text:
Station Buffet | Fun and Stuff
While in China, a man is very sexually promiscuous and does not use a condom all the time. A week after arriving back home in the States, he awakes one morning to find his penis covered with bright green and purple spots.
Horrified, he immediately goes to see a doctor. The doctor, never having seen anything like this before, orders some tests and tells the man to return in two days for the results.
The man returns a couple of days later and the doctor says, "I've got bad news for you, you've contracted Mongolian VD. It's very rare and almost unheard of here. We know very little about it."
The man looks a little perplexed and says, "Well, give me a shot or something and fix me up, Doc."
The doctor answers, "I'm sorry, there's no known cure. We're going to have to amputate your penis."
The man screams in horror, "Absolutely not! I want a second opinion."
The doctor replies, "Well, it's your choice. Go ahead if you want but surgery is your only choice."
The next day, the man seeks out a Chinese doctor, figuring that he'll know more about the disease. The Chinese doctor examines his penis and proclaims, "Ah, yes, Mongolian VD. Vely rare disease."
The guy says to the doctor, "Yeah, yeah, I already know that, but what can we do? My doctor wants to operate and amputate my penis!"
The Chinese doctor shakes his head and laughs, "Stupid Amelican docta, always want to opelate. Make more money that way. No need to opelate!"
"Thank God!" the man replies.
"Yes," says the Chinese doctor, "You no worry! Wait two weeks. Faw off by itself!"
A young man walks onto the stage of Stars in their Eyes, on crutches, with a plaster cast from his feet to his hips.
Matthew Kelly Introduces him as Simon. 'It's very brave of you to come out here,' says Matthew. 'Please tell the audience what happened?'
'Well' replies Simon 'about a year ago, I was driving with my uncle when we had a really bad accident.
Unfortunately my uncle was killed outright but I survived. I was trapped in the car for six hours before I was eventually cut free.' 'The doctors had me in surgery for 12 hours but they couldn't save my legs.'
'That's terrible. But I see you have legs now. Are they artificial? 'asks Matthew.
'No Matthew, while I was in hospital the doctors informed me that my uncle had in fact died, but that his legs were fine and with all the advances in medical science, they could graft the bottom half of his body onto mine. As you can see the operation was successful.
I have been having physiotherapy for six months and hope to be walking fully again by the end of the year. A huge round of applause erupts from the audience.
Kelly responds with: 'That's an unbelievable story. So tonight, who are you going to be?'
Scroll down...
Keep going this is great....
It's worth it honest.....
'Tonight, Matthew, I am going to be Simon and Halfuncle'
A good olf fashioned Englishman, Irshman and Scotsman joke, enjoy....
The Englishman's wife steps up to the tee and, as she bends over to place her ball, a gust of wind blows her skirt up and reveals her lack of underwear.
"Good God, woman! Why aren't you wearing any knickers?" her husband demanded
."Well, you don't give me enough housekeeping money to afford any." The Englishman immediately reaches into his pocket and says, "For the sake of decency, here's £50. Go and buy yourself some underwear."
Next, the Irishman's wife bends over to set her ball on the tee. Her skirt also blows up to show that she, too, is wearing no undies."Blessed Virgin Mary, woman! You've no knickers. Why not?"
She replies, "I can't afford any on the money you give me." He reaches into his pocket and says, "For the sake of decency, here's £20. Go and buy yourself some underwear!"
Lastly, the Scotsman's wife bends over. The wind also takes her skirt over her head to reveal that she, too, is naked under it.
"SSweet mudder of Jaysus, Aggie! Where the frig are yer drawers?"
She too explains, "You dinna give me enough money ta be able ta affarrd any."
The Scotsman reaches into his pocket and says, "Well, fer the love 'o decency, here's a comb..... Tidy yerself up a bit."
I see as a part of the divorce settlement Paul Macartney has to give Heather Mills his plane.
He also has to buy her a ladyshave for the other leg.
A South African gold miner loses his leg in a mining accident and is sat in hospital talking to his mate.
"Well that's me f***d, who on earth's going to want a one legged gold digger?"
His mate replies "Well, you could try Paul McCartney"
A Woman was out golfing one day when she hit her ball into the woods.
She went into the woods to look for it and found a frog in a trap. The frog said to her, "If you release me from this trap, I will grant you three wishes."
The woman freed the frog, and the frog said, "Thank you, but I failed to mention that there was a condition to your wishes. Whatever you wish or, your husband will get ....... times ten!"
The woman said, "That's okay.7q For her first wish, she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The frog warned her, "You do realize that this wish will also make your husband the most handsome man that ever lived, an Adonis whom women will swoon over and flock to". The woman replied, "That's okay, because I will be the most beautiful Woman and he will have eyes only for me."
So, KAZAM!!! - She's the most beautiful Woman in the world!
For her second wish, she wanted to be the richest woman in the world. The frog said,"That will make your husband the richest man in the world by far. And he will be ten times richer than you. "The woman said, "That's okay, because what's mine is his and what's his is mine."
So, KAZAM!!! - She's the richest woman in the world!
The frog then inquired about her third wish, and after careful consideration she answered, "I'd like a mild heart attack."
Moral of the story: Women are clever. Don't mess with them.
ATTENTION female readers: This is the end of the joke for you. Stop here and continue feeling good.
The man had a heart attack ten times milder than his wife!!! Moral of the story: Women are really dumb but think they're really smart. Let them continue to think that way and just enjoy the show.
PS: If you are a woman and are still reading this; it only goes to show that women are nosey cows and never listen!!!
The train was packed. It was rush hour, and many people were forced to stand. One particularly cramped woman turned to the man behind her and said, "Sir, if you don't stop poking me with your thing, I'm going to call the police!"
"I don't know what you're talking about miss, that's just my pay packet in my pocket."
"Oh really," she said. "Then you must have some job, because that's the fifth raise you've had in the last half hour."
Once there was a family who was given some venison by a friend. The wife cooked up the deer steaks, and served it to the husband and children. The husband thought it would be fun to have the children guess what it was that they were eating.
"Is is beef?" The daughter Katie asked.
"Nope."
"Is it pork?" the son Willie asked.
"Heck, we don't know, Dad!" Willie exclaimed.
"I'll give you a clue," the Dad said, "It's what your mom sometimes calls me."
"Spit it out, Willie!" cried Katie, "We're eating Asshole!!"
A man was walking in the street when he heard a voice. "Stop! Stand still! If you take one more step, a brick will fall down on your head and kill you." The man stopped and a big brick fell right in front of him. The man was astonished.
He went on, and after awhile he was going to cross the road. Once again the voice shouted: "Stop! Stand still! If you take one more step a car will run over you and you will die." The man did as he was instructed, just as a car came careening around the corner, barely missing him.
"Where are you?" the man asked. "Who are you?"
"I am your guardian angel," the voice answered.
"Oh yeah?" the man asked. "And where the hell were you when I got married?"
A man is talking to the family doctor. "Doc, I think my wife's going deaf."
" The doctor answers, "Well, here's something you can try on her to test her hearing. Stand some distance away from her and ask her a question. If she doesn't answer, move a little closer and ask again. Keep repeating this until she answers. Then you'll be able to tell just how hard of hearing she really is."
The man goes home and tries it out. He walks in the door and says, "Honey, what's for dinner?" He doesn't hear an answer, so he moves closer to her. "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still no answer. He repeats this several times, until he's standing just a few feet away from her.
Finally, she answers, "For the eleventh time, I said we're having MEATLOAF!"
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Musette as we know it today has emerged in between 1910 and 1915 when first ensembles playing musette music came to popularity. Then a piece «Aubade d'Oiseaux» by Michele Peguri was composed and had a vast success. Playing on public clubs, ball halls accordion musette sprang everywhere in France in those days.
E. Vasher another father in law of musette had his own music salon in Paris since 1908 and had been a great name in whole of city. Many people name E. Vasher (he never have been taking music scholarship) as a founder of French musette.


