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Search - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Klaus Hirte, Gundula Janowitz :: Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Klaus Hirte, Gundula Janowitz
Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro: Ouverture
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 1. Duetto: 'Cinque, dieci, venti, trenta'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Cosa stai misurando'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 2. Duettino: 'Se a caso Madama la notte ti chiama'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Or bene, ascolta, e taci'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Bravo, Signor padrone!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 3. Cavatina: 'Se vuol ballare, Signor Contino'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Ed aspettaste il giorno'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 4. Aria: 'La vendetta, oh, la vendetta'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Tutto ancor non ho perso'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 5. Duettino: 'Via, resti servita'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Va la, vecchia pedante'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 6. Aria: 'Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Ah, son perduto!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 7. Terzetto: 'Cosa sento! tosto andante'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Basilio, in traccia tosto di Figaro'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 8. Coro: 'Giovani liete, fiori spargete'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Cos'e questa commedia?'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 8a. Coro: 'Giovani liete, fiori spargete'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: Recitativo: 'Evviva!' - 'E voi non applaudite'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 1: 9. Aria: 'Non piu andrai, farfallone amoroso'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 10. Cavatina: 'Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Vieni, cara Susanna'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Quanto duolmo, Susanna'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 11. Canzano: 'Voi che sapete che cosa e amor'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Bravo! che bella voce!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 12. Aria: 'Venite - inginocchiatevi..'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Quante buffonerie!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 'Che novita! non fu mai vostra usanza'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 13. Terzetto 'Susanna, or via, sortite'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Dunque, voi no aprite?'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 14. Duettino: 'Aprite, presto, aprite'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'O guarda il demonietto!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 'Tutto e come io lasciai'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 15. Finale: 'Esci, omai, garzon malnato'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 'Signore! Cos'e quel stupore?'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Susanna, son morta'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 'Signori, di fuori son gia i suonatori'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Conoscete, signor Figaro'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 'Ah! signore ... signor'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: Recitativo: 'Vostre dunque saran queste carte'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 2: 'Voi signor, che giusto siete'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Recitativo: 'Che imbarazzo e mai questo!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 16. Duett: 'Crudel! perche finora farmi languir cosi?'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Recitativo: 'E perche fosti meco stamattina si austera?'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 17. Recitativo ed Aria: Recitativo: 'Hai gia vinta la causa!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Aria: 'Vedro mentr'io sospiro'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Recitativo: 'E decisa la lite'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 18. Sestetto: 'Riconosci in questo amplesso'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 'Eccivum i cari amico'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 'Andiamo, andiam, bel paggio'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 19. Recitativo ed Aria: Recitativo: 'E Susanna non vien'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Aria: 'Dove sono i bei momenti'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Recitativo: 'lo vi dico, signor'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 20. Duettino: ('Sull'aria...') - 'Che soave zeffiretto'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Recitativo: 'Piegato e il foglio'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 21. Coro: 'Ricevete, o padroncina'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Recitativo: 'Queste sono, Madama, le ragazze del loco'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: 22. Finale: 'Ecco la marcia....andiamo'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Allegretto - 'Amanti costanti'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Andante - 'Eh gia, solita usanza'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 3: Recitativo: 'Andante, amici'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 23. Cavatina: 'L'ho perduta...me meschina!'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: Recitativo: 'Barbarina, cos'hai?'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 24. Aria: 'Il capro e la capretta'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: Recitativo: 'Nel padiglione a manca'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 25. Aria: 'In quegli anni in cui val poco'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 26. Recitativo ed Aria: Recitativo: 'Tutto e disposto'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: Aria: 'Aprite un po'quegli occhi'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: Recitativo: 'Signora, ella mi disse'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 27. Recitativo ed Aria: Recitativo: 'Giunse alfin il momento'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: Aria: 'Deh vieni, non tardar, o gioia bella'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: Recitativo: 'Perfida! e in quella forma meco mentia?'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 28. Finale: 'Pian pianin le andro piu presso'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 'Ecco qui la mia Susanna'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 'Tutto e tranquillo e placido'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 'Pace, pace, mio dolce tesoro'
Le Nozze Di Figaro - Act 4: 'Gente, gente, all'armi, all'armi
All Artists: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Klaus Hirte, Gundula Janowitz, Patricia Johnson, Peter Lagger, Chor und Orchester des Deutschen Oper Berlin, Tatiana Troyanos
Title: Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro
Album Type: Box set
Styles: Opera & Classical Vocal, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830)
Sadao Watanabe
My Romance (Mlps)
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Label: Columbia Japan
Sus Exitos Romanticos
Genres: Dance & Electronic, Pop, Latin Music
Label: Essex
Grupo Invasion
Invasion Salvadorena
Genres: Dance & Electronic, World Music, Pop, Latin Music
George Frideric Handel, Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre
Magdalena Kozená ~ Handel Italian Cantatas / Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski
Label: Archiv Prod Import
Avalon Sunset
Genres: Blues, Folk, Pop, R&B, Rock, Classic Rock
Label: Polydor Records
Wagner, Nilsson, Solti
Ned Sublette
Cowboy Rumba
Genres: Country, World Music, Jazz, Pop, Rock
Label: Palm Pictures (Audio
Prokofiev, Temirkanov, St Petersburg
Genres: Soundtracks, Classical
Label: RCA
Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Patanè, Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli - Rossini Arias / Patanè
Dortzal-de Fontenailles, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Giuseppe Verdi
Rosa Ponselle
Gioacchino Rossini, Patrick Summers, Orchestra of St. Luke's
Renée Fleming: Bel Canto
Christoph Willibald Gluck, Bernhard Forck, Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli - Gluck Italian Arias ~ Dreams & Fables
Genres: Blues, Classical
The Figaro that turned me on to Opera
vladb | Brighton, MA USA | 09/11/2003
"Like many newcomers to the Opera genre, after hearing "Sull'aria" in the film "Shawshank Redemption", I patiently watched the credits to find the exact origin of that unearthly recording - and found it to be 1968 Bohm's version. Without much hesitation, I bought this set, almost immediately afterwards, and listened to the whole 3 hours of it non-stop for several months. "Figaro" became, bar none, my ultimate favorite classical composition, all thanks to Bohm.To this day, I find no imperfections whatsoever with the performers or the conducting. It baffles me why anyone would find fault with Mathis' Susanna or Dieskau's Conte - they fit their roles to a tee. And the "extra" arias in act IV, in my mind are welcome additions, especially that of Marcellina, which is not only exquisitely beautiful, but also a thematic counterpart of Figaro's later diatribe about the opposite sex. Hermann Prey, Gundula Janowitz, and Tatiana Troyanos, are the living embodiments of Figaro, Contessa, and Cherubino. Never has Mozart's accent on the humanity of these characters been better expressed."
Not the best but you've got to hear it.
Casey Ellis | Mohegan Lake, New York United States | 04/28/2002
"If anyone is interested, this set holds ALOT of memories for me. It was the first complete opera set I ever really listened to constantly and so it has a special place in my heart. That being said, it is no longer my favorite "Figaro". That title must go to John Eliot Gardiner's amazing set on Archiv. I strongly urge anyone who wants to understand this opera to purchase that performance. But this set still has much to commend it. Bohm coaxes certain phrases like no one else. The letter duet is a fine example. Enjoy it because you are unlikley to hear it with so much color, lushness and passion again soon. Unfortunately, Bohm often misses the fun and zip in the score. Things tend to be a tad weighted down and the comedy fails to register. Surprisingly the overture does not get treated this way and is a joy.
The cast is great but there are some glarring problems. First of all, few of them are very at home with Italian. True this piece is not "Italian" in terms of style but that is the language and this cast's problems with it is a distraction. Prey and Mathis are an old-fashioned Figaro and Susanna which means big, cuddly guy and china doll. While I feel there is more to these characters, this approach can be heart-warming to listen to. Prey is in glorious voice, warm and sunny and the liner notes are right to refer to a "smile in the voice". Mathis is a bit thin in arias but sounds much more at home in the ensembles. And Fischer-Dieskau? Haha! What an artist! His voice is at full power and he pours his interpertation into each note. This Count is a raging psychopath burning with lust! Most lines are snarled out in a way that chills the blood. A contrast with Gilfry's controlled aristocrat on the Gardiner set is fascinating. I like Gilfry better but Dieskau certainly left his stamp on the part and creates just as valid a character. Janowitz IS the Countess. I've heard enough by now to say that. She achieves total identification with the character. All others I have heard and seen (so far) are either blank slates (the bad ones) or get a part of Janowitz's whole (the good ones). I know plenty of you will sneer at that but that's how I hear it. Janowitz has a golden line of a voice that stretches through the entire score. You think "Sooner or later there will be a sign of strain or wear and tear" but it never comes. The voice is lyrical but with strength underneath it. It is simply pure. Someone who I usually disagree with on vocal matters said upon hearing it "That's just a perfect voice." Dramitically we get the Countess's fear, anger, flirtatiousness, love, regret, nobility and simplicity. Nothing is missing. We should all feel lucky that this definitive performance was captured whole in such a fine recording.
The supporting cast is fairly strong. Troyanos is lovely and funny as Cherubino although Bohm does not seem too interested in the character. Lagger and Johnson are in good voice and act well but they don't sound like they are having much fun. In contrast, Wohlfahrt and Hirte have ok voices but do a super job of hamming up their parts. It's great to hear Wohlfahrt, a fine singer in such a rich part. Vogel is cute and matches Troyanos well. Vantin has a very nice voice and sings his heart out in the "Mia Madre" sextet but (once again!) he doesn't sound very funny. The two girls are fine. One last complaint: the recitatives are not done well by today's standards. The cast and Bohm seem to regard them as something to get through fast. Prey, Dieskau and Janowitz are exceptions to this however. Chorus and orchestra are both super. Sound is boxy but clear. Great liner notes.
Perhaps the only real problem with this set is a lack of fun. Bohm sees this opera as deeply profound. It most certainly is but part of it's profundity lies in it's sense of joy. This aspect is muted (although not lost) here. The "Mia Madre" sextet is a good example. In this set it played as deeply moving (which it is) but there are not really any laughs. "Figaro" is a sublime comedy. The comedy can not be so secondary. Without it, we loose some of the point which is to see life as something of a comedy. On the other hand, if one plays down the sublime the opera becomes a simple and vulgar farce. Perhaps if you must mute one aspect, it is better to mute the comedy. But there really should be a ballance. Still, when all is said and done this is a great reccording. It preserves many top-notch performances and an entire way of viewing this deathless masterpiece. This view (usually seen as the "German" view) may be out of favor, but it touched many people and served Mozart well. Indeed, it can still speak to us today if we are willing to be patient. Don't make this your only "Figaro" but don't be without it if you love this opera."
Karen From | Illinois | 08/11/2001
"I first heard of this music from the film, The Shawshank Redemption. I immediately set out to find out what it was and where I could get my hands on it. After a lengthy search, I finally found it. To me, the Sull'Aria offered by Gundular Janowitz and Edith Mathis has to be THE most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard. Not only would I not hesitate to recommend it, but I would suggest getting a second copy for when the first wears out!"
The Most Gorgeously Sung Figaro Of Them All
Karen From | 12/25/2005
"This recording is the recording used in the film Shashawnk Redemption (which has drawn tons of people to opera just upon hearing the "Letter" duet "Sull'aria" in one scene in the film). The recording used in the film is credited as the 1968 Karl Bohm edition starring Gundula Janowitz, Hermann Prey, Edith Mathis, Tatiana Troyanos and Dietrich Fischer Dieskau. The soprano voices of Gundula Janowitz and Edith Mathis is what we hear in the film. Many purists argue that the Bohm version is flawed and moreover un-Mozartian simply because the principal singers are German and have no command for the Italian diction so vital in an Italiante comedy like Figaro. But I much prefer the Karl Bohm version though this one is also quite beautiful. Edith Mathis has a lush, radiant soprano voice, with technically no flaw from a vocal point of view. Her particular Germanic school of opera was very handy in singing youthfully and beautifully, even if at the expense of dramatic development of character. As if she's the only one. Today's "gorgeous but un-dramatic" singers include Renee Fleming and even mezzo Denyce Graves. Soprano Gundula Janowitz sings with beautiful tone, but often with very little characterization. Her Countess is lovely but we rarely feel sympathetic for her role as the betrayed wife. She sings so beautifully we are certain the Count will return his former love for her. None of the singers are doing much of a dramatic job. Dieskau as the Count is a roaring lion of pride and masculine vanity and he is perhaps the only singer that is doing a great job here, despite detractors' comments. Herman Prey also does a superior job as Figaro, making him convincingly funny and witty and breathing a dimension of reality to his role.
THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY SUNG version but not the most dramatically satisfying. So it boils down to what your own tastes for opera are. Do you want to hear a gorgeously sung Figaro or a more lively, comedic, "acted-out" Figaro ? If it's the latter, then this recording is not for you. This is sheer beauty and Mozartian grace, worthy of being sung in the most Rococco of opera houses. I would have payed good money to hear these singers back in the late 60's, however I'm too young and never had the opportunity to hear them sing. The only old singer I've heard is Kiri Te Kenawa (and to some this singer is not that old). Te Kenawa is considered one of the great Countesses of this opera, as is Schwartzkopff in the Giulini recording and of course today's own Renee Fleming."
The very best
Jon W. Gordon | Mount Kisco, New York United States | 06/24/2004
"Karl Bohm knew how to conduct Mozart better than just about anyone else; his speeds were often slower than usual, which meant that the words in the operas were always clear, and his rhythmic resilience and attention to detail avoided any feeling of heaviness. The duet "Che soave zeffiretto" sounds more sensuous here than on any other recording. And on what other recording of "Figaro" are the plucked strings in "Voi che sapete" so noticeable? Bohm is helped by an exceptionally strong cast. The women, in particular, are glorious: Gundula Janowitz sings the difficult role of the Countess with incomparable purity, and she's ideally contrasted with Edith Mathis's Susanna. (Their voices blend wonderfully in their duet). Tatiana Troyanos is at her richest as Cherubino. The men aren't quite at this exalted level, but they acquit themselves well: Fischer-Dieskau's Count is much more strongly characterized than most, and Prey, if not the most ebullient of Figaros, sings with a satisfyingly warm, mellow sound. DG's sonics are, on the whole, first-rate. With an absolutely complete text, this is an essential purchase."


BLOOMING GROVE, Pa. — The Pike County Conservation District will present "Dirt! The Movie" at 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at the district office in Blooming Grove, Pa.
"Dirt!" takes a humorous and substantial look into the history and current state of the soil. Four billion years have created the dirt that recycles our water, gives us food, provides us shelter, and that can be used as a source of medicine, beauty and culture. However, the movie claims people are endangering this vital resource with destructive methods of agriculture, mining practices and urban development. It also talks about ways humans can repair their relationship with dirt and create new possibilities for all life on earth.
For more information about the movie and to view a trailer, visit www.dirtthemovie.org.
The Pike County Conservation District is committed to natural resources conservation through leadership, education, technical assistance, planning and enforcement to ensure the long-term protection and sustainable use of Pike County's natural resources. The district serves as a community clearinghouse for conservation information and educational resources, as well as state and federal environmental regulatory and permit information.
For more information, contact the district office in Blooming Grove at 570-226-8220, e-mail mulmer@pikepa.org or go to www.pikeconservation.org.


Fly London Jace is a stylish tote bag crafted from quality faux leather with faux suede front panels for a stylish look. This women's fashion bag features two front zip pockets that provide easy access for those everyday essential items and a spacious main compartment that fastens with a top zip.
Inside the bag there's a small zip pocket and two small pouch pockets, all lined with green fabric. Fly London Jace bag also features two top carry handles that are also long enough to worn on the shoulder, plus a detachable and adjustable single long strap that provides alternative ways to carry the bag, either on the shoulder or across the body. The antique style hardware including front Fly London badge and Fly London branded fly-shape zip pulls make the perfect finishing touches to this popular style bag.


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Mad Max shows off the future of video game graphics today
Makers of the Mad Max game let us in on their clever tricks
Want to get the best gaming experience with the highest fidelity graphics? The obvious solution has almost always been to go with a PC, unless you're talking about a console exclusive title. But while PC gaming has led the charge with better textures, dynamic lighting, particle effects and more – the big question is where will the industry go next.
Recently, TechRadar sat down with Avalanche Studios, the developers behind the hotly anticipated Just Cause 3 and Mad Max games to delve into this very subject. As Avalanche Head of Research Emil Persson explained, pushing the graphical envelope in games isn't just about better textures, it's also a matter of making them look more realistic.
High-dynamic lighting
"Just Cause 2 was still using an low-dynamic range pipeline [and with it] we were able to squeeze an awful lot of image quality out of that," Persson explained. "Eventually, the move to high-dynamic range allowed us to work much more naturally and create more realistic lighting."
The Just Cause 3 team has been working in a pipeline with HDR for several years, and in that time they've also introduced physics-based lighting and clustered shading. The latter of which, according to Persson, allows the game use many, many lights simultaneously without adverse effects on the frame rate.
On top of introducing better lighting techniques, Persson highlighted players will notice another clearly visible improvement in their terrain engine. With Just Cause 3, the studio promises a lusher world filled with tiny details such as overhangs, tunnels and sea stacks seamlessly incorporated into the environment.
Unlike a traditional terrain system, Persson said his team could create an interesting landscape without the need for separate meshes, stretched textures or visible seams. "A truly next-gen terrain system will be a differentiating factor for us," he quipped.
Just Cause 3 will have a grand open world that looks good even close up
But it isn't just a matter of using all your resources at once. Persson explained that the Avalanche engine uses an extensive Level-Of-Detail system that optimizes the amount of detail render objects depending on their distance from the player.
"So for instance for vegetation, close up you will see individual trees and bushes as highly detailed models," Persson said. "[These] also react to the weather and can be interacted with by the player, or even destroyed."
"A little bit further away we will drop detail, but you are unlikely to notice unless you know exactly what to look for," he said. "Eventually we batch trees together, and further off they become 2D billboards, and really far it really just a textured carpet giving the impression of a forest."
Beyond vegetation Persson says their Level-Of-Detail system also manages character models and AI, strongholds in the world and even the weather. In essence best overall visual quality with the given computational power and memory available in the users' systems.
"We can't have the entire world simulating at once, so we need to be a bit smarter about it and use our available power where it matters the most," he expounded.
Indirect console benefits
Indirectly, the new Xbox One and PS4 consoles might be the biggest relief for Avalanche Studio's workload. Rather than having to develop Just Cause 3 and Mad Max for three different architectures, Persson said his team can focus on programing one PC version and scale it accordingly for everything from a fully loaded gaming PC or laptop to the architecturally-similar Xbox One and PS4.
"Before, we had two consoles with two very different GPUs, with very different performance characteristics and feature sets," he said. On the CPU front things were especially disparate with the Xbox 360 and PS3 running a PowerPC platform while PC's were of course built with an x86 processor.
"Fast forward to this generation. Both consoles are using a fairly standard GPU that's also quite commonly found in gaming PCs," he said. "The overall performance of the consoles are the same, so any optimization we do will likely benefit all platforms, unlike in the past were a change could speed up one console but slow down the other."
Lay waste to the wasteland
Burning up
On the purely PC side, this also frees up Persson to focus on making Just Cause 3 and Mad Max the best games they can be. "In the past, the PC suffered for being more powerful than we could necessarily take advantage of," Persson explained. "As long as we needed to support much less capable consoles there was always a problem of finding meaningful things we could spend the spare cycles of the PC on."
The Avalanche Studios team expects this will be a much smaller problem now. Memory-wise, the consoles meet the standards of a typical gaming PC and even exceed a large number of PC systems. What's more, the graphics cards inside the consoles can keep fairly on pace with mainstream systems.
"Since the GPUs are the same basic architecture," he began. "It's easier to tune algorithms, and the performance differences only means we need to be able to scale the work a little according to each platform's power."
"There are, of course, high-end GPUs [on PC] that are far more powerful, [so] there's definitely still room for us to come up with interesting extras to spice up PC versions of our games."
Final Fantasy is the first look at PC gaming with DirectX 12 and Windows 10
See more PC news

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home » Art & Culture » Flowers Bank Residents Learn Drum-Making…
Flowers Bank Residents Learn Drum-Making…
Flowers Bank is a remote village located in the Belize River Valley; while small it is rich with history and culture. Earlier today, we headed to the village for the close of a program that sought to preserve the richness of the village's cultural heritage. Drum making is an integral part of community life; Duane Moody and Chelsea Wagner got into the groove and learnt a thing or two about the sambai.
Chelsea Wagner, Reporting
A three-week initiative by the Institute for Social and Cultural Research to preserve the cultural heritage of the Creole population in Belize concluded today. It featured storytelling and drum making in the remote and historic village of Flowers Bank. The purpose of the program was to instill cultural values and folklore that are at risk of being lost.
Giovanni Pinelo
Giovanni Pinelo, Institute for Social and Cultural Research
"We have children ranging from eight to sixteen. The ideal situation would have been to have more and those who would have a background in music and for us at ISCR, at NICH, we find that it doesn't matter; as long as the community wants to work along, we are willing to come in and assist in whatever way possible."
Various instructors were brought in to facilitate the program. Emmeth Young, one of Belize's expert Creole drum-makers and players guided the children. Young taught them about the various types of drums including the Gimbei to the Segundo and the Sambai.
Emmeth Young
Emmeth Young, Instructor
"They asked me to pre-make the drum and after I finish pre-make the drum, we set them up together: finish sanding them up, do the rings, lacing them up and then put on the head which we call the crown of the drum."
Chelsea Wagner
"What was your experience like with the children getting them familiar with the drums?"
"Well because they didn't know nothing about the drums, it was a good experience for them and also for me because as I am teaching them, I am learning as well how to better work with the youths as I go along."
Kelsey Robinson
Kelsey Robinson, Participant
"I liked it most because it was a new experience into the village."
"What did you learn from the summer camp, anything that was like a significant experience for you?"
"I learned new rhythms and I learned how to play the drums well."
Chad Flowers
Chad Flowers, Participant
"I learn how to play drums that Mister Emmeth thought us, how to move out hands and to beat drums at the correct mood."
"Was this something you always liked, playing the drums?"
"Yes ma'am."
Music and folklore stories are at the heart of community life; one of the eldest residents of Flowers Bank, Egbert Robinson taught the youths the popular story of Anansi and Tiger.
Egbert Robinson
Egbert Robinson, Storyteller
"To make them happy and know about old time things."
"Now Mister Egbert would you say that knowing all of this about this village and knowing all these stories…that it is being lost by this generation?"
"Well if the older heads don't keep it up, the younger ones wouldn't know. So that is the beauty of the thing."
Clinton Rhaburn
The village of Flowers Bank is one of the oldest communities in Rural Belize District. It currently has a population of one hundred and forty five residents including children and adults. But while employment is relatively poor, the village is rich in cultural heritage. This project, according to Village Chairman, Clinton Rhaburn, helps with the move to attract tourists to the village.
Clinton Rhaburn, Chairman, Flowers Bank Village
"We are trying to put together a packet in the community to see if we can bring in tourist to the community. We have almost completed our trails, we have a small museum in the center, we have a landing raft at the riverside and this is our park which we are hoping to improve on it so that whenever people come in, they have where to relax and spend hours with us. So this is just a beginning for this community. We are trying hard to see if we can put this community on the map."
The program, which was funded through a grant from Central American Integration System, SICA, is part of a larger regional initiative to safeguard tangible and intangible cultural skills.
"Reporting for News Five from Flowers Bank, I am Chelsea Wagner."
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Cool Globes Project Artist's works illustrate 'what is inside of us'
Local artist Ann Bingham Freeman is part of 'The Cool Globe Exhibit'
Redlands News Mirror, April 24, 2009
Local Yucaipa artist, Ann Bingham-Freeman, creates powerful artwork that is impressive and far reaching. Working in response to the "gesture" her art strips away the superficial and reveals the core of the authentic self.
Prolific in a variety of media, her sculpture is now in the Ink and Clay 35 exhibition at Cal Poly Pomona, and her new line of bronze sculptures of animals premiered at the Redlands Mini show.
"I am surrounded by animals, and have a close connection to the earth," she writes from her property which is home to a variety of animal life including dogs, chickens, and llamas that are as an integral part of her family as her husband, daughters and two feisty grandchildren who round out her household.
"I draw and paint from the nude figure and the world around me. My work is earthy, experimental, always concerned with good draughtsmanship and proper use of materials." Besides the bronzes, Bingham-Freeman welds wild sculpture concerned with myths and important issues in her life making sure that women are heard as authentic individuals. Creative visualization nurtures the spirit and is the heart of her work.
Collaborating with two renowned Chicago artists, Andrea Harris and Sandie Bacon, their love of the environment and passion for art combined in a new five foot "Cool Globe," one of 50 painted fiberglass sculptures that illustrate a vital message on solutions to global warming.
The vivid portrayal of the earth's environment is featured on "Our Reigning Forests: Preserving the Earth's Ecosystems."
Bingham-Freeman's sculptural animals, Bacons' vivid wildlife and Harris' mysterious forests together with charts of the forest levels teach about the need to protect these habitats from losing biodiversity and deforestation.
The Cool Globes exhibit premiered in Los Angeles on Earth Day in Exposition Park. This exhibit started in Chicago in the summer of 2007, and has traveled to Washington D.C. Botanical Gardens, San Francisco, and San Diego and will travel in the fall to Houston and London. Smaller exhibits and the "mini globe" exhibit have been featured at the Sundance Film festival, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the United nations. The message that climate change is occurring and we can make an impact is being heard.
Andrea Harris is an expressionist artist who exhibits widely. Instrumental in the environmental art movement, she is a co-founder of the Global alliance of Artists. Sandra Bacon is a prominent muralist and painter, and a fellow graduate of Johnston College at the University of Redlands.
Redlands News Mirror, Entertainment
Tagged with → Ann Bingham • Cool Globes


Being a top-tier athlete is nothing to underestimate. Being a top-level athlete while living with a disability? That's inspiring on a whole other level.
Paralympic athletes, or those who have competed in the Paralympic games, have a myriad of physical, intellectual, or visual impairments, and a whole lot of persistence.
Looking to get inspired? Many of these athletes chronicle their lives on Instagram, including daily practices, family time, and competition prep. Come along for the ride and check out these Paralympians with accounts that inspire.
Australian Paralympian racer, motivational speaker, and mom Kelly Cartwright has a large following on Instagram. She fills her 'gram daily with posts of workouts, babies, home life, and everything in between. Cartwright, whose leg was amputated due to an aggressive form of cancer in her right knee when she was 15, turned pain into triumph by learning to run on her prosthetic leg. Be sure to follow her incredible and inspiring story.
Another Aussie Paralympian racer, Kurt Fearnley is a three-time gold medalist who has won the New York, London, and Chicago marathons. He was born without the lower portion of his spine and started racing at age 14. He published his biography, "Pushing the Limits," in 2014. Online, he motivates his followers with photos of his speaking engagements, fellow competitors, and more.
Athlete, singer-songwriter, and motivational speaker Lex Gillette is a Paralympic track and field world champion and world record holder in the long jump. He has persevered despite two detached retinas having left him blind since childhood. His motto, "No need for sight when you have a vision," speaks for itself. His sense of humor also shines through on his page.
Tatyana McFadden has 17 Paralympic medals. She was born with spina bifida and spent the first six years of her life in a Russian orphanage. She was adopted by then-Commissioner of Disabilities for the U.S. Department of Health, Deborah McFadden. She has since become a world-class competitor and has won 16 major marathons. When she isn't racing, she keeps busy in other ways. McFadden is a national advocate for equal access for people with disabilities, a lifetime member of the Girls Scouts, and a member of the Board of Directors of Spina Bifida of Illinois. On top of that, she speaks to children and adults about healthy living. You go, lady!
Alpine skiing, basketball, and sprint kayaking Paralympic athlete Alana Nichols is a three-time gold medalist. She transitioned to adaptive sports at the age of 17 when a snowboarding accident injured her spinal cord. She's an advocate for sporting opportunities for girls and women and is a self-proclaimed "adventurer," proven by her Instagram posts that are sure to inspire.


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Only 9% of the 1,000 international companies working in Russia that promised to leave have actually done so. The vast majority of those that chose to stay are German. / bne IntelliNews
By bne IntelliNews January 22, 2023
Only one in ten of the major Western companies that promised to pull out of Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine have actually left, according to study by professor Simon Evenett, from the University of St. Gallen, and professor Niccolò Pisani, from the International Institute for Management Development. The vast majority of those choosing to stay are German.
Germany always had more companies registered in Russia than its European peers: according to one study German had some 10,000 registered entities – ten times more than its next nearest EU peers, France and Italy.
As previously reported by bne IntelliNews, less than 5% of German companies have decided to leave Russia, a fact confirmed by the new study that reports the "vast majority" of European firms still in Russia are German.
Of two-thirds of the companies the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce surveyed last summer over their intensions, only 4% announced they were leaving the Russian market completely. The rest plan to continue, RBC was told by the Russian-German Foreign Trade Chamber (VTP) at the time.
The new study found less than 9% of about 1,400 EU and G7 companies that had subsidiaries in Russia before Moscow invaded Ukraine had divested at least one subsidiary in the country by November 2022.
The study contradicts a widely cited study by Yale last year that claimed over 1,000 Western firms that were responsible for generating the equivalent of 40% of Russia's GDP had pulled out.
As bne IntelliNews reported, the Yale report was over optimistic about the effects that Western sanctions would have on Russia's economy, but it seems that after almost a year of war, the threat of sanctions has had an even smaller impact on Western companies' willingness to do business in Russia than previously reported.
By the end of August another study from the Moral Rating Agency found that 28% of Western firms had pulled out. But many international corporations, particularly Chinese companies, have continued to operate in Russia as normal, or have even increased their exposure. And the majority have failed to denounce Russia's war with Ukraine, the Moral Ratings Agency found; Of the 200 largest companies globally, 122 operate in Russia. Only 28% of those companies have denounced the war unequivocally, while 35% have remained silent and 28% have issued "mealy-mouthed" statements.
There has been much confusion over exactly what counts as "pulling out", as many companies said they would suspend operations, but few have completed the paperwork to actually close these down.
Three quarters (77.6%) of the 1,382 foreign companies registered in Russia are still operating, said Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the parliament's lower chamber, the State Duma, in a post on Telegram on August 9. Volodin's estimate is based on counting only those companies that have actually full exited but not those that have simply suspended operations.
Because of the confusion Yale was forced to amend its methodology and introduced a graded system from A to F, where F is fully exited.
According to Yale's F-grade a total of 293 from the 1,000 are still conducting business as usual as of the middle of last year. The largest group is the B-grade, where 501 companies have suspended all operations but have kept the option of restarting their businesses again if things return to normal. And finally, there are 310 A-grade foreign companies that have actually closed their business and withdrawn or are in the process of selling.
Another study, by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), paints an even bleaker picture. The institute found that out of a total of 2,407 companies it is tracking 782 were continuing business as usual, 172 had just paused investments, 298 were scaling operations back, 716 had suspended operations, 393 say they are withdrawing from Russia, but only 46 had completed their exit – an even smaller share than that of the recent study by the two professors.
"These findings call into question the willingness of Western firms to decouple from economies their governments now deem to be geopolitical rivals," the study's authors say in a statement.
Even amongst US-based companies in Russia less than a fifth (under 18%) have left, whereas 8.3% of EU companies and 15% of Japanese companies have shut up shop.
Amongst those that have ignored pressures to exit Russia include: consumer goods giant Unilever, US fast food franchise Subway and Italian pasta-maker Barilla, which have continued to operate in the country. Other companies have curtailed but not completely halted their operations: BMW is not making cars in Russia anymore but it is still importing parts and honouring its service contracts for existing customers.
#Rexit #Russia #Ukraine #sanctions #RussiaUkraineWar
The Belarusian Investigative Centre (BIC) continues to unravel corruption and sanctions avoidance schemes by Belarusian businessmen. This time, they show how a Belarusian businessman continues to operate in Germany despite EU sanctions.
Poland leading the effort to get the tanks delivered to Ukraine may give the ruling PiS extra clout in an election year.
Moscow is driving forward its energy ambitions in Central Asia as it seeks new markets for gas that Europe now shuns.
Ministers say legislation will end much social media harassment. Critics reject that explanation. Say country's young, fragile democracy will be hurt.
Russia is preparing for spring mass mobilisation
The Russian government appears to be preparing for a second wave of mass mobilisation with a series of changes to the laws to increase the pool of eligible candidates for conscription by a third, pointing to a new mobilisation in the spring.


In the early days of GDPR, having updated the documents above we are ensuring all paper records our destroyed. Whilst everyone is getting worked up about internet stuff, many have records lurking in cupboards, drawers, etc. Historically we collected peoples details when they came to meetings – no more!
If someone is identifiable in a photograph or video, that is also Personal Data. Ironically little mention is made of photographs in discussions and debates about GDPR.
At events we have sometimes taken photographs of members of the public taking part in actions in a variety of ways – such as signing cards or posing with a "selfie" frame. We have never, and never will, take photographs without the consent of those in them. Whilst we have not historically taken written consent, we have felt that by posing for a photograph consent is implied. We have always taken photographs within or adjacent to a stall, when it is clear that we are promoting the work of Amnesty International – and/or the photographer is wearing a distinctive Amnesty International tabard.
We do not propose to remove photographs from this website in view of the change to GDPR regulations. However, please let us know if there is a photograph on our site that is identifiable as you, that you wish us to remove. Likewise any photographs we have used from third parties where you think we have infringed copyright – we always try to ensure this is not the case and act in good faith.


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What does Obama plan to do through executive order after the midterm elections?
10/23/2014 Wintery Knight	Leave a comment
Three things, and here they are in this Washington Times editorial.
The first roundhouse swing: Unless we could quarantine the White House, Mr. Obama's amnesty announcement will sucker punch millions of Americans who could lose jobs to millions of illegal immigrants. Immigration officials already are advertising to purchase up to 39 million plastic ID cards over the next five years. These are to be Employment Authorization Documentation (EAD) cards, two-year work permits like those given by Mr. Obama to over 800,00 "Dreamers." Also, Permanent Residency Cards (PRC, often called green cards). Typically, they are good for 10 years.
The solicitation says the base number needed is 4 million cards a year, plus possible "surges" of an extra 5 million ID cards in 2015, 5-million in 2016, 3 million in 2017, 2 million in 2018 and 3 million in 2019. Each is to have embedded RFID chips and holographic images.
Punch No. 2 is more scary news about Obamacare. Next year's rates should have been revealed Oct. 1st, but that was purposefully delayed until Nov. 14th. Analysts project premiums on the low-cost plans will rise by 14 percent next year. These are high-deductible policies, criticized for requiring a $6,000 deductible to be paid before insurance kicks in. Investors Business Daily reports an expected 64 percent jump in Seattle, rising from $60 to $98 per month. Other examples: In Providence, R.I., the monthly change would be from $72 to $99 per month; Los Angeles from $88 to $111; New York City from $97 to $114.
This Obamacare wallop is a combination punch. Exemptions for "non-compliant" policies will expire, meaning that people who like their coverage cannot keep it. They'll be knocked down into the Obama mess of high premiums, high deductibles and less choice of doctors. For example, Colorado suffered 22,000 policy cancellations last month alone, with 193,000 more expected in the next year.
Mr. Obama's third strike at Americans' jaws is a massive prison release. Expect 20,000 inmates to receive executive clemency in addition to the 36,000 illegal immigrant convicts set free in 2013. Most will be minorities and that's the heart of the matter. Mr. Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have often complained that minorities are sentenced for too long, especially for drug offenses. The Justice Department announced this "New Clemency Initiative" in April, then invited criminal defense lawyers, public defenders and the ACLU to do the screening for who they think should be turned loose.
They claim that violent offenders will be weeded out. But this administration is notorious for announcing supposedly strict guidelines but failing to follow them.
There's also a major risk because a high number may include those recruited in prison by radical Islamists. Those jihadists focus on black American prisoners who want revenge against supposed injustice. The risk is that another Alton Nolen may be among those put on our streets. Nolen, an Islamist convert, was let out of Oklahoma's prisons early and now is accused of beheading a co-worker in his pursuit of jihad revenge.
Mr. Obama's plans are in place for the one-two-three punch on amnesty, Obamacare and get-out-of-jail-early. The last remaining barrier protecting us from Obama-unchained is his need to protect fellow Democrats on Nov. 4th. That date is like a boxing bell, signaling Mr. Obama to unleash his barrage.
Regarding that third "punch", recall that convicted felons vote OVERWHELMINGLY Democrat. That's why he wants to let them out. We already know that he opposes voter ID verification. Between the release of criminals and the amnesty of criminals, we may never see another roadbock on the road to serfdom ever again in this country.
2014AmnestyBarack ObamaElectionExecutive OrderHealth Care PlanMidtermsObamacarePremiumPrisonPrison Break
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with this Schedule or to take no action in relation to it.
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comply with any directions given under paragraph (b).
(b) the relevant appeal body in relation to the appeal.
35than in accordance with this Schedule.".
(b) handled otherwise than in accordance with this Schedule.
to a direction and control matter.
10with any directions given under paragraph (b).
police is the relevant appeal body in relation to the appeal.
thinks appropriate in relation to the complaint.".
20amended in accordance with this paragraph.
25paragraph (1A) to discontinue the investigation of the complaint.
thinks appropriate for investigating the complaint.".
with respect to an investigation), omit "to the Commission".
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to a direction and control matter.".
the complainant is properly informed.".
(d) in sub-paragraph (b), omit "to".
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(13) In sub-paragraph (13), for "Commission" substitute "relevant appeal body".
functions of the chief officer of police of that force;".
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(ii) 5the appeal has been forwarded.
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established for that police area under section 3 of this Act.
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(b) to submit such a scheme to the Secretary of State for approval.
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Q: Is there an arXiv for Beamer presentations of scientific work? When I give a "Beamer talk" I put in a lot of effort making the slides, and trying to give an efficient presentation of my work. The end product is often around 20 pages of figures, definitions, theorems, ideas, all color coded, and thoughtfully placed in the frame.
After the talk I frequently am asked if my slides will be available, and I might be handed a thumb drive so that I will do the transfer right then. Because of this, I usually post my slides on my personal website.
So, given all the extra work that goes into making this document that will accompany my public presentation of my work, I wonder two things.

*

*Does there exist a Beamer arXiv? Is there a place to add the Beamer file to the arXiv?

*Is there a journal that publishes slide presentations? If not, why not?
Doesn't it seem like we should create a journal-like entity to publish and promote the work we are already doing? It could be something of a "Scientific American" for Mathematics.

A: Slideshare.net is your friend.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


With the discount code blackfriday2018 you get 15% discount off on our stroopwafels.
This offer ends on 11/26/2018 at 11:59 PM or while stock lasts.
Code is only valid at stroopwafels.com.
Discount code can not be applied to previously placed orders or to orders placed after the expiration date.
Discount code is not valid for wholesale accounts.
Discount code is not valid for delayed deliveries.
We reserve the right to cancel any order due unauthorized, altered or ineligble use of offer and to modify or cancel any promotion due to system error or unforeseen problems. Ongoing offers are subject to change without notice. Other restricions may apply.


One of these could well be found on a warship or sub.
Looks like a submarine on life support. Sorry, Buck made me do it!
Not an expansion trap, and not a condenser.
And not all of these things look the same.
You were closer before .
It could be considered a separator, but not of steam.


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Alina Selyukh
Stephen Voss / NPR
Alina Selyukh is a business correspondent at NPR, where she follows the path of the retail and tech industries, tracking how America's biggest companies are influencing the way we spend our time, money, and energy.
Before joining NPR in October 2015, Selyukh spent five years at Reuters, where she covered tech, telecom and cybersecurity policy, campaign finance during the 2012 election cycle, health care policy and the Food and Drug Administration, and a bit of financial markets and IPOs.
Selyukh began her career in journalism at age 13, freelancing for a local television station and several newspapers in her home town of Samara in Russia. She has since reported for CNN in Moscow, ABC News in Nebraska, and NationalJournal.com in Washington, D.C. At her alma mater, Selyukh also helped in the production of a documentary for NET Television, Nebraska's PBS station.
She received a bachelor's degree in broadcasting, news-editorial and political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Biden To Call For Raising Federal Minimum Wage To $15 An Hour
By Alina Selyukh • Jan 15, 2021
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Amazon Warehouse Workers To Decide Whether To Form Company's 1st U.S. Union
Some 6,000 workers at Amazon's warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., will begin voting next month on a groundbreaking possibility: the first union in the company's U.S. history.
Retail Spending Dips For 3rd Straight Month As Infections Surge
Updated at 12:30 p.m. ET
Restaurants and bars are reeling from persistent spikes of coronavirus cases and related restrictions in their communities, driving retail spending in December down for the third month in a row.
Amazon Says Parler Systematically Unwilling To Remove Violent Content
Before Amazon took down Parler, the messaging app favored by far-right activists, Amazon says it flagged dozens of instance of violent and hateful posts that Parler "systematically failed" to remove.
The two companies are facing off in court after Amazon's decision to stop hosting Parler took the website offline on Monday. Parler remained unavailable on Wednesday morning. Its app was also blocked by Google and Apple.
Google Workers Launch Union To Press Grievances With Executives
By Alina Selyukh • Jan 4, 2021
More than 200 engineers and other workers have formed a union at Google, a breakthrough in labor organizing in Silicon Valley where workers have clashed with executives over workplace culture, diversity and ethics.
Across half a dozen Google offices in the U.S. and Canada, 226 workers signed cards to form the Alphabet Workers Union, the group said on Monday. They are supported by the Communications Workers of America, which represents workers in telecommunications and media.
After Shopping And Shipping Crush Come Record Returns
By Alina Selyukh • Dec 30, 2020
For Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me ... Hand Sanitizer, Because It's 2020
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... hand sanitizer, a spray can of Lysol, a big box of TP and a cleaning gizmo for keys and phones.
All year, cleaning products have been flying off the shelves — now, they're flying straight into Christmas stockings and wrapping paper. Holiday-season sales of sanitizing wipes and sprays have doubled this year, according to Nielsen. Sales of hand sanitizer have more than quadrupled.
Amazon Warehouse Workers In Alabama Plan Vote On 1st U.S. Union
Updated at 2 pm E.T.
Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse are getting closer to holding a vote on whether to form the first U.S. union at one of America's largest employers — a groundbreaking possibility closely watched by the company's ballooning workforce.
U.S. Retail Spending Declined The Most Since Historic Plunge In April
Updated at 11:11 a.m. ET
U.S. retail spending declined the most since a historic plunge in April as new coronavirus surges restricted outings to stores and restaurants.
Retail sales dipped 1.1% in November compared with a month earlier, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.
However, retail spending — excluding food service — was still up 7.1% when compared with a year earlier, in part thanks to record-setting Black Friday and Cyber Monday online shopping sprees.
Paycheck-To-Paycheck Nation: Why Even Americans With Higher Income Struggle With Bills
A house. Two cars. A kid in college. Debi and Nick Lemieur had all the markers of a middle class life. But they both remember one purchase — Nick's $600 bass amplifier — that prompted one of the biggest fights in their four decades of marriage.
"He didn't tell me he hid it in the trunk of the car, and I found it," Debi says, laughing, 14 years later. "To me it was like, oh my God, how much will this screw with our budget?"
U.S. Shoppers Might Spend $13 Million Per Minute During Cyber Monday Peak
By Alina Selyukh • Nov 30, 2020
U.S. shoppers are on track to spend more than $755 billion during the holiday shopping season in what's expected to be a new sales record despite the coronavirus recession.
In fact, this year's Cyber Monday promises to become the largest online sales day in history. During the peak hour of 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific time, shoppers could spend $13 million per minute, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks online spending.
Restaurants Reinvent Themselves For Thanksgiving And Beyond: 'You Just Pivot'
Yuko Watanabe had to learn a lot of plant names. She lists them with as much confidence as she does her extensive soup menu. Calathea, pothos, Swedish ivy, song of India.
For over a decade, her Yuko Kitchen has fed Los Angeles Japanese comfort food — something like your friend's mom might cook for you after the school, Watanabe says. But this pandemic spring, when streets emptied and her phones grew quiet, a mini-jungle took over the chairs and tables, her cafes pivoting to sell nourishment both for the body and the soul.
Amazon Warehouse Workers In Alabama Petition To Unionize
Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Ala., have notified federal labor authorities of their plans to hold a unionization vote, teeing up a potentially groundbreaking labor battle at the retail giant known for its opposition to unionizing.
A filing, posted by the National Labor Relations Board, says Amazon workers at the fulfillment center outside of Birmingham want to form a bargaining unit of all 1,500 full- and part-time employees at the facility, to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.
Amazon Wants To Sell You Prescription Medications
Amazon has launched a pharmacy business, offering to fill prescriptions for delivery by mail.
The retail giant barging in — its biggest foray into health care yet — reverberated through the industry on Tuesday. Shares of CVS were down about 8% at midday, while Walgreens tumbled 9% and Rite Aid 15%.
Prescription drugs are an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars — and more people have turned to ordering medications by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. Analysts say Amazon's move could particularly affect smaller drugstores.
Shoppers Snap Up Electronics, Aren't Splurging Elsewhere
Updated at 9:13 a.m. ET
Shoppers kept buying electronics and home improvement supplies, but October proved a month when much of the retail world held its breath. Retail sales barely budged, inching up just 0.3% from September, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.
Rebounding from near-collapse in the spring, retail spending has improved since the summer, even topping pre-pandemic levels. In October, overall retail sales were up 5.7% compared with a year earlier.


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Advantages & Disadvantages of Equity Capital
By: Billie Nordmeyer MBA, MA | Reviewed by: Alicia Bodine, Certified Ramsey Solutions Master Financial Coach | Updated July 31, 2019
Equity capital comes with strings attached.
five hundreds image by Valentin Mosichev from Fotolia.com
1. Two Possible Reasons for an Increase in Stockholders' Equity
2. What Causes a Decrease in Owner's Equity?
3. Tax Implications of Financing With Debt Vs. Equity
Business management and the board of directors determine a company's capital structure, which usually consists of both debt and equity capital. Unlike lenders, equity investors receive an equity share in a business in exchange for a financial or other contribution to the company. In some cases, equity capital originates with angel investors, venture capital firms or venture capitalists. In other instances, a company obtains capital from a private equity firm, an institutional investor -- pension funds and insurance companies – or a corporate investor.
Advantage: Fixed Costs Unchanged By Equity Capital
Equity financing has no fixed payment requirements. As a result, the investments do not increase a company's fixed costs or fixed payment burden. In addition, dividends to be paid to equity investors can be deferred and cash can be directed to business opportunities and operating requirements as needed.
Advantage: Collateral-Free Financing
Equity investors do not require a pledge of collateral. Existing business assets remain unencumbered and available to serve as security for loans. In addition, assets purchased with equity capital can be used to secure future long-term debt.
Advantage: Long-Term Financing
Equity investors are focused on future earnings and increasing the value of a business rather than the immediate return on their investment in the form of interest payments or dividends. As a result, businesses can rely on equity capital to finance projects for which the earnings or returns may not occur for some time, if at all.
Advantage: Convenant-Free Financing
A lender is concerned with the repayment of debt. The lender wants to ensure that loan proceeds increase company assets, which generate cash to repay loans. Therefore, lenders establish financial covenants that restrict how loan proceeds are used. Equity investors establish no such covenants; they rely on governance rights to protect their interests.
Disadvantage: Investor Expectations
Neither profits nor business growth nor dividends are guaranteed for equity investors. The returns to equity investors are more uncertain than returns earned by debt holders. As a result, equity investors anticipate a higher return on their investment than that received by lenders.
Disadvantage: Business Form Requirements
Legal restrictions govern the use of equity financing and the structure of the financing transactions. In fact, equity investors have financial rights, including a claim to distributed dividends and proceeds from the sale of the company in which they invest. The equity investors also have governance rights pertaining to the board of directors election and approval of major business decisions. These rights dilute the ownership and control of a company and increase the oversight of management decisions.
Disadvantage: Financial Returns Distribution
Each investor in a company has a right to the cash flow generated by the business after all other claims are paid. If the business is sold, the owners share cash equal to the net proceeds of the business if a gain occurs on the sale. The investors' net return is equal to the net proceeds of the sale less the cash they invested in the business. The legal restrictions that govern the use of equity financing determine the return received by an individual investor.
Bright Hub: Advantages of Equity Financing
The Hartford: Advantages Vs. Disadvantages of Equity Financing
Billie Nordmeyer works as a consultant advising small businesses and Fortune 500 companies on performance improvement initiatives, as well as SAP software selection and implementation. During her career, she has published business and technology-based articles and texts. Nordmeyer holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting, a Master of Arts in international management and a Master of Business Administration in finance.
Profit Share Vs. Equity Share
Debt Financing Vs. Share Financing
Is Stockholders' Equity & Owners' Equity the Same?
How Is an Equity Account Different From a Regular Bank Checking Account?
Objectives of Credit Risk Management
Negative Leverage Ratio
Equity Vs. Fixed Income Investments
How to Determine the Required Rate of Return for Equity


Last week we celebrated the 242nd birthday of our Constitutional Republic. I would like to suggest that Americans should NOT celebrate the "Fourth of July," since this is just a day on a calendar. Rather, Americans SHOULD celebrate "Independence Day" and their blessed heritage of "liberty under law," which resulted from the courageous actions of our founding fathers.
Recalling and celebrating these firmly held beliefs is the essence of our American heritage and the occasion to pass on the "blessings of liberty" to the next generation.


Baldovino is located in the historic center of Florence right off of Piazza Santa Croce. Baldovino is a great success of Florentine cuisine which was established in 1996 by a Scotsman David Gardner. The interior has been renovated and now welcomes a whole new clientale. The cuisine combines the Florentine recipes with Tuscan style. The pizzas are served with unique combinations and with fresh ingredients to entice the palate. Today they also serve breakfast at their next door bar Cafe Baldobar. They serve also lunch and dinner and on the weekends it is usually a packed crowd. Be sure to call ahead and reserve. A great stop for a delicious pizza and an Italian espresso.


Today we seem to be full of fantastic fantasy type of ideas.
We are now introducing the Gryphon or Griffon. The Griffon is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion the head and wings of an eagle and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceraptors found in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present-day southeastern Kazahkstan, or in Mongolia. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine.


text:
Call reception
ian.mckenzie@machmed.co.uk
ENG1
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About Dr Mckenzie
I joined the Royal Air Force in 1983, after completing my medical training in Auckland, New Zealand. I acquired my knowledge and experience in Aviation Medicine serving at the RAF Aviation Medicine Training Centre at North Luffenham, the Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough in Hampshire where I was awarded a PhD in physiology from Imperial College.
This was followed by a posting with the Armstrong Laboratory at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas working as an exchange officer for the USAF. During this time I was appointed as a consultant in Aviation Medicine to the Royal Air Force. I returned to the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine in 1993 as the Head of the Biomechanics Division.
General Practice and Pharmacuticals
I returned to General Practice in 1994, initially at RAF Hospital Wegberg and then after retiring from the RAF, in Boston, Lincolnshire. I obtained the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners on completion of this training but elected to spend eight years in the pharmaceutical industry working for Pfizer before returning to General Practice where I am now the Managing Partner at Pencester Surgery in Dover.
I started learning to fly in New Zealand when I was 16. My first aircraft was a share in a Piper Cub. I then rebuilt a Taylor Monoplane and flew this before moving to the UK. Shortly after arriving in the UK I purchased a Tipsy Nipper using it to compete in British Aerobatic Association competitions. While in the USA I brought a Pitts Special S1S which I then imported back to the UK. I am currently a member of one aircraft group flying an Extra 400 and an active pilot and member of the Lydd Aeroclub. I have recently completed an instrument rating.
Mach Med
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Pencester Surgery, 10 Pencester Road
Dover, Kent CT16 1BW
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Hi I'm new to the community trying to figure out how to post a pic. My name is Cody and I'm quite new to this hobby. Been running a 55g for 11 months now.
Name is Russell, live in west El Paso, and totally new to the world of saltwater aquariums. I'm about to begin a 90 gallon build. Just ordered a 90g pre-drilled tank (should have it any day now). Been trolling the forum for a little bit now and thought it was time to start interacting.
Heck yeah welcome Russell !!!
How does one become a Member of S.T.A.R.S.? I've been into the hobby for almost 3 years. I gota 55 Gall. Reef tank, A 55 Gall. fish only and working on replacing my 55 fish only, with a 100 Gall. or larger.
Also, I live in Abq. New Mexico.
Last edited by SEEYA7; 08/28/2013 at 06:01 PM. Reason: Forgot to write info.
Just posting makes you a member here ! I ask people to interact, post pics ! HELP OUT OTHERS, join meetings if you can. That is all. WELCOME !!!
Hi my name is Isaac, been a freshwater enthusiast since I was a young boy. I have always wanted to convert to saltwater, finally got the opportunity to do so about a year and a half ago. I'm now managing a 55 gal reef tank with my two boys.
I would like to join the club and attend meeting to get to know each and everyone of you.
Whats sup Brandon! Are you on the eastside?
Thanks hes a baby lol.
and Yea I live far east past Joe battle and all that.
P.S. I'm a noob to the world of forums. Usually just an innocent bystander who reads through threads but decided to give this thing a whirl!
Welcome !!!!! if you guys have any questions don't be shy. You will find great advice here.
I have been lurking here for a while, mosly post over on Nano Reef.....its was reccomended by by a fellow reefer in Ruidoso... what can I say.
I live in Alamogordo, where there are no fish shops....so I make lots of runs to EP, since there are no Saltwater shops in Las Cruces.
I have been in the freshwater hobby most of my life, I have never done a saltwater tank untill May of 2013 when I got a Cardiff 24gallon AIO in EP.
In Sept I started a DIY shallow frag tank, 12 gallons with a 10 gallon sump. I did a DIY sump, stand, light support & moonlight addition to a LED light.
I would love to make it to a meeting some day, but its a bit af a drive...so we will see.


This engine comes as an 4.5 litre, turbo charged, after cooled, 4 cylinder. These diesel units ensure clean rapid starting in all conditions with impressive performance and low operating costs. This diesel motor has been manufactured to comply EU and EPA emissions regulations. Perkins diesel motors are economic with durable operation at prime and standby duties required by the power generation industry.
The DSE7420 is a control module for single gen-set applications. The module incorporates a number of advanced features to meet the most demanding on-site applications. The DSE7420 is an Automatic Start Control Module designed to start and stop diesel and gas generating sets that include electronic and non-electronic engines. The module includes USB, RS232 and RS485 ports as well as dedicated DSENet® terminals for expansion device connectivity. The modules are simple to operate and feature a simple menu layout for improved clarity. Enhanced features include a real time clock for enhanced event and performance monitoring, Ethernet communications for low cost monitoring, dual mutual standby to reduce engine wear and tear, and preventative maintenance features to detect engine part faults prior to a major problem occurring.


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text:
Q: Implementing a custom cursor in Swift that works when the application isn't focused I'm looking for a way to implement a custom cursor or some way to follow the cursor when your application is running but not focused.
Ideally it would actually replace the cursor, but even adding a smaller icon that follows the cursor would be great.
I know it's possible because the screen capture tool does it and I've seen apps like iCursor in the App Store:

But I don't need the animation (or effects), just either a replacement cursor or a smaller icon off to the side.
Any resources or direction would be most helpful. Thanks!


text:
.class Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;
.super Landroid/content/pm/IPackageInstallObserver$Stub;
.source "UpdateAppsReceiver.java"

# annotations
.annotation system Ldalvik/annotation/EnclosingClass;
    value = Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;
.end annotation

.annotation system Ldalvik/annotation/InnerClass;
    accessFlags = 0x2
    name = "PackageInstallObserver"
.end annotation

# instance fields
.field final synthetic this$0:Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;

# direct methods
.method private constructor <init>(Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;)V
    .locals 0

    .prologue
    .line 287
    iput-object p1, p0, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;->this$0:Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;

    invoke-direct {p0}, Landroid/content/pm/IPackageInstallObserver$Stub;-><init>()V

    return-void
.end method

.method synthetic constructor <init>(Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$1;)V
    .locals 0
    .param p1, "x0"    # Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;
    .param p2, "x1"    # Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$1;

    .prologue
    .line 287
    invoke-direct {p0, p1}, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;-><init>(Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;)V

    return-void
.end method

# virtual methods
.method public packageInstalled(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
    .locals 4
    .param p1, "packageName"    # Ljava/lang/String;
    .param p2, "returnCode"    # I

    .prologue
    const/4 v3, 0x1

    .line 289
    if-ne p2, v3, :cond_0

    .line 290
    iget-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;->this$0:Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;

    # getter for: Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->mHandler:Landroid/os/Handler;
    invoke-static {v0}, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->access$900(Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;)Landroid/os/Handler;

    move-result-object v0

    iget-object v1, p0, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;->this$0:Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;

    # getter for: Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->mHandler:Landroid/os/Handler;
    invoke-static {v1}, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->access$900(Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;)Landroid/os/Handler;

    move-result-object v1

    const/16 v2, 0x67

    invoke-virtual {v1, v2}, Landroid/os/Handler;->obtainMessage(I)Landroid/os/Message;

    move-result-object v1

    invoke-virtual {v0, v1}, Landroid/os/Handler;->sendMessage(Landroid/os/Message;)Z

    .line 292
    iget-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;->this$0:Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;

    invoke-virtual {v0, p1, v3}, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->setPackageState(Ljava/lang/String;Z)V

    .line 297
    :goto_0
    return-void

    .line 294
    :cond_0
    iget-object v0, p0, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;->this$0:Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;

    # getter for: Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->mHandler:Landroid/os/Handler;
    invoke-static {v0}, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->access$900(Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;)Landroid/os/Handler;

    move-result-object v0

    iget-object v1, p0, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver$PackageInstallObserver;->this$0:Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;

    # getter for: Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->mHandler:Landroid/os/Handler;
    invoke-static {v1}, Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;->access$900(Lcom/android/server/pm/UpdateAppsReceiver;)Landroid/os/Handler;

    move-result-object v1

    const/16 v2, 0x68

    invoke-static {p2}, Ljava/lang/Integer;->valueOf(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;

    move-result-object v3

    invoke-virtual {v1, v2, v3}, Landroid/os/Handler;->obtainMessage(ILjava/lang/Object;)Landroid/os/Message;

    move-result-object v1

    invoke-virtual {v0, v1}, Landroid/os/Handler;->sendMessage(Landroid/os/Message;)Z

    goto :goto_0
.end method

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Fancy up your Crockpot chicken and make dinner-for-two with these impressive stuffed zucchini rosettes.
Valentine's Day is just 2 days away.
It's the day when love is in the air and couples everywhere enjoy a romantic dinner-for-two at a fancy restaurant.
Me, on the other hand, will be staying home cramming in some romance between kids' carpool and a pile of laundry.
I'm totally cool with that though because the truth is, I really don't need one day to celebrate my love for Bill. He's my Valentine every day. Awwwwww.
I certainly don't disapprove of the holiday, but when it doesn't fall on a weekend, then in reality, it's just business as usual around here.
Sure, we exchange cards, wear some red, and give the kids some chocolates, but a little PDA at a restaurant on a hectic weeknight is just not happening.
So, in an attempt to embrace the chaos of a typical weekday evening with 3 kids on the 14th of February, I have an easy and delicious dinner solution to satisfy everyone in my family.
My Crockpot Italian Chicken takes little effort to make and is ready to eat in shifts. Yes, shifts. Because for this holiday, the kids will eat it first. Plated over pasta or rice or even piled on a bun, they're totally satisfied with this dinner.
Then, step aside kiddies, it's time to set the mood for a special night-in. I'm taking this chicken to the next-level and turning it into something impressive.
The tasty shredded chicken gets piled on thin ribbons of zucchini. A little mozzarella to top it off and then it's rolled up into little rosettes and baked in small casserole dishes.
I'll light some candles, turn over that laundry, pour some wine, heck, maybe I'll even get out of my pajama pants and back into my jeans! It's time for a beautifully presented dinner-for-two.
How could these baked zucchini rosettes not inspire the romantic in you?
It's the perfect amount for a dinner date.
Besides, a homemade meal like this is the real way to my Valentine's heart.
Check out my Seriously Simple Salsa Chicken in the Crockpot for another versatile dish the whole family enjoys.
Are you cooking a special dinner for Valentine's Day?
Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes over the top.
In a small bowl, combine the dressing, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and red pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Pour over the chicken. Top with desired amount of ground pepper and cover.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. When done, shred the chicken with 2 forks, stir, and set to warm.
In an individual casserole dish, spread a spoonful of chicken on the bottom.
Top each zucchini slice with a spoonful of chicken from the crockpot. Top the chicken with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella.
Carefully, roll up the zucchini and place on end into your casserole dish. Continue squeezing in the rolls until packed tight.
Bake covered in foil for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and the ends are starting to brown.
Carefully remove from the oven. Sprinkle with basil ribbons and serve immediately.
The zucchini rosettes can be served in a large casserole dish and then spooned on a plate. Cooking times may need adjusted.
The Crockpot Italian Chicken is so versatile and you'll have plenty of leftovers. It can be enjoyed over pasta or piled on a bun for a sandwich.
So healthy and delish!! I want to make this!!
So happy to hear! Thank you!
This looks divine. I think I will make this with sausage though coz I am just lazy… I love baking stuff so much.
Sausage will be excellent! If you are in a real pinch, you can also try store-bought rotisserie chicken. Pick it apart and mix it with your favorite sauce. It'll be just as tasty!
These look delicious. I'm going to have to try them soon. Thanks!
WOWZA! This looks like a fabulous way to use zucchini! My family of 3 would love this dinner!
Yay! So happy you like it! Thanks for checking it out!
Yum, yum, yum! I'm pinning this for later (like later this week since my mom is coming out to visit and she'd love to try this, too!). Plus, it's gorgeous and seems really easy to make!
Thanks, Jess! It is so easy to whip up, yet so pretty! I make it in a large casserole dish too.
What a delicious, low carb dish! Will definitely add it to my weekly repertoire!
Happy to hear, Amanda! Thanks!
Looks delicious. Kiddos will be fed first in my home too!! Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!
This looks delicious and perfect for Valentine's Day at home!
What a beautiful presentation! It looks amazing. We never go out for Valentine's Day because it is just too crowded.
Thank you! I hear you with the crowd too.
I love zucchini, so I'm happy to find this new recipe. I love how they look like rosettes. Can't wait to try this!
Thanks, Andrea! It is a fun dish!
We've recently gone GF and this looks like a great recipe to try!
Oh, nice! Thanks for checking it out!
This looks super yummy. Genius idea to stuff the chicken inside the zucchini. Never would have thought of that!
Thank you! I love the convenience of having a crockpot chicken all set and turning that into something special.
Oh, these are so beautiful! I'm putting this recipe in for this summer when I have zucchini going in the garden. If I find good zucchini at the grocery store – I'm enjoying it even sooner!
I can't wait to have this dish with summer zucchini and squash!


The City of Makati is the major technological, commercial, and economic hub in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is often referred to as the financial capital of the country since many multinationals opt to buy commercial space, lease an entire floor, or even rent a private office within a serviced office. Makati is also home to many influential institutions such as the Makati Business Club, American Chamber of Commerce and various embassies, many located on Ayala Avenue.
Makati is noted for its highly cosmopolitan culture, and it is also a major cultural and entertainment hub in Metro Manila. It is home to many first-class shopping malls, bars, and restaurants, which are located along Ayala Center and Rockwell Center. Makati also boasts the tallest buildings in the Philippines like PBCom Tower and G.T. International Tower and LEED-certified buildings such as the Insular Life Building. The city also has the largest number of PEZA buildings for lease with flexible workspaces and private offices.
The vacancy rate remained tight at 3.0% notwithstanding the completion of NEX Tower and a slower net absorption of 19,500 sq m. The premier business district has had very tight conditions since 2016 that made rents accelerate in 2018. It registered a rental growth of 5.4% YOY in 4Q 2018, bringing average rents to PHP 1,104.0 per sq m/month.
Further contraction in the vacancies is expected in 2019 given the limited supply in the district's pipeline. Rents are still expected to further escalate since contract expirations are forecasted to drive higher bids given the limited availability of office space.
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What challenges do heritage advocates in Slovakia face?
The first (and in my point of view most important) challenge is the problem with the enforcement of the law. The Act on the Protection of Monuments and Historic Sites (No. 49/2002 Coll. as amended) has generally very good wording, a system of competences and has created legal consequences. But due to our legal traditions and sometimes even legal thinking which are remnants of the communist era, we face difficulties with the enforcement of the law. Prosecution and courts sometime have very strange interpretations of the Act. Administrative delicts [legal causes of actions or torts] are usually being solved by Regional Monuments Boards or by the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic, but the most important cases, like the destruction of the 18th century pastorate ("house of the priest") in Žilina, were stopped by the prosecution, under very problematic justification. Another problem is the lack of staff of the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic. Our colleagues usually do their job very well (at least in Slovak conditions), but they don´t have enough people to control the implementation of the decisions in practice out in the field. And Unfortunately, there is sometime political pressure when the interests of somebody important at local or central level are endangered.
What kinds of sites and objects are at risk of looting in Slovakia?
Mainly archaeological sites are targets of looting. In the past, mainly in the 1990´s, churches suffered thefts, with sacred objects stolen to be sold to collectors, mainly abroad. Thanks to the Ministry of Culture all the important churches and church objects have alarm equipment today, but the loss since the 1990´s is irrecoverable. Since this time we also face the problem with treasure hunters, usually using metal detectors. This problem is huge not only in Slovakia or other countries of Central Europe, but also within the rest of Europe. In 2006 or 2007 Slovakia (specifically the Ministry of Interior, with the cooperation of Ministry of Culture) established a specialized police unit especially to police culture crimes. We have trained them (and later also prosecutors), but its future is not certain. We had also some success, as several cases of metal detectorists were already solved by the court. There are different kinds of archaeological sites which are the objects of looting, mainly castle ruins, prehistoric hillforts, open-air sites, Roman camps or graveyards. Due to establishment of better tools to protect (mainly archaeological) cultural heritage we have enacted more strict legal rules, which came into force atSept. 1st, 2011.
Looting is often blamed on a local population who may not conceive of the value of their heritage. I think this argument often can become problematic, as it quickly justifies looting and illegal export. What can you tell us about local attitudes about heritage?
Unfortunatelly, local people usually do not recognize the value of their heritage. But I think the situation is getting better, and there are some campaigns and a general increase of information. This has caused local people to have much more interest in what they have within their villages and towns. Personally, I have lectured for the students not only in the Department of Archaeology, but also in the village I come from for the children within the Lecture of Regional Education. When comparing with the past, local people now inform the police or their mayor on problematic and suspicious metal detectorist´s activities within the cadastre of the municipality. The ministry of Culture has provided a lot of money to the conservation and restoration of the cultural monuments in Slovak towns and villages so people begin to be proud of these monuments. In 2011 Ministry of Culture initiated program of conservation of castle ruins with the help of unemployed people, which is financially covered not only from our budget, but it is supported also by the European Social Fund. Principle stands on our belief that it is good to motivate unemployed people not only to take a money from the state for doing nothin, but to contribute to the preservation of the local monuments. In 2011 pilot program started with 2 castles (Šariš –http://www.hrad.wbl.sk/ and Uhrovec –http://www.uhrovec.sk/index.php?id_menu=45851), and in 2012 the project was broadened up to 20 castles. We presume continuation of the project also in 2013 and probably later. We consider involvement of local people as the most important point in the protection of cultural heritage, because they can help in situ. In my country local people usually do not accept academic attitude – they prefer practical measures.
Can you point to a success story, where an object or site was protected or preserved?
One of the very good points in the conservation is the above-mentioned project of the conservation of the castles with the help of unemployed people. But another special case, based on our long tradition of voluntarism (which is one of characteristic features of Slovak monuments conservation, already since the past) is a project of conservation of the ruins of the monastery of St. Catherine in Dechtice. Young Christian people decided to conserve it in the mid 1990´s and since this time this project became one of the most authentic projects in Slovakia. All the processes and methodology are strictly authentic / medieval. You can find more at www.katarinka.sk, unfortunatelly only in Slovak language, but you can find a lot of short movies there. In the last the year Ministry of Culture supported the effort of the young people, with the help of experts for conservation, archaeology, architecture and other fields. Recently we had some colleagues from Norway here and they were really surprised about the authentic style of the restoration.
Another great point is the identification of a workshop, where fakes of archaeological finds were manufactured. This workshop was identified by our special police team in 2010. We presume that the fakes were put in the black market and sold to collectors of archaeological finds. Very impressive pictures which you can see at http://www.minv.sk/?41&sprava=unikatny-pripad-policia-odhalila-podvody-s-falzifikatmi-archeologickych-nalezov.
I know you are seeking support for your research, in an ideal world what kind of research project would you like to undertake and what do you hope to accomplish?
I believe that cultural heritage belongs to everybody and they should not be owned by the individual, without the access of public. Therefore I would like to compare national approaches to the protection of cultural heritage, especially archaeological finds and archaeological sites. Thank to my professional background – doctor of law and PhD. in archaeology, with experiences in central state administration and at university – I think I can contribute to knowledges and the best practice which should be applied in different regions. Due to the different legal traditions and historical progress of different parts of the world / Europe also the approach must also be different in interest of archaeological heritage protection. I think that the public usually doesn´t recognize real threat connected with looting, becuase the people don´t see the unique objects which were looted. Therefore I would like to continue in my previous work and to compare not only the legal rules (which in some regions are not enforceable in practice), but also practical measures in order to prevent the looting by the work with local public. As the result I want to identify the best practice which should serve as manual for archaeologists, state and municipal administration, museums and potentially for police and prosecution. I would like to connect theoretical presumptions from scientific literature and practical experiences I have.
My grandfather once had a shiny piece of jewelry (I think it was a cubic zirconia pinky ring) which he would describe as a "genuine fake diamond ring". He would say it fast enough that if you weren't listening close you thought he would just say 'genuine'.
Early this year a prominent physician, Arnold Peter C. Weiss, was arrested and charged with dealing in recently looted coins. Last week Weiss pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted criminal possession of the coins. He thought they had been recently excavated. But they were in fact modern forgeries—a predictable consequence of not asking enough questions about the history of these objects before their acquisition. Unlike Charles Stanish, who is heartened by these fakes which don't cause the looting of a site, I think these fakes do pollute our understanding of the past and defraud our collective cultural heritage.
It should be a real page turner. I suspect Matthew Bogdanos, the Manhattan assistant DA had much to do with that writing assignment.
Those coins always looked to me suspect, too fussy and the Akragas looked like it was a copy of another in a published collection, but who am I to question what the US authorities are up to, eh? (back in January, I was asked to keep my suspicions to myself, so did, but glad to see I am not going crazy). Anyway it turns out that those "priceless ancient coins" "weren't worth a wooden nickel".
Indeed, all fifty states have receiving stolen property laws on the books, which can be applied in cases where a person is in criminal possession of stolen cultural property. The states also have "attempt" laws, which would cover a person's attempt to possess stolen cultural property or possession of forged cultural property believed to be authentic. Beyond these statutes, the states maintain consumer protection laws with applicable penalties to guard against the appearance of fraudulent and stolen items in the marketplace. The states also have nonprofit enforcement statutes that may be applied to specific cultural institutions or boards of directors that acquire illegal art, archaeological finds, or ethnological artifacts.
Let's hope so. But the same obstacle to state prosecutions exists for federal prosecutions as well. The trade makes it terribly difficult to gather sufficient evidence to establish wrongdoing in an anonymous trade. Bogdanos has been looking hard for a dodgy antiquities dealer to prosecute since the Baghdad museum looting. He has one now. But Weiss was duped by the under-regulated antiquities trade. Perhaps that notion will cause him to sit down to write his assignment with some real vigor (Peter, if you are reading, I'm happy to read a first draft).
Jack Flam, Break the silence over fakes, The Art Newspaper, April 12, 2012, http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Break-the-silence-over-fakes/26124 .