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Mercedes GLE SUV (2011-2018)
"The Mercedes GLE is a full-size SUV that's well equipped and pretty stylish, but it's getting on in years and due for replacement"
Stylish design inside and out
Decent boot space
Firm ride
Could be more efficient
More expensive than rivals
The Mercedes GLE was one of several new 4x4 cars to join the brand's range in 2015. It competes with the BMW X5 and Audi Q7, as well as cars like the Range Rover Sport, Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Volvo XC90.
The GLE is basically a rugged off-road car that sits alongside the Mercedes E-Class saloon, just like the Mercedes GLA-Class is based on the Mercedes A-Class hatchback and the Mercedes GLC-Class is based on the Mercedes C-Class saloon. Mercedes charges an extra £15,000 or so for the GLE compared to the E-Class, though, and a 'basic' GLE is about £5,000 more expensive than an entry-level BMW X5. In fact, with the excellent (and newer) seven-seater Volvo XC90 being cheaper, the GLE's price is one of its biggest sticking points.
In fairness, the GLE is certainly more stylish than the boxy Mercedes M-Class it replaced, and that visual appeal is certainly improved by the AMG Night Edition with its AMG bodykit and larger alloy wheels.
The interior is definitely capable of holding five passengers with ease and the boot can swallow a considerable amount of luggage. It's not a class leader for space, but it doesn't fall noticeably short on the competition. In fact, it does better than the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne for boot space, considering they're some of the few GLE rivals that offer five seats as standard – although the X5 can be specified with seven seats, unlike the GLE.
Mercedes GLE Coupe SUV review
Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 Coupe SUV
Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 SUV
Range Rover Sport SVR review
The Merc's suspension is a little firm, but ride quality can be improved by specifying the optional air-suspension system. The ride can also be altered by the Dynamic Ride system, but Sport mode only makes it more uncomfortable. Like most of its rivals, the GLE is much better suited to a relaxed cruise than it is to driving on the limit.
There's no longer a wide choice of engines with the GLE currently being offered only in 350d 4MATIC form. The 350d has a smooth and quiet six-cylinder engine that takes the GLE from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds, with fuel economy and emissions of 36.7mpg and 204g/km of CO2. It'll be expensive as a company car, falling into the highest Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) bracket of 37%.
Mercedes offers the GLE in one trim only – AMG Night Edition. It has an impressive list of standard equipment including 20-inch AMG alloys, Dynamic Select driving modes, LED headlights, active parking assist, COMAND online system, electric memory heated leather sports seats, sports brake system and automatic climate control.
The GLE-class certainly feels like a solidly built car and, while Mercedes' 20th-place finish (out of 26 manufacturers) in our 2018 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey is unremarkable, the brand performed similarly to its key rivals, BMW and Audi. The GLE should also be a very safe car; while it hasn't gone through its own safety tests, its sheer size adds reassurance, as does the five-star rating from Euro NCAP gained by the outgoing Mercedes M-Class, which is mechanically identical to the GLE.
Top 10 most economical family cars 2022


Every fine cheese, regardless of its type, has subtle nuances of flavor, aroma, color and texture that set it apart from all other members of its family. The same is true for the cheeses of Milton Creamery. The surest means of selecting the perfect cheese for your mood is by trying them.


Amy is Weeia. As in belonging to a superhuman race with special abilities. Her upbringing by her single mother has been secluded and full of fear of discovery. She might not know exactly what her abilities are, but one thing she's fully aware of is the need to remain inconspicuous and keep a low profile. But this doesn't keep her mysterious, fear-inducing father from tracking her down, or Duncan, her supposed polar opposite, who nevertheless doesn't repel her at all, to pop right in front of her. They both claim to put her safety before all else. But when she has to deal with an attempt against her life, Amy finds herself more alone than ever. It's high time she explored those dreamshifting abilities and found out why that old psychic called her Unelmoija, seemingly in awe.
What I particularly appreciated in this book was the very fact I found myself having trouble dealing with in the beginning. The writing. At first, I felt the writing was procedural (or expository if you prefer those terms) but soon I realized that the more Amy grew into her own skin and saw more of the world than her own shadow, the language became richer, more layered, more descriptive; it evolved right along with its main character. I found that ingenious. The story is well-paced, the friendship between Amy and Duncan sweet, but my favorite aspect was the reluctant relationship between Amy and her father whose role in the story is still somewhat of a puzzle.
A fumbling teen who taps into uncharted strengths for survival, her broken family tensions, a superb race's intricate politics, escalating suspense and lots of southeast Florida. All in all, Dreamshifter is an excellent debut urban fantasy, and I will definitely read its sequel, Mindshifter, to see Amy coming to grips with her reality.
Elle is the author of the Weeia urban fantasy series set in Miami, Florida in the United States. Growing up the only child of a monkey mother and a rabbit father she learned to keep herself entertained and spend time reading.
Boca's writing is great, as is her pacing and characterization. I have read both books in the series, and am looking forward to the third one, as I loved them!
Thanks for your comment, Nicholas! I'm taking The Mindshifter with me on my summer holidays for sure!
Thank you Maria for your kind review. I'm delighted to know you enjoyed my debut Miami urban fantasy! Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to eat like Duncan? Can't wait to find out how you like Unelmoija: The Mindshifter.
And, Nicholas thank you as well for your feedback on both novels, and prior to that for your own 5-star review! Unelmoija: The Spiritshifter is due out any day!
Wow, I am mind-blown! This review definitely whets the appetite. I am so glad this book is on my TBR list. I can't wait to read the whole series, sounds truly fabulous. Well done Elle! And well done also Maria for writing such an enticing review for the book, with intricate insights but without any spoilers. Thanks for sharing!
Fros, I agree with you about Maria's insightful review. I can't wait to find out how you like Amy and her world of super humans as they explore Miami. I look forward to The Lady of the Pier.


Last night I watched (for the second time) the movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance." I was enthralled with the movie when it came out in 2000. Last night I was enchanted. So much so, I looked up quotes from the movie in order to write an article about it. You see, in my business, the primordial concept I go by and what I guide my clients to understand is that each of us is born and are here on earth to exemplify their unique knowledge. Each of us is here with knowledge that we were born with and are to use. We cannot be taught this knowledge, we only remember it. I respect and have a great education. This uniqueness I refer to is beyond education, in fact, I would argue that education is a tool for discovering or remembering our unique knowledge.
When I decided to watch Bagger Vance, I had forgotten the movie. I only remembered that one of my modern day hero writers is Steven Pressfield, who wrote the book the screenplay is based on. Pressfied wrote several books I relate to in my consulting, including, The War of Art, Turning Pro, and Do The Work.
Of course, in the movie, the subject is golf. And, Bagger also tells us that golf is a game that cannot be won, it can only be played. He is talking about life. Our swing is that unique knowledge we are born with.
Today I was intuitively led to get on the train and head for Chicago, where life began for me. (I live in the suburbs of Chicago) I did not know where to go, but it was important to be there. I found myself in the Grand Hall of Union Station and remembered that my first trip to Chicago consciously (I was in Chicago many times as a baby) was when my mother and I were in that hall getting off a train from Mt. Vernon, Illinois, when I was in high school to have my father's French horn repaired. She and I were alone, and we walked down Adams Street towards Orchestra Hall with that horn.
I went straight to Symphony Center (which is Orchestra Hall renovated) and walked the hallowed halls of the Arcade seeing photos of the musicians of that great symphony orchestra. I found myself remembering in that space every recording I worshiped growing up, with Sir Georg Solti, Fritz Reiner, Philip Farkas and Dale Clevenger. I remembered that my father performed there, and I felt and experienced every note of Richard Strauss, Beethoven and Mozart I ever heard all at once. This is a real thing, gentle reader. I felt every note. Then I felt the presence of my mother and father, both deceased, walking with me. I almost broke down right there (I was alone) but I kept allowing the energy of the experience to permeate me. I chose not to control the moment. I wanted the "perfect unique swing," as in Bagger Vance, to find me again.
I was there only 15 minutes and it was time to return. I walked slowly and profoundly changed back to Union Station where an express train was ready to depart with me.
You are here with unique knowledge. Perhaps you "have lost your swing." I feel as though I found mine again. So my advice to you is to go back to your roots, where it all started for you in your mind, and in your heart. Take the time to remember it. Take the time to do something totally out of the blue that might steer you towards your roots. Then just let it happen.