text:
Biomonitoring of atmospheric trace elements in agricultural areas and a former uranium mine
Judith H. Rodriguez ,	Eduardo D. Wannaz ,	Sebastian B. Weller ,	María L. Pignata
Most biomonitoring studies worldwide have
evaluated the air quality in industrial and urban areas,
and even in mining areas to a lesser extent. However, air
quality investigations in agricultural areas are scarce.
In the present study, the trace metal accumulation and
physiological response of the biomonitor Tillandsia
capillaris were assessed. Plant samples were transplanted
to a reference site, a former open-cast uranium mine,
and agricultural sites with varying pollution levels (from
normal agricultural practices and near an open rubbish
dump) in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. Biomonitors
were exposed to ambient air for different exposure periods
for physiological or trace element determination. The
bioindicators revealed that the highest physiological
damage occurred at the sites close to the open dump and
the former uranium mine, while a comparison among
exposure periods indicating the winter season produced
the highest physiological damage in the biomonitor due
to the adverse climatic conditions and air pollution.
As the trace metal accumulation in the biomonitor was
mainly associated with the open dump and uranium
mine sites, monitoring and remediation programs should
now be applied to these sites in order to alleviate the
negative effects of pollution on the environment and the
population.
air quality Tillandsia capillaris open rubbish dump trace metals mine
Judith H. Rodriguez
Multidisciplinary Institute of Plant Biology, Pollution and Bioindicator section, Faculty of Physical and Natural Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611, X5016CGA Córdoba, Argentina
Eduardo D. Wannaz
Multidisciplinary Institute of Plant Biology, Pollution and Bioindicator section, Faculty of Physical and Natural Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611, X5016CGA Córdoba, Argentina, ewannaz@com.uncor.edu
Sebastian B. Weller
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of
Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstr. 19,
82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
María L. Pignata
[1]	Moretton J., Guaschino H., Amicone C., Beletzky V., Sánchez M., Santoro V., Noto B., Air Pollution in Argentina: general aspects, legislation, situation in the Capital Federal and Buenos Aires province, Ediciones universo, Buenos Aires, 1996.
[2]	Guéguen F., Stille P., Millet M., Air quality assessment by tree bark biomonitoring in urban, industrial and rural environments of the Rhine Valley: PCDD/Fs, PCBs and trace metal evidence, Chemosphere, 2011, 85, 195–202.
[3]	Guéguen F., Stille P., Geagea M.L., Boutin R., Atmospheric pollution in an urban environment by tree bark biomonitoring – Part I: Trace element analysis, Chemosphere, 2012, 86, 1013–1019. [Crossref]
[4]	Lehndorff E., Schwark L., Biomonitoring of air quality in the Cologne Conurbation using pine needles as a passive sampler e Part III: Major and trace elements, Atmos. Environ,. 2010, 44, 2822 -2829.[Crossref]
[5]	Rodriguez J.H., Pignata M.L., Fangmeier A., Klumpp A., Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace elements in the bioindicator plants Tillandsia capillaris and Lolium multiflorum exposed at PM10 monitoring stations in Stuttgart (Germany), Chemosphere, 2010, 80, 208-215.
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[8]	Pandey V.C., Singh N., Impact of fly ash incorporation in soil systems, Agr. Ecosys. Environ., 2010, 136, 16-27.
[9]	Rodriguez J.H., Klumpp A., Fangmeier A., Pignata M.L., Effects of elevated CO2 concentrations and fly ash amended soils on trace element accumulation and translocation among roots, stems and seeds of Glycine max (L.) Merr., J. Hazard. Mater,. 2011,187, 58–66.
[10]	Salazar M.J., Rodriguez J.H., Nieto G.L., Pignata M.L., Effects of heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Zn and Pb) in agricultural soils near different emission sources on quality, accumulation and food safety in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill], J. Hazard. Mater., 2012, 244-253.[Crossref]
[11]	Abril G.A., Wannaz E.D., Mateos A.C., Invernizzi R., Plá R.R., Pignata M.L., Characterization of atmospheric emission sources of heavy metals and trace elements through a local-scale monitoring network using T. capillaris, Ecol. Indic., 2014, 40, 153–161.[Crossref]
[12]	McLaughlin M.J., Long term changes in cadmium bioavailability in soil, In: Assessment of Soil Phosphorus Status and Management of Phosphatic Fertilisers to Optimise Crop Production, Zapata, F.Sikora, F., Eds., Austria, Bécs, IAEA-TEDOC-1272, IAEA, 354–362, 2002.
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[14]	Hao X., Zhou D., Wang Y., Shi F., Jiang P., Accumulation of Cd, Zn Pb and Cd in Edible Parts of Four Commonly Grown Crops in Two Contaminated Soils, Int. J. Phytoremed., 2011, 13, 289–301.[Crossref]
[15]	Rodriguez J.H., Salazar M.J., Steffan L., Pignata M.L., Franzaring J., Klumpp A., Fangmeier A., Assessment of Pb and Zn contents in agricultural soils and soybean crops near to a former battery recycling plant in Córdoba, Argentina, J. Geochem. Explor.,(in press), DOI:10.1016/j.gexplo.2014.05.025 [Crossref]
[16]	Lavado R.S., Concentration of potentially toxic elements in field crops grown near and far from cities of the Pampas (Argentina), J Environ. Manage., 2006, 80, 116–119.
[17]	Youn-Joo A., Assessment of comparative toxicities of lead and copper using plant assay, Chemosphere, 2006, 62, 1359–1365.
[18]	Blanco A., Determinación de los factores químico-biológicos que intervienen en la acumulación y translocación de Pb en cultivos agrícolas cercanos a una fundición de plomo en la provincia de Córdoba, PhD Thesis, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentine, 2014,(in Spanish).
[19]	Bermudez G.M.A., Jasan R., Plá R., Pignata M.L., Heavy metal and trace element concentrations in wheat grains: Assessment of potential non-carcinogenic health hazard through their consumption, J. Hazard. Mater., 2011, 193, 264-271.
[20]	MAFFJ, Survey of the cadmium contained in agricultural products, MAFFJ (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan), Hokkaido, 2002.
[21]	Zhao Y., Fang X., Mu Y., Cheng Y., Ma Q., Nian H., Yang C., Metal Pollution (Cd, Pb, Zn, and As) in Agricultural Soils and Soybean, Glycine max, in Southern China, B Environ. Contam. Tox., 2014, 92, 427–432.
[22]	Bermudez G.M.A., Jasan R., Plá R., Pignata M.L., Heavy metals and trace elements in atmospheric fall-out: Their relationship with topsoil and wheat element composition. J Hazard. Mater., 2012, 213–214, 447-456.
[23]	Bačeva K., Stafilov T., Šajn R., Tănăselia C., Air dispersion of heavy metals in the vicinity of the As-Sb-Tl bounded mine and responsiveness of moss as a biomonitoring media in small-scale investigations, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2013, 20, 8763–8779.[Crossref]
[24]	Goix S., Resongles E., Point D., Oliva P., Duprey J.L., Galvez E., Ugarte L., Huayta C., Prunier J., Zouiten C., et al., Transplantation of epiphytic bioaccumulators (Tillandsia capillaris) for high spatial resolution biomonitoring of trace elements and point sources deconvolution in a complex mining/smelting urban context, Atmos. Environ., 2013, 80, 330-341.
[25]	Pignata M.L., Gudiño G.L., Wannaz E.D., Plá R.R., González C.M., Carreras H.A., Orellana L., Atmospheric quality and distribution of heavy metals in Argentina employing Tillandsia capillaris as a biomonitor, Environ. Pollut., 2002, 120, 59–68.[Crossref]
[26]	Klumpp A., Ansel W., Klumpp G., Breuer J., Vergne P., Sanz M.J., Rasmussen, Ro-Poulsen H., Ribas Artola A., Peñuelas J., et al., Airborne trace element pollution in 11 European cities assessed by exposure of standardised ryegrass cultures, Atmos. Environ., 2009, 43, 329-339.
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[28]	Brighigna L., Papini A., Mosti S., Cornia A., Bocchini P., Galletti G., The use of tropical bromeliads (Tillandsia spp.) for monitoring atmospheric pollution in the town of Florence, Italy, Rev. Biol. Trop., 2002, 50, 577-584.
[29]	Figueiredo A.M.G., Nogueira C.A., Saiki M., Milian F.M., Domingos M., Assessment of atmospheric metallic pollution in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, employing Tillandsia usneoides L. as biomonitor, Environ. Pollut., 2007, 145, 279-292.
[30]	Papini A., Tani G., Di Falco P., Brighigna L., The ultrastructure of the development of Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) trichome, Flora, 2010, 205, 94-100.
[31]	Vianna N.A., Gonçalves D., Brandão F., Barros R.P., Amado Filho G.M., Meire R.O., Torres J.P.M., Malm O., D'Oliveira Júnior D., Andrade L.R., Assessment of heavy metals in the particulate matter of two Brazilian metropolitan areas by using Tillandsia usneoides as atmospheric biomonitor, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2011, 18, 416-427. [Crossref]
[32]	Wannaz E.D., Carreras H.A., Abril G.A., Pignata M.L., Maximum values of Ni2+, Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ in the biomonitor Tillandsia capillaris (Bromeliaceae): Relationship with cell membrane damage, Environ. Exp. Bot., 2011, 74, 296– 301.
[33]	Papini A., Tani G., Di Falco P., Brighigna L., The ultrastructure of the development of Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) trichome, and details of the wing cells degeneration, Flora, 2010, 205, 94–100.
[34]	Rodriguez J.H., Weller S.B., Wannaz E.D., Klumpp A., Pignata M.L., Air quality biomonitoring in agricultural areas nearby to urban and industrial emission sources in Córdoba province, Argentina, employing the bioindicator Tillandsia capillaris, Ecol. Indic., 2011, 11, 1673–1680.[Crossref]
[35]	Wannaz E.D., Pignata M.L., Calibration of four species of Tillandsia as air pollution biomonitors, J. Atmos. Chem., 2006, 53,185–209.
[36]	Bermudez G.M.A., Rodriguez J.H., Pignata M.L., Comparison of the air pollution biomonitoring ability of three Tillandsia species and the lichen Ramalina celastri in Argentina, Environ. Res., 2009, 109, 6-14.
[37]	Munzi S., Pirintsos S.A., Loppi S., Chlorophyll degradation and inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis in the lichen Xanthoria parietina under nitrogen stress, Ecotox. Environ. Safe., 2009, 72, 281– 285.
[38]	Paoli L., Pisani T., Guttová A., Sardella G., Loppi S., Physiological and chemical response of lichens transplanted in and around an industrial area of south Italy: Relationship with the lichen diversity, Ecotox. Environ. Safe., 2011, 74, 650–657.
[39]	Pisani T., Munzi S., Paoli L., Bačkor M., Loppi S., Physiological effects of arsenic in the lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr., Chemosphere, 2011, 82, 963–969.
[40]	Wannaz E.D., Carreras H.A., Pérez C.A., Pignata M.L., Assessment of heavy metal accumulation in two species of Tillandsia in relation to atmospheric emission sources in Argentina, Sci. Total Environ., 2006, 361, 267–278.
[42]	Pignata M.L., Plá R.R., Jasan R.C., Martínez M.S., Rodriguez J.H., Wannaz E.D., Gudiño G.L., Carreras H.A., González C.M., Distribution of atmospheric trace elements and assessment of air quality in Argentina employing the lichen Ramalina celastri as a passive biomonitor: detection of air pollution emission sources, Int. J. Environ. Heal., 2007, 1, 29–46.
[43]	AIDIS Argentina, Diagnosis of the solid waste situation in Argentina, Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Nation (in Spanish), 2002.
[44]	Bermudez G.M.A., Moreno M., Invernizzi R., Plá R., Pignata M.L., Evaluating top soil trace element pollution in the vicinity of a cement plant and former open-cast uranium mine in central Argentina, J. Soils Sediments, 2010, 10, 1308-1323.
[45]	Tarhanen S., Metsärinne S., Holopainen T., Oksanen J., Membrane permeability response of lichen Bryorie fuscences to wet deposited heavy metal and acid rain, Environ. Pollut., 1999, 104, 121–129.
[46]	Frati L., Brunialti G., Loppi S., Problems related to lichen transplants to monitor trace element deposition in repeated surveys: a case study from central Italy, J. Atmos. Chem., 2005, 52, 221–230.[Crossref]
[47]	Von Arb C., Brunold C., Lichen physiology and air pollution, I. Physiological responses of in situ Parmelia sulcata among air pollution zones within Biel, Switzerland, Can. J. Bot., 1990, 68, 35-42.
[48]	Nash III T.H., Lichen Biology. University Press, Cambridge, 1996.
[49]	Saitanis C.J., Rig-Karandinos A.N., Karandinos M.G., Effects of ozone on chlorophyll and quantum yield of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) varieties, Chemosphere, 2001, 42, 945-953.[Crossref]
[50]	Environmental Protection Agency, Estimating ammonia emissions from anthropogenic nonagricultural sources-draft final report, Emission Inventory Improvement Program, 2004.
[51]	Estrellan C.R., Iino F., Toxic emissions from open burning, Chemosphere, 2010, 80, 193–207.
[52]	Smith S. J., van Aardenne J., Klimont Z., Andres R.J., Volke A., Arias D., Anthropogenic sulfur dioxide emissions: 1850–2005, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2011, 11, 1101–1116.
[53]	Hernández Adrover J.J., Modeling of formation and pollutants emission in combustion systems, Dissertation, Ediciones de la Universidad de Castilla – La Mancha (in Spanish), 2001.
[54]	Wannaz E.D., Abril G., Rodriguez J.H., Pignata M.L., Assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in industrial and urban areas using passive air samplers and leaves of Tillandsia capillaris, J. Environ. Chem. Eng., 2013, 1, 1028–1035.
[55]	Andreae M.O., Merlet P., Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning. Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 2001, 15, 955–966.
[56]	Khlifi R., Olmedo P., Gil F., Feki-Tounsi M., Hammami B., Rebai A., Hamza-Chaffai A., Biomonitoring of cadmium, chromium, nickel and arsenic in general population living near mining and active industrial areas in Southern Tunisia, Environ. Monit. Assess., 2014, 186, 761–779.
[57]	Saunier J-B., Losfeld G., Freydier R., Grison C., Trace elements biomonitoring in a historical mining district (les Malines, France), Chemosphere, 2013, 93, 2016–2023.
[58]	Oyedele D.J., Asonugho C., Awotoye O.O., Heavy metals in soil and accumulation by edible vegetables after phosphate fertilizer application, Electron. J. Environ. Agric. Food Chem., 2006, 1446-1453.
[59]	Shomar B.H., Trace elements in major solid-pesticides used in the Gaza Strip, Chemosphere, 2006, 65, 898-905.
[60]	Giuffré de López Camelo L., Ratto de Miguez S., Marbán L., Heavy metals input with phosphate fertilizers used in Argentina, Sci. Total Environ., 1997, 204, 245-250.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
May 16, 2013 BGH
※Nutrition Upstream Case Studies using ONA in Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Philippines (2015)
We developed a qualitative and organizational network methodology, tools, surveys and conducted interviews based on 10 case studies in four countries in Asia. Our objective was to assess the positioning of different organizational players, including UNICEF and the role of networks in supporting the implementation of major nutrition upstream policies and programs.
※Development of a Network Analysis Intervention and Network Analysis Plan for Ethiopia (2015)
We developed a training session for John Snow International staff based in Ethiopia on Social Network Analysis. We then developed a methodology and plan to include social network interventions and their evaluation into JSI's follow-on L10K project in Ethiopia.
※Evaluation of the Maternal, Youth and Child Nutrition Security in Asia (MYCNSIA) in Nepal, Laos PDR, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines (2014-2015)
We provided technical assistance to countries in developing their end-line evaluations and developed an implementation strength module to include in surveys to assess the relationship between intensity of interventions and outcomes.
※Countdown to 2015: Ethiopia Case Study (2013-2015)
We led the technical work and provided training to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) to analyze the programs and policies, health care financing, coverage of major interventions and using Lives Saved Tool (LiST) to understand the pathways through which Ethiopia achieved MDG 4, a reduction in U-5 child mortality. Supporting EPHI and the MOH, we produced a report and policy briefs used in launching the new child survival strategy.
※Evaluation of Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (2013)
We partnered with Encompass to evaluate MHTF. We focused on developing a methodology to assess their research portfolio. We also conducted an organizational network analysis at the global and national levels to understand the functioning of global maternal health networks and the role of MHTF in providing leadership to support cross-national and global collaboration.
※Technical Advice and Training for Novartis (2013-2014)
We developed a 4-Day workshop in Basel, Switzerland on Health Systems and case studies to assess pharmaceutical needs in different countries.
※Sure Start Evaluation in India (2012)
We were involved in the development of the Sure Start interventions, a large-scale community-based maternal and newborn project in rural Uttar Pradesh, India and urban centers of Maharashtra. We developed an impact evaluation design, survey tools and participated in analysis and co-authored an article.
※Research and Evaluation for Neonatal Asphyxia Study in Indonesia (2012)
We directed the analysis and report writing of a newborn asphyxia study in Indonesia assessing the effects of community interventions by midwives on birth outcomes and neurodevelopmental indicators at age 2.
※Evaluation of a 20 year USAID Innovations in Family Planning Project in India (2012)
We used DLHS and NFHS data sets to develop multivariate models to estimate program effectiveness and constructed an Organizational Network Analysis to establish the legacy of State Innovations in Family Planning Services Agency (SIFSA) and the status of family planning and reproductive health networks in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, India.
※1 Care for 1 Malaysia: Training on Health Sector Reform (2011)
We develop and conducted a customized one-week Flagship Course and one-day seminar on Health Sector Reform and Financial Sustainability for Malaysia.
Copyright © 2016 Braintree Global Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA


text:
Q: xcode 5.0.2 boolean values being confused I am using Xcode 5.0.2 and seeing some strange behaviour for bool.
When I evaluate a bool returned from a method, I see it as false when I hover over it. However, it enters the true branch of the if statement. When I change the code to
 if(validWord == false)

and execute the code again, it jumps to the else branch. (shows value as false but interprets as true) It seems to be evaluating the opposite of the bool value.

When I change the code to test for validWord == false
if (validWord == false)
and execute the code again, it jumps to the else branch. (evaluates as true) It seems to be evaluating the opposite of the bool value.

Has anyone experienced this behaviour?
ADDITION:
Even when I use BOOL, the same behaviour is apparent.

I added some NSLOG entries to test the value of validWord;

It returns 1 for
 NSLog(@"validWord: %i", validWord);

and returns YES for
 NSLog(@"result is :%@",((validWord==YES)?@"YES":@"NO"));

while showing a value of NO when you hover over the variable validWord in Xcode.
I will try madmik3's suggestion.

A: You may not realise that, but there is a huge difference between bool and BOOL.
BOOL is a signed char. It therefore can have values from -128 to +127. If you convert an int to BOOL, the compiler just takes the last 8 bits.
bool is a type defined by the C language. It can only have values 0 and 1. If you convert an int to bool, the compiler produces 0 = false if the int was zero, and 1 = true if the int was non-zero.
Check what the method returns that you changed from returning bool to BOOL.

A: Had the same issue. With Xcode 6. When tried to get some value from NSUserDefaults. Relaunch didn't help. So i found work around.
Solution
Launch Simulator and then simply reset contents and settings.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When Diana left Themyscira and accompanied Steve Trevor back to "man's world" in the Wonder Woman movie, she had one goal: find Ares and kill him so that World War I would end. Eventually the God of War revealed himself to the Amazon warrior, and for the most part his fully armored appearance was faithful to his comic book counterpart's look. But a new piece of concept art for Ares has found been shown online, and compared to the final product, this alternative version gives off much more of a badass vibe.
Although the Ares in the familiar form DC Comic fans know wasn't seen until Wonder Woman's climactic battle, the character himself was hiding in plain sight from the moment Diana and Steve Trevor met with the Supreme War Council. David Thewlis' Sir Patrick Morgan presented himself as someone who wanted an armistice to be signed with Germany so that the Great War would conclude, but after Diana killed Erich Ludendorff, "Morgan" revealed himself to be Ares, who had been manipulating the main players in this global conflict from behind the scenes. Once Diana refused his offer for an alliance and attacked him, that's when Ares gathered nearby metal to form his trademark armor. But there were a few times when we could still see his face, including that impressive mustache.
While Thewlis' Ares proved to be a skilled swordsman in Wonder Woman, for the most part he battled Diana using powers like Super strength, teleportation, telekinesis and electrokinesis, among others. Diana was eventually able to defeat him, but only after being inspired by Steve Trevor's sacrifice. Ares has been gone for a century by the time of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but if another Wonder Woman movie decides to resurrect him, maybe his look should change to something similar to this concept art.
Wonder Woman is still playing in theaters, and moviegoers will reunite with the present-day Diana when Justice League comes out on November 17. Wonder Woman 2 is also scheduled for release on December 13, 2019.


As you look around at all of the people, the Angels, the Light Beings, these are but the Ascended Masters, look, I invite you to look also at all the Angels, the Guardian Angels. Look at the people upon the earth that were the anchors for those individual Guardians. Never is it just one person that can create the type of change that was created with mybirth. Thousands of years ahead of that came Buddha, Abraham. There have been so many others that came in attempting to do what I did and each time they set the seeds of light within the consciousness of the earth.
This really struck me as I read it. The earth has tried this ascension process many times and I wondered how many times was I a part of that? Do you ever consider your past lives and having worked with this type of transition. It's truly amazing that this time is successful!!


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text:
Research Shows Children are Critically Susceptible to Pesticides
by Michael Jolliffe
(NaturalNews) A new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has revealed that children are dangerously vulnerable to the effects of environmental pesticides, and for far longer than originally suspected.
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have discovered that children lack sufficient levels of the enzyme most responsible for detoxifying pesticides up to the age of seven and possibly for longer. Known as paraxonase or PON1, the enzyme is the most important defense the body has against organophosphate chemicals, a major ingredient of the most commonly used agricultural pesticides.
458 children from rural communities were tested for levels of the enzyme, with results showing it to be consistently around a third lower than that of the mother of each child. To compound the concern, more than 40% of the children tested positive for a genetic type that made them particularly susceptible due to the inactivity of the enzyme, whilst nearly one in ten had a genetic profile that made them 'extremely vulnerable'.
Additionally, older children are thought to be around five times more susceptible to organophosphates than adults.
"What's important about this study is that it shows that young children are potentially susceptible to certain organophosphates for a longer period of time than previously thought," said Brenda Eskenazi, UC Berkeley professor of epidemiology and director of CHAMACOS and the Center for Children's Environmental Health Research in a University of Berkeley press release.
Of particular concern to the researchers were chlorpyrifos and diazinon, pesticide chemicals still used ubiquitously in US agriculture. Pesticides have been cited as a possible cause of developmental difficulties and childhood cancers. Both the study authors and environmental health campaigners have urged a complete re-examination of the way in which home chemical products are tested for safety and of the consensus on acceptable exposure levels.
"Current EPA standards of exposure for some pesticides assume children are three to five times more susceptible than adults, and for other pesticides the standards assume no difference", wrote lead author Nina Holland.
"Our results suggest that the EPA standards need to be re-examined to determine if they are adequately protecting the most vulnerable members of the population".[1]
Activists point to several ways in which young children are at an increased risk of physical exposure, including more rapid breathing rates, the vulnerability of having smaller bodies relative to adults and habits such as crawling on the floor and playing on the ground.
The Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA) has described the findings as "extremely concerning".
"Even before these results were known, EPA scientists argued that organophosphate pesticides -- posing serious threats to children's neurological development -- were too toxic to be used; we need to ban them, starting with chlorpyrifos", said PAN senior scientist Margaret Reeves, in response to the study. [2]
Green campaigners have suggested eating organically as an important way of reducing pesticide exposure. A University of Washington study found that children fed mostly organic produce and juice had only one-sixth of the level of organophosphate pesticide byproducts in their urine compared to children who ate conventionally grown foods. [3]
[1] Huen at al. Developmental Changes in PON1 Enzyme Activity in Young Children and Effects of PON1 Polymorphisms. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2009 June. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0900870 (available at http://dx.doi.org/)
[2] www.panna.org/resources/panups/panu...
[3] Curl et al. Organophosphorus pesticide exposure of urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets. Environmental Health Perspectives.. 2003 March. 111(3): 377-382.
Media Release: Worsening Worldwide Land Degradation Now 'Critical', Undermining Well-Being of 3.2 Billion People
Forage-Based Diets on Dairy Farms Produce Nutritionally Enhanced Milk
Efficiency Impacts of Utilizing Soil Data in the Pricing of the Federal Crop Insurance Program
Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms: Evidence From Paleoclimate Data, Climate Modeling, and Modern Observations That 2 °C Global Warming Could be Dangerous
Breaking Bad: Big Ag Mega-Mergers in Play. Dow-DuPont in the Pocket? Next: Demonsanto?
View all scientific studies


text:
Laffernomics vs Closing Loopholes: Taxation Reform in Australia Today - Speech
Posted by Andrew Leigh Mp 50sc on June 03, 2016
LAFFERNOMICS VS CLOSING LOOPHOLES: TAXATION REFORM IN AUSTRALIA TODAY
TAX INSTITUTE BREAKFAST
**CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY**
Our story begins with Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and a cocktail napkin.
In 1974, American economist Arthur Laffer met with two officials in the Ford administration. Cheney and Rumsfeld were young, ideological, and eager to find an excuse to cut taxes. Over dinner at the Washington Hotel, Laffer sketched out on a napkin his notion of how government revenue related to the average tax rate. If taxes were zero, the government raised no revenue. If taxes were 100 percent, he claimed, the government raised no revenue. Somewhere in between was a revenue-maximising tax rate. The graph was shaped like an inverted U.
The United States, Laffer claimed, was on the right side of the curve - meaning that cutting taxes could raise revenue. To conservatives like Rumsfeld and Cheney who wanted to cut taxes and shrink the deficit, it suggested an exciting possibility: the government could reduce tax rates and increase the tax take.
There was just one problem with this argument: it was wrong. As Greg Mankiw, former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush has noted, 'there was little evidence for Laffer's view that US tax rates had in fact reached such extreme levels'.
Yet despite the lack of empirical evidence, US Republican leaders repeatedly quoted Laffer in debates over major tax reductions in the 1980s and 1990s. The facts told a different story: during the Reagan-Bush era (1981 to 1993), taxes were cut. Partly as a result, these two presidents added more than US$3 trillion to their country's national debt.
You might say that Laffer's theory wasn't worth the napkin it was sketched on. Helping popularise the Laffer theory wouldn't be the last time that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld helped take their country down a very costly path – but that's another story.
This morning, I want to contrast the approaches to tax reform being put forward in this election. For those of you who attended my talk at the Tax Institute's National Convention in Melbourne in March, some of the points I made today about Labor's reform agenda will be familiar. On the flipside, you may be pleased to know that there is one major political party in this election that can say it has the same approach to tax reform as we had three months ago.
We live in times of great opportunity and significant challenges. Our nation has never been wealthier, and we are entering our 26th year of GDP growth. The centre of gravity of global growth is drawing closer to Australia. During the noughties, a once-in-a-lifetime surge in commodities prices fell upon us like a lottery prize.
Globally, interest rates are as low as they've been in 5,000 years. Smartphones, artificial intelligence, personalised medicine and a hundred other breakthroughs have the potential to raise productivity.
And yet.
Since 2013, we've seen net government debt rise by more than $5,000 per person. This week's national accounts showed a further fall in living standards, as measured by real net national disposable income per person. Living standards aren't just down a little bit, they've slumped 4 per cent since 2013. For many people, the answer to the question 'are you better off than at the last election?' is a clear 'no'.
Wage growth is at a 30-year low. The home ownership rate is at a 60-year low. Inequality is at a 75-year high. In the past generation, the top 1 per cent have doubled their share of income. But one in eight Australians say that they cannot afford dental care.
As Dickens put it, 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity … it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair'.
In this environment, the Government's main tax plan is a significant cut to the corporate tax rate, estimated to cost nearly $50 billion over the next decade. By contrast, Labor believes that we should focus on closing tax loopholes. Let me deal with each in turn.
The Liberal Plan: A $50 billion Company Tax Cut
The Liberals' plan for lower company tax rates rests on the notion that our current corporate tax rate - 28.5 for small businesses and 30 for larger businesses – is uncompetitive. So let's take a moment to look at the data.
First, unlike most countries, Australia has dividend imputation. That returns around one in every three dollars of corporate tax revenue to domestic citizens in the form of franking credits. In terms of the revenue we raise, a 30 per cent tax rate with imputation is roughly equivalent to a 20 per cent company tax rate without imputation. As a simple rule, you shouldn't take seriously anyone who wants to talk about Australian company tax rates but doesn't mention imputation.
Now let's look around the globe. The largest economy in the world, the United States, has a corporate tax rate of about 35 per cent. Germany, the European Union's economic powerhouse, has a rate of 29.65 per cent. Canada has a corporate rate of between 26 and 31 per cent depending on the province. Across the world's 10 largest economies, the corporate tax rate currently averages 29 per cent.
I expect to hear the immediate rebuttal that Australia is no United States, or even a sunnier version of Germany. So what about the resource-rich countries of Latin America then, which Australia has recently been competing with for foreign investment in the mining and resource sectors? Argentina's company tax rate is 35 per cent. Brazil's is 34.
My point is that countries like the US, Germany and even Brazil are powerhouse economies because they invest in growth. They build efficient rail and port systems that let companies be more productive and get their products to market more quickly. They fund research and development that leads to breakthrough new products and billion-dollar firms. In Germany's case in particular, they support an education system that delivers workers with world-class skills, whether through university, a high-quality apprenticeship or other vocational training.
Now, let's look at the purported benefits of a corporate tax cut. Treasury's own analysis – titled 'Analysis of the Long Term Effects of a Company Tax Cut' estimates the impact on the economy of reducing the company tax rate for large businesses from 30 per cent to 25 per cent.
Initially, local shareholders don't benefit much. Because Australia has dividend imputation, most of the gains initially go overseas. As the Grattan Institute's John Daley has also pointed out, local shareholders only gain if profits are reinvested rather than paid out. However, our firms tend to have pretty high payout ratios, so a corporate tax cut will have a modest impact in practice. Even Goldman Sachs this week estimated that overseas shareholders would snaffle three-fifths of the benefit of a company tax cut.
Treasury's analysis lays out the theory that after enjoying the first-round benefits of a company tax cut, foreign shareholders will respond to higher after-tax profits on their Australian investments, and in the long run invest less in other countries and more in Australia. So in the long run, more investment means greater demand for land and labour.
Given that the Liberal's tax cut only reduces the tax rate on big business to 25 percent on 1 July 2026, and working on the basis that the 'long run' is 7 to 10 years, the Liberals are promising to raise wages somewhere between 2033 and 2035. By that point, Turnbull would be in his late-70s and surpassing Robert Menzies as Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister.
And how big will the gains be? It depends how you pay for the company tax cut. The Treasury report suggests that tax cuts could be funded by a nationwide land tax, higher personal income taxes, or lower government spending. Since the Federal Government last levied land taxes in 1952, that option can be safely set aside as hypothetical.
So that leaves a company tax cut funded by less spending or higher income taxes. According to Treasury, if a big business tax cut from 30 per cent to 25 per cent is funded by lower spending, the boost to households is 0.7 per cent.
"It is important to recall that the modelling of government spending is assumed not to affect directly the welfare of households. While this is a common modelling assumption it ignores the fact that government spending provides goods and services that would otherwise not be provided by the market sector; households derive direct utility from government spending; and infrastructure spending can improve market sector productivity. This suggests the results reported in this section overstate the benefits of this funding alternative."
So unless you believe that taxpayers get no benefit from spending more money on roads or schools, 0.7 per cent is an overestimate of the gains to households. Treasury knows that the benefit to households of a company tax cut funded by less government spending will be smaller than 0.7 per cent – they just can't say how much smaller.
One more reason not to rely too strongly on the idea that we can get a big boost out of a company tax cut funded by lower government spending. Since the Liberals won office, spending as a share of the economy has gone up, not down.
That leaves us with higher personal income taxes to fund a company tax cut. According to the Treasury report, the benefit to households is 0.1 per cent.
I pulled up data back to the early 1970s, to see how household income (specifically, real net national disposable income per person) has grown. It turns out that over this period, household income has risen by an average of 0.1 per cent each month. So Treasury's most likely scenario is that a company tax cut delivers a once off extra month of household income growth.
Other models have been similarly disappointing. In a careful analysis prepared for the US Federal Reserve Board, Alexander Ljungqvist and Michael Smolyansky look at changes in State company tax rates over the period 1970 to 2010. To identify the economic impact, they focus on counties that abut State borders, which gives them areas that are similar in all respects except the company tax rate. Analysing 270 company tax changes over this period, the two economists find 'little evidence that corporate tax cuts boost economic activity, unless implemented during recessions'.
In some cases, models that support cutting the Australian company tax cut contain assumptions that – on closer inspection – appear to be heroic. One analysis, prepared for the Government by Independent Economics, estimates that reducing the company tax rate by 5 percentage points will add almost $4 billion per year into the government coffers from reduced profit shifting by multinationals. This result – which the Australia Institute's Richard Denniss has dubbed the Government's 'morality dividend' – is so large as to be scarcely believable.
With debt growing, our schools and hospitals starved of resources, and Australia desperately in need of infrastructure funding, Labor does not believe that this is the right time to cut the company tax rate to 25 per cent. The Government's own modelling shows the impact on households to be small, distant, and heavily reliant on Laffer-style assumptions.
Labor's Plan: Closing Tax Loopholes
At your National Conference in March, I spoke at length about tax expenditures - particularly in the context of the concessions in Australia's tax system such as negative gearing and the Capital Gains Tax discount. In particular, I noted the influence of one of my lecturers Martin Feldstein. Feldstein was once the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Ronald Reagan, and not exactly regarded as one of Harvard's most progressive economists.
One of Feldstein's ideas that made a lot of sense was the principle that public finance reformers should look not only at spending levels and tax rates, but also at tax expenditures.
Feldman argued that tax loopholes had proliferated in the US and that 'Congress should review these tax expenditures and eliminate those that the country cannot afford.' Such an approach, Feldstein points out, raises revenue more efficiently than increasing tax rates. In economic jargon, closing loopholes has a lower deadweight loss than raising rates.
As their name suggests, tax expenditures look a lot like budgetary expenditures and the practical effect is pretty similar. As it turns out that tax expenditures tend to be much less fair than budgetary expenditures. So closing loopholes is more equitable than cutting spending.
Labor believes we have to take a thoughtful approach to tax expenditures. Labor in government means-tested the Private Health Insurance rebate, one of the fastest-growing tax concessions in the Budget. Last year, we announced a policy to rein in superannuation tax concessions, bringing down the Higher Income Superannuation Charge threshold from $300,000 to $250,000; and restoring a 15 per cent tax rate for earnings over $75,000 a year in the pension phase. I'm pleased the Government has adopted the first of these as their policy, imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.
But when it comes to personal income deductions, a conversation about tax expenditures is really a conversation about negative gearing. Rental deductions account for more than half of all personal deductions. So anyone who tells you they're serious about cutting tax breaks, but won't touch negative gearing, isn't serious about broad-based tax reform.
Let's start with how we got here. In 1999, the Howard Government proceeded with the Ralph Review's recommendation of replacing indexation of capital gains tax with a 50 percent discount.
It was somewhat of an oversight that the Ralph Review did not mention real estate. Instead, it foresaw that cutting the Capital Gains Tax would lead to a surge in sharemarket investment, 'particularly in innovative, high-growth companies'.
Reducing complexity and increasing investment were the ostensible aims. But the result was to give Australia a uniquely generous set of arrangements for housing investors.
Prior to the introduction of the Capital Gains Tax discount, net rental income was positive – typically about a billion dollars a year. Since 2001, not a single year has had positive net rental income according to Australian Taxation Office data. Most years have had net rental losses between $4 billion and $10 billion. Put another way, our tax system would be billions of dollars better off if we simply took landlords out of the tax system altogether.
Seventeen years later, the Financial System Inquiry – the Murray Review – commissioned by the current Government came to a different conclusion from the Ralph Review.
Under the title 'Major Tax Distortions', the Murray Review stated:
"For assets that generate capital gains, the tax treatment encourages leveraged investment, which is a potential source of financial system instability.
Investors are attracted by the asymmetry in the tax treatment of expenses and capital gains, where individuals can deduct the full interest costs of borrowing (and other expenses) from taxable income, but only half of their long-term capital gains are taxed.
The tax treatment of investor housing, in particular, tends to encourage leveraged and speculative investment in housing."
The current tax treatment gives investors an advantage over first home buyers. That advantage was reflected recently when the value of loans for investment housing outstripped owner-occupier housing for the first time.
The effects on housing affordability are unavoidable. Between 1970 and 1996, the average annual median house price rise was 0.8 per cent. Between 1995 and 2012, median house prices grew an average of 4.3 per cent. According to ANZ figures released this week, median house prices last year grew by 9.8 per cent. In Sydney, they grew at 12.4 per cent. In Melbourne, 14.5 per cent.
Until the late 1990s, inflation, rents, and house prices tracked along roughly in step with one another. After the introduction of the Capital Gains Tax discount, the growth of house prices dramatically surged ahead of inflation. As I have noted, Australia's homeownership rate today is as low as it has been since the 1950s.
Who is missing out? Young Australians are much less likely to own a home as they were in the early 1980s, with homeownership rates for 25-34 year olds falling from 62 per cent to 48 per cent.
Lower income Australians are hit too. In the mid-1970s, there was no difference in the homeownership rates of those in the top income quintile and the bottom income quintile. Today, the most affluent are 15 per cent more likely to own their home than the least well off.
The list of those who have raised concerns about the impact of negative gearing and the Capital Gains Tax discount on the housing market are Saul Eslake, Cassandra Goldie, Chris Richardson, Peter Morgan, John Daley, Joe Hockey, Jeff Kennett, the Grattan Institute and even the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Those arguing against reforming negative gearing have adopted similar tactics to those who spruiked the 'Magic Pudding economics' of the Laffer Curve.
First, they argue that 67 per cent of taxpayers who claim negative gearing earn a taxable income of less than $80,000.
The key phrase is 'taxable income' – in other words, income after taking account of negative gearing. As my colleague Chris Bowen has pointed out, if you take this figure seriously, you also need to realise that 64,000 Australians on taxable incomes of zero have investment properties. It's not that they have no income – if they did, they wouldn't be making mortgage repayments. It's that they managed to use negative gearing to reduce their tax obligation to zero.
In fact, negative gearing disproportionately benefits the more affluent. Most of the benefits of negative gearing go to the top tenth of income earners. For example, surgeons claim 100 times the benefit that cleaners do, and 16 times the benefit received by nurses.
Second, critics of Labor's plan also claim that negative gearing keeps rent prices lower than they'd otherwise have been. The basis for this claim is a Sydney-centric view of rents. In the years from 1985 to 1987 that negative gearing was stopped by the Hawke Government, rents did rise in Sydney and Perth. Yet the rate of growth in rental prices slowed in Melbourne, and all other capital cities had no change in the growth of rental prices. The rent rises in Sydney and Perth rental prices are more likely to be attributable to unusually low vacancy rates in those cities prior to the implementation of the policy.
A third canard is that negative gearing boosts housing supply. This misses the fact that 93 per cent of property lending goes to established housing. If the aim of negative gearing is to boost housing supply, this is a policy with a 93 per cent failure rate. That's why Labor's plan would restrict new claims for negative gearing to new homes, starting from July 2017.
Our plan will 'grandfather' negative gearing – allowing it to remain on investments made before 1 July 2017 – and restrict negative gearing to new housing on and after that date.
Labor's policy will also 'grandfather' the Capital Gains Tax discount. The existing treatment will remain for assets purchased prior to 1 July 2017. Assets bought on or after that date will receive a 25 per cent discount instead of 50 per cent. Existing capital gains tax arrangements for small businesses will remain in place.
In the corporate tax space, Labor would also look to close loopholes that allow aggressive debt-shifting by multinational firms. From the 'Luxembourg Leaks', the Panama Papers, and the Senate Corporate Tax Inquiry, we have strong evidence of just how aggressive the tax planning of multinational firms in Australia has become. The community expects companies to pay their fair share, and confidence in our tax system cannot be taken for granted if people see companies getting away with paying very little tax.
Governments around the world are looking hard at their tax systems to see whether these are up to the task of ensuring a sustainable revenue base when business activity is global and finance is increasingly mobile. It's relatively easy to keep track of how much tax a company should pay when they're operating exclusively in your own backyard. But that task becomes much harder when companies have a worldwide footprint and an intricate arc of international holdings. That's why both the G20 and OECD have identified multinational profit shifting as a major challenge for economies like ours.
Labor's policy is to move to a worldwide gearing ratio approach for calculating the amount of debt that companies can claim deductions on in Australia. Under our preferred approach, deductions would be assessed on the third-party debt-to-equity ratio of a company's entire global operations. We're proposing to achieve this by eliminating the existing safe-harbour and arms-length tests, and making the worldwide gearing ratio the only test for the level of allowable deductions. This is a shift away from the current safe harbor rules which let companies claim deductions on up to 60 per cent of their Australian debt, without needing to show how this debt relates to their real business activity.
Because the 60 per cent ratio is an arbitrary figure, it is too generous for some businesses and possibly too strict for others. Our proposal aims to ensure there is strong support through the tax system for companies that have a legitimate need for high levels of debt. Indeed, if your multinational group has a worldwide gearing ratio of 70 per cent, then our proposal will see you being able to claim up to 70 per cent debt in Australia. For some entities, a worldwide gearing ratio is more generous than the arbitrary 60 per cent cap.
I've been surprised to see the Government defending this particular tax loophole. Indeed, prior to the Budget, Treasurer Scott Morrison was briefing out to a range of media outlets that he was going to tighten the thin capitalisation threshold. At the last minute, he changed his mind, and decided to do nothing about the debt-shifting rules. But if you need any proof that reform was on the cards, check out the Budget's glossary, where you'll see a definition of 'thin capitalisation'. Only the term doesn't appear anywhere in the Budget itself. They took the reform out of the Budget – but someone forgot to clean up the glossary.
It's unfortunate that the Liberals didn't take the chance to reform debt deduction rules. This is another case where closing a loophole would have been both equitable and efficient.
Since its inception in 1943, the Tax Institute has worked to raise the profile and values of the tax profession. You recognise that tax reform needs to be grounded in values, developed in consultation with experts, and carefully articulated. When it comes to improving our tax system, there are no short cuts and no quick fixes. No tax plans are so cunning they can be announced on Wednesday and adopted on Friday.
As Shadow Assistant Treasurer since 2013, this is the third occasion on which I have addressed a Tax Institute forum. As it happens, that is as many times as the number of Assistant Treasurers that the Abbott-Turnbull government has had during this period.
On each occasion, I have appreciated the insights and engagement from the Tax Institute.
I hope this will be my last address to you as Shadow Assistant Treasurer, but very much hope to continue a thoughtful and constructive engagement with you after July 2, as Assistant Treasurer in a Shorten Labor Government.
Thank you, and I look forward, as always, to your questions.


text:
Q: How to replace all occurences of a variable in a string using javascript? I'm trying to replace all the occurrences of a variable in a string using javascript.
This is not working.:
var id = "__1";
var re = new RegExp('/' + id + '/g');
var newHtml = oldHtml.replace( re, "__2");

This is only replacing the first occurrence of id:
var id = "__1";
var newHtml = oldHtml.replace( id,"__2");

What am I doing wrong here?
Thanks

A: When you instantiate the RegExp object, you don't need to use slashes; the flags are passed as a second argument.  For example:
var id = "__1";
var re = new RegExp(id, 'g');
var newHtml = oldHtml.replace( re, "__2");

A: You need the slashes before and after the string to replace (id).
Example


Disneyboi was having some friends round recently and asked if I would make something for them to have with a cuppa.
I thought a batch of scones would be nice, with a little pot of butter on the side.
As ever, I didn't want to make any old scones, but something with a bit of flavour. I looked in the cupboard and found a jar of lavender sugar which I hadn't used in a while.
The sugar is infused with real lavender and has the rich familiar scent of the plant. It has to be used sparingly, otherwise instead of giving a delicate floral note to whatever you incorporate it into, it can end up tasting a bit soapy.
You can read how to make your own lavender sugar here.
I also had some apple pie filling on hand and white chocolate. So lavender, apple and white chocolate scones was the recipe!
The apple adds moisture to the scones and doesn't come through too strongly, but it also adds a touch of sweetness. The white chocolate is simply drizzled on at the end, so could be easily eliminated if you didn't have any, or didn't fancy it.
To make the scones, I used my Multicooker from Redmond.
The RMC-M4502E model multicooker is a great tool in the kitchen. It has many functions and can steam, fry, cook pasta, stew, make porridge, make soup and bake in the machine. There are 16 automatic functions and 18 manual programs.
The machine can also prove bread, make baby food, sterilise items and even make yoghurt! It truly is multifunctional.
To make the scones, I rubbed the butter into flour, added the sugar, then mixed in the wet ingredients which in this case was an egg and apple filling (or apple sauce would also do).
The dