Today's report will be earlier, and briefer than usual, as I have to head over to Chiswick, to attend and speak at Mello London - David Stredder's team's latest investor event. I'm looking forward to catching up with many Stockopedia subscribers at the event.
There's lots of excitement surrounding this regional airline. It put itself up for sale recently, after concerns about it future viability emerged. On Friday we had 2 RNSs, one from FLYB confirming that it is having talks with several parties over a possible bid, or increased co-operation (e.g. code-sharing). Virgin Atlantic also issued an RNS confirming its possible interest.
An article over the weekend in the Telegraph suggests that British Airways is in pole position to buy Flybe, raising the spectre of a potential bidding war. That could be lucrative for shareholders, so I'm rather excited about this one.
It's quite high risk though, as if the bid interest comes to nothing, who knows where things will end up?
EDIT: The very low market cap means that buying Flybe would be pocket change for the bigger airlines. It could bring cost synergies, and act as a feeder for the more profitable transatlantic flights operating from Heathrow and Gatwick. I think there's also an opportunity to be denied to a competitor, which given the bad blood going back to the 1980s between BA and Virgin, could be an interesting factor.
The volume traded on Friday and today is huge, so we should see some "Holding in company" RNSs this week. End of edit.
Sanderson Group plc ('Sanderson' or 'the Group'), the specialist provider of digital technology solutions, innovative software and managed services for the retail, wholesale, supply chain logistics, food and drink processing and manufacturing market sectors, announces Preliminary Results for the year ended 30 September 2018.
Flybe Group PLC is a United Kingdom-based company. The Company is a shell company.
Paul if you get any time I would be very interested in your thoughts on Intercede interims. Cost savings 29% and revs up 14% lead to reduced operating loss of 0.6m which with R&D tax refund moves to a small profit. Cash at 3.6m Chairman says he expects company to return to op profit in next financial year. All quite promising as far as I can see for a sucker stock let's hope it isn't!
The cakes are delicious if a tad on the expensive side at around £3 a slice.
The odd occasion when I treat myself I do notice that there is usually a large number of birthday (and other special occasion) cakes waiting to be collected.
The product deserves to do well.
I quite like Cake Box - I think there is a hell of a lot of potential there considering the massive increase in dietary requirements. Lactose-free, gluten-free, could be on the agenda if cross-contamination can be ruled out.
Different formats could be tried - for instance a PatVal/Greggs type for single servings. Neither cater for groups with food intolerance, and I think the gap in the takeaway market could be significant in certain areas.
One downside for me is the management here, not enough diversity, outside experience or depth. I could see them being resistant to change.
Hi Paul, any thoughts on the FinnCap IPO just announced via PrimaryBid? Does your rule that if an IPO filters down to plebs like us it's not worth considering apply to this one?
Would be good to see Sanderson (LON:SND) back to a 100p as Paul suggests though given that it was that level at start of July when I bought today's price rise is just reducing my losses! Having said that results do look good and Paul's enthusiasm gives considerable hope for further improvements in share performance.
- NAV per share is now up to 421p a share even though the share price is currently sat at around 300p. A near 30% discount to the NAV per share looks bonkers to me.
- The share has probably been affected by concerns on the high street and property prices post-Brexit. However, if you look at their portfolio they are not very exposed to high street retailers. Its mainly offices and industrial units.
- Loan to value is 30%, relatively low for a property company.
- Dividend is 19p or 6.3% at current share price.
- Directors focused on growth.
- Obviously it can't fully escape wider factors affecting commercial property prices and the economy. But a 30% discount more than factors that in I think and you can milk the 6.3% dividend while you wait for the SP to go up.
- It won't set your portfolio alight like Sosandar (LON:SOS).
- It has always traded at a discount to NAV per share for as long as I have held. However, this has usually been c.10% not approaching 30%.
- Thinly traded although there hasn't usually been a big spread in price.
Do shout if I have missed any other reason why this is trading at such a large discount.
I agree. One I've held for a long while. Sensibly run but un-loved at the moment. A 6%+ dividend is strong enough to keep me happy whilst I wait for it to re-rate. There is development upside to NAV as well as increasing rental income potential so dividend should be covered again in short order.
Worth reading this article in the Evening Standard.
"Broking is broken" by MIFID 2 regulations. There's a lot of consolidation underway. The danger is that people pay up based on past performance, not the future.
Congratulations on being long FlyBe, Paul. I remember you said the other week that it didn't deserve to be trading so low given its finances and you were correct!
Ex-holder who got tired of rampy jam tomorrow BS and sold out. Good to see they haven't changed.
Interesting to see Paul's brief overview of Cake Box Holdings (LON:CBOX).
IT looks like a promising model, but I didn't quite get why the vegetarian society has endorsed it, just because of the eggless element. It still provides product with milk and cream ingredients.
I am not a vegetarian, or a vegan, so I don't know all the subtle nuances of difference as to why chickens get saved, but baby cows etc do not?
Grateful if anyone can point to me the logic of this.
I am long of being a carnivore.
£190 revenue per hour per shop.
Average spend £9.50(? - mainly to make following calc. easy ! lol) ... If so, then one customer every 3 minutes in every shop at all open times.
Is that feasible from just selling cakes/drinks? I don't know, but makes you think. Comparisons were made with other similar companies (Costa, starbucks etc. I think) to show how high the Patisserie Holdings (LON:CAKE) figures were.
I know we all DYOR, but I wonder how far investors go with micro-analysing each figure and/or ratio, and THEN compare all these against competitors. I 'play' about with various figures, and suppose, in hindsight, if I'd noticed the Patisserie Holdings (LON:CAKE) scenario above, may have paused, or at least discussed it before investing.
Interesting but the so called bears were not shorting Patisserie Holdings (LON:CAKE) prior to the discovery of the 'accounting irregularities'! Hindsight is clearly a wonderful thing - the bears are just trying to justify the problems in retrospect. Had they had any prior knowledge and were confident in their analysis they would surely have 'put their money where there mouth is'! I suspect they were as clueless as the rest of shareholders who are still waiting for a sensible explanation.
Interesting point - it's always good to do a sense check. But I make the Patisserie Valerie opening hours rather higher. The ones I looked up (Reading, Hammersmith, York McArthurGlen) are open 7 days a week and average 77.5 hours open per week. So I get to around 4,000 trading hours per annum and £142.50 per hour spend. Still seems high but not impossibly so to me.


Retail holiday sales are expected to increase a robust 5 percent to 5.6 percent over last year's shopping season, according to Deloitte's annual retail holiday sales forecast. Deloitte's retail and distribution practice expects total holiday sales (seasonally adjusted and excluding motor vehicles and gasoline) to exceed $1.1 trillion between November and January. Additionally, Deloitte forecasts a 17 percent to 22 percent increase in e-commerce sales in 2018 compared with 16.6 percent in 2017. E-commerce sales are expected to reach $128 billion to $134 billion during the 2018 holiday season.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau on Sept. 18 released its annual Hot Wheels report, which identifies the 10 most stolen vehicles in the U.S. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center and determines the vehicle make, model and model year most reported stolen in 2017.
Motor Trend on Sept. 20 announced the Lamborghini Huracán Performante as the Best Driver's Car for 2018. Both MotorTrend.com and the Motor Trend App highlighted exclusive videos and on-site reviews of the 12 competitors throughout Motor Trend's Best Driver's Car Week. The award announcement serves as the centerpiece of this five-day online event and the cover story of the November 2018 issue of Motor Trend magazine.
Harvest season is here! In celebration of crush season, a magical and exhilarating time for winemakers, as ripened grapes journey from vine to barrel, OpenTable, on Sept. 20 released its 100 Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers in America. Featuring restaurants across 26 states, from sizzling steakhouses to Italian cucinas, French brasseries to seafood eateries, the list offers wine lovers everywhere the opportunity to pair an upcoming dining experience with the perfect vintage.
The legendary original artwork for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, considered to be the single most valuable artwork in rock history, will be exhibited and available for acquisition at the San Francisco Art Exchange gallery Sept. 15 to Oct. 20.


Are you looking for the map of Gniezno? Find any address on the map of Gniezno or calculate your itinerary to and from Gniezno, find all the tourist attractions and Michelin Guide restaurants in Gniezno. The ViaMichelin map of Gniezno: get the famous Michelin maps, the result of more than a century of mapping experience.


text:
Bathin (also Bathym, Mathim, or Marthim) is a demon described in demonological grimoires.

Variations
He is ranked as a duke in the Lesser Key of Solomon (as the eighteenth spirit) and Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (as the tenth spirit), where he is described as a serpent-tailed and muscular man riding a pale horse, who knows the properties of plants and stones, transports people across countries, and rules 30 legions of demons.  He also appears in the Livre des Esperitz, as "Machin," without the horse but ruling 37 legions of demons.  The German edition of The Grimoire of Pope Honorius describes Bathin (again by the name Machin) as teaching about and providing foreign plants and rocks.  In the Grand Grimoire, he (as Bathsin or Bathim) is listed as a subordinate of Fleurety.  According to Rudd, Bathin is opposed by the Shemhamphorasch angel Caliel.

References

Goetic demons

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Gilette is a speciality of the Medeville family since 1710 – unique in Sauternes, since the wine is aged for over twenty years in little cement tanks, and then another two to three years in bottle before it is released. This unusual way of working reinforces, by its long reduction, the natural fruit flavors of the wines of Preignac, with high citrus notes, and makes them almost immortal, carried by a sensational aromatic complexity and an ever-lasting finish. Great gastronomic pleasure – combining power, voluptuousness, and elegance – for this reason, the family's newer vineyards at Les Justices justifiably over-deliver for the price.
Varietal/Vineyard: 8.5 hectares planted to 90% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc, and 2% Muscadelle.
One of the most consistent and best of the non-classified Sauternes – very fruit-forward, as is common for the wines of Preignac, complex and age-worthy, with a vivacious bouquet.


text:
11 Football Legends Who Never Got To Experience Winning The FIFA World Cup
For any footballer, winning a FIFA World Cup is a feeling that is like no other.Some big names on this planet like Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo know what it is like to do so.Having said that, there are also a bunch of great players, legends in their own right, who have never experienced the joy of lifting the trophy.
For any footballer, winning a FIFA World Cup is a feeling that is like no other. Some big names on this planet like Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo know what it is like to do so.
Having said that, there are also a bunch of great players, legends in their own right, who have never experienced the joy of lifting the trophy. Yes, sadly that one jewel is missing from their crown. But that in no way tarnishes their legacy.
So who are these legends not win the Cup? Here we go:
1. George Best (Northern Ireland)
While he had an impressive club record, especially with Manchester United, his international career never really took off. He was offered a chance to play for England, but he chose not to.
2. Oliver Kahn (Germany)
He came close in 2002 when he led his side to the final. But Brazil upset his plans and they had to be content with the runners-up position.
3. Eusebio (Portugal)
Was instrumental in Portugal's dream run in 1966 which ended with a semifinal loss to eventual champions England.
4. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
After Maradona and before Messi, this man put Argentina on the map. But sadly, he could not replicate that form on the big stage to take his side all the way.
5. Socrates (Brazil)
Part of perhaps what was the best Brazilian side to play in the tournament in 1982, he belongs to the list of those who just did not make it.
6. Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Considered the best player in the world right now, Messi almost did in when he took his side into the final in 2014. But Germany was there to spoil the party.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
The closest he's gotten in a semifinal in 2006. After that it's been all downhill. One of the best in the world right now, he is still hoping to break the jinx.
8. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
One of the best players of his generation and of all time, he was part of the side that squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 2-3 to West Germany in the 1954 final.
9. Michel Platini (France)
A gifted player who never got to take his side to glory at the top level.
10. Ali Daei (Iran)
Has the most goals in international football. But Iran always flattered to deceive in the World Cup.
11. Carlos Valderrama (Colombia)
A great player in his own right, his team never brought home the Cup. An effective player on the pitch, he is also part of this list of those who never made it to the history books.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Helena notices the quick darkness of the dense forest on either side of the mountain pass. It calls her in, inviting her to run blindly through the trees. She presses her forehead against the passenger window, squints her eyes, and tries to imagine what it would feel like to fly like that.


text:
America Daitōryō Senkyo - The 1988 US Election 8bit Style.
"George H. W. Bush, vice President from Texas. Moderate WASP who believes in free trade."
"Michael Dukakis, an underdog candidate who would provide a challenge for an expert player to get into office."
"Jesse Jackson,a religious politician who vows to bring back Christian values to America."
"Robert, a Televangelist. born in Virginia. Ultra-conservative. New Light Christian (?), Anti-communist. " <-- from japanese wikipedia hehe, i'm not from the US but from the looks of things this dude is just a fictional character based on American christian televangelists from the 80's I guess:).
Oddly enough I don't see Al Gore anywhere in game, maybe somebody with Japanese skills can find him :). The game is text based so more or less impossible to play if you don't know Japanese.
"The priorities of the policies that the player can make were introduced to the game as the situation was in 1988 because of the Soviet Union and the COCOM. In 1991, the dissolution of the Soviet Union would eventually lead to COCOM being disbanded in 1994. South Africa had an apartheid at the time and abolished in it 1991. The Panama Canal was returned in 1999 to the people of Panama. However, it differs from the political situation encountered in the game. The "AIDS patient isolation" issue was showing an event of discriminatory policy of an era that had not shown wide public awareness about how the AIDS viruses spreads from person to person."
Wikipedia has done a pretty good job on the article of this game, it's missing a few fictional characters which are in the Japanese article though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Dait%C5%8Dry%C5%8D_Senkyo
Upplagd av Emperor Coconut kl. 12:45 PM
nitro2k01 May 27, 2011 at 2:25 PM
"Robert" = Pat Robertson! I guess you can only do so much with four katakana...
Emperor Coconut May 27, 2011 at 2:53 PM
Aha so that's who it is :).
BS-X Project - Homebrew for the Satellaview throug...
GameBoy Sewing Machine on Ebay.
New Satellaview redumps by Ikari/ChronoMoogle.
America Daitōryō Senkyo - The 1988 US Election 8bi...
Surreal64 B5.5 released for Xbox 1!.
C Compiler released for the Pokemon Mini.
Lars von Trier VS Cannes: The Game.
Kutkutus by Hedelmae (Gizmondo Demo).
Sega Saturn region-free Bios released by d4s.
Bad Apple!! demo ported to the Gameboy/Color.
Major Damage dumped for Sega Saturn.
Everdrive-GG released.
Battery-less, drag 'n' drop, USB Game Boy cartridge.
Reach enlightenment with the help of Bodhi Linux!.
Shenmue 1 Beta 0.400 released by Shendream for Dre...
All of Geocities now mirrored on Archive.org.
Spanish retro games!.
MGD2 - Multi Game Doctor 2 Brochure.
Some dude is selling the source code binders for V...


Byron Smith, Untitled, 2017, Mixed media on paper, 24" x 19"
Byron Smith, Untitled, 2016, Graphite and colored pencil on paper, 24" x 19"
Bryron Smith, Diana Ross, 2017, Graphite and colored pencil on paper, 14" x 17"
Byron Smith's Cover Girls offers earnest and adoring tributes to glamorous movie, TV, and music industry icons. Smith's drawings are typified by a hyperbolic allure, with an archetypal framework revealed collectively throughout the portrait series; this becomes most evident in simplified yet distinctive feminine features - elongated eyelashes radiating outward from almond-shaped lids, cherry red lacquered fingernails and lips, pronounced cupid's bows, and wide, toothy grins. This repetition, economy of line, and influence of pop culture seems prevalent in the creative culture of LAND, where artists Michael Pellew, Kenya Hanley, Raquel Albarran, and Myasia Dowdell employ similar concepts and methods alongside Smith. At Institute 193 (the Lexington, Kentucky space with the intention to increase the exposure of innovative Southern artists), we are invited to consider the work in another context - Smith's perspective as an artist with roots in North Carolina, or conversely, the role of his creative voice in the contemporary history of the rural South.
Reinterpreting source imagery collected from magazines and album covers, "Smith is highly selective in regards to the images he works from. Often, the women he chooses to depict are unabashedly happy, smiling and looking directly at the viewer. He also gravitates towards images of female kinship and friendly affection; Thelma and Louise, Edina and Patsy from the TV series Absolutely Fabulous, pairs of synchronized swimmers, and groups of women dressed in beach attire have all been depicted tenderly and with a deep display of platonic intimacy (Institute 193)." While much less rigid in execution, Smith's women are a bit reminiscent of those portrayed by Amy Sherald or Alex Katz (particularly a series depicting his wife Ada in various bathing caps), most often posed in front of flat monochromatic backgrounds and echoing Ada's recurring red lips.
Two standouts in the exhibition are a solitary swimmer boasting an ornate bathing cap and an untitled gathering of seven smiling women. The latter provides a starting point in parsing what Smith's portraits achieve, encapsulating several process elements of the entire series. This drawing is defined by a system disrupted by variations - seven pairs of sunglasses, five black, one brown, and one translucent green, with two white frames, three gold, one purple, and one brown - a timeless method to expand an understanding, with each deviation from the established system becoming a new exploration. There is also an apparent attention to the picture plane itself, which isn't a single-minded representational endeavor. In some cases, representation is even subordinate for the sake of the overall composition (such as the elongated shoulders of the woman at the bottom left). Seen side by side, each woman of the group smiles quite differently - some may do so naturally, while others take on practiced poses.
Byron Smith, Untitled, 2015, Mixed media on paper, 15" x 22"
All of these aspects culminate in the understanding that Byron Smith strives for highly specific imagery, demonstrated further by residual marks on the surface (lines drawn in graphite, erased, and then revised). Although he sometimes achieves a surprising likeness despite the simplicity of his subjects (as in the case of Diana Ross), Smith's revisions don't appear to be engineered in the interest of achieving that likeness; often it isn't possible to know the priorities that led him to reject one choice and accept another. Through studying the history of erased lines, the viewer is prompted to consider whether it would matter if the volume of hair had increased or a nose (created with one meandering contour) had shifted. The narrative that Smith constructs with each drawing is not a reflexive or intuitive one, but a singular intention. In reference to this quality Director Paul Brown proposed the term "McGuffin", a literary device in which a glaring unknown rests at the center of a story, much like the "somethin'" being thrown off the Tallahatchie bridge in Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe". Intention as McGuffin is a subtle but crucial element in Smith's works; asking "why these women, in this exact way?" provides a compelling and enduring aura of mystery.
Bryron Smith (b. 1963) is originally from North Carolina and has maintained a studio practice since 2008 at LAND in Brooklyn. Smith has exhibited previously at Christian Berst, MoMA's Cullman Education and Research Building, Trask Gallery at The National Arts Club, The Outsider Art Fair, and extensively at LAND Gallery. He was also recently commissioned by Unu O Unu to create three original portraits that were subsequently made into hand-woven tapestries. Cover Girls is on view through March 31, 2018.


text:
This could be our first look at the iPhone X Plus display
By David Nield
Super-sized screen on show
A new batch of iPhones is still a whole seven months away – probably – but phone leaks and rumors don't follow any kind of schedule, and we're already seeing information on Apple's 2018 handsets filter out onto the web. Today we've got what could be a display for the iPhone X Plus for you.
That's the larger, 6.5-inch version of the current iPhone X that Apple is reportedly prepping for later this year, though this is all still unconfirmed – these images don't come from the most reputable of sources either, so treat them with several pinches of salt for now.
Rumors of the iPhone X successor appearing in two different sizes have been floating around since way back in November, so this isn't a complete surprise, but it's interesting to see a component snapped in the physical world. The screen you can see in the image is apparently from an LG supply chain facility in Vietnam.
As 9to5Mac reports (opens in new tab), LG has been tipped to be one of Apple's suppliers for OLED screens this year, so the leaked image matches what we've heard so far in that respect. The picture was posted to a Mac forum (opens in new tab), so adjust your plausibility settings accordingly.
So what can we tell from the pictures? Not an awful lot, save for the fact that the display looks to be bigger than the current iPhone X. There has been some talk that the 2018 iPhone X (the iPhone XI?) is going to have a smaller notch sitting atop the front display, but from these snaps it's hard to tell whether that's the case.
What we do know is that Apple will be launching new iPhones this year, and all signs point towards there being quite a few iPhone-X style models to pick from, to suit every size of hand. We'll have to wait until September to know for sure what Apple is planning.
Shocker: iPhone X2 tipped to only be minor upgrade over iPhone X
David Nield
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
See more Mobile phones news


text:
Juliana Spahr at UEA Poetry Festival
The American poet Juliana Spahr will be appearing at the inaugural UEA poetry festival this weekend. Recipient of 2009 Hardison Poetry Prize, which honours a U.S. poet whose art and teaching demonstrate 'great imagination and daring', Juliana (pictured) will be reading at the final event on the evening of 18th April with poet and critic Andrea Brady, who teaches at Queen Mary, University of London. Other readers include Francesca Lisette, Rebecca Perry, Sam Solomon, Samantha Walton, and UEA alumni Adam Warne, Angus Sinclair, Jo Surzyn, Kate Duckney and Laura Elliott. Further information about the UEA Poetry Festival can be found here.


text:
Home LATEST NEWS United States: the obligation for employees to be vaccinated examined at the...
United States: the obligation for employees to be vaccinated examined at the Supreme Court | Coronavirus
Why is it not necessary to reduce serious risks? Judge Elena Kagan asked the lawyer for business associations opposed to this measure.
It's a pandemic that has killed nearly a million people , did she say.
It's about greatest danger in terms of public health that the country has had to face in the last century , and this policy is the most likely to put an end to all this , said the judge.
Scott Keller, who represents business associations, assured that compulsory vaccination in companies with more than 100 employees would push employees to resign.
Such a rule would cause permanent displacement of employees, which would affect our national economy , did he declare.
This measure, according to him, is not intended to regulate a hazard in the workplace . It is a danger that we face just by getting up in the morning.
Judge Stephen Breyer ruled that% "," text ":" some people might resign, maybe 3% "}} '>some people might quit, maybe 3% .
But more are likely to quit when they find out they have to work with unvaccinated people, because that means they can get sick. , he argued.
While Justices Kagan and Breyer seemed to be defending the measures in this way, several Conservative justices seemed skeptical about the authority of the federal administration to impose such rules.
Biden revealed his intentions in September
After months of trying to convince the reluctant, the Democratic President announced in September that he wanted to make vaccination compulsory, especially in companies with more than 100 employees.
Unvaccinated people should wear a mask and get tested weekly.
Joe Biden had also announced that vaccination would be compulsory for employees of health structures that benefit from federal subsidies.
In the country of individual freedoms, these measures were immediately denounced by elected Republican officials, who see them as an abuse of power on the part of the federal state, and by a part of the economic world which considers them counterproductive.
Until February 9 to comply
The Federal Agency for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) has given companies until Feb. 9 to apply the rule, at the risk of being fined.
According to White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, these measures are essential for our nation's response to COVID-19 .
An avalanche of legal action having led to contradictory decisions, the Supreme Court had agreed to devote an exceptional hearing to it. His decision is expected within a few weeks.
In an argument sent upstream of the hearing, the Democratic administration ensures that the measure000 hospitalizations over the next six months "," text ":" will save 6,500 lives and prevent 250,000 hospitalizations over the next six months "}} '>save 6,500 lives and prevent 250,000 hospitalizations over the next six months .
But for 26 employers' associations, the rule will impose irreparable harm on thousands of businesses who will either have to finance the costs of testing reluctant employees, or face massive departures of their workforce.
Republican states, led by Missouri, advance the same argument to denounce the obligation of vaccination in a medical environment which, according to them, threatens to create crisis in rural America , because millions of workers will have to choose between losing their jobs or complying with an illegal federal obligation .
The government retorts that, in the sectors that have already imposed the vaccine, departures were ultimately very low.
Several large American groups, including the meat giant Tyson Foods or the airline United Airlines, imposed these obligations on their employees at the end of September, without major concern.
The Supreme Court, which has six conservative magistrates out of nine, has so far validated the vaccine obligations imposed in academia or by local authorities.
But its judges have already limited the federal state's interventions linked to the pandemic, in particular by invalidating a moratorium on rental evictions.
If the highest court in the country blocked the administration's measure, it would represent a considerable setback for Joe Biden, who has made the fight against the pandemic one of his priorities, but is facing a surge in contaminations under the effect of the Omicron variant.
The United States, where only 62% of the population is fully vaccinated due to severe political divides on the issue, has so far recorded more than 58 million cases and 834,000 deaths.
Previous articleGermany procrastinates on compulsory vaccination | Coronavirus
Next articleState of the Union address to be delivered by Biden on March 1


I am in a hurry, but I am sitting still.
So, only my brain is rushing.
And I never have enough.
Is a tiny pinhole's worth.
Wide open, still and calm.
One path with a clear view.
To think of this place.
Somehow, I will get here.
question that comes to mind for me, where are we all rushing to…….


text:
/*****************************************************************************/
/**
 *  @file   MeshData.cpp
 *  @author Naohisa Sakamoto
 */
/*****************************************************************************/
#include "MeshData.h"
#include "File.h"

namespace kvs
{

namespace gf
{

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Construct a new MeshData class.
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
MeshData::MeshData():
    m_dimensions( 0 ),
    m_nnodes_per_element( 0 ),
    m_nnodes( 0 ),
    m_nelements( 0 )
{
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Construct a new MeshData class.
 *  @param  filename [in] filename
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
MeshData::MeshData( const std::string filename ):
    m_dimensions( 0 ),
    m_nnodes_per_element( 0 ),
    m_nnodes( 0 ),
    m_nelements( 0 )
{
    this->read( filename );
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Return dimensions.
 *  @return dimensions
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
size_t MeshData::dimensions() const
{
    return m_dimensions;
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Return number of nodes per element.
 *  @return number of nodes per element
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
size_t MeshData::nnodesPerElement() const
{
    return m_nnodes_per_element;
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Return number of nodes.
 *  @return number of nodes
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
size_t MeshData::nnodes() const
{
    return m_nnodes;
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Return number of elements.
 *  @return number of elements
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
size_t MeshData::nelements() const
{
    return m_nelements;
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Return coordinate values.
 *  @return coordinate values
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
const kvs::ValueArray<kvs::Real32>& MeshData::coords() const
{
    return m_coords;
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Return connection values.
 *  @return connection values
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
const kvs::ValueArray<kvs::UInt32>& MeshData::connections() const
{
    return m_connections;
}

void MeshData::print( std::ostream& os, const kvs::Indent& indent ) const
{
    os << indent << "Dimensions : " << m_dimensions << std::endl;
    os << indent << "Number of nodes per element : " << m_nnodes_per_element << std::endl;
    os << indent << "Number of nodes : " << m_nnodes << std::endl;
    os << indent << "Number of elements : " << m_nelements << std::endl;
}

/*===========================================================================*/
/**
 *  @brief  Read mesh data file.
 *  @param  filename [in] filename
 *  @return true, if the reading process is done successfully
 */
/*===========================================================================*/
bool MeshData::read( const std::string filename )
{
    kvs::gf::File file;
    if ( !file.read( filename ) )
    {
        kvsMessageError("Cannot read mesh data file.");
        return false;
    }

    if ( file.dataSetList().size() != 1 )
    {
        kvsMessageError("Multiple data set is not supported in kvs::gf::MeshData.");
        return false;
    }

    const kvs::gf::DataSet& data_set = file.dataSet(0);
    for ( size_t i = 0; i < data_set.dataList().size(); i++ )
    {
        const kvs::gf::Data& data = data_set.data(i);
        const std::string& keyword = data.keyword();
        const std::string& type = data.arrayTypeHeader();

        // Read coordinate values.
        if ( keyword == "*GRID_2D" || keyword == "*GRID_3D" )
        {
            if ( type == "#FLT_ARY" )
            {
                m_dimensions = data.num();
                m_nnodes = data.num2();
                m_coords = data.fltArray();
            }
        }

        // Read connection values.
        if ( keyword == "*NODE_2D" || keyword == "*NODE_3D" )
        {
            if ( type == "#INT_ARY" )
            {
                m_nnodes_per_element = data.num();
                m_nelements = data.num2();
                const kvs::Int32* src = data.intArray().data();
                const size_t size = data.intArray().size();
                m_connections.allocate( size );
                kvs::UInt32* dst = m_connections.data();
                for ( size_t i = 0; i < size; i++ )
                    dst[i] = static_cast<kvs::UInt32>( src[i] - 1 );
            }
        }
    }

    return true;
}

} // end of namespace gf

} // end of namespace kvs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Will he test positive? What happens if he does? Will the Cowboy suspend him? What will this mean for the season?…Probably the only people happy about this outcome are die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fans.
I'm about a week late on this one, but I'd like to applaud the Birds legal department for yet another big year. Just when we thought we'd never have anything to do with T.O. ever-again-once-and-for-all, some enterprising young buck in Eagles LCA decided to go shake down Mr. Owens for some monies owed from the argy-bargy in November 2005.
Whilst it isn't the All-Pro performance of the 2005 legal team, it's still a nice shot in the arm for the organization. Say what we will about needing playmakers on the field (and really, who hasn't this week), but the Eagles sure seem to have playmakers on both sides of the ball in legal and corporate affairs.
…if someone on the Birds deploys one of Mr. Williams' patented Horse Collar ™ tackles, especially if said tackle is deployed on a certain flamboyant wide receiver.
This is not to say that I wish the Cowboys or Mr. Owens ill will, BUT, it sure feels like there is some nice symmetry with a certain Week 15 game from 2004. Only this time it's the 12-1 Cowboys hosting an out-of-it Eagles team instead of a 12-1 Eagles team hosting an out-of-it Birds squad. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC — just like the Birds in 2004. I'm not saying I'm hoping that anyone gets hurt out there — no no, never — but were something unfortunate to befall a certain Dallas wideout, well, I wouldn't pretend that I didn't appreciate the irony.
So he isn't doing sit-ups in his driveway. And he hasn't tried to punch any of the over-the-hill defensive ends in the locker room (would that be Kearse at this point?). But it sure seems like Donovan McNabb's behavior this past week was at least reminiscent of the antics of Mr. Terrell Owens.


text:
Рябиновая (воробьи́ная) ночь ― у восточных славян название ночи с сильной грозой или зарницами. Считалась временем разгула нечистой силы.

Происхождение выражения

Выражения известны в русском, украинском и белорусском литературных языках и диалектах: , , . Оба названия, вероятно, восходят через серию фонетических трансформаций и народно-этимологических сближений к единой праформе рябинная ночь, зафиксированной в древнерусском языке начиная с XV века.

Первоначальная форма сочетания ― рябинная ночь, то есть «рябая, пёстрая ночь», — ночь с молниями, с ветром, грозой. Рябая, подобно воробью, ночь, когда темнота перемежается зарницами и сполохами. В эти ночи воробьи вылетают из гнёзд, тревожно чирикают, беспокойно собираются в стайки и т. д. На основе выражения рябинная ночь позже, в результате этимологического перерождения, получился речевой оборот рябиновая ночь, а затем и воробьиная ночь. В украинском языке, например, выражение горобина ніч означает не только «воробьиный», но и «рябиновый».

Впервые понятие рябинная ночь встречается в летописи при описании битвы между дружинами Ярослава Мудрого и его брата Мстислава Храброго (1024): «И бывши нощи рябинной, бысть тма и гром бываше и молния и дождь… И бысть сеча зла и страшна, яко посветяаше моления, тако блещашеся оружие их, и еликоже молния осветяше, толико мечи ведяху, и тако друг друга секаше, и бе гроза велика и сеча силна».

Предположение о данном выражении высказал член-корреспондент РАН Ф. П. Филин: оно, бытующее и ныне в смоленских и белорусских говорах, попало в киевское койне из кривичских земель. А. М. Финкель связал его с со словом рябой.

В украинском языке выражение горобина ніч связывается с возбуждением воробьёв во время грозы: «В продолжение лета бывает несколько бурных ночей, с градом, ливнем и грозою, и эти-то ночи называются воробьиными. Ливень бывает силён до такой степени, что выгоняет воробьёв из их убежищ, и бедняжки летают целую ночь, жалобно чиликая» («Словарь малорусского наречия, составленный А. Афанасьевым-Чужбинским», СПб., 1855). Константин Паустовский в повести «Героический юго-восток» (1956) пишет: «— Знаете, как называются такие ночи с беспрерывной молнией? — Нет, — ответила Клава. — Воробьиные. Потому что от ярких вспышек воробьи просыпаются, начинают метаться в воздухе, а потом, когда молнии гаснут, разбиваются в темноте о деревья и стены».

Польский этнограф Чеслав Петкевич пишет в очерке о белорусском Полесье: «Рабок (воробей) есть героем всем известной рябиновой ночи, во время которой буря рассеивает воробьёв. Рябиновая ночь бывает меж пречистыми (вторая половина августа ― первая неделя сентября). Громы бьют один за другом, страшенный ливень льёт… а молния блись да блись, кажется, что весь мир горит. В эту ночи воробьи так поразлетаются…, что уже так и живут по одному. Поэтому ночь зовётся рябиновой».

Не исключено, что выражение рябиновая ночь также может быть связано с образом рябины. Действительно, такие ночи бывают в пору цветения рябины и созревания её ягод.

Время Рябиновой ночи
В разных местах время рябиновой ночи определяется неодинаково. В Центральной России это время, когда цветёт рябина или период с 19 по 22 июня, когда наступает самая большая долгота дня — 17 часов 37 минут, а ночь длится 6 часов 23 минуты. Старые смоленские и белорусские поверья говорят, что рябиновая ночь наступает около Успенья (15 августа по старому стилю, 28-го по н. ст.) или между Ильиным днём и Рождеством Богородицы (8 сентября по старому стилю). Строго определённого времени таких ночей нет: в одних местах их 1-3 в году, в других 5-7 — в зависимости от местности и особенностей природы. На Киевщине и Житомирщине, например, это была ночь накануне Ивана Купалы или Петрова дня, в некоторых местах крестьяне считали, что это время, когда «зацветёт папоротник». Также рябиновой ночью зачастую называют обычную ночь с сильными грозами, зарницами.

Рябиновая ночь как мистическое явление
На юге России и Украине осмысление рябиновой ночи происходило на основе народной этимологии, связывающей ночь с воробьями, откуда и наименование воробьиная. На Украине такой ночью считали ночь на 1 сентября (день Симеона Столпника), когда «чёрт меряет воробьёв». Они сбиваются в большие стаи в одно место, и там черти отмеряют их четвериками, подгребая к себе, и высыпают в пекло. Кто не вошёл в меру ― тех отпускают. Наказание такое воробьям за то, что они подносили гвозди, когда распинали Спасителя. За то же у них и лапки «связаны верёвочкой», потому-то воробьи и не ходят, а подскакивают. В Белоруссии рябиновая ночь считалась, с одной стороны, порой разгула всяческой нечисти, а с другой — временем, когда гром и молния убивают злых «чаровников» и нечистую силу. На протяжении всей рябиновой ночи небо сотрясает гром, сверкают молнии, льёт проливной дождь, дует страшный ветер, взвиваются вихри. Испуганные воробьи начинают судорожно взлетать, ударяясь о деревья и падая наземь. Согласно народным поверьям, в эту ночь из ада на свет выходили все злые силы, которые якобы справляли свой главный годовой праздник. По одним мнениям, в рябиновую ночь разная нечисть пугала крещёных людей, по другим — наоборот, все стихии природы объединялись, чтобы уничтожить нечистую силу, что расплодилась после Купалья за лето. Каждый убитый или покалеченный в эту ночь молнией считался чёрным колдуном. Чтобы молнии не сожгли дом или другие постройки, в рябиновую ночь вывешивали своеобразный оберег ― грязную пасхальную скатерть, в некоторых местах под крышу привязывали красные нитки. На Полесье верили, что от сильной бури в эту ночь рябчики разлетались по всему лесу и до самого токования жили по одному. Предполагалось, что гроза в рябиновую ночь нужна для дозревания ягод на рябине; если же ягода не поспела ― ждали дождливого конца лета и холодной осени.

Рябиновая ночь в литературе и искусстве
Образ рябиновой (воробьиной) ночи отражён в повестях Я. Барщевского «Шляхтич Завальня», И. С. Тургенева «Первая любовь», А. М. Ремизова «Воробьиная ночь», А. С. Серафимовича «Воробьиная ночь», К. Г. Паустовского «Героический юго-восток», В. А. Каверина «Воробьиная ночь», В. Д. Морякова «Рябиновая ночь» и других. Рябиновая (воробьиная) ночь присутствует в пьесах Т. Мициньского «Рябиновая ночь», Т. Г. Габбе «Авдотья Рязаночка», А. А. Дударева «Воробьиная ночь».

Художественный фильм «Рябиновые ночи» (1984) поставлен на Свердловской киностудии режиссёром Виктором Кобзевым.

Многочисленные стихи и песни с названиями Рябиновая ночь, Воробьиная ночь созданы на русском, украинском и белорусском языках. Например, чрезвычайно популярна на Украине «Горобина ніч» композитора Олега Макаревича на стихи Лилии Золотоноши, исполняемая Оксаной Билозир: «Не в тому річ, не в тому річ, що горобина плаче ніч…».

На тему Рябиновой ночи написаны картины художников Н. Ермакова, Г. Ващенко, О. Гуренкова.

Примечания

Литература

Ссылки

 О. Белова. Евреи глазами славян (По материалам традиционной народной культуры) // Вестник Еврейского университета в Москве, № 3 (13), 1996
 Ян Барщевский. Шляхтич Завальня, или Беларусь в фантастических повествованиях
  Оксана Білозір. Пісня Горобіна ніч

Атмосферные электрические явления
Метеорология
Славянская мифология
Суеверия


text:
City duo beaten at Wembley
Norwich City duo Ben Godfrey and Carlton Morris suffered Wembley disappointment as Shrewsbury Town went down to a 1-0 defeat to Lincoln City in the Checkatrade Trophy Final on Sunday.
The pair, who have spent the whole of the 2017-18 season on loan to the Shrews, both completed the full match at England's national stadium.
Shrewsbury fell behind to Elliott Whitehouse's close-range finish on 16 minutes, with Morris closest to levelling before the break through an improvised volleyed effort which flew over the crossbar.
Town dominated for much of the second half, but couldn't find a way through as Lincoln held on to clinch the trophy.
Paul Hurst's side will now switch attention back to their Sky Bet League One campaign as they look to complete a push for promotion.
Ben Godfrey
Checkatrade Trophy
Carlton Morris


According to Bhrigumantra the Aquarius horoscope 2017, Moon will be in 3th house; Saturn will be in your 10th house, Rahu will be in 8th house, and Ketu will be in 2th house. Jupiter, it will be in your 6th house during the first half of the year. It will move into your 7th house in the second phase of the year. Sun and Mercury will be in yours 11th house. Mars and Venus will be in 12th house at start 2017. Your financial life, health life, career and love life, every sphere will get revealed with astrology 2017 predictions. Aim higher, though. Look at a major company. These astrology 2017 horoscope predictions will give you a brief description of the incidents that may happen with you. Now, plan your schedule for the year 2017 with the help of Aquarius horoscopes 2017 predictions, which are made by expert astrologers.
Health will remain considerably fine; however care should be taken of the lower parts of body, particularly of thighs and legs. Betterment of health could be expected since, the month of November.
Spouse will have a very prosperous year with a lot of opportunities from different corners. Health of spouse may deteriorate in the months of April and May respectively. Income will remain high for the spouse until, the month of June. The marriage, pre-nuptial agreement, separation or divorce that one in four Aquarians are approaching by August is the best outcome at the right time and you will never regret it.
If you are single and want a relationship, you have eight months to accept a wonderful date (however it is presented) with a university graduate, or a graduate from the school of life. Love life will remain satisfactory.
Children will remain in good health and their academic prospect will be remarkable during the first half of the year. Those who are opting for a baby may find the month of July highly conducive to conceive.
Parents may have different type of health condition, where mother will have better health than father. Health of father will start to improve since, the month of July.
Job or employment field will remain congenial and will improve further since, the month of July onward. Job seekers may find the month of September and October highly beneficial.
Business may reach the highest peak of success this year 2017. However, harvesting of profit will be satisfactory until, the months of June-July. Before you sign up to a new group, club, team or society – or deepen your current commitment – do some quiet homework about whom and what is actually involved.
Income will be remarkably good and could be expected better during the second half of the year 2017. Income, by the grace of God will remain steady; however enmity may grow in the economic field. Expenditure will remain high.
You are rethinking matters in 2017. A recent suggestion put to you by your sweetheart/mate as well as an old and valued friend, plays around in your mind. Some of you seriously consider a change of residence to another country, and discuss this in all seriousness with your sweetheart/mate.
You have set wheels in motion with your internet-related plans or multimedia project, but even you have no idea how exciting the results will be as your audience craves originality in 2017.


The 106-PR-48 and 206-PR-48 series pressure reducing valves with low flow by-pass are based on the 106-PG or 206-PG main valve. In addition, a direct acting pressure reducing valve is piped in parallel, using the main valve back port connections.
The pilot valve senses the downstream pressure through a connection at the main valve outlet. Under flowing conditions, the pilot reacts to small changes in pressure to control the main valve position by modulating the pressure above the diaphragm. The downstream pressure is maintained relatively steady at the pilot set-point.
The by-pass valve is set 5 psi / 0.35 bar higher than the main valve. Under low flow conditions, the main PR valve closes and the by-pass stays open, controlling the pressure at very low flows without seat chatter.
In typical pressure reducing applications, the reduced port Model 206-PR-48 is often the best selection.


text:
Ben Macintyre S Espionage Files
Download Ben Macintyre S Espionage Files Book For Free in PDF, EPUB. In order to read online Ben Macintyre S Espionage Files textbook, you need to create a FREE account. Read as many books as you like (Personal use) and Join Over 150.000 Happy Readers. We cannot guarantee that every book is in the library.
The Spy and the Traitor
The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
by Ben MacIntyre
*The No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller* *Shortlisted for the 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize* *Bill Gates' Top 5 Books for 2020* 'THE BEST TRUE SPY STORY I HAVE EVER READ' JOHN LE CARRÉ A thrilling Cold War story about a KGB double agent, by one of Britain's greatest historians - now with a new afterword On a warm July evening in 1985, a middle-aged man stood on the pavement of a busy avenue in the heart of Moscow, holding a plastic carrier bag. In his grey suit and tie, he looked like any other Soviet citizen. The bag alone was mildly conspicuous, printed with the red logo of Safeway, the British supermarket. The man was a spy. A senior KGB officer, for more than a decade he had supplied his British spymasters with a stream of priceless secrets from deep within the Soviet intelligence machine. No spy had done more to damage the KGB. The Safeway bag was a signal: to activate his escape plan to be smuggled out of Soviet Russia. So began one of the boldest and most extraordinary episodes in the history of spying. Ben Macintyre reveals a tale of espionage, betrayal and raw courage that changed the course of the Cold War forever... BEN MACINTYRE'S NEXT BOOK AGENT SONYA IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
Ben Macintyre's World War II Espionage Files
Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat
Publisher : Crown
Agent Zigzag and Operation Mincemeat, two thrilling accounts of World War II espionage, are available together as an ebook—with an excerpt from the New York Times bestseller Double Cross. AGENT ZIGZAG • "Wildly improbably but entirely true . . . [a] compellingly cinematic spy thriller with verve."—Entertainment Weekly Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began. Based on recently declassified files, Agent Zigzag tells Chapman's full story for the first time. It's a gripping tale of loyalty, love, treachery, espionage, and the thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal. OPERATION MINCEMEANT • "Brilliant and almost absurdly entertaining."—The New Yorker Near the end of World War II, two British naval officers came up with a brilliant and slightly mad scheme to mislead the Nazi armies about where the Allies would attack southern Europe. To carry out the plan, they would have to rely on the most unlikely of secret agents: a dead man. Ben Macintyre's dazzling, critically acclaimed bestseller chronicles the extraordinary story of what happened after British officials planted this dead body—outfitted in a British military uniform with a briefcase containing false intelligence documents—in Nazi territory, and how this secret mission fooled Hitler into changing military positioning, paving the way for the Allies to overtake the Nazis.
Ben Macintyre's Espionage Files
Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat & Double Cross
Publisher : A&C Black
Agent Zigzag: One December night in 1942, a Nazi parachutist landed in a Cambridgeshire field. His mission: to sabotage the British war effort. His name was Eddie Chapman, but he would shortly become MI5's Agent Zigzag. Dashing and louche, courageous and unpredictable, inside the traitor was a hero, inside the villain, a man of conscience: the problem for Chapman, his many lovers and his spymasters, was knowing where one ended and the other began. Ben Macintyre weaves together diaries, letters, photographs, memories and top-secret MI5 files to create the exhilarating account of Britain's most sensational double agent. Operation Mincemeat: One overcast April morning in 1943, a fisherman notices a corpse floating in the sea off the coast of Spain. When the body is brought ashore, he is identified as a British soldier, Major William Martin of the Royal Marines. A leather attaché case, secured to his belt, reveals an intelligence goldmine: top-secret documents Allied invasion plans. But Major William Martin never existed. The body is that of a dead Welsh tramp and every single document is fake. Operation Mincemeat is the incredible true story of the most extraordinary deception ever planned by Churchill's spies - an outrageous lie that travelled from a Whitehall basement, all the way to Hitler's desk. Double Cross: D-Day, 6 June 1944, the turning point of the Second World War, was a victory of arms. But it was also a triumph for a different kind of operation: one of deceit... At the heart of the deception was the 'Double Cross System', a team of double agents whose bravery, treachery, greed and inspiration succeeded in convincing the Nazis that Calais and Norway, not Normandy, were the targets of the 150,000-strong Allied invasion force. These were not conventional warriors, but their masterpiece of deceit saved thousands of lives. Their codenames were Bronx, Brutus, Treasure, Tricycle and Garbo. This is their story.
A Spy Among Friends
Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal
From bestselling author Ben Macintyre, the true untold story of history's most famous traitor
Agent Sonya
Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER THE ULTIMATE GIFT FOR FANS OF THE BESTSELLING THE SPY AND THE TRAITOR: DISCOVER THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF WW2'S MOST EXTRAORDINARY SPY 'His best book yet' The Times 'Thrilling . . . Macintyre will have you hooked to her life's every twist and turn' Times / Sunday Times Books of the Year 'Macintyre has found a real-life heroine worthy of his gifts as John le Carré's nonfiction counterpart' New York Times From planning an assassination attempt on Hitler in Switzerland, to spying on the Japanese in Manchuria, to preventing nuclear war (or so she believed) by stealing the science of atomic weaponry from Britain to give to Moscow, Ursula Kuczynski Burton conducted some of the most dangerous espionage operations of the twentieth century. Born to a German Jewish family, as Ursula grew, so did the Nazis' power. A fanatical opponent of the fascism that ravaged her homeland, she was drawn to communism as a young woman, motivated by the promise of a fair and peaceful society. She eventually became a spymaster, saboteur, bomb-maker and secret agent. In Agent Sonya, Britain's most acclaimed historian vividly reveals the fascinating tale of a life that would change the course of history. Classic Ben Macintyre - a gripping ride, based on meticulous research, that reads like a novel - this is the greatest spy story never told. 'This book is classic Ben Macintyre . . . quirky human details enliven every page' Clare Mulley, Spectator 'Spins gloriously through one of the most extraordinary private lives of the twentieth century' Tony Rennell, Daily Mail Book of the Week 'She is the strongest character of all in Macintyre's bestselling series of wartime tales . . . I raced through the pages to keep up with the plot' Julian Glover, Evening Standard 'This impeccably researched account of her double life spans continents and is brilliantly compelling' Sunday Mirror
Philby and the Great Betrayal
Publisher : Unknown Publisher
Kim Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. Agent, double agent, traitor and enigma, he betrayed every secret of Allied operations to the Russians in the early years of the Cold War. Philby's two closest friends in the intelligence world, Nicholas Elliott of MI6 and James Jesus Angleton, the CIA intelligence chief, thought they knew Philby better than anyone, and then discovered they had not known him at all. This is a story of intimate duplicity; of loyalty, trust and treachery, class and conscience; of an ideological battle waged by men with cut-glass accents and well-made suits in the comfortable clubs and restaurants of London and Washington; of male friendships forged, and then systematically betrayed. With access to newly released MI5 files and previously unseen family papers, and with the cooperation of former officers of MI6 and the CIA, this definitive biography unlocks what is perhaps the last great secret of the Cold War.
The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of World War II
From the bestselling author of Agent Zigzag. The thrilling true story of the greatest and most successful wartime deception ever attempted A Richard & Judy Book Club selection
Agent Zigzag
A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
Publisher : Signal
For readers of World War II history, espionage, fans of John le Carré and Alan Furst, and of Ben Macintyre's more recent books. Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. In 1941, after training as German spy in occupied France, Chapman was parachuted into Britain with a revolver, a wireless, and a cyanide pill, with orders from the Abwehr to blow up an airplane factory. Instead, he contacted M15, the British Secret service, and for the next four years, Chapman worked as a double agent, a lone British spy at the heart of the German Secret Service. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began. Based on recently declassified files, Agent Zigzag tells Chapman's full story for the first time. It's a gripping tale of loyalty, love, treachery, espionage, and the thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.
How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
Publisher : Random House Digital, Inc.
Chronicles World War II's pivotal deception by two British naval officers who successfully fed false intelligence to the Nazis about where Allied forces were planning an attack in southern Europe. By the author of Agent Zigzag. Reprint. A best-selling book.
The international bestselling author of A Spy and the Traitor and A Spy Among Friends reveals one of the last great untold spy stories of the twentieth century--the woman hidden in plain sight who set the stage for the Cold War. If you happened to be in the quiet English village of Great Rollright in 1942, you might have seen a thin, elegant woman emerging from a cottage and climbing onto her bicycle. Ursula Burton had three children and a husband named Len, who worked as a machinist nearby. She was friendly but reserved, and spoke English with a very slight foreign accent. Her neighbours in the Cotswolds knew little about her. They did not know that Burton was a dedicated communist, a Soviet Colonel, and a veteran spy who had already conducted espionage operations in China, Poland, and Switzerland. They did not know that Len was also a Soviet spy, or that Burton kept a powerful radio transmitter connected to Moscow in their outhouse. They did not know that in her last espionage mission, Burton had infiltrated communist spies into a top-secret American intelligence operation parachting anti-Nazi agents into the Third Reich. But perhaps the most remarkable thing they did not know was that when Burton hopped onto her bike and pedaled away, she was heading to a countryside rendezvous with Klaus Fuchs, the nuclear physicist working on Britain's top secret atomic weapons program. Klaus was Burton's best agent, and together they were gathering the scientific secrets that would enable the Soviet Union to build the bomb. Ben Macintyre's latest true-life spy story is a masterpiece about the woman code-named "Sonya," one of the most important female spies in history. Hunted by the Chinese, the Japanese, the Nazis, MI5, MI6, and the FBI, she evaded all of them, and survived as well the brutal Soviet purges that left many of her friends and colleagues dead. Her story reflects the great ideological clash of the twentieth century, between communism, fascism, and Western democracy, and casts new light on the spy battles and shifting allegiances of our own times. With access to Sonya's papers and her intelligence files from multiple countries, Macintyre has conjured a thrilling secret history of a landmark agent, a true original who altered the course of the Cold War and helped plunge the world into a nuclear standoff that would last for decades.
The Ben Macintyre Collection
Agent Zigzag ; &, Operation Mincemeat : Two Thrilling Tales from World War II
Agent Zigzag: One December night in 1942, a Nazi parachutist landed in a Cambridgeshire field. His mission: to sabotage the British war effort. His name was Eddie Chapman, but he would shortly become MI5's Agent Zigzag. Dashing and louche, courageous and unpredictable, inside the traitor was a hero; inside the villain, a man of conscience. The problem for Chapman, his many lovers and his spymasters, was knowing where one ended and the other began.
The Billion Dollar Spy
A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal
by David E. Hoffman
Publisher : Icon Books
WATERSTONES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH AUGUST 2018 AND A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'An astonishingly detailed picture of espionage in the 1980s, written with pacey journalistic verve and an eerily contemporary feel.' Ben Macintyre, The Times 'A gripping story of courage, professionalism, and betrayal in the secret world.' Rodric Braithwaite, British Ambassador in Moscow, 1988-1992 'One of the best spy stories to come out of the Cold War and all the more riveting for being true.' Washington Post January, 1977. While the chief of the CIA's Moscow station fills his gas tank, a stranger drops a note into the car. In the years that followed, that stranger, Adolf Tolkachev, became one of the West's most valuable spies. At enormous risk Tolkachev and his handlers conducted clandestine meetings across Moscow, using spy cameras, props, and private codes to elude the KGB in its own backyard – until a shocking betrayal put them all at risk. Drawing on previously classified CIA documents and interviews with first-hand participants, The Billion Dollar Spy is a brilliant feat of reporting and a riveting true story from the final years of the Cold War.
The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman : Lover, Betrayer, Hero, Spy
Publisher : Bloomsbury UK
One December night in 1942, a Nazi parachutist landed in a Cambridgeshire field. His mission: to sabotage the British war effort. His name was Eddie Chapman, but he would shortly become MI5's Agent Zigzag. Dashing and louche, courageous and unpredictable, inside the traitor was a hero, inside the villain, a man of conscience: the problem for Chapman, his many lovers and his spymasters, was knowing where one ended and the other began. Ben Macintyre weaves together diaries, letters, photographs, memories and top-secret MI5 files to create the exhilarating account of Britain's most sensational double agent. -- Publisher's description.
Rogue Heroes - Soon to be a major TV drama
THE BOOK BEHIND THE BBC SERIES - SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV DRAMA From the secret SAS archives, and acclaimed author of The Spy and the Traitor, Ben Macintyre, comes the first ever authorized history of the SAS In the summer of 1941, at the height of the war in the Western Desert, a bored and eccentric young officer, David Stirling, has a vision for a new kind of war: attacking the enemy where they least expect it - from behind their own lines. Despite the intense opposition of many in British High Command, Winston Churchill personally gives Stirling permission to recruit the toughest, brightest and most ruthless soldiers he can find. And so begins the most celebrated and mysterious military organisation in the world: the SAS. With unprecedented access to the SAS secret files, unseen footage and exclusive interviews with its founder members, SAS: Rogue Heroes tells the remarkable story behind an extraordinary fighting force, and the immense cost of making it a reality. ____________ 'Impeccably researched, superbly told - by far the best book on the SAS in World War II' Antony Beevor 'Told with deceptive brilliance . . . one of the finest books of its kind' Evening Standard BEN MACINTYRE'S LATEST BOOK AGENT SONYA, THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF THE SPY WHO ALMOST KILLED HITLER, IS AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW
The Anatomy of a Spy
A History of Espionage and Betrayal
For fans of both real spy dramas and fictional ones—both Ben Macintyre and John le Carré—the story of why spies spy. Why do people put their lives at risk to collect intelligence? How do intelligence services ensure that the agents they recruit do their bidding and don't betray them? What makes the perfect spy? Drawing on interviews with active and former British, American, Russian, European, and Asian intelligence officers and agents, Michael Smith creates a layered portrait of why spies spy, what motivates them, and what makes them effective. Love, sex, money, patriotism, risk, adventure, revenge, compulsion, doing the right thing— focusing on the motivations, The Anatomy of a Spy presents a wealth of spy stories, some previously unknown and some famous, from the very human angle of the agents themselves. The accounts of actual spying extend from ancient history to the present, and from running agents inside the Islamic State and al-Qaeda to the recent Russian active measures campaigns and operations to influence votes in the UK, European Union, and United States, penetrating as far as Trump Tower if not the White House.
How Spies Think
Ten Lessons in Intelligence
by David Omand
LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2021 'One of the best books ever written about intelligence analysis and its long-term lessons' Christopher Andrew, author of The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 'An invaluable guide to avoiding self-deception and fake news' Melanie Phillips, The Times From the former director of GCHQ, Professor Sir David Omand, learn the methodology used by British intelligence agencies to reach judgements, establish the right level of confidence and act decisively. Full of revealing examples from a storied career, including key briefings with Prime Ministers and strategies used in conflicts from the Cold War to the present, in How Spies Think Professor Omand arms us with the tools to sort fact from fiction, and shows us how to use real intelligence every day.
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Nazi Intelligence Operations in Non-Occupied Territories
Espionage Efforts in the United States, Britain, South America and Southern Africa
by Christopher Vasey
Drawing heavily on recently declassified sources, this examination of German wartime intelligence services traces the logistical and strategic expansion of the Third Reich's foreign covert operations in World War II. Beginning with the changes introduced to counteract institutional neglect, the author describes attempts to penetrate both neutral and adversarial nations outside territories occupied by the Wehrmacht. The Nazis created covert teams for counterintelligence and penetrating border defenses. Strategies were formed for assembling saboteur divisions in North and South America, while data were gathered on industrial installations to target. American fascist movements of the 1930s are discussed, along with Nazi sabotage missions in the United States and intelligence penetrations and domestic collusion in Latin America.
Double Cross
The True Story of the D-Day Spies
The number one bestselling author of Agent Zigzag and Operation Mincemeat exposes the true story of the D Day Spies.
Josiah the Great
The True Story of the Man who Would be King
The fantastical tale of a resourceful and unscrupulous early-nineteenth-century American adventurer who forges his own kingdom in the wilds of Afghanistan. In the year 1838, a young adventurer, surrounded by his native troops and mounted on an elephant, raised the American flag on the summit of the Hindu Kush, and declared himself Prince of Ghor, the heir to Alexander the Great. Josiah Harlan, the first American to set foot in Afghanistan, would become the model for Kipling's The Man Who Would be King, but the true story of his life is stranger than fiction. A soldier, spy, doctor, naturalist and writer, Harlan set off into the wilds of Central Asia after a failed love affair in 1820. Following a brief stint as a surgeon in the East India Company's army, he joined the court of the deposed Afghan monarch Shah Shujah, and then slipped into Kabul disguised as a Muslim priest to foment rebellion. For the next two decades he would play a pivotal role in the bloody politics of the region. the Great to lead an army across the Hindu Kush. There, in a crowning act of imperial hubris, he declared himself a prince. But a year later he was on his way back to America, unceremoniously ousted by an invading British army. He would die in obscurity in San Francisco, still boasting to sceptical listeners that he had once been an Afghan king. Harlan was an extraordinary mixture of parts: eccentric, inquisitive and brave to the point of lunacy, he was also an acute observer who understood the Afghan people as no foreigner had done before. His warnings of the dangers of imperialism have an uncanny echo at a time when relations between the West and Afghanistan are under intense scrutiny. Using a trove of newly discovered documents, including Harlan's long lost journals, Ben Macintyre has followed Harlan's footsteps to uncover an astonishing, untold chapter in the history of the Great Game.
A Guide to Kernel Exploitation
Fluorescence Microscopy
Illusion Town
Falling for Owen
Advances in Wind Turbine Blade Design and Materials
The Bell Jar
Visions of America:
Steroids in the Laboratory and Clinical Practice
Investigating Internet Crimes
Dynamic Risk Analysis in the Chemical and Petroleum Industry
The Einstein Prophecy
Scriptures of the Worlds Religions
The Survival Medicine Handbook
How to Defeat Advanced Malware
Best Mexican Recipes
Rocket Boys
A Walk in the Garden
500 15 Minute Low Sodium Recipes
Hormonal Signaling in Biology and Medicine
Atlas of Cardiac Surgical Techniques
Intermediate Accounting
Geotechnical Engineering Calculations and Rules of Thumb
Seal Forever
Natural Born Heroes
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Nonlinear Optics (Third Edition)
Unbreak My Heart
Corrosion Protection at the Nanoscale
Once Upon A Time In Silver Lake


What's so special about Herkimer Diamonds?
The Herkimer Diamond is a high quality clear quartz that is only found in Herkimer County, New York. The crystals grow in the unique shapes you see, and they are found with all the natural facets, often with two pointed ends (these are not cut/polished/faceted). The energy of a herkimer is a very high vibration, and assists with clearing your energy, manifesting and deep healing work. It works well with all the chakras, and is most often used with the Crown and Third Eye Chakras, for connecting you with your higher-self and intuition. Herkimer Diamonds are great for attunement, intention setting, accelerating your journey, and for "dream work".
Just as Quartz can amplify the energies/qualities of other crystals, Herkimer Diamonds do this as well. Lower vibrating crystals can become more potent when paired with a Herkimer Diamond. They are also used for meditating or programing with an intention, to help amplify intentions and accelerating the process. I personally love using Herkimers in crystal grids, to amplify the surrounding crystals and crystal grid intention.
It's a great way to get a sparkly, high-vibration crystal, at a very affordable price!


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Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Sex Pistols Series Directed by Danny Boyle Coming to FX
Iconic punks the Sex Pistols get the small-screen treatment in a six-episode series based on guitarist Steve Jones' 2018 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.
Katherine Turman / January 11, 2021
The Ramones: Our 1986 Cover Story
This article originally appeared in the August 1986 issue of SPIN. It was one of those humid summer days in 1979 when the…
Legs McNeil and John Holmstrom / October 8, 2019
Credit: Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images
William Gibson: Our 1988 Interview
This article originally appeared in the December 1988 issue of SPIN. In the last couple of years, science fiction has tossed off the…
Adam Greenfield / August 31, 2019
Credit: LGI Stock/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Peter Gabriel: Our 1986 Interview
This article originally appeared in the September 1986 issue of SPIN. She shaved her head as penance. A darkly handsome young woman with…
Timothy White / August 4, 2019
Credit: Ebet Roberts/Redferns
XTC: Our 1989 Interview
This article originally appeared in the April 1989 issue of SPIN. XTC are sitting around the butcher block in Andy Partridge's eat-in kitchen,…
Rosemary Passantino / August 3, 2019
Credit: Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images
Siouxsie and the Banshees: Our 1986 Interview
This article originally appeared in the June 1986 issue of SPIN. I first interviewed Siouxsie Sioux eight years ago, just after the Banshees…
Jon Savage / July 26, 2019
Credit: Ross Marino/Getty Images
The Jesus and Mary Chain: Our 1985 Interview
This article originally appeared in the November 1985 issue of SPIN. Every summer morning the jets dump several hundred Americans at Gatwick and Heathrow…
Sue Cummings / July 25, 2019
Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
John Lydon to Voice Mutant Pig in New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series
John Lydon—frontman of Public Image Ltd. and Sex Pistols (as Johnny Rotten)—will be the voice of a character on Nickelodeon's new animated series Rise Of…
Rob Arcand / July 28, 2018
Credit: Matt Cardy / Stringer
Rare Sex Pistols Record Previously Valued at £13,000 Up for Auction This Weekend
This weekend, a rare pressing of The Sex Pistols "God Save the Queen" 7" single will be up for sale at London's Music Mania record fair. Previously,…
Arielle Gordon / November 16, 2017
Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten to Americans: Support Trump "Or You Will Destroy the Country"
Yesterday, Johnny Rotten (née John Lydon) defended Donald Trump, calling him, among other things, a "joy to behold" and a "possible friend." The Sex Pistols…
Taylor Berman / March 28, 2017
Johnny Rotten: Trump Is a "Joy to Behold"
In an interview today with ITV's Good Morning Britain, Johnny Rotten said he supported Brexit and described Donald Trump as a "possible friend" while dismissing…
Credit: Google Maps
Sex Pistols' London Home Given Historic Designation by English Government
The London house where members of Sex Pistols lived and recorded trailblazing punk music in the 1970s has been awarded a special historic designation by…
James Grebey / March 22, 2016
Punk Goes Uptown: See the Met's 'Chaos to Couture' Exhibition
Running from May 9 to August 14 in Manhattan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's PUNK: From Chaos to Couture exhibition shows how the grimy rebellion…
SPIN Staff / May 2, 2013
Zine and Heard: Rare Images from the Punk Press
From hand-stapled zines, to show posters, to album art and inserts, the punk press was just as creative, roiling, and edgy as the music that…
Ken Bachor / March 22, 2013
Duff McKagan Jams With a Sex Pistol, Clap Your Hands Dudes Say Farewell at CBGB Fest
"So this is Times Square?" quipped Alec Ounsworth, frontman for indie rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, playing a daytime Saturday set in the middle…
Kory Grow / July 9, 2012


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Welby: Anglicans in dangerous place
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby preached a sermon in Monterrey, Mexico, on August 13, 2013, in which is declared, " It is a dangerous place, a narrow path we walk as Anglicans at present." He spoke of "an absence of any core beliefs"—presumably alluding to churches such as The Episcopal Church—one one hand, and "intolerance and cruel exclusion"—presumably characterizing the detractors of Western churches—on the other. His prescription for curing the present problems of the Anglican Communion: "walk in the light" with God, with each other, and with the wider world. "There must not be politics in dark corners, but love expressed in the light, even love expressing difference."
Welby's sermon received increased attention after the The Telegraph published a story on the sermon August 22 titled "'On the edge of a precipice'—Welby's doomsday warning to feuding Church." Of particular interest is a blog post from the Very Rev. Kelvin Holdsworth, Provost of St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland. Holdsworth declared the sermon unhelpful and "quite offensive." On the other hand, Communion Partner bishops—the Communion Partners Web site is here—issued a letter August 26 seemingly accepting the analysis of the Archbishop of Canterbury and noting that six Communion Partner bishops had met with him "last week."
Coincidentally, The Living Church, two days before Welby's sermon, published a reflection about the Toronto Anglican Congress that was held 50 years ago this month. In it, Jesse Zink suggests that the approach of "Mutual Responsibility and Interdependence in the Body of Christ," the document prepared for the gathering, offers a better path to Anglican unity than does the emphasis on the Trinity seen in the Anglican Covenant and the reports that preceded it.
Federal suit dismissed in South Carolina dispute
SCNow reported August 23, 2013, that U.S. District Court Judge Weston C. Houck dismissed the federal suit brought by Bishop Charles vonRosenberg against Mark Lawrence. (See Pittsburgh Update stories here and here.) In his order, the judge argued that all the important issues between the Episcopal Church in South Carolina and the breakaway group headed by Mark Lawrence can be resolved in the ongoing state court action. Both the Episcopal faction and breakaway faction in South Carolina have commented on the court decision.
Christian Associates executive director to retire
Trib Total Media reported August 24, 2013, that the Rev. Donald B. Green, the executive director of the ecumenical Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania will retire on his 67th birthday, March 31, 2014. Many Episcopalians know Green from his attendance at important Episcopal events such as diocesan conventions.
Diocese releases video to promote sexuality dialogue
The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh posted a video last week to encourage people of the diocese to sign up for the sexuality dialogue. The 5-minute video consists of interviews with people who have already participated. You can view the video here.
posted by Lionel Deimel @ 8:48 AM
Ugandan primate: return Anglicanism to biblical faith
Church of Uganda Archbishop Stanley Ntagali held a press conference August 13, 2013, and asserted that Anglicanism needs to be "brought back to its Biblical and evangelistic faith." The chaos in the Communion caused by the consecration of Gene Robinson "shows no sign of improving," the primate said. He condemned gay clergy as unbiblical. Ntagali compared GAFCON to the East African Revival in importance. The second GAFCON gathering will be held in Nairobi October 21–26.
The GAFCON Web site has a story about Ntagali's remarks here. News reports can be found here and here.
Church in Wales to vote on female bishops
Episcopal News Service reported August 15, 2013, that the Governing Body of the Church in Wales will vote on whether the church will allow for women priests to become bishops. The Governing Boding meets next month in Lampeter. The bill to allow for women bishops has been offered by six diocesan bishops.
ELCA elects first woman presiding bishop
On August 14, 2014, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran church in the U.S., elected the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton as its first female presiding bishop. The election was held in Pittsburgh at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Eaton defeated the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, who was seeking a third six-year term. Eaton, from the Northeastern Ohio Synod, is married to the Rev. Conrad Selnick, an Episcopal priest who has been a consultant for several searches in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The ELCA news release on the election is here. Stories on the election have been published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Episcopal News Service, and The Huffington Post, the latter of which includes a video interview with the presiding-bishop-elect. A Time interview of Eaton can be found here.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori addressed the Churchwide Assembly August 15. Her remarks can be found here.
Dartmouth withdraws appointment of ACC chair
According to Episcopal News Service, Dartmouth College, of Hanover, New Hampshire, has withdrawn the appointment of former Southern Malawi Bishop James Tengatenga. Tengatenga, who is also chair of the Anglican Consultative Council and of the Standing Committee, was scheduled to become the Virginia Rice Kelsey Dean of the William Jewett Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth College. The withdrawal came after questions were raised about statements the bishop made after Gene Robinson was elected as Bishop of New Hampshire. The action was taken despite Tengatenga's present support for marriage equality and statements of support from Bishop Ian Douglas and Bishop Michael Ingham.
ENS reports on San Joaquin churches
Pittsburgh Update has been reporting on properties being returned to the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. The human drama taking place in the diocese has been obscured by the legal events, however. Episcopal News Service has now run a story, "Inclusion, diversity mark homecomings for San Joaquin churches," which clarifies what has happened to which properties and how those events have affected the people of the diocese. You can read that story here.
Sydney elects new archbishop
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Glenn Davies, Bishop of North Sydney, was elected Archbishop of Sydney August 6, 2013, to fill the position recently vacated by the retirement of Archbishop Peter Jensen. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The evangelical Jensen has played a major role in the development of GAFCON and has served as General Secretary of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which appears to be positioning itself as an ultra-conservative alternative Anglican Communion. Davies was pitted against the Rev. Canon Rick Smith, a Sydney rector favored by hardline conservatives in the diocese. Church Times covered the story August 9. The official announcement of the election results can be found here.
Breakaway parishes continue to appeal
VirtueOnline reported that St. James, Newport Beach, intends to file yet another appeal, this time to the May 1, 2013, court decision that awarded parish property to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. (See Pittsburgh Update story here. The final judgment of the Orange County Superior Court was entered July 23.) The breakaway congregation plans to vacate the property, as it is unable to raise the nearly $1 million bond needed to allow it to occupy the property as the appeal proceeds. The Los Angeles diocese described the current state of affairs regarding St. James here.
Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, the case against The Falls Church drags on. The breakaway congregation's request for a rehearing from the Virginia Supreme Court's having been denied—see Pittsburgh Update story here—the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia reports that the congregation is planning to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
South Carolina parties return to federal court
According to the Associated Press, Episcopal and breakaway South Carolina parties returned to federal court August 8, 2013. Both Episcopal bishop Charles vonRosenberg and deposed bishop Mark Lawrence were in Judge C. Weston Houck's courtroom. Episcopalians have argued that Lawrence is claiming to be bishop but is not. Houck plans to rule in as soon as a week.
Fort Worth offers transition training
The Episcopal Diocese of Forth Worth, which, like Pittsburgh experienced an attempt to remove the diocese from The Episcopal Church, is offering transition training sessions for interested Episcopalians. According to a post on the diocesan Web site, the training is "in preparation for returning to the buildings after the [Texas] Supreme Court opinion is released."
Annual PEP picnic scheduled for August 19
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh will hold its annual picnic in Firemen's Park in Aspinwall on August 19, 2013. Everyone is invited. A flyer giving details of the event can be found here.
Marriage study task force meets
The 2012 General Convention passed Resolution A050, which calls for a task force "to identify and explore biblical, theological, historical, liturgical, and canonical dimensions of marriage." The task force is to report to the 2015 General Convention. According to Episcopal News Service, the task force, whose members were appointed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, met for the first time in Baltimore July 29–August 1, 2013. The Episcopal Church Task Force on the Study of Marriage issued a report on its meeting August 5. The 12-member task force is composed of 10 clergy and 2 laypeople.
Fort Worth seeking to revise constitution, canons
As The Episcopal Church considers how it might profitably be re-organized—see Pittsburgh Update story here—the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is embarking on a complete revision of its constitution and canons. Fort Worth, like Pittsburgh, experienced a split in 2008. The diocese is soliciting ideas about what to keep and what to change from people both within and outside the Diocese of Fort Worth. Details can be found on the diocesan Web site.
Southern Ohio Episcopal congregation selling church after parish split
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church of Westerville, Ohio, held its final service in its 23,995-square-foot building in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio on July 7, 2013. Much of the former 500-member congregation left in 2008 to form St. Andrew's Anglican Church, and the remaining Episcopal congregation cannot afford its $15,000-per-month mortgage. The property has been turned over to the diocese, which has placed a $2.95 million price tag on it. The congregation is now meeting in temporary space and is attempting "to redefine itself as 'a church without walls.'" The Columbus Dispatch reported on the transition of St. Matthew's August 2.
Episcopalians participate in Moral Mondays
Since April 29, 2013, protesters have demonstrated in Raleigh, North Carolina, each Monday to oppose the radical agenda of the Republican-controlled North Carolina capitol and statehouse. According to the Charlotte Observer, the demonstrations have resulted in 920 arrests. The demonstrations for social justice have been dubbed Moral Mondays. Originally organized by the North Carolina NAACP, the protests have drawn thousands from both secular and religious organizations, including clergy and laypeople from the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Episcopal News Service covered the demonstrations here.


Retail news round-up on February 25, 2016: Government faces legal action over plans to relax Sunday trading norms and February retail sales dropped below normal.
Campaigners are planning to launch legal action against the government over its plans to relax Sunday trading laws.
The Keep Sunday Special group has issued a 'letter before action', setting out plans for a future Judicial Review on the proposals to allow councils to let shops open longer on Sundays.
The campaign argues that the Government used outdated evidence for the review and has not published an assessment of its impact on family life.
UK high street sales dropped below normal in February owing to concerns over declining wage growth and economic slowdown.
The CBI's distributive trades survey gave a reading of +10 this month, down from +16 on January.
Meanwhile, retailers' expectations for sales in the month ahead eased to their lowest level since 2013, according to the poll.
The business lobby group said retail industry members were looking to slightly scale back investment spending this year.
Rain Newton-Smith, CBI director of economics, said: "Overall, conditions remain challenging for retailers. Although sales have continued to grow and optimism has risen, expectations for sales growth are lacklustre and retailers are still wary of investing."