A great day for sponsorship. Lots of people seemed to remember that the day is imminent and went to the donation pages. Ed Miliband, who I collared at Google's Big Tent last week, remembered to give us a donation. We got a great boost from Richard Desmond's charitable foundation who sponsored David Abraham to the tune of £5000. Yes that's the owner of Five paying the CEO of Channel 4 to cycle to Paris for charity. Who said TV was a cut throat business? We also discovered that a couple of our riders have been quietly raising lots of money on Virgin Giving and JustGiving that I wasn't aware of. So if you add up all our sponsorship we're already over £90,000. Add in the £47555 from C4's "Five Minutes to a Fortune" and we've raised well over £135K and the ride hasn't begun. We want to smash through £150K by the time we get to Paris. Please help. It really will make a huge difference to Duchenne Children's Trust who need to raise £1 Million by September to co-fund a medical trial.
Meanwhile I've stopped training. I believe they call it tapering. I call it getting fat again. And my knee hurts a bit. And I'm getting a cold. Suddenly all that confidence I had on Monday is slipping away. Cycling - it is all about psychology.


Iceland is one of five travel destinations with great value for Canadians this year, according to TravelZoo. Photo courtesy Icelandair.
The deal experts at TravelZoo have released their predictions of travel destinations that will give Canadians the best value in 2016. The list includes Iceland, Poland, China, Rio de Janeiro and the Dominican Republic, with some deals coming in at 60 per cent off regular prices.
Michael Duchesne, publisher for Travelzoo Canada, says the top factors for this year's picks are the declining loonie and availability of extra flights.
"Canadians are looking to go where the dollar will go further, making Rio and Poland very appealing. And all of the destinations on the list have increased flight options for Canadians, making airfares more competitive," Duchesne says.
Take a look at TravelZoo's list below before you plan a trip this year.
Deal example: Flights from Toronto or Montreal to Reykjavik starting at $249 each way including taxes.
Why 2016 is the year to go: Icelandair services Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Halifax and will introduce Montreal later this year while WOW Air plans to launch service this spring with prices at $99 each way. The new flights and increased competition will likely push down fares. Reykjavik is also a great layover option and gateway to the rest of Europe.
Deal example: Vacation packages to China, including flights, hotels, meals, tours and taxes for less than $1000 per person.
Why 2016 is the year to go: Fares from Canada to China have been on the decline in 2014 and 2015 and Travelzoo Deal Experts predict fares to hit an all-time low in 2016. Additionally, tour operators purchased bulk vacation package inventory in advance due to the declining loonie, which will result in more deals. Travellers should book early in 2016 as deals will diminish once the inventory runs low.
Deal example: Return flights from Toronto to Warsaw for $700, including taxes.
Why 2016 is the year to go: Poland is one of the only European countries that is still a good deal for Canadians due to the low cost of living. Travellers can pay on average $60 per night for a 4-star Kraków hotel and dine at the top-rated restaurant on TripAdvisor – Restauracja Starka – for $32 per person including drinks.
Deal example: Return flights to Rio from Toronto for $640, including taxes.
Why 2016 is the year to go: Two factors make Rio de Janeiro more accessible and affordable for Canadians in 2016: the declining Brazilian real and a hotel room surplus as a result of the Olympic Games. Rio is one of the few destinations that offers a favourable exchange rate for Canadians as 1CAD = 2.86 BRL. More than 70 new hotels have also been built-in anticipation of the Olympic Games, increasing occupancy from 31,000 beds to 51,000 beds. Travellers will find the best deals post-games as the hotels look to fill the increased inventory.
Deal example: Week-long all-inclusive vacations with flights for $815 including taxes.
Why 2016 is the year to go: Low fuel costs and expanded flight capacity have helped cut the price of all-inclusive vacations to the Dominican Republic. Deals for travel in 2016 are discounted by almost 40 per cent from Toronto and 55 per cent from Winnipeg, when compared to similar packages in 2015. Additionally, Air Canada and Sunwing increased their weekly flights to Puerto Plata. And WestJet is expected to double capacity this June.
Are you now considering visiting one of these destinations this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


— When they come together to make music, the Welsh sing their traditional songs, not in unison, as is done elsewhere, but in parts, in many modes and modulations. When a choir gathers to sing, which happens often in this country, you will hear as many different parts and voices as there are performers.
— Book 1, chapter 13, p. 242.


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» Omar Bradley and his wife after being sworn in as the Chief of Staff of the US Army, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, United States, 7 Feb 1948
Caption Omar Bradley and his wife after being sworn in as the Chief of Staff of the US Army, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, United States, 7 Feb 1948 ww2dbase
Photographer Abbie Rowe
Source ww2dbaseUnited States National Archives
Identification Code ARC 199627
Omar Bradley Main article Photos
Photos on Same Day 7 Feb 1948
Photos at Same Place Arlington, Virginia, United States
Added Date 9 Dec 2014
This photograph has been scaled down; full resolution photograph is available here (2,947 by 2,328 pixels).
Licensing Public Domain. According to the US National Archives, as of 21 Jul 2010:
The vast majority of the digital images in the Archival Research Catalog (ARC) are in the public domain. Therefore, no written permission is required to use them. We would appreciate your crediting the National Archives and Records Administration as the original source. For the few images that remain copyrighted, please read the instructions noted in the "Access Restrictions" field of each ARC record.... In general, all government records are in the public domain and may be freely used.... Additionally, according to the United States copyright law (United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105), in part, "[c]opyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government".
WW2-Era Place Name Arlington, Virginia, United States
Bomb damage to Hangars 15-17 and 11-13 at Hickam Field, Oahu, at 1700 on 7 Dec 1941; note B-18 bomber in hanger
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Amway India partners with Ministry of Skill Development for Skill India initiative
July 15, 2018 Government
Bhubaneshwar: Amway India, the country's largest direct selling FMCG Company, on Sunday inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Retailers Association's Skill Council of India (RASCI) to renew its partnership for the second year in a row.
The renewal of association with RASCI is a step further for Amway reiterating its alignment closely with Government's "Skill India" initiative.
It is a part of Amway's broader vision of empowering its direct sellers with credible certification under National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) from an esteemed Government recognized entity like RASCI. The association began last year.
Rajat Banerji, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Amway India and James A. Raphael, Executive Head, RASCI signed the MoU in presence of Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, at a formal function on the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of Skill India in Bhubaneswar.
The signing of this MoU will enable Amway India to extend the free training for upskilling of its direct sellers for the second year in a row.
Fifty-One thousand direct sellers and retailers will be benefitted and certified under two categories of 'Individual Sales Professional and 'Retail Sales Associate'. Last year, more than six thousand Amway direct sellers were certified as 'Individual Sales Professional' under this program.
Speaking on the development, Anshu Budhraja, CEO, Amway India, said, "We are delighted to renew our association with the esteemed Govt recognised entity like RASCI for the second year in a row. The tie-up with Retailers Association's Skill Council of India (RASCI) is focused on building skills and competencies of our direct sellers to help them compete in an evolving entrepreneurship landscape."
"Micro-Entrepreneurship, generating self-employment through skilling is a key priority for the government of India. We have also aligned our training strategy by focusing on enhancing the skills and competencies of our direct sellers. Our association with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is aimed at empowering our direct sellers with Government recognized certification in line with Amway's vision," he added.
Amway India has significantly contributed towards skill development and nurturing entrepreneurship in the country by focusing its training strategy on enhancing skills and competencies of its direct sellers.
The company conducts more than 18,000 free training sessions for its direct sellers every year, which enables them to engage and educate the customers, and offer the right products to them to suit their varied needs.
Amway India is aligned with Govt of India's initiative as the company has led a silent revolution by encouraging more than 5.5 lakh individuals to take up entrepreneurship as a way of living. With zero capital investment and no burden of manufacturing, a direct seller can build his own business with ease.
Amway India ties-up with IIM-Calcutta for special course on entrepreneurship


Our parish "Weekend of Hope" usually occurs on the first weekend of December. About 400-500 parishioners, individuals and families,give service to over forty institutions in our Diocese and city. On the Sunday evening of that weekend we have a service of "Hope" which usually attracts 600-700 people. The evening prayer service includes Advent music, Eucharistic Adoration, and time for parishioners to hang pre-purchased Christmas ornaments personalized with their intentions to be prayed for by the entire parish community during Advent.
A live nativity scene, pending weather is also available for children and families that evening. Proceeds from the ornaments sales go to our "Hope Fund". For more information contact any staff member or call the rectory at 440-238-1770.


Mater connected to the Internet today when I recommended to her a brief segment of film I thought she ought to watch online.
"I'll watch it at the same time," I said over the telephone, "so that we can follow together."
I suggested that Mater indicate to me when she was about to press the start button so that we could begin and so that we could be synchronised.
Mater's usual formula, when I make such requests, is to press the start button and only then proceed to fumble about with a pair of enormous headphones, and then attempt to connect them to the computer; by the time the wires are untangled and the headphones are in position over her ears, and Mater is able to sit still and listen, the video has drawn to its conclusion. We either begin again or I slide off to make a cup of very strong and very sweet tea.
This time, Mater was unruffled and ready- and oh, so proud of her foresight. She intended to surprise me with uncharacteristic composure.
"I've already got the headphones on," she boomed over the telephone. "I'm ready to play."
I offered words which she could not establish the nature of- the headphones, of course, were enveloping her ears and muffling my comments.
"Pardon?" Mater prised the headphones up slightly in order to hear me better.
"You don't need headphones," I repeated, as gently as I could to soften the blow that must fall. "I'm sorry. It's a silent piece of film. There's no sound."
And for one long and particularly deflated moment, there was no sound from Mater.
does the Mater ever read this??
that was a gorgeous build-up! Poor mater, she can't win!
Mater reads it every single day :) Thanks so much for your good words.
Pauline, No, she can't ;) But she can try. It's fun when she tries.


Which shops should use DaaS vs. VDI?
Shops that only need to support a few virtual desktops, have transient desktop needs or lack the in-house expertise to do VDI are all good potential DaaS customers.
There are plenty of reasons to use DaaS vs. VDI -- lower upfront costs, reduced IT maintenance, anytime user access -- but there are also benefits to VDI that make it a great choice for some organizations' desktop infrastructure. How do you know when to use each approach?
With DaaS, you can buy new desktops from a provider on short notice, and then surrender those desktops back, which is one of the huge benefits. You pay only for the desktops you choose to use each month, which makes it ideal for organizations that have surges in their desktop needs. Rather than having a large amount of equipment that you only use occasionally, you can use DaaS to deliver on short-term or seasonal desktop requirements.
Additionally, you can spin up cloud-based desktops for workers to use as part of your disaster recovery plan. This gives users much more flexibility in terms of where they can work and what devices they can use to access their desktops.
If your shop wants to do VDI but lacks the in-house expertise to build and operate a complex VDI environment, then you are good potential DaaS customer, too. Instead of building an inadequate VDI platform and not having the experience to operate it, you could rent desktops from a DaaS provider. If you choose to do DaaS, your on-site desktop infrastructure could be as simple as a few thin clients, a print server and an Internet connection, particularly if you build a full server infrastructure with your DaaS provider.
Another good use for DaaS is if you expect a lot of growth in desktop use that will be spread over time. Your DaaS footprint can grow a little every month, but to grow with VDI, you need to plan for your maximum size right from the start. That means you either buy huge excess upfront, or regularly -- and disruptively -- upgrade hardware to add capacity to your VDI environment. Either way, with VDI, you have to pay for capacity well before you use it.
If you've moved your entire server infrastructure into a cloud provider's data center, you could benefit from also moving desktops to the same cloud provider. Keeping the desktops near the servers helps with application performance since it minimizes network latency. This is an even bigger driver if you use a community cloud.
Community clouds provide services to a specific set of customers, such as financial services firms or government contractors. In these cases, the community might have specific regulatory compliance requirements that the cloud provider meets. These same specialized requirements will likely apply to the desktops, so placing them in the community cloud is logical.
Why use VDI instead of DaaS?
The choice to use on-premises VDI is usually about scale, control or diversity. If you need to deliver 10,000 desktops, then you have the scale of a DaaS provider. At that scale, you can afford to design, deploy and optimize the virtual infrastructure just like a service provider. If you can achieve most of the economies of scale, then you can probably provide more cost-effective desktops internally, rather than having an external provider dedicate entire rows of racks to your desktops.
Control has always been an impediment to cloud adoption. Legal requirements in some jurisdictions about data sovereignty can make cloud services unworkable for companies in certain industries. When an organization must comply with multiple sets of regulations, rather than just one, it can be hard to find a DaaS platform that satisfies all requirements.
One characteristic of cloud services is they come in predefined configurations. Usually, you cannot special-order a custom DaaS desktop configuration; you simply choose from a menu. By contrast, VDI allows for a lot of customization, from different CPU, RAM and disk configurations, all the way to the ability to deliver rack workstations to users.
Stacking a lot of virtual machines (VMs) on a single virtualization host may not be suitable for many Windows PC use cases, and DaaS does not usually support these. If you need to buy a workstation at three to 10 times the cost of a standard PC, using a VM in its place probably won't give users the performance they need.
VDI usually allows a dedicated physical workstation or a customized VM for users who need high-end hardware, and it still keeps their desktops in the data center and allows for mobility. Specialist DaaS providers may be able to deliver this sort of capability, but it doesn't match the DaaS economies of scale model so well.
There will definitely be shops that choose DaaS for some workloads and build VDI for others. VDI might suit an enterprise desktop infrastructure with thousands of permanent staffers. That same organization might have seasonal workers who they use DaaS to accommodate.
And there might be parts of your business that need to access a specialist DaaS environment for regulatory or technology reasons. In truly global organizations, there is huge diversity, and mandating one technology to serve all requirements is a recipe for disaster.
One emerging trend is to have VDI products that support brokering connections to DaaS products as well as on-premises VDI. Having one access methodology to reach VDI and DaaS simplifies support. In some ways, this makes the DaaS provider just another data center in the desktop environment.
The elephant in the room in the discussion about DaaS vs. VDI is the option to do neither. Putting a PC on a user's desk isn't exciting or modern, but it does run Windows applications for that worker. Many companies will find that the sensible course of action is to keep doing what they did before, buying new PCs and installing applications on those desktops.
On the other hand, if you need benefits such as agility and flexibility that both VDI and DaaS provide, then you should consider one or both technologies.
VDI, DaaS and RDSH have their places in the enterprise. DaaS, for example, is ideal for organizations with a tight budget. IT admins must know which is best for their companies.
There are a variety of options for delivering virtual applications to users. Remote Desktop Session Host, VDI and desktop as a service are three top options to consider.
IT admins have a big decision in picking between VDI and DaaS. For most organizations it comes down to ease of management, level of control, performance needs, security and costs.
DaaS has lower costs, lower IT maintenance and anytime user access. On the other hand, VDI is best for organizations that have high desktop needs.


Most enterprise cloud migrations will require a direct connection from corporate data centre networks to a cloud exchange point of presence. Direct connects provide the most robust, performance and secure means of connecting to your public cloud services.
When designing and pricing the direct connect, consider not only the network connection establishment costs but also the network and security design requirements.
Remember, direct connect access from your corporate data centre into a cloud service provider is a logical extension of your corporate network. Appropriate network and security designs need to be in place upfront as a part of establishing this capability.
Keep in mind that a database cloud migration typically requires access and connectivity into your organisation's most critical systems and databases. There may be additional regulatory and security requirements around establishing this connectivity that requires engagement from not only IT teams but may also require legal, risk and audit approval.
If your corporate data centre is not located in a facility with a cloud exchange point of presence it can be expensive to cross-connect into a service provider that does offer this.
A clear understanding of these costs upfront can help shape your cloud migration strategy.
Migrating to a public cloud service may require a database upgrade to be on a minimum supported version for your target DBaaS.
Depending on your upgrade path you may need to evaluate whether to upgrade your database in place on-premise or to "stage" an upgrade area on the public cloud IaaS before migrating to cloud DBaaS.
Cloud migration is also an opportunity to migrate from a commercial database platform to an open source database. If this is on your agenda, you need to evaluate database migration as a separate project in its own right.
There are many options to migrate databases to a public cloud – and there are many variables that define the correct migration plan and solution.
Invest the time in considering not only the direct requirements but also your future data management goals going forward.
Cloud management platforms allow organisations to manage the balance between cost and flexibility by dynamically using resources as required. Adopting these tools to support workflows requires investment in training and technology.
Prior to migration there needs to be an investment in the training and tools required to understand application and database usage patterns. Without understanding the workload profile, decisions around provisioning will be guesswork.
There needs to be investment in the training and tools required to implement the correct provisioning policies to support the actual usage patterns. Time and effort needs to be put into managing and optimising the cloud services to realise the maximum benefits from the cloud migration.
The goal should be to have these capabilities in place prior to the cloud migration in order to optimise the cost/benefits. Environments with high-cost cloud services (commercial DBaaS would be one that first comes to mind) will likely need this from day one to achieve maximum efficiency.
Migrating corporate applications in phases may introduce data integration dependencies that require cloud-based solutions. System integrations that process large volumes of data between on-premise applications and databases may introduce substantial data egress costs when a partner system is migrated to a public cloud.
The migration project may need to establish additional cloud services to effectively support both on-premise and cloud-based applications and database integrations.
Also consider your application roadmap and digital initiatives. Cloud-based integration platforms may provide additional benefits to support hybrid cloud environments with native web API capabilities that work with mobile devices and B2B partner integrations more effectively.
Check licensing requirements for your cloud database environments cover migration activities. Depending on the nature and complexity of the migration it may make sense to look at PAYG consumption models for the migration test environments and then align to your preferred license model once the migration is complete.
Always remember to utilise capabilities to consume cloud database services only as required to keep control of cloud service costs. Costs associated with idle development or test database services that are not used overnight can quickly add up.
Optimising cloud service usage from day one should be the goal of any cloud migration. Adopting an on-premise approach for resource management in a cloud environment is a sure way to blow out costs and waste money.
Cost management monitoring and procedures need to be in place as a part of the migration activities to ensure there are no cost blowouts. Incorrectly configured services that are not shut down when not in use can add up substantially.
Cloud cost management may require investment in training and education of IT teams to ensure that this is not a band-aid placed on after a problem occurs.
Migration activities may require establishing data movements back to on-premise in a hybrid environment. Depending on the nature of the data egress, these costs can add up – particularly if large, scheduled data movements out of the cloud platform are required.
Further investment may be required to review and optimise how data is moved between cloud and on-premise environments. Where required, additional compression may need to be used which can substantially reduce data egress costs.
Depending on the data movement characteristics it may make sense to adopt cloud-native integration technologies.


This aptly named beautiful blue arrangement will be sure to delight your recipient for any occasion. The perfect bouquet to add a touch of class and vibrance to any moment, whether it be for a new mom, a celebration of friendship, or a congratulatory party. Striking yellow lilies and white roses will be sure to brighten your recipient's special day.
02/17/2017 2:47PM thank you AVAS!!— Angelica F.
02/17/2017 2:20PM one of my favorites. sent to my daughter at college— Helen P.


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Community: CLPHA COVID-19 Coordination
NAPCA Launches Automated In-Language Helpline and Website for Older Adults and Caregivers in Response to COVID-19
The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging has launched a an automated COVID-19 in-language helpline and website for older adults and their caregivers.The helpline offers information on prevention, symptoms, and planning in 8 different languages. Each language will have a dedicated 1-800 line so that older adults who are limited English-proficient can immediately learn about the COVID-19 without having to navigate through difficult English prompts.
Authored by: National Asian Pacific Center on Asian
Topics: Communications
National Asian Pacific Center on Asian
The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging has launched a an automated COVID-19 in-language helpline and website for older adults and their caregivers.The helpline offers information on prevention, symptoms, and planning in 8 different languages.
Read more about NAPCA Launches Automated In-Language Helpline and Website for Older Adults and Caregivers in Response to COVID-19
CLPHA's COVID-19 Efforts to Date (3/20 update)
Special edition of CLPHA newsletter detailing the organization's efforts in response to COVID-19.
Topics: Advocacy, CLPHA, Communications, Health, Seniors
Read more about CLPHA's COVID-19 Efforts to Date (3/20 update)
New CDC COVID-19 Guidance for Senior Housing Providers
From CDC: "Residents in retirement communities and ILF are considered to be at higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes because of older age and because they may have underlying health conditions, such as chronic heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease. They also may be at higher risk of getting and spreading the virus because of community characteristics, such as frequent social activities, and shared dining facilities and communal spaces. Guidance specific to retirement and independent living communities can help the residents, and those who help serve them, slow the spread of the virus and prevent serious illness." The CDC guidance includes a checklist for owners and building managers to help protect residents from the spread of COVID-19.
Authored by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Topics: Health, Seniors
From CDC: "Residents in retirement communities and ILF are considered to be at higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes because of older age and because they may have underlying health conditions, such as chronic heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease.
Read more about New CDC COVID-19 Guidance for Senior Housing Providers
CDC COVID-19 Guidelines for Schools, Workplaces & Community Locations
Offers community-specific COVID-19 mitigation plans and guidance on how to prepare and take action for COVID-19 at home and at workplaces, schools, childcare programs, colleges, universities, large community events/mass gatherings, homeless shelters, and other locations.
Authored by: CDC
Read more about CDC COVID-19 Guidelines for Schools, Workplaces & Community Locations
CDC Handouts & Posters
Print resources from the CDC about coronavirus symptoms, prevention, and treatment to distribute and post in your communities.
Read more about CDC Handouts & Posters
CDC Main Landing Page for COVID-19 Guidance
The CDC's landing page for official COVID-19 guidance to communities and individuals.
Topics: Health
Read more about CDC Main Landing Page for COVID-19 Guidance
CLPHA COVID-19 Resource Center (Members Only)
CLPHA is continually updating a central COVID-19 landing page that includes the latest CDC guidance, member-generated resources, and information from CLPHA member calls related to COVID-19 (e.g. call notes, insights from speakers). We encourage you to share your resources with us and fellow members in this online community and/or by emailing them to the CLPHA team at clpha@clpha.org.
CLPHA is continually updating a central COVID-19 landing page that includes the latest CDC guidance, member-generated resources, and information from CLPHA member calls related to COVID-19 (e.g. call notes, insights from speakers).
Read more about CLPHA COVID-19 Resource Center (Members Only)
New Community | Mar 16, 2020
A go-to resource to communicate about preparedness and response efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Share resources you have developed, ask questions of other community organizations, and contribute to ongoing discussions on the Community Forum.
CLPHA Education Working Group: Predatory PostSecondary Institutions Webinar
A discussion with attorney Alex Elson from the National Student Legal Defense Network and director of FAIL STATE, Alex Shebanow, to talk about predatory for-profit institutions and how that affects low income residents. About the film: Over five years in the making, FAIL STATE investigates the for-profit college industry and the decades-long reports of student loan abuse within the sector. The film's central thesis: aided by a cabal of politicians, nationwide disinvestment in public colleges and universities, and an unscrupulous desire to maximize profits at all costs, for-profit colleges have exploited millions of low-income and minority students, leaving them with worthless degrees and drowning in student loan debt. With echoes of the subprime mortgage crisis, director Alexander Shebanow traces the rise of the for-profit college industry in American higher education and uncovers a story that the Los Angeles Times calls "truly eye-opening and crucial." The film premiered to sold-out shows at DOC NYC, SXSW EDU, Cleveland International, and debuted on STARZ in December 2018. Director Alexander Shebanow and Executive Producer Dan Rather were awarded the 2019 William Randolph Hearst Award for Outstanding Professional Media Service for their work on FAIL STATE.
Topics: Advocacy, CLPHA, Education, Housing Is Working Group, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Post-secondary
A discussion with attorney Alex Elson from the National Student Legal Defense Network and director of FAIL STATE, Alex Shebanow, to talk about predatory for-profit institutions and how that affects low income residents. About the film: Over five years in the making, FAIL STATE investigates the fo
Read more about CLPHA Education Working Group: Predatory PostSecondary Institutions Webinar
Keeping Kids Healthy and Engaged When School is Out Through Public and Affordable Housing Communities
In California, more than 3.7 million students were eligible for free or reduced priced school meals in the 2017-2018 school year. For many of those students, school meals are the primary source of regular access to healthy food. When the bell rings at 3:00 or lets out for summer break, many of those students go home to nutritional uncertainty or high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. For many low-income families, the out-of-school-time food access gap increases family stress: limited budgets are stretched further to cover food, rent, utilities, transportation, medications, and chidcare costs. For very young children, food insecurity can negatively impact brain and physical development. For children of all ages, disrupted access to healthy food can impact behavior, increase risk of obesity, make it harder to concentrate, or exacerbate existing healthy conditions like type 2 diabetes. The impact is not limited to summer, and can lead to a rocky start to the school year, negatively impacting school attendance and students' ability to effectively participate in school. Read the full brief to learn how public and affordable housing communities can address food insecurity for children and youth with the help of out-of-school-time USDA child nutrition programs.
Topics: Advocacy, Early childhood, Food insecurity, Health, Healthy homes, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Nutrition, Out-of-school time, West Coast, Youth
Shared by Linda Lu
Linda Lu posted a
In California, more than 3.7 million students were eligible for free or reduced priced school meals in the 2017-2018 school year. For many of those students, school meals are the primary source of regular access to healthy food.
Read more about Keeping Kids Healthy and Engaged When School is Out Through Public and Affordable Housing Communities
A Platform to Learn
How Housing Programs Can Support the Educational Needs of Children Living in Publicly Supported Homes
Topics: Attendance, Broadband, Child welfare, Early childhood, Health, Housing, Literacy, Low-income, Out-of-school time, Partnerships, Place-based, Research, School-readiness
Shared by Kelly McElwain
Kelly McElwain posted a
Read more about A Platform to Learn
Smoke-Free Public Housing Compliance and Enforcement Toolkit
A majority of property managers report that a smoke-free policy is largely well followed and self enforced by residents and staff. However, it is not uncommon for a small minority of residents to struggle or refuse to comply by continuing to smoke or allowing their guests to smoke on the property. These resources and tools can assist management in promoting compliance and enforcing the policy when necessary. If you would like to consult on solutions specific to your situation, reach out to info@smokefreepublichousingproject.org.
Authored by: Clean Air for All
Topics: Health, Healthy homes, Smoke-free
Shared by Jackie Siewert
Jackie Siewert posted a
Clean Air for All
A majority of property managers report that a smoke-free policy is largely well followed and self enforced by residents and staff. However, it is not uncommon for a small minority of residents to struggle or refuse to comply by continuing to smoke or allowing their guests to smoke on the property.
Read more about Smoke-Free Public Housing Compliance and Enforcement Toolkit
2019 Housing Impact Report
Trends in Housing Assistance and Who it Serves
Authored by: PAHRC
Topics: Community development, Disabilities, Education, Funding, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Partnerships, Research, Seniors, Workforce development, Youth
Shared by Keely Stater
Keely Stater posted a
PAHRC
Read more about 2019 Housing Impact Report
CLPHA Data Sharing Template for PHAs and Health Organizations
CLPHA developed a general data sharing template that public housing authorities (PHAs) and their health partners can customize to suit their data sharing and collaboration needs. Please feel free to comment to share any uses/modifications your organization made to implement into a partnership.
Topics: Affordable Care Act, CLPHA, Community development, Cost effectiveness, Data sharing, Dental, Depression, Dual-eligibles, Funding, Health, Healthy homes, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Medicaid / Medicare, Mental health, Metrics, MTW, Nutrition, Obesity, Partnerships, Place-based, Preventative care, Racial inequalities, Research, SAMHSA, Smoke-free, Stability, Substance abuse, Supportive housing, Sustainability, TA
Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or question. Use of this template, including its exhibits and attachments, does not create a relationship or any responsibilities between CLPHA and the user.
Read more about CLPHA Data Sharing Template for PHAs and Health Organizations
New HUD Proposal Puts Homeless Transgender People's Lives at Risk
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced its intention to roll back protections for transgender people experiencing homelessness. The newly proposed rule, which is in the early stages of the rulemaking process and has not yet been publicly posted to the Federal Register, would allow homeless shelters to discriminate based on gender identity, putting transgender people in danger of violence and further housing instability. This is part of a long string of attacks the Trump administration has directed toward the transgender community, such as implementing the infamous military ban, contributing to a pattern that legally perpetuates discrimination against transgender people in this country.
Authored by: Aastha Uprety for Equal Rights Center
Topics: Health, Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Racial inequalities
Aastha Uprety for Equal Rights Center
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced its intention to roll back protections for transgender people experiencing homelessness.
Read more about New HUD Proposal Puts Homeless Transgender People's Lives at Risk
Regional Health Hubs: A way forward in care coordination for New Jersey
A more regional approach to care is needed – one that involves coordinated, person-centered healthcare with robust connections to social services and community resources. An innovative infrastructure to do just that is underway in four communities across New Jersey: Trenton, Camden, Newark, and Paterson. Efforts begun in 2011 under New Jersey's Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Demonstration Project have evolved into four regional collaboratives that integrate, coordinate, and align all the disconnected programs aimed at making communities healthier.
Authored by: Kathleen Noonan and Jon Tew for Camden Coaliton of Healthcare Providers
Topics: Data sharing, East Coast, Health, Partnerships
Kathleen Noonan and Jon Tew for Camden Coaliton of Healthcare Providers
A more regional approach to care is needed – one that involves coordinated, person-centered healthcare with robust connections to social services and community resources.
Read more about Regional Health Hubs: A way forward in care coordination for New Jersey
Health Care Systems Research Network: Special Collection
The articles below are part of a special collection commemorating 25 years of the Health Care System Research Network's (HCSRN's) rigorous research to improve health outcomes and health systems' performance by leveraging electronic health data. This new collection highlights, among other things, advances in personalized cancer care, the optimal use of AI in health care, and the evolution of common data models, featuring work from Kaiser Permanente, Intermountain Healthcare and others.
Authored by: The Journal for Electronic Health Data and Methods
Topics: Data sharing, Health, Partnerships, Research
The Journal for Electronic Health Data and Methods
The articles below are part of a special collection commemorating 25 years of the Health Care System Research Network's (HCSRN's) rigorous research to improve health outcomes and health systems' performance by leveraging electronic health data.
Read more about Health Care Systems Research Network: Special Collection
Case Study: New Approaches to Healthy Housing in Cleveland
In 2011, Cleveland had one of the highest rates of childhood lead poisoning in the United States, with almost one of every five children in the city receiving this diagnosis. Childhood asthma rates were also extremely high, especially for children living in poverty, according to 2008 statewide statistics for Ohio. Follow along in this new case study with the Engaging the Community in New Approaches to Healthy Housing (ECNAHH) initiative, part the BUILD Health Challenge's first cohort, as they worked to reduce the occurrence of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lead poisoning related to unhealthy housing conditions in three sub-neighborhoods in Cleveland.
Authored by: The BUILD Health Challenge
Topics: Health, Midwest, Partnerships, Research
The BUILD Health Challenge
In 2011, Cleveland had one of the highest rates of childhood lead poisoning in the United States, with almost one of every five children in the city receiving this diagnosis.
Read more about Case Study: New Approaches to Healthy Housing in Cleveland
Addressing Transportation to Improve Community Health
This All In webinar will feature projects addressing transportation with a multi-sector data component. FLOURISH: St. Louis, one of the BUILD Health Challenge awardees from St. Louis, MO, will talk about how they are using data to addressing infant mortality through transportation in St. Louis. The Community Transportation Association of America, a national non-profit, will highlight Wheels to Wellness (W2W), a program in Southern Maryland, that allows healthcare staff in rural Maryland to schedule on-demand and pre-scheduled trips using an online portal, and Oklahoma City, OK, who is working with community partners to create a transportation program for parents working towards reunification with their children now in foster care.
Authored by: All In: Data for Community Health
Topics: Data sharing, Health, Partnerships, Racial inequalities, Transportation
All In: Data for Community Health
This All In webinar will feature projects addressing transportation with a multi-sector data component. FLOURISH: St. Louis, one of the BUILD Health Challenge awardees from St. Louis, MO, will talk about how they are using data to addressing infant mortality through transportation in St. Louis.
Read more about Addressing Transportation to Improve Community Health
Podcast: BUILDing a Movement: Going Upstream to Address Health Disparities
An interview with Emily Yu, MBA, the Executive Director of the BUILD Health Challenge, an All In partner initiative that supports local collaborations between community-based organizations, health departments, and hospitals/health systems that are working to address important health issues in their communities.
Topics: Data sharing, Health, Partnerships
An interview with Emily Yu, MBA, the Executive Director of the BUILD Health Challenge, an All In partner initiative that supports local collaborations between community-based organizations, health departments, and hospitals/health systems that are working to address important health issues in their
Read more about Podcast: BUILDing a Movement: Going Upstream to Address Health Disparities
Inside the Elementary School Where Drug Addiction Sets the Curriculum
About half of the student body at one Ohio elementary school has witnessed drug use at home. Educators spend time every day teaching the children how to cope.
Authored by: Dan Levin for The New York Times
Topics: Child welfare, Early childhood, Education, Health, Substance abuse, Youth
Dan Levin for The New York Times
Read more about Inside the Elementary School Where Drug Addiction Sets the Curriculum
Zoning Matters: How Land-Use Policies Shape Our Lives
Zoning is a way for communities to separate land by use or form. But from the start, zoning has separated more than just land uses. It has also separated people. As a result, we pay the cost in public health, racial and economic injustices, higher housing costs, and more.
Authored by: How Housing Matters for The Urban Institute
Topics: Housing, Legislation & Policy, Racial inequalities
How Housing Matters for The Urban Institute
Read more about Zoning Matters: How Land-Use Policies Shape Our Lives
How Zoning Shapes our Lives
Zoning rules dictate more than just how we can use and build on land. They also shape our communities and our lives. Land use laws determine where we can find housing, schools, and parks—and who has access to them.
Authored by: Maya Brennan, Emily Peiffer, and Kimberly Burrowes for How Housing Matters, The Urban Institute
Topics: Health, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Racial inequalities
Maya Brennan, Emily Peiffer, and Kimberly Burrowes for How Housing Matters, The Urban Institute
Read more about How Zoning Shapes our Lives
The Nation's Largest LGBTQ-Inclusive Affordable Housing for Older Adults
When applications opened for New York City's first affordable housing property for LGBTQ older adults recently, 1,000 people eagerly sent theirs in on that first day.
Authored by: Grace Birnstengel for Forbes
Topics: East Coast, Homelessness, Housing, Low-income, Seniors
Grace Birnstengel for Forbes
Read more about The Nation's Largest LGBTQ-Inclusive Affordable Housing for Older Adults
New report underscores link between 'shocking' number of evictions, homelessness
More than a half million renters have been evicted in Los Angeles County over the past eight years, according to a new report by Public Counsel and the UCLA School of Law that calls on county supervisors to adopt permanent rent control measures.
Authored by: Jenna Chandler for Curbed Los Angeles
Topics: Homelessness, Housing, Legislation & Policy, Low-income, Research, West Coast
Jenna Chandler for Curbed Los Angeles
Read more about New report underscores link between 'shocking' number of evictions, homelessness


At Easter we often give and receive chocolate Easter eggs. In years gone by I have eaten them without further thought as to what they have to do with Easter.
It is a very simple association, so first of all, let's think about what Easter is. It is a Christian celebration of Jesus's resurrection, after he was crucified on the cross. The resurrection can also be considered as a re-birth.
The week leading up to Easter is called Holy week, and originally the church did not allow eggs to be eaten during this week. Therefore, any eggs laid that week were saved and decorated, and given to the children on Easter Sunday.
Eggs and bunnies are also a symbol of new life and birth (re-birth), so another reason why eggs are given.
But they haven't always been chocolate eggs. As stated above, hand painted eggs were given long ago as presents, decorated with vegetable dyes and charcoal. Some were very elaborately decorated, and Carl Faberge was commissioned to make a bejewelled creation for the Russian Czar. Eventually, a sweet egg was given, but this was made from sugar or marzipan. Someone finally thought about making a chocolate egg, and it seems we've never looked back – hooray! The first chocolate eggs were solid, but then technology advanced and moulds were created allowing hollow eggs to be made. So, chocolate eggs & bunnies are a relatively modern addition.


text:
Catching Up with Iqbal Khan
By AramcoExPats.com / / 3 May 2011
Engr Iqbal Ahmed Khan
Name? Engr Iqbal Ahmed Khan
Job Title & Department? Supervisor-Planning & Program Unit Ras Tanura Producing Department-Juaymah
Compound Residence? Najmah Camp, Ras Tanura
Spouse? Mrs. Zohra Iqbal
Children? Two daughters: Dr. Kiran A. Rehman and Erum Imran
Grandchildren? Habib Ur Rehman (7 years), Mariam A. Rehman (6 years), Zoya Imran (4 years), and Zara Imrab (2 years)
What year did you start working for Saudi Aramco? 1977
What year did you retire? 2006
Where do you live now? Karachi, Pakistan
What attracted you to working for Saudi Aramco and living in Saudi Arabia? I worked for Pakistan Petroleum Limited from 1970 to 1977. When I got an offer from ARAMCO, I opted to work for them, as I was going in the same field. Once I came to Saudi Arabia and started working, it was fun. The work was of my interest, and at the same time I was introduced to multinationals from all over the globe. It was nice to work with Americans, British, Sri Lankans, Bangla Deshis, Filipinos, Egyptians, Europeans and Saudis. I enjoyed working with them all and always learned something new working with so many nationalities.
Engr Iqbal Ahmed Khan in 1999.
What is one of your favorite memories of Saudi Arabia? Witnessing the development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in every walk of life was most memorable. I was very proud to be the part of the development of Saudi Arabia and enjoyed the process. I remember being on the team of many mega projects of Saudi Aramco. I saw Saudis become the CEO and President of ARAMCO and later the change of name of the company from ARAMCO to Saudi ARAMCO. Most recently, I remember the launching of the new logo of Saudi Aramco.
What are some of your favorite hobbies in your retirement? I am a volunteer Content Manger for Contact Pakistan, a virtual NGO. We publish a newsletter twice a month for the Pakistani Community outside of Pakistan. I am also Vice President with Ex-Saudi Aramco Association, Sindh-based. Last but not the least, I am a member of the Local Council of Pakistan Institution of Engineers and also a member of the Think Tank Committee of IEP. All these activities keep me so busy that I am always short of time.
Anything else you'd like to share? I have a USA valid visa and if all goes well I will see if I can attend the upcoming Annuitant Reunion. I just want to tell everyone that it was an honor to work for Saudi Aramco. I was very well taken care of and I never felt that I was staying out of Pakistan. I always say that Saudi Aramco is not a company; it is an Institution for anyone to be part of it and learn from. If you are with Saudi Aramco, there is no limit for learning. If ever you get a chance to join Saudi Aramco, do not think twice; just go for it.
Eid Day in Karachi
Please enjoy more photos in the Aramco ExPats galleries, Iqbal Khan and Family and Iqbal Khan's Professional Career.
If you would like to contact Engr Iqbal Ahmed Khan, please email him at [email protected].
Are you an Aramco ExPat? We want to learn more about you so we can include your story on our website. Please fill out this Form and we'll share your story.


Try our natural Ruby in Zoisite Rough Satisfaction Guarantee - compare our prices and our superior quality.
Click on any ruby in zoisite specimen image below to enlarge it.
Ruby Zoisite Specimen Dimensions: 2.2" x 1.7" x 1.4"
This specimen of natural color ruby in green zoisite rough was mined in Tanzania. The rubies have rich red color, and the zoisite is a beautiful green with some black hornblende. This ruby in zoisite rough makes a nice mineral specimen just as it is, although it could also be used as superior grade lapidary rough.
Ruby Zoisite Specimen Dimensions: 3.6" x 3.5" x 1.5"
This specimen of natural color ruby in green zoisite rough was mined in Tanzania. The upper surface has a 1.5 inch ruby exposed with rich red color as shown. This ruby in zoisite rough makes a nice mineral specimen just as it is, although it could also be used as superior grade lapidary rough.
Ruby Zoisite Specimen Dimensions: 4.7" x 4.5" x 2"
This specimen of natural color ruby in green zoisite rough was mined in Tanzania. The rubies have very rich deep red color, and the zoisite is a beautiful green with black hornblende. There are more rubies exposed on the opposite side. This ruby in zoisite rough makes a nice mineral specimen just as it is, although it could also be used as superior grade lapidary rough.
Ruby Zoisite Specimen Dimensions: 5.8" x 4.4" x 3.2"
This specimen of natural color ruby in green zoisite rough was mined in Tanzania. There is a ruby crystal measuring 1.5 inches long exposed on the upper surface as shown. The photo at left was photographed wet under reflected sunlight to show the true colors. This ruby in zoisite rough makes a nice mineral specimen just as it is, although it could also be used as superior grade lapidary rough. There are more ruby crystals exposed on its backside. See also a back view photo of this natural specimen of ruby in zoisite.
Ruby Zoisite Specimen Dimensions: 7" x 5.2" x 3.1"
This specimen of natural color ruby in green zoisite rough was mined in Tanzania. There are several ruby crystals exposed on the fresh break of the upper surface as shown. The photo at left was photographed wet under reflected sunlight to show the true colors. This ruby in zoisite rough makes a nice mineral specimen just as it is, although it could also be used as superior grade lapidary rough. See also a back view photo of this natural specimen of ruby in zoisite.
Ruby in Zoisite Carved Bowl dimesions: 7.5" long x 6.1" wide x 1.2"
This shallow dish was handcarved from a single block of natural color ruby in green zoisite rough that was mined in Tanzania. The rubies have rich purplish-red natural color under incandescent light.
Handcarved ruby in zoisite carving weighing 1.9 Lbs.
This sculpture of a horse was handcarved from a single block of natural color ruby in green zoisite rough that was mined in Tanzania. The rubies have purplish-red color under incandescent light. See also a view of the opposite side of this natural ruby in zoisite horse carving.
Our Ruby in Zoisite Zoisite rough specimens are all natural color with no treatments of any kind.
Red corundum has been popularly known as ruby for thousands of years. See our genuine ruby rings, ruby necklaces and ruby earrings. See also our page displaying all of our genuine ruby jewelry designs.
See our pages displaying Genuine Zoisite Jewelry (tanzanite jewelry), including our genuine tanzanite earrings and tanzanite necklaces.
Ruby in zoisite is mined at the Tanzanian deposits located near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. This is the only commercial source for ruby in zoisite rough, and it has been mined there for the last 60 years. Ruby in zoisite is also called anyolite, which is a rock composed of green zoisite matrix with translucent ruby and occasional black hornblende.
To see more Zoisite or tanzanite photos, just select another item category from the table below. To see photos of another mineral variety, select any item category link in our Mineral Inventory & Factsheet Index.
Would you like us to inform you when we add more carved sculptures of natural ruby in zoisite on this page?


Ahhh so it's January and New Year Resolution time.
That means it's highly likely you're thinking about going on a diet. This is not diet advice (I discuss my weight loss approach in my new book available January 7, 2018), but I want to share my philosophy on cheat meals when embarking on a new diet.
I can safely share my thinking on this, as I personally have lost over 20kgs in 2 years without wanting to kill anyone in the process, live at the gym or swear off dessert.
If you've been on a diet before, you've likely heard of the term cheat meal, or cheat day. Cheat meals are usually a planned and temporary departure from a typically stricter diet strategy, which allows you to break your diet rules and have free food choices for a meal or a day.
Using the term 'cheat' sounds like you are scamming yourself or your current eating habits and I don't feel that's a healthy mindset to breed, if you desire a long-term lifestyle improvement.
Enjoy fun foods occasionally as part of your ongoing lifestyle. It's not in your best interest to restrict yourself from your favourite foods, because the longer you do that, the more chance of you overindulging.
Also, when you deprive yourself all week or month for that elusive cheat meal, you're likely to have little to no self-control. Sometimes just the very fact you're calling it a cheat meal is harmful and can tend to demonise the food when all it is, is energy. Humans just aren't designed to wilfully resist food.
Making foods forbidden can create an unhealthy relationship with food which is likely where your problem with your weight began in the first place.
Don't: put your favourite indulgent, fun foods on a pedestal by building up to enjoying them infrequently. We don't want to encourage a restrictive mindset surrounding food so you start defining foods as either good or bad.
Do: allocate room in your daily or weekly eating to enjoy (not cheat on) some of your favourite foods.


text:
Off-Topic Discussion »
Gaming Discussion (Moderators: Angelus, Scotty) »
Topic: What are you playing right now?
Pages: < Prev 1 ... 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 [220] 221 222 223 224 225 Next > Go Down
Author Topic: What are you playing right now? (Read 481758 times)
Re: What are you playing right now?
Reply #4380 on: December 29, 2020, 09:51:11 pm
Terminator: Resistance.
It's starting to feel too much like a mod for Fallout 4. Too much time spent wandering around collecting items and not enough time spent blasting Terminators.
Det. Bullock
Madman in a box.
Reply #4381 on: January 10, 2021, 08:22:55 pm
Halo: Combat Evolved (PC)
The last third is too repetitive.
Not only that but the last bit with the grenades to blow up the reactor was infuriating, it's not enough to toss the grenades in the slots inside the tubes, they must be in the precise point the game wants them to be otherwise you'll have to climb back up to do it again with respwaning enemies all around.
Also the last bit is a vehicle section with wonky vehicle physics and only one checkpoint in the middle that apparently refused to save the first time I did it.
And of course there is the fact that oftentimes the game refuses to save unless you cleaned a room of enemies even if cleaning said room isn't strictly necessary to proceed.
There are some great visuals for the time (note: I played it with the original graphics and sound) and the first half or so does have a great sense of scale but other than that I can't believe people thought this was good enough to be considered a killer app at the time, especially considered that one of the people that touted the Xbox to me at the time was a PC enthusiast (an adult PC enthusiast at that). Compared to other console shooters perhaps it was above average (and I can see why cutting down on stuff allowed it to be much more playable than others) but I can think of so many PC FPS games that easily outclass it that came out the same year or even before.
"I pity the poor shades confined to the euclidean prison that is sanity." - Grant Morrison
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff." - The Doctor
IMO it's one of the best games ever made and no title, PC or console, released at the time could hold a candle to it in the areas of its strengths (namely AI, physics, and flow).
The secret to its greatness is that it was built as an RTT first and it holds on to the elements of simulationism pulled over from Myth which set it apart from anything that came before.
Halo was originally gonna be an RTT? Damn. TIL I'm a filthy ****ing casual when it comes to FPS.
Reply #4384 on: January 11, 2021, 12:09:19 am
I honestly have to agree with the good Detective. I've not yet played the Anniversary Collection version yet, but I did go through the original PC release years ago and was rather underwhelmed. The level design in particular is a massive issue: the singleplayer campaign consists of ten levels that use about four levels' worth of content, with much of that being copied-and-pasted room elements. (Hope you like bland, featureless concrete hallways!) Just about the entire second half of the game involves working your way backwards through the same environments you've already traversed. While the vehicles themselves are a great design element, their controls are clunky at best and incredibly frustrating at worst (hello final escape sequence). While the original at least had healthpacks, the regenerating shield lent itself to the "take a few potshots and hide behind cover" engagement model, instead of encouraging you to stay in the fray. And this is purely a personal preference thing, but I will always side with the "can carry the armaments of an entire regiment" school of FPS design. I never liked being limited by two weapons slots.
The game is an absolute landmark for what it did to console multiplayer in particular, and really multiplayer in general. The gunplay was solid, the enemies were fun to engage with, the overall atmosphere was fantastic, and The Silent Cartographer remains a singularly great experience. But it also had some very glaring flaws, and I honestly don't think it holds up particularly well today. I'd certainly much rather replay the original Half-Life, and that came out a full 3 years prior.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2021, 12:34:47 am by Mongoose »
Quote from: Det. Bullock on January 10, 2021, 08:22:55 pm
Compared to other console shooters perhaps it was above average (and I can see why cutting down on stuff allowed it to be much more playable than others) but I can think of so many PC FPS games that easily outclass it that came out the same year or even before.
There's a few things I don't think people appreciate when looking back on it. One is that playing a shooter with a controller in your hands on a couch with friends next to you is such a massively different experince than with playing alone or online on a PC, and Halo made that work really really well. That's a certain kind of magic. When Halo came out I had a decent selection of PC shooters I could play, but none of them let me just fight, with or against, my brother and our friends, without massive amounts of work. Golden Eye had come before of course, and others, but Halo nailed the experience so very hard.
Another is that the the ways in which it is cut down compared to PC shooters are virtues in their own right. Is it cool to have ten different guns sharing a handfull of different ammo types, juggling between them and twiddling with alternate fire modes while keeping an eye out for various kinds of health, armor, ammo, and powerup pickups? Hell yeah it is, and it's plenty fun. But checkpoints, limited weapon management with shallow exclusive ammo pools and mostly regenerating health mean you can throw yourself into difficult combats, again and again. You never have to ask if you ****ed up and quicksaved in too bad a place and now do you need to restart the whole level to get out of this hole? This is great for bringing people into the genre, but it has value for the experinced too.
Third is that it welded together so many different things that were good but hadn't really been brought together before as well. Was having a grenade button, or an always ready melee, checkpoints, colorful art and emotive enemies, forgiving recharging shields, limited weapon carriage, explosion physics and delightful chain reactions, or combination vehicular and foot combat? No, I can't point to originators for all of those but I'm pretty sure most of them had shown up in games before or at least were showing up in other games released at around the same time. But I can't think of anything that integrated all those together so cohesively and did all of them well. I remember playing some other PC shooters with vehicular integration in particular at about the same time and it was nowhere near as satisfying or seamless. Now it's no big deal when we see these things together, they're part of the standard design language, so Halo doesn't seem that special anymore, but at the time that was part of it's magic.
As an aside, I never minded the repetitive or backtracking levels. Yeah, it is a cheap way to artificially lengthen the game, but it has always felt natural to me that in moving through big structures you'd see lots of similar spaces, and I never felt like I was repeating the same exact fight. Repetition in a way makes the place feel more real to me, and I've felt similarly about other games that have gotten that kind of criticism.
0rph3u5
Oceans rise. Empires fall.
Nostalgia exterts a strong pull here...
"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland
"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker
"...because they are not Dragons."
Call it nostalgia if you like, but I don't think Halo's popularity can be denied or attributed to just a lucky fad or marketing push. If it doesn't do it for you, that's fine, but you're left with the choice of either assuming that all the unwashed masses just have inherently poor taste somehow, or actually trying to identify what it did right.
The E
He's Ebeneezer Goode
Nothing personal, just tech support.
My main problem with the Halo remasters is that I've been playing Destiny for literally more than a thousand hours and the Halo gunplay is so close to that yet not quite the same that it keeps tripping me up.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns
Quote from: EatThePath on January 11, 2021, 02:51:46 am
When did nostalgia become something to be so defensive about?
EDIT: Oh, this about the gravity-metaphor missing the mark, isn't it?
« Last Edit: January 11, 2021, 04:12:39 am by 0rph3u5 »
Quote from: Mongoose on January 11, 2021, 12:09:19 am
While the original at least had healthpacks, the regenerating shield lent itself to the "take a few potshots and hide behind cover" engagement model
No, it's the other way. If you have a finite health pool you hide and play attrition games (see Half Life 1). The regenerating shield lets you take risks and dance out in the open.
Quote from: General Battuta on January 11, 2021, 07:25:37 am
Not really, there are plenty of attacks that kill you in one hit shield or not.
The sticky grenades in particular, even the lowest mooks have them and once you get hit you are dead.
That's orthogonal, since they'd kill you whether you had attritive health or a regenerating shield. A regenerating shield lets you accept chip damage without it permanently depleting your health.
Man I wish we could get a PC port of Metroid Prime.
If you own it, you could get a rom for backup you know.
That's all I'm saying about that.
Scourge of Ages
Could you imagine Metroid Prime MADE for PC with real mouse support and, ya know, textures...
Also back on Halo:
I'll admit that it didn't age particularly well, but it still feels really good to play.
And at the risk of being thought insane, I actually enjoyed the library and the final warthog run.
Quote from: 0rph3u5 on January 11, 2021, 04:02:12 am
It has thoroughly missed me yes.
Typically in my experience when someone brings up nostalgia in a context like you did it's as a way to dismiss someone's opinion on the thing as simply rationalizations for nostalgia about something that's not actually that good. Seems like that wasn't actually your intention, so sorry for misinterpreting it.
Quote from: Scourge of Ages on January 11, 2021, 02:24:33 pm
Same. Despite being the grey, dark, copy-paste heavy level it is I can remember distinct parts of the Library offhand. Good times.
I feel like I've had the opposite experience when playing through games with either model. I'm not even thinking of HL1 in general, but going even more old-school like Descent. The only sources of health replenishment there are from placed power-ups, or from enemy drops. Either way, if you want a health refill, you're forced to explore the level until you find one, with the focus on keeping you moving to new locations. In contrast, when I played through Halo, I remember a lot of running backwards and crouching down behind the closest convenient crate until the shield had a chance to refill, and then popping back out to do a bit more damage. There was a lot of running back-and-forth between two points in the same small area, and coupled with the fully-linear design of most of the levels that eliminated the possibility of exploration, it felt like there was very little incentive to do anything dart in and out of cover. I haven't played the nuDooms yet, but I've heard that they do an excellent job of rewarding getting in the ****, and that's a design philosophy I appreciate.
I've seen people say that a regenerating-health system makes the level design process simpler, and I think they're right. It's expected that the player will be starting every new encounter at full health, so there doesn't need to be any consideration for variations in the player's state. Developers get to avoid planning out ideal locations for health drops, and I think there's less emphasis placed on exploring every last nook and cranny of a level. If you're worried about players getting trapped in a situation where their health is too low, it's fairly straightforward to make sure that a player has at least a bare minimum of health drops available, and you can create those moments where the player sees a large health pack before entering a room and knows that ****'s about to hit the fan. In addition, that's really only an issue if you're using a checkpoint system. With quicksaves, the player can choose a safe point to come back to if they feel like they wind up in an unwinnable situation a bit later.
Descent's a great example — I recently played Overload, which has attritional health (you get health drops from enemies you kill, iirc). This made it very dangerous to take large damage spikes, so there was a lot of careful room-clearing using the ricochet weapons before you actually went in full blast.
With a regenerating health pool you can afford to take bigger risks. This allows you to 'get in the ****', as you say, without taking permanent damage you can't necessarily recover from. And your tactics of "poke out, do a little damage, and hide" of course don't work in Halo, because your enemies have regenerating shields too—unlike in a Half-Life or Call of Duty where you can score permanent damage with little risk.
(It's worth noting that in high level play, Doom 2016 does NOT reward you for getting in close, exactly because the amount of risk required to perform glory kills is too high: despite the designers' best intentions, you spend more time doing gauss cannon combos than you do ripping and tearing.)
What I think you're really talking about is a trend of reduced total health, like in a Call of Duty game where you'll die so rapidly that you can't afford to leave cover for more than a moment or two.
Halo also has a ton of exploration, because health isn't the only possible mechanical reward for exploring a level. There are overshields, which work exactly like the 'there's a boss fight coming' signals you mention. There are camo modules and, of course, hidden power weapons. Most importantly, there are new approaches to areas, often involving using the game's physics to get vehicles and players where they're not 'supposed' to be. This is why Halo tricking and stunting has been so robust and popular.
By contrast, Half-Life 2 has a dreadful semi-procedural health drop system where you will always find the health packs you need, strewn around like salad in conveniently excusable crates and closets. This makes level design very easy, because you can always count on the player having plenty of extra health—after all, your game will spawn it! You can pile that health up as high as you need to in order to meet larger challenges, like a Combine gunship.
By contrast, a Halo-style regenerating shield system makes level design MUCH sharper and more difficult—you know the player has a fixed resource pool and you can calibrate your encounters exactingly to strain that pool to its limit. Want Gordon to fight off a platoon of Combine soldiers? Give him enough health packs to do it. Want the Chief to fight off five high-ranking Elites in close quarters? There's no way, short of dropping an overshield, for you (the designer) to give the player more health. You can only give them more TOOLS — weapons, geometry, knowledge of the Elite AI.
Quicksaves are dreadful for flow and removing the option to quicksave every five steps was a huge boon for designers. **** savescumming!
I will forever resent Half-Life 2 for balancing Combine soldiers against Gordon by just flat out giving Gordon more health. Why do I have to engage with this enemy as an intelligent foe if I can just win by attrition?
By contrast Halo's Elites are your mechanical equals, with all the same abilities you have (except grenade throwing, depending on the game and Elite type) and a comparable or even superior health and shield pool. They can absolutely kill you one on one if you **** up, so beating them is a matter of understanding their behavior, not face-tanking their ****ty SMGs while you shotgun them down.
The fact that you can reset the combat encounter and try again by regenerating shields is what ALLOWS them to be your peers: if you suffered permanent attritional damage the designers would have to make the Elites in some way inferior to the player avatar in order to make the game playable.
What is this green ****? **** you, I'm going to triple post.
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text:
La gens Catilia fue una familia romana de la época imperial. Es más conocida por Lucio Catilio Severo, cónsul en el año 120 d. C. y posteriormente praefectus urbi. Era el bisabuelo del emperador Marco Aurelio. En un momento tuvo la esperanza de obtener el imperio él mismo, pero fue destituido de su cargo después de expresar su desaprobación por la adopción de Antonino Pío, quien había sido su colega en el consulado.

Otro Catilio Severo era pariente del emperador Alejandro Severo y miembro de su consilium. El historiador Elio Lampridio describe como un vir omnium doctissimus "el más sabio de los hombres".

Véase también
 Anexo:Gentes de la Antigua Roma

Referencias

Gentes de la Antigua Roma
Gens Catilia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
'Supergirl' (1984): The novelization
Full disclosure: I am a fan of the 1984 "Supergirl" film starring Helen Slater. "Oh, a guilty pleasure?" you might ask. Well, yes, but it is much more than that. When viewed in its intended 124 minute European edition or 138 minute Director's Cut (as opposed to the incoherent, butchered 105 minute American version), 'Supergirl' is a well-crafted, entertaining movie with a lot to offer. Yeah, you heard me.
Comic book movie adaptions are now standard blockbuster fare often accompanied by critical praise, prestige, and respect. This was not always the case, especially back in 1984 when "Supergirl" hit theaters after a long and troubled post production.
"Supergirl" was self-financed by "Superman" (1978) producers Alexander and Ilya Salkynd. D.C. Comic's parent company Warner Bros. held the distribution rights. After releasing the movie in Europe, they decided to drop the film just before the targeted North American release date in the summer of 1984, citing the disappointing returns of the dreadful "Superman III" (1983) as the reason.
The rights were eventually purchased by TriStar who cut the film's 124 minute running time down to an incoherent 105 minutes and dumped the movie into U.S. theaters in November of 1984 with little fanfare. The result was a choppy, disjointed origin story and a sloppy film that was savaged by critics and ignored by movie patrons.
Actually the film is not without merit. It plays beautifully as a guilty pleasure and works very well as a children's film. The colorful movie has slowly attracted a loyal cult following since the release of Anchor Bay's two disc limited edition DVD release in 2000, a fully loaded package that includes the 124 minute international version, a 138 minute director's cut, and a boatload of enticing extras.
"Supergirl" has an enduring popularity for several reasons; the art direction, Faye Dunaway's delightfully over-the-top campy and yet menacing portrayal as the film's villain Selena the Sorceress, and the sensational musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. But it all starts with the presence of the luminous, fresh-faced Helen Slater who exudes an ethereal charm in the flying sequences. The captivating actress is wonderful in this role and perfectly cast as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl.
Working from a screenplay by David Odell, novelist Norma Fox Mazer does an effective job of capturing the essence of Helen Slater's Supergirl and her alter ego Linda Lee. She manages to capture the wide-eyed innocence of the character and has fun with it. And yet, there are more serious passages where she makes us feel the character's sense of loneliness.
The author also does a bang up job of nailing all of the supporting characters, with spot-on, creative phrases. Norma Fox Odell never forgets this is above all, a fun movie and she does a good job of creating natural character driven humor. I actually laughed out loud several times while reading this book, especially when it came to the scenes involving Lucy Lane. But where this book really takes off is in the characterization of Selena. Every scene written from her point of view is an absolute blast.
Bottom line: This is a skillfully written novelization and like the 1984 film itself, is an entertaining, colorful, comic book adventure with great humor and a sense of wonder.
Posted by James J. Caterino at 12:15 PM
Labels: 1984. Helen Slater, 80s, action hero, books, Caitlin Star, comic book, femme fatale, geek, guilty pleasure, influences, Movies, novelizations, Reviews, science fiction, soundtracks, Supergirl
Harry and the Hendersons (1987) film review
Reviewed on 06-18-2020 Opening on June 5th, 1987 after a mysterious E.T. style marketing campaign, it was one of the f...
Apocalypse POW!
Four films, four stars, four must see movies


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