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James Militzer
Roundup 1/17/15 – Superman, Robin Hood and Stock Trading: Should the U.S. impose a financial transaction tax?
Do you remember the movie Superman III? If not, you're in luck – it was a terrible film. But it did have a rather memorable plot device, in which a down-on-his-luck computer programmer (played by Richard Pryor) embezzles huge sums from his employer's payroll after noticing that the company rounds each paycheck down to the nearest cent. The amounts are so small that nobody initially notices when he diverts them into his own account, accumulating a windfall that soon launches him into a number of implausible, irritating hijinks.
What does all that have to do with global finance? Unbeknownst to many, stock traders in the U.S. and other countries have been using a similar technique to make money. It's called high-frequency trading, and it employs super-fast computers to figure out which stocks investors are in the process of buying, purchase them milliseconds or even fractions of milliseconds in advance, then immediately sell them to the investors who made the original order – at a slightly higher price. Just like in the movie, the amounts involved are imperceptibly small, but due to the volumes of securities involved, they add up to real money. Traders use pepped up computers to process hundreds of thousands of these trades per day, employing high-speed fiber optics and strategic placement of their servers to get a few milliseconds' advantage over their competitors. Though the amounts generated by the high-frequency trading industry are modest by Wall Street standards (though still over $1 billion a year), the trades themselves account for about half of total trading volume in the U.S. (You'll be hearing a lot more about this subject as Michael Lewis's book Flash Boys, which brought high frequency trading to light, is being made into a movie).
It's important to note that this practice is entirely legal, and some analysts consider it beneficial to the overall stock market, in that it makes market prices more accurate and brings greater liquidity. But if the past week's political developments get any traction, this kind of trading will likely come to a screeching halt.
On Monday, U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) proposed a measure that would levy a 0.1 percent tax on Wall Street trades of stocks and derivatives. As with Richard Pryor and the high-frequency traders themselves, the amounts being collected would be too small to significantly alter the economics of a deal. But for traders making thousands of trades per hour, those small amounts would quickly become unsustainable – and over time, they'd add up to a sizeable sum for the government. The combined impact of the tax could generate as much as $800 billion over the next decade, its advocates say. The Democrats propose to return that money to the middle class in the form of tax breaks – along with several hundred billion more, which would come from the proposed cancellation of tax breaks for the very wealthy.
Responses to the proposal were largely predictable: there was immediate criticism from business interests, Republicans and conservative commentators, who insist that a financial transaction tax would make it more expensive for businesses to raise capital, hindering economic growth and failing to raise any net revenue for the government. Their Democratic counterparts disagreed, with prominent Democrats and opinion leaders quickly endorsing the proposal.
But as U.S. politicians and commentators retreat to their ideological corners, it's easy to forget that in the rest of the world, taxes on financial transactions are increasingly common. Over 30 other countries already tax financial transactions to differing degrees, including South Korea, South Africa, India, Hong Kong, the U.K. and Brazil. Advocates, who often refer to it as the Robin Hood Tax, are working to spread it to more. And in Europe, 11 countries are in the advanced stages of negotiations to implement the first regional financial transaction tax. To date, the sky hasn't fallen in any of these countries. Indeed, America itself had a financial transaction tax from 1914 to 1966, and it was far larger, percentage wise, than the one currently under discussion.
If the United States were to impose the tax, many economists believe it would reduce volatility in the financial sector, removing an incentive for traders to chase new bubbles, and driving out those whose primary goal is speculation rather than investment. In an ideal scenario, it might even help popularize the approach – pioneered by UNITAID – of using targeted micro-taxes to help address income inequality and other problems, by taking largely imperceptible amounts of money from society's wealthiest industries and consumers. Going a step further, perhaps the revenue generated could be put to more innovative uses, helping to shape markets that benefit BOTH the poor and industries themselves, as UNITAID has done by lessening risk for the multinational companies that want to supply low-income populations with medicines.
But back in the real world, Van Hollen's proposal isn't likely to go anywhere. Republicans enjoy majorities in both houses of Congress, and even President Obama is apparently opposed to the tax. And even if the proposal were to come up for a vote, it seems likely that a few hundred million in financial industry lobbying would put a quick end to it. So don't hold your breath for a Robin Hood Tax to come to America – in the current environment, it's just too heavy a lift, even for the Man of Steel.
James Militzer is the editor of NextBillion Financial Innovation.
In Case You Missed It … This Week on NextBillion
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CHAI as a Disruptive Market Force (Part 2): Despite successes, challenges remain in getting health commodities to those who most need them
Credit for the People, by the People: Three pathways to smarter financial inclusion
Magnetizing Entrepreneurs, Investors and Mentors: The Inclusive Business Accelerator aspires to be a hub for dealmaking (and much more)
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Peace Through Finance?: How the Middle East Investment Initiative uses financial tools to help a troubled region
Serving SMEs in a Tough Neighborhood: Part two of our Q&A with the CEO and Managing Director of the Middle East Investment Initiative
Should Corporations Promote Development?: When sugary snacks and alcohol are involved, debates of health vs. paternalism abound
Impact Assessment, NextBillion Originals
financial services, governance, government, public policy, regulations, social impact, Weekly Roundup
Friday January 17, 20202020 Will See Mass Market Adoption of Financial Inclusion. Here's Why.
Thursday January 16, 2020Filling the Funding Gap: Two Innovative Ways to Improve Financing Opportunities for Social Impact Entrepreneurs
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Friday January 17, 2020Press Release: Citi Launches $150 Million Impact Investing Fund
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Friday January 17, 2020Brazil's Unicorn FinTech EBANX Pilots Digital Wallet
Thursday January 16, 2020Cash Is Dying, and the Unbanked Are Being Left Behind
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Friday January 24, 2020Webinar: A Virtual Conversation on Decolonizing International Development Aid
Sunday January 26, 2020Deadline: Call for Proposals – Pears Program-IsraAID Pilot Fund
Select Year 2020 (10) 2019 (237) 2018 (253) 2017 (298) 2016 (302) 2015 (415) 2014 (546) 2013 (557) 2012 (418) 2011 (512) 2010 (402) 2009 (305) 2008 (401) 2007 (363) 2006 (355) 2005 (163)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Entertainer of many, many hats Donald Glover — also known as rapper Childish Gambino — recently made an appearance on Late Night with Stephen Colbert, where he talked about his role in comedy-drama Atlanta and the struggles of being a celebrity trying to buy ice cream incognito at Whole Foods.
The 34-year-old actor-producer was also prompted about fellow Georgian Charity Joy, who went viral in late February for rapping about Girl Scout cookies to the tune of his song "Redbone." The video, posted to Facebook by dad Seymore Harrison Jr., has over 4.5 million views and has helped the first grader sell 5,000 boxes of Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and Samoas in record time.
But Glover wanted cookies, too.
"I would actually really like to buy some from her," he told Colbert, who then announced that the 6-year-old was actually in the studio. And when she came on stage with her father, she wasted no time handing Glover a Girl Scout cookie order form.
"Well, this says 'My cookie goal is 113.' You know what? I'll take them all," he declared, offering the studio audience a share of his purchase.
"Obviously Thin Mints," he added. Charity agreed, noting those were her favorite flavor too.
If you, like Donald Glover, also have 113 boxes of Thin Mints, you may want to look into these 11 recipes to use up leftover Girl Scout cookies to ensure each delicious bite is consumed before its expiration date.


Dr. Anthony Adili, MD, practices Orthopedics in Rochester, MN at Mayo Health System. Dr. Adili received his medical degree from McMaster University.
DrScore strives to maintain current information on US doctors. Please let us know about any inaccuracies with our profile of Dr. Anthony Adili. Some information about Dr. Anthony Adili provided by Vitals.com.
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O Condado de Clay é um dos 55 condados do estado norte-americano da Virgínia Ocidental. A sede do condado é Clay, que é também a sua maior cidade. O condado tem uma área de 891 km² (dos quais 3 km² estão cobertos por água), uma população de  habitantes, e uma densidade populacional de 12 hab/km² (segundo o censo nacional de 2000). O condado foi fundado em 1858 e recebeu o seu nome em homenagem ao político Henry Clay (1777-1852), Senador e Secretário de Estado dos Estados Unidos.

Clay

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
josedepierola
The Writer and the Mirror
Hemingway writing in Paris
Gide, who used to keep a careful journal of his literary projects, writes in 1893 about one of his petty idiosyncrasies as a writer. He has installed a full-figure mirror in across his desk so he can glance at himself after writing each sentence. In his own words, his reflection "listened and spoke" to him, "kept [him] company" and "encouraged" him. Gide's strange habit should not be understood as a form of narcissism. Quite the contrary. He was documenting, avant la lettre, a concern that would haunt many twentieth-century writers.
Lacan advanced the theory that the "mirror state" is the period when infants recognize their reflection for the first time, thus beginning the construction of the ego. This process, which goes from the sixth to eighteenth month, is crucial to prepare children to be subjects of regulations imposed upon them by the external world (the symbolic order). Some critics such as Jenijoy La Belle argue that Lacan forgets that, in addition, this process creates a permanent break with the world around us, so that, from that moment on, we become conscious of our fundamental loneliness. No matter how much we might agree with them, every time we look at ourselves in the mirror, our reflexion feeds the mental process that we identify as the "I" when we speak, think, feel or dream.
It is possible that Gide was not the first writer working in front of a mirror. In fact, it is quite possible that many, from Cervantes to Flaubert, have done the same. Nevertheless, it is quite surprising that around the time when others were concerned with the construction of the self, Gide would be concerned with the opposite process: the splitting of the self that happens every time a writer sits down to work. Even more. It seems to suggest that writing can only happen when such a split happens.
Ernest Hemingway, who wasn't precisely conspicuous about his creative process, never mentions the issue in A Moveable Feast where he chronicles even his smallest habits. He writes, for instance, about the tangerines he used to eat between pages, or his walks along the streets of Paris, but never about the role mirrors played in his writing process. He was not, of course, under any obligation of being thorough. Nevertheless, there is proof that he, at least on that particular aspect, was following Gide's footsteps.
In a grainy photograph in black and white, Hemingway, perhaps in his late fifties, is revising a paragraph he has just written. The paper is still rolled in the typewriter, and he, perhaps in an unconscious gesture, grazes his short beard while pondering—perhaps activating his famous "garbage detector"—whether he should keep it or not. The photograph shows also a full figure mirror just across the desk. Like Gide, he probably glanced at himself in the mirror once in a while, but every time he did so, exactly as Gide, he was not writing anymore. In fact, not Hemingway nor Gide could see themselves in the act of writing. Every time they raised their gaze, t,mhe person at the other side wasn't the writer anymore, but the person—the Gide that fled to London with his lover, the Hemingway that ran ahead of the bulls in Pamplona—in the act of looking at himself.
It is not clear whether Borges, who was fond of mirrors and labyrinths, wrote in front of a mirror. Considering the diminishing eyesight of his latter years it is quite possible that, at least in that period, he didn't. Nonetheless, Borges manages to express in his concise style the same concern that used to assail Gide. In "Borges and I" he writes: "It is to the other one… to whom things happen." The piece seems to imply that the other is the writer. Citing Spinoza, Borges writes that it will be the other that has a chance to be remembered because he is destined to vanish forever. But leaving things so clearly distinguished wouldn't be Borgesian enough. Close to the end of that piece he asks himself who is writing that particular text. Leaving us unsettled, and, in a postmodernist fashion, unsure about who is Borges and who is the I.
José Saramago, who also had a keen postmodern register in his writings, also followed the tradition of the writer in the mirror. In "Letter from José to José" he writes: "From this side of the table or from the mirror, you follow the upside down words." The poem adds a simple but powerful observation. When writers looks at themselves in the mirror they are not really looking at themselves, but rather to a flipped, and therefore, inaccurate image of themselves. Saramago's comment reminds us that, even if the split happens, it is not in the power of the writer to witness it.
Perhaps the writer who has best addressed Gide's concern is Joyce Carol Oates. In "JCO and I (after Borges)" she turns the original text on its head. "In fact, it is to the other," she writes, "to whom nothing ever happens." Unlike Borges, who blurs the line between the biological person and the writer, the public persona and the private human being, Oates embraces the split. The other is the Oates in the process of writing. The key word seems to be "process." Because it is a process, it is impossible to look at it when you are engaged in it, because, as soon as you stop and look at yourself in the mirror, whether it is a literal or a figurative one, you cease to be the one who writes to become the one who observes.
To most writers none of this is really new, because even if they haven't articulated it as an ontological problem, they know that at the moment of writing, when they are part of the process, they are at the mercy of several forces, some of which are difficult to understand, but which for a few minutes, sometimes hours, render them into someone else. It is someone else that writes in the same way that it is someone else who performs any task that demands total concentration—from neurosurgery to the construction of a shoe. Nevertheless, what Gide, Borges and Oates seem to forget is that in order to see the split, in order to wonder who is doing the writing, there is another instance needed, an "observer" able to see the difference between the writer and the other. It is the "observer" who intuits the split. It is the observer who is able to take distance and ask herself: "I don't know who is writing this page." Or to affirm: "It is not her, but me, who writes this page. Or, at least, that's what it seems to me."
The nineteenth century brought the Romantic idea of the writer as a vehicle sometimes taken over by a superior, ineffable spirit that spoke through him. Perhaps it is not completely inaccurate, if we ,m;believe what Foucault writes in "What is an Author?" But Foucault was concerned with the discourses that speak through the writer. Gide's concern, on the other hand, resonates more with the Cartesian question: "Who am I?" Now that postmodern thought, and new developments in the study of the mind suggest that perhaps the self is not as unitary as Descartes would have liked, nor split in just two as Gide, Borges and Oates believed, but rather an illusion, it might be high time to start thinking about a third instance. The consciousness capable of seeing such a split: not the one conditioned by biological needs, nor the writer in the process of writing, but rather that who observes both and notices the difference.
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José de Piérola is a peruvian writer living in the US. Since he left his career as a computer consultant to devote himself to literature, he has won literary awards in Peru and Spain. For more information, visit his official page below.
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I am cheerful, tender, kind, purposeful. I love to dance and to cook, to hear music. I am going in for sport. I especially appreciate such features as faithfulness and trustworthiness in persons characters. I don't like hypocrisy, lie, betrayal. I am looking for trustworthy, kind, generous, tender and affectionate man, those who can estimate family comfort, who is self-confident and confident in the future.
I am a kind, tender, honest, charming, educated, gentle, family-oriented lady with a good sense of humour. I like travelling, nature, sea and sun, children and animals. I enjoy literature, good music, cinema, theatre. I love my daughter and try to spend my free time with her. I would like to meet a handsome, gentle, interesting, handsome, careful person for serious relationships. I am looking for a loving husband for me and a good father for my daughter.


text:
package com.jie.book.work.activity;

import java.util.LinkedList;

import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.IntentFilter;
import android.graphics.Bitmap;
import android.graphics.BitmapFactory;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.v4.view.PagerAdapter;
import android.view.GestureDetector;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.view.WindowManager;
import android.view.animation.Animation;
import android.view.animation.AnimationUtils;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.RelativeLayout;

import com.jie.book.work.R;
import com.jie.book.work.application.BookApplication;
import com.jie.book.work.application.BookApplication.Cookies;
import com.jie.book.work.read.MotionEventPointCollector;
import com.jie.book.work.read.MultiTouchPointCollector;
import com.jie.book.work.read.ReadTheme;
import com.jie.book.work.utils.BitmapUtil;
import com.jie.book.work.utils.MiscUtils;
import com.jie.book.work.utils.UIHelper;
import com.jie.book.work.view.CirclePageIndicator;
import com.jie.book.work.view.CirclePageIndicator.LastPageSlidingListener;
import com.jie.book.work.view.LimitViewPager;

public abstract class ReadRootActivity extends BaseActivity {
	private LinkedList<ReadTheme> readThemeList;
	private ReadTheme nightTheme;
	protected GestureDetector mGestureDetector;
	protected MotionEventPointCollector mPointCollector;
	protected SlidingMode mSlidingMode = SlidingMode.SLIDING_RESET;
	protected BatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver mBatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver;
	protected DragMode mDragMode = DragMode.DRAG_REST;
	protected RelativeLayout guideLyaout;
	protected LimitViewPager guideViewPager;
	protected CirclePageIndicator guideIndicator;
	protected Bitmap[] guideRes;
	protected long benginTime = 0;
	protected int scrrenWidth = 0;
	protected int scrrenheight = 0;
	protected int touchSlop;
	protected boolean isNight = false;

	protected enum SlidingMode {
		SLIDING_X, SLIDING_Y, SLIDING_RESET;
	}

	protected enum DragMode {
		DRAG_REST, DRAG_TO_CHAPTER, DRAG_TO_READ;
	}

	public void onCreate(Bundle paramBundle) {
		super.onCreate(paramBundle);
		if (Cookies.getUserSetting().isReadScreenFull()) {
			getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_IN_SCREEN);
			getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS);
			MiscUtils.setSceenFull(true, activity);
			MiscUtils.goneSoft(activity);
		}
		if (Cookies.getUserSetting().isReadScreenLight())
			getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_KEEP_SCREEN_ON);
		initTheme();
		initAnimation();
		isNight = Cookies.getReadSetting().isNightMode();
		mPointCollector = new MultiTouchPointCollector();
		scrrenWidth = UIHelper.getScreenPixWidth(this);
		scrrenheight = UIHelper.getScreenPixHeight(this);
		benginTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
	}

	protected void onPause() {
		super.onPause();
		unregisterReceiver(mBatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver);
	}

	protected void onResume() {
		super.onResume();
		if (mBatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver == null)
			mBatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver = new BatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver();
		registerReceiver(mBatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED));
	}

	@Override
	protected void initUI() {
	}

	@Override
	protected void initData() {
	}

	@Override
	protected void initListener() {
	}

	protected abstract void receiverBettery(int precent);

	protected abstract void guidePageFinish();

	class BatteryLifeBroadcastReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
		public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
			if (Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED.equals(intent.getAction())) {
				int level = intent.getIntExtra("level", 0);
				int scale = intent.getIntExtra("scale", 100);
				int precent = (int) (((float) level / scale) * 100);
				receiverBettery(precent);
			}
		}
	}

	public LinkedList<ReadTheme> getReadThemeList() {
		return readThemeList;
	}

	public void addReadTheme() {
		if (Cookies.getReadSetting().getReadThemeBg() != 0 && readThemeList.size() == 4) {
			ReadTheme theme = new ReadTheme();
			readThemeList.add(theme);
		} else {
			readThemeList.removeLast();
			ReadTheme theme = new ReadTheme();
			readThemeList.add(theme);
		}
	}

	public ReadTheme getNightTheme() {
		return nightTheme;
	}

	public long getBenginTime() {
		return benginTime;
	}

	public void setBenginTime(long benginTime) {
		this.benginTime = benginTime;
	}

	// 初始化主题
	private void initTheme() {
		readThemeList = new LinkedList<ReadTheme>();

		// 时尚白
		ReadTheme theme1 = new ReadTheme(0, getResources().getColor(R.color.theme_read_text_wite), getResources()
				.getColor(R.color.theme_read_bg_wite), R.drawable.view_chapter_list_day_divider,
				R.drawable.icon_book_chapter_not_now, R.drawable.icon_book_chapter_arrow, R.drawable.bg_battery_black,
				R.drawable.icon_mark_indica_withe);

		// 靓之粉
		ReadTheme theme2 = new ReadTheme(1, getResources().getColor(R.color.theme_read_text_pink), getResources()
				.getColor(R.color.theme_read_bg_pink), R.drawable.view_chapter_list_day_divider,
				R.drawable.icon_chapter_list_round_pink, R.drawable.icon_book_chapter_arrow,
				R.drawable.bg_battery_black, R.drawable.icon_mark_indica_pink);

		// 羊皮纸
		ReadTheme theme3 = new ReadTheme(2, getResources().getColor(R.color.theme_read_text_sheep),
				R.drawable.theme_read_bg_sheep, R.drawable.view_chapter_list_sheep_divider,
				R.drawable.icon_chapter_list_round_sheep, R.drawable.icon_book_chapter_arrow,
				R.drawable.bg_battery_black, R.drawable.icon_mark_indica_sheep);
		// 护眼绿
		ReadTheme theme4 = new ReadTheme(3, getResources().getColor(R.color.theme_read_text_green), getResources()
				.getColor(R.color.theme_read_bg_green), R.drawable.view_chapter_list_day_divider,
				R.drawable.icon_chapter_list_round_green, R.drawable.icon_book_chapter_arrow,
				R.drawable.bg_battery_black, R.drawable.icon_mark_indica_green);

		readThemeList.add(theme1);
		readThemeList.add(theme2);
		readThemeList.add(theme3);
		readThemeList.add(theme4);

		// 自定义
		if (Cookies.getReadSetting().getReadThemeBg() != 0) {
			ReadTheme theme5 = new ReadTheme();
			readThemeList.add(theme5);
		}

		// 夜间模式
		nightTheme = new ReadTheme(5, getResources().getColor(R.color.theme_read_text_night), getResources().getColor(
				R.color.theme_read_bg_night), R.drawable.view_chapter_list_black_divider,
				R.drawable.icon_book_chapter_not_now, R.drawable.icon_book_chapter_light_arrow,
				R.drawable.bg_battery_gray, R.drawable.icon_mark_indica_night);

		if (readThemeList.size() < 5 && Cookies.getReadSetting().getThemeIndex() == 4) {
			Cookies.getReadSetting().setThemeIndex(2);
		}
	}

	protected Animation mSlideInLeftAnim;
	protected Animation mSlideOutLeftAnim;

	private void initAnimation() {
		mSlideInLeftAnim = AnimationUtils.loadAnimation(this, R.anim.slide_left_in);
		mSlideOutLeftAnim = AnimationUtils.loadAnimation(this, R.anim.slide_left_out);
	}

	public void slideInLeftAnimation(View view) {
		animate(view, mSlideInLeftAnim, View.VISIBLE);
	}

	public void slideOutLeftAnimation(View view) {
		animate(view, mSlideOutLeftAnim, View.INVISIBLE);
	}

	private void animate(View view, Animation anim, int visibility) {
		view.setVisibility(visibility);
		view.setAnimation(anim);
		anim.start();
	}

	protected void initGuide() {
		if (!Cookies.getReadSetting().isShowReadingGuide()) {
			return;
		}
		guideLyaout = (RelativeLayout) findViewById(R.id.guide_layout);
		guideViewPager = (LimitViewPager) findViewById(R.id.guide_viewpager);
		guideIndicator = (CirclePageIndicator) findViewById(R.id.guide_indicator);
		guideRes = new Bitmap[] { BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(), R.drawable.reading_guide_0),
				BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(), R.drawable.reading_guide_1),
				BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(), R.drawable.reading_guide_2) };
		guideViewPager.setOffscreenPageLimit(guideRes.length);
		guideLyaout.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
		guideViewPager.setAdapter(new GuidePageAdapter());
		guideIndicator.setViewPager(guideViewPager);
		guideIndicator.setLastPageSlidingListener(new LastPageSlidingListener() {

			@Override
			public void onLastPageSlidding() {// 释放内存
				goneGuide();
			}
		});
	}

	protected void goneGuide() {
		Cookies.getReadSetting().setShowReadingGuide(false);
		guideLyaout.setVisibility(View.GONE);
		guideViewPager = null;
		for (Bitmap bitmap : guideRes) {
			BitmapUtil.recyledBitmap(bitmap);
		}

		guidePageFinish();

	}

	private class GuidePageAdapter extends PagerAdapter {

		@Override
		public int getCount() {
			return guideRes.length;
		}

		@Override
		public boolean isViewFromObject(View arg0, Object arg1) {
			return arg0 == arg1;
		}

		@Override
		public void destroyItem(ViewGroup container, int position, Object object) {
			container.removeView((View) object);
		}

		@Override
		public Object instantiateItem(ViewGroup container, final int position) {
			View contentView = LayoutInflater.from(ReadRootActivity.this).inflate(R.layout.item_guide_page, null);
			ImageView itemView = (ImageView) contentView.findViewById(R.id.item_guide_image);
			itemView.setImageBitmap(guideRes[position]);
			container.addView(contentView);
			contentView.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {

				@Override
				public void onClick(View v) {
					if (position == 2)
						goneGuide();
				}
			});
			return contentView;
		}
	}

	public void setNightModel() {
		BookApplication.getInstance().swithNightModel = isNight != Cookies.getReadSetting().isNightMode();
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I'm a photographer based in Freeport, Maine, but I'm originally from New Jersey and spent 21 years living on Long Island, New York. My first love is exploring the landscape around me, across the country, and around the world. There is nothing more satisfying than being awake to witness the sunrise, whether it's at Quoddy Head State Park in Maine, or from the top of Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park. My aim is not to create a literal reproduction of the scene, but to use the tools at hand including my camera and lenses, filters, and tripod, to capture my own personal interpretation of the scene. My goal is to capture the emotion I feel when I witness the scene.
While I primarily focus on landscape photography, I like to dabble in other genres as well. I love working with models to capture the human form, portraits, or just everyday life. I will also try my hand at still life or macro when the opportunity presents itself. Varying my subject matter keeps me fresh, and allows me to jumpstart my creativity and avoid creative ruts at times.
All of my images are captured in RAW format, and processed to bring out the details, color, and contrast present in the scene.
What do you use to create your images?
I'm currently using a Nikon D810 and D850, as well as a variety of Nikon, Tamron, and Sigma lenses. I use Induro tripods, and the Benro Filter System. I tend to like a wide angle view, so the lens I use most is my Nikon 16-35mm f/4 lens, but I generally let the scene dictate which lens I use. In the past I have also used Canon cameras and lenses as well. Ultimately, these are all just tools. I choose the tools that will help me best achieve the end result I desire.
Do you "Photoshop" your images?
Just as photographers using film used the darkroom and various darkroom techniques to complete their images, photographers in the digital age use the digital darkroom to complete theirs. I am no exception. I do not create objects that were not in the original scene, but I do use Photoshop to adjust brightness, color, and contrast to my liking.
Is there anywhere I can see your work in person?
You can find a listing of galleries carrying my work, as well as temporary showings here.
Yes. I am an instructor for Hunt's Photo Adventures. Check their website for upcoming workshops and more information, or visit my Workshops page.
Yes. Visit Private Instruction for more details.
What is your photography background?
I began my career as a sports photographer, covering high school and college sports on Long Island, NY for local newspapers. I eventually became a contract photographer for Pacific Trading Cards, photographing Major League Baseball, the NFL, and NHL. In 2002, I founded and operated a youth sports photography studio, providing both action and portrait photography for your sports organizations on Long Island.
In 2007, I began working as a technical representative for Canon USA, training photo specialty retailers on Canon cameras and lenses. Canon later made me the Technical Specialist for EOS Professional Products, training Canon sales reps and field reps on new products and technology for photographers.
In 2014, I left Canon to join Lytro, who were pioneering light field photo technology and were about to bring a consumer camera to market using this technology. I was tasked with training Lytro's network of dealers in this groundbreaking technology, including application and use of the technology and cameras.
When Lytro folded their photo operations a year later, I focused (no pun intended) on my own personal photography. I produced training videos for Benro Filters (then known as Vü Filters), and traveled to produce a greater variety of work on my own. In 2016, I relocated to Freeport, Maine, and continued my landscape work, in addition to teaching and speaking about photography.


Former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge made headlines again when the audiotapes of two telephone conversations between him and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa surfaced on online media platforms, this week.
Wickrematunge, who started his journalistic career at the Sun newspaper in the late 70s, had a longstanding friendship with Rajapaksa, despite their political differences.
The former editor, at one point, served as the Private Secretary to Sirimavo Bandaranaike when the latter was the Opposition Leader.
Wickrematunge's stint as Bandaranaike's Private Secretary allowed him to build close links with Rajapaksa who was a dynamic member of the SLFP at the time.
It was no secret that Rajapaksa was given step motherly treatment when he became the Opposition Leader in 2001. The party machinery did not back him and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who always treated Rajapaksa with suspicion, did not want him to be her successor.
Rajapaksa, who climbed the rungs of the party with the greatest difficultly, had to work hard to draw the support of the party's grassroots level. A sizable proportion of party MPs were reluctant to work with him, fearing it would earn the ire of the party leadership.
Lasantha Wickrematunge was among those who helped Rajapaksa during this difficult phase.
Despite obstacles and roadblocks within his own camp, Rajapaksa, a thick skinned politician to the core, became the Prime Minister of the UPFA government in 2004, under Kumaratunga's presidency.
Although Rajapaksa was the Prime Minister and the second in command of the government, Kumaratunga was grooming her brother, Anura Bandaranaike, to be the Presidential candidate of the party in 2006, at the end of her second term.
Even though Rajapaksa did wield much authority in his own camp, he was a popular figure among journalists who addressed him as "Mahinda Ayya". He was one of the most accessible Cabinet ministers and journalists hardly criticized him due to their friendly relations.
It was against this backdrop that Wickrematunga dropped a bombshell on July 3, 2005, by revealing that Prime Minister Rajapaksa and a handful of officials close to him had allegedly siphoned off a colossal Rs. 82 million given to the Prime Minister's Fund as Tsunami relief and reconstruction aid into a private account called 'Helping Hambanthota' maintained at the Standard Chartered Bank, in direct violation of Presidential directives.
Wickrematunge's newspaper said the actions of the Prime Minister's team had raised many questions and bordered on offences under the Public Property Act as the four signatories to the account were private persons not connected to the Prime Minister's Office.
The Helping Hambantota controversy became a hot topic in the run up to the Presidential election in 2005 and it nearly cost Rajapaksa the office.
After Rajapaksa's ascension to power, Wickrematunge was highly critical of the government and he often came under criticism from the top brass of the UPFA administration.
He soon ran into problems with former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the most influential public servant under the Rajapaksa administration and a few other top level members of the country's defence apparatus.
During the first few years of the Rajapaksa administration, Wickrematunge had to deal with various problems. The Sunday Leader newspaper press was burnt down in 2007, and journalists attached to the paper received constant threats. Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa even sued the paper and its Editor, over alleged attempts to tarnish his reputation.
Therefore, in the eyes of the public, Wickrematunge and his newspaper company were among the arch enemies of the Rajapaksa administration.
However, multiple sources close to Wickrematunge told the Sunday Observer that months before his death, the journalist revived ties with former President Rajapaksa. Wickrematunga's interactions with the former President remained a closely guarded secret until his death, in January, 2009.
After Wickrematunge's killing, some even went on to argue that Rajapaksa's friendship was a trap he ignorantly walked into.
"His telephone conversations and meetings with Rajapaksa made him blind to the threats to his life. He did not believe he would be killed under the Rajapaksa presidency," a close friend of Wickrematunge, who currently lives overseas, told the Sunday Observer.
It is in this context that one has to analyse the audiotapes of the telephone conversations between Wickrematunge and Rajapaksa.
The audiotapes were leaked to online media platforms through a 'Guerilla Mail' hiding the identity of the sender.
Guerrilla Mail is a free disposable email address that offers the ability to send and receive emails. Visitors do not need to register to use the service, they are logged in automatically and a random email address is issued on each visit or they can set their own address.
Therefore, the e-mail was generated by a person who did not want to disclose his identity to the media.
It was first sent to Uvindu Kurukulasuriya, a friend of Wickrematunge and former convener of the Free Media Movement, who now runs the website Colombo Telegraph. He received the first audiotape on December 17.
Kurukulasuriya, however, did not publish the audiotape as he wanted to do a thorough research on the tape.
As there was no response from Kurukulasuriya's online publication, the audiotape was then sent to another Sri Lankan website run by a well-known journalist who has strong political links.
The first of the two conversations is based on the Sunday Leader's report on a procurement by the military. The involvement of the Navy Commander in the incident is discussed by the two. Hence, there is some basis to believe that the procurement had something to do with the Navy.
The matters discussed during the telephone conversation, especially, Rajapaksa's visit to Oxford, suggested that the conversation had taken place after May, 2008 – nearly seven months before Wickrematunge's murder.
Rajapaksa visited Oxford in May, 2008, with former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, former Foreign Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona and Rajapaksa's second son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa.
The telephone conversation had taken place a week after Rajapaksa's visit to Oxford.
During the telephone conversation, Rajapaksa asks Wickrematunge about the newspaper report and clarifies certain points; the conversation then moves on to the Provincial Council elections, global oil prices, Rajapaksa's future political ambitions and the government's action against corruption.
Towards the end of the conversation, Wickrematunga urges Rajapaksa to take action against corrupt individuals in the government, without taking their positions into consideration. The journalist points out that those who are close to the former President are embezzling public money, causing embarrassment to the government.
Rajapaksa, in response, says, he has directed his allies to "be careful" - he also urges Wickrematunge to expose them, so that the government can take action against wrongdoers.
At the end of the telephone conversation, Rajapaksa invites Wickrematunge to what seems to be a casual meeting - Wickrematunge, however, refuses to meet at Temple Trees, Rajapaksa's official residence, fearing news of the meeting would leak out to others in the media industry.
Instead, he suggests he meet the former President "somewhere else" – at a safe location away from the eyes of the journalistic and political circles.
The second conversation occurred after the Sunday Leader Editor had received a 'hit list' of sorts.
Wickrematunge informs Rajapaksa that several diplomatic missions in Colombo were also aware of the hit list and they had alerted the journalists of the development.
The journalist also informs the former President that the embassies had received letters in this regard.
There are grounds to believe that the second conversation had taken place a few months after the first conversation – not too long ago from Wickrematunge's murder.
The recording makes it clear that a go-between, whom Wickrematunge identifies as "Doctor", has facilitated the conversation between the former Sunday Leader Editor and the former President.
There are reasons to believe that the "Doctor" is Eliyantha White, the former President's personal physician. A close friend of Wickrematunge, White was often the link between the two during the Rajapaksa administration, even when Wickrematunge's newspaper was highly critical of the government.
The former President, in the second conversation, allays Wickrematunge's fears though, by saying he does not intend to harm him. He also assures a probe into the threats against Wickrematunge.
When Wickrematunga requests the former President to check for fingerprints on the letters received by embassies, the former President responds positively, saying he would instruct the parties handling the inquiry to examine for fingerprints.
During the conversation, Wickrematunge also highlights that the official website of the Minister of Defence had labelled certain media organizations as 'traitors'. He says, it will create a smokescreen for anyone who wants to attack journalists.
The leaked audiotapes suggest that despite various upheavals on the surface, Wickrematunge had a secret and safe channel of communication with the former President, soon before his murder.
In fact, Rajapaksa was among the invitees to Wickrematunge's wedding on December 27, 2008 – eleven days before his murder – and the former President had at that occasion, invited the newlyweds to Temple Trees for a meal.
While addressing a meeting with newspapers editors and media heads on January 14, 2009 – a week after Wickrematunge's murder - President Rajapaksa even said, it was Wickrematunge who told him that Karu Jayasuriya had decided to quit the UPFA the government and join the UNP.
Wickrematunga's wife, Sonali Samarasinghe, another senior journalist and lawyer, later wrote that her husband had mentioned Jayasuriya's possible defection in passing during an informal chat with Rajapaksa in the presence of Dr. Eliyantha White and another businessman.
Against this backdrop, it is important to assess who wanted to leak the audiotapes at this juncture.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave a strong indication in this regard when a group of journalists asked him about the audiotapes this week.
"I spoke to him often. I can't remember when this conversation took place. But, we were friends," Rajapaksa said, after the first audiotape was leaked to the media.
"But, he had a habit of recording telephone conversations. It's something any reporter would do," he added, attributing the audiotapes to Wickrematunge. Interestingly, the former President attributed the audiotapes to Wickrematunge even before the journalists raised that question.
The former President's act of jumping the gun hints that the email was generated by a party close to the Rajapaksa camp. On the other hand, the audiotapes clear Rajapaksa's name in the public eye as they inform the public of the connection between the former President and Wickrematunge.
It will allow the Rajapaksa allies to claim in public that the Rajapaksa government did not have a reason to harm Wickrematunge as he was a friend of the former President.
In fact, UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardena made a similar statement when he addressed a press conference in Colombo, after the leaked audiotape surfaced in the media.
Gunawardena said Rajapaksa became a friend of Wickrematunge when the latter was an electorate organizer of the SLFP. He said they often had telephone conversations on various matters.
It is now clear that the former President's camp has suddenly embarked on a mission to show the longstanding friendship between Rajapaksa and Wickrematunge.
The mission, quite surprisingly, has been launched as the Criminal Investigations Department's (CID) investigation into the journalist's murder has reached its final stage.


In this post I will show you how to set up an Ubuntu desktop that you can use for .NET Core Development.
Maybe because you want to do Microsoft development on older hardware or because you think Windows is too bloated.
In this example I use the latest Ubuntu version. Mind you, in April another LTS version will be out but I can't wait and will probably update this article.
This the essentials you will want, build tools and zsh.
I prefer the zsh and Oh My Zsh over Bash because of its auto complete features and eye candy.
Now log out and log back in.
You can then set your favorite theme by editing ~/.zshrc.
sudo add-apt-repository "$(wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/16.04/mssql-server-2017.list)"
sudo add-apt-repository "$(wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/16.04/prod.list)"
You will need to run setup to choose the correct Sql Server version and to set the SA password.
Next, install the Entity Framework Core package, create a full fledged backend and enjoy the fact that Microsoft has gone out of its way to make this all possible!
For your convenience: here is a Gist that contains this script.


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New playground unveiled
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New playground unveiled following volunteer fundraising efforts
A A new playground has been unveiled at the Joan Kirner Women's and Children's for the thousands of sick children and their families who will visit each year.
It was made possible through the collective fundraising efforts of volunteers from the Sunshine Hospital Auxiliary and Sunshine Hospital Opportunity Shop, who together raised $280,000 towards the project.
The new playground, which wraps around the bottom floor of the building, features a range of fun and interactive activities for kids including climbing fames, a slippery slide, mini trampoline and a cubby-house, as well as seating for parents, all within a safe and secure natural setting that encourages kids to explore.
Director of the Western Health Foundation, Julia White, said the playground was an important addition to the new facility.
"Part of the planning for the Joan Kirner Women's and Children's was to include a space where kids can relax and be themselves in a non-clinical environment," says Julia.
"When volunteers from the Sunshine Hospital Auxiliary and Hospital Opportunity Shop approached us for a project they could support, we thought the playground was a natural fit as many of the volunteers interact closely with families between appointments.
"It's so rewarding to see the fundraising efforts of our volunteers contributing at such an impactful level. The playground will have a huge impact on children visiting the hospital providing fresh air, exercise and creative stimulation while they wait for treatment."
The playground was officially unveiled by the President of the Sunshine Hospital Auxiliary Judith Dickson and Sunshine Hospital Opportunity Shop volunteer, Rae Gibson on Monday October 7.
"We're absolutely blown away with the new playground – it's surpassed all of our expectations," says Judith. "We are so grateful to the community who have supported our fundraising efforts over the last 12-months."
"We're so pleased that the new playground is finally open for our patients and their families to enjoy."


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Home Business No discussion yet to withdraw MFN status to Pakistan: Nirmala Siatharaman
No discussion yet to withdraw MFN status to Pakistan: Nirmala Siatharaman
The government has so far not discussed the issue of withdrawal of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today.
India, she said, had extended the MFN status to Pakistan as a "goodwill gesture" way back in 1996 but unfortunately the neighbouring country has not yet extended the same to New Delhi.
"On the issue of the withdrawal of MFN from Pakistan, strictly speaking, that has not yet been discussed," she told reporters here.
The decision to withdraw the status or not will have to be taken by the government and "I cannot comment on that", she added.
Last month, government had decided to review the MFN status given to Pakistan at a meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the meeting was postponed.
The review decision was taken in the wake of the Uri attack.
India also considered the option of dragging Pakistan to WTO over non-extension of the status.
The neighbouring country has missed its own deadline of December 2012 for giving India this tag.
As per the global trade norms, member countries of the WTO are required to give non-discriminatory market access as part of the MFN status to each other.
The bilateral trade between the countries stood at USD 2.61 billion in 2015-16.
Talking about increasing imports from China, the minister said there is no instrument to completely stop imports from one country.
It is impossible to completely ban imports from one country, she added.
"But if one wants to restrict the imports because that country is giving more subsidy or on quality issue, then we have instruments like we can impose anti-dumping duties or safeguard measures," she added.
India has time and again raised the issue of widening trade deficit with China.
In her meeting with Chinese Vice Minister for Finance and Commerce Wang Shouwen, Sitharaman has asked for providing greater market access for Indian products there.
China has assured India that it will act on the concerns expressed by India.
In 2015-16, India's exports to China were USD 9 billion, while imports were USD 61.7 billion, leaving a huge trade deficit of USD 52.7 billion.
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Common Bodies : Women, Touch and Power in Seventeenth-Century England EPUB
by Gowing Laura Gowing
Please note: eBooks can only be purchased with a UK issued credit card and all our eBooks (ePub and PDF) are DRM protected.
This pioneering book explores for the first time how ordinary women of the early modern period in England understood and experienced their bodies. Using letters, popular literature, and detailed legal records from courts that were obsessively concerned with regulating morals, the book recaptures seventeenth-century popular understandings of sex and reproduction. This history of the female body is at once intimate and wide-ranging, with sometimes startling insights about the extent to which early modern women maintained, or forfeited, control over their own bodies.
Laura Gowing explores the ways social and economic pressures of daily life shaped the lived experiences of bodies: the cost of having a child, the vulnerability of being a servant, the difficulty of prosecuting rape, the social ambiguities of widowhood. She explains how the female body was governed most of all by other women-wives and midwives. Gowing casts new light on beliefs and practices of the time concerning women's bodies and provides an original perspective on the history of women and gender.
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Home/Reference/Reports/Budget & Performance/Annual Reports/Agency Financial Report 2015/Management's Discussion and Analysis/Financial Statements Analysis
Agency Financial Report 2015
Letter from the Administrator
How GSA Benefits the Public
Management's Discussion and Analysis
Performance Summary and Highlights
Financial Statements Analysis
GSA Management Assurances
Financial Section
KPMG LLP issued an unmodified opinion on GSA's FY 2015 financial statements. Agency management is accountable for the integrity of the financial information presented in the financial statements. The financial statements and financial data presented in this report have been prepared from GSA accounting records in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as prescribed by the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB). The Consolidated Statements of Net Cost presents, by major program and activity, the revenues and expenses incurred to provide goods and services to our customers.
Consolidated Financial Results
GSA Assets
GSA assets primarily include: Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E) such as federal buildings, motor vehicles, and office equipment; Fund Balance with Treasury (FBWT); and debts owed to GSA from federal agencies and the public, mostly from sales transactions or uncollected rent (Accounts Receivable). In FY 2015 GSA reported Total Assets of $39.4 billion compared to FY 2014 Total Assets of $39.0 billion, representing a net increase of approximately $394 million. Significant changes in assets include an increase in the overall FBWT of $1 billion, due almost entirely to very positive earnings in the Federal Buildings Fund (FBF), which improved due to reduced spending against prior American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, as well the elimination of debt financing commitments that resulted from the FY 2014 retirement of long-term debt. Also, the value of GSA owned buildings increased by almost $1.3 billion. This increase was mostly due to the transfer of approximately $1.1 billion from Construction-in-Progress (CIP) to the Buildings account. GSA has experienced a decline in overall funding for building investments, particularly as past ARRA-funded projects are being completed, which is resulting in reduced volumes of ongoing construction and alteration activities.
GSA Liabilities
GSA liabilities are primarily amounts owed to commercial vendors for goods and services received but not yet paid (Accounts Payable), amounts GSA owes to other federal entities, and long-term estimates of future environmental remediation costs. In FY 2015, Total Liabilities were $6.5 billion; a net decrease of $220 million compared to FY 2014 Total Liabilities of $6.8 billion. This decline is primarily attributable to the following three items. The first is mostly attributable to a $226 million decrease in the estimated future cost of Environmental and Disposal Liabilities. The second is the reduction of $123 million in accounts payable from the Public and this is mostly attributable to sizable reductions in Acquisition Services Fund (ASF) business volume due to cutbacks in orders and the accompanying services. Lastly, the decreases in liabilities were somewhat offset by $42 million in increased liabilities resulting from discontinued operations in the ASF.
GSA Revenue
The Consolidated Statements of Net Cost presents, by major program and activity, the revenues and expenses incurred to provide goods and services to our customers. GSA reported $19.5 billion in revenue during FY 2015 compared to $20.1 billion reported in FY 2014, a decrease of $593 million. Changes in revenues were most notable in the ASF, which experienced a $585 million reduction. FY 2015 Expenses were $19.2 billion compared to FY 2014 Expenses of $20.3 billion, a decrease of $1.0 billion. Net Revenue from Operations was $243 million, a $443 million increase compared to FY 2014, when Net Cost exceeded Revenues from Operations of $200 million. The largest changes in net operating results are due to improvements in FBF results of $724 million, offset by decreased net results of $182 million in the ASF. Changes in FBF and ASF net results are discussed further below.
Financial Results by Major Fund – Federal Buildings Fund
The FBF is the primary fund of the PBS. PBS provides workplaces for federal agencies and their employees. FBF is primarily supported by rent paid to GSA from other federal entities. Operating results are displayed on the Consolidating Statements of Net Costs, segregated into the two primary components of Building Operations – Government Owned, and Building Operations – Leased.
FY 2015 FBF gross revenue is $11.4 billion, with over half of the revenue generated from five federal customer agencies as shown in the "FBF Top 5 Federal Customers" table.
FBF Top 5 Federal Customers
Department of Justice $1,875 16%
Department of Homeland Security $1,832 16%
Federal Judiciary $1,166 10%
Social Security Administration $833 7%
Department of the Treasury $748 7%
FBF Net Revenue from Operations
FBF Net Revenue from Operations represent the amounts remaining after the costs of operating GSA owned and leased buildings are subtracted from revenue. Net Revenue from Operations are used to invest in major repairs and alterations (R&A) to federal buildings and to partially offset costs of constructing new federal buildings.
Revenues and expenses in the FBF are primarily from building operations and rent. PBS also operates a Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA) program, which provides customer agencies with alterations and improvements in GSA space, above what is specified in the base rental agreement.
The FBF reported net revenues in excess of expenses of $620 million in FY 2015 compared to net costs exceeding revenue by $104 million in FY 2014, representing an increase of $724 million. While the net operating results were up significantly, the primary cause was decreases in estimates of the long-term cost of environmental liabilities, totaling $226 million, due to changes in the amount of building space requiring cleanup, and updates to cost factors used in the methodology for estimating future cleanup costs. Comparatively, environmental liability expenses recognized in FY 2014 totaled $512 million, a change of $738 million between the two years. These estimated environmental liabilities are generally classified as retirement obligations, which will be liquidated either over the life of the associated buildings, or at final disposal or demolition of the buildings. While changes for re-estimates of these long-term liabilities are recognized each year in the results of operations, the rental rates for associated buildings are designed to recover such costs over time, similar to funding for capital improvements for building alterations and improvements so that resources are available from year-to-year, as needed. This variation of immediate cost recognition compared to revenue generation over time can periodically create substantial differences in net operating results, as was seen between FY 2015 and FY2014.
FBF Obligations, Outlays and Collections
In the FBF, obligations are primarily the value of contracts awarded to commercial vendors for the construction of new federal buildings; for repairs and alteration, cleaning, utilities and other maintenance of GSA-owned federal buildings; and lease and related payments to commercial landlords for space leased by GSA for federal agencies.
FBF Obligations Incurred has increased by $238 million between FY 2015 and FY 2014. Gross Outlays decreased by $200 million during FY 2015. FY 2015 outlays were lower mostly due to the continued depletion of funding received through the ARRA for new construction and building alterations. Offsetting Collections have decreased by $240 million, which represent revenues collected from other federal agencies that offset expenditures made by GSA, as the square footage of building space under lease have been reduced and agencies reduce their overall space requirements.
FBF Obligations and Outlays
Obligations Incurred $10,987 $10,749 $238 2.2%
Gross Outlays $10,467 $10,667 $(200) -1.9%
Offsetting Collections $11,464 $11,704 $(240) -2.1%
Financial Results by Major Fund — Acquisition Services Fund
The ASF, the primary fund of the FAS, is a revolving fund that operates from the reimbursable revenue generated by its business portfolios rather than from an appropriation received from Congress. FAS business operations are organized into four business portfolios based on the product or service provided to customer agencies: General Supplies and Services (GS&S); Travel, Motor Vehicles, and Card Services (TMVCS); Integrated Technology Services (ITS); and Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS). By leveraging the buying power of the federal government, FAS consolidates requirements across multiple agencies and uses its acquisition expertise in order to acquire goods and services at lower prices.
In FY 2015, the ASF realized $8.2 billion in revenues. The majority of revenues were from the five agencies shown in the "ASF Top 5 Federal Customers" table, with over half of sales revenue generated from Department of Defense agencies.
ASF Net Revenues from Operations
ASF Net Revenue from (Cost of) Operations represent the amounts remaining after the costs of goods and services sold and FAS operating expenses are subtracted from revenues earned during the year. Net Revenues from Operations are used to invest in the GSA Fleet, IT systems, other investments to improve FAS service levels, and to comply with regulatory and statutory requirements. The ASF reported net cost in excess of revenues of $156 million during FY 2015, $182 million less than FY 2014 net revenue in excess of cost of $26 million. The most significant reduction in net operating results is attributable to the discontinued GS&S operations. The closure of a large inventory depot on December 31, 2014 resulted in the recognition of $49 million in expenses associated with the rent liability for the remaining lease term. Additional costs associated with discontinued operations include employee separation expenses, inventory and fixed asset write-offs, and accelerated amortization on leasehold improvements. Beyond the GS&S portfolio, reduced revenues were experienced across the major ASF activities. AAS, the largest ASF portfolio, saw revenues drop over 9 percent, as orders for its services were significantly reduced. This reduction in orders was seen from Defense agencies, the portfolio's largest customer base. TMVCS revenues were also significantly reduced, attributable to a significant rate reduction implemented to reflect decreased petroleum cost, as well as a later than usual vehicle acquisition cycle which reduced vehicle sales proceeds. Under the category of smaller Other Programs, costs increased $90 million, with significant expenses incurred in support of the Integrated Award Environment activities and the Common Acquisition Platform, for program investments such as software license acquisitions, and application design and implementation. The bulk of the increased costs were funded through the use of prior-year retained earnings rather than new reimbursable agreements with other federal agencies, resulting in the net cost exceeding revenues by $77 million for the Other Programs category.
ASF Top 5 Federal Customers
Department of Defense $4,656 57.0%
Department of Homeland Security $562 7.0%
Department of Agriculture $431 5.0%
Department of Justice $298 4.0%
Department of Health and Human Services $275 3.0%
ASF Obligations, Outlays, and Collections
ASF obligations and outlays are primarily driven by contracts awarded to commercial vendors, who provide goods and services in support of the ASF portfolios. Obligations Incurred decreased by $244 million between FY 2015 and FY 2014, mostly due to lower business volume with military customers in the AAS programs and fewer purchases of motor vehicles for the GSA Fleet program in TMVCS. Lower business volume also contributed to the decline in Gross Outlays and Offsetting Collections.
ASF Obligations and Outlays
Obligations Incurred $10,514 $10,758 $(244) -2.3%
Gross Outlays $9,886 $10,183 $(297) -2.9%
Offsetting Collections $9,888 $9,910 $(22) -0.2%
Limitations of Financial Statements
The principal financial statements report the financial position and results of GSA operations, pursuant to the requirements of 31 U.S.C. 3515 (b). While the statements have been prepared from GSA books and records in accordance with GAAP for federal entities and the format prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the statements are in addition to the financial reports used to monitor and control budgetary resources, which are prepared from the same books and records. The statements should be read with the realization that they are for a component of the U.S. Government.


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'The Director and the Jedi' Documentary to Premiere at SXSW
The making of The Last Jedi documentary, The Director and the Jedi, will premiere at the South By South West festival on March 12th. The documentary, which will also be available as part of the home media release of The Last Jedi (the film hits digital the next day on March 13th), follows director Rian Johnson throughout the process of making the latest installment in the Star Wars saga. Johnson tweeted about the documentary, saying, "We had [Anthony Wonke] & his crew on set every day, we were always radio mic'd up. This isn't talking heads & b-roll, it really gets into process & captures what the shoot felt like."
YESSSS! We had @anthonywonke & his crew on set every day, we were always radio mic'd up. This isn't talking heads & b-roll, it really gets into process & captures what the shoot felt like. Excited to see it with a crowd... https://t.co/3lkPkDRPnP
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) February 22, 2018
The Director and the Jedi will be screened at 11:00am at the Paramount Theater on March 12th. The film's official description says,
"An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe. A fan since childhood, he sets out to make the most powerful Star Wars movie he can. Navigating the mammoth production, the scale of which he's never directed before, we meet his cast and crew, see their individual challenges in bringing the film together, say goodbye to Carrie Fisher, and explore the significance of Rian's more surprising decisions.
The documentary gives you a view of what it really was like to make "The Last Jedi". As the team strive to do their best, what shines through is their passion and how memorable an experience it is for Rian as director."
You can find all the details about how you can attend the screening here.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (along with The Director and the Jedi) will be released digitally on March 13th and then on blu-ray and 4K Ultra on March 27th.
Source: SXSW
Dominic Jones Episode VIII Events News Rian Johnson Sequel Trilogy News SXSW


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<?php

namespace DTS\eBaySDK\Trading\Types;

/**
 *
 * @property \DTS\eBaySDK\Trading\Types\AmountType $AverageSoldPrice
 * @property \DTS\eBaySDK\Trading\Types\AmountType $AverageStartPrice
 * @property \DTS\eBaySDK\Trading\Enums\ProductStateCodeType $ProductState
 * @property string $Title
 * @property string $productInfoID
 */
class ProductInfoType extends \DTS\eBaySDK\Types\BaseType
{
    /**
     * @var array Properties belonging to objects of this class.
     */
    private static $propertyTypes = array(
        'AverageSoldPrice' => array(
            'type' => 'DTS\eBaySDK\Trading\Types\AmountType',
            'unbound' => false,
            'attribute' => false,
            'elementName' => 'AverageSoldPrice'
        ),
        'AverageStartPrice' => array(
            'type' => 'DTS\eBaySDK\Trading\Types\AmountType',
            'unbound' => false,
            'attribute' => false,
            'elementName' => 'AverageStartPrice'
        ),
        'ProductState' => array(
            'type' => 'string',
            'unbound' => false,
            'attribute' => false,
            'elementName' => 'ProductState'
        ),
        'Title' => array(
            'type' => 'string',
            'unbound' => false,
            'attribute' => false,
            'elementName' => 'Title'
        ),
        'productInfoID' => array(
            'type' => 'string',
            'unbound' => false,
            'attribute' => true,
            'attributeName' => 'productInfoID'
        )
    );

    /**
     * @param array $values Optional properties and values to assign to the object.
     */
    public function __construct(array $values = array())
    {
        list($parentValues, $childValues) = self::getParentValues(self::$propertyTypes, $values);

        parent::__construct($parentValues);

        if (!array_key_exists(__CLASS__, self::$properties)) {
            self::$properties[__CLASS__] = array_merge(self::$properties[get_parent_class()], self::$propertyTypes);
        }

        if (!array_key_exists(__CLASS__, self::$xmlNamespaces)) {
            self::$xmlNamespaces[__CLASS__] = 'urn:ebay:apis:eBLBaseComponents';
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        $this->setValues(__CLASS__, $childValues);
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}


text:
Lebiedzie-Kolonia [lɛˈbjɛd͡ʑɛ kɔˈlɔɲa] est un village polonais de la gmina de Sterdyń dans le powiat de Sokołów et dans la voïvodie de Mazovie, au centre-est de la Pologne.

Il est situé à environ 21 kilomètres au nord de Sokołów Podlaski et à 96 kilomètres au nord-est de Varsovie.

Sa population compte 91 habitant en 2003.

Village dans la voïvodie de Mazovie
Powiat de Sokołów


Measuring the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on fish spawning may seem like a highly technical scientific issue of concern only to a small niche of researchers, but it is actually a critical questions with enormous implications for the economy and ecology of the Gulf of Mexico. That's because fish spawning has direct effects on the vitally important commercial fishing industry, recreational fishing and associated tourism, and many other businesses that rely on those activities. It also impacts the foundations of the Gulf ecosystem in ways we are still working to fully understand.
In Texas, scientists are studying these patterns and working to design a cooperative, Gulf-wide monitoring and conservation program. The project will focus exclusively on fish spawning to benefit states along the Gulf Coast that rely on stable fisheries for economic prosperity.
This research project, carried out by NOAA, Texas A&M University, and others, is one of the ambitious programs set forth as part of a sweeping plan that funnels civil and administrative penalties from the Deepwater Horizon disaster toward restoration projects throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
A wildlife biologist from Georgia's Department of Natural Resources surveys oiled sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico. Similar scientific research efforts throughout the Gulf aim to restore the ecological and economic health of the region in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon spill. (Image Credit: NOAA).
The Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act, known as the RESTORE Act, is a multi-billion dollar effort to provide support for Gulf Coast communities that were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 2012 RESTORE Act created the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, which funnels 80 percent of any Clean Water Act penalties paid by British Petroleum (BP) and other entities involved in the oil spill, into support for projects to restore the ecological and economic health of the region.
In April 2016, BP reached a settlement to pay $1,100 per barrel of oil released into the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with a total of $4.4 billion funneled exclusively into projects under the RESTORE Act. Including penalties from other implicated companies, the RESTORE Act will direct $5.3 billion into the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund.
The Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund makes the RESTORE Act unique. In response to previous oil spills, civil penalties have been directed to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to clean up future oil spills. The penalty system imposed by the RESTORE Act directs funds to specific restoration projects in the Gulf to respond to the ecosystem damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the need to rebuild struggling economies that were impacted by the spill.
The funding mechanism for the program provides states with money to carry out state-specific restoration projects that target ecological impacts of the oil spill. Money is also allocated to support the Restoration Council, a governance structure set up by the Act that is comprised of federal officials and the governors of each Gulf Coast state. Its primary responsibility is to develop comprehensive annual plans to restore the economies and ecosystems of the Gulf Coast region. In August 2013, an Initial Comprehensive Plan was approved to establish restoration goals and develop a mechanism for funding various restoration projects throughout the region. The plan is currently being revised with the hope of producing another comprehensive plan in 2018.
The remaining funds are allocated to Gulf Coast states based on the specific impacts each experienced from the oil spill to fund research and scientific monitoring in the Gulf.
Given the unprecedented influx of restoration funding, efficient management of RESTORE funds will be important to maximize the benefits of the Act for Gulf communities. The wide-reaching opportunities presented by the RESTORE Act illustrate a shift toward restoration and sustainable environmental management in the wake of one of the country's biggest environmental disasters.
(Left) A floating barrier erected to contain contaminated water and protect wetland habitat following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Right) An aerial view of environmental degradation along the coast following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Through the RESTORE Act, BP settlement funds will be directed toward coastal conservation projects to help the region recover. (Image Credits: left and right, Kris Krug).


A lifetime ISA (LISA) will be available in April 2017 to give some savers the chance to earn up to £32,000 in government bonuses.
It is a saving product designed for people saving for a new house or saving for retirement. Savers can only open a Lisa between the ages of 18 and 40. You can pay in up to £4,000 a year, but no more. At the end of the first year, the government will add a 25% bonus. From 2018/19, this bonus will be paid monthly. Since you can continue paying into a Lisa up until the age of 50, the potential eventual bonus is up to £32,000.
If you use the savings to buy a home, the property must be less than £450,000. The Government bonus can stack with partner's bonuses potentially doubling the bonus.


Tentative map (File No. T18-034) to reconfigure 1 lot into 1 on a 2.0-gross acre site.
There is no change in zoning proposed with this project.
More Information: Use sjpermits.org/permits/ and search by Permit, Property or Zoning Information. Type in the permit/reference number CP18-022 or T18-034.
An Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration is being prepared for the project. The environmental document is not available for review at this time, but will be posted at on the Environmental Review page when available.
A community meeting and public hearing has not yet been scheduled for this project. If you would like to receive the community meeting notice and public hearing notice when the meetings are scheduled, please email the project manager with the file numbers in the subject line of the email. In the body of the email, please include your full name and mailing address.
Spanish: Para información en español acerca de esta solicitud, comuníquese con Jennifer Provedor al 408-793-4100, e índique el números de Proyecto CP18-022 y T18-034.
Vietnamese: To speak with a Vietnamese translator, please contact Thai-Chau Le at 408-793-4305 and mention the following project numbers: CP18-022 and T18-034.


We heard the rumors back in February that Los Angeles would be home to professional football once again. This news just keeps getting better and better, as the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers are making proposals to possibly make L.A. their new home.
It is quite funny, seeing as how the St. Louis Rams and the San Diego Chargers once called Los Angeles their home in the past, and are now looking at the possibility of returning. The Rams may be looking to sell their current site in order to make this move possible, and with their history with the city, it would make a great option for everyone; excluding St. Louis of course.
With the California market open for grabs, the concept art for the proposed stadium is looking very good. However, instead of turning this into a battle for the rights, there is an additional location that is perfect for either of these teams, Carson. The market is large enough, and rich enough to play host to two NFL teams, but that is still in the works.
Not only are the owners very interested, but the fans that have missed out on hosting a professional football team since 1993 are waiting for the return anxiously. It would be great if a new franchise were to enter into the mix, but seems very unlikely, so the best that can happen is a team relocation.


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'That's important for me' - Harry McKirdy on Port Vale targets
Harry McKirdy could be in the squad at Exeter after making his Port Vale debut this week
Harry McKirdy warms up before his Port Vale debut, at Fleetwood
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Harry McKirdy is determined to make a difference for Port Vale after his promising debut this week.
The 23 year old may drop out of the side for tomorrow's game at Exeter as John Askey reverts to his league team.
McKirdy was one of the players to come into the side as Askey made ten changes for the 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Fleetwood on Tuesday. The versatile forward set up Danny Whitehead for Vale's goal – something he hopes is a taste of things to come after he scored 11 goals, plus several assists for Carlisle last season.
He's still getting match fitness after only joining Vale at the end of pre-season to train before signing last Friday.
After making his debut, he said: "It has been a long time since I last played, six or seven months now. But I felt okay, my touch felt okay. I didn't really get much chance to run at them but I felt as sharp as I had hoped to at this stage.
"I only signed on Friday and have got minutes straight away so can't really ask for more."
Vale will be hoping he can carry on his scoring form from last year when he was Carlisle's top scorer.
He said: "I want to top what I got last year. But last year when I scored it wasn't just adding a goal at 3-0 down to make it 3-1.
"I scored a lot of goals in important times so that is important for me as well. There is no point me scoring if we are 3-0 down, I want to do it to go and nick a point or get a win. That is more important for me than the actual tally."
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McKirdy can play on either wing or through the middle, and is happy to play anywhere.
He said: "When I am on the ball I feel good anywhere, just in the attacking third on the ball running at people. That's when I feel dangerous, it doesn't matter if I am on the left, centrally or right, I just want to be on the ball running at people and creating stuff."


text:
UPM begins construction of biobased chemical plant in Germany
By UPM | October 15, 2020
UPM on Oct. 7 celebrated the official start of the construction of the state-of-the-art biochemicals facility in Leuna, Germany. The biorefinery investment of EUR 550 million is a major milestone in UPM's strategic transformation.
In Leuna, UPM will produce a range of 100 percent wood-based biochemicals that enable a switch from fossil-based products to sustainable alternatives in a number of end-uses such as plastics, textiles, cosmetics and industrial applications. Technology and process have been developed by UPM over the past ten years, mainly building on the company's own innovation capabilities and selectively working with international partners. The biorefinery is expected to start up by the end of 2022.The investment has been awarded The Bio Act of the Year 2020 by the World BioEconomy Forum earlier in September this year.
"Today marks a new era for UPM's biomolecular businesses. The biorefinery in Leuna will be the nucleus for an entirely new and high-value growth business and opens totally new markets for UPM with large growth potential for the future," says Jyrki Ovaska, executive vice president technology at UPM. "Awareness of climate change has increased customer demand for sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products. UPM has committed to UN's Global Compact's Business Ambition for 1.5°C and constantly innovates more sustainable products from renewable raw materials. The biorefinery in Leuna opens new perspectives for UPM as well as the bio-economy as a whole," Ovaska continues.
The total annual capacity of the biorefinery will be 220,000 tonnes bio-monoethylene glycol (BioMEG) and lignin-based renewable functional fillers. In addition, the biorefinery will produce bio-monopropylene glycol (BioMPG) and industrial sugars made from sustainably harvested beechwood sourced regionally in Germany. MEG is used for the production of textiles, plastics, PET, packaging and industrial coolants while MPG is used in composites, pharma or cosmetics products. Renewable functional fillers are used e.g. in a variety of rubber applications such as tires and sealings.
UPM's wood-based products can be used to replace oil, gas or coal-based materials and they perform consistently in established production processes and the existing recycling infrastructure. They will significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of the end-use products. Furthermore, raw materials and other services for the biorefinery will be sourced in the region which enables local value creation and ensures compliance with high social and environmental standards.
The biorefinery will be built in Leuna, a renowned chemical site with more than 100 years of history, that has undergone significant transitions in the past. The state government has committed to supporting the build-up of new, sustainable industries and has also supported UPM in the process to date. The state's Prime Minister, Dr. Reiner Haseloff welcomes UPM's investment: "Saxony-Anhalt develops more and more into a hub for future technologies. The UPM Biorefinery is a key investment for the state of Saxony-Anhalt and I am grateful that UPM decided to invest in our state. Leuna offers a well-developed infrastructure and a business environment which is supportive to such investments."
UPM has already established the project office at the site and is now ready to start the construction phase of the project. The work has continued uninterrupted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with high health and safety standards ensuring safe working conditions.
Follow the live stream upm.com/leuna
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