay. If I collect sand from an ocean beach, should I be worried about too much salt in the sand and it impacting my soil?
Please don't add sand to your soil to break down the clay! You'll end up with a concrete-like soil. The best thing to add is organic matter like composted yard wastes or manures, leaves, etc. You can make your own compost or purchase from a garden center.
From the OSU Extension publication Improving Garden Soil with Organic Matter "Occasionally, a homeowner tries to change the basic nature of a clay soil by adding sand. Clays are well-ordered mineral structures that form extremely fine, flat particles. These particles are layered something like a messy deck of cards. The spaces between clay particles are extremely small, which is why water and air move between them so slowly. The diameter of the finest sand is more than a thousand times larger than the diameter of the largest clay particle. Sand worked into clay soils provides a surface onto which clay particles can adhere. The result is a concrete-like mixture that can be more difficult to manage than the original clay soil. No amount of added sand will change a clay loam into a sandy loam."
Read through the publication Improving Garden Soil with Organic Matter and if you still have questions don't hesitate to reply to this message. You can also contact the OSU Extension Lane County Master Gardeners to ask more detailed questions. Check with their website for more information on staffed hotline hours.
Thanks for using Ask An Expert!
Good to know, thanks Brooke! If I were to use the beach sand for another project like a base for setting paving stones, would I be introducing a large amount of sodium?
Any salt in the beach sand will likely get leached out and down during rains. If that salty water comes into contact with salt sensitive plants then you might have a problem. Depends on how the water moves on your property. Trees and Shrubs that Tolerate Saline Soils and Salt Spray Drift is from Virginia Extension, but has good tips on treating salty soils. Depending on how much beach sand you are working with, you can always rinse it. Or collect the sand in containers and let our winter rains leach the salts away.


Comey's suggestion that the left best represents the country's values or the Founders' vision is laughable! To suggest we should go back to the high tax, high unemployment days of the Democrats is absurd. And it speaks volumes about James Comey.
In the history of the United States, it is unprecedented for former directors of the FBI and the CIA to engage in this kind of raw partisanship.
Brennan's hysteria is beyond the pale. George W. Bush met privately, one-on-one, numerous times with Vladimir Putin. So did Barack Obama. That's what presidents do when discussing affairs of state with other world leaders.
And John Brennan is the last person who should be lecturing the public about truth and honesty. Even liberals wanted Obama to fire Brennan for his dishonesty.
By the way, what exactly did Brennan and Comey do about the Russian meddling in our election?
Last week, we witnessed hours of snarling and unrepentant testimony by disgraced FBI agent Peter Strzok, who seemingly believed that he had the power to decide who should be president of the United States.
There is a growing list of deep state operatives who have jumped ship or have been fired after their misdeeds were uncovered, but we still don't know the full extent of what happened during the 2016 campaign.
And perhaps that explains the desperation in Brennan's and Comey's tweets. They sound like men trying to hide something, and fearful that continued Republican-led investigations may uncover the truth.


text:
Q: Code drawing random Bezier lines ... Not properly rendering What I believe ought to happen is ten randomly colored/ shaped lines are successive-ly drawn 1 every 500ms over 5 seconds in the  box for 10 total then reset. But all I am getting is a black canvas box.
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>

<canvas id="myCan" style="background: black" width=720 height=420>
 </canvas>

<script>

  var canv = document.getElementById('myCan');
  var ctx = canv.getContext('2d');
  var t = 500; // time iteration

function draw() { // - - draw
  ctx.beginPath();

  c1x.canv.width*Math.random(); // bezier control 1 NOTES: original code 'height' not width ... so try please as you check over this code! I switched this ... and still not working
  c1y.canv.height*Math.random(); // bezier control
  c2x.canv.width*Math.random(); // bezier control 2 NOTES: original code has 'height' not width ... so try has please as you check over this code! I switched this ... and still not working
  c2y.canv.height*Math.random(); // bezier control
  x.canv.width*Math.random(); // random point
  y.canv.height*Math.random();
  x1.canv.width/2; // mid-point
  y1.canv.height/2;

  ctx.moveTo(x1, y1); // starting point
  ctx.bezierCurveTo(c1x, c1y, c2x, c2y, x, y); // bezier curve
  ctx.closePath();

  ctx.lineWidth = Math.random()*20;
  ctx.strokeStyle = 'hsl(' + Math.random()*360 + ', 50%, 50%)'; // color of bezier beam
  ctx.shadowColor = 'white';
  ctx.shadowBlur = Math.random()*50;
  ctx.stroke();
  ctx.strokeRect(c1x, c1y, 1, 1);
  ctx.strokeRect(c2x, c2y, 2, 2);

}

draw();
setInterval(draw, t); // internal timer

setInterval(function() {ctx.clearRect(0, 0, canv.width, canv.height)}, 10*t);
// 10 shapes, '10*t
// 9 shapes, 9*t etc.

</script>

</body>
</html>

That is all.
Thank you.

A: After kinda trying to figure out where all these magic vars are coming from I think what you meant to do was this.
function draw() { // - - draw
ctx.beginPath();

let c1x = canv.width*Math.random(); // bezier control 1 NOTES: original code 'height' not width ... so try please as you check over this code! I switched this ... and still not working
let c1y = canv.height*Math.random(); // bezier control
let c2x = canv.width*Math.random(); // bezier control 2 NOTES: original code has 'height' not width ... so try has please as you check over this code! I switched this ... and still not working
let c2y = canv.height*Math.random(); // bezier control
let x = canv.width*Math.random(); // random point
let y = canv.height*Math.random();
let x1 = canv.width/2; // mid-point
let y1 = canv.height/2;

ctx.moveTo(x1, y1); // starting point
ctx.bezierCurveTo(c1x, c1y, c2x, c2y, x, y); // bezier curve
ctx.closePath();

ctx.lineWidth = Math.random()*20;
ctx.strokeStyle = 'hsl(' + Math.random()*360 + ', 50%, 50%)'; // color of bezier beam
ctx.shadowColor = 'white';
ctx.shadowBlur = Math.random()*50;
ctx.stroke();
ctx.strokeRect(c1x, c1y, 1, 1);
ctx.strokeRect(c2x, c2y, 2, 2);

}


text:
Pakistan News Home -> Tribune Corner -> News Details
Nawaz Sharif met British counterpart David Cameron
More than 2000 died in Nepal in earthquake
MQM Kunwar Naveed declared winner of NA-246
Pak and Turk President expressed their concerns over the situation prevailing in Yemen
PML-N has taken lead in the cantonment board elections
Pakistan sent rescue and relief assistance to Nepal
JAC asked that the PECB to be reconsider by NA
Senate to reconstitute committee for the devolution process of implementation on 18th Amendment
LONDON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday met British counterpart David Cameron at 10 Downing Street.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international situation, including the current situation in the Middle East.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction that relations between the two countries had substantially strengthened in the recent years. They expressed the confidence that bilateral ties between the two countries would see further enhancement especially in the areas of trade and economy. Prime Minister David Cameron, while acknowledging the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan, appreciated Pakistan's efforts to eradicate extremism and terrorism from its soil and said that the United Kingdom would continue to assist and extend cooperation to Pakistan in this regard.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This cosy tale is perfect for sharing with your grown-up. Snuggly, magical and mysterious: one to get you in a Christmassy mood! It's Christmas Eve, and Big Mouse and Little Mouse are putting up decorations. Little Mouse scampers outside to search for holly. There, he finds big white flakes falling from the sky! As Little Mouse's world is covered in snow, he discovers strange objects all around him. Look at the beautiful pictures and see if you can work out what they are!
Got this book in a set with a cd which tells the story while i show my son the pictures. Lovely illustrated and nice story.


text:
Bush rebuffed as Senate rejects gay marriage ban
By Washington
AS EXPECTED, the US Senate has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, rebuffing both President George Bush and social conservatives.
After two days of sometimes-emotional argument, the Senate voted 49-48 to shut off debate on a call to bring the amendment to the floor. The total fell well short of the 67 votes required to approve a constitutional amendment.
The decision has effectively killed the issue for the year in the Senate, although the House is expected to consider its own version this summer.
Democratic critics of the proposal said its Republican authors had advanced it to rally conservative voters, even though lawmakers knew it would be defeated. They said it was tantamount to writing discrimination into the constitution.
Supporters of the ban gained one vote from the last time the Senate considered the issue, before the 2004 election. But they were still unable to break the symbolic 50-vote threshold despite an increase in the Republican majority, lobbying by religious conservatives and Mr Bush's repeated calls for approval of the amendment.
In a statement after the Senate action, Mr Bush expressed disappointment but said the vote "marks the start of a new chapter in this important national debate".
Most Viewed in World


Read here why "Tesco calls in sniper to shoot protected bird in Norfolk store" – The Telegraph.
That's the headline I saw earlier this week, published on the Telegraph's website. Bearing in mind this is a "protected bird" (a Pied Wagtail) I thought I'd follow the story and see if I could flush out a response to media coverage, from Tesco.
Chris Packham was swift to share his opinion, tweeting: "Can I ask you to rethink the shooting of the wagtail in Gt Yarmouth store please. I'm sure the bird could be caught." We entered the fray, under the Bill Oddie's Bird Food banner (@billsbirdfood) with a gentle yet poignant tweet (gentle, because Tesco are bigger than us) which read: #Tesco calls in sniper to shoot protected bird... @Telegraph http://fw.to/yVw3HKH Don't they know that every little (bird) helps?
And we received this reply from @Tesco via twitter: Tesco @Tesco Sep 17 @billsbirdfood Our goal is to release any birds which find their way into our stores, we'll continue to try to release the bird.
Who was "satisfied" all other methods had been exhausted? That's the question.
I suppose the good news is that, Tesco seem to have gotten over their exhaustion (thanks to Chris Packham, Twitter and The Telegraph) and have taken their finger off the trigger, for now.
So much for every little helps!
Tesco sell a range of bird food in store on behalf of the RSPCA and the bird food range no doubt generates significant profits for Tesco – some of these profits invested in freeing Willy the Wagtail might have been a better public relations exercise than extermination.
Let's hope it ends well for Willy.
Hey, conservation does work! Can we have more of it, please?
My birds are back in the garden!