text:
Disinherited Daughter's Bid for a Share of Her Father's Estate Rejected
If someone upon whom you depend financially dies leaving you nothing in his or her will, judges have the power to ensure that you do not go empty-handed. As a High Court case showed, however, that power will only be exercised in your favour if your need for support is both pressing and genuine.
The case concerned a delivery driver whose modest lifestyle had been boosted by a £450,000 lottery win some years before his death from a brain tumour. By his will, he left his entire estate – valued at £268,000 – to his second wife. His half share of the marital home represented about 80 per cent of that sum.
Following his death, his daughter by his first marriage launched proceedings under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 seeking reasonable provision from his estate. A married mother of two, she argued that she and her family were in need of financial support in that they were saddled with substantial debts and were living in a house that was too small for them.
Rejecting her claim as hopeless, however, the Court noted that she appeared to be labouring under the mistaken assumption that she was entitled to a share of her father's estate come what may. She and her husband had enjoyed several luxury holidays and were living comfortably. Their combined income was more than sufficient to meet their day-to-day needs and her bank and credit card debts were self-inflicted.
Her father's widow, by contrast, was wheelchair dependent due to ever-worsening motor neurone disease and required every penny of her inheritance to maintain her independence and live out her remaining years in dignity and comfort. Her savings were modest and any award in the daughter's favour would require her to sell or mortgage the home where she was looked after by a live-in carer.
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.
Trust, Wills and Probate
Legacies and Entitlement to Means-Tested Benefits - High Court Ruling


text:
Q: How is the second capacitor charged in a Colpitts oscillator?
C1 is connected to ground, so there should be no current from C1 to C2.  C2 will get charged by L1, but then in that case those two capacitors were not connected in series, they can't divide voltage, but that is not what I read from book. I am cofused.

A: There are several ways to approach the Colpitts. Some work for some folks, others work for others, so I'll throw several at you and see whether any work.
In a parallel LC resonant circuit (that's not a DC circuit where you're charging capacitors steadily with a current, but in an AC resonant circuit where you need to take account of several cycles of oscillation), the tapped capacitor behaves as if it's an auto-transformer with a capacitor across it. A negative signal on the collector becomes a positive output on the base. Imagine if you will a grounded tap on the inductor instead, with the inductor behaving as an auto-transformer. But this transformation only works because the L and Cs are resonant. FWIW, the split inductor version of this circuit is called the Hartley oscillator, but with inductors more expensive than capacitors, it's usually the split capacitor one that is used.
Second way. Think of C1, L and C2 in that order as a discrete LC version of a transmission line, driven by the collector, with the base as a load. The electrical length of the transmission line is such that the signal inverts as it travels along it.
Third way. Ground is not really a 'signal stopping' terminal, it's merely a label carried by one particular node. The Colpitts Oscillator can be redrawn slightly to use the transistor in grounded base or grounded collector configurations as well.
Here are some diagrams from the otherwise excellent wikipedia page on the Colpitts
The bias components have been removed to show only the resonant and gain components, and it's assumed that the positive rail is decoupled, so connected to whatever terminal is labelled ground. Why 'otherwise excellent'? Unfortunately, in those diagrams below, they've swapped the C1 and C2 component designators. It's the common base version that shares the same C1/2 labelling as your common emitter version. Spend some time redrawing them to see that they're all equivalent as far as signals go.
One might spark your intuition better than another. It's the common collector one that works for me. I see the low impedance output of the emitter shaking the mid point of the capacitors, and getting voltage gain, in phase, at the 'top' of the resonator, driving the high impedance base.

Finally, simulate it in a SPICE simulation. Bear in mind that oscillator simulations usually have to be 'started' manually, usually by setting an 'initial condition' of voltage to the capacitors, to give it a kick. In real life, they self-start from noise, which is absent in the simulator. If you do that, start from a circuit with valid component values. Some ratios of C1 and C2 will not work. The loop gain depends on their ratio, and there has to be enough gain for the oscillations to build up. If you go to the wiki article and try to simulate figure 3, check out the talk page for discussion on whether it simulates or not. They discuss what initial conditions are needed, and how long it takes before oscillations build up.

A: I've not found one online article that appears to understand the Colpitts oscillator (maybe I'll write one). Here's a typical schematic but it's impractically basic if you want decent sinewave purity. However, it does lend itself to analysis. The red bits were overlaid by me.

Collector current flows into R4 and, this signal can be shown to be a voltage source in series with R4 feeding C1 (Cout is too large to have any role and can be shorted).
So, R4 (the collector resistor) is the output resistance at the collector. It, along with C1 forms a phase shift network of a few degrees (circa 10 degrees but can be more). Then, the voltage on C1 feeds L1 and C2 - those are quite resonant and produce nearly another 170 degrees (sometimes can be less) at 1 particular frequency to satisfy the criteria for oscillation: -

*

*Enough amplitude signal fed back to sustain oscillation

*Phase shift exactly 180 degrees

The Colpitts oscillator is a "near-resonant" phase shift oscillator. It relies on an RC phase shift AND an LC phase shift to produce a tenable overall phase shift of 180 degrees. It never works perfectly at LC resonance because you wouldn't get 180 degrees of phase shift. Here's a simulation of the RCLC circuit that achieves 180 degrees of phase shift and unity gain at 2.25 MHz: -

but that is not what I read from book. I am confused.

The simulation varies the resistance inherent at the collector node. Without the resistor, you will not get the required 180 degrees of phase shift but, you also need the resistor to give you gain at the collector so, you are stuck with it for two reasons and, for both reasons, the Colpitts oscillator will not work without it.
A lot of books/websites do talk a lot of BS when it comes to Hartley and Colpitts oscillators but, the simple answer is (as with any oscillator of this type), that it relies on phase shift to produce sustained oscillation.
Other questions and answers on Colpitts oscillators

*

*How does the Colpitts Oscillator reach a loop gain of 1?

*Role of both capacitors in a Colpitts oscillator

*Colpitts oscillator variations

*Colpitts - grounded capacitors

*Common collector Colpitts oscillator

*Designing an oscillator

*Using a crystal instead of an inductor

*What makes a crystal suitable in a colpitts oscillator

A:
simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab
Here is my short explanation of the circuit`s working principle:
The output resistance at the transistor`collector node (nearly R4) forms - together with the connected components - a THIRD-order lowpass in ladder form: R4-C1-L1-C2. The large capacitors Cout and Cin act as coupling capacitors only.
The output of this lowpass (commom node of L1 and C2) is fed back to the base terminal. There is one single frequency at which this lowpass produces a phase shift of -180deg. Together with the phase inversion of the transistor between base and collector, the oscillation condition (loop gain with a phase shift of 360deg) is met at this frequency.
This view (3rd-order lowpass) makes it very easy to calculate the oscillation frequency: Since the filter must provide a 180deg phase shift, the imaginary part of the transfer function must be zero and the real part is negative.
Transfer function (lowpass): H(s)=1/[1+s(R1C1+R1C2)+s²(L1C2)+s(exp3)(R1L1C1C2)] .
With s=jw and setting the imag. part to zero we have:
(R1C1+R1C2) - wo²R1L1C1C2=0 .....This equation can be simplified and results in
w=SQRT(1/Cs*L1) with Cs=C1C2/(C1+C2)

A: following up on Neil answers:
(1) view the questioner's C1, C2 and L1 as a PI filter/resonator. With even the tiniest circulating current, the polarity of C1 voltage will be opposite that of C2; hence the inverting gain of Q1
(2) regarding the first of Neil's diagrams: a resonator must have a closed path for the circulating current; thus a large low-loss VDD bypass capacitor is needed. If any other circuits share that bypass cap, then deterministic trash will be injected into the oscillator's behavior and cause output spurs along with the desired fundamental

A: Imagine C1 changing its voltage, either by charging itself or discharging. Then we have L1 in series and C2 in parallel with Cin and R2. The circuit it's not intuitively drawn, C2 is upside down, actually. It's not charging with negative voltage, it's positive. Redrawn the circuit as I said and I think it might clarify.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I have come up with a simple 3-step process to develop online marketing strategies for my clients. I call it my 3 Cs of Social Media: Customer, Content, Capabilities. If you've been subscribed for a while or have seen me speak before, you've probably heard that. I want to dive a little deeper into each over the next few posts because I really want you to create a strategy that works for your business.
I recently surveyed my audience and asked the question: how do you feel you are doing with your social media, and not one person said they felt they were doing a great job on their own. I'm here to help.
I know that online marketing can be confusing and overwhelming especially with all the different platforms and tools available. We are going to break it down so you can be very focused on what you are doing online in a way that doesn't take all of your time and gets you REAL results – translation: actual sales.
Sound too good to be true? It's not. But let's take it one step at a time and start with the first C: your Customer. We can't do any marketing if we don't hone in on who our ideal customer is. There are a number of processes to determine this, and if you were going to school for an MBA, entire classes would be devoted to market research. Here's the thing – I'm all about actionable intelligence. I don't want to talk in theories; I want to give you strategies you can implement TODAY. I actually do this stuff every day for my clients – hundreds of them with millions of dollars in revenue.
In fact, I just did a web search on "ideal customer profile" and there were over 19 million results (see image) – talk about confusing!
1) Who are your best customers?
And the big one – what is their pain that you solve? That should help you determine the next big question which is where are they online? This is the first piece of the puzzle. Where are they likely to be when you want them to take action – buy from you, subscribe to your newsletter, whatever that major call to action is? If you are a retail business targeting young professionals who are out and about when you want them to take action, then mobile and online review sites are going to play a big part in your strategy. There is no right answer here as long as the platform matches your customer. Go ahead and download the ideal customer profile worksheetand jot down the characteristics of your ideal customer.
Let me know about your ideal customer in the comments.
The next post in this series is about developing online content with a focus on customer testimonials.


LEI'D WITH CUPCAKES by Bethany Lopez is now LIVE!
This is the third book in this series and should be read in order although I think it can be read as a standalone. Although names are brought up from previous books so that could be confusing for some people if you havent read the others in the series but for me I think it doesnt really make a difference. I really enjoyed this book and its story I just found it difficult completly connecting to the characters which is why the rating is slightly lower. The writing style was gripping and kept my attention till the end I just needed more of a connection to the main characters for me to love this book more. That been said I have read the others in this series and will keep reading books by this author as I love her writing style it just happened that these particular characters didn't connect to me on a more personal and deep connection.


Drink juice or soda with a splash of turtle power using our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Plastic Cups. Our Ninja Turtles party supplies feature all four heroes in a half-shell: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. These reusable, BPA-free plastic cups are a fun way for kids to enjoy their daily milk, juice, and water. With 12 cups per pack, you can give them out as party favors at a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles birthday party. You can add plastic cups to TMNT goodie bags or fill the cups with candy before wrapping them up in cellophane. Add even more adventure to your birthday bash with our other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed party supplies.


120 students receiving award represent schools in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Berry Bros & Rudd's on- and off-trade unit has launched several whiskies from a Swedish distillery into the UK market.
Crude oil stockpiles in the U.S. rose 7 million barrels to 456.6 million barrels in the last week, their highest since November 2017, the EIA said.


Moore's Automotive provides CV Axle Replacement services to Vernon, CT, Tolland, CT, Manchester, CT, and other surrounding areas.
Why Should You Have CV Axle Replacement Services Performed at Moore's Automotive?
We proudly service the CV Axle Replacement needs of customers in Vernon, CT, Tolland, CT, Manchester, CT, and surrounding areas.
Looking for auto repairs in Vernon, CT? Moore's Automotive is the place to call. Before you spend more time looking for a good auto repair shop, give us a call. We specialize in paintless dent removal. Estimates are always free, so give us a call, or stop by. We service all makes and models and can handle everything from preventive maintenance and oil changes, to transmission repairs and engine diagnostics. Find the best deals on tires in Vernon, CT from top brands. We're open 6 days a week for your convenience. Give us a call now at (860) 872-2024 to schedule your auto repairs in Vernon.


I have listed a new property at # 102 2140 W 12TH AV in Vancouver.
The whole package! Check out the amazing Kitsilano townhouse-style studio that includes secure parking, an outdoor patio, a separate storage locker, cozy gas fireplace, and in-suite laundry! Located in the heart of Arbutus Walk,this unit offers 2 entrances, including its own private gated entrance from the street. Recently updated with fresh paint, new lighting and window coverings, this unit is move-in ready. BONUS Murphy Bed w/ night lighting & built-in storage is also included! This unit is exceptionally spacious for a studio, with ample room for a living room, dining room and bedroom without feeling cramped. Fab location, terrific value & lovingly cared-for building! More pics on Realtor's site. Open Sat/Sun 2-4.


text:
Q: How does one extend the limit concept to extended real numbers? Consider a function $f: \mathbb{R}\to [-\infty, + \infty]$. Is it possible to define
$$\lim_{x \to a} f(x)$$
where $a \in \mathbb{R}$ without appealing to a metric on $[-\infty, + \infty]$?
If yes, how?

A: Eric Yau's comment goes straight to the point: the extended real line $\overline{\mathbb{R}} = [-\infty, +\infty]$ is a topological space, and it is common knowledge how to extend the definition of $\lim_{x\to a}f(x) = b$ for functions $f \colon X \to Y$ between metric spaces to the case where $Y$ (and possibly also $X$) is a topological space on which a metric may not have been given.
An answer to the question can be assembled from the Wikipedia page Limit of a function [which incidentally needs some tidying up]:

Functions on topological spaces
Suppose $X,Y$ are topological spaces with $Y$ a Hausdorff space. Let $p$ be a limit point of $\Omega \subseteq X$, and $L \in Y$. For a function $f \colon \Omega \to Y$, it is said that the limit of $f$ as $x$ approaches $p$ is $L$ (i.e., $f(x) \to L$ as $x \to p$) and written
  $$
\lim_{x \to p}f(x) = L
$$
  if the following property holds:

*

*For every open neighborhood $V$ of $L$, there exists an open neighborhood $U$ of $p$ such that $f(U \cap \Omega − {p}) \subseteq V$.

  This last part of the definition can also be phrased "there exists an open punctured neighbourhood $U$ of $p$ such that $f(U \cap \Omega) \subseteq V$".
Limits involving infinity
[...]

*

*a neighborhood of $-\infty$ is defined to contain an interval $[-\infty,c)$ for some $c\in\mathbb{R}$,

*a neighborhood of $\infty$ is defined to contain an interval $(c,\infty]$ where
  $c\in\mathbb{R}$, and

*a neighborhood of $a\in\mathbb{R}$ is defined in the normal way [for the] metric space $\mathbb{R}$.

  [...] $\overline{\mathbb{R}}$ is a topological space and any function of the form
  $f\colon X\to Y$ with $X,Y\subseteq\overline{\mathbb{R}}$ is subject to the topological
  definition of a limit. Note that with this topological definition, it is easy to define infinite limits at finite points, which have not been defined above in the metric sense.

I said that this is "common knowledge", but it seems remarkably hard to find a clear statement of it in print! (One could always print out the Wikipedia page, I suppose!) :)
As indicated in my
comment, I thought that the definition of the
limit of a function between general topological spaces
might be buried somewhere in a discussion of filter convergence (or net
convergence); but I couldn't find it there, either (and I looked in
quite a number of books). I hope that someone can supply the lack of an
authoritative reference.

A clear general definition of the meaning of
$\lim_{x\to x_0} f(x) = y$ can be given by condensing extracts from
pages 48--62 of Horst Schubert, Topology (Macdonald 1968):

A non-empty system $\mathscr{B}$ of subsets of the set $X$ is called
  a filter basis (on $X$) if the following conditions are satisfied:
FB 1 The intersection of two sets from $\mathscr{B}$
  contains a set from $\mathscr{B}$.
FB 2 The empty set does not belong to $\mathscr{B}$.
A non-empty system $\mathscr{F}$ of subsets of the set $X$ is called
  a filter (on $X$) if the following conditions are satisfied:
F 1 Every superset of a set from $\mathscr{F}$ belongs to $\mathscr{F}$.
F 2 The intersection of two sets from $\mathscr{F}$ belongs to $\mathscr{F}$.
F 3 The empty set does not belong to $\mathscr{F}$.
The neighbourhoods of a point $x$ form a filter, the
  neighbourhood filter of $x$. Every filter basis $\mathscr{B}$
  on $X$ determines a filter $\mathscr{F}$ on $X$.
Let $\mathscr{F}$ and $\mathscr{G}$ be two filters on the set $X$.
  If every set of $\mathscr{F}$ belongs to $\mathscr{G}$, then
  $\mathscr{F}$ is said to be coarser than $\mathscr{G}$ and
  $\mathscr{G}$ finer than $\mathscr{F}$.
Let $X$ be a topological space. A filter $\mathscr{F}$ on $X$ is
  said to be convergent to a point $x$ if $\mathscr{F}$ is
  finer than the neighbourhood filter of $x$. If $\mathscr{F}$
  converges to $x$ then $x$ is called a limit of $\mathscr{F}$
  and one writes $\mathscr{F} \to x$ or $x \in \lim \mathscr{F}$. One
  says that $x = \lim \mathscr{F}$ if $x$ is the only limit of
  $\mathscr{F}$. A filter basis $\mathscr{B}$ is said to be
  convergent to $x$ if the filter with the basis $\mathscr{B}$
  converges to $x$.
Let $X$ be a topological space.  The following assertions are
  equivalent:
H Every two distinct points of $X$ have distinct
  neighbourhoods.
H$'$ Every point of $X$ is the intersection of its closed
  neighbourhoods.
H$''$ The diagonal of $X \times X$ is closed.
H$'''$ There exists no filter on $X$ that converges to two
  different points.
A topological space $X$ is said to be Hausdorff or separated
  if it satisfies one (and hence all) of these conditions.
Let $f \colon X \to X'$ be a mapping [function] and $\mathscr{F}$ a
  filter on $X$. The filter on $X'$ that has images of the sets from
  $\mathscr{F}$ as a basis is called the image of $\mathscr{F}$
  relative to $f$ and will be denoted by $f(\mathscr{F})$.
If $\mathscr{B}'$ is a filter basis on $X'$, then the inverse image
  of sets from $\mathscr{B}'$ relative to $f$ satisfy condition
  FB 1. Condition FB 2 is satisfied if and only if
  no set from $\mathscr{B}'$ has an empty inverse image.
If $\mathscr{F}'$ is a filter on $X'$ and the inverse
  images of sets from $\mathscr{F}'$ are non-empty, then these images
  form, in general, only a filter basis.
Let $f \colon X \to X'$ be a mapping and $\mathscr{F}'$ a filter on
  $X'$. If the inverse images of sets from $\mathscr{F}'$ form a
  filter basis on $X$, then the filter with this basis is called the
  inverse image of $\mathscr{F}'$ relative to $f$ and will be
  denoted by $f^{-1}(\mathscr{F}')$.
Let $\mathscr{B}'$ be a filter basis on $X'$. The filter
  $\mathscr{F}'$ with basis $\mathscr{B}'$ has an inverse image
  relative to the mapping $f \colon X \to X'$ if and only if no set
  from $\mathscr{B}'$ has an empty inverse image.
The following important special case is covered by these
  considerations. Let $A$ be a subset of $X$. Relative to the
  inclusion of $A$ in $X$ every filter $\mathscr{G}$ on $A$ has an
  image on $X$ which in this case is called the extension of
  $\mathscr{G}$ to $X$. If $\mathscr{F}$ is a filter on $X$, then the
  inverse image of $\mathscr{F}$, relative to the inclusion of $A$ in
  $X$, need not exist. It exists if and only if $A$ meets every set
  from $\mathscr{F}$. This inverse image is also called the
  trace of $\mathscr{F}$ on $A$.
We introduce some more terminology and assume for this purpose that
  $Y$ is Hausdorff. The continuity of the mapping $f \colon X \to Y$
  at the point $x_0$ is equivalent to
  $$
\lim_{x\to x_0} f(x) = f(x_0),
$$
  which asserts that the image of the neighbourhood filter of $x_0$
  converges to $f(x_0)$. If the neighbourhood filter of $x_0$ induces
  a filter $\mathscr{F}$ on a subset $A$ of $X$ [it is clear that by
  this form of words he means that $\mathscr{F}$ has a trace on $A$],
  then we write
  $$
\lim_{\substack{x\to x_0\\x\in A}} f(x) = y,
$$
  when the image of $\mathscr{F}$ relative to the mapping $f|_A$
  converges to $y$. If in particular $A = X \setminus \{x_0\}$, then
  we will also write
  $$
\lim_{\substack{x\to x_0\\x\ne x_0}} f(x) = y.
$$
  [It is clear that this notation is defined if and only if $x_0$ is
  not an isolated point of $X$; and then $\mathscr{F}$ is the
  collection of all punctured neighbourhoods of $x_0$ in $X$.]


We all spend weeks looking for and researching the perfect car. But when it comes to insuring that car, many people don't take the time to put the same effort into researching insurance options. Almost all states require insurance, so we know we need it, and very few people are willing to take the risk to not have insurance. Your car may not be worth a lot, but the Lexus that you just rear-ended is.
A survey taken in January 2002 by Progressive Insurance found that 58% of car owners didn't shop around for car insurance. Another 29% said that they did their research – at one point – but hadn't looked around in over five years.
· Know what type of insurance you are buying. "Duh," you say. Well, not really. Rather than simply buying car insurance to cover you up to a certain amount, you can buy many types of car insurance. Collision, comprehensive, uninsured motorists, and bodily injury are some examples of types of insurance. You made need all, or may just want to buy a few. Know what you are buying and get only what you need.
· Become a better driver. Auto insurance companies want to take in as much money as possible, and pay out as little as possible. If they feel that you are a good driver, they will often give you a discount. Have a clean driving record for more than three years, taking a defensive driving course, and for younger drivers taking Driver's Ed and even keeping good grades can make a difference in how much you pay.
· Make your car as safe and theft-proof as possible. Buying a safe and theft-proof car would include things like the car having air bags, anti-lock brakes, and a security system. Owning a car that can be easily stolen or more attractive to thieves (expensive cars; cars without ignition and fuel cut-off systems, hood and wheel locking devices or window ID systems, etc.) will increase your premium as well.
· Be a good customer. Many companies will give you a discount if they consider you a loyal customer. This would mean that you would insure more than one car, add homeowner's or life insurance, or stick with them for over five years. This does not mean that you should sit on your car insurance without looking around and making sure that you are still getting the best insurance. But if you are happy with your company, they are happy with you. Check and see if they will give you a discount every year that you stay with them.
· Increase your deductible. Like many insurance companies (life, homeowners, etc.) the higher your deductible, the lower your premium. If you are able to raise your deductible and put that money away for emergencies, then they will most likely reduce the cost of insurance. Make sure, though, that you have the money set aside to cover the deductible. If you can't pay the deductible, they aren't going to help you. They do not start paying until the deductible is met.
· Make sure you know your discounts. Find out about discounts that companies offer. Aside from owning a car with better safety features, some insurance companies will offer discounts for things such as: low annual mileage, having what they consider a low-risk occupation, keeping your car in a garage, living in a rural area, carpooling, or even being married or a senior citizen.
Make sure you know companies you are researching inside and out. They do a lot of checking on you, do the same with them. Check Consumer Reports, Standard & Poor's Rating Service, or ratings offered by your state on local insurance companies. It isn't important just to have the cheapest coverage. You'll also want to see how quickly they handle claims as well as how good their customer service is. If you've been in an accident, you know that you will spend way too much time on the phone with your insurance company. Not getting calls back, or having to go through the rigmarole of them "finding your file" is not worth saving an extra $20/year.


The Domra alto is a Russian traditional instrument in the domra family. As with all domras, it has three strings but sounds an octave lower.
795 samples, 44.1 Hz \ 24-bit, stereo.
8 velocity layers for each note \ Round-Robin.
Speed and realistic dynamic tremolo control.
Natural glissando for pizzicato and tremolo articulations.
Native Instruments Kontakt 4.2.4+ is required.


text:
House Unanimously Passes Haiti Donation Bill
The House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that would allow taxpayers to accelerate deductions for charitable contributions made for relief of victims of the earthquake in Haiti (HR 4462). Under the bill, taxpayers could deduct donations made in 2010 on their 2009 returns.
Donations covered by the bill are cash contributions made after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of victims in areas affected by the earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12. To qualify for acceleration into the 2009 tax year, the donation must qualify as a deductible charitable contribution under IRC § 170.
Many taxpayers are making donations through text messages, and the bill would allow such donations to be substantiated by a telephone bill showing the name of the donee organization, the date of the contribution and the amount of the contribution.
It was unclear Wednesday afternoon when the Senate would take up the bill.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Great 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet By Sarmog is a must have in virtually any home. You need to get the best items, so you want to successfully by no means pay too much to them. Appears to be a little bit complex, proper? Well, this post is here to help you. Read more and find some great professional strategies for choosing the discounts on home furniture sections you are going to love. Before buying any kitchen cabinets, open every one of the storage and look on the inside. You're not just ensuring every one of the compartments are constructed to previous and wide open without having hitches, you should also be sure that the inside from the drawers have some kind of finishing also. When shopping for 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet By Sarmog, evaluate your room before you go shopping. There may be nothing at all even worse than selecting the ideal set of 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet By Sarmog only to discover that it will not easily fit into your bedroom after you buy it property. Rather, accurately calculate your areas sizes before heading remembering where front door and house windows are located.
One such furniture piece in home may be the club stool. They come in handy in all kinds of places, from the kitchen towards the porch towards the club. Bar stools arent only for the club anymore. Increasingly more homes ask them to as furnishings. The great benefit of a bar stool is the fact that its peak enables you to sit down right at the counter-top peak. For those who have a sizable kitchen with an island in it, a few bar stools allow you to change that isle right into a breakfast every day desk or perhaps a place to unwind and read the paper. There are numerous kinds of club equipment that exist when you go searching for some on the market. That is the location a problem starts because you'll be baffled which one that's best for you. But we've restricted the expansion of the kinds of bar stools that you could buy and apply. Thankfully, we as of this moment did the research for you, as well as in this list we created a summary of the very best ten best club stool chairs reviews in 2018 you can purchase for your club. After you audit their list, you will easily be capable to buy the appropriate bar stools for your requirements.
Fluffy, overstuffed loveseat soft cushions arent your thing? This lying loveseat from GDF has sharper, cleaner outlines than your conventional reclining loveseat, making it an elegant accessory for a mid-hundred years contemporary, contemporary, eclectic or modern type of home. And, at only 46.46 in . in width, its easy to match a smaller room, like flats, dog dens or office spaces. Available in a number of color and fabric options, such as grilling with charcoal material, navy fabric and standing micro-fiber, its simple to find the perfect match for your house dcor, and also the sturdiness your loved ones requirements for everyday use. The days are gone of excellent-looking, but unpleasant 360 Room Divider you will no longer need to give up comfort and ease for design. This reclining loveseat functions a big, soft, plush-stuffed seat cushion with enough space for two or enough room for you to spread out and relax.
Just like its namesake, the camelback couch includes a difficulty or maybe two that accents the primary outline of this couch design. This is a traditional style that was prominent in the 18th century by Chippendale and households who desired aristocratic, formal furniture frequently chosen this design. Today, this couch style gives a more official atmosphere to the space, particularly when upholstered in a official material. A more casual textile choice would make it appropriate for a family space that does not require a great deal of custom. Either way, the camelback couch has some elements that define the style. The thighs are typically uncovered, the sofa has no back again soft cushions and it normally has sq . or folded arms.
This sofa is caused the bell-shaped shape along with the upper armrest of the cushion. In addition, the top is based on obstructed corner edges. The thighs, nevertheless, have joined the phony wood covering. The sofa provides a comfortable and lavish sensation. This is actually the direct result of very flexible cushioning inside the polyester furniture. You can sit down easily for the moment to relax. Each one of the shades provided for this sofa demonstrates its noteworthy element, Versatile style. The red-colored sculpt could be ideal for both subjects with mild and darkish tones. That remains constant for different tones it provides too. The sofa is situated in space. Regardless of whether its Thanksgiving holiday or perhaps a large loved ones gathering, you can rely on it. Marathon-watching yet still time falling apart on your sofa with your buddies is a legitimate choice.
The best part that compensates for that time lost the glory of the buyers is its design without problems. Just for the feel of the upholstery, you receive a nice tasteful atmosphere. It comes in wealthy strong shading, imitating as incredible formal clothing. While keeping an honorable prominence, the fabric upholstery could be cleaned very easily. You should not regret after turning over a cup of drink on your nice couch. You just need to clean the stain for ever and ever precisely when it hits the upholstery. Even though good reputation accompanies delicacy, it's not the situation right here. This amazing couch is fed having a contour development of wood. You're much more unwilling to hear squeaks and walking sounds.
This sofa is caused the bell-shaped shape along with the upper armrest of the cushioning. In addition, the top is supported by blocked part edges. The legs, however, have became a member of the phony wood wrapping. The couch gives a comfy and extravagant feeling. This is the direct consequence of extremely versatile cushioning within the rayon furniture. You are able to take a seat effortlessly for now to relax. Each one of the shades provided for this sofa shows its significant component, Versatile design. The red sculpt could be well suited for each topics with mild and darkish tones. That continues to be constant for various tones that it provides as well. The sofa is situated in space. Whether or not its Thanksgiving holiday or a huge family gathering, you can trust it. Marathon-viewing yet still time falling apart in your sofa together with your buddies is really a genuine option.
The Bridgewater is a sofa design that is primarily informal and certainly comfy. This style is the darling of numerous an artist because it can be used to produce a informal, pleasant room. Bridgewater couches are flexible, depending on the upholstery you choose. Completed in a neutral fabric, this kind of sofa does not contend with additional factors within the room that may be much more remarkable, such as art work or other large features. Much more official fabric will yield a more grand style of couch. Numerous qualities distinguish Bridgewater couches: Typically they have low hands along with a higher back, which contributes to the casual look. Most also have a customized skirt that hides the thighs and free soft cushions for that chair and back. This specific design was created to accommodate slipcovers, that also lend an informal atmosphere towards the sofa.
Does your room display space needs? Are you currently willing to toss a slumber celebration within the mild of the lack of room to rest? This DHP Futon could be ideal for you in this situation. This Futon couch by DHP includes the performance of the sofa mattress with a modern and elegant look. Put it inside your living room to attain an extra tired mattress during the night. A microfiber ground that took off in the centre will be a ideal mixture. This amazing couch accompanies a tapestry with gleaming stainless hair and legs. Bringing together these results together in a comfy popular style sofa. You can choose to have it in Fake Leather-based, Velvet or Linen. An element that is worth indicating is its back style. In light of the different chairs, DHP promotes the alteration from the sofa for your comfort and ease levels. You are able to level up for an animated babble, or silent shifting image evening.
This plush set of city-stylish couches is created to supply an adorned site. Actually, even your modest rooms may have you required to have an perfect movie night. Place him down to get a completely altered mattress. This auparavant-garde sleeper futon mattress is obtainable in various tones. This includes some vibrant tones out of control for example Orange, Mild Azure, and lightweight Purple. Put them in your inventive studies or loft to evaluate the exuberance. It's also available in lowering tones for example darkish, dark and darkish. These subtleties, once again, print an honorable aspect of the higher class. With the splitting element of the back, you can rest to your preferred position. This sofa looks rich with tufted material consistency furniture. Fortunately that it is customized with hypoallergenic filling up. A conclusive result provides a comfy relaxation.
Puffy, overstuffed loveseat soft cushions arent your lifestyle? This reclining loveseat from GDF has crisper, solution lines than your traditional lying loveseat, which makes it a stylish accessory for a middle-hundred years contemporary, contemporary, modern or contemporary type of home. And, at just 46.46 inches in width, its easy to squeeze into a smaller room, like flats, dens or offices. Available in several color and fabric options, such as charcoal fabric, navy blue material and standing microfiber, its simple to find the right match for your home decorations, and also the durability your family requirements for daily use. Gone are the days of excellent-searching, but uncomfortable Santamaria Shoji 3 Panel Room Divider you no longer need to give up comfort and ease for design. This reclining loveseat features an oversized, gentle, luxurious-filled seat cushion with sufficient room for 2 or sufficient room for one to disseminate and unwind.
If you are looking for some serious rest, this loveseats solid cushion back and rolled hands will deliverbut at a higher cost. Each seat cushion consists of 30 individual pocketed coils for spring and support, and high resilience chair foam for an extra coating of plushness and sturdiness. Plus, the froth soft cushions are capped with extremely gentle, blended down down. For the extra comfort, there are 3 regular positions: seated, a slight lie down by having an raised footrest, along with a complete lie down with an raised foot rest. It does not hurt that this reclining loveseat appears lux, either. Its all-leather furniture and ornamental toe nail mind trim provide a classic appear that can work with a lot of home decorations designs, from traditional to country to crafts and arts. In addition, leather-based stands up nicely towards daily use, children and pet locks and fingernails. Just remember to condition the leather every six to 12 months.
I just purchased a full over full garbage household furniture and 2 full home furniture. How much of an incredible offer I acquired....unbelievable!!! Ask for Rich! He will handle you. I looked on C-list and frequented several furniture shops. Rich defeat all prices. The home furnitures and residential 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet have been in inventory that is very good news. Occasionally you need to wait weeks for new 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet to come in. I even received a totally free gift. I won't say what it was. You'll have to go see Rich for yourself!!
Visited many different stores searching for the best furniture set for us. Were built with a good choice, but didn't have precisely what we were hoping to find. They tell us that they'll purchase 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet from other shops. We found a sofa, love chair, and recliner chair that we truly liked at Ashley Furniture. I proceeded to go to some various Ashley stores trying for the greatest deal. Went back to Furniture Electric outlet, offered them the design numbers, and they could save me 100's of dollars.
I went in here about a 30 days . 5 ago to buy 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet and the 2nd i strolled in Manny was there and welcomed me having a huge smile. He strolled me through all of the 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet and provided some great offers. It was my first time purchasing 24-Pair Shoe Storage Cabinet for my personal place and with Manny there is just a degree of trust there and that i knew he would do me incorrect. If you need furniture and wish a great deal and pleasant people who are not just trying to bring your cash go here! Thanks again Manny!!!


This coconut milk DIY leave-in conditioner softens and conditions without weighing hair down. Just minutes to make. Just spritz it on clean, damp hair. Just minutes to make. Just spritz it on clean, damp hair.... This coconut milk mask recipe will leave your hair silky, smooth and smelling fabulous. This diy recipe is easy to make, 100 percent natural and beloved.
This helps strengthen your hair shaft, preventing split ends, breakage, and hair loss. Therefore, irrespective of your hair type, conditioning your hair is important.... The use of coconut milk and coconut cream is very beneficial for your skin. By using coconut milk and coconut cream, you can enhance the beauty of your hair and your skin too.
To make the coconut hair mask: Puree a banana, a tablespoon of honey, and a couple of strawberries, adding coconut milk by the tablespoon until you reach the consistency of hair conditioner. Apply the mask to dry hair, then wash away after 20 minutes.... Coconut Milk Massage. Grate a dry coconut and grind it by adding a little water to it. It will form a thick uneven paste. Squeeze or strain this paste to extract the liquid from it and apply this freshly made coconut milk onto your hair.
Coconut milk is rich in vitamins, minerals and fatty acids it is a great ingredient to keep hair looking and feeling healthy. This delicious creamy ingredient is yummy hair food that supports growth, conditions from within, and hydrates.
This helps strengthen your hair shaft, preventing split ends, breakage, and hair loss. Therefore, irrespective of your hair type, conditioning your hair is important.
♦ Coconut milk for hair growth not only tackles stiff stunted growth problems but also takes that extra step to nourish, nurture and care for your hair so that it can maintain the healthy consistency. The presence of essential vitamins are of paramount importance to the health and shine of your hair.
Coconut milk is widely used in South India to make curry and stew. I being a South Indian, I always stalk up on coconut milk. We even use it to make desserts or sweets for festivals. Coconut milk is extracted from freshly scraped coconut. It is quote easy to make it at home.
I was surprised to learn how good coconut milk is for hair. Its high fat content, proteins and vitamin E nourish hair from roots to ends, helping restore thinning hair , split ends and dry, damaged hair.


Four seniors were discovered dead in a house on Friday in an apparent carbon monoxide poisoning following a vehicle was left running in an attached garage, authorities said.
The casualties were an 80-year old girl and her 83-year old partner, A - 70-year old female renter as well as a 76-year old female friend of the few, authorities said. They were discovered Friday afternoon when a a family member of the couple went to check to them because they'd answered the telephone at their Queens house.
Neighbours lined the roads and pavements in the sub-urban Floral Park community alongside Long Island's Nassau County. Some shouted as policemen and fire fighters walked across the Cape Cod-design, 2-story house.
Authorities hadn't openly identified the casualties, but neighbor Helga Harter mentioned 2 of them were Jerry Hugel and Marie Hugel, whom she'd recognized for 40 years.
"These were were amazing people," Harter said through tears as she stood on a street-corner, studying the house. "These were were married for 60 years."
The Hugels had five kids, including a son whois a New York Police Department officer, Harter stated. The president of the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association, Ed Mullins, said members' ideas and prayers were with the household.
Harter explained the Hugels as a "fantastic family" quite active in the area German community. She last noticed them on Wednesday at a a gathering of a Bavarian dancing and cultural organization.
"I am in shock," Harter stated. "It is the the best shock of my entire life."
Jerry Hugel had become the president of the Bavarian team, the Schlierachtaler Stamm, for over 40 years until 2013, its web site as well as a member mentioned. He along with his spouse "were the anchor of every thing," member Kathy Fetzer stated.
Jerry Hugel moved from Germany to the United States of America in his youth, and Marie Hugel was of Austrian descent, she stated. They were constantly willing to accept any such thing that required doing for the organization and had handed the customs on with their kids, she stated.
"They only held everything together and ensured it was completed right," she said.
The married man was located alongside the working vehicle in the garage, along with the married woman was in a kitchen in the cellar, authorities said. Your family friend was in a parlor to the ground floor, as well as the renter was on the ground floor, authorities said.
Carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas, is produced when some fuels are combusted. The departures come on the heels of other carbon monoxide vulnerabilities that killed at least 10 individuals on the Eastern Seaboard.
A guy and his seven kids were discovered dead Monday in Princess Anne, Maryland, where they evidently were poisoned in their own slumber while owning a a generator following a utility cut electricity for their property. As well as a girl and her 7-year old daughter were discovered poisoned Wednesday in their residence in East Orange, Nj, where prosecutors mentioned a public service company had shut off electricity as well as a gasoline generator had been used without proper venting.
City Councilman Mark Weprin, who represents the region including Floral Park, stated he hoped the tragedy would highlight the need for having and keeping carbon monoxide sensors.
"My ideas and prayers go out to the friends and families of the casualties," he stated within an e-mailed statement.
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz given to this report.


This four-day instructor-led course provides students with the necessary knowledge to work with all the associated SharePoint business intelligence services including PerformancePoint Service, Excel Services, Business Connectivity Services, and Visio Services. The new and improved Business Intelligence Center is explored, and all the exciting new features within the SharePoint 2013 release are covered. The focus of this course is on the SharePoint 2013 business intelligence platform and not on the SQL business intelligence services. As far as possible each of the modules is stand-alone allowing for customization of the course for those audiences that may not have an interest in a certain service.
During checkout you will have the option to pay now or be billed later.


Energy conservation and energy efficiency are cornerstones of sustainable building design, construction, and operations. At Valtera Realty we know that these issues cannot be properly considered without first establishing performance baselines or benchmarks for comparison.
We audit existing facilities for energy efficiency, establish a benchmark, and develop energy road maps for our clients to define conservation, efficiency, and renewable generation strategies. We ensure that our clients maximize available rebates and incentives. We perform energy modeling and life-cycle assessment (LCA) to properly compare energy system options.


text:
Money Laundering: EFCC indicts banks
Posted by Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt | 6 April 2019 | 877 times
•EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu
The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has declared that banks were being turned into fraud and money laundering institutions in Nigeria.
The EFCC boss said some bankers give cover to fraudsters, corrupt politicians and foreign nationals to operate, adding that recent discovery by the Commission showed that some foreign nationals sponsor terrorism through banks in the country.
Magu stated this yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during a meeting with officers of banks in the South-South Zone. He, however, affirmed that the Commission would surely stamp out the ugly menace from banks as machineries have been positioned in strategic places.
Magu said: "You cannot fight corruption in isolation; that is why we are having this meeting today with compliance officers of banks. We have to join hands, including the journalists, to succeed in this fight.
"A lot of laundering activities today are going on in the bank. This is because of what a lot of them do with Bureau De Change agents. We have discovered that many of these operators of Bureau De Change are foreign nationals.
"Banks give them chance and they launder our money and they finance terrorism. Banks also help politically exposed persons to steal funds. They give life to internet fraudsters through Money Gram and Western Union.
"Unfortunately, we now have fraudsters working inside the banks. They subject people's account into intimidation and extortion. We want to put our machinery to deal with such bankers."
He also disclosed that the Commission has within the first quarter of 2019 secured 194 convictions, stressing that it was committed to ending corruption in the nation.
The EFCC boss said: "From January 1 till today, we have secured 194 convictions. All our cases were at the High Courts. We have to follow the rigours of High Court. Most of the cases did not start this year but we concluded them this year."
Magu also disclosed that the Commission would go after ex-governors and politicians who had been fingered in corruption acts, noting that the EFCC did not go after them during their tenure because of their constitutional immunity.
He also stated that the Commission's involvement in this year's polls would enthrone sanity and eradicate vote-buying, adding: "Yes, the 2019 polls was the first time EFCC got involved in election monitoring because we are determined to fight all round corruptions. I cannot disclose our achievements because we need not blow our trumpet by ourselves but I'm sure by our actions, vote buying and other political fraud will stop."
•Sourced from The Guardian report
N50b suit: FG's lawyer warns Anambra State Government
Nigerian PhD student slumps, dies in Malaysia
South African President defends moves to nationalise central bank
Fulani attacks and parochial Northern Governors
Two-year-old baby tests positive for COVID-19 in Ogun
Finance Minister advocates inclusive growth at G20 Seminar in Paris
Edo Govt awards families of slain police officers N6m
At least 100 security forces killed in fight for Afghan city...


text:
Chameleon is a 2008 Japanese crime action film directed by Junji Sakamoto, starring Tatsuya Fujiwara. It was released in Japan on 5 July 2008. It was screened in the Midnight Passion section at the 13th Busan International Film Festival. Fujiwara won the Best Actor award at the 18th Japan Film Professional Awards.

Plot
Goro is a con man based in Tokyo. He works with his friends Kosuke, Jun, and Tatsuo. In a parking lot, they see a kidnapping of a man, which Goro records with his mobile phone camera. When they watch television news in their hideout, they find out that the kidnapped man is a witness to a bribe scandal of a politician Atsugi.

Goro meets a fortune-teller Keiko. Keiko tells him that she is a victim of marriage fraud and has no money. Goro takes her to his hideout and they start to live together.

Kosuke, Jun, and Tatsuo are killed by Risk Cover Agency's agents. A police officer Kajiwara tells Goro that RCA is working for Atsugi to cover up his bribe scandal.

Goro and Keiko go to a port town. Goro recommends Keiko to break up with him, but she refuses to do so. When they hug and kiss, they are shot by a sniper. Keiko is kidnapped by RCA.

With a gun in his hand, Goro raids on RCA's headquarters and kills the agents one after another. However, the agency's leader Kijima is not there. Goro finds a body that is covered with sheets, laying on a bed.

Goro sneaks into a national assembly and hands out a photograph that captures Kijima kidnapping a witness. Kijima grabs Goro's left arm. It is revealed that Goro's left arm is artificial. Goro tells Kijima that he will wait outside.

Side by side, Goro and Keiko walk in a crowded city.

Cast

Release
The film was released in Japan on 5 July 2008. It was screened in the Midnight Passion section at the 13th Busan International Film Festival.

Reception
Maggie Lee of The Hollywood Reporter stated that "despite some hard-hitting combat and kinetic car chases, Chameleon ends up feeling like a makeover of 1980s TV action." She added: "The film is unsure of its own footing in handling this multi-genre item and fails to provide enough political insight or adventurousness." Russel Edwards of Variety called the film "entertaining if overall low-key".

Tatsuya Fujiwara won the Best Actor award at the 18th Japan Film Professional Awards.

References

External links

 Chameleon on VAP

2000s crime action films
2008 films
Japanese crime action films
Films directed by Junji Sakamoto
2008 action films
2000s Japanese films

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Cancer Research has come up with an innovative way to boost its research efforts - ask millions of UK mobile gamers to help it analyse cell samples.
The charity has built three mobile games that follow a freemium model. But instead of charging players to unlock new levels, they must analyse and categorise cell samples instead.
According to Cancer Research's product lead on citizen science, Leslie Harris, the three games were hugely successful.
Cellslider, the first mobile game, helped Cancer Research get through one million classifications in six months.
The second release, Genes in Space, achieved the same in three months. Last year's release, Reverse the Odds, took two weeks to hit the same goal.
Speaking at Digital Shoreditch, she said: "We spotted this need and opportunity. We knew that crowdsourcing was growing rapidly, so what if we could get the general public to help us with our data problems?"
The trouble with this approach, according to Cancer Research's other project lead, Andy Paterson, is that it does not scale.
He said: "If you imagine that we want to double the analysis, our only option is to drive more people to play Reverse the Odds. That means marketing, which needs to be funded from charitable donations."
Now the charity is hoping to pair up with indie developers for a mutually beneficial relationship. The developer takes care of producing and marketing the game, while Cancer Research provides the scientific analysis.
The idea is that Cancer Research will offer the science analysis element as a package, which developers can then plug into their game.
Developers get PR and, potentially, a more engaged audience spurred on by doing good. Cancer Research gets access to a larger citizen science team, without the same marketing outlay.
Paterson said: "This gives us scalability we don't have, and is a win-win for all parties.
"We focus on the science and scale out the research cost-effectively. It is the only way to achieve the pace of analysis we need."
Interested developers are encouraged to contact Cancer Research directly.


Land reclamation for the 269 acres of land that is to be the Colombo Financial City ended yesterday with the second phase of the project, and construction of the city, scheduled to begin soon.
Minister of Megapolis & Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka, Chinese Ambassador for Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan and Managing Director of CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. Jiang Houliang were present at the ceremony held at the completion of the project.
In a statement, the project company stated that it had obtained required permission prior to beginning reclamation work, and the entire operation was carried out in accordance with the Development Permit issued by the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management.
Meanwhile, Port City Project Director appointed by the Ministry of Megapolis & Western Development confirmed that the project company had ensured the total sustainability of the dredging operation, keeping to distances of over 7.5km from the shoreline, and going to depths of 15m or more at the off-shore sites allotted to them by the Ministry of Megapolis & Western Development and SLLRDC. The depth of dredging had been limited to 3m from the surface of the seabed, maintaining a sediment thickness of at least O.5m at all times.
The dredgers used during the 28-month long sand mining process, had all been equipped with high tech modern facilities such as AIS systems, long range radar, light systems, CCTV and state-of-the-art communication systems to ensure navigational safety. Their real time GPS tracking assisted the SLLRDC to track dredger movements 24/7 to ensure smooth operations. The project contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company, had clearly demarcated the dredging area to help facilitate environmental monitoring, which had taken place on a regular basis during the entire process.
The EMC consisted of 26 government agencies i.e. Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, District Secretaries – Colombo and Gampaha, Divisional secretaries Colombo/ Thimbirigasyaya/Wattala/Ja-Ela/Negombo, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Irrigation, Department of Archaeology, Central Environmental Authority, Urban Development Authority, Road Development Authority, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Marine Environment Protection Authority, National Aquatic Resources and Development Agency (NARA), Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Cooperation, Board of Investment, Sri Lanka Navy, Municipal Councils of Colombo/ Negombo and the Pradeshiya Saba of Wattala. These agencies made regular inspections at the project site to ensure that all required standards and regulations were being adhered to.
Currently, preparations are being made for the second stage of the project and ongoing work includes the first phase of ground improvement, trench excavation and foundation rock placement for the construction of the Marina seawall, land formation and the construction of marine protection structures. The project Company is also working in partnership with the Megapolis Ministry for the installation of basic infrastructure facilities, the obtaining of land titles and incentive policies that would attract foreign investors to the new city.
Once completed, Port City Colombo is estimated to have some 5.75 million square metres of build up space with offices, medical facilities, educational facilities, integrated resort, marina, retail destinations and hotels.


text:
Garrett Hedlund and Charlie Hunnam: Triple Frontier Interview
by Zak Wojnar
in Interviews
The "men on a mission" movie gets a modern facelift with Triple Frontier. Directed by J.C. Chandor (All is Lost), this action/adventure story follows a squad of hardened soldiers who strike out for themselves and set out to rob a South American drug kingpin.
The squad of soldiers are played by some of the hunkiest men in Hollywood: Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund, Charlie Hunnam, and Pedro Pascal are a veritable mountain of machismo, and the film makes a grand showing of balancing the emotional journey of these characters with a non-stop barrage of action, adventure, and white-knuckle tension.
Related: Triple Frontier – Ben Affleck and Oscar Isaac Interview
During a New York City press junket for the film, we spoke to the stars of Triple Frontier, Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund. The Sons of Anarchy and Tron: Legacy stars, respectively, shared with us some behind-the-scenes details of the film, including finally sharing the screen together after years of friendship and discussing their training regimen; particularly, being forced to take swimming lessons for insurance purposes.
Screen Rant: You guys, this movie. So... so many words... It's manly, but it's emotional. It's an adventure. It's like The Guns of Navarone meets Treasure of the Sierra Madre. You guys function as such a unit in this movie. How well did you and the rest of the cast know each other before you started production?
Charlie Hunnam: Garrett and I have known each other and been very dear friends for fifteen years, and that's how we ended up becoming brothers in the film. Initially, J.C. (Chandor, director) hadn't intended for these two characters to be brothers, but he was looking at us both, and feeling like there was too much similarity physically, and just our vibes were too similar, that he felt like it would be distracting, it would ask too many questions if we weren't related. So he was trying to figure out which one of us he would hire and which one he wouldn't, and then he had this eureka moment of realizing he could just change the script and write us as brothers and have us both! It required very little for the two of us to create a brotherly bond...
Garrett Hedlund: ...But it's been a long time in pairing. And Oscar and I, this is our third film together, so we've known each other for ten years and been super close pals. You know, to jump on this and go on this journey with them, especially with this story that's so involved with brotherhood and camaraderie, it was a perfect fit.
Screen Rant: So you've worked together a lot. Did have any bonding exercises that you did in rehearsals or anything, or was that in itself the bonding exercise?
Garrett Hedlund: We took swimming lessons together.
Charlie Hunnam: It's true.
Garrett Hedlund: We wrestled on the beach. Charlie and I would wrestle in the gym. He's a big fan of Jiu-Jitsu, so he was trying to teach me a few things. We trained together. We did tactical stuff together with the SEALs and military supervisors that were on the film. I mean, all these things add up, so we spent some time together.
Charlie Hunnam: Yeah, we probably... In terms of the way films are made, generally, it's a trajectory of truncating rehearsal time because it costs money to get everyone together, but on this, we actually had, like, two and a half weeks, or three weeks of time. And really, they stack those days for us. So we were all together doing military training, horse training, and, Garrett said, swim lessons, which was kind of unnecessary, but, you know, we had fun!
Garrett Hedlund: Insurance, man! Gotta cover it.
Screen Rant: You mentioned military training, and this movie is so intensely physical. Can you talk a little about the physical intensity of climbing mountains and carrying all that equipment?
Garrett Hedlune: A lot of the equipment we had in the gym were pieces to deal with the elevation and stuff like that; certain treadmills that were testing your oxygen and stuff like that, and everyone's endurance. There was so much climbing and stuff, and the Sierra Nevada was treacherous, I think we were shooting at, like, 13,000 feet. The stuff in Bogota was at, like, 12,000 or 13,000 feet. Just overall, the scenes, the action, the crashes, you know, got to be a lot!
More: Triple Frontier – Pedro Pascal Interview
Key Release Dates
Triple Frontier (2019) release date: Mar 13, 2019
Tags: triple frontier
Kevin Feige Interview: Spider-Man: Far From Home
Joe Deckelmeier
Avatar: The Last Airbender Prequel Novel Tells 'The Rise of Kyoshi'
Sam Raimi and Craig Flores Interview: Crawl
Tatiana Hullender
Amy Pascal Interview: Spider-Man: Far From Home


Model:FC35 Fits screen size 22"-35" The NB FC..
Bracket Standing Heavy Duty Dual Screen TV Mobile Cart NB AVT1800-60-2A 40"-60"
Heavy Duty Dual Screen TV Mobile Cart NB AVT1800-60-2A 40"-60" LED LCD Plasma TV Trolley Stand With ..
Model: P5 Fit Most 32"-55" Flat Panel LED, LCD TV. Our P5 cant..


Saturday, May 6 at Robinettes Apple Haus and Winery.
A mini photo session is the perfect opportunity to get some professional photos of your furry loved ones if you are on a budget or simply just want a few photographs. Images will showcase your pet alongside some beautiful new spring blooms and greenery. Location is subject to change, but will be in the Grand Rapids Area.
This mini session will include lots of play time and treats while capturing natural portraits of your pet. Based on the owners preference, the 10 included images can be action shots, close ups, or posed sitting portraits.
Approximately 30 minutes of shooting time with one pet.
Online gallery with 10 high resolution digital downloads.
Please note, that I cannot control the weather or mother nature and the state of the flowers/blooms. Location is subject to change. If there is severe weather, the make up date is Saturday, May 20, 2017.


A first visit to any new fishery has an element of wonder and armed only with information from the club secretary, that I would catch on the pole with bread punch, I let myself through the combination controlled gate to follow a wooded footpath leading to the bank of a secluded lake.
First sight filled me with apprehension. There were literally scores of double figure carp cruising around, not my target fish today. I was hoping to be taking roach and skimmer bream on the punch and did not fancy getting tangled up with any of these monsters, the only safety net being my heaviest 12 -18 size elastic through the top two sections of pole.
A 16 g antenna float rig with 2 lb hook line to a size 14 barbless was looped into the stonfo connector at the pole tip and I plumbed the depth, finding 4 feet at 2 metres, dropping to 5 feet deep at 3 metres. I wetted down half a pint of liquidised bread, dropping two squeezed up balls in at the drop off and another a metre further out. With the pole at 3 metres, I swung out the rig with a 5 mm pellet of punched bread and watched the float settle, then lift again, before steadily drifting away and down. A lift and the elastic bounced out of the pole tip as a nice size rudd fought below the surface.
This was a good start. A few more like this one would not go amiss. Another pellet of bread on the hook and I swung out again. An identical bite, a lift of the float, followed by a slow sink away. I raised the pole to set the hook into solid resistance, the elastic now stretched down to the surface and continued out slowly, the pole taking on a bend as the unseen fish thumped rhythmically away on the hook. This had to be a large bream and I added another length of pole to allow me to follow the fish. There was a deep bronze flash beneath the surface, as the elastic exerted maximum pressure. The fish went deep again, swimming toward me and I unshipped the extra metre of pole. It ran out again and I pushed out the landing net as it rolled on the surface. Now on its side, I raised the pole putting more pressure on the bream and it slid toward, then into the net. Phew! It was on the bank.
The hook was just in the side of the lip, pushing out easily with the disgorger. A big male, this bream had white spawning bumps, calcium tubercles covering its head and shoulders, ready to defend its territory from other males, that try to intrude on its harem of spawn heavy females. What a lump, this beast pushing the scales round to 5 lb 12 oz, before I carried it in the landing net to a spot twenty yards along the bank, where I released it.
After the commotion of landing the bream, I dropped another couple of feed balls over the drop off and cast out again. The float settled and sat there for five minutes. I lifted out to check the bread. It was still there. Any rudd, or roach would have taken it by now. I swung the bait out again. The float bobbed, then disappeared down a hole out of sight. The elastic was already coming out as I lifted. Grabbing another length of pole I followed the elastic. Whoa! This fish was shifting. It must be a carp? It then changed direction, boiling the surface. A flash of gold as it reversed again briefly showed a good tench. I hung on, balancing the pole, trying to keep the tip high, the elastic taking the heavy shocks. I'm sure that on a rod and line, I would have been broken by now. The runs slowed and the tench was on the surface and soon netted.
I am not known as a big fish angler and needed to get my breath back after this big female. Once again the hook was just in the lip, this time in the hard tip of the nose. Leaving it in the landing net, the weight was exactly 4 lbs and again carried it away from the swim for release. A cup of tea and a bite of sandwich was needed.
Wiping slime from the line and the shot, I was ready to see what else was on offer, following another couple of feed balls with the float. The antenna sank, then popped up again before I could strike. The float sat still. The bait was gone. I went up a size of punch to 6 mm and double punched a thick pellet then recast. The antenna raised and lowered, then lifted, moving slowly off, sinking away again, until out of sight. A sharp raise of the pole pulled out the elastic again, but this time no explosion, just a steady pull toward the centre of the lake. Another bream? No, the fish suddenly woke up and began to fight its corner, head shaking as it ran, taking out the elastic in spurts, while I added another two lengths of pole to follow its every move. It was being drawn closer as I removed the pole sections again, passing deep across the front of me, but surfacing at the end of its run. An even bigger female tench now lay ready to be netted.
Weighed in at 5 lb 8 oz, this was a new personal best for me, the fact that I also caught it on a so called small fish method, pole with bread punch was an added bonus in my book. I had decided that this and any other large fish would be returned immediately, rather than put in the keep net, avoiding a slimy net being paramount.
The next bite slid away to be met with another explosive reaction from a much smaller, but hyper active male tench that dived and rolled around the swim, until exhausted.
At 2 lb this big finned male seemed like a tiddler in comparison to the previous pair, although what he lacked in weight was made up in sheer muscle power.
I was now ready for anything and when the float sank away again, I guessed it was another tench, larger than the last and just as energetic. To my right was a lily bed and this one kept powering toward it, despite putting on side strain, the elastic following it all the way, until it was in the roots. Several times I tried to pull it free, but each time the lilies pulled back. Time to slacken the line and wait for the float to move off. Minutes later the float tracked away from the bed as the tench swam out of hiding. A long hard pull and the fight was into round two, the tench out for the count, after a few short runs.
This chunky lump of solid muscle weighed in at 3 lb 8 oz. Tench have always been a favourite, the first day of the coarse fishing season on June 16th, being celabrated as a lad, by getting up at 3 am to cycle to the local canal, catching maybe half a dozen tench of a pound on bread, packing up by 7 am to cycle to the newsagents, where I would rush through my paper round, before heading off to school for a sleep!
It was time to top up the liquidised bread feed, have another sandwich and pour more tea, as I was beginning to flag. This was too much excitement for one day.
Rested, I cast out again for the latest instalment, what next? I did not have long to wait. The float dithered, then sank slowly away and I lifted into another big bream with its slow thud, thud fight, the elastic again doing its work, all I had to do was hang on, following each move with the pole, until ready for the net.
Across from me, another angler had hooked a fish as I cast out and was still playing it on rod and line, while I had netted this 4 lb 8 oz bream, weighed it, returned the fish, then rebaited, before he had his landing net out for another large bream.
Bubbles were still bursting over my baited area, when I lifted into another big bream, that kited toward the middle, it being a matter of time, before, on the surface, the net slipped under it.
Full of spawn and round like a dish, the scales dropped to 5 lb 8 oz, this female almost equaling the weight of the first today. Time was now getting on, this had only been intended as a taster session, but there was still time for one more cast and rebaited, the rig was swung out again. They were still feeding, the float taking time to sink out of view and yes, another big bream was steadily pulling out the elastic toward the middle, using its weight to surge away. In a match I would have be trying to get the fish on the bank as quickly as possible, but catching bream is almost relaxing, once hooked in their tough mouths they tend to stay on and it is worth waiting for them to be ready for the net.
Last of the day at 5 lb 4 oz, this was another fatty ready to spawn. I am sure that I could have sat there catching these and more tench for the rest of the afternoon, but that would have to wait for another time, it was time to get out in the motorway traffic, before the rest of humanity.
With Braybrooke Park's Jeane's Pond closed for a month at the end of April, I took advantage of a dry weather forecast to fish it this week. Set up by 10 am, I was keen to find out if the warmer weather would mean more and better fish on the bread punch and set myself a target of at least ten pounds for the five hour session.
Conditions were perfect with a slight breeze ruffling the surface, the pond having a healthy green tinge. Being cold and wet overnight, I had overdressed and was feeling the warmth of the sun already. Considering taking off my hooded jacket, the float sank away and the No. 5 elastic on my pole stretched out as the first fish of the day came to the net.
I never got the chance to take off that hoody, as the bread punch worked its magic and I got into a catching rhythm. Targeting the better fish, I was using coarse ground bread crumbs, wetted down to sink quickly and spread out near the bottom. Starting off with a 5 mm punch to a size 14 hook, the bites were confident, usually sinking as the float cocked, the larger hook allowing the average 3 to 4 oz fish to be swung to hand with three metre length of pole.
The roach were outnumbering the rudd, more fish needing the net as the first hour progressed and I was confident that my 10 lb target would be reached. I had plumbed the depth before I had started and found a drop off 3 metres out, where I fed a pigeon egg ball of feed every 15 minutes, fishing to one side or the other of the feed. This was working well and quality roach and rudd were now the norm.
This was a fin perfect roach, while many of the rudd were quite tatty, having dropped scales, although their fighting qualities were not affected.
Other rudd were perfect, as the one below shows, having golden scales and bright red fins.
With little warning the wind got up and the heavens opened. This was not part of the script. I was thankful that I had not taken off the jacket, pulling the hood over my cap, but it was not even shower proof, my bait apron acting as a temporary buffer between my jeans and the downpour. In seconds the bread punch slice was soft and useless, but all was not lost as I keep the spares in a polythene wallet. It was a case of, "batten down the hatches" and wait for the storm to pass, which it did after five minutes. My wife shopping only a mile away never saw a drop. April Showers?
The sun was soon out again and the quality fish kept coming. I topped up the bread feed and changed the feed pattern as small fish were now forming a barrier between the upper surface and the bottom. I now fed two lines over the drop off, two metres apart, still only a pigeon egg size ball every twenty minutes, but staggered between the two feed areas. I also went up to a 7 mm pellet of bread. The good fish were still down there, fishing away from the fed area, while the small fish were preoccupied over the feed.
This roach had a badly damaged lip. It is barbless hooks only on this pond. Somebody is not aware of the rules. The previous captor had ripped the hook out.
The bites were now slower, the bites steadily building until the float sank from sight followed by the line, each lift of the rig seeing the elastic come out as yet another good fish fought for freedom.
One such bite saw the elastic stretch away and I was convinced that I hooked a tench, the fish making long runs, until it surfaced like a submarine. It was a fan tale crucian carp, a rarity in this pond.
Another fine, hard fighting roach came to the net. Despite the slow bites, these were all just hooked in the upper lip, the hooks often transferring to the landing net.
This was the last of the day. The rig snagged on vegetation at my feet and pulled free, the float and line spun round the pole tip. Not the first time that a bird's nest had cut short my fishing. I had lost my first rig up the tree to my left, when the hook had pinged out of a fish in the landing net. Now my spare was gone too. I had another rig with a slightly heavier float, but it was close to my 3 pm deadline and I called it a day.
It was obvious that I had easily topped my 10 lb target weight for five hours and when my 14 lb limit scales bottomed out, I reached for the 50 lb set. These swung round to 17 lb 8 oz. A foreign lady watched with her children as I weighed these up, she taking a picture on her phone for husband, who also fishes with bread she said. "Are you going to eat any of those?" she asked. "In our country we do, but in England you throw them back" Yes we do.
Spring shook off its winter chill with a shift of wind from the south and clear skies, that saw temperatures in the high twenties, which had BBQs across the land dusted off and fired up, but I was making plans for a visit to my syndicate trout stream, shielding my eyes from the evening sun, as I headed west.
Arriving after 7 pm, the air was full of flies, but there were no signs of rising trout as I searched known holding areas for fish. Although running high and fast, the river was clear, which gave me some heart to keep casting the gold head Hare's Ear nymph, expecting at any moment the sudden movement of the leader, that would indicate a take.
Continuing down the bank I almost trod on a well pecked perch of about 12 oz. Could have been a mink, or heron kill. Shame. With mink, heron and crayfish in abundance, fish have an uphill struggle to survive. Twenty years ago the occasional trout taken by a heron would not have been missed, but now invasive species thrive. We are fortunate that there are no cormorants on the river.
Having drawn a blank at another once productive pool, I continued down and saw a rise in a back eddy close to the bank. At last a fish. I didn't care if it was a dace, chub, or trout, something had risen to one of the many flies lifting off. There was hope yet. I circled away from the bank to come up from behind and waited for a repeat performance. Nothing. This pool has provided three or four trout in a single visit before, but now, as I worked the nymph up the river my enthusiasm waned again. The light was going and returned back to the van seeing no other rises.
Two days later the warm weather had continued and I was back at 5 pm, intending to fish upstream of the road. While pulling on my waders, I saw another syndicate member plodding his way back to the road and waited to pick his brains. It was Richard, who had fished two miles down and back again, most of it wading. He looked shattered. His report was no rising fish, but four trout lost, one chub and a ten inch wild brown, all taken on gold head nymphs. He had a picture of the trout and it looked fat and healthy.
The river looked perfect as I waded up from the bridge, the gravel was clean and bright, offering plenty of deep runs and eddies to cast my gold head Hares Ear into. A black cloud was gathering to my left and brief showers swept across the river, but I continued my routine, wade a yard, cast ten yards, watching the greased leader come back on the retrieve. A few more casts to cover the water in front of me, then wade again. The leader shot upstream! Missed it. My heart jumped. That was a take! Recast to the spot. Nothing. Further up, last year a work party had constructed a water deflector using willow, which was now rooted and sprouting. A deep run had been cut in the gravel by the force of the river and I cast to the side of it. The leader jerked upstream and my rod bent into a fish, not a big one, but the gold flash ahead said it was a trout. It cartwheeled across the surface, then rushed down below me. Only ounces, it powered away, bending the rod until in the net.
More powerful than a roach twice its size, trout like this are proof that the river has the ability to regenerate itself, despite some of the perils that it has faced in recent years, drought, nitrates, predation and poaching. The syndicate have a set program of river improvements and weed planting, that we hope will return it to the form of just a few years ago.
To the west the sun was still bright, but to the south that cloud was drawing closer and a heavy shower forced me from the river back to the road. A rainbow stood out against against the cloud. If I had been a photographer and not a wet angler, I would have paused for that classic shot, but then who but an angler would have there anyway?
A last minute change of plans left a few hours free for fishing this afternoon, although a rain shower as I loaded up my tackle gave me second thoughts. The day had dawned grey and misty, but a sharp, cutting wind from the east had blown that away, bringing brief showers and drizzle. With top to toe thermal insulation and a waterproof jacket, I was ready to face the unseasonal elements at Jeanes pond in Braybrooke Park.
It was not exactly blowing a gale when I arrived, but it was drizzling with fine rain for the first half hour as I set out my stall to fish and after making sure that all I needed was to hand from my tackle box, with my jacket hood over my cap, I settled down in my own cozy little world.
Plumbing the depth, I found that the inside shelf fell away to 2 metres deep, with just the top two sections in place, ideal for some close in fishing with the bread punch. Hoping to target better sized roach and rudd close to the bottom, I soaked my bread crumb feed, to allow it to sink quickly through the top layers, where the small stuff live. A couple of balls of the sloppy mix were dropped over the shelf, followed shortly by the first cast of the afternoon. The float settled and sank away, lifting into a three ounce roach.
Small, but perfectly formed, this would do well for a start. The next cast saw the pole take a set, as the No 6 elastic was pulled from the top two sections.
Ah that's better, a solid roach failing to shake free the size 18 barbless. Another ball of feed and they were queuing up for the 5 mm pellet of punch bread.
What a clonker, this roach/rudd hybrid started with a slow thumping fight that ended with the fish dashing in all directions, the elastic cushioning the runs as I followed it with the two metre section of pole.
Another monster from the deep at my feet, the mouth said roach, but the body said rudd. The one below was a definite rudd, the missing top lip a common sight on this pond.
The inside line continued to provide plenty of action, just the occasional small ball of feed keeping them interested.
Still they came. The bites took their time to develope, slight dimpling of the float resulting in the steady sink of the tip, each fish lightly hooked in the lip, most dropping out in the landing net.
After an hour, the bites on the inside slowed and I fed a few small balls of feed further out, fitting another length of pole on to fish at four metres .
The first cast at four metre brought another clonker, that fought all over the swim, the net coming out for most fish.
Back in the groove again the net began to fill with quality roach and rudd. I had used half a pint of feed and wetted down another quarter, putting in another three balls at four metres. This was too much as smaller roach and rudd began taking on the drop, causing a few missed lift bites. Shallowing up the float brought faster bites, but smaller fish, getting one a minute. I stopped feeding and set the float back to two metres.
This did the trick and I was back among the quality fish, this ragged lipless wonder fighting deep, until ready for the net.
This was the last of the day, I had punched my way through half a slice of bread, counting over 60 holes and guessed that I had about 8 lbs, the scales being the proof of the pudding at 8 lb 8 oz.
A few days of warm dry weather, saw the flood level dropping on my syndicate trout stream this week, but with heavy showers forecast to follow, it was now or never and I loaded up the van for my first visit to the Hampshire river today.
Just two weeks ago I stood at this spot and watched a snow blizzard blowing horizontally across the river. Spring is creeping into gear, but two days of temperatures in the low doubles is not going to make much difference.
The river was still carrying surplus water, but the gravel was clean under my waders as I worked my way upstream to a favourite pool, watching the line for tell tale movement, as my gold head Hares Ear bounced along the bottom back toward me. This pool and the one above have given me some early season sport in the past, but today nothing was happening.
More swirling water, the expected Grannom flies swarming just above the surface absent, as I cast the gold head nymph to all the likely and not so like spots on the river. Looking down the gravel was clean, washed by regular flood water this winter. A good sign for fly life hatches later on.
Once again no sign of a take, but it was good therapy just standing in the flow pushing the fly line out with my 7 foot No 3 weight rod, against a gusting downstream wind.
Further down I met three of the syndicate's bailiffs, trying to catch up on cancelled work parties, cutting out trees to form more flow deflectors to be put in place later in the year, when the levels drop back further. Talk was of more fish to be stocked and weed to be sourced to provide a better habitat.
It is early days yet, spring may be late with no sign of fly life, but nature has a habit of making up for lost time. Another two weeks could see a trout rising at every corner. As anglers we live in hope of better days.
A true wild brown trout taken on an early season visit a few years ago, when this little river was full of surprises.
With the possibility of more snow, but the certainty of rain for the rest of the week, I made the effort to find time to visit my new permission this afternoon. The farmer would like to put his cattle onto the new grass early next month, but too many rabbit burrows on the land are causing him concern for the beast's well being. At the beginning of this month he had gone over the land with his digger, flattening and filling as many burrows as he could find, but another dozen have reappeared in that time.
Driving toward the farm, four rabbits were clearly on view at the base of one of the electricity pylons, but crossing the field in their direction, the flashing of white tails meant that they would be safely underground, before I was anywhere in range. Circling round to the left, I found a depression in the ground which offered a degree of cover about 80 yards away. Later in the year this will be a patch of stinging nettles, but today they were immature plants, which proved they were still capable of making my palms itch. Adjusting the rifle bibod up another few inches allowed a view of the pylon base with its bramble topping and I settled down to wait for some movement. In full view of cars passing along the lane, but shielded from the pylon, I lay prone until a rabbit emerged from a burrow, its head and shoulders clear, when I squeezed the trigger.
With no time to wait for more rabbits, I paused to note the number and depth of the burrows, some appearing to continue straight down for six feet. Picking this one up, I made my way back across to the centre, where a fallen tree gives a degree of cover, but also a convenient platform for cleaning rabbits. Half way over, a big rabbit was feeding part hidden by the rough ground of the warren, too far for a safe shot to hand, but not visible from ground level. Changing direction I hoped to come up from behind, but it saw me and bolted for the ditch along the edge of the field. As that opportunity faded, another arose in the shape of another bunny emerging 100 yards away. Getting down, there was a clear shot with the extended bipod and sent the little .17 ballistic bullet on its way to claim another for the pot.
The farmer's attempts at filling the burrows was a wasted effort, these spring rabbits full of energy and able to reconnect with the existing underground tunnels.
Back at the fallen tree, I began preparing the rabbits for bagging, looking around every now and then for new targets, being interrupted by the sight of a deep brown buck leaving the safety of a burrow to feed in long grass. Only its ears were visible and I shut down the bipod to rest on a fence post, aiming into the grass to where the head should be. Squeezing off the shot at 80 yards, the animal cartwheeled forward out of sight and I climbed through the barbed wire to collect it.
Well out of range, back toward the farm, I could see three more rabbits feeding near some willows and walked steadily in their direction. On my last visit I had taken a successful shot at over 160 yards, but they had all filtered back into the undergrowth long before that this time. Taking advantage of the fact that the rabbits had their heads down, I moved in closer to about 120 yards, settling down into a shallow depression in the uneven field and waited.
The sun had come out and I watched a red kite wheeling over the farm, making its shrill call. Spring is on its way. Movement beneath the willows got my attention. A pair of rabbits began chasing around. As I said spring is in the air. One came out on its own. No breeze to worry about. Cross hairs on, squeeze and it toppled over.
Another healthy doe to carry back to the fallen tree for cleaning, then the half mile trek back to the van ladened down with the day's harvest. Once more the accuracy of the CZ 452 HMR had proved its worth.


What does the name Arcadia mean?
We here at Arcadia have started to wonder recently where the name behind our company may have come from, so we've started doing a little research of our own… Explore it with us below!
The earliest mention of Arcadia comes from the regional unit (similar to a US region like the Northeast) of Greece, which has existed since antiquity. In its earliest days, Arcadia was a loose coalition of Grecian towns, which gradually came together to form a group of city-states known as the League of Arcadians. This league included many major Ancient Greek cities, including Mantinea and Megalopolis.
The main purpose of the League of Arcadians was to protect the region (situated on the Peloponnese peninsula) from invaders, particularly the city-state of Lacedaemon, better known as Sparta. The League successfully withstood attempted invasions from Sparta in the 7th century BCE.
Ancient Arcadia was also well-known in Greek mythology as the home of the god Pan, the god of the wild, shepherds, fields, and the mountains. This association was shaped by Arcadia's mountainous landscape, with large valleys and plains in between the foothills. Due to the vast topography, the population of Arcadia lived in mostly rural settlements, with some small cities in the valleys, similar to the pastoral images associated with Pan.
The landscape of Arcadia, Greece. Image by ulrichstill [CC BY-SA 2.0 DE], via Wikimedia Commons.
As the home of Pan, Arcadia was viewed as a version of paradise in Ancient Greece, where Pan and his court of nymphs and fairies could exist in harmony. This idealization of the area and prominence in Greek mythology led to the area being heavily featured in ancient art and literature, where it was imagined as an unspoiled, rustic country, whose people lived close to nature, rather than society.
This image of Arcadia was even featured as the setting of the prominent Roman poet Virgil's Eclogues, a series of poems that primarily depicted shepherds in Arcadia's rural landscape, conversing with one another and performing amoebaean singing, a type of Ancient Greek singing competition. The Eclogues were massively successful when performed in Rome, and led to Virgil becoming a celebrity in his own right.
Virgil's vision of Arcadia in the Eclogues was extremely influential, especially during the European Renaissance from the 14th to 17th centuries. Virgil's influence caused Renaissance artists and writers to imagine Arcadia as a sort of untouched paradise, shielded from the influence of human civilization.
Nicolas Poussin's Et in Arcadia ego (also known as The Arcadian Shepherds). Public Domain image via Wikimedia Commons.
The tomb the shepherds have gathered around is inscribed with a memorial, a scene which is also described in Virgil's Eclogues V. Virgil's influence extended much further than the Renaissance, however – even in more modern artwork, Arcadia is still depicted as an Eden-like paradise, where the people live in harmony with nature, rather than civilization.
Thomas Eakins' Arcadia, a 19th century painting depicting the Eden-like Arcadia. Public Domain image via Wikimedia Commons.
Although Arcadia may no longer be the home of Pan and his dryads, it is still a thriving regional unit of Greece. It is much larger than it was in antiquity, making up approximately 18% of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is the largest regional unit on the peninsula, with its capital at Tripoli. Arcadia is also still known for its mountainous areas, and has a popular ski resort on Mount Mainalo, which is located near the capital.
The region is still heavily referenced in popular culture, with TV shoes like Guillermo del Toro's Tales of Arcadia, and mentions in video games such as the popular series Bioshock. The name Arcadia has also come to be used as a popular name for cities and towns around the world, including a dozen or so in the US, like Arcadia, California.
Here at Arcadia Publishing, our mission is to showcase America's unique history through the places and people that have helped to create it. That's why we Googled our own name – to learn the history behind the name that we're so proud of today!
Who knew there was so much in just one name? If you think your town's name has a unique history, let us know in the comments below!