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Ukraine 08/09/2019
Dope return to Kyiv within anniversary tour
Dope Alternative Nu-Metal Industrial Dope Live Kyiv Ukraine HMG
American alternative metallists Dope, best known for their hit "Die MF Die", return to Ukraine in honor of the 20th anniversary of their debut album "Felons and Revolutionaries".
Announcement from the organizers: "The band has been around for over 20 years, and it doesn't seem like frontman Edsel Dope is going to stop. That's why they go on tour to share with the new and old fans the explosive energy that distinguishes their legendary debut record."
The show will take place on October 17 at the Atlas Club. Tickets for Dope's show are already available at this location. Do not miss also: Agnostic Front to celebrate 35th anniversary of their debut album in Kyiv
← Ukraine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When Gunilla Norin desiged the Viken in 1983, she wanted a practical and comfortable chair for her balcony. So, she made one. Viken is the very essence of an idea that in hindsight is so obvious that it seems so simple: overlap the slats, so the seat can be folded. But the structure is unusual, because it is made entirely of wood. There are no screws, frame, or metal rods. What you see is what you get. And what you see is teak!
For the past thirty years, the imitations, the copies, and the mimics have come thick and fast. Some believe that it's the most copied of all chairs. And that could be the case. But when you are buying Viken, you are buying the original. And it's an extremely comfortable original in which to sit!
Dimensions: 18.5'w | 20"d | 37"h | seat height: 18.5"
Construction: All FSC Teak. No screws, frame, or metal rods. Available with or with seat cushions.


What are some of the best things about traveling and staying in an RV park, you ask? The new friendships and many memories, of course!
That's why we're running our very first blog series, titled "Making Memories." Periodically, we will share with you the favorite memories, experiences, and photos of our campers–all contributed by our campers. It will be like sharing stories around a campfire and, you never know, but you might even see an old friend on here!
Want to share your story? Click here to find us on Facebook. Then send us a direct message with your stories and a horizontal photo.


Our highly polished arched fireman's pole is suitable for all platform heights up to 2 metres.
Our universal pole is simple and easy to install and is supplied in a standard length of 3.5m which can be cut down to suit your platform height. The fixings brackets measure 1.0m hole centres.
We recommend the pole is either coach bolted at the top with the bottom of the pole either being concreted in or rag bolted to an cast foundation pad for higher platform heights.


The United States has singled out North Korea and Syria over human rights violations and warned at the United Nations that new conflicts could be triggered by abuses in Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
US ambassador Nikki Haley made the case at the Security Council yesterday that more attention should be focused on rights abuses to prevent conflict, a view challenged by Russia, China and other countries at the UN body.
"When a state begins to systematically violate human rights, it is a sign, it is a red flag, it's a blaring siren -- one of the clearest possible indicators that instability and violence may follow and spill across borders," said Haley.
Turning to Syria, she recalled that the war, now in its seventh year, began with anti-government protests, and took a swipe at the council for being "reluctant to address" the crisis early on.
In North Korea, "systematic human rights violations underwrite the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs," she argued. "The next international crisis could very well come from places where human rights are widely disregarded. Perhaps it will be North Korea or Iran or Cuba," she said.
Haley also mentioned cases of torture in Burundi and Myanmar's crackdown on ethnic Rohingyas as human rights concerns.
The United States, which holds the council presidency this month, was able to hold the meeting on human rights following negotiations with countries that did not want it to be a formal agenda item.
Seven countries -- Russia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Senegal -- raised objections, with many arguing that the UN Human Rights Council was the venue for such discussion.
In the end, human rights were discussed under the existing "international peace and security" agenda item at the Security Council.
During the meeting, Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi devoted his remarks on poverty as one of the root causes of conflict and notably did not mention human rights. "All nations should take development as a first priority," he said.
Russian Deputy Ambassador Evgeniy Zagaynov argued that the Security Council would be extending its mandate of preserving peace and security if it were to tackle human rights. Such a move would lead to a "politicization" of the Security Council and "lower trust" in its work, argued the Russian envoy.
In a jab at the United States, Bolivia argued that joining the International Criminal Court would help advance human rights. The United States has not signed the Rome statute establishing the ICC.
Human rights groups were skeptical of the US push for the meeting, raising questions about President Donald Trump's commitment to ending violations. "If the Trump administration wants to burnish its reputation on rights, it should address problems at home such as its discriminatory travel ban on people from six Muslim majority countries," said Akshaya Kumar, deputy UN director at Human Rights Watch.


A series of quotes and extracts from Cardinal Newman's work focussing on the Catholic Church.
[The Catholic Church] professes to be built upon facts, not opinions; on objective truths, not on variable sentiments; on immemorial testimony, not on private judgment; on convictions or perceptions, not on conclusions. None else but she can make this profession. … Her precision and peremptoriness, all that is laid to her charge as intolerance and exclusiveness, her claim entirely to understand and to be able to deal with her own deposit and her own functions; her claim to reveal the unknown and to communicate the invisible, is, in the eye of reason (so far from being an objection to her coming from above), the very tenure of her high mission,—just what would be sure to characterise her if she had received such a mission. She cannot be conceived without her message and her gifts. She is the organ and oracle, and nothing else, of a supernatural doctrine, which is independent of individuals, given to her once for all, coming down from the first ages, and so deeply and intimately embosomed in her, that it cannot be clean torn out of her, even if you should try; which gradually and majestically comes forth into dogmatic shape, as time goes on and need requires, still by no private judgment, but at the will of its Giver, and by the infallible elaboration of the whole body;—and which is simply necessary for the salvation of every one of us.
This then is the special glory of the Christian Church, that its members do not depend merely on what is visible, they are not mere stones of a building, piled one on another, and bound together from without, but they are one and all the births and manifestations of one and the same unseen spiritual principle or power, "living stones," internally connected, as branches from a tree, not as the parts of a heap. They are members of the Body of Christ. That divine and adorable Form, which the Apostles saw and handled, after ascending into heaven became a principle of life, a secret origin of existence to all who believe, through the gracious ministration of the Holy Ghost. This is the fruitful Vine, and the rich Olive tree upon and out of which all Saints, though wild and barren by nature, grow, that they may bring forth fruit unto God.
To [the Church] is committed the care and the interpretation of the revelation. The word of the Church is the word of the revelation. That the Church is the infallible oracle of truth is the fundamental dogma of the Catholic religion; and "I believe what the Church proposes to be believed" is an act of real assent, including all particular assents … and, while it is possible for unlearned as well as learned, it is imperative on learned as well as unlearned. And thus it is, that by believing the word of the Church implicitè, that is, by believing all that that word does or shall declare itself to contain, every Catholic, according to his intellectual capacity, supplements the shortcomings of his knowledge without blunting his real assent to what is elementary, and takes upon himself from the first the whole truth of revelation.
A series of quotes and extracts from Cardinal Newman's work focussing on sin and evil.
A series of quotes and extracts from Cardinal Newman's work focussing on reason and faith.
A series of quotes and extracts from Cardinal Newman's work focussing on the Pope.
A series of quotes and extracts from Cardinal Newman's work focussing on conscience and conversion.
A series of quotes and extracts from Cardinal Newman's work focussing on education.
A series of quotes and extracts from Cardinal Newman's work focussing on Christian prayer.


Download ITR Balasore Apprentice Previous Papers are available here. Hence, all the applied candidates for the Integrated Test Range Balasore can download the Apprentice Model Papers from here. Get the General Apprentice Sample Papers of ITR. Also, check the Technical Apprentice Exam Pattern. The Apprentice Exam Pattern provides the structure of the Integrated Test Range Exam. Also, visit the official website of Integrated Test Range i.e. www.drdo.gov.in to know more details about the Apprentice Posts.
The Integrated Test Range Balasore published the recruitment notification on its official website. The ITR released the employment notification to fill the vacancies of Apprentice Posts. There are over 80 vacancies. So, all the candidates waiting for the ITR Apprentice Vacancies can apply. The last date for the online application is 14-04-2017. Hence, all the interested candidates can apply before the closing date. Because on the closing date, the server will be busy. Therefore, all the aspirants who wish to apply for the ITR Jobs can apply early as possible.
All the applied candidates started searching for the Integrated Test Range Old Papers. So, here, we have provided the ITR Apprentice Model Papers along with the Solutions. The ITR Balasore Solved Papers are available in Pdf format. Hence, all the aspirants can download the ITR Sample Papers and start preparing for the Written Exam. Also, refer the ITR Apprentice Exam Pattern. The Exam Pattern gives you the scheme and model of the ITR Written Exam. So, all the candidates applied for the Integrated Test Range Balasore Online Exam must refer the Model Papers to perform well in the Exam.
Many candidates applied for the ITR Jobs. The Integrated Test Range (ITR) Apprentice Jobs are Central Government Jobs. So, a huge number of candidates registered for the ITR Central Government Jobs. The ITR Balasore Apprentice Sample Papers are given subject wise. All the candidates can download the Technical Apprentice Solved Papers and start your exam preparation. Thousands of candidates applied for the ITR Apprentice Jobs. And, all the applied candidates are selected based on the Written Exam and Interview. Here, we are providing the Model Papers for the Apprentice Written Exam.
Candidates applied for several State, and Central Government Jobs can download the Previous Papers from website i.e. previouspapers.co.in. Check the Exam Pattern for the Technical Apprentice Written Exam. By referring the Apprentice Exam Pattern, candidates can know the model of the Exam. The Technical Apprentice Exam is an Online Test and is an Objective Type. We provide the Old Question Papers for ITR Apprentice Test with Solutions. So, the interested candidates can download the ITR Balasore Apprentice Previous Papers Pdf for free. Practicing the Previous Papers increases the speed in the Exam. So, practice the ITR Model Papers as much as possible to manage time efficiently in the Online Written Exam.
The Integrated Test Range Apprentice Exam is an Online Exam.
ITR Written Test is an Objective Type.
The ITR Balasore Graduate Apprentice Old Question Papers are available here for free download. Hence, all the aspirants can practice the ITR Solved Papers by the direct links given below. Some of the questions in the Integrated Test Range are repeated. Mark those important topics and start preparing them perfectly. Because there may be a chance of coming the same type of questions in the ITR Balasore Exam. All the applied candidates must get the minimum cutoff marks to qualify in the ITR Apprentice Exam. So, practice the Integrated Test Range Previous Papers as much as possible to get good marks in the Exam. Also, by referring the ITR Solved Papers gives you the level of difficulty of the Online Written Exam.
The provided ITR Balasore Apprentice Previous Papers are only for the reference purpose. Hence, all the applied candidates can check the ITR Balasore Practice Papers. Also, check the Exam Pattern of ITR Balasore before appearing the Exam. Therefore, visit the official website of Integrated Test Range i.e. www.drdo.gov.in to know further details regarding the Apprentice Jobs.


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SEX & WOMEN
#LIFEHACKS
WEIGHT LOSS & NUTRITION
Bad Workouts: 5 Things That Ruin Your Gym Session
Romantic Valentine's Day Gift Ideas For 4 Types of Relationships and Dates
Diarrhoea During Running: This Top Runner Really Had The Runs!
Not Lose Weight Fast? Try This 30-Min Bodyweight Fat-Burning Workout
Rebuild That Man In The Mirror
The Shoulder Warmup Workout Routine For Healthier Shoulders
Jason Momoa: 10 Things About The 'Aquaman' Star You Didn't Know About
Jason Momoa haas made quite a name for himself in recent years. The 39-year-old has tackled some seriously larger than life roles such as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in Aquaman and Justice League in the DC Extended Universe, and Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones.
And he's every bit as intense in real life as he is in reel life . You may be familiar with Jason Momoa from these iconic and memorable characters, but here are some things you may not know about the Hawaiian-born actor.
Photography By Damian Bennett
2 / 11 1 Jason Momoa's real first name
Jason Momoa's first name isn't actually Jason. It's Joseph. His full name is Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa.
3 / 11 2 Jason Momoa's ancestry
You may know that he is of Hawaiian descent, but he's also part German, Irish, and Native American from his mother's side of the family.
4 / 11 3 Jason Momoa is married to Lisa Bonet
He got to know Lisa Bonet in 2005 but their marriage was only officially announced in October 2017, despite rumours that they got married earlier. Lisa was best known for her role as Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show. She was also previously married to rock singer Lenny Kravitz and had a daughter, Zoë Isabella Kravitz, with him.
Jason and Lisa currently have two children – a daughter, Lola Iolani Momoa, and a son, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.
Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
5 / 11 4 Jason Momoa was skinny once
His first acting role was as Jason Ioane in Baywatch Hawaii when he was just 20 years old. The series ran from 1999 to 2001.
6 / 11 5 Jason Momoa's tattoos are real
…Okay, just some of them. He was heavily tattooed in Aquaman, but he is actually inked in several places.
One of the most significant ones is the tribal half-sleeve tattoo around his left forearm which features nine rows of black triangles. The tattoo is of his aumakua, his Hawaiian family's crest, the shark.
The triangles represent shark teeth and according to him, "it's supposed to take the darkness out and bring in the light, but we're still working on that."
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
7 / 11 6 Jason Momoa got the role of Khal Drogo by scaring the casting panel
When he auditioned for the role of Dothraki Chieftain Khal Drogo, he opted to perform a haka since his character had very few lines to work with.
Needless to say, he got the part after this intimidating performance. (WARNING: LOUD)
8 / 11 7 Jason Momoa does more than just act
In 2014, he directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the film Road to Paloma.
9 / 11 8 Jason Momoa follows Aussie rules football
Yes, you read that right. Jason supports Port Adelaide in the Australian Football League (AFL).
10 / 11 9 Jason Momoa's Instagram handle
There's more to his Instagram handle @prideofgypsies than you think.
It's taken from the company Jason started called Pride of Gypsies, and he describes it as "basically…I have tons of amazing writers, friends, directors, actors…and we all go out and shoot movies. That's what we want to do. We love to tell stories. Stories, at the end of the day, is what it's all about. You sit by a fire. I can sit and listen to Tom Waits tell me a story by campfire that's better than any movie I've ever seen. I want to capture that."
11 / 11 10 Jason Momoa is spiritual
He travelled to Tibet and studied Buddhist teachings and meditates regularly.
By Gilbert Wong, Men's Health Content Producer
Jason Momoa haas made quite a name for himself in recent years. The 39-year-old has tackled some seriously larger than life roles such as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in Aquaman and Justice League in the DC Extended Universe, and Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. And he's every bit as intense in real life as he is in reel life . You may be familiar with Jason Momoa from these iconic and memorable characters, but here are some things you may not know about the Hawaiian-born actor. Photography By Damian Bennett 1 Jason Momoa's real first name Jason Momoa's first name isn't actually Jason. It's Joseph. His full name is Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa. Photography By Damian Bennett 2 Jason Momoa's ancestry You may know that he is of Hawaiian descent, but he's also part German, Irish, and Native American from his mother's side of the family. Photography By Damian Bennett 3 Jason Momoa is married to Lisa Bonet He got to know Lisa Bonet in 2005 but their marriage was only officially announced in October 2017, despite rumours that they got married earlier. Lisa was best known for her role as Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show. She was also previously married to rock singer Lenny Kravitz and had a daughter, Zoë Isabella Kravitz, with him. Jason and Lisa currently have two children – a daughter, Lola Iolani Momoa, and a son, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa. Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images 4 Jason Momoa was skinny once His first acting role was as Jason Ioane in Baywatch Hawaii when he was just 20 years old. The series ran from 1999 to 2001. Photo: NBC 5 Jason Momoa's tattoos are real …Okay, just some of them. He was heavily tattooed in Aquaman, but he is actually inked in several places. One of the most significant ones is the tribal half-sleeve tattoo around his left forearm which features nine rows of black triangles. The tattoo is of his aumakua, his Hawaiian family's crest, the shark. The triangles represent shark teeth and according to him, "it's supposed to take the darkness out and bring in the light, but we're still working on that." Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images 6 Jason Momoa got the role of Khal Drogo by scaring the casting panel When he auditioned for the role of Dothraki Chieftain Khal Drogo, he opted to perform a haka since his character had very few lines to work with. Needless to say, he got the part after this intimidating performance. (WARNING: LOUD) Photo: HBO 7 Jason Momoa does more than just act In 2014, he directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the film Road to Paloma. 8 Jason Momoa follows Aussie rules football Yes, you read that right. Jason supports Port Adelaide in the Australian Football League (AFL). 9 Jason Momoa's Instagram handle There's more to his Instagram handle @prideofgypsies than you think. It's taken from the company Jason started called Pride of Gypsies, and he describes it as "basically…I have tons of amazing writers, friends, directors, actors…and we all go out and shoot movies. That's what we want to do. We love to tell stories. Stories, at the end of the day, is what it's all about. You sit by a fire. I can sit and listen to Tom Waits tell me a story by campfire that's better than any movie I've ever seen. I want to capture that." 10 Jason Momoa is spiritual He travelled to Tibet and studied Buddhist teachings and meditates regularly. By Gilbert Wong, Men's Health Content Producer
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/ The vibrational theory of olfaction for the win
The vibrational theory of olfaction for the win
As occurred in the painstaking deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs, adherence to outmoded ideas is a lasting impediment to our understanding of how odorants are decoded by the olfactory system. The primary roadblock for hieroglyphs was the insistence that they were purely ideographic, ie. that the shapes of the pictograms owned all their meaning. It was only after Thomas Young compared the three different scripts of the Rosetta Stone that he was able to discover that the hieroglyphs also had a corresponding physics—namely, that they had phonetics.
In other words, it was the relationships found among the previously unappreciated vibrational characters of the spoken glyphs that led to their eventual successful decoding. Using Young's phonetic foundation, Jean-Francois Champollion theorized that there should be instances where certain sounds, like that of the letter 't', come to be represented by more than one hieroglyph, much like our own 'c' and 'k'. What finally convinced the world that it must be so began with a key sound element that Champollion fortuitously discovered in the glyphs for both Ptolemy and Cleopatra.
Luca Turin has almost single-handedly created the field of olfactory molecular vibrations. Functional groups of sulfur and borane were his Ptolemy and Cleopatra. The common note shared by two very differently shaped odorants containing these molecules was one particular stretch vibration occurring at a frequency of roughly 2600 cm-1. With this first key, originally pointed out in 1912, Turin has begun to unlock a whole codex of scents. His latest work, just published with Makis Skoulakis and Klio Maniati from the Fleming Institute and University of Athens in the journal eNeuro, is a game changer in the vibration story.
I say "game changer" because traditionally, one way for budding researchers to get ahead in the shapist-dominated field of olfaction has been to take take a potshot at Turin's theories. Often this has been under the auspices of dubious peer review and editorial standards. As with many things these days, the typical result is that #fakenews headlines like 'Vibration Theory is Totally Implausible' get the prime airtime but only rarely does the rebuttal.
Source: Medical Xpress
Share : The vibrational theory of olfaction for the win


Were you disappointed at the news that Google will soon kill its RSS service, Google Reader? If so, you aren't alone. Fortunately, you have until July 1 to find a worthy alternative. Read on, as we break down the best Google Reader replacements.
Twitter's popularity played an indirect – but crucial – role in the demise of Google Reader. Though Twitter's focus is on social interaction, it can also serve as an RSS replacement.
Nearly every news source – including Gizmag – tweets new posts immediately after publishing. To use Twitter as a Google Reader alternative, create a separate account (apart from your social account) that you only use for news feeds. Follow your favorite sites, then browse your feeds on Twitter's website or in any Twitter-integrated app (like Flipboard, see below).
The biggest downside to the Twitter-as-RSS approach is that the company has been cracking down on third-party apps that use its API. So there's no guarantee that any given third-party Twitter app will still be in the game a year from now.
Feedly is a magazine-like app that connects to your Google Reader account. That could have spelled doom for Feedly, but the company announced that it already has a plan in place for the Google Reader apocalypse.
Feedly says that if you sign into its service (available for web browsers and mobile devices) with your Google Reader account before July 1, your feeds will automatically transfer to Feedly's own upcoming RSS service. The change will all occur on the back end, so your front end experience should be seamless.
Flipboard is the most popular of the magazine-like content aggregator apps. In addition to its own curated feeds, it connects with a variety of social networks that can collect news feeds – including Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
For many readers, though, Flipboard's lack of a web or desktop client will be a deal-breaker. At least for now, it's iOS and Android only.
If you want your Reader alternative to look and feel a lot like Google Reader, then NewsBlur is worth a look. Available on the web, iOS, and Android, it lets you easily import your Google Reader feeds and enjoy them in a traditional RSS layout.
The biggest downside is that – at least right now – the service only works with its own apps. So if you aren't crazy about its interface, it doesn't play nice with any third-party alternatives.
Now owned by LinkedIn, Pulse is a feed-reader along the lines of Flipboard. Its interface, though, is less magazine-like, focusing instead on rows of tiles.
Pulse serves as something of a standalone RSS service, letting you manually select your favorite sources, which sync across Pulse's web and mobile apps. Unfortunately, though, Pulse no longer lets you directly import your old Google Reader feeds.
Taptu presents feeds in a slick layout that's similar to Pulse's. It lets you enter feeds manually, import them from Google Reader, or – much like Flipboard – browse your followed Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Reeder is one of the best RSS clients on the Mac and iOS. Right now, it relies exclusively on Google Reader for feeds, but its developers say that a plan is already in the works for the app to survive long after Reader is dead.
FeedDemon is a similar app that runs on Windows. Its developer also confirmed a plan to break free from the Google Reader chains and continue offering the app for free.
The Early Edition 2 is an iPad-only feed reader that presents your news in a newspaper layout. Though it integrates with Google Reader, it doubles as a standalone RSS service; so it's poised to survive the Reader-pocalypse.
The fact that it's confined to the iPad, though, limits its appeal as a full RSS solution for many readers.
When Google removed Reader's social features, a throng of loyalists longed for the Reader that once was. So they created their own replacement. The Old Reader lets you import your Google feeds and connect socially via Facebook and Google+.
Unlike Google Reader, though, The Old Reader doesn't serve as an API for other apps and services. It also doesn't (yet) have a native mobile app. So it's web only here.
Do you have any Google Reader replacement solutions that we left out? Join the conversation in the comments below.


HMS Argyll has hunted down submarines in the Philippine Sea during exercises with allied navies from Japan and the United States.
This was the first time these navies have combined like this as they tested their specialist anti-submarine warfare skills.
Japan's helicopter destroyer JS Izumo worked with the Plymouth-based frigate to hunt down a US Navy Submarine, which was playing the part of the enemy during two days of training.
Argyll has already worked alongside the Japanese navy (Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force) during her current deployment – a nine-month mission to the Gulf and Pacific – but this is the first time the three nations have worked together in this region.
"Sharing the Royal Navy's expertise and experience with our partners and allies right across the world emphasizes the UK's commitment to promoting international security and stability," said Commander Toby Shaughnessy, Commanding Officer of HMS Argyll.
As part of the exercises, Izumo and Argyll both deployed helicopters to hunt the submarine.
The Type 23's Wildcat was loaded with a Test Variant Torpedo (TVT) by 208 Flight before launching off Argyll's deck to step up the search for the US submarine.
The Japanese also sent up their anti-submarine Seahawk helicopters alongside a Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
"Given the increase in maritime traffic worldwide and current events, the importance of increased collaboration and cooperation between our three highly capable and like-minded services can't be overstated," said Captain Katsuyoshi Motoyama, Commander of Izumo.
"We all share a common vision of enhancing the operational effectiveness of our maritime forces."
Argyll is currently on a nine-month deployment and following these exercises came alongside at US Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan.
After operations during the Christmas period, this was a chance for the ship's company to explore capital Tokyo and head into the surrounding mountains above Yokosuka to take part in winter sports.


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Johirul, Monoar and wrongful dismissal, part 1
webmaster2021-06-09T13:07:00+08:00June 8th, 2021|Articles, Stories|
This is a three-part series.
Part 1: Islam Md Johirul
Part 2: Hossain Mohammad Monoar
Part 3: Commentary
With his work permit expiring on 9 April 2021, Islam Md Johirul began looking for a new job in March. He wasn't entirely happy with the low salary of $650 a month at 6a Engineering Pte Ltd and hoped for a better option. This was why he told his boss Gary that he was not keen on getting the work permit renewed.
Johirul had four years' experience installing security systems and electromagnetic locks, and felt that with his skill, he should be able to earn more than $650.
Meanwhile, his supervisor at 6a Engineering, Abdus Salam, had recently switched to a company called Pixels Connect and suggested to Johirul that he could move over too. Johirul then met with the General Manager of Pixels Connect, a certain Amir. The job interview, such as it was, took place in a coffee shop and they agreed on a basic salary of $900 a month.
The In-Principle Approval (IPA) (see Glossary) from Pixels Connect came through soon enough on 8 March 2021, and it stated a basic salary of $900 as agreed. But Johirul was surprised to see a monthly deduction of $200 for housing, which was not what had been agreed. Netting off this $200 deduction, his fixed monthly salary would be only $700, hardly better than his old job at 6a Engineering.
Around the same time, Abdus Salam reported that the work conditions at Pixels Connect were unsatisfactory. Workers there had to work extra hours but no overtime wages were paid, the former supervisor said to Johirul.
Johirul then asked Amir about the $200 housing deduction, "Why like that?"
Amir reportedly told him "Company rules".
Amir added that if he (Johirul) didn't like the terms contained in the new IPA, he could always reject the new job and as soon as the work permit with 6a Engineering expired, he could go home. However, Amir also said that if he (Johirul) rejected the job, he (Johirul) would have to pay Amir (or Pixels Connect) $1,100, plus the cost of the airticket and the pre-departure Covid-19 swab test.
There was some hint that if Johirul did not cough up the money, Amir would not buy the airticket and Johirul would end up overstaying and be at the mercy of the law.
Conversations with MOM
Johirul approached TWC2 for advice. We told him that Amir was out of line to ask for such payments and that Johirul should ask the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for assistance. We would later learn from Johirul that he spoke with MOM three times over a week or two.
In the first, which was a phone call, he explained to the "MOM lady" the background to the matter, particularly about the $200 housing deduction. According to Johirul, the MOM lady told him (in Johirul's words), "This thing, MOM cannot settle."
As an interesting aside, it was Gary, his boss at 6a, who gave Johirul the MOM number to call. It appears that Gary remained helpful to Johirul even as the latter was wanting to quit.
Johirul's second contact with MOM — he recalls it to be on the morning of 8 April — was a face-to-face meeting. He met with a different "MOM lady". After explaining the background once again, Johirul explored the possibility of staying on with 6a Engineering and getting the work permit renewed. Johirul believed that Gary was willing to take him back.
Johirul recalls that MOM's response was to reiterate their inflexible policies. Now that an IPA had been issued in the name of Pixels Connect, there was no way 6a Engineering could renew Johirul's work permit. It would seem that for all practical purposes, Johirul was now (in a sense) owned by Pixels Connect, and if Johirul wanted to return to 6a Engineering, Johirul had to get Pixels Connect to "release" him. He recalls the MOM lady saying that a letter would be necessary from Pixels Connect agreeing to a transfer. Manumission is the word that comes to mind.
The demand for "rejection money"
Notwithstanding his low expectations, Johirul then asked Amir for a transfer letter so that he could go back to 6a Engineering. Unsurprisingly, Amir refused, and this time demanded that the asked-for $1,100 be paid within two hours. Johirul recorded this conversation.
TWC2 listened to the recording and while we could hear a demand for payment within two hours, no specific amount was mentioned. Nonetheless, it was suspicious that a demand for payment be made at all, since under the law it is illegal for employers to ask for any payment or benefit from workers.
In fact, Johirul had mentioned Amir's demand for $1,100 and the cost of the airticket to MOM at his second meeting, and the MOM lady told him he should not pay. See also our comment in blue.
What the lady didn't say was what MOM could do to protect him if Amir and Pixels Connect then exacted retribution against Johirul for refusing to pay. It's like someone calling the police to say that his child has been taken and held for ransom, and the police advise "You shouldn't hand over any money", but do nothing about looking for the child or perpetrator.
Armed with the recording of Amir's demand to pay up within two hours, Johirul spoke with MOM a third time. This was the morning of 9 April, which was also the day his 6a Engineering work permit was expiring.
Basically, MOM's message to Johirul was to get ready to go home if he did not want the Pixels Connect job. By this point, Johirul was feeling so defeated, he might have agreed that this was the only option left to him.
According to Johirul, MOM concluded the conversation by saying they would write an email to the company – presumably Pixels Connect – to say they should arrange his Covid-19 swab text and air ticket home.
One more twist
But there was one more twist. Just as Johirul was leaving the MOM building, he received text messages from Amir, saying that since Johirul had not paid up within two hours, Amir had filed a missing person report with the police. This may be related to an earlier threat by Amir that if Johirul did not pay, Amir would "make sure that he is forever banned from Singapore".
Johirul went straight back into MOM and saw the officer again who assured him there was nothing to worry about. It's not clear to him what the MOM officer did after this.
He was repatriated on 12 April 2021.
Johirul is trying to get his old job back and apparently Gary is willing but with arrivals from Bangladesh currently banned – due to a Covid-19 surge in the subcontinent – this may not happen anytime soon.
As for Abdus Salam — the supervisor from 6a Engineering who switched to Pixels Connect — he too left Pixels Connect around the same time, unhappy with the new employer. However, we don't know the details of his story.
Go to Part 2: Hossain Mohammad Monoar


text:
Q: how is JSX related code in React get interpreted? https://reactjs.org/docs/introducing-jsx.html shows that the code below is a valid declaration. This code is not a normal javascript code. How does it get interpreted? What is the steps in between that I miss?
const element =
 Hello, world!
;

A: The answer to this lies here https://reactjs.org/docs/jsx-in-depth.html
As mentioned, it is just "syntactic sugar" for React.createElement. The jsx gets compiled to React.createElement
Eg:
Hello, world!
 gets compiled to:
React.createElement("h1", null, "Hello, world!")

Here's the babel online compiler to see what jsx compiles to in javascript. You can use this to play around.

A: You are of course right that const element =
 Hello, world!
; is not normal JavaScript, and it won't work if you simply put it in

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Belgium was the second stop on my euro trip. Belgium is perhaps the world's most misunderstood nation, with three official languages, and an intense regional rivalry between the Flemish-speaking north and the French-speaking south. Regardless, the Belgium's do two things better than anyone else in the world: Beer and Chocolate.
Come with me while I take you to some of the greatest cities in this country, Brussels, Bruges and Ghent. Here we take a deeper look into the cultural and emotional aspect of the country.
Made In Louise is a boutique hotel in a historic early 20th century building on a quiet street. It is where grace and charm are a way of life. It is close to all the attractions and the staff is incredibly helpful and kind. I felt as if I was staying with family. I loved working from my cozy room with a beautiful view of the garden. Discover this unique and relaxing environment.
I'm wearing our Mystery leggings, Grace leggings and Passion leggings.
This entry was posted in People & Blogs and tagged activewear, Atonium, attractions, Belgium, Belgium Brussels, Brussels, Brussels Attractions, Brussels Belgium, Brussels Belgium Travel, Brussels Belgium Travel Guide, Brussels must-see, Brussels Tourism, Brussels Travel, Brussels Travel Guide, Brussels Travel Tips, Brussels Vacation, collective consciousness, confused girl in the city, confusedgirlla, consciousness, crystal inspired clothing, crystal jewelry, dri sweat headbands, eckhart tolle, ecommerce, empowering women, fashion designer, female entrepreneur, find your purpose, girl boss, Guide, healing, Holiday, how to live your dreams, life coach, life coaching, Manneken Pis, meditation, motivation, motivational video, must-see, new age, photo shoot, psychoanalysis, psychology, Tips, top 10, top 10 must-see, Tour, tourism, travel, travel amsterdam, travel europe, Travel Guide, travel los angeles, Travel Tips, travel videos, travel vlog, Trip, trusting yourself, Vacation, wisdom, yoga clothes, yoga gear, yoga leggings, yoga pants, yoga tops.
great video and makes me want to add Belgium to my list! The Swiss definitely give a run for the money on the chocolates though. beautiful video!
Awesome video. I agree with you that Belgium is very special country and already add to my travel list. But can you suggest me what extra travel materials need to travel Belgium? Whatever, Thanks! for sharing. See you again.
Hey Carlotta, I highly recommend going to Belgium. It is incredibly beautiful. What do you mean by travel material?


text:
'Fallen London' and the secret to writing an infinite gothic game
Writing a video game is nothing like penning a novel. But writing a never-ending, nonlinear, text-driven video game about a hellish alternate London stuffed with gothic intrigue and nearly a decade of backstory? That's a different beast altogether.
"Novels follow protagonists, but in Fallen London, the protagonist is the player, and they're a mystery to us," Failbetter Games narrative director Chris Gardiner says. "While we know some things about them — mostly the decisions they've made in the game — there's still a lot we can't assume. Novels have a plot; there's no spinal plot to Fallen London, no single story we're telling and will finish. We're exploring a setting, establishing its status quo, then letting the player kick bits of it over. Novels are complete, while Fallen London is a living game. We add new stories and events to it constantly."
Fallen London debuted as a free browser game in 2009, though back then it was called Echo Bazaar. It's still available in browser form, but it's also on iOS and Android, and it's spawned a successful spinoff mobile franchise starting with Sunless Sea. Just this week, Failbetter announced it would place renewed focus on Fallen London, tying up some of its stories and systems.
Fallen London is a deep choose-your-own-adventure game with no moving pictures to guide players into new worlds. Instead, it's text-based, allowing fans to decide how they'll react to certain scenarios while they wander around a Victorian version of London that was pulled into an underground dimension by a swarm of bats.
Fallen London blends Lovecraftian monsters with the eloquence of Poe and a dark sense of wit that's entirely unique to the game world. Here's a taste of its tone, courtesy of Gardiner:
There's a scene in a story called The Gift where the player ventures under the royal palace and learns what's become of Queen Victoria's children. The player ends up disguised as a servant at a banquet. They've been instructed to keep their back to it, and under no circumstances to turn around.
There's a mirror in front of them. And in the mirror, fine lords and ladies are eating an elegant dinner. But the sounds you hear behind you are very different. Slobbering. Cracking bones. The thud of wet meat on the table. The mirror is lying. Three times we ask the player if they want to turn around, and warn that the consequences will be terrible. It's entirely their choice. And because they're our players, they generally turn. Bless them.
Gardiner is the narrative director on Fallen London, but he isn't putting this deliciously grotesque universe together himself. The entire project is the brainchild of Alexis Kennedy, an acclaimed video-game writer and designer who's helping build the new Dragon Age. Kennedy founded Failbetter in 2010, as Fallen London was gaining a sizable cult following, and over the following years, he tended to the game's story alongside a small team of writers and fans-turned-employees. He left Failbetter in 2016 on good terms, placing Fallen London in Gardiner's hands.
"His were very big shoes to fill," Gardiner says. "Failbetter was his baby, and he was involved in every aspect of it. Even when his duties meant he didn't have much time to write content, Alexis was always the arbiter and guardian of Fallen London's lore and tone. Maintaining that tone has been a crucial priority for us, and I was concerned about it. I'd been head writer for a while, so the team wasn't left without a lead experienced in writing for Fallen London. And, fortunately, Alexis left us a game consisting of hundreds of thousands of words of stories, which is as comprehensive an authority as you can get."
Today, the Fallen London team maintains a living document of every event and arc in the game, constantly growing it as new activities are introduced. The doc is streamlined, containing only basic, businesslike information about any particular event — and still, it's 131 pages long.
"Every time we write a new story, we add to it, like the ever-expanding occult tome of a very well-organized sorcerer who believes highlighters and Post-It notes are true magic," Gardiner says.
If necessary, writers can also dive directly into the game's back end and search for specific text or mechanical elements, though given the size of the story, this is a laborious process.
"Increasingly, we rely on the expertise of the writers," Gardiner says. "Each writer tends to become an authority on different parts of the lore."
There are four writers working on Fallen London, including Gardiner, plus an analyst and a handful of freelancers who chip in as needed. They operate in a multistep editing loop that ensures each piece of the story fits into the overall Fallen London universe (and that it's as eerie, romantic or disturbing as possible).
This week, Failbetter announced its renewed focus on Fallen London. The game has been on the back burner for a while as developers worked on Sunless Sea and its sequel, Sunless Skies. Some of the mechanics and stories have languished in the meantime, and Gardiner says it's simply time to dust off the cobwebs and dive back into the Echo Bazaar.
Throughout 2017, the Fallen London team promises to continue a few storylines, such as "The Cheery Man" and "Last Constable," "The Dilmun Club, A Return to the Empress' Court and the Light Fingers ambition. This is on top of the game's expected stories and events, including the next mayoral election, a large-scale affair where players chose the leader of Fallen London. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Failbetter is improving its own writing tools.
"Everyone's been in the role at least a year, and our process is well-established and polished," Gardiner says, noting that the team has expanded to include freelancers like Emily Short. "Failbetter has grown in all other areas, too — tech, analytics, art, production. We're now in a place where we're able to commit dedicated resource to some things that otherwise would have missed out to higher-priority tasks."
Besides, Failbetter wants to reward veteran players who have been clamoring for these updates for a long while. "We've always seen this content as an unpaid debt, and it's time to pay it off," he says.
Fallen London never sleeps. Since its inception in 2009, it's continued to evolve, gathering new stories, items, characters and creeps under the city's yellowed gas lamps. Kennedy, Gardiner and Failbetter have written more than 1.5 million words for Fallen London so far, and they're nowhere near done.
Fallen London is the story of a city, and a city doesn't stop," Gardiner says. "There are definitely stories that will conclude, but London won't. Some players will feel a natural stopping point when some stories — like the ambitions that drove them to London — are at an end, but the game won't force them to leave. We want players to spend as much time in Fallen London as they choose. And if they want to leave and come back, that's fine too. We'll always make you welcome, Delicious Friend."
Recommended Reading: The bright future of free over-the-air TV
Free Over-the-Air TV
Is Going to Get Better
James K. Willcox,
Thanks to a new standard known as ATSC 3.0, over-the-air TV broadcasts will include all the newfangled tech like 4K and HDR. Consumer Reports has the run down on what that means for OTA, including whether or not you may have to pay for it.
Who Are the Shadow Brokers?
Bruce Schneier, The Atlantic
If you need to catch up on the group that's leaking the NSA's cyber efforts, The Atlantic has you covered.
How Facebook Can Fight the Hate
Jeremy Kahn , Bloomberg Businessweek
Facebook is dealing with fake news, violent videos and more, but Bloomberg offers some thoughts on how the social network can deter hate speech and extremist content.
How Instagram Explore Became the Realest Place on the Web
David Pierce, Wired
The Explore tab on Instagram may know you better than your know yourself.
Mossberg: The Disappearing Computer
Walt Mossberg, The Verge
Walt Mossberg is retiring after an amazing career as a tech journalist. His final column for The Verge is absolutely worth a read.
British Airways IT failure cancels many flights out of London
Airline glitches and the ensuing pandemonium are nothing new, but they've just hit one of the world's largest travel hubs. British Airways has suffered a global IT system failure so serious that it cancelled all its flights out of London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports before 6PM local time on Saturday. Some parts of BA's website and check-in features were unavailable, too, and passengers on London-bound BA flights also faced delays. They frequently can't even book new flights to make up for the old ones.
It's not certain what triggered the outage, but BA says it hasn't seen evidence of an attack on its network.
To say this is causing chaos would be an understatement. It's a bank holiday weekend in the UK, so the terminals were chock full of travelers hoping to visit friends and family — the cancellation likely just wrecked their plans. While many of them will get compensation, that's not much comfort given the timing.
And this is a dire situation for British Airways, of course. It's the sixth major crash for its recently installed system in the space of roughly a year, and the timing makes it one of the highest-profile incidents to date. It suggests there's something fundamentally flawed with its newer infrastructure, and that there's no simple fix. It also underscores the importance of reliability for transportation tech. Even a relatively rare crash bug can become a serious headache if it tarnishes an airline's reputation and results in expensive payouts to angry travelers.
UPDATE: Following a worldwide @British_Airways IT system issue, all British Airways flights pre-6pm (UTC+1) have been cancelled at Heathrow. pic.twitter.com/Ue1d6rdcHn
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) May 27, 2017
@British_Airways this queue goes up one side, down the other as far as you can see and the same distance again left! pic.twitter.com/UdxPDxpdvu
— Lee Warner (@LeeJWarner) May 27, 2017
Via: The Guardian, BBC
Source: Heathrow Airport (Twitter), British Airways (Twitter)
The top 10 best gadgets used by Roger Moore's James Bond
Sir Roger Moore, who died this week at the grand old age of 89, was best known for playing the British secret agent James Bond in seven movies during the 1970s and 80s. (That ties him with Sean Connery for the record for playing Bond the most number of times — if you count Connery's unofficial Bond movie, Never Say Never Again.)
Moore starred in some of the silliest, but most entertaining movies in the series, and nothing typified Moore's Bond more than the zany gadgets used in the films. Here are our picks for the top 10 most memorable.
10. The walkie-talkie watch (For Your Eyes Only, 1981)
In last place on our list is the walkie-talkie Seiko watch Bond wears in For Your Eyes Only. While not a bad film, this 1981 Bond outing is probably the least Roger Moore-esque of all the movies he starred in. Part of that meant paring the gadgets down to make it all seem faintly more believable. True, a watch you can use like a miniature phone is pretty neat, but it can't measure any higher than 10th place on this roundup. Even if a parrot does use it to speak with Margaret Thatcher in the movie's climactic scene.
9. Acid-dropping fountain pen (Octopussy, 1983)
The pen certainly turns out to be mightier than the sword in the controversially titled Octopussy, during which Bond is given a pen containing concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acid. Again, this isn't a terrible gadget by any means, but it's far from the wacky heights Roger Moore's other gadgetry would reach. AWe do have to give Q props for designing a fountain pen with acid that's strong enough to eat through the steel bars of a cell, but not through the pen itself. There's probably a Kickstarter campaign in there somewhere!
8. The "Identigraph" (For Your Eyes Only, 1981)
Facial recognition and high-end computer graphics are seemingly everywhere these days, but the world was a very different place in the early 1980s. For Your Eyes Only's "Identigraph" is one of those cool, rare Bond gadgets that actually has a trace of real-worldliness to it. It lets Bond describe a person of interest in his own words, and then renders a 3D composite of their face. Very neat stuff.
7. Mink-lined submarine (View to a Kill, 1985)
A View to a Kill is a weirdly gadget-free movie, although we do get one superb entry for our list. That's James Bond's mink-lined submarine, which is disguised as an iceberg. Central features? A Union Jack and a double bed. It is a James Bond movie, after all.
6. Scaramanga's Golden Gun (The Man with the Golden Gun, 1974)
Unless you've got a thing for fake rubber nipples (which turn out to be a weirdly important plot point), the best gadget in The Man With The Golden Gun has got to be Scaramanga's Golden Gun itself. We've ranked it lower on this list because it's not actually used by Bond, but it's certainly worth a mention. The stealthy gun consists of a ballpoint pen, cigarette lighter and case, and cuff link. The bullet is hidden by Scaramanga in his belt link. In the original source novel, the gun was a golden Derringer, with bullets coated in deadly snake venom — which is pretty badass as well.
5. Aerostar (Octopussy, 1983)
The second best vehicle in a Roger Moore movie, the Bede BD-5J "Aerostar" jet is flown during the pre-credits sequence of Octopussy. It's kept in a horse trailer, disguised by the fake mechanical backside of a horse, which lifts up when Bond needs to make a getaway. This one earns our admiration for not just being a great Bond gadget, but actually a genuine aircraft that was, at one point, the smallest functioning jet plane in the world.
4. Compressed-gas shark gun (Live and Let Die, 1973)
Live and Let Die was Roger Moore's first Bond movie and, weirdly, is missing a lot of the regular Bond tropes. There's no Bond in the pre-credits sequence, no sighting of Bond in a tuxedo, no briefing in M's office, no Q scene at all, no John Barry score, and no Martini, either shaken nor stirred. What there is, however, is a brilliant gadget in the form of a compressed-gas shark gun. When one of the capsules is stuffed into the mouth of the villainous Kananga, the results are one of the silliest, yet most memorable deaths in the whole franchise.
3. The dart gun watch (Moonraker, 1979)
Bond sports a digital Seiko watch in Moonraker, just as he did in The Spy Who Loved Me. The Moonraker Seiko doubles as a stealth dart gun, and is activated by nerve impulses. It comes with five blue darts with armor-piercing capabilities, and five red ones that are tipped with cyanide. In a bit of a cheat moment, since it's never alluded to earlier, it also turns out to have a fuse and explosive hidden inside, which helps Bond and Dr. Holly Goodhead escape from certain rocket incineration.
2. The magnetic buzz-saw watch (Live and Let Die, 1973)
The Rolex Submariner 5513 from Live and Let Die slightly edges out the watch from Moonraker, in part because a Rolex is a whole lot more attractive than a clunky early digital watch. This one packs dual uses. (Well, three if you count something as boring as "telling the time.") Not only does it have an ultra-powerful magnet built in, but there's also a nifty buzz-saw bezel. That's great if you're slowly being lowered into a shark tank while tied up just loosely enough to wiggle your wrist; less so if you're a forgetful sort who just wants to glance at the time.
1. The underwater Lotus Esprit (The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977)
Although we've got a personal soft spot for the weird hovering tea tray that Q demonstrates in one scene in the film, the undisputed star gadget of The Spy Who Loved Me — and this list — is the Lotus Esprit. Not only does it look fairly boss on dry land, it can also swim underwater, spray concrete, fire missiles, drop mines, and pollute the ocean with a cloud of ink. They didn't worry about things like that in the 1970s.
Family fight: Microsoft's Surface Pro battles the Microsoft Surface Laptop
Microsoft just released the new Surface Pro, a minor but nifty revision of the popular Surface Pro 4. The Surface Pro joins the new Surface Laptop as the youngest member of the Microsoft Surface family, and in some ways, these two machines are as similar as they are different. As a Windows 10 2-in-1, the Surface Pro — which officially drops Microsoft's numbering scheme — aims to provide additional flexibility, whereas the Surface Laptop wants to be the ultimate notebook for traditionalists.
Inside, the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop bear a striking resemblance to one another, especially given both have adopted new color schemes and matching accessories. They're also similarly equipped in the hardware department, when it comes to processing power, RAM, and storage. It's as if Microsoft engineered two different species from the same genetic material.
But which machine is right for you? Below, we pitted the two directly against one another in an effort to suss out the details.
Specifications by-the-numbers
Surface Pro (2017)
12.13 x 8.79 x .57 (in)
11.50 x 7.9 x 0.33 (in)
1.69 – 1.73 pounds
7th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7
7th-generation Intel Core m3, i5, or i7
4G, 8GB, or 16GB
4GB, 8GB, or 16GB
13.5-inch PixelSense display
12.3-in PixelSense display
2,256 × 1,504
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, optional LTE
USB Type-A 3.0, mini-DisplayPort, Surface Connect port, 3.5mm headset
USB Type-A, mini-DisplayPort, Surface Connect Port, 3.5mm headset jack, microSDXC card reader
720p HD with infrared camera for Windows Hello support
5.0MP 1080p front-facing camera with infrared camera for Windows Hello support, 8.0MP 1080p rear-facing autofocus camera
Windows 10 S, upgradeable to Windows 10 Pro
Up to 14.5 hours
Available June 15
Similar designs, different materials
Microsoft has done a masterful job in creating a design aesthetic for the Surface line that maintains the brand's identity but isn't simply cookie cutter. The Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are obviously of the same family, but each looks and feels like it should for the kind of machine it is. They're both solidly build with the usual Surface quality and attention to detail, and they both incorporate a splash of color with Alcantara fabric surrounding the keyboard.
Of course, they're also completely different machines. The Surface Laptop is — as the name implies — a traditional clamshell notebook without any kind of convertibility. The Surface Pro, on the other hand, is a tablet that turns into a notebook-style machine when the Type Cover keyboard is snapped on. In fact, Microsoft stopped calling the Surface Pro a "tablet that can replace your notebook" and just refers to it generically as a "laptop." Tricky.
In terms of specifics, the Surface Laptop is machined from a chunk of aluminum, eschewing the magnesium alloy used on other Surface devices. It's very thin for a notebook at 0.57 inches, and light at 2.76 pounds, making it thinner and lighter than Apple's MacBook Pro 13. The Surface Laptop is a wedge design, meaning that it tapers from its thickest point at the rear down to very thin at the front, which results in a more comfortable typing angle. It also incorporates the aforementioned Alcantara fabric on the keyboard deck that comes in four colors — platinum, burgundy, cobalt blue, and graphite gold — and the optional Surface Pen comes in the same color scheme. Notably, the Surface Laptop carries the same color scheme throughout its chassis and is, therefore, a very colorful machine as well.
The Surface Pro is made from the company's usual magnesium alloy, and it's very similar to the previous generations, only with slightly rounded edges. It's a touch thinner and lighter, at 0.33 inches and a maximum of 1.73 pounds, but not by much, demonstrating that Microsoft found a comfortable mix of design and materials and then stuck with it. Attach the new keyboard and the combination weighs in at 2.41 pounds, which is similar to the Surface Laptop when fully assembled.
Speaking of, the new Signature Type Covers are slightly improved over the previous models and are covered in Alcantara fabric in platinum, burgundy, cobalt blue, or black. The Surface Pen can be color matched as well, but isn't included with the tablet — or rather, laptop — this time around. The Surface Pro itself is the same magnesium silver as past Surface devices, and thus features a more muted design overall.
It's hard to pick a winner between these two machines. They're both similarly thin and light when all of the required accessories are taken into account, and they're both well-built and very attractive machines. You can't even fault one over the other in terms of notebook versus 2-in-1 because either form factor can be right or wrong depending on a given user's requirements.
Great display vs. even better display
If there's one thing Microsoft got right with the Surface line, it's its choice in displays. First, it switched to the 3:2 aspect ratio with the Surface Pro 3, which is taller than the common 16:9 widescreen ratio and better for productivity. There's some letterboxing when watching video, but you get to see more of your documents. Second, Microsoft uses high-resolution and high-quality displays that are sharp, offer excellent contrast with deep blacks, and provide solid color support. No matter which Surface you buy, you're guaranteed to get one of the best displays around.
The display on the Surface Laptop is a 13.5-inch PixelSense panel with 2,256 x 1,504 resolution, or 201PPI. It features Corning Gorilla Glass for scratch and shatter resistance, and it supports 10-point multitouch and the Surface Pen. A 720p HD webcam sits above the display where it belongs, and an infrared camera provides Windows Hello support via facial recognition.
The Surface Pro sports a 12.3-inch PixelSense display with 2,736 x 1,824 resolution, or 267PPI — making it one of the sharpest "laptop" displays around. It's also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, and offers 10-point multitouch and Surface Pen support. The Surface Pro's active digitizer has been enhanced with a hardware accelerator and quadruples the pressure sensitivity at 4,096 levels, and so it's the best-performing and most accurate of all the Surface devices for drawing and handwriting on the screen. A 5-megapixel, 1080p HD webcam is on front, with Windows Hello support via infrared camera and facial recognition, and there's an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and 1080p video support on the back.
Again, it's difficult to pick a winner here. These are excellent displays with high resolutions — albeit, neither are 4K UHD — and the same 3:2 aspect ratio. They both support touch and pen input, although both make far more sense on the detachable Surface Pro. You really can't go wrong with either. We're going to give the nod here to the Surface Pro, however, given its higher sharpness and its superior pen specifications. Plus, it's simply a more natural device for Windows Inking.
Winner: Surface Pro
Very similar for typing and touching
Microsoft's most recent Type Covers have always provided a solid typing experience, with some points taken away for providing a slightly less stable experience when the keyboard is magnetically attached at an angle.
Microsoft has used a similar keyboard design on the Surface Laptop, and of course, the use of Alcantara fabric across the board means that the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are going to feel very similar when in use. Both keyboards offer 1.5-millimeter travel, and a similar feel.
The touchpads are also similar, with Microsoft Precision Touchpad support, multitouch capability, and a glass surface. The Surface Laptop's touchpad appears to be a bit larger, however, and that counts for something.
It's becoming a theme in this comparison, but again, picking a winner is difficult. If you went back and forth between the two machines, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference in the typing and touchpad experience. However, the Type Cover does bounce around a little when typing, and isn't as spacious, so we think the Surface Laptop edges out the Surface Pro here.
Winner: Surface Laptop
Almost identical hardware
The Surface Laptop utilizes Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, with the former offering Intel HD 620 graphics and the latter bumping up to Intel Iris Plus 640 graphics. UP to 16GB of RAM can be configured, and up to a 1TB PCIe SSD can be selected (eventually, but just 512GB for now). All of that makes the Surface Laptop competitive on paper with other thin-and-light notebooks.
The Surface Pro offers a wider range of processors, including the low-power Intel Core m3, Core i5, and Core i7. Notably, the Core m3 and Core i5 models are fanless, meaning they'll be completely silent in operation but could theoretically slow down more quickly when they heat up. The Core i7 also promises quieter fans than previous generations. The Surface Pro can be configured with up to 16GB of RAM and up to a 1TB PCIe SSD, and it also offers Intel Iris Pro 640 graphics with the Core i7 option.
Obviously, it's reasonable to expect these peers to perform similarly. The big difference is the availability of a less powerful Core m3 chip in the Pro, which is not available in the Laptop.
Both are limited to the past when it comes to plugging in
Microsoft has taken a curious position regarding the increasingly ubiquitous USB Type-C connection. While most manufacturers are moving steadily in the direction of this futuristic connectivity, Microsoft believes that the USB Type-C connection is basically too confusing for its customers. We tend to think that's a bit silly, and that it's a real shame that Microsoft left off a port that would provide some additional longevity.
That said, the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro both offer similarly limited connectivity. Both have a single USB 3.0 Type-A port, a mini-DisplayPort, the Surface Connect port, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. The Surface Pro, however, includes a Type Cover connector and microSD card reader.
We're disappointed with the connectivity of both machines. However, the Surface Pro can at least more easily transfer some images from a camera given its microSD card reader, and so we'll grudgingly give that machine the win in this category.
The laptop lasts longer than the 2-in-1
As mentioned above, both the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro are thin and light machines for their respective categories. And, when you attach the Type Cover to the Surface Pro, the two machines become even more alike in terms of tossing in a backpack and carrying around. The Surface Laptop is a larger machine because of its larger display, but there's remarkably little difference between the two machines otherwise.
The same can be said for battery life, where Microsoft has made some promising strides. On paper, at least, and depending on the configuration, Microsoft is promising 14.5 hours of battery life with the Surface Laptop and 13.5 hours with the Surface Pro. That gives the Laptop a small victory here.
The Surface Laptop was introduced at Microsoft's recent education-oriented event, which was odd considering that it's not at all an inexpensive machine. Microsoft anticipates that it will be popular among college students who might otherwise gravitate toward a MacBook, but otherwise, it's not going to make its way into many classrooms. It starts at $999 with a Core i5, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD, and jumps all the way up to $2,199 with a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
The Surface Laptop comes standard with the limited Windows 10 S, which only allows apps to be installed from the Windows Store. That's not going to be popular with many buyers of this class of machine, and it makes us wonder exactly what Microsoft is planning. It's easy enough to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, however, and that's free until the end of 2017 when the upgrade will cost $49.
The Surface Pro is priced similarly to the Surface Pro 4, though the as-yet-unpriced new Surface Pen is no longer included. Pricing starts at $799 for a Core i5, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD, and jumps all the way up to $2,699 for a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It is, therefore, a real mix in terms of pricing, offering decent pricing at the low end but then heading straight for the stratosphere when more attractively configured. Keep in mind that the Signature Type Cover runs $160, meaning that a fully-equipped, entry-level Surface Pro will cost around $960, plus whatever price Microsoft attaches to the new Surface Pen.
It might not seem fair to pit these two against each other. They're aimed at different markets with very different use cases. Yet they're very similar machines, and we bet many are wondering if it makes sense to leap to the Surface Pro's 2-in-1 design, or stick with the more traditional Laptop.
Our comparison tilts slightly in favor of the Surface Pro. It has a better display, a wider range of configuration options, and a more versatile package. In exchange, it's not quite as enjoyable to use as a laptop, and drops an hour of quoted battery life. Weighing the pros and cons can be difficult, a choice must be made — and the Pro is the one we'd buy.
5 solutions to fix your Huawei P10's problems and get it back to normal
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus are an impressive pair of smartphones, which aim to compete with the current offerings from Samsung, Google, and Apple. The devices haven't been around for very long, and they're currently unreleased in the United States, but that didn't stop us from putting our ears to the digital ground to hear the complaints of the masses. You may have seen a couple of these Huawei P10 problems already, especially if you're considering upgrading, but it never hurts to know what the big issues are, find out if they're actually problems, and see whether solutions are available now or coming soon.
Problem: Slow memory speeds
This particular problem has been noticed by Chinese owners and reported on by both Engadget and Android Central. It's not something most people would notice, but the basic issue is this: The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus should have decent flash memory speeds, or speeds that outperform older Huawei phones like the Mate 9. However, some of the company's new handsets have not met expectations, which prompted many to wonder if something was wrong with their new smartphones, or if Huawei wasn't being as truthful about their device's technical specs.
Official solution:
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus can have one of two chips, the older eMMC 5.1, or the newer UFS 2.0/2.1. Due to supply shortages, Huawei had to substitute the UFS chips with the eMMC, resulting in the aforementioned slower speeds. It's unclear if newer batches of the phone will all have the UFS chips, but for right now, either you got lucky and your phone has the latest chip, or you were unlucky and have to deal with the eMMC chips.
Problem: Device doesn't work after unlock
After unlocking the Huawei P10 using the fingerprint sensor, the phone will occasionally cease to function correctly. The user can still swipe on the home screen, but cannot open apps, navigate menus, or even lock the phone. Instead, the screen can just be turned off.
Temporary solution:
Restarting the phone has been said to briefly fix the problem. After an unspecified amount of time, however, the problem will return.
Wipe the cache partition:
Start by turning your phone off completely.
Press and hold the Volume Up and Power keys until the Huawei logo appears and the screen turns black.
Release the keys and "EMUI" should appear, meaning you've triggered the phone's recovery system.
Use the Volume Down key to highlight wipe cache partition and use the Power key to select it.
Confirm your selection, and wait for your phone to finish the wiping process. Afterward, it should restart automatically.
Factory reset:
If you're still able to navigate through your phone's menus, go to Settings > Advanced settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset > Reset phone. Be sure not to tap "Erase internal storage," as this will wipe all of your music, photos, and videos.
If you wish to back up your data before the reset, go to Backup > Internal storage > Next. Then, choose what you want to save and tap Back up.
You can also connect your phone to your PC using a USB cable, if you want to back up your data.
If you're unable to navigate the menus, Huawei has a program for the PC called HiSuite, which can be used to back up your phone, restore your data, update the firmware, and even factory reset it.
Boot phone into Safe Mode, as a third-party app could be causing the issue:
To boot into Safe Mode, start by turning your phone off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When the Huawei logo appears, release the Power key, then hold down the Volume Down key. If done correctly, you should see "Safe Mode" on the screen.
If your phone can be unlocked and functions normally, it's possible that a third-party app is the cause of the malfunction. Delete other third-party apps one by one until you discover the culprit.
Contact Huawei Support.
Annoyance: Device asks for PIN/password instead of fingerprint
Threads on the XDA Developers and Android Central forums have people asking about a scenario in which the Huawei P10 asks its user to unlock the device using a method other than the fingerprint sensor. According to both threads, every three days the device will require a PIN or password to unlock, instead of the set fingerprints.
This is a feature built into the EMUI software running on Huawei phones, and is meant to act as a security measure. The user manual for the P10 even states that you can only use a fingerprint to unlock the phone "when the unlock method is set to PIN or password." So, while PIN or password security is always on, you're just being allowed to use the fingerprint sensor for a time. Should you ever restart your device, or the fingerprint scan fails, you'll always have the PIN or password as a backup. For now, however, there doesn't seem to be a way to extend how long you can go without using the PIN or password. B. Diddy, an Android Central forum user, notes that this requirement also happens on Nexus phones, so it's not something exclusive to Huawei.
Issue: Volume unusually loud for app notifications, alarms, and media
A handful of people on the XDA Developers forums have all run into the same issue involving their P10 and P10 Plus' volume levels. Users are able to adjust the volume for the phone's ringer as intended, but are unable to control how loud sounds are for other aspects of the device, such as app notifications, alarms, video calls from apps like WhatsApp, and more. For some, sounds still play, even when they're supposed to be muted, or when the phone is in Silent Mode (Settings > Sound > Silent Mode).
Potential workaround:
If sounds — other than those tied to your phone's ringer — are too loud, simply turning them off via the "Do not disturb" feature may provide some peace and quiet. Enable and configure the feature in Settings > Do not disturb, and toggle Do not disturb on. Afterward, tap Do not disturb mode and you can configure settings for incoming calls and messages, and adjust which alarms are allowed to play when this mode is enabled.
A future update issued by Huawei for EMUI may fix this issue, or perhaps a future Android update.
Restart your phone and head to Settings > Sound > Volume to adjust your phone's system volume. Here, you'll find volume sliders for alarms, ringtones, media, and calls.
Reset your phone to its initial factory settings and see if you can adjust the various volumes to your liking.
Reach out to Huawei support.
Glitch: Fingerprint sensor not working
For one reason or another, some Huawei P10 owners have found they're suddenly unable to use the fingerprint sensor, and the option found within the phone's menus is gone as well. It's unclear what causes the issue, and whether Huawei is aware of this problem, which seems to be afflicting a small number of people.
A factory reset has been said to bring sensor functionality back.
Restart your phone and try the fingerprint sensor again.
Boot your phone into Safe Mode and see if the problem persists. If not, a third-party app may be causing the issue, and you may have to find and delete the app to resolve it.
Reach out to Huawei Support to ask about a replacement phone, or to have your phone repaired, as your fingerprint sensor may be faulty.
Want to know your Uber passenger rating? Here's how to check
Since its inception, people have hailed Uber as an innovative replacement for the taxi services of yesteryear. Promising consumers quick service with upfront pricing — and car owners a chance to make easy money on their own schedule — the ride-sharing service has become one of the most recognizable brands of the 21st century. And while some might retort that Uber's business model relies on skirting labor laws and responsible business practices, and that the sharing economy it has helped propagate is ultimately a negative for workers, it's doubtful that people will stop using it anytime soon. After all, it's far too convenient.
While Uber helps users find quality drivers through its five-star rating system, the grading goes both ways. Drivers can also rate riders, helping future drivers avoid any unsavory characters. If you want to find out what your rating is, you can check it easily from within the app. Here's how.
Looking up your Uber rating
Step 1 — While viewing the map screen, tap the menu button — the three horizontal lines — in the upper-left corner of your display.
Step 2 — Tap the Help button in the resulting pop-up drawer.
Step 3 — Tap Account and Payment Options on the following page.
Step 4 — Tap Changing My Account Settings from the list of options.
Step 5 — Select I'd like to know my rating near the middle of the following page.
Step 6 — Here, you will be given a disclaimer about how ratings work. Once you've vetted the information, tap the Submit button to see your rating.
My rating is low! What can I do?
If you are unsatisfied with your rating, don't let it get you down. There's still time to repent and atone! Reflect on your boorish behavior — maybe you spilled hamburger on your driver's seat and didn't apologize, maybe you drank too much and said some vulgar things about their chosen profession — and follow some basic tips to get your rating up.
First, be punctual. Have you ever summoned an Uber driver and had them show up within minutes? That sort of timeliness is convenient, and so it might irk your driver if you dawdle. You may annoy your driver if you take a few minutes to get ready, for instance, and your rating could suffer a penalty as a result. Being ready to leave before you call an Uber is generally the best way to go.
Don't eat in the car. As tempting as it may be to scarf down some greasy food after a night of partying, remember that your driver's car is their personal ride, and nobody likes strangers — or clients, for that matter — spilling food in their car. Refrain from doing so until you step out of the vehicle and into your own home.
Compliment your driver when they do a great job — and not just in real life! The Uber app now sports a "compliments" feature. When you give a driver a five-star rating, you can also compliment them via various stickers, essentially handing them a badge for such deeds as having a cool car, or playing great music. Doing so could foster a good attitude in your driver, leaving them more likely to rate you favorably.
In general, just be polite. As with any business transaction, you're dealing with another human being, and an exchange of money and services is no reason to abandon common decency.
Mophie Juicepack for Pixel XL: A beast of battery burden
What do you get someone who has a nearly perfect phone? More battery life, of course.
Google's Pixel XL is a lot of things. It's the phone to have if you're into tinkering. It gets updates before any other phone. It's got a camera that's considered one of the best available today.
But battery life? That's not always been its strongest asset, even considering its 3,450mAh capacity.
For years, the Mophie Juicepack has been the go-to battery case. Mostly for the iPhone, but more recently for Samsung's Galaxy S line. And now, it's available for the Pixel XL.
What you need to know: This case will make the phone thicker. Longer. Heavier. It'll make the fingerprint sensor harder to get to.
And it'll increase battery capacity by more than 75%.
Notice I don't say "battery life." Actual usage time is one of those things that very much will vary from person to person, even with the extra 2,950mAh. But with that sort of increase, you know that you'll be running much longer than you would have otherwise. (And reminder that you gain wireless charging with this thing.)
The soft-touch coating on the case is exactly what we've come to expect over the years — just about perfect, if still prone to the oil from your fingers. The seam where the top half of the case meets the bottom is well out of the way and nicely matched in any event. And the case itself should do its usual protection job.
Oh, this doesn't feel like a Pixel XL anymore. There's nothing svelte about this phone when it's wearing a Juicepack. I'm now showing 9.75 ounces on the scale (up from the naked phone's 5.83 ounces). The flat back is demolished by what I want to describe as something more whale-like.
We've all seen these cases before. They're beasts.
Modern Dad
See the gear
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Look no further than Android Central Digital Offers and this great deal on a SitePoint Premium Courses Lifetime Subscription. You'll gain access to over 80 ebooks, 70 courses, and 300 tutorials, covering everything from coding in CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and more to key coding frameworks and libraries, like jQuery, Node, TypeScript, and more. Typically you would get a lifetime subscription to all of this content for $49.99 but use the code MEMDAY15 for an additional 15% off, which lowers the price to $42.50. These courses and ebooks together generally retail for $450, but at iMore Digital Offers, you save over 90%.
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The Morning After: Weekend Edition
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
Welcome to the weekend. If you have an extra day off, then that may provide time to catch up on our new Tomorrow section, plus the latest Google Search feature and Apple's plan for AI.
Let's talk about the future.Welcome to Tomorrow, the home of stuff that hasn't happened yet
This week we launched a brand new section on Engadget, which is dedicated to bringing the future into focus. Our launch week stories have covered everything from prosthetics to binge watching to the art of nuclear war — and there's much more to come.
You think?Apple is reportedly working on a dedicated mobile chip for AI
On-device machine learning is suddenly a highlight feature for smartphones, and unsurprisingly there are rumors Apple is going to improve the iPhone's capabilities in that area. Google and Qualcomm have a bit of a head start in AI, but we've already seen the folks in Cupertino whip up dedicated hardware to boost things like motion tracking and wireless audio. It's unclear how soon the "Apple Neural Engine" could arrive, but we'll be looking for more information at WWDC.
Wonder what we'll find there?Google Search has a new tab: Personal
Given how much data Google probably has accumulated about you, there's no surprise that its latest search option is all about one person. If you take a look at the Personal search (currently available on the web for most), it will pull up results from your Gmail, Google Photos and other linked sources. It could be more convenient than switching tabs, or just when you want an NSA-level view on everything you've shared with big G.
Guac is still extraChipotle finds malware exposed credit card info across the US
Another day, another restaurant's credit card systems have been hacked. This time Chipotle is up, and if you ate at one of its locations during March or April, your card information might have been exposed.
Helium, not hydrogenSergey Brin's big airship plans
The latest set of rumors around Google co-founder Sergey Brin's dirigible project suggests that when completed, it will be the largest flying object in the world. At 200m long, it should be easy to see when Brin takes it out for a test drive, or in normal operation splitting time between deliveries of humanitarian supplies and luxury air yacht trips for the exec's family.
Too real to kill.Truly intelligent enemies could change the face of gaming
Using AI to create nuanced and challenging virtual rivals could make games more realistic than ever — but have we considered all the possible downsides?
But wait, there's more…
Nokia's throwback phone is too basic for 2017
NASA's Juno mission discovers Jupiter is really weird
Bad Password: The Facebook president and Zuck's racist rulebook
Everyone's favorite useless Pokemon gets its own game
Microsoft's new Surface Pro is both lighter and quieter
The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe.


I tend to be a skeptic when it comes to things like long term weather, political promises, and celebrity fundraisers. One area where I have not been a skeptic is agricultural exports. This may because I have been blessed in my career to have visited many other countries, both developed and developing. I have seen how they produce food, how they consume food, and how they want to improve their diets. Very few places outside of the U.S. have the natural resources, infrastructure, climate, and agricultural technology that we have. U.S. farmers can consistently and sustainably produce more food at higher quality and lower price than almost anyone in the world. This is a good thing because we are going to need these markets in order to keep agriculture profitable.
This skepticism about exports has been fueled by the Make America Great philosophy that helped put Mr. Trump in the White House. While foreign markets may pose a threat to industrial sectors, that is not the case for agriculture. In fact, growing foreign markets for agriculture benefits our home-grown industry and actually helps make America great.
Securing free and fair trade deals and fostering new market development will be major agricultural issues in 2019. It is vital we frame this issue in terms of being good and necessary for U.S. farmers. We need to give the skeptics the boot and to keep this discussion focused on the positive benefits of trade for agriculture.


Rep the Empire with this backpack!
It features 3 large main pockets and 2 expandable side pockets!
Hold a 15-inch laptop and measures 18 1/2-inches tall x 12-inches wide.
Inspired by the uniform of AT-AT drivers.
Rep the Empire with this backpack inspired by the uniform of its AT-AT drivers! The Star Wars AT-AT Pilot Backpack features 3 large main pockets and 2 side pockets, and it can hold up to a 15-inch laptop. Made of polyester, it measures approximately 18 1/2-inches tall x 12-inches wide x 9-inches long.


Late news developments and in-depth reporting on the top stories from around the United States.
Current news issues are examined.
Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.); Victoria Justice. Also: Gary Clark Jr. performs.
News/Business. Tamron Hall. Tamron Hall provides context and informed perspectives on the stories making headlines, examining the impact of news on our daily lives. New.
News/Business. Live news coverage, breaking news and current news events with host Thomas Roberts. New.


text:
Frank Lampard one goal away from Chelsea record after win over Swansea
Frank Lampard, right, is congratulated by Demba Ba, David Luiz and John Terry after scoring Chelsea's second goal from the spot. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images
Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge
Sun 28 Apr 2013 12.05 EDT
Chelsea had paraded their record goalscorer during the interval here, an emotional Bobby Tambling accepting the rapturous reception from all sides as, wheelchair bound after four months in hospital, he sat in front of the Shed End and soaked up the applause through his tears. The locals revelled in his presence even if, by the final whistle, it was this club's present day talisman who was drawing the acclaim, with Frank Lampard now one goal shy of equalling Tambling's tally as time ticks down on his own career in these parts.
The midfielder will be aware opportunities are running out, and there had been a flash of relief in his celebration deep into first-half stoppage time as the net bulged from goal No201 in Chelsea colours. It had been six weeks since he registered his double-century, an untimely seven-match barren spell amid all the squad rotation and clamour for the 34-year-old to be offered a contract extension, but the goals have returned. The penalty dispatched low into the corner beyond Michel Vorm secured this victory but it had been Lampard's introduction as a substitute that had sparked the win.
It was his dispossession of Jonathan de Guzman and dart into enemy territory to force Vorm into a save at full-stretch that had shrugged the home side out of their lethargy. His slipped pass to Oscar, three minutes later, provided the opening goal, and it was his assured finish from the spot that settled affairs to thrust the home side a point clear of Arsenal and three of Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Champions League qualification. Lampard may not be around next season to enjoy that, but he will have played his part in making it happen. "He's a great player, a great professional," said Rafael Benítez. "He wants to play but he understands the priorities and the club comes first."
There is still time – potentially six games – to equal and eclipse Tambling's 43-year record, though the latter stages here were played out with the home support bellowing for the midfielder to do so in the holder's presence. There was a heavy touch when liberated by Juan Mata's clever flick 10 minutes from time, and a volley from the Spaniard's corner that was blocked in a cluttered penalty area, but a clear chance alluded him. Lampard will have to wait.
He shared a joke with Tambling in the home dressing room in the aftermath, the pair having spoken on the telephone last week after the 71-year-old departed hospital in Cork where he had been suffering from pneumonia and Martorelli's Ulcer, a painful disease involving leg ulcerations.
"Bobby is an absolute gentleman and I'm glad he was healthy enough to be here," Lampard said. "It was nice to see him. I'd have liked [the second] to come, and it would've been great to do it in front of him, but it doesn't work that way. If I'm confident and playing regularly and training hard the goals will come if I can keep my head." The older man will not begrudge surrendering his record.
Lampard had benefited from the spritely running of Mata, on his 25th birthday, and the outstanding Eden Hazard to orchestrate this victory. The Belgian was irrepressible, the Spaniard as classy and composed as ever, even if Swansea dazzled themselves at times with the trademark, slick approach play that has decorated the Premier League all season. What they lacked was precisely what Lampard supplied: a clinical final pass, such as that to send Oscar scurrying through on goal, or an accurate finish when an opportunity arrived.
"We all get older, and sometimes the pace is not the same, but quality is quality," said Michael Laudrup, who had retired himself at 34. "He's still coming into the box, as he's always done, and finding positions to cause problems. Great players don't like to run."
Praise means plenty when delivered by the Dane. He was left bemoaning the "five crazy minutes" before the break that yielded the game's decisive moments. First John Terry had collected Vorm's clearance and combined with David Luiz and then Lampard, the England midfielder eventually clipping Oscar free to score across Vorm into the far corner. That was his 11th goal of the campaign, with Leon Britton's tangle with Mata as the midfielder wriggled into the area duly supplying a second. Mark Clattenburg, initially booed on his return to officiate at this club for the first time since the racism storm that erupted in October, spotted the offence in what was a low-profile display. Ashley Williams might have been dismissed for two bookable offences, while César Azpilicueta was wild with one lunge on Ben Davies, but the referee appeared keen to remain out of the spotlight.
Swansea, for all their eagerness in possession, rarely threatened a riposte thereafter as their winless run stretched to six league games even if they continue to hover in the top half of the table. Chelsea's ambitions are loftier and, in third with a considerably better goal difference than Spurs, they have enjoyed a fruitful week. A place in the Europa League final can be secured on Thursday, with a trip to Old Trafford to follow. Lampard's chance will come.
Man of the match Eden Hazard (Chelsea)


We didn't realize he might be somebody's grandfather. The age of the char-à-banc had passed us by, & the advent of VistaVision, with its futile attempt to emulate the golden ratio, was something our teachers wouldn't talk to us about. Dogs fought in the street & distracted us. The town grew dustier by the day. The Town Hall collapsed under the weight of woodworms & the local records all went with it. We coughed, & carried on as we always had.
Mark Young is the editor of Otoliths, lives in a small town in North Queensland in Australia, & has been publishing poetry for more than fifty-five years. His work has been widely anthologized, & his essays & poetry translated into a number of languages. A new collection of poems, Bandicoot habitat, is due out from gradient books of Finland later this year.