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Ray Jeffrey fends off Scientology's attempt to get him in hot water with the California Bar
By Tony Ortega | February 3, 2016
San Antonio attorney Ray Jeffrey received word this week that a Bar complaint filed against him by the Church of Scientology in California has been dismissed.
As part of its scorched-earth litigation approach, Scientology is known for filing endless motions to gum up a court, and for trying to get the attorneys of their opponents disqualified for trumped-up reasons. But the litigious church is also known for filing Bar complaints against attorneys. And Ray Jeffrey, who has had more success litigating against the church than anyone in recent years, turned out to be no exception.
The reason? He advised Karen de la Carriere when she was accused by the church of aiding an infiltration of its facilities, and later of misusing her YouTube channel by infringing on the church's copyrights. Karen, who lives in Los Angeles, has a local attorney to handle litigation, and she found another local attorney who specialized in intellectual property cases to help her defend her channel. But she also turned to Ray Jeffrey.
Ray had made a name for himself representing former Scientology executive Debbie Cook when she was sued by the church, for representing former Scientology spies Paul Marrick and Greg Arnold when they sued Scientology after their termination, and, until recently, Jeffrey represented Monique Rathbun in her harassment lawsuit against Scientology leader David Miscavige.
De la Carriere didn't appreciate receiving accusatory letters from Scientology attorneys, and she asked Jeffrey to represent her in communications with the church. So Jeffrey stepped in and asked Scientology to communicate with her through him.
Scientology's attorney Gary Soter then filed a complaint with the California Bar, saying that Ray Jeffrey had no right, as a Texas attorney, to represent de la Carriere in a California legal matter.
Ray's response is a letter that we thought you'd want to see.
There are very few attorneys in the United States who will take on the Church of Scientology. (And some who have may regret that they did.) But Ray's record of success is impressive, and we think you'll see why when you read his letter. As a result of it, the Bar has dismissed Soter's complaint.
Here's a long excerpt from the letter, which is dated December 28. Below, we have the entire document embedded.
[Editor's note: Earlier today, we posted a version of this letter that had been supplied to us by Karen de la Carriere. It turned out to be a draft and not the final letter sent to the Bar. This is now the final version of the letter, which contained a few slight changes in wording, but some substantial differences in paragraph order.]
Thank you for your time on the phone and for granting an extension on my response to Mr. Gary Soter's false complaint that I have been practicing law in the State of California. The complainant, Mr. Soter, is counsel to the Church of Scientology.
For 30 years, I have practiced law in Texas. I am AV rated by Martindale Hubbell, recognized as a "Texas Super Lawyer," and board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law. I have served my community as mayor, as city council member, and on the boards of several charities and civic organizations. I have never been sued nor have I been the subject of a Bar Association complaint. I take my ethical and professional standing very seriously.
I have represented or been consulted by numerous people who have spoken out against the Church of Scientology. My experience includes three well-publicized lawsuits and at least a dozen other matters concerning Scientology. As a result of my experience litigating and dealing with the Church of Scientology, I have developed expertise shared by relativelyl few attorneys in the United States. I am consulted by individuals from around the world who have issues with Scientology. Scientology, through Mr. Soter and others, is heavy-handed and threatening toward persons who have displeased it. These threats are intimidating and disturbing for most people who receive them.
I have reason to believe that this bar complaint against me is Scientology's latest attempt to disrupt our ongoing Texas litigation. Our current case against the Church of Scientology has been featured in worldwide news stories and several documentaries, including HBO's acclaimed documentary, "Going Clear." The complainant, Mr. Soter, has been actively involved in all our Texas litigation. Attached is the recent Texas appellate court ruling in our client's favor, which describes Scientology's policy of abusive tactics against its enemies (Exhibit A). Scientology's official doctrine mandates the destruction of its enemies, and the use of litigation "to harass and discourage rather than to win"…
Karen De La Carriere is a lovely, compassionate woman who lives in Los Angeles. She is a former high-ranking Scientologist who has suffered cruel mistreatment by the Church of Scientology and has spoken out courageously against its human rights abuses. I have never met Ms. De La Carriere in person, nor have I visited California to render legal services for her. She has been represented for years by California-licensed attorney, Carl E. Kohlweck…
In 2013, I helped Ms. de La Carriere concerning a disgusting, malicious website created by Scientology to attack her. The site falsely accused her of prostitution in her youth, even though she was the wife of the president of the Church of Scientology International. Scientology routinely creates these hateful websites against "enemies." The site was hosted by a Texas company and violated the host's terms of use. Due in part to my efforts, the Texas company took down Scientology's hate site.
Also in 2013, Ms. de la Carriere received a threatening letter from Mr. Soter. The letter, which is attached, was filled with baseless accusations and threats (Exhibit B). Without my assistance, Ms. de la Carriere sent the attached reply to Mr. Soter (Exhibit C). Then, she contacted me in Texas for insight about Scientology's methods and thinking.
Ms. De La Carriere was uncomfortable with direct communications from Mr. Soter, and requested that I serve as her contact person for any future Scientology threats. I emailed Mr. Soter (whom I knew personally from his involvement in my Texas litigation) that I represented Ms. de La Carriere, and I asked him to direct any further communications to me. My email to Mr. Soter is attached (Exhibit D). Neither Ms. de la Carriere nor I ever revoked this request. Because Scientology's accusations and threats were so ridiculous, it was unsurprising that we never again heard from Soter or Scientology about the matter.
In March of 2015, Ms. De La Carriere received another baseless and threatening letter from Mr. Soter on behalf of Scientology. According to Soter, Ms. de La Carriere's worldwide internet protests against Scientology abuses violated Scientology's intellectual property rights. Soter's letter is attached (Exhibit F). Ms. de la Carriere forwarded Soter's letter to me, and reminded Soter to direct such communications to me (Exhibit G). Then, Soter forwarded his threat letter to me (Exhibit H).
Ms. de la Carriere retained Andra Vaccaro, a California lawyer with expertise in intellectual property litigation, to handle any actual legal dispute that might arise…
In consultation with Ms. de la Carriere's California legal counsel, Ms. Vaccaro, I sent Mr. Soter the attached letter (Exhibit I). I reminded him that I had asked him to direct to me his communications for Ms. de la Carriere. A Texas attorney may not direction communicate with a represented person. In this regard, Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct 4.02 appears to be similar to California Rule of Professional Conduct 2-100.
Scientology threat letters are upsetting, and it would have been basic professional courtesy to send it to me, rather than to surprise Mr. de la Carriere. Mr. Soter knows me well. Of course, Scientology's goal is to upset and intimidate, so it is not surprising that Mr. Soter bypassed me and sent his threat directly to Ms. de la Carriere.
In the letter, I also provided our comments on Scientology's frivolous intellectual property allegations. Again, Scientology's threats were so empty that we never heard from Mr. Soter or Scientology again. That is, until this California Bar Association complaint.
My assistance to Ms. De La Carriere is limited to the unusual world of Scientology-related matters. Scientology's primary headquarters are in Florida and California, and it has operations in most of the United States. Ironically, it is Scientology's usual ploy to claim that it is not governed by the laws of any state. I have worked with Ms. De La Carriere's California legal counsel, and it is not my role to advise her on, or to handle, California litigation or other California legal matters. Based on the foregoing, I hope that the California Bar will put this matter to rest…
The complainant, Mr. Soter, is an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of California and is general counsel to the Church of Scientology. His practice involves threatening and attempting to silence Scientology's perceived enemies throughout the United States. Unfortunately, Mr. Soter and the Scientologists consider me to be an "enemy." I have been involved in significant Texas litigation on behalf of citizens whose rights have been attacked by Mr. Soter and the Church of Scientology. In every one of those cases, Mr. Soter and his clients have used their vast resources to attack my co-counsel and me. They have conducted surveillance on my office and my home, and they have threatened me and filed unsuccessful motions attacking my professional conduct. Mr. Soter is actively involved in the Texas litigation, but is not admitted pro hac vice.
It is Scientology's unwavering policy to "destroy" its perceived enemies through litigation and other "Fair Game" tactics. Scientology's Office of Special Affairs ("OSA") handles all "threats" against Scientology, including litigation. OSA's predecessor — Scientology's Guardian's Office ("GO") — ran the largest domestic espionage operation in United States history. Eleven key Scientologists involved in this espionage were caught by the FBI, convicted, and sentenced to federal prison. The FBI's raid on the Church of Scientology was the largest raid it had ever conducted. The complainant, Mr. Soter, works for OSA.
For decades, the multi-billion dollar Church of Scientology has devoted itself to "scorched-earth" litigation. In a 2013 article in the Rutgers Journal of Law & Religion, the authors observed: "Of all the contemporary sectarian groups operating in the world today, Scientology's litigation aggression is unrivalled." In the University of Texas' The Review of Litigation, another author examined Scientology's "extremely aggressive litigation tactics," and proposed solutions for its abusive behavior. The Church of Scientology is listed as a notable vexatious litigant in Wikipedia's discussion of "Vexatious Litigation." American judges, legal scholars, historians, and journalists have documented Scientology's calculated abuse of our legal system.
Scientology has a long and ignominious history of judicial and extra-judicial warfare against litigants, opposing counsel, witnesses, and even judges. As noted, Scientology does not attack only opposing attorneys; its attacks against the judiciary are well known. In its notorious Wollersheim litigation, Scientology unsuccessfully sought to disqualify the entire United States District Court for the Central District of California, and it unsuccessfully brought a federal suit against not just the two presiding judges whose rulings displeased it, but against the entire Los Angeles Superior Court.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter. It is my hope that The State Bar of California will not allow itself to be used by the Church of Scientology to harass me and to influence ongoing litigation in Texas. The complainant, Mr. Soter, writes threat letters to individuals in Texas and other states where he is not licensed. He comes to Texas and provides legal services in Texas litigation. By making a simple complaint against me, he has served Scientology's goal of distracting me from our precedent-setting litigation in Texas. I believe Soter's complaint is brought in bad faith, and I hope there is some applicable mechanism to punish his misuse of the State Bar of California's services.
The calmly aggressive tone of Ray Jeffrey's letter reminds us of his style in court. We've made a couple of trips to Texas to see Jeffrey in action. What impressed us was that he has a homey, warm persona which is entirely genuine, but in court that friendliness works to his advantage. We saw him time and again make Scientology's attorneys look foolish, and always while appearing to do so in a friendly way. It's quite entertaining.
In contrast to Jeffrey's almost laconic style, Elliott Cappuccio was like a laser in court. Scientology's attorneys do their best to confuse the court by turning the law on its head. But we witnessed Cappuccio slice through that with a precision that left us astonished. And as for appeals, we considered Leslie Hyman's briefs some of the most impressive we've ever read.
This is the team that was fired last week from one of the most significant cases of Scientology litigation to be filed in years, a case they were winning. Imagine not wanting this team on your side. We're having a hard time understanding it.
For a glimpse of what it was like to see this team in action, we recommend going back over three posts from September 2013, with our live blogging from the Comal County courthouse. They were some of the best days ever at the Underground Bunker…
LIVE FROM TEXAS: The Monique Rathbun vs. Scientology Temporary Injunction Hearing
MONIQUE RATHBUN'S TESTIMONY: Day One Finishes in Her Temporary Injunction Hearing
MONIQUE RATHBUN VS SCIENTOLOGY, DAY 2: Texas Showdown Shifts Gears
Here's the full text of Ray Jeffrey's letter to the California Bar…
Ray Jeffrey Letter to CA Bar
Posted by Tony Ortega on February 3, 2016 at 07:00
E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. We've posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information about the book, and our 2015 book tour, can also be found at the book's dedicated page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology's founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology's system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini 'Knowledge Reports' | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology's little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology's drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard's "A History of Man" | Scientology's Master Spies | Scientology's Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology's shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker's Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney's film 'Going Clear,' and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark "Marty" Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
February 3rd, 2016 | Category: Scientology Jurisprudence


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Herzl carefully adjusted his mouse-gray gloves and followed the young secretary through a massive door held open by a uniformed footman.
"Mr. Herzl, Your Excellency," the secretary said crisply, standing as stiff as a sentry at a military tomb.
The man at the desk carefully penned notes in the margins of a document. His desk testified to his assiduous and deliberate character. Dossiers and documents were piled to the Interior Minister's left, a large brass telephone with a wooden housing stood at his right hand. In front of him, partly blocking Herzl's view of his host's gray head, were the gilded accoutrements of a high imperial official—two tall candlesticks, two inkwells, a paperweight in the shape of a crouching lion, and a small, triumphant angel that served, it seemed, as a pen stand. All were carefully polished; they glinted in dappled August sunlight that filtered in through the oak outside a north-facing bay window. Behind the desk hung a large portrait of Czar Alexander III and a smaller icon of St. Mary Magdalene. Herzl felt faint and his beard itched. But he steeled himself.


We develop a spectral element method for the simulation of long-term histories of spontaneous seismic and aseismic slip on faults subjected to tectonic loading. Our approach reproduces all stages of earthquake cycles: nucleation and propagation of earthquake rupture, postseismic slip and interseismic creep. We apply the developed methodology to study the effects of low-rigidity layers on the dynamics of the earthquake cycle in 2-D. We consider two cases: small (M ~ 1) earthquakes on a fault surrounded by a damaged fault zone and large (M ~ 7) earthquakes on a vertical strike-slip fault that cuts through shallow low-rigidity layers. Our results indicate how the source properties of repeating earthquakes are affected by the presence of a damaged fault zone with low rigidity. Compared to faults in homogeneous media, we find (1) reduction in the earthquake nucleation size, (2) amplification of slip rates during dynamic rupture propagation, (3) larger recurrence interval, and (4) smaller amount of aseismic slip. Based on linear stability analysis, we derive a theoretical estimate of the nucleation size as a function of the width and rigidity reduction of the fault zone layer, which is in good agreement with simulated nucleation sizes. We further examine the effects of vertically-stratified layers (e.g., sedimentary basins) on the nature of shallow coseismic slip deficit. Our results suggest that low-rigidity shallow layers alone do not lead to coseismic slip deficit. While the low-rigidity layers result in lower interseismic stress accumulation, they also cause dynamic amplification of slip rates, with the net effect on slip being nearly zero.
© 2011 American Geophysical Union. Received 26 March 2011; revised 1 July 2011; accepted 15 July 2011; published 29 October 2011. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation (grants EAR‐0548277 and EAR‐0944288), the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC), and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. SCEC is funded by NSF cooperative agreement EAR‐0106924 and USGS cooperative agreement 02HQAG0008. The SCEC contribution number for this paper is 1477. This is Caltech Tectonics Observatory contribution 161. We thank Eun‐Seo Choi, Billy Landuyt, Ittai Kurzon, and Chris Davies for general discussion on numerical methods. The reviews by Brad Aagaard and an anonymous reviewer helped us improve the manuscript.
Kaneko, Y., J.‐P. Ampuero, and N. Lapusta (2011), Spectral‐element simulations of long‐term fault slip: Effect of low‐rigidity layers on earthquake‐cycle dynamics, J. Geophys. Res., 116, B10313, doi:10.1029/2011JB008395.


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\section{Introduction}

During last few decades, to avoid the hazardous effects of lead (Pb), there have been ongoing efforts to replace the commercially used lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) based piezoelectric materials with the lead-free materials having high piezo-response \cite{cross2004materials, rodel2009perspective, coondoo2013synthesis, porta2011effects, bai2013optimized}. Among them,  $0.5Ba(Ti_{0.8}Zr_{0.2})O_3 - 0.5(Ba_{0.7}Ca_{0.3})TiO_3$ (BCZT) has drawn significant attention because of its very high piezoelectric properties ($\sim$ 600 pC/N) \cite{liu2009large, damjanovic2012elastic} in comparison with that of PZT (500-600 pC/N). The main reason lies within the phase diagram of solid solution BCZT having a Morphological Phase Boundary (MPB) that includes a triple point at the intersection of paraelectric cubic, ferroelectric rhombohedral and tetragonal phases \cite{liu2009large}. Also it is reported that the piezoelectric properties are maximized at the tetragonal-rhombohedral phase boundary \cite{liu2009large}. But there has been an ongoing debate on the crystallographic state of the BCZT composition at ambient conditions. Studies by Keeble et al.\cite{keeble2013revised} \& Tian et al.\cite{tian2014polymorphic} have proposed that there exists an intermediate orthorhombic (O) phase in between rhombohedral (R) and tetragonal (T) phases making the "polarization rotation" possible between the two crystallographic groups. Furthermore, experimental studies by Zhang et al.\cite{zhang2014phase} and Acosta et al.\cite{acosta2014relationship} confirm that instead of the MPB (T-R phase boundary), the T-O phase boundary is responsible for the large piezo-response of the BCZT ceramics. It is also shown that a mere 2\% of Zr, Sn or Hf substitution in parent $BaTiO_3$ can stabilize a co-existence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases at room temperature \cite{kalyani2014orthorhombic}. Although presence of this orthorhombic phase is countered and also argued as an anomaly that arises due to the adaptive diffraction of tetragonal/rhombohedral nanodomains\cite{gao2011microstructure,gao2014symmetry,bjornetun2013structure,ehmke2014resolving}. Brajesh et al.\cite{brajesh2015relaxor,brajesh2016structural} has performed careful structural and dielectric studies on BCZT and concluded in favour of three-phase co-existing model (P4mm+Amm2+R3m) to explain its giant piezo-response and relaxor ferroelectric nature. But it may give rise to a scenario of violating Gibb's phase rule if the orthorhombic phase is present all the way up to the critical point of the phase diagram. The study by Yang et al.\cite{yang2016mechanisms} explains the largest piezoelectricity as well as the largest elastic softening of BCZT at the T-O phase boundary by the systematic energy barrier (EB) calculations that measures the degree of polarization anisotropy. So, one needs careful investigation on the ambient crystallographic state of the BCZT ceramic.

BCZT is one of the most well studied systems. Microstructure basis for strong piezoelectricity in BCZT via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is shown by Gao et al. \cite{gao2011microstructure}. Fan et al. have carried out an {\it{in situ}} TEM study using unipolar electric field and shown that ferroelectric domains are disrupted by defect states \cite{fan2017domain}. The effect of grain size on the electrical properties and temperature dependance of variation in dielectric constant are shown by Hao et al. \cite{hao2012correlation}. Temperature induced anomalies in the dielectric, piezoelectric and elastic coefficients and Raman spectroscopy of ceramic BCZT are reported by Damjanovic et al. \cite{damjanovic2012elastic}. Piezoelectric property measurements by Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) mode of Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) technique is reported by Coondoo et al. \cite{coondoo2013synthesis}, whereas piezo-properties on pulsed laser-deposited thin films are reported by Piorra et al. \cite{piorra2011piezoelectric}. Based on all these available literature, it can be concluded that the piezoelectric properties of lead-free BCZT system is comparable to the PZT. But after the Curie temperature ($T_c$) at $97^o$ C, all studies have shown a drop in the temperature dependent dielectric constant values and have concluded this to loss of ferroelectric nature of the sample following a phase transition into cubic phase. The curie temperature ($T_c$) has also been modified by grain size changing or even by doping.

Although there are several temperature dependent studies, to the best of our knowledge, BCZT certainly lacks the pressure dependent measurements. BCZT, which is a solid solution of BZT-BCT, hold all the properties of its parent material $BaTiO_3$ along with the effect of doping on it. Therefore, the present manuscript focuses on high-pressure Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and dielectric measurements of BCZT to study phase transitions, which modify its dielectric properties and piezoelectric nature.

\section{Experiment}
Polycrystalline powder sample $0.5Ba(Ti_{0.8}Zr_{0.2})O_3 - 0.5(Ba_{0.7}Ca_{0.3})TiO_3$ (or BCZT) is prepared via conventional solid-state reaction method \cite{brajesh2016structural}. High-pressure x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopic measurements are performed using diamond-anvil cell (DAC) from EasyLab Co. (UK) with a culet size of 300 $\mu$m. To hold the sample in between two opposing diamonds, a pre-indented metal gasket (indented thickness $\sim$50 $\mu$m) is used with a 100 $\mu$m see-through hole at the centre of indentation. Methanol-ethanol mixture (4:1) is used as the pressure-transmitting medium (PTM) to maintain the hydrostatic condition. For the Raman-spectroscopic measurements, Monovista CRS+ spectrometer is used along with an infinitely corrected long-working distance 20X objective. Pressure is determined by observing the shift of ruby fluorescence peak with ruby grains loaded alongside the sample inside DAC \cite{mao1986calibration}. Sample is excited using a 532 nm green laser and spectra are collected using a grating of 1500 grooves/mm in the back-scattering geometry with resolution of 1.2 $cm^{-1}$.

High-Pressure XRD measurements are performed at the XPRESS beamline in the Elettra Synchrotron Source, Italy using a monochromatic wavelength of 0.4957 $\AA$. For XRD, a small amount of Ag powder is mixed along with the sample and pressure is calculated using the well-known Birch-Murnaghan equation of state of Ag \cite{dewaele2008compression}. The incident x-ray is collimated to 30 $\mu$m and a MAR-3450 image plate detector is used to detect the diffracted x-rays, aligned normal to the beam. The sample to detector distance is calibrated using $LaB_6$ and all the diffracted patterns are integrated to intensity vs 2$\theta$ profiles using FIT2D software \cite{hammersley1996two} and then further analyzed using CRYSFIRE \cite{Crysfire} and GSAS \cite{toby2001expgui}.

High-pressure dielectric constant measurements are carried out up to 5.5 GPa using the large-volume Toroid-anvil (TA) cell and a 300-ton hydraulic press. The TA apparatus is calibrated using Bi I-II and Yb hcp-bcc transitions at 2.65 GPa and 4 GPa respectively \cite{achary2002new}. The sample assembly is prepared and the frequency dependent capacitance is measured as described by Jana et al. \cite{jana2018pressure}. The dielectric constant (K) is calculated using the expression, $C = K\epsilon_0(A/d)$, where $\epsilon_0$ is the permittivity of the free space, C is the capacitance, A is the area of the copper plate and d is the thickness of the sample pellet.

\section{Results and discussions}

BCZT can be thought as Ca and Zr doping of the parent sample $BaTiO_3$, making a solid solution out of it. The sample is characterized by XRD measurements. Fig. 1(a) shows the ambient XRD pattern. Indexing of the sample at ambient condition leads to a mixed phase of tetragonal and orthorhombic crystal structures supporting earlier reports\cite{yang2016mechanisms,kalyani2014orthorhombic}. Using the initial atom positions given by Brajesh et al.\cite{brajesh2016structural} for the two phases, full structural Rietveld refinement has been carried out using the GSAS \cite{toby2001expgui} software. In this refinement process, only the atom positions corresponding to Ti/Zr atom are refined and oxygen being a lighter atom is exempted from this refinement process\cite{brajesh2015relaxor}. The lattice parameters obtained from the best-fit are - (i) for tetragonal phase: a = 3.99906(9) \AA, c = 4.0208(1) \AA, vol = 64.303(3) $\AA^3$ and (ii) for orthorhombic phase: a = 3.9980(1) \AA, b = 5.6775(2) \AA, c = 5.6670(1) \AA, vol = 128.635(7) $\AA^3$. In Fig. 2, the singlet nature of the $2\theta = 12.31^o$ peak (111) and the doublet nature of the peak around $2\theta = 14.2^o$ [(002)/(200)] in the ambient XRD pattern are implying a tetragonal (P4mm) global structure \cite{brajesh2015relaxor}. The asymmetric doublet nature of the peak around $2\theta = 20.14^o$ [(040)/(222)] in Fig. 2(c) and the peak at $2\theta = 22.54^o$ [(133)/(311)] (Fig. 2(d)), which can only be fitted with the orthorhombic phase, indicate the perovskite structure to be orthorhombic in nature too. With these two phases, we have an excellent fit that certainly sets aside the question of any anomaly that may have come due to the adaptive diffraction by the P4mm-R3m nanodomains as reported by Gao et al.\cite{gao2014symmetry} earlier. At ambient conditions, the presence of both the tetragonal and orthorhombic phases are justified.

Ambient and high pressure Raman spectroscopy measurements are performed on BCZT to explore the microscopic changes that occur due to the volume compression. The ambient Raman spectrum is shown in Fig 3(a). The pattern shows broad Raman modes and looks similar to that of parent $BaTiO_3$ \cite{venkateswaran1998high}. To determine the Raman mode frequency positions, we have performed the Lorentz fitting of each peak. Most of the modes are indexed following $BaTiO_3$ Raman mode assignments carried out by Venkateswaran et al.\cite{venkateswaran1998high}. The most important feature of this kind of systems is the presence of several anharmonic modes in the low frequency range. The dip at 130 $cm^{-1}$ is referred as anharmonic coupling mode that comes due to the interference between the three $A_1(TO)$ modes. All the modes with their corresponding frequency positions are listed in Table 1. We also have observed two new peaks $M_1$ (88 $cm^{-1}$) and $M_2$ (97 $cm^{-1}$), which could not be identified with $BaTiO_3$ modes. The low frequency modes are due to vibration of heavy atoms. Therefore, these extra peaks can be related to the substitution of Ca and/or Zr ions and the defects that might have occurred due to these substitutions.
\begin{table}[h]
	\centering
	\caption{\textbf{Ambient Raman mode frequency of BCZT}}
	\begin{tabular}{|c| c|}
		\hline
		&\\
		\textbf{Mode Symmetry} &  \textbf{Mode Frequency($cm^{-1}$})\\
		&\\
		\hline
		$M_1$  & 88  \\
		$M_2$ & 97 \\
		$A_1(TO_1)$ & 149\\
		$E(TO_1),E(LO)$ & 176\\
		$A_1(LO_1)$ & 205\\
		$A_1(TO_2)$ & 245\\
		$B_1 + E(TO_2+LO)$ & 293\\
		$E(TO_3)$ & 525\\
		$A_1(TO_3)$ &  543\\
		$E(LO)$ & 737\\
		$A_1(LO_2)$ &  809\\
		\hline
	\end{tabular}
\end{table}
\noindent Raman spectra evolution with pressure is shown in Fig. 3(b). With pressure, the dip around 130 $cm^{-1}$ reduces, and similar observation has also been found by Basu et al. \cite{basu2015pressure}. The reason behind this can be the increase of anharmonic contributions of all the low frequency modes, that is evident from Fig. 3(b). Whereas, all the modes broaden and their frequencies increase with pressure, anomalous behaviour is observed for the $A_1(TO_2)$ and $E(TO_3)$ modes.  The $A_1(TO_2)$ mode softens with increase of pressure up to 5.3 GPa, then starts increasing (see Fig 4). $E(TO_3)$ mode also softens with a slope change above 5 GPa. The high frequency modes can be related to light atom vibrations such as, Ti-O/Zr-O bond vibrations. Therefore, this anomalous behaviour of $E(TO_3)$ mode is certainly due to the $(Ti/Zr)O_6$ octahedral distortion in the system that tends to gain more symmetry with applied pressure. The sharp kink at 293 $cm^{-1}$ looses its sharp nature  beyond 4.4 GPa. The asymmetric peak around 525 $cm^{-1}$ loses its intensity with pressure and shows a second peak on its asymmetric tail (Fig 3(b)) for pressures above 3.5 GPa. Above 4.4 GPa, the new peak tends to increase, exceeding the old one in intensity. The pressure induced modification leads to the loss of the $A_1(LO_1)$ mode beyond 4.4 GPa. Two new modes are also observed from 4.4 GPa onwards at 124 $cm^{-1}$ and 632 $cm^{-1}$ referred as $\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$ respectively (see Fig 3(b)). In the low frequency range, appearance of new modes can be related to heavy atom (Ba/Ca) vibrations\cite{jana2018pressure}.
Softening of low frequency Raman modes are associated with decrease in polarization in the sample leading to change in ferroelectric nature \cite{venkateswaran1998high}. Softening of modes, appearance of two new modes ($\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$), disappearance of $A_1(LO_1)$ mode, loss of sharp nature of the peak at 293 $cm^{-1}$ and decrease in intensity of the 525 $cm^{-1}$ mode are the characteristics of change in crystal structure.
The weak peak near 886 $cm^{-1}$ can be seen throughout all pressure plots except the ambient spectra. The position of this mode changes at very high rate (3.26 $cm^{-1}$/GPa) and can be related to the C-C stretching of ethanol-methanol pressure transmitting medium. Beyond 5 GPa, with increase in pressure we have observed several other additional interesting features. It includes the loss of $A_1(TO_3)$ mode at 10.3 GPa and several new peaks appear at 333 $cm^{-1}$ ($\omega_3$), 809 $cm^{-1}$ ($\omega_4$) and 418 $cm^{-1}$ ($\omega_5$) from 5.9, 9.6 and 12.5 GPa pressure points respectively (see Fig 3(b)). With pressure, the frequency of all these new modes increase up to the highest pressure point of our study. The $\omega_3$ mode initially increases up to about 11.7 GPa followed by a sharp drop (Fig 4). Softening of certain Raman modes and appearance of several new modes indicate to certain structural re-ordering. Softening of $A_1(TO_2)$ and $E(TO_3)$ modes indicate to loss of ferroelectricity. Therefore application of pressure pushes the system into a more symmetric paraelectric phase. The presence of Raman spectra beyond this transition in the paraelectric phase can be explained by order-disorder model in which the Ti/Zr atoms are not sitting in the exact body-centered position of the octahedra. It is slightly distorted along the body diagonal which breaks the inversion symmetry allowing the Raman activity \cite{venkateswaran1998high, sood1995phonon}. However, direct structural determination is not possible using Raman spectroscopy; but it is more likely to present the instantaneous changes in atomic positions. X-ray diffraction studies are required for further understanding.

To observe a direct change in the ferroelectric properties of BCZT, we have performed high-pressure dielectric constant measurements. Fig. 5(a) shows the variation in dielectric constant(K) and dielectric loss($\delta$) values from 0.35 GPa to up to 5.41 GPa for some selected frequency values (50 Hz, 100 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 KHz, 5 KHz, 10 KHz, 50 KHz, 100KHz, 500 KHz, 1 MHz). At each frequency, 10 consecutive measurements of capacitance and loss are taken and the mean value is determined. The value of the dielectric constant at 0.35 GPa is matching with the reported result \cite{scarisoreanu2015high}. At all pressure points, K shows an exponential-like decrease with frequency. In addition at a constant frequency (mainly at low frequency) K  value decreases with increase in pressure and above 4.69 GPa it seems to saturate. Now, if we observe the dielectric constant value at 0.8 GPa at 50 Hz frequency
(shown in Fig. 5(a)), it is around 1875. Such a large value of dielectric constant can come from both the contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These extrinsic factors include contributions due to the Maxwell-Wagner effect and also the effect of grain boundaries in such a polycrystalline system. To properly understand this, we have plotted the variation of dielectric constant and dielectric loss value with frequency at 6.82 GPa pressure (see Fig. 5(b)). Here the dielectric constant shows a drop and this drop matches with the peak of dielectric loss in between 500-1000 Hz indicating a Debye-like relaxor behavior arising due to the Maxwell-Wagner effect \cite{jana2016high}. Strong frequency dependence in dielectric constant can be modeled in terms of an equivalent circuit consisting of two parallel R-C circuits connected in series, where one of the capacitance comes from the extrinsic effects and another corresponds to bulk intrinsic effects\cite{jana2016high}. At high frequencies, above the peak frequency of the dielectric loss, the capacitance arising due to extrinsic effects get shorted, and intrinsic bulk behavior is observed. Therefore to study the pressure evolution of dielectric constant (see in Fig. 5(c)), we have considered the 100 KHz frequency i.e. a high-frequency range data. In Fig. 5(c), we have shown the pressure dependence of dielectric constant K and dielectric loss, at frequency 100 KHz. In this frequency, at 0.35 GPa, the K value is calculated to be 61. As pressure increases, K almost remain constant up to 0.8 GPa, then rapidly rises to 96 at 4.37 GPa pressure, followed by a sharp drop at about 4.7 GPa signifies the loss of the ferroelectric nature of BCZT. Then afterward, it shows a flat nature with almost no change in value.

To understand the direct structural changes, ambient and high pressure x-ray diffraction studies are performed. While indexing the XRD patterns at 0.26 GPa, we get a better match with only tetragonal phase. The hkl-values have been assigned following Coondoo et. al \cite{coondoo2013synthesis} and the Rietveld refinement provides us a best-fit that is shown in Fig. 1(b). If we examine the XRD patterns from 4.8 GPa onwards, then we can see that the doublet peaks (shown in Fig.6) in the tetragonal phase (Space Group: P4mm) merge to form a single Bragg reflection, which implies a phase transition happening in between 4.4 GPa and 4.8 GPa. Fig.6 illustrates this in detail. The indexing of the XRD data at 4.8 GPa gives a cubic structure with Pm3m space group and after Rietveld refinement (shown in Fig. 1(c)), the best-fit gives us the value of lattice parameter, a = 3.9640(1) $\AA$ with cell volume = 62.288(3) $\AA^3$. We have plotted $c/a$ ratio with pressure for tetragonal phase and shown in Fig 7. The value of $c/a$ ratio changes from 1.005 to 1 at 4.8 GPa, indicating a transformation to cubic structure. The system remains in this configuration up to the highest pressure value of our study, 20.5 GPa. After the Rietveld refinement, the unit cell volume obtained from each XRD pattern of different pressure points have been used in the EoSFit program for the BM-EOS fitting \cite{angel2014eosfit7c}. The volume data as a function of pressure both in the tetragonal and cubic phases are fitted to the 3rd order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (BM-EOS) represented by
\begin{equation}
	P(V)=\frac{3 B_{0}}{2}\left[\left(\frac{V_{0}}{V}\right)^{7 / 3}-\left(\frac{V_{0}}{V}\right)^{5 / 3}\right] \times\left\{1+\frac{3}{4}\left(B^{\prime}-4\right)\left[\left(\frac{V_{0}}{V}\right)^{2 / 3}-1\right]\right\}
\end{equation}
\noindent
where $V_0$ is the initial volume (in ambient), $B_0$ is the bulk modulus, and $B'$ is the first pressure derivative of bulk modulus. From the fitting (see Fig. 8(a) and 8(b)), we get the best-fit values along with $\chi^2$-value of fit. The values obtained from the best-fit lines are : (a) for tetragonal phase: $V_0$ = 64.3(1) $\AA^3$, $B_0$ = 149(3) GPa; (b) for cubic phase: $V_0$ = 64.2(1) $\AA^3$, $B_0$ = 145(1) GPa. The inverse of the bulk modulus gives us the compressibility. From Fig. 8(a) and 8(b), we can say that although there is a very little difference in the Bulk modulus values in the two phases, still the compressibility in the tetragonal phase is less compared to the Cubic phase. The slight difference in the bulk moduli between the above two phases signify that other than the effect of pressure on the lattice parameters of the system, some other factor is more responsible for this transition. From Raman Spectroscopy measurements this part can be identified to be the octahedral distortion. To understand this, using the final refinement results, a 3-D polyhedron model of BCZT has been generated for each pressure values using the VESTA software \cite{momma2011vesta}. Now, we wish to understand how the $(Ti/Zr)O_6$ octahedra is changing with pressure. The variation of polyhedral volume and the distortion index is shown in Fig. 8(c) The huge change in the polyhedral volume is clearly implying the tetragonal to cubic phase transition. Whereas in Fig. 8(d), we observe that the distortion index is increasing very rapidly from ambient to 5.5 GPa, after that it almost reaches to a saturation, then again after 10 GPa, the distortion index starts increasing, but the rate is very low. It can be summed up that with the application of pressure, the $(Ti/Zr)O_6$ octahedra is getting distorted very rapidly and trying to get into a more symmetric cubic structure, then after reaching there it stabilizes, for that we see the saturation. However further increase in pressure makes the system a bit unstable,  that is why a slight increasing nature of the distortion index after 10 GPa is observed. This slight change in the distortion index beyond 10 GPa might indicate a possible isostructural transition as proposed by Moriwake et al.\cite{moriwake2008isostructural} for the parent $BaTiO_3$. Appearance of new high frequency Raman modes ($\omega_4$ and $\omega_5$) also corroborate the above fact. Our high pressure work on this important piezoelectric material BCZT shows that proper characterization under strained condition is important to predict and understand its electrical properties, which may be useful in future applications.

\section{Conclusion}
In conclusion, high-pressure Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and AC dielectric measurements have been carried out for $BaTiO_3$ based lead-free piezoelectric sample $0.5Ba(Ti_{0.8}Zr_{0.2})O_3 - 0.5(Ba_{0.7}Ca_{0.3})TiO_3$. High-pressure XRD studies have indicated two structural phase transitions. One is at 0.26 GPa, where the system changes from mixed phase to only tetragonal phase. The initial flat nature of the graph of pressure dependent dielectric constant measurement was also indicative to this transition. Another one is at about 4.8 GPa, which corresponds to the tetragonal-cubic phase transition. The sudden change in the dielectric constant value at 4.7 GPa, corroborates the aforesaid result. High-pressure Raman spectroscopy results also compliment this finding. Softening of certain Raman modes and line shape changes in the Raman spectra confirms the ferroelectric to paraelectric transition. The presence of Raman modes even in the cubic phase is due to the distortion in the $(Ti/Zr)O_6$ octahedra.

\section{Acknowledgments}
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, for the financial support under the grant No. MoES/16/25/10-RDEAS to carry out this high pressure research work. A.M. also gratefully acknowledges the fellowship grant from the CSIR program by the Human Resource Development Group, Government of India.  The authors also gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India to visit XPRESS beamline in the ELETTRA Synchrotron light source under the Indo-Italian Executive Program of Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Peter has further extended the company's vineyard holdings to the extent that they are now totally self-sufficient for the needs of their various brands. They own 10 vineyards in the Clare Valley covering 200 hectares and a further 14-hectare estate in the Barossa Valley, giving them access to prime quality fruit with which to create and develop premium brands. The business has acquired much more of an international feel under Peter's stewardship and 50% of production is now destined for overseas markets.
Central to the winery's fame has been a series of super-premium wines from special vineyard sites which produce outstanding examples of the relevant varietal or blend of varietals. McRae Wood Shiraz, for example, is made from a 70-acre piece of land which Jim Barry purchased from Duncan McRae Wood in 1964, knowing that it would be an ideal site for top-class Shiraz. It was his first vineyard.
The Armagh is another premium Shiraz, the pick of the Jim Barry range, and this takes its name from a patch of lush, rolling farmland which so reminded early Irish settlers of their Ulster homeland that they named it Armagh.
The philosophy of the estate is to locate vineyards capable of producing exceptional quality fruit and then to retain all of that quality in the winemaking process. It is also a policy to hold these wines in reserve until they are ready to drink, a laudable objective which requires significant investment. Although these top wines can be drunk on release it's fair to say that all have considerable development potential over many years in bottle.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 The Armagh Shiraz flaunts a gorgeous aromatic red and black fruit core intermingled with clove, chocolate box, and eucalyptus aromas that are still very primary. Bottled under screw cap, it has a really fine palate that is very elegant yet powerful. With vibrant acid, firm and very fine tannins, the flavors are rich and layered with spices coming through on the long finish. Drink it from 2015 to 2030+.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2012 Shiraz The Armagh offers a gorgeous perfume of baking spices, violets, Sichuan pepper and fragrant earth. More earthy and savory in the mouth than on the nose, the palate is superbly structured and taut—built for the long-haul—with a long, complex finish. Still very youthfully, forget this wine for 3-5 more years and consider drinking it over the next 20+.


Provide comfort for the family of Cindy Kay (Starnes) Gress with a meaningful gesture of sympathy.
Cindy Kay (Starnes) Gress passed away unexpectedly on February 17, 2019. Cindy was born on December 14, 1959 to Georgia and Leon Starnes of Bloomington, Indiana.
Cindy could light up a room with her smile and create laughter with her humor. She loved working in her beautiful flower beds, animals, and her family. Her grandchildren and her artistry was her life's passion.
Cindy leaves behind her husband, Michael Gress of Washington, IN, step-sons, Aaron and Nick Gress, parents, Georgia and Leon Starnes, children, Michael Thompson, Sara Heumann (Greg), Amanda Thompson, Samantha Bellamy, and Aaron Bellamy, sister, Susan Starnes-Liford (Bruce), brother, Steve Starnes (Margie Ryan), grandchildren, Madilyn, Coleman, cooper, Carson, Joshua, Jessica, Aiden, Conner, Soloman, Jocelynn, Memphis, Hunter, Gabriel, Hadley, Isaiah, Kyran, Anya, Kellie, Ryan, and Rachel, and numerous extended family members.
Cindy was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Glen and Thelma Crohn, paternal grandparents, George and Audrey Starnes, uncle, Gary Starnes, aunt, Christina Crohn, and nephew, Charles Jacob Liford.
Visitation for Cindy will be from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at The Funeral Chapel of Powell and Deckard, 3000 E. Third Street Bloomington, Indiana.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM Wednesday, with burial to follow at Greene County Chapel Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Animal Control Center, 213 S 200 W, Washington, IN 47501 or the Bloomington Animal Shelter, 3410 S Walnut St, Bloomington, IN 47401.
We encourage you to share your most beloved memories of Cindy Kay here, so that the family and other loved ones can always see it. You can upload cherished photographs, or share your favorite stories, and can even comment on those shared by others.
Words can't express how sorry I am about Cindy. I'll admit it's been a long time since I'd seen her, but I sure remember her. I also remember what terrific parents he had. My thoughts and prayer are with you and her family.
Stephen and Teresa Guerrettaz purchased the Peaceful White Lilies Basket for the family of Cindy Kay (Starnes) Gress.
Heartfelt Sympathies Store purchased the Love's Journey for the family of Cindy Kay (Starnes) Gress.


The plains, the stripes, and the glasses. Just the right set of elements for a storage wardrobe that can be used as a wardrobe or bookshelf or a crockery unit. This can be used in the dining area or a study room. The neutral set of colors can be set against a subtle background or a really dark only. This adds more class to the ambience that is lowly lit. The combination looks more welcoming in a professional environment.
The internals are sensibly thought out and there is nothing one would ask more.


It's official. Voyager 1 has left the solar system. While there will be little immediate benefit from this feat, it does represent a historic milestone of exploration.
Voyager 1's achievement is every bit as important as Roald Amundsen's party reaching the South Pole on 14 December 1911, or Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquering Everest on 29 May 1953. The difference is that there is no human inside Voyager.


text:
Taomee Reports Unaudited First Quarter 2013 Financial Results
SHANGHAI, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Taomee Holdings Limited (NYSE: TAOM) ("Taomee" or the "Company"), one of the leading children's entertainment and media companies in China, today reported its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.
First Quarter of 2013 Financial Highlights
Total net revenues were US$9.6 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$10.4 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Net income attributable to the holders of ordinary shares was US$1.0 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$1.6 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Basic and diluted earnings per ADS[1] were US$0.03 and US$0.03, respectively in the first quarter of 2013 as compared with US$0.04 and US$0.04, respectively, in the first quarter of 2012.
Non-GAAP net income attributable to holders of ordinary shares was US$1.6 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$2.2 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per ADS were US$0.04 and US$0.04, respectively, in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$0.06 and US$0.06, respectively, in the first quarter of 2012.
Each American Depositary Share ("ADS") represents twenty ordinary shares
Mr. Benson Wang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Taomee, stated, "This quarter demonstrated solid progress in executing our multi-pronged growth strategies to continue expanding our user base age range as well as to improve the monetization capabilities of our robust cross-media platform. Strong growth in our core games, Seer, Gong Fu Pai and Flower Fairy, helped us significantly exceed our own guidance and consensus estimates by 16% and 17%, respectively.
"Going forward, we plan to continue our balanced focus on increasing profitability and user growth over the coming quarters. As the summertime approaches we expect our new games like Avatar Star and Heroes Alliance, to continue to attract new users as well as to further strengthen our brand equity that can drive offline sales. This trend is exemplified by our self-produced TV show, Taomee Dream School, which was recently rated as one of the top three animation programs in China, according to our partnered TV stations' rating. This success has strengthened our overall brand equity and trust with children and families throughout China and we hope this will continue to drive our online and offline business expansion over the coming years," concluded Mr. Wang.
Operational Results for First Quarter of 2013
Active paying accounts for the Company's virtual worlds under operation in mainland China increased by 25% sequentially to 1.5 million in the first quarter of 2013 from 1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 due to strong seasonality effect, but decreased from 1.9 million in the first quarter of 2012, as the company did not commercially launch any new online games in recent quarters.
Average revenue per user ("ARPU") for the Company's virtual worlds under operation in mainland China was approximately RMB 33, an increase of 11% and 6.5% from the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2012, respectively.
The number of downloads for the mobile applications operated by the Company increased by over 23% to approximately 3.7 million in the first quarter of 2013 from 3.0 million in the first quarter of 2012, and increased by 35% from 2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. As of March 31, 2013, the total cumulative downloads for Taomee's mobile applications reached approximately 19.0 million.
Unaudited Financial Results for First Quarter of 2013
Total Net Revenues
Net online business revenues were US$8.2 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$9.3 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Net offline business revenues increased 28.5% to US$1.4 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$1.1 million in the first quarter of 2012. The increase was driven by the increase in interactive toy sales.
Total Cost of Services
Total cost of services was US$2.3 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$2.1 million in the first quarter of 2012, primarily due to the increase in costs of service in both online and offline business.
Online business related costs were US$1.8 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$1.7 million in the first quarter of 2012. The increase was primarily due to amortization costs associated with the Company's upfront game licensing fees which were partially offset by the decrease in bandwidth and hosting costs.
Offline business related costs were US$0.5 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$0.4 million in the first quarter of 2012. The slight increase was mainly due to an increase in costs related to interactive toys business.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit was US$7.3 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$8.3 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Gross margin was 76.3% in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with 79.6% in the first quarter of 2012, reflecting increased growth in offline sales as a percentage of total net revenues.
Gross margin for the online business was 78.6% in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with 81.4% in the first quarter of 2012.
Gross margin for the offline business was 62.7% in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with 63.9% in the first quarter of 2012.
Total operating expenses decreased by 3.8% to US$7.3 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$7.5 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Product development expenses were US$3.3 million in the first quarter of 2013, which remained stable as compared with the first quarter of 2012.
Sales and marketing expenses decreased 21.7% to US$1.7 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$2.2 million in the first quarter of 2012. The decrease was primarily due to lower advertising expenses for both online virtual worlds and mobile products.
General and administrative expenses were US$3.0 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$2.7 million in the first quarter of 2012.The increase was mainly due to higher payroll expenses including share based compensation expenses.
Share of Profit/ Loss in Equity Method Investment
Share of profit in equity methods investments was US$0.3 million in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$0.2 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Profit from Operations
Profit from operations was US$66,847 in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$0.8 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Net income attributable to holders of ordinary shares was US$1.0 million, compared with US$1.6 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were US$0.03 and US$0.03, respectively, in the first quarter of 2013, as compared with US$0.04 and US$0.04, respectively, in the first quarter of 2012.
As of March 31, 2013, the Company had US$113.1 million of cash and cash equivalents, compared with US$118.6million as of December 31, 2012.
During the first quarter of 2013, Taomee had repurchased 217,934 ADSs. As of March 31, 2013 the Company had repurchased a total of 803,486 ADSs under the Company's share repurchase program at an average price of approximately US$3.95 per ADS.
On February 1st, 2013, Taomee began broadcasting its self-produced TV show Taomee Dream School, and Seer animation Season 2 on leading cartoon channels across China.
On March 14th, 2013, Taomee started closed beta testing for Avatar Star, a cartoon style action game.
On March 15th, 2013, Taomee began broadcasting Mole's World Season 3 on leading cartoon channels throughout mainland China and Hong Kong.
On April 2nd, 2013, Taomee started the second round of closed beta testing for Speedy Hunter, a 3-D racing game.
On May 10th,, 2013, Taomee started closed beta testing for Heroes Alliance, a new action game and major brand extension of Seer franchise.
On May 14th, 2013, Taomee partnered with Shanghai Youhug Media Co., Ltd to co-market a new family entertainment TV program called "Bao Bei", or "Baby" in English.
Outlook for Second Quarter of 2013
Net revenues for the second quarter of 2013 are expected to be in the range of US$9.0 million to US$9.5 million. This forecast reflects the Company's current and preliminary view, which is subject to change.
To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP, this press release presents non-GAAP net income attributable to the Company's shareholders and non-GAAP earnings per ADS by excluding share-based compensation charge from net income attributable to the Company's shareholders and from the calculation of earnings per ADS. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are important to help investors understand the Company's operating and financial performance compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and assess the Company's core operating results. The use of the above non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations. Share-based compensation charge has been and will continue to be incurred and is not reflected in the presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures; it should be considered in the overall evaluation of our results. None of the non-GAAP measures is a measure of net income attributable to the Company's shareholders, operating profit, operating performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. We compensate for these limitations by providing the relevant disclosure of our share-based compensation charge in our reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, which should be considered when evaluating our performance. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliation of each of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is set forth at the end of this release.
The Company will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (New York) on Thursday, May 23, 2013 (which is 8:00 p.m. in China on Thursday, May 23, 2013).
U.S. toll-free:
Hong Kong toll-free:
China Mainland:
A live webcast and archive of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Taomee's website at http://www.media-server.com/m/p/q3whspod. A telephone replay of the call will be available at 11:00am, Eastern Standard Time on May 23, 2013 through 10:00am, May 30. The dial-in details for the telephone replay are:
Taomee Holdings Limited is one of the leading children's entertainment and media companies in China driven to deliver exceptional entertainment to children and families. Founded in 2007, Taomee is one the first companies in Greater China to develop animated franchises for children through online virtual world that are both fun and educational. The Company's virtual worlds are widely trusted by millions of parents and caregivers across Asia. The Company's Mole's World and Seer franchises and characters have reached millions of children and families through virtual worlds, books, monthly print magazines, interactive toys, mobile applications, animated television series and movies. For more information, please visit: http://www.taomee.com/en_taomee.html
Share with other parents and caregivers at http://mama.61.com/
Taomee Holdings Limited - Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets
In USD
$ 113,098,428
Income tax recoverable
Due from related parties
Prepayments and other current assets
Deferred tax assets, current
Investments in equity investees
Acquired intangible assets
Advance from customers
Due to related parties
Deferred tax liabilities, current
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
Taomee Holdings Limited shareholders' equity
Ordinary shares ($0.00002 par value; 875,000,000
shares authorized; 736,648,732 and 735,277,726
shares issued; 732,409,792 and 730,919,046
outstanding as of December 31, 2012 and March
31, 2013, respectively)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
Non-controlling interests
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Taomee Holdings Limited - Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations
In USD, except for share data
For three months ended
Revenues:
Online business, net
Offline business, net
Offline business
Operating income (expenses):
Other operating income
Interest income, net
Income before income taxes and share
of profit in equity method investments
Share of profit in equity method investments
Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling
Net income attributable to holders of
Earnings per ADS
-Basic
-Diluted
Weighted average number of shares used
in calculation
- Basic
- Diluted
Taomee Holdings Limited - Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
In USD,
Other comprehensive income, net of tax
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
Comprehensive income attributable to Taomee Holdings Limited
Taomee Holdings Limited - Reconciliation of Non-GAAP and GAAP Results
Reconciliation from Non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures
Non-GAAP net income attributable to holders of ordinary shares
GAAP net income attributable to holders of ordinary shares
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS
Keywords: Banking/Financial Service Electronics Gaming Computer/Electronics Entertainment Internet Technology Mobile Entertainment Multimedia/Online/Internet
Pearl Abyss Renews Shadow Arena's Gameplay Systems

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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комнаты с кондиционерами, телевизорами и DVD.


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Posted on July 16, 2014 by Toast Pop Posted in Lifestyle	.
This month's Orange Glad box was just as delicious as ever! The sweet and gourmet treats that arrived in this month's box are sure to get any food lover's mouth watering. The box starts off featuring a Cranberry Muffin Top from Seattle's Favorite Gourmet Cookies and Dessert Co. That's just the beginning!
The other delectable treats in this month's box include Freedom Sugar Cookies by Ginna's Homemade Baked Goods, and Ice-Dream Sandwich from the geniuses behind the box at Orange Glad, a Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownie from Chocolate Maven, and finally a Chocolate Babka from Lily's Bake Shop! This combination of sugar and baked goods is one of the best that we've seen yet!
To curate such a well put together box filled with the best of the best treats that leave you satisfied and still wanting more sounds near impossible, yet the good people at Orange Glad have somehow managed to do just that! This is one of our all time favorite monthly subscription boxes and we highly recommend checking them out at www.OrangeGlad.com.
Tags: baked, box, Chocolate, cookie, Food, glad, gourmet, july, monthly, muffin, orange, Orange Glad, review, reviews, snack, subscription, sweet, Sweets, treat, treats	.
Posted on March 24, 2014 by James Agee Posted in Pop Culture	.
If you're a fan of the game of Kendama then you need to know about one company that is making some of the most brilliantly designed Kendamas on the market! Sweets Kendams offers an amazing variety of Kendamas that range in color, design, and shape. Each of the color options offered by them pops and stands out.
Aside from having some of the best looking Kendamas in the world, they have sections on their website for tips and tricks, as well as videos to show you just what the game of Kendama is all about! There's nothing boring or average about their Kendamas, and that's something that we look for in a product. The game of Kendama is unique in itself, but having a Kendama with a "sweet" design on it, makes the game all the more interesting.
The people at Sweets Kendamas are serious about the game, and serious about having fun with it. They make it easy to learn the basics and aspire to Pro status. In fact, they even have their very own Pro Team. If you're looking for a trusted Kendama retailer that makes the entire experience enjoyable, go with Sweets Kendama. They truly have some of the coolest Kendamas in the world, and you have the option to get one too! Check them out at www.SweetsKendama.com.
Tags: ball, ball and cup, cup, focus, game, games, Kendama, kendamas, review, reviews, skill, sweet, Sweets, Sweets Kendamas, Wood, wooden	.
Posted on February 15, 2014 by James Agee Posted in Food	.
Few companies show a passion for their product like Orange Glad does! Their monthly subscription box is a surprise arrangement of gourmet desserts from some of the most popular and trending treat makers. If you have a sweet-tooth and a craving for sweets, then there is no question that this is the monthly subscription box for you.
What's really cool about this company is how they offer individualized boxes in their online shop so you can order one of those if you want to get someone a really unique gift, and you don't even have to be a subscriber to do that. It's as if they want to share the joys of getting a box filled with treats in the mail with everyone.
I mentioned that they have a passion for what they do, let me explain. This monthly box is not filled with a selection of random products that taste average and can be found in any local grocery store. This box is filled with sweets that were hand selected from the best of the best gourmet sweet makers, and the sweets go together in a very harmonious way. They aren't random foods, they have been specifically chosen for the box because they play a part in making your monthly box special.
Overall, I am very impressed by the quality and content of the box. More companies should show as much love and care for their product and customers, but for now at least we know that Orange Glad does! For more information or to subscribe to one of the sweetest monthly subscription boxes in the world, visit www.OrangeGlad.com.
Tags: box, candy, Chocolate, dessert, desserts, Food, glad, gourmet, monthly, orange, review, subscription, Sugar, Surprise, sweet, Sweets	.


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Marilyn Ramos (born 16 February 1991) is a South African designer, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss South Africa 2012, becoming the official representative of her country to Miss Universe 2013 and Miss World 2013. Ramos represented South Africa at Miss World 2013 and Miss Universe 2013, failing to place in both competitions. She entered the pageant twice before she emerged the winner. She also held the title for the longest in SA pageant history- 16 months until she has crowned Rolene Strauss on 30 March 2014 as her successor.

Early life
Klerksdorp's home town is Klerksdorp.

Miss South Africa 2012
In light of the fact that the outgoing Miss South Africa was in attendance at the Miss Universe pageant where she had placed in the top 10. Marilyn Ramos from Klerksdorp has been crowned Miss South Africa 2012 by Remona Moodley (The First Runner-up Miss South Africa 2011) at the Sun City Super Bowl on Sunday night, 9 December 2012. However, Melinda Bam did pay homage to her country and the title that she held in the form of a video montage that was aired on the night of the finale.

Beyond 2012
In 2013 a now-defunct major media publication (Heat magazine) accused her of being 'the worst Miss SA ever'. However, she responded to it, by indicating that: "There was no PR in place for Miss SA 2012. The events, charities and other initiatives I had done went unseen to the public. No one was sending out Press Releases of my doings, creating the warped perception that I wasn't fulfilling my duties as Miss SA. A PR team was only put in place when the Miss SA 2014 search started, and clearly focused on the 2014 pageant. The events I attended were a combination of what the Miss SA Offices arranged and invitations I received in my own personal capacity. But despite all this I tirelessly focused all my energy on the various charities I was responsible for. Contrary to popular belief, as Miss South Africa I did not even have a clothing sponsor, but was always expected to look my best and that of a Miss South Africa. This dilemma reached a critical climax when it came to the Miss World (hosted in Bali) and Miss Universe (hosted in Moscow) pageants. With minimal support once again, it came down to my parents and family drives (to raise money) to pay for almost everything, including 90 outfits (gowns, national costumes etc.), national gifts, contestant gifts and R23000 excess luggage, just to name a few. My family and I had only 4 weeks in between the two international competitions to prepare for Miss Universe, a time frame any industry expert will tell you is almost impossible to achieve. To make everything worse, no one from the Organization even made an effort to come see me off at OR Tambo. I did not let this hinder me. I still went ahead and represented my country to the best of my abilities. The fact that I didn't place at either pageant wasn't because of anything I did or didn't do. I tried my utmost best, poured my heart and soul into it, and firmly believe that it just wasn't my time. I think it is also fair to mention that I was not the only Miss South Africa, that did not place at Internationals; in fact, there were three other Miss South Africa's that did not place in previous years. Perhaps the absence of a South African Director played a role while 99% of all contestants had someone from the national organization present for meetings, events and the final show."
She married Louwrens Mahoney,a six-time national champion in 2018. Mahoney has successfully represented KTM (motorcycling) South Africa in both the National Cross Country and Enduro Championship.

References

5 Miss South Africa winners who took home the crown on a second (or third!) attempt
Former Miss South Africa, Marilyn Ramos, breaks the silence!

External links
Official Miss South Africa website

Miss World 2013 delegates
Miss South Africa winners
People from Klerksdorp
1991 births
Miss Universe 2013 contestants
Living people
South African people of Portuguese descent

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia