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Home > Alerts > Nordics > Rapid economic rebound and high market activity enabled a strong financial result says AP1
Rapid economic rebound and high market activity enabled a strong financial result says AP1
Första AP-fonden (AP1)
The first half of 2021 was characterised by high global capital market activity backed by a rapid economic rebound and strong risk appetite. Första AP-fonden's (AP1) financial return for the first half of 2021 was 11.0 per cent before expenses and 10.9 per cent after expenses. A total of SEK 4.2 billion was transferred to the income pension system and at the end of June 2021 the Fund had assets under management of SEK 431.5 billion.
CEO Kristin Magnusson Bernard comments on the results:
"As a long-term investor with a strong balance sheet, AP1 has good capacity to bear risk effectively. The Fund's constructive view of risk-taking was well rewarded financially during the first six months of the year. We have been well positioned to benefit from the prevailing market situation, and most asset classes in the portfolio contributed positively. Our considerable exposure to global and Swedish equities, where especially the latter have shown outstanding performance year-to-date, was the main return driver, although real estate and other alternative investments also contributed positively.
Sustainability and especially "green" investments continue to be a dominant market theme, and AP1 is fully focused on utilising this trend to fulfil its objectives. During spring 2021 AP1 invested in Northvolt jointly with AP2, AP3 and AP4, for a total of USD 400 million. The Northvolt investment is a good example of how we as a long-term investor can invest in companies who might serve as a transformative and profitable force in the global climate transition and thus contribute positively both to the Swedish income pension system and to society at large.
While risk-taking has been rewarded financially during the spring, the overall upwards market direction has not been without its hiccups. A key tug-of-war originated in diverging views of future inflation developments, especially in the U.S. Where some investors see major risks for overheating from huge monetary and fiscal stimulus measures, others consider those issues negligible and expect instead that low-for-long interest rates will enable of large-scale investments, increased employment and value creation. Valuations in certain market segments have at times seemed potentially exaggerated, but over time market and valuation froth has subsided in a controlled manner. At AP1 we look forward to an exciting remainder of the year, where we aim to respond nimbly to changes in market direction while being firmly focused on our long-term mission: to create high returns through exemplary asset management, at low cost."
AMWatch | Former AP1 counsel appointed CEO of hedge fund


2018 3rd International Conference on Electronic Engineering and Computer Science (ICEECS2018) is an optimal platform for academic communications, exchange of ideas and inspirations between specialists and scholars in the fields of electronic engineering and computer science, including hot issues such as signal processing, computer engineering and databases.
ICEECS2018 will be held in Hangzhou, China during May 29-31, 2018. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province and one of the seven ancient capitals of China. It was described by Italian traveler Marco Polo as the finest and most luxurious city in the world. The West Lake scenic area contains over 60 cultural relic sites and several attractions of natural beauty. Hangzhou is also a good place to visit a tea plantation. In addition to the picturesque West Lake and Longjing Tea, Hangzhou is also widely renowned for its silk. It will be the third Chinese city to host the Asian Games in 2022. Hangzhou is also the headquarter of the Alibaba Group, the world's largest online B2B portal and China's largest website in terms of market value.
Electronic Engineering: Signal Processing, Electromagnetic, Network Analysis, Control Engineering, Computer Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Electronic Devices and Circuits, Telecommunications Engineering.
Computer Science: Databases, Computer Networks, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Theory of Computation, Information and Coding Theory, Algorithms and Data Structures, Programming Language Theory, Computer Performance Analysis, Computer Graphics and Visualization, Computer Security and Cryptography, Computer Architecture and Engineering.


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Cash/ Other Entry
onechipwonder.com – Tostitos One Chip Wonder Promotion
onechipwonder.com, Tostitos One Chip Wonder Promotion	0 Comment January 18, 2014
ELIGIBILITY: The Tostitos® One Chip Wonder Promotion ("Promotion") is open only to legal residents of any of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. The following persons are not eligible to participate: Employees, contractors, directors, and officers of Frito-Lay, Inc. ("Sponsor"), its parent, subsidiary and affiliated companies, distributors, Web design, advertising, fulfillment, judging and promotion agencies involved in the administration, development, fulfillment and execution of this Promotion (collectively, "Promotion Parties"), the NFL Entities (as defined below), and the immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and/or "step") of each and those living in their same households (those persons whether related or not who live in the same residence for at least three months during the twelve-month period preceding the start date of the Promotion).
PROMOTION TIMING: Promotion begins at 12:00:00 a.m. Central Time ("CT") on January 2, 2014 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. CT on January 30, 2014 ("Promotion Period"). For the Random Drawings only, the Promotion Period (as stated above) is divided into four (4) separate entry periods as defined below (each an "Entry Period"). Each Entry Period begins at 12:00:00 a.m. CT, on the Start Date stated below and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. CT, on the End Date stated below.
1 01/02/14 01/08/14 01/09/14
TO ENTER: During the Promotion Period, you may enter your One Chip Wonder in one of the manners listed below. Each submission must include (a) a photograph of a single TOSTITOS® SCOOPS!® Tortilla Chip or other tortilla chip loaded with your favorite topping(s); and (b) a brief description of the key ingredients, in English (limited to 140 characters or less if entering via Twitter) (altogether, the "Entry"). For Entries being submitted via Twitter or Instagram, the #OneChipWonder hashtag must be included. Photo file size must not exceed 10MB and must be in a .jpg or .jpeg format. (a) Tostitos® Facebook Page: You can register for the Promotion through the "Tostitos® One Chip Wonder Promotion" application on the Facebook Platform by visiting onechipwonder.com/Tostitos ("Web Site"). Follow the online instructions to upload your Entry as described above. If you do not have a Facebook account, you may sign up for a free Facebook account at www.facebook.com before entering the Promotion. (b) Twitter Post: Post your Entry (as described above) via Twitter with the #OneChipWonder hashtag. If you do not have a Twitter account, follow the onscreen instructions to register for a free Twitter account at http://twitter.com (also the "Web Site"). (c) Instagram Post: Log in to your personal Instagram account (or create a free Instagram account if you do not have one) at www.instagram.com (also the "Web Site"), and upload your Entry (as described above) with the #OneChipWonder hashtag. (d) Promotion Web Site: Visit www.onechipwonder.com (also the "Web Site") and follow the online instructions to submit your Entry (as described above). See Rule 5 for Judging Criteria (applicable to Grand Prize winner determination only). All Entries must be received and recorded within the Promotion Period. The Sponsor's computer is the official timekeeping device for this Promotion. There is no limit to the number of Entries you may tweet or post, however, only your first five (5) unique Entries (regardless of entry method) will be included in the random drawing for that Entry Period. Each entrant, regardless of method of entry, will have the opportunity to link to free exclusive celebrity content featuring Tostitos® Brand. Incomplete, illegible, deceptive or garbled Entries are not eligible. Entries must comply with any applicable submission or legal requirements located at the Web Site and as set forth in these Official Rules. Multiple entrants may not share the same email address, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account. A potential winner may be requested to provide Sponsor with proof that he/she is the authorized account holder of the email address, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account associated with the winning Entry and/or an eligible entrant. Entrants may not register/enter with multiple email addresses, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts nor may entrants use any other device or artifice to register/enter under multiple identities. Any entrant who attempts to enter with multiple email addresses or accounts under multiple identities will be disqualified and forfeits any prize won, in Sponsor's sole discretion. In the event of a conflict between the Promotion Official Rules and Facebook, Twitter or Instagram Terms of Use, the Promotion Official Rules shall govern. Data rates may apply if entering with a mobile phone or other Web-enabled device. Check with your wireless service provider for details on these and any other applicable charges. Participants are solely responsible for any such wireless charges. BY SUBMITTING AN ENTRY, ENTRANT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HIS/HER ENTRY MAY BE POSTED ON SPONSOR'S WEB SITE OR THE SOCIAL MEDIA WEB SITE USED FOR ENTRY, AT SPONSOR'S DISCRETION. Sponsor has no obligation to use or post any Entry you submit. Sponsor shall have full right and power to copy, publish, broadcast, display, distribute, use, edit, translate, alter, combine with other material, reuse and adapt any or all portions of the Entries in any way and for any purpose
whatsoever, at any time, now or in the future, in any media now known or hereafter devised throughout the world in any manner whatsoever and for any purpose. Entries that are not in accordance with the guidelines as stated herein or are not received during the Promotion Period will be ineligible.
PRIZE DETAILS: Grand Prize (3): $5,000. Approximate Retail Value ("ARV"): $5,000 each. Random Drawing Prizes (48 total; 12 per Entry Period): $1,000. ARV: $1,000 each. All prizes will be awarded in the form of a check or wire transfer, payable to winner. Winner must accept prize as stated by Sponsor or prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. Total ARV of all prizes is $63,000. Limit one (1) Grand Prize per person/household. Limit one (1) Random Drawing Prize per person/household.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Cataract surgery is the removal of the clouded lens in the eye. It can be done as day surgery using local anaesthesia.
CATALYS® Femtosecond Laser and ZEISS CALLISTO EYE® Computerised Suite for Cataract Surgery.
WhiteStar Signature Pro Phacoemulsification System.
Dr David Goh is passionate about the eyes and vision. You will meet Dr Goh at your consultation and he will personally examine your eyes, advise on the most suitable treatment options available and perform your treatment. Dr Goh is a strong user of Artificial-Intelligence in eye surgeries and believes that the combination of the surgeon and his machines is the biggest factor for the best outcome in Eye treatments. He is committed to using only the most advanced technology for the best result for his patients.
Today, NOVENA Bladeless Cataract Surgery & Eye Specialist Centre has become the first and only private clinic with its own in-house MOH ( Ministry of Health ) accredited Eye Ambulatory Surgery Centre offering Advanced, Computerised 100% Bladeless Cataract Surgery. Starting from the moment a diagnosis is made to the very finish of your journey, the dedicated expertise of the doctor and the application of the very latest innovations aim to give each patient a high quality of life and transforming experience.
Nowadays, perfect vision is becoming more and more defined by a person's needs and age. The quest for spectacle-free 20/20 vision has evolved and been enabled by laser vision correction.
iDesign iLASIK for the most-precise Wavefront-GUIDED Lasik treatment based on Space Age NASA Technology.
AVEDRO KXL Cross-linking / LASIK XTRA – to maximise corneal strength & safety during Corneal Surgery.
PENTACAM (HR) – the gold standard in anterior segment screening for LASIK, LASEK, EPI-LASIK and ICL surgery.
Glaucoma laser surgeries help to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye. Some patients may require repeated surgery to better control the IOP pressure.
ELLEX Tango Reflex Neodymium – YAG and SLT Laser for Post-cataract clouding, Glaucoma treatment and Floaters treatment.
AVANTI Widefield OCT – Ultra-high resolution Optical Coherence Tomography scanner for Retina and Glaucoma imaging.
Retina tears are usually treated with laser treatment. This usually has a 95% success rate of preserving your normal vision.
PASCAL Argon Laser with End-Point Management Software for quicker and less painful Retinal & Diabetic Eye Disease treatment.
1. iDesign iLASIK to correct Myopia, Astigmatism & Presbyopia.
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Please call us at 6570 2220 or 6560 2220 to reserve your seats!
请致电 6570 2220 or 6560 2220 和我们预约与咨询吧!
We endeavor to provide the best eye care service to all patients using modern healthcare equipment.
We utilize cutting edge technology and equipment to ensure you get the best possible eye care service.
Patients' safety comes first. If you have any questions with regards to your eye, give us a call!
Dr David Goh is a pioneer in the Bladeless Cataract Surgery field. To read up more about him, please click on the 'READ MORE' button below.
Copyright 2018 © NOVENA Bladeless Cataract Surgery & Eye Specialist Centre. All rights reserved.


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Q: Creating a Magento Sitemap page I want to create a sitemap page for Magento that will display all the static pages in an orderly fashion.  This page is going to be similar to http://www.magentocommerce.com/sitemap/  Has anyone created a Magento Extension or can someone point me in the right direction?  Searching for this feature has been a nightmare since all I get are Google SEO results.
Edit: I would like to add some of the static pages to the site map.  Currently the default sitemap has two options: Categories and Products.  I would like a way to set which of my static pages can be added to the site map.  Right now what I have done is just created a static page which I populated with links to my pages and products.  However, if the client decides to add new products, it would require that page to be edited.

A: CMS > Pages > Manage Hierarchy
Bellow "Add node" button You can set CMS hierarchy with position.
$collection = Mage::getModel('enterprise_cms/hierarchy_node')->load("root_node_id");
"root_node_id" is parent of Your "Sitemap".
Create tree from $collection.
Also You can see enterprise_cms_hierarchy_node table, you can use columns as atributes from there to position elements inside Your tree.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Senior Project Manager for the distillery studio, Jonathan Swinney, PE, earned a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville's Speed School. He has nearly 20 years' experience in HVAC design, process design, and project management. Jonathan specializes in vacuum distillation unit design and construction, with mechanical separation and filtration subsystems.


Official webpage for SocRob, a R&D team project at ISR-IST devoted to research and international robotic competitions (e.g. Robocup).
As you might be aware, working in SocRob demands some programming, electronic, mechanical and control knowledge. By joining us, you'll have to learn new things and work with them, but that's the beauty of it!
We strongly advice you to use Ubuntu, as ROS is well integrated with it. ROS is a middleware that allows the usage of a multitude of drivers and applications from different developers integrated together in a modular fashion and sharing intuitive messaging protocols.


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Tim Higgins
Notes on Music
About Tim Higgins
Contact Tim
Gear Talk (6): Squier Stratocaster pickup upgrade – The 'Tim Higgins' signature set?
As previously mentioned in a previous GEAR TALK post (read it here), I have had my Squier Vintage Modified Stratocaster upgraded, swapping out the original 'Duncan Designed' single coils for ones specially made for me by a sole builder in the USA.
Health warning: This post contains a lot of (potentially guitar-geeky) chat about pickups and the magnets which make them work. You will frequently read the word 'Alnico' in this post!
If that's your bag, read on – and feel free to start a conversation about your preferred Strat pickup choices! If you're interested, but require more info, please refer to these useful blogs here or here.
The pickups which came fitted in the Vintage Modified (VM) Strat – 'Duncan Designed' (as in Seymour Duncan) SC101S – were nice, but somewhat flat. When I say flat, I do not mean compared to other guitars per se. On it's own, it sounds great and was a fantastic purchase. However, compared to its gigging partner, my Classic Vibe (CV) Simon Neil signature Stratocaster, they didn't quite sound 'stratty' enough.
So what's the difference between these two guitars? They feel very similar to play, neck shape (and rosewood fingerboard) are the same; both of them sell in the same price range; finally, they are both set up identically, to make switching guitars mid-performance that much easier.
My two main gigging guitars. Left: Squier Vintage Modified Strat in vintage blonde (before the pickup swap). Right: Squier Classic Vibe 'Simon Neil' Strat in fiesta red.
It seems the pickups are the key difference between the two guitars. The red Strat uses special pups which really capture that early 60's Strat tone. They feature Alnico V magnets in most of the pickups, except for the three treble-end strings (the thinner ones) of the bridge pickup, which are Alncio III. Many might argue there really isn't much of an audible difference between two types of magnet, but I have to say the bridge pickup feels less 'harsh' sounding on these higher strings, while holding onto it's 'tight' sound on the bass strings (where the Alnico Vs remain).
These pickups are officially made in-house for Squier. However, another pickup company, Tonerider, operates within the very same plant, so if you were looking to buy these pickups, I might suggest you search for their Vintage Blues set for Stratocaster. I have another post addressing Tonerider pickups available to read here, if you require more info…
The 'Tim Higgins' signature series?
I was all set for installing a set of Toneriders into the blonde Strat, until I started thinking that my guitars should have some differences in tonal quality. Otherwise, I might as well own two Classic Vibe Strats! I ended up talking to Rodhan pickups, a small independent company in the USA. Their owner/founder/designer Brendan was brilliant at helping to shape the sound I wanted for these pups.
I opted for a slightly unorthodox setup for Alnico III magnets in the neck and middle single coils. These magnets were only used in the very first Fender Strats from 1954 and quickly replaced by Alnico Vs by the late 50'S. However, having heard sound samples which still showcased plenty of Start-like snap and bite, I thought they'd make for an interesting tone, one that could be well used with the tone rolled back for warm, jazzy lead lines played clean. Both of these pickups were wound to vintage specifications (5.5k and 5.6k respectively, I believe).
For the bridge single coil, I wished to combine the snappiness of a normal Strat pup, without the harsh treble attack, but also have a similar dark growl as can be found in a humbucker (such as my HSS Strat). In the end, this pup was fitted with Alnico II magnets, wound to around 6.1k. More commonly used in humbucking pickups, these magnets still have plenty of snap and might just be my favourite ever bridge single coil. In fact, I might go for a full set of Alnico II magnets next time I upgrade the pickups on a Stratocaster!
I've had the guitar back for a few weeks now, taken it on a few gigs, and I have to say the tone of my guitar has improved. In a word: Strat-tastic! (that might be two words!)
The Squier Vintage Modified Stratocaster, now upgraded with specially-made Rodhan single soil pickups and a mint green pickguard, for a retro vibe & timeless guitar tone.
As you can see in the above photo, I used the pickup refit as an opportunity to switch the pickguard for one in a more vintage-styled, mint green colour, while changing the control knobs, pickup covers and selector switch tip to a lovely aged white.
For those interested, you can read a very interesting and in-depth analysis of the SC101 set via this link, which allies with my own opinion that these pickups gave my guitar more of a Telecaster tone, rather than the traditional Strat sound. It was a great tone, but not what I needed in my Strat. These new pups are perfect in my new, vintage-styled axe. I also quite like the idea that these are the only set of its kind currently in existence… Thank you, Rodhan!
So what do you think? As always, feel free to post replies and comments, especially your own experiences in this situation. I look forward to speaking with you all!
This entry was posted in advice, Bands, career, electric guitar, equipment, gear, Gigging, guitar, guitars, Jazz, Live Music, Live Performance, muscianship, Music, Musical Practice, Newcastle, North East, North West, Opinion, Opinions, pop, professional practice, reblogs, recording, reviews, rock, tips and tagged afrobeat, alnico, band, Bands, Bass, biffy clyro, bloinde, blues, Brendan, bridge, classic, clean, dirty, fiesta, funk, gig, gigging, grit, group, groups, growl, Guitar, Guitarist, guitarists, guitars, harsh, Higgins, hot, humbucker, humbucking, II, III, Jazz, latin, magnet, magnets, middle, modified, Music, musician, musicianship, neck, neil, Northumberland, Opinion, Opinions, performing arts, pickguard, Pickup, pickups, pop, pup, pups, red, retro, rock, Rodhan, rosewood, simon, soul, sound, squier, stage, strat, stratocaster, stratocasters, strats, tight, Tim, tone, tour, treble, usa, V, versatile, vibe, vintage, warm, wedding, world, wound on December 1, 2018 by timguitar.
Guitar tone: have you been missing the obvious trick?
Still looking for a better guitar tone? You might have been missing something obvious for some time. You have the guitar, the amp, the overdrive pedals, EQ, but that sound isn't quite there? It just doesn't feel right. The obvious answer is to do less. More specifically…
Dial down the gain. Clean up your sound.
Sound ridiculous? Stay with me for now and I'll try to explain why I believe a cleaner sound makes for not only a better guitar tone, but also helps your sound cut through the mix of a full band. A few things to consider…
Here comes the science (sort of)
Adding overdrive or distortion to your guitar smooths out the tone. Yes, it can sound lovely and 'syrupy', not unlike Clapton's famous 'woman tone' or the thick lead sounds of Gary Moor or Slash, but have you ever noticed how your solo cans till get lost in the live mix? This is particularly true if your band includes keys, a second guitar player or a horn section, as all of these instruments predominantly occupy the midrange of the frequency spectrum. In effect, your smooth tone is competing with many different voices, and all that lovely smoothing-out (which sounds so cool for your legato runs, etc) makes your sound more likely to dissolve into the wider sound of your band.
The trick is volume over distortion
Try listening to pretty much any classic rock record from the late sixties and seventies (the age of the 'guitar hero'). Notice how so many of those riffs are only slightly overdriven, at best? Some, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Sweet Home Alabama', make use of guitar sounds which are virtually clean. That classic sound you hear is usually a small amp (say 30 watts) being turned up full, and breaking up into a light overdrive sound. This applies to most of the back catalogues for most of your favourite 'heavy' bands, from Led Zeppelin and The Who to early Aerosmith and even Black Sabbath.
My favourite example to highlight this is the classic song, Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple. The link takes you to the studio recording. Compare this with every covers band that had played this song. Ever. Heck, compare it with how Deep Purple play it now! Everyone has a different opinion, but wouldn't most agree that the original sounds better?
These bands sounded heavy because they were playing the loudest amplifiers available, and as they got bigger, the sound got heavier, but we're still a long way from the Mesa Boogie levels of heaviness the eighties would bring along…
Wouldn't these bands have played heavier, if they had been able to?
Quite probably. They were considered pretty noisy for their time! If those full, thick distortion sounds had been more readily available in the mid-sixties, would the sound of rock guitar have been very different? The truth is, we'll never know. Those artists used the equipment they had available, and we can only hypothesize as to alternative outcomes. Here it becomes a little too 'chicken-and-egg' for my liking, though there are numerous threads on guitar forums across the internet if this is the kind of debate you're looking to investigate further.
Of course, one counter-argument would be the fuzz pedal. This was heavily used by some artists, notably Hendrix (if you're not sure how that fuzz sounds, think of the opening riff to 'Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones as your starting point). This effect created a thick and – it goes almost without saying – 'fuzzy' sound to the guitar's tone, making solos sustain for longer and creating a warm, distorted sound. However, the fuzz pedal didn't take over the sound of rock guitar as we know it. Perhaps distortion wasn't the end-goal for guitar players back in the sixties, after all?
So should I play clean but loud for the rest of my guitar-playing career?
Probably not a good idea. Your band mates will most likely not appreciate it!
However, I might suggest you start by dialing back the gain a little on your drive channels, pedals, etc, and make better use of volume and tone controls (on the guitar, amp and any stompboxes you are using) to allow the sound of your guitar to ring through.
But what about sustain?
It's not always possible to turn up loud and play away. I currently gig with a digital amp which is DI'd into my band's mixing desk, with no output from the amp itself. My main channels are a clean and a slightly overdriven channel, both of which are fairly 'dry' signals (not effects except for a very small amount of reverb). My lead sound (for solos) is another version of the overdriven sound, with a slight boost in volume and treble frequencies. Crucially, this sound also includes a fair bit more reverb dialed in, plus a short delay mixed low underneath the original signal. The reverb and delay both act to thicken up the sound, and assist my guitar sound not only through increased sustain, but in helping the sound to cut through the mix.
Another trick to use in the studio is to use two amps when recording; one with an overdriven sound, and another set to an almost clean tone. The cleaner of the two amps can be mixed quite low, but it's presence will add some clarity of definition which the heavier sound loses. The whole thing makes for a guitar tone which is not only more thick, but more true to the sound of your guitar – try it!
Take away points:
Clean up your tone – wind back that gain!
Use effects to create the impression of more volume (such as reverb and delay) instead of piling on the distortion
Caveats:
I fully appreciate that everyone's opinion is bound to differ on subjects as personal as guitar tone. What works for me may not necessarily work for you. It is also worth remembering that certain styles of guitar-based music rely on a super-distorted sound as an integral element to their sound (think of bands like Nirvana and Skunk Anansie, for instance). However, don't be afraid to try experimenting with a cleaner tone. Be warned though, with a clean sound, there is nowhere to hide any weaknesses in your playing technique!
This entry was posted in advice, audition, Band Members, Bands, career, electric guitar, equipment, gear, Gigging, guitar, guitars, lessons, Live Music, Live Performance, muscianship, Music, music lessons, Music Studies, Musical Practice, Newcastle, North East, North West, Opinion, Opinions, professional practice, recording, reference, references, rock, songs, songwriting, teaching, tips, tuition and tagged 2018, ace, advice, aerosmith, album, amp, amplifier, amplifiers, anansie, April, aps, axe, band, black, black sabbath, blackmore, boogie, boost, clapton, classic, classic rock, clean, cobain, cover, covers, cream, deep purple, delay, dial, distortion, drive, driven, echo, eric, experience, Fender, fingers, frequency, full, gain, gary, gig, grunge, Guitar, Guitarist, guitars, heavy, hendrix, Jazz, jimi, kurt, lead, lead guitar, led, led zeppelin, les paul, live, loud, lynyrd, mesa, metal, midrange, moore, Music, nirvana, Opinion, overdrive, overdriven, Performance, player, playing, pop, punk, record, recording, reverb, ritchie, rock, sabbath, skunk, skynyrd, slash, smoke, sound, stage, strat, stratocaster, studio, syrup, Technique, thick, tip, tips, tone, treble, volume, water, watt, who, woman tone, zeppelin on April 2, 2018 by timguitar.
New Year's resolutions for guitar players
As a general rule, I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. My philosophy is that changes can be made at any time, so why wait until January?
However, there is something about the end of a year which causes us all to reflect on the previous twelve months and start focusing on our plans for the next twelve. For us working musicians, many of us have recently reached the end of one of our peak times, the 'Christmas Party Season'.
Like many bands who find most of their work comes from weddings & function work, 2016 ended for me with a NYE gig. In January, things start to feel a little quieter by comparison, which gives us time to ponder on the gigs we've enjoyed, what we didn't enjoy, and what we hope to change for the new year.
So, with that in mind, here are a few of my suggestions for guitar-related resolutions for musicians looking to grow as better musicians in 2017:
Learn a new style.
Always wanted to start learning those jazz chord voicings? Perhaps you keep meaning to work on your reggae & ska rhythm playing? Or your country picking? Blues slide? The list goes on…
Take the time to work on these new genres & styles of playing. We are very fortunate to live in a time where we can access a world of free tutorials on the Internet, or videos in YouTube. However, don't rule out the possibility of taking lessons to focus on specific areas – working one to one with an experienced guitar tutor does wonders for improving your playing!
Mix things up.
Learning a style doesn't mean you have to abandon all you know & travel the world playing strictly Django/gypsy jazz for the rest of your life (though I imagine there are plenty of worse ways to live)!
Have you found that the majority if your playing has been on acoustic guitar? Trying swapping to electric more often (or vice versa). Do you always practise at the same time of day? If possible, can you change to a different time? Your brain operates differently throughout the day – you may well find yourself going down very different musical avenues simply by switching from a morning to an afternoon practice session.
Sometimes learning to play a song you are very familiar with in a new style works brilliantly in helping your playing. Not only do you freshen up material which might be getting a bit stale, but you'll have a safer means of exploring new options in your guitar playing.
One area of guitar playing I can't recommend highly enough is solo performance. By this, I don't mean the lead guitar solo in a song, but playing the melody, harmony, rhythms, etc on one unaccompanied guitar. It's something a piano player wouldn't think twice about, but I'm frequently amazed at how many guitarists simply haven't tried it properly! If you're unsure about how to start doing this, there are several books, online tutorials (like this blog!), and of course YouTube videos to help inspire you. Which brings us nicely in to…
Widen your horizons.
Music is a language. Even when playing on your own, you are creating sounds for yourself to hear, effectively taking to yourself. But there's only so long you can do that before you end up going round in circles, or going crazy!
Set yourself the following challenge for the year: discover a new artist each month of 2017. Learn from what you hear. Take examples of their playing & try to incorporate it into your own. It can only make you a better guitarist! The beauty of this is that you don't have to focus on other guitar players. In fact, it might be better not to! Many of the jazz & Blues guitarists I admire take inspiration for their improvisational playing from horn players, translating their melodies & ideas into their own instrument. Try it!
It also helps to get out amongst other musicians, jam, join or start a new band, particularly in a new style. It also goes further than this – always wanted to sing while playing? Start! Learning a new instrument? Do it! The best way out of a rut is to climb upwards!
Get your music 'out there'.
…And if you're meeting new musicians & launching new projects, you're already doing this. Go to more live gigs, gig more yourself, especially new and original music. I know all too well how easy it is to get stuck in one 'world' (in my case playing in a covers band), and finding it hard to do other things, but I promise it's worth the effort.
Remember to have fun while you're out there expanding your guitar playing horizons!
Best of luck and wishing you all a very happy new year! Let's make 2017 – like every year – a great year for music, for the guitar, and for you!
Tim xx
Please do get in touch to tell me what your own guitar/music new year resolutions are, and stay in touch to let me know how you're getting on with them! Don't forget I'm here to help if you need it! xx
This entry was posted in acoustic guitar, advice, Band Members, Bands, Bass, Bass Player, Bassist, career, classical, Classical guitar, Culture, development, Double Bass, electric guitar, Gigging, guitar, guitars, Jazz, lessons, Live Music, Live Performance, Mature Student, muscianship, Music, Music Education, music groups, music lessons, Music Studies, Musical Practice, New Music, Newcastle, North East, North West, Opinion, Opinions, Personel, pleasure, pop, professional practice, recording, rock, songs, songwriting, Sunderland, tips, tuition and tagged 2016, 2017, acoustic, advice, band, Bands, Bass, blues, chanfe, changes, chords, clarinet, classic, classic rock, Classical, composer, Composition, develop, development, electric, folk, fresh, freshen up, funk, group, groups, grow, Guitar, Guitarist, guitarists, horn, imporovement, inprove, Jazz, lead guitar, metal, Music, musical, musician, musicianship, new, New year, nylon, Opinion, player, playing, pop, practise, raggae, resolution, resolutions, rock, sax, singer, singing, ska, slide, Solo, soloing, song writer, song writing, songs, songwriting, soul, string, strung, Technique, trombone, trympet, tutor, tutorial, voice, voices, voicings on January 1, 2017 by timguitar.
Gear Talk (2)
It's been almost two years since the last post running through all of my gear (which you can read here), and a lot has changed since then! Time for an update…
What's the same?
First off, my blue/purple Strat is still my main weapon of choice (pictured, below).
My main Strat, with modded pickups. Seen here with my fave stomp boxes.
Known as the Standard Stratocaster HSS, this Mexican made beauty has been with me for sixteen years now. A few years ago, I upgraded the pickups to:
Fender Vintage Noiseless (neck)
Seymour Duncan Cool Rails (middle)
Seymour Duncan '59 humbucker (bridge)
I love the combination of these pickups, not to mention their individual tones. I'm buying a new 'fat Strat' soon (expect a review to follow) and should I find the standard pickups somewhat lacking in quality, I'll be replacing them with the same choices mentioned above.
What else has remained the same?
My acoustics – the Taylor 314ce, Admira classical and Tanglewood electro acoustic – are the same as before. My ukulele is a standard concert model by Kauai.
Most of my pedals have remained the same but here's a quick rundown of my main stompboxes:
Joyo Vintage Overdrive (highly recommended!)
HotOne Boost
Boss OD3 (overdrive) & DS1 (distortion)
Marshall Bluesbreaker overdrive
Snarling Dogs Wah
Joyo Digital Delay
I have a pedal board to house all of these. However, I often simply take two or three pedals out to a gig without the board. This changes from gig to gig, but looking back through the pics on my Twitter account, I find the Joyo Vintage OD (a top quality tubescreamer clone for a fraction of the price) usually makes an appearance.
So what's new?
My current second Strat is a Chinese made Modern Player Stratocaster. Interestingly, it is short scale (24 inches instead of the usual 25.5). Apart from being a feet shorter on the neck (only twenty) you barely notice when playing, though the body is a little smaller. In terms of sound, the pickups on this are classic Strat and I love the Guild humbucker in the bridge – the chrome looks really cool against the scratch plate (see pic below, sun best guitar on the left)!
Modern Player short scale Strat, sunburst (left); Mexican HSS Strat, midnight blue (right); Fender Stage 100 solid state amp (rear).
Finally, I also own an Epiphone Les Paul plus top PRO. The main difference between this and the standard Epi LP is that both the top quality pickups are coil-tapped. They're also uncovered, which looks very funky against the gold finish (see pic, below).
Epiphone Les Paul plus top PRO, gold with those beautiful uncovered 'zebra' humbuckers.
When I bought this guitar, I thought I'd be using it with bands in the heavier end of the rock spectrum. However, I've found myself using it more & more for blues & jazz gigs. It was my main guitar for my blues workshops at the Sage Gateshead this summer, and provided those early blues times perfectly.
I've finally bowed to the inevitable and invested in a digital amp. I'm glad I waited, because evidently Fender did too. The first wave of modelling amps were full of lags & bugs. By waiting, Fender's first foray into the genre ensured they got it right first time. Even then, they were minor bugs, quickly improved in the line of amps released when I started looking – and now I'm a very happy owner of a Mustang III version 2 (pictured below).
Fender Mustang III v.2 digital amp, pictured here with my gold Epi LP.
This has every amp option you can think of, as well as every effect you'll ever need. I prefer to keep my overdrive stompboxes, which frees up the amp to add modulation effects (such as phaser or their wonderful chorus choices). There's room for a hundred saved channels, which is more than I need but useful to have. Also, their pitch-shift effect allows me to down tune the entire guitar without the need to, well, actually down tune the guitar! Very cool!
Well… I've just today ordered a Fender HSH Strat, so expect a review when that arrives. I'm also quite keen to look at a few more pedals from Joyo. Watch this space.
This entry was posted in acoustic guitar, advice, Band Members, Bands, career, classical, Classical guitar, community, electric guitar, equipment, gear, Gigging, guitar, guitars, Jazz, lessons, Live Music, Live Performance, Music, Music Education, music groups, Musical Practice, New Music, Opinion, Opinions, pop, recording, reviews, rock, teaching, tips, tuning, ukulele and tagged acoustic, Admira, amp, atompbox, blue, blues, boss, chorus, Classical, coil, coil tap, cool rails, delay, detune, digital, digital delay, distortion, down tune, effects, effects pedals, epiphone, fat strat, Fender, folk, gear, gig, gigs, gold, Guitar, guitar effdcts, guitars, hot, humnucker, Jazz, Joyo, lecture, les paul, lessons, live misuc, masterclass, mid, modelling, modern, modifications, mods, Music, mustang, new music, next, noiseless, nylon, nylon strings, nylon strung, one, overdrive, phaser, Pickup, pickups, pitch, pitch shift, player, pop, pro, retrofit, retrofitted, review, reviews, rock, rosewood, scale length, seminar, Seymour Duncan, short scale, snarling dogs, solid state, spec, stompboxes, strat, stratocaster, sunburst, tanglewood, tapped, Taylor, tech, top, tuning, ukulele, uncovered, vintage, wah, workshop, workshops on November 24, 2016 by timguitar.
Mundane Science Fiction – taking fantasy out of the future
Picture courtesy of Quora.com
Ok, so I'm a music writer first and foremost. The vast majority of my posts deal with (in no particular order):
The positive effects of music on overall wellbeing
Music therapy & community music articles of interest
Updates on my writing & recording work, focusing on new projects
Thoughts & discussions on the wider world of music, in all its beautiful and varied forms
I do, on occasion, venture away from music and enter the wider world, focusing on my other favourite subjects: history, politics, travel and of course, books.
Like most people who write, I've tried my hand at fiction. I've started around five or six ideas for stories, only three of which were long enough to become novels. Two of these were science fiction. My love of sci-fi comes from a childhood spent reading the greats such as Asimov, Dick, Clarke, Banks and many, many more. Anyone who states that the genre isn't proper literature has most likely not read the right books. The imagination required to conjure up these worlds and peoples goes fast beyond the standard writing advice of 'writing what you know'.
Critics of sci-fi do have one valid gripe: in all of the grandiose settings and fantastical elements of the genre, characterisation can sometimes suffer. It is certainly true that only the very best sci-fi combines the huge space-opera backdrop with the human elements of character-driven plot lines. In that regard, can too much imagination be a bad thing?
Enter the relatively new sub-genre of mundane science fiction, a term first coined by Geoff Ryman and others in 2004. Those of you who follow my music blogs will no doubt be aware I have a dislike of genres and labelling. Good music is good music – shouldn't the same be true for fiction? Well, perhaps with a focus on characters and more believable conflicts, it can.
The best way to achieve this? Remove the supernova-sized set pieces; the spaceships travelling at light speed; aliens from other worlds; time travel; in fact, anything considered to be outside of our current understanding of physics and the universe as we perceive it.
The Guardian newspaper wrote an excellent piece in 2008 introducing readers to the genre, which I happened upon recently which you can read here. This article and the original blog by SFGenics explain mundane sci-fi so much better than I can, but the basics involve a lack of the 'fantastical' elements mentioned previously, focusing instead on human stories and character-driven plot/conflict.
Interestingly, I have noticed that most of the books considered part of this movement (if you want to call it that) are set in the present day, near or approaching future. There is almost no likelihood of seeing a mundane sci-fi novel taking place in the year 30,212 A.D. because who knows what the world will look like then, and how could such ignorance be presented as mundane?
Another noteworthy feature is a focus the dwindling resources of this planet. In forcing themselves to look inwards, rather than to the stars, many mundane sci-fi writers imagine a future where food is scare, or climate change has irreparably damaged our ecosystem. Their stories focus on how these environmental perils being either fought against, or survived through by the protagonists.
In the full 'mundane manifesto' blog, which you can read here, a few classic works are included, including 'Do Androids dream Of Electric Sheep?' by Philip K. Dick, which became the classic movie Blade Runner, and '1984' by George Orwell. These two contrasting examples of a near dystopian future should tell you that even without the wider galaxy to play with, there is plenty of interesting topics to be mined here on Earth.
To finish off, I'll return to music an anecdote from Peter Gabriel. When working on one of his classic albums, he instructed the drummer not to play cymbals for the entire recording sessions. Effectively, he forbade cymbals from the entire album. While some might balk at such a draconian measure and say it's a fast way to ruin his music, the end results were quite surprising. Forced out of his usual default playing patterns and styles, the drummer at these recording sessions had to entirely rethink his drum kit. Approaching it in this fresh manner brought out rhythms he would have never dreamt up otherwise.
As well as this, I have previously written on the amazing results pulled off by the late record producer George Martin in a previous blog post. Martin had severe limitations on the equipment he was using, but with The betakes, created the most technically astonishing music, certainly for their time. Some might use that example of 'rooming the safety net', but to me, it stands as proof that sometimes creativity works better within limitations. As I said earlier, what applies to music can also apply to fiction. Sometimes to 'think outside of the box', one has to be in a box to start with!
So what do you think? Get in touch and let me know!
This entry was posted in Academia, academic, advice, art, book review, book reviews, books, Fiction, Opinion, Opinions, research, reviews, tips, writing and tagged 1984, Academia, Academic, Arthur C. CLarke, Blade Runner, blogging, blogs, book, book review, book reviews, books, classics, Fiction, George Martin, George Orwell, Iain Banks, Iain M. Banks, Isaac Asimov, Literary, literature, mundance, mundance science fiction, Music, new writing, newpapers, Opinion, peter gabriel, Philip K. Dick, reading, research, sci-fi, science fiction, scifi, think piece, writing on April 7, 2016 by timguitar.
Three things we can learn from George Martin
Sir George Martin, most famous for acting as the producer of all but one of The Beatles' albums, passed away yesterday, aged 90.
Already, reports and obituaries have been published, quoting Martin and highlighting his amazing achievements with and without The Beatles. Though Martin was a producer for over a decade before meeting them, it is undoubtedly his work with this music-changing band, the very Zeitgeist of musical development in the nineteen-sixties and beyond, for which he will be best remembered and discussed for years to come.
There's been plenty of debate on whether or not The Beatles succeeded artistically because of suggestions made by Martin, or if he was simply very effective in channelling their natural talent. In reality, it was probably a mix of the two. That in itself is not a bad legacy to leave behind.
Though Martin now sadly has passed away, we can still learn something valuable from the work he left behind. Here are my three things which we can learn from the life and career of George Martin:
Have an open mind
I've mentioned this in several previous posts, but an open mind and a willing pair of ears is without a shadow of a doubt the most important tool for any artist. This is especially true for musicians and producers, and a sentiment to which Martin himself prescribed more than once, including in his own books.
It is well established in rock history canon that The Beatles were been turned down by several record companies prior to being signed by Martin to EMI. Think about this for a moment: every almost 'industry expert' had refused to take on another guitar band, believing them to be going out of fashion. Fair enough, it is called the music business for a reason. Money has to be made and trends will always be followed. This is as true today as it was in the nineteen fifties and sixties. However, 'following the money' is a great way to be a follower, but you are default already a follower from the start, and not a leader.
The best leaders, artists, teachers, and indeed the best in any profession listen first. In seeing the potential that The Beatles had, Martin was able to continue listening to them throughout their eight years working together making hit after hit, and classic album after classic album. This is especially noticeable when at the point mid-sixties where the band stopped performing live altogether, becoming a studio band only. The resulting works, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road, are unique in sounding very much of their time, but still fresh and exciting in 2016.
And it wasn't just Martin doing all of the listening. The Beatles themselves were avid consumers of art and music. In being open to anything interesting, they brought elements of avant-garde, atonalism, looping, sampling and a whole world of musical styles to their music. By opening your ears, and combining the sounds you love, it is entirely possible to produce a new work, which speaks to the future while recognising that which has gone before.
Know your limits, and push them
Looping, you say? Sampling? In the nineteen-sixties?! It is worth noting that the vast majority of The Beatles' recorded output was recorded on a four-track (or, at very best towards the seventies, eight-track) tape machine. This was state of the art back then, but lacking in the limitless options of the digital recording software in use everywhere. Leaving aside all the other technological innovations and improvisations Martin would conjure up to accommodate the visions of The Beatles in their songwriting, there is the question of the sheer number of instruments and sounds on some songs. The solution to squeezing so many different elements onto a four-track recorder? Multi-tracking.
Multi-tracking was first developed by guitarist Les Paul some decades before Martin made such effective use of the technique. Put simply, the process involves recording onto three of the available tracks, then 'bouncing' that mix onto the fourth track. The process can be repeated using tracks one and two, then bouncing to the third. Then it can (if needed) be taken even further by mixing tracks three & four onto one of the other tracks, meaning there are now three left to add on more parts (and here is where I start to go cross-eyed myself!).
The biggest issue with this method of recording is the physical degradation of the tape onto which the sound was being copied. By layering track upon track, the overall mix becomes more dense, and done incorrectly, can leave with a muddy sounding, uninspiring record. George Martin, however, seems to have been perfectly capable of getting clean, crisp recordings of individual mixes, which hold their brightness as they get 'bounced' and mixed into a deeper and more complicated arrangement. Even with Martin's confident 'know how', there was still a limit to how many additions could me made. In these days of endless tracks and almost any possible sound available to laptops worldwide, I personally don't see the same level of mechanical creativity. Sometimes working with what you have, pushing the limits, is better than having no limits at all…
There's a famous anecdote – which Martin was often fond of telling – detailing the first time The Beatles first met their producer (retold once more in the Washington Post's obituary of George Martin today). After Martin had spoke at length about the recording process, he asked the Fab Four is there was anything they didn't like. The response, from George Harrison, was "Well, I don't like your tie for a start…". From there, Martin knew that they would get along famously.
A sense of humour can not only ease any tensions rising in the studio, which can be high-pressure for some acts expected to produce hit after hit. It can also serve to bridge the gap between generations. In that respect, Martin must have impressed the Beatles from the start, having quite an extensive background in comedy and novelty recordings – some of which became unexpected hits – including John Lennon's comedy heroes, The Goons. In quite a lot of interview footage from the early sixties, The Beatles were set apart from their questioners, an exclusive club with a shared sense of humour and in-jokes which created a barrier to those outside of the group. Martin, I believe, was very much inside their 'circle of trust', otherwise they would not have allowed him such authority in the studio. A shared sense of humour must have been a major in-road to gaining the trust of these young Liverpudlians.
As a musician, producer and in some ways, mentor, Martin helped the Fab Four to realise the sounds they heard in their heads. His creative, yet critical thinking fuelled The Beatles' insatiable appetite for art, and helped their music transcend to heights which otherwise may have remained untouched. Though I have spoken mostly about Martin's work with the Fab Four, we should be no means overlook all of the other artists he worked with & film scores he wrote/arranged. Without Martin, popular music, and therefore the world we live in today, would be very different indeed…
R.I.P. Sir George Henry Martin (1926-2016).
This entry was posted in advice, art, career, composition, development, muscianship, Music, Music Education, Music Studies, Musical Practice, Opinion, Opinions, pop, professional practice, recording, research, reviews, songwriting, tips and tagged advice, albums, Arrangement, Composition, George Martin, multitracking, Music, musical practice, musicians, obituary, Opinion, record, recording, songwriting, studio, The Beatles, think piece, tips on March 9, 2016 by timguitar.
Ukulele Problems: Tuning
(pic courtesy of ukulelemusichawaii.com)
So you've bought your first ukulele & learned a few chords. But now you've noticed that it's gone out of tune. No matter, you have a tuner, you tune up. Done. But after a pretty short time, it's out of tune again. Why?
I get this query a lot from my new ukulele students. Just as they are getting started with their first steps into music-making on this instrument, they become frustrated with it's apparent lack of tuning stability.
New ukuleles come with new strings, which haven't been 'played in'. Just like a new set of strings of a guitar, they need to be 'stretched'. As ukulele strings are made from nylon, which is a very flexible material, this is even more apparent.
The quickest way to to this is following these basic steps:
Tune your ukulele
Take a hold of the strings & gently pull them up, away from the fingerboard, repeating across a few different parts of the string (see an example video here)
Re-tune the ukulele
Repeat steps 2 & 3 until re-tuning is no longer required
Hey presto! problem solved! Your ukulele should now not only remain stable after playing, but also hold it'd tuning better when travelling (though extreme changes in temperature will still cause the strings to expand and contract).
The video included via hyper link in point 2, above (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px0ds0T3ric) is one of many available online to help you better visualise what I mean by stretching the strings. It's not as difficult as you might think!
Other things to remain mindful of:
While stretching the strings is by far the most common solution to fixing a consistently out of tune uke, you may still notice occasional tuning issues. Perhaps simple, mostly open chords sound correct, but those with three or four fretted notes, or barre chords, have one or two out of tune strings when played. More perplexing, this can happen when the open strings are still correctly tuned up.
The problem? In this case, it's intonation.
Provided you have a decent instrument, where the frets are set up and spaced correctly (watch out for the false economy of the bottom range 'budget models'), then this can easily be fixed by paying close attention to how you fret the notes. You may find, on new or more interestingly shaped chords, that you are pressing down too hard on certain strings, pushing that note slightly out of tune with the rest of the chord. Some positions might require you to stretch or bend a finger in a way which means it is not sitting behind the fret as per the standard method. This too, can be fixed with a little bit of practise, and a small amount of mindfulness. Happy Uke-ing!
This entry was posted in Academia, academic, acoustic guitar, adults, advice, art, Bands, community music, Education, equipment, gear, guitars, lessons, Live Music, Live Performance, Mature Student, muscianship, Music, Music Education, music groups, music lessons, Music Studies, Musical Practice, Opinion, Opinions, professional practice, reference, references, Sunderland, teaching, tips, tuition, tuning, ukulele, young people and tagged Academia, Academic, advice, education, guide, Guitar, lessons, Music, music lessons, musical practice, musicians, Performance, research, Student, students, tips, tuning, ukulele on February 3, 2016 by timguitar.
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R.I.P. Dr John (1941-2019)
Gear Talk (5): a rare gem
Gear talk (4): Stratocaster mods & repairs
Tonerider pickups Vs Squier Classic Vibe Pickups
Guitar News: Fender announce new Player Series to replace MIM models
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I have stuck with an insurance problem regarding my flat which I am not yet in possession and no one in my friend circle, relatives could give me advice and know about it.
I have booked a flat through bank loan. The flat is in the final stage of its construction and will be delivered within 3 months. Now my bank is telling me to submit the insurance paper. I could not convince my bank that I did not get possession of my flat and thus I have not done my insurance yet.
Actually I dont know the rules and trend in other cities.
Can any one help me out in this matter. What is the procedure when one buys a flat ? What shall I do ? Shall I do the insurance ?
Note : My bank is UCO Bank.
A bank sanctions loan and get the property insured through an agent (known to them) in your case, it seems, it has not happened. You should contact an insurance agent and get it insured. Developer may also help you in getting it done. You will have to show agreement between developer and you.
If bank system doesn't work for you or neither does your construction manager''s advice go to your local real estate agent in the region your flat is in. Tell them u r not interested in buying a property but insuring an existing one. They will take some money obviously but get the work done. In Fact after getting the bank quote rates and getting other rates you can always go to these private agents and price compare or ask them to price beat Just so you get the best rates. Also double check on these private agent reviews. Not difficult to find a reliable one in any town. Ask the locals if the home is in a different state.


text:
Here We Go Again: Obama Sends Arms Trade Treaty to Senate for Ratification
AWR Hawkins
With just over a month left in office and no gun control achievements to speak of during his time in the White House, President Obama has sent the United Nation's Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to the Senate for one last shot at ratification.
The ATT garnered a lot of attention as it moved through various bureaucratic channels in 2012 and 2013. Breitbart News reported that the treaty was supported by 46 Senators, two of whom were Independents–Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King (I-Maine)–and the rest of whom were Democrats. It was signed by Secretary of State John Kerry on September 25, 2013, but it is not binding because Republican Senators shot down ratification efforts.
At the time that Kerry signed the treaty the NRA warned, "This treaty threatens individual firearm ownership with an invasive registration scheme [and is full of regulations and requirements that are] blatant attacks on the constitutional rights of every law-abiding American."
The "registration scheme" referenced by the NRA is a clear and present danger which still presents itself in this latest ratification attempt. This is because the ATT is advertised as a way to monitor and control the movement of "small arms and light weapons across borders." To that end, the treaty encourages records for "end use or end [users]" to be maintained for "a minimum of ten years" after the weapons reach their final destination. This requires the creation of a database of sales records–which would include information on the weapons and the owners–and that information would be internationally maintained; after all, this is a UN treaty.
Breitbart News warned that firearm registration must proceed from the ATT if it is to be enforceable. Think about it–if a goal of the treaty is to stop the movement of "small arms [and] light weapons" across borders, how can agents tasked with enforcing this treaty ascertain the origin of smuggled weapons without a comprehensive registration on file?
The treaty gives gun controllers an opportunity to usurp the authority of the Second Amendment, replacing it with the authority of the UN–an unaccountable international body that lacks commitment to the natural rights which served as guiding principles for our Founding Fathers.
Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) released a statement on Obama's new attempt at ratification, saying:
Since 2012, many senators, including myself, have expressed opposition to the small arms treaty, citing an array of concerns with Second Amendment rights. Nothing has changed over the last four years to suggest the treaty is in our national interest, and it will remain dead in the water. I reiterate my strong opposition and will work with my colleagues to protect the rights of Americans.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of "Bullets with AWR Hawkins," a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
2nd AmendmentPoliticsArms Trade TreatyBarack ObamaSecond AmendmentSenator Bob CorkerUnited Nations


text:
/*                      _             _
 *  _ __ ___   ___   __| |    ___ ___| |  mod_ssl
 * | '_ ` _ \ / _ \ / _` |   / __/ __| |  Apache Interface to OpenSSL
 * | | | | | | (_) | (_| |   \__ \__ \ |
 * |_| |_| |_|\___/ \__,_|___|___/___/_|
 *                      |_____|
 *  ssl_util.c
 *  Utility Functions
 */
                             /* ``Every day of my life
                                  I am forced to add another
                                  name to the list of people
                                  who piss me off!''
                                            -- Calvin          */

#include "ssl_private.h"
#include "ap_mpm.h"
#include "apr_thread_mutex.h"

/*  _________________________________________________________________
**
**  Utility Functions
**  _________________________________________________________________
*/

char *ssl_util_vhostid(apr_pool_t *p, server_rec *s)
{
    char *id;
    SSLSrvConfigRec *sc;
    char *host;
    apr_port_t port;

    host = s->server_hostname;
    if (s->port != 0)
        port = s->port;
    else {
        sc = mySrvConfig(s);
        if (sc->enabled == TRUE)
            port = DEFAULT_HTTPS_PORT;
        else
            port = DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT;
    }
    id = apr_psprintf(p, "%s:%lu", host, (unsigned long)port);
    return id;
}

apr_file_t *ssl_util_ppopen(server_rec *s, apr_pool_t *p, const char *cmd,
                            const char * const *argv)
{
    apr_procattr_t *procattr;
    apr_proc_t *proc;

    if (apr_procattr_create(&procattr, p) != APR_SUCCESS)
        return NULL;
    if (apr_procattr_io_set(procattr, APR_FULL_BLOCK, APR_FULL_BLOCK,
                            APR_FULL_BLOCK) != APR_SUCCESS)
        return NULL;
    if (apr_procattr_dir_set(procattr,
                             ap_make_dirstr_parent(p, cmd)) != APR_SUCCESS)
        return NULL;
    if (apr_procattr_cmdtype_set(procattr, APR_PROGRAM) != APR_SUCCESS)
        return NULL;
    if ((proc = (apr_proc_t *)apr_pcalloc(p, sizeof(apr_proc_t))) == NULL)
        return NULL;
    if (apr_proc_create(proc, cmd, argv, NULL, procattr, p) != APR_SUCCESS)
        return NULL;
    return proc->out;
}

void ssl_util_ppclose(server_rec *s, apr_pool_t *p, apr_file_t *fp)
{
    apr_file_close(fp);
    return;
}

/*
 * Run a filter program and read the first line of its stdout output
 */
char *ssl_util_readfilter(server_rec *s, apr_pool_t *p, const char *cmd,
                          const char * const *argv)
{
    static char buf[MAX_STRING_LEN];
    apr_file_t *fp;
    apr_size_t nbytes = 1;
    char c;
    int k;

    if ((fp = ssl_util_ppopen(s, p, cmd, argv)) == NULL)
        return NULL;
    /* XXX: we are reading 1 byte at a time here */
    for (k = 0; apr_file_read(fp, &c, &nbytes) == APR_SUCCESS
                && nbytes == 1 && (k < MAX_STRING_LEN-1)     ; ) {
        if (c == '\n' || c == '\r')
            break;
        buf[k++] = c;
    }
    buf[k] = NUL;
    ssl_util_ppclose(s, p, fp);

    return buf;
}

BOOL ssl_util_path_check(ssl_pathcheck_t pcm, const char *path, apr_pool_t *p)
{
    apr_finfo_t finfo;

    if (path == NULL)
        return FALSE;
    if (pcm & SSL_PCM_EXISTS && apr_stat(&finfo, path,
                                APR_FINFO_TYPE|APR_FINFO_SIZE, p) != 0)
        return FALSE;
    if (pcm & SSL_PCM_ISREG && finfo.filetype != APR_REG)
        return FALSE;
    if (pcm & SSL_PCM_ISDIR && finfo.filetype != APR_DIR)
        return FALSE;
    if (pcm & SSL_PCM_ISNONZERO && finfo.size <= 0)
        return FALSE;
    return TRUE;
}

ssl_algo_t ssl_util_algotypeof(X509 *pCert, EVP_PKEY *pKey)
{
    ssl_algo_t t;
    EVP_PKEY *pFreeKey = NULL;

    t = SSL_ALGO_UNKNOWN;
    if (pCert != NULL)
        pFreeKey = pKey = X509_get_pubkey(pCert);
    if (pKey != NULL) {
        switch (EVP_PKEY_key_type(pKey)) {
            case EVP_PKEY_RSA:
                t = SSL_ALGO_RSA;
                break;
            case EVP_PKEY_DSA:
                t = SSL_ALGO_DSA;
                break;
            default:
                break;
        }
    }
#ifdef OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER
    /* Only refcounted in OpenSSL */
    if (pFreeKey != NULL)
        EVP_PKEY_free(pFreeKey);
#endif
    return t;
}

char *ssl_util_algotypestr(ssl_algo_t t)
{
    char *cp;

    cp = "UNKNOWN";
    switch (t) {
        case SSL_ALGO_RSA:
            cp = "RSA";
            break;
        case SSL_ALGO_DSA:
            cp = "DSA";
            break;
        default:
            break;
    }
    return cp;
}

/*
 * certain key and cert data needs to survive restarts,
 * which are stored in the user data table of s->process->pool.
 * to prevent "leaking" of this data, we use malloc/free
 * rather than apr_palloc and these wrappers to help make sure
 * we do not leak the malloc-ed data.
 */
unsigned char *ssl_asn1_table_set(apr_hash_t *table,
                                  const char *key,
                                  long int length)
{
    apr_ssize_t klen = strlen(key);
    ssl_asn1_t *asn1 = apr_hash_get(table, key, klen);

    /*
     * if a value for this key already exists,
     * reuse as much of the already malloc-ed data
     * as possible.
     */
    if (asn1) {
        if (asn1->nData != length) {
            free(asn1->cpData); /* XXX: realloc? */
            asn1->cpData = NULL;
        }
    }
    else {
        asn1 = malloc(sizeof(*asn1));
        asn1->source_mtime = 0; /* used as a note for encrypted private keys */
        asn1->cpData = NULL;
    }

    asn1->nData = length;
    if (!asn1->cpData) {
        asn1->cpData = malloc(length);
    }

    apr_hash_set(table, key, klen, asn1);

    return asn1->cpData; /* caller will assign a value to this */
}

ssl_asn1_t *ssl_asn1_table_get(apr_hash_t *table,
                               const char *key)
{
    return (ssl_asn1_t *)apr_hash_get(table, key, APR_HASH_KEY_STRING);
}

void ssl_asn1_table_unset(apr_hash_t *table,
                          const char *key)
{
    apr_ssize_t klen = strlen(key);
    ssl_asn1_t *asn1 = apr_hash_get(table, key, klen);

    if (!asn1) {
        return;
    }

    if (asn1->cpData) {
        free(asn1->cpData);
    }
    free(asn1);

    apr_hash_set(table, key, klen, NULL);
}

static const char *ssl_asn1_key_types[] = {"RSA", "DSA"};

const char *ssl_asn1_keystr(int keytype)
{
    if (keytype >= SSL_AIDX_MAX) {
        return NULL;
    }

    return ssl_asn1_key_types[keytype];
}

const char *ssl_asn1_table_keyfmt(apr_pool_t *p,
                                  const char *id,
                                  int keytype)
{
    const char *keystr = ssl_asn1_keystr(keytype);

    return apr_pstrcat(p, id, ":", keystr, NULL);
}

#if APR_HAS_THREADS
/*
 * To ensure thread-safetyness in OpenSSL - work in progress
 */

static apr_thread_mutex_t **lock_cs;
static int                  lock_num_locks;

#ifdef HAVE_SSLC
#if SSLC_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x2000
static int ssl_util_thr_lock(int mode, int type,
                             char *file, int line)
#else
static void ssl_util_thr_lock(int mode, int type,
                              char *file, int line)
#endif
#else
static void ssl_util_thr_lock(int mode, int type,
                              const char *file, int line)
#endif
{
    if (type < lock_num_locks) {
        if (mode & CRYPTO_LOCK) {
            apr_thread_mutex_lock(lock_cs[type]);
        }
        else {
            apr_thread_mutex_unlock(lock_cs[type]);
        }
#ifdef HAVE_SSLC
#if SSLC_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x2000
        return 1;
    }
    else {
        return -1;
#endif
#endif
    }
}

/* Dynamic lock structure */
struct CRYPTO_dynlock_value {
    apr_pool_t *pool;
    const char* file;
    int line;
    apr_thread_mutex_t *mutex;
};

/* Global reference to the pool passed into ssl_util_thread_setup() */
apr_pool_t *dynlockpool = NULL;

/*
 * Dynamic lock creation callback
 */
static struct CRYPTO_dynlock_value *ssl_dyn_create_function(const char *file,
                                                     int line)
{
    struct CRYPTO_dynlock_value *value;
    apr_pool_t *p;
    apr_status_t rv;

    /*
     * We need a pool to allocate our mutex.  Since we can't clear
     * allocated memory from a pool, create a subpool that we can blow
     * away in the destruction callback.
     */
    rv = apr_pool_create(&p, dynlockpool);
    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_ERR, rv, dynlockpool,
                       "Failed to create subpool for dynamic lock");
        return NULL;
    }

    ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_DEBUG, 0, p,
                  "Creating dynamic lock");

    value = (struct CRYPTO_dynlock_value *)apr_palloc(p,
                                                      sizeof(struct CRYPTO_dynlock_value));
    if (!value) {
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_ERR, 0, p,
                      "Failed to allocate dynamic lock structure");
        return NULL;
    }

    value->pool = p;
    /* Keep our own copy of the place from which we were created,
       using our own pool. */
    value->file = apr_pstrdup(p, file);
    value->line = line;
    rv = apr_thread_mutex_create(&(value->mutex), APR_THREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT,
                                p);
    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_ERR, rv, p,
                      "Failed to create thread mutex for dynamic lock");
        apr_pool_destroy(p);
        return NULL;
    }
    return value;
}

/*
 * Dynamic locking and unlocking function
 */

static void ssl_dyn_lock_function(int mode, struct CRYPTO_dynlock_value *l,
                           const char *file, int line)
{
    apr_status_t rv;

    if (mode & CRYPTO_LOCK) {
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_DEBUG, 0, l->pool,
                      "Acquiring mutex %s:%d", l->file, l->line);
        rv = apr_thread_mutex_lock(l->mutex);
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_DEBUG, rv, l->pool,
                      "Mutex %s:%d acquired!", l->file, l->line);
    }
    else {
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_DEBUG, 0, l->pool,
                      "Releasing mutex %s:%d", l->file, l->line);
        rv = apr_thread_mutex_unlock(l->mutex);
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_DEBUG, rv, l->pool,
                      "Mutex %s:%d released!", l->file, l->line);
    }
}

/*
 * Dynamic lock destruction callback
 */
static void ssl_dyn_destroy_function(struct CRYPTO_dynlock_value *l,
                          const char *file, int line)
{
    apr_status_t rv;

    ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_DEBUG, 0, l->pool,
                  "Destroying dynamic lock %s:%d", l->file, l->line);
    rv = apr_thread_mutex_destroy(l->mutex);
    if (rv != APR_SUCCESS) {
        ap_log_perror(file, line, APLOG_ERR, rv, l->pool,
                      "Failed to destroy mutex for dynamic lock %s:%d",
                      l->file, l->line);
    }

    /* Trust that whomever owned the CRYPTO_dynlock_value we were
     * passed has no future use for it...
     */
    apr_pool_destroy(l->pool);
}

static unsigned long ssl_util_thr_id(void)
{
    /* OpenSSL needs this to return an unsigned long.  On OS/390, the pthread
     * id is a structure twice that big.  Use the TCB pointer instead as a
     * unique unsigned long.
     */
#ifdef __MVS__
    struct PSA {
        char unmapped[540];
        unsigned long PSATOLD;
    } *psaptr = 0;

    return psaptr->PSATOLD;
#else
    return (unsigned long) apr_os_thread_current();
#endif
}

static apr_status_t ssl_util_thread_cleanup(void *data)
{
    CRYPTO_set_locking_callback(NULL);
    CRYPTO_set_id_callback(NULL);

    CRYPTO_set_dynlock_create_callback(NULL);
    CRYPTO_set_dynlock_lock_callback(NULL);
    CRYPTO_set_dynlock_destroy_callback(NULL);

    dynlockpool = NULL;

    /* Let the registered mutex cleanups do their own thing
     */
    return APR_SUCCESS;
}

void ssl_util_thread_setup(apr_pool_t *p)
{
    int i;

    lock_num_locks = CRYPTO_num_locks();
    lock_cs = apr_palloc(p, lock_num_locks * sizeof(*lock_cs));

    for (i = 0; i < lock_num_locks; i++) {
        apr_thread_mutex_create(&(lock_cs[i]), APR_THREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT, p);
    }

    CRYPTO_set_id_callback(ssl_util_thr_id);

    CRYPTO_set_locking_callback(ssl_util_thr_lock);

    /* Set up dynamic locking scaffolding for OpenSSL to use at its
     * convenience.
     */
    dynlockpool = p;
    CRYPTO_set_dynlock_create_callback(ssl_dyn_create_function);
    CRYPTO_set_dynlock_lock_callback(ssl_dyn_lock_function);
    CRYPTO_set_dynlock_destroy_callback(ssl_dyn_destroy_function);

    apr_pool_cleanup_register(p, NULL, ssl_util_thread_cleanup,
                                       apr_pool_cleanup_null);
}
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Two companies have been fined after a man was killed when he drove a specialist machine into an unprotected pit in a factory floor.
Martin McMenemy, 52, of Grimsby, was working for O. Turner Insulation Ltd., also of Grimsby, on the construction of a food processing plant in Ratby Lane, Leicester, on 12 April 2008.
He was using a scissor lift, an extendable platform, to install wall and ceiling panels when he drove it unwittingly toward and into the shallow uncovered recess. The vehicle overturned and Mr McMenemy was thrown out of it. He died later in hospital of head injuries.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that O. Turner Insulation Ltd. and principal contractor Clegg Food Projects Ltd., of Nottingham, had failed to take simple precautions to cover the hole.
On 24 August, Leicester Crown Court heard that the incident could have been prevented had the hole been covered with a metal plate or cordoned off.
O. Turner Insulation Ltd., of Estate Road No 4, South Humberside Industrial Estate, Grimsby, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 13(2) and 37(6) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and was fined £22,500 with £12,806 costs.
Clegg Food Projects Ltd., of High Pavement, Nottingham, admitted breaching Regulations 22(1)(a) and 37(6) of the same Regulations and was fined £22,500 with £12,674 costs.


In March 2018, Aerocare and its subsidiaries joined Swissport, the world's leading provider of ground and air cargo services, and in July, we changed our name to Swissport.
Over the coming months, all Aerocare and Skycare airport teams will start seeing red – in the best way possible! New uniforms and Swissport branding will be rolled out across all of our 32 stations in Australia and New Zealand.
We're excited to become part of a larger global organisation which opens the door to new opportunities for growth and development. With decades of experience across the world's busiest airports, Swissport brings unique industry expertise and unrivalled knowledge.
To apply for a role with Swissport in Australia or New Zealand, please visit our Careers page.
Read about Swissport below and learn more by visiting our global website.


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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - Like others around the country, Minnesotans will take part in Tuesday's National Night Out event.
Thousands in the Rochester area will be among them.
As of Tuesday morning, 436 events had been registered with the Rochester Police Dept. Coordinator Darrel Hildebrant says more than 85,500 people have been invited to attend the events. That's more than double the 2015 number. Hildebrandt says there were 401 registered events in 2016 with invites sent to more than 76,300 people, which was a new record.
The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office has registered 33 events with an expected attendance of nearly 2,000.
National Night Out is described as "a community-police awareness-raising event " that began in 1984. It's held on the first Tuesday of August, although Texas and Florida have the option to switch to the first Tuesday in October if it's too hot.


text:
Q: Orthogonal vectors in complex vector space Consider $u,v\in \mathbb{R}^2$ where $u=(2,1), v=(-1, 2)$. $u$ and $v$ are orthogonal since $u\cdot v=0$. If we put them in $\mathbb{C}$, they should be still orthogonal. However, $ \langle u,v \rangle=(2+i)(-1+2i)\ne 0$. I must misunderstand something here. Could anyone explain this? Thanks in advance.
EDIT: $v=(-1, 2)$ should be converted to  $-1 + 2i$ not $-1-2i$.

A: When you specify a vector space, you always specify two things: a set and a field. When we take our set to be the complex numbers $ \mathbb{C} $, two possible choices for our field are $ \mathbb{R} $ and $ \mathbb{C} $. So we may think of $ \mathbb{C} $ as a vector space with either real scalars or complex scalars. The choice is important when defining an inner product, since an inner product always maps into whichever field you took your vector space over.
If we choose complex scalars, then one inner product on $ \mathbb{C} $ is $ \langle z, w \rangle = z \overline{w} $. As you rightly point out, $ \langle 2 + i, -1 + 2i \rangle \neq 0 $. So $ 2 + i $ and $ -1 + 2i$ are not orthogonal in this inner product space. That shouldn't be surprising, because as vectors they are linearly dependent; we have $ 2 + i = -i(-1 + 2i) $. We really needed complex scalars for this to be true; no real number $ \alpha $ satisfies $ 2 + i = \alpha (-1 + 2i) $.
If we choose real scalars, then the map $ \langle z, w \rangle = z \overline{w} $ is no longer an inner product on our vector space, since in general $ z \overline{w} $ is not a real number. You can still define an inner product
$$ \langle z, w \rangle = \text{Re}(z) \text{Re}(w) + \text{Im}(z) \text{Im}(w). $$
This is just the dot product on $ \mathbb{R}^2 $ in disguise. With this inner product, you can check that $ \langle 2 + i, -1 + 2i \rangle = 0 $, i.e. $ 2 + i $ and $ -1 + 2i $ are orthogonal.
So even though the set we were working with was the same in both cases, we defined two different vector spaces and two different inner product spaces - the notion of orthogonality in each of them is not the same.

A: It's true that $\mathbb R^2$ and $\mathbb C$ model the same geometric object, but it's not true that the inner product on $\mathbb R^2$ model the same geometric quantity with the product on $\mathbb C$. For one thing, inner product must always be real.
Geometrically, inner product is more about the difference of the angles, i.e. $\langle v, \rangle w = |v||w|\cos(\theta)$ where $\theta$ is the angle between $v$ and $w$. Product of complex numbers is about the addition of the arguments: $r_1e^{i\theta_1}r_2e^{i\theta_2} = r_1r_2e^{i(\theta_1+\theta_2)}$.
To use product of complex numbers to solve the problem, we should use division instead of multiplication, because division $\frac{r_1e^{i\theta_1}}{r_2e^{i\theta_2}}=\frac{r_1}{r_2} e^{i(\theta_1-\theta_2)}$ tells us the angle between them.
In your case, $\frac{2+i}{-1+2i}=\frac{(2+i)(-1+2i)}{5}=\frac{3i}{5}$. Note that its real part is $0$, hence the argument is $90^\circ$ or $\frac{\pi}{2}$.

A:
If we put them in $\mathbb C$

"Putting them in  $\mathbb C$" is rather imprecise phrasing. We can define a bijection between $\mathbb R^2$ and $\mathbb C$, but that doesn't mean that they are the same mathematical object, or that the complex number that an element of $\mathbb R^2$ gets sent to is the "same" number. Just because we use a pair of real numbers to represent a complex number doesn't mean that a complex number is a pair of real numbers. Just because the "dot product" in $\mathbb R$ and "complex multiplication" in $\mathbb C$ are referred to as "multiplication" doesn't mean they are the same operation.
Note that if you calculate the real part $(2+i)(−1−2i) = -2-2i^2 = -2-2(-1)=-2+2$ you get zero. If you take two linearly independent vectors in $\mathbb R$, and take the complex numbers represented by those pairs of numbers, the real part of their inner product will be zero. You can think of the imaginary part of the inner product as an "extra" part that shows up in the complex world that can still be nonzero, even when the "real inner product" is zero.


At the European launch of UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, praised the report and highlighted how much could be achieved if we double our efforts to improve education. 'Education is the driving force behind so many of our development goals, whether in the field of health, gender equality, poverty reduction or climate change' he told participants at the European Press Club in Brussels where the launch took place.
The report shows the potential for education to propel progress towards all global goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). It also shows that education needs a major transformation to fulfill that potential and meet the current challenges facing humanity and the planet.
Aaron Benavot, GEM Report Director, speaking at the European launch of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report in Brussels.
One issue affecting education has been a shortage of teachers. Dennis Sinyolo from Education International emphasized the need to include teachers and educators in all discussions surrounding education. He went on to urge Europe to 'facilitate the accreditation and recognition of qualifications of migrants and refugees' for those that are qualified to teach, but cannot because they are not recognised in receiving countries.
As Nobel peace prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai said, 'One child, one book, one pen can save the world.' Although challenges remain, achieving our global commitment to education could lift 60 million of the world's most vulnerable out of poverty and increase income by 75% by the middle of the century.
The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report is available in all six official UN languages, and the summary in 14 other languages.
An illustrated youth report is also available, here.


text:
What the Queensland budget means for the Western Downs
WHAT'S IN IT FOR US: Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick speaks during a press conference at the Queensland Budget lockup at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled
Sam Turner
2nd Dec 2020 9:30 AM
THE Western Downs will miss out on the lion's share of the State Government's budget after it boasted a $56 billion capital works program, the largest in over a decade.
After a hard fought election, the Labor government delivered their budget in a quick turnaround following a hard fought election in November.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said thanks to Queensland's strong health response, the state economy was in a stronger position than our southern counterparts.
"This budget will support our economic recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic by supporting jobs and supporting Queensland communities with investment in infrastructure, as well as Queensland manufacturing and supporting our regional centres," she said.
"It delivers on our election commitments and is the next step in Queensland's economic recovery."
Up to $723 million will be spent in infrastructure across the Darling Downs region, which encompasses the Western Downs, Southern Downs, Toowoomba, and Maranoa regions.
The State Government has allocated $1.1 billion to health services, $250 million to the Karara Wind Farm, $62.8 million to education, $36 million to disaster recovery and reconstruction and $22 million to social housing.
Of this spending, the Western Downs has been allocated money for five projects of the region's 34, totalling $17.114 million:
Kogan Creek Power Station enhancements, overhauls and refurbishment - $11.5 million in 2020-21 for enhancement and refurbishment to ensure the plant's long term reliability and safety
Chinchilla State High School - $2.8 million over three years for an engineering annex to support training in the mining, gas and electrical industries.
Tara Shire State College - $2 million over three years for engineering annexes to support training opportunities in the mining, gas, and electrical industries.
Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program - $480,000 in 2020/21 to protect environmental and indigenous cultural heritage values in Bunya Mountains
Myall Creek Linear Park - Amos St Precinct Project - $334,955 in 2020-21 out of a $1 million total spend to deliver a historical tourist attraction, 1.3km footpath, amenities, at Anderson Park, landscaping and lighting to improve community facilities
Treasurer Cameron Dick said the 2020-21 budget showed Queensland's superior economic performance means it will be the only state, other than Western Australia, to record positive economic growth this financial year.
"Before and during the State Election - held just one month ago - we made more than 1,000 commitments to communities, businesses and the state's 5.2 million people," he said.
"The 2020 budget will help drive a $56 billion capital works program, the largest in over decade, with $14.8 billion to be spent this financial year supporting 46,000 jobs."
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SMVDU Admission 2019 - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra (Jammu & Kashmir) has announced admission notification for B. Arch., B. Tech., M.Sc. (Economics), MBA, MCA, M.Tech., M.Sc. and M.A. (English) and Ph.D Courses for the academic session 2019.
SMVDU Entrance Examination 2019 will be conducted by the University for admission to the various UG, PG & Integrated Programs, on 27th April 2019 at various centres across the country. Online Applications can be filled at www.smvdu.ac.in till 20th April 2019.
M.Tech. (Energy Systems), M.Sc. (Physics), M.Sc. (Mathematics) M.Sc. (Biotechnology) With Option for specialization in Genetics.
Age Criteria: There is no age limit on the candidate appearing for SMVDUEE 2019. Date of birth as recorded in the Secondary Education Board/University certificate will only be considered.
Candidate applying for admission to B.Tech Program should satisfy the eligibility criteria as per JOSAA/CSAB 2019 guidelines; however, for candidates applying for admission to B.Tech (Biotechnology) based on 10+2 Merit, having passed 10+2 (with Mathematics) with 60% is mandatory requirement.
For such cases, candidates whose result has not been declared till the date of issue of Merit List for admission will not be considered for admission.
Candidate applying for admission to B. Tech. program through JOSAA/CSAB 2019 must satisfy the eligibility criteria as per JOSAA/CSAB 2019 guidelines.
Candidates applying for admission through Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Entrance Exam-2019 (SMVDUEE 2019) must satisfy the following eligibility criteria: a. Only those candidates who have passed their Class 12th Exam or any equivalent qualifying exam in 2017 or 2018; or those who are appearing in their Class 12th Exam or any equivalent qualifying exam in 2019 are eligible to appear in SMVDUEE (Main) 2019, irrespective of their age.
Candidate applying for admission to B. Arch program through JOSAA/CSAB should satisfy the eligibility criteria as per JOSAA/CSAB 2019 guidelines and Council of Architecture (CoA) guidelines.
Further, candidates having valid NATA 2019 Score and having minimum aggregate percentage at 10+2 of at-least 60% or equivalent CGPA and having obtained at-least 60% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematic will also be eligible.
PG Programs M.Tech. / M.Sc. / M.A. /M.B.A.
A candidate for admission to Ph.D. program on Full-Time Registration Basis must have obtained Master's Degree in Engineering/ Technology/ Sciences/ Management/ Humanities & Social Sciences or in interdisciplinary/ trans-disciplinary discipline with minimum CGPA of 6.75 on a ten point scale in relative grading system or minimum CGPA of 6.00 in absolute grading system or 60% marks in aggregate of any University established by law (In order to encourage interdisciplinary research, the SRC may also exercise desired flexibility w.r.t. the qualifying degree of the applicant(s) as found suitable.) or an equivalent degree from a foreign educational Institution accredited by an Assessment and Accreditation Agency which is approved, recognized or authorized by an authority, established or incorporated under a law in its home country or any other statutory authority in that country for the purpose of assessing, accrediting or assuring quality and standards of educational institutions.
Through JOSAA/CSAB: The admission will be based on All India Rank (CRL) as secured by a candidate in JEE (Main) - 2019. The counselling for admissions and subsequent allotment of seats shall be done by JOSAA/CSAB. For detailed eligibility conditions please refer www.jeemain.nic.in and www.csab.nic.in / www.josaa.nic.in.
The candidate will be required to undertake the Written Test. The Written Test of candidates being conducted for admission to PhD Program shall be treated as a qualifying criterion (screening test) for proceeding to the Interview process.
The cut-off marks to be kept for passing the Written Test may be decided by the concerned Dept. Research Committee keeping in view the nature of difficulty level of Written Test and related considerations like vacancy position, number of applicants etc.
5% Seats are reserved for Persons with disabilities under Equal opportunities, Protection of rights & Full participation) Act, 1995. Details can be obtained from Admission Office.
The online submission of particulars, uploading of scanned photograph and signatures may be made at SMVDUEE 2019 website. The candidates should supply all the required details while filling up the online form. On submission of details, Acknowledgement Page with Application No. shall be generated.
Before filling up the application form the candidate should have a scanned image of his/her photograph, signature and father's/mother's/guardian's signature. These scanned images are to be uploaded during the submission of application form. The photograph should be colour or b/w (but clear contrast) with name of the candidate and date of taking the photograph printed on it as shown below.
It should be without cap or goggles. Spectacles are allowed. Polaroid photos are not acceptable. Candidates with unclear photograph are liable to be rejected. Candidates may keep 6-8 identical photographs in reserve for use at the time of entrance examination, Seat Allocation Process and Admission.
The Admit Card can be downloaded from SMVDUEE 2019 website from 21st April 2019 onwards.
The Candidates are also advised to regularly see SMVDUEE 2019 website (www.smvdu.ac.in) for updates. A Help Desk will also be functional on all working days from 10.00 AM to 4.00 PM for general facilitation.


I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older or starting to nest, but I've decided that I am going to adopt a dog. It's something that I have been thinking about for a few years now, and I think that now is the time! I'm obsessed with pugs (proof) so my original plan was to buy an adorable pug puppy. But, after talking it over with a few friends, I realized that 1) Puppies are WAY too much work for me and 2) there are so many great shelter dogs that need homes in Chicago.
So, I've been doing my research at on the sites below and I even got a chance to experience life with a dog this past weekend. As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed my precious time dog-sitting Marley. My planned timeline has me finalizing an adoption in mid-October. Have any of you ever adopted a dog before? Do you have any tips to share with a soon-to-be dog mommy?
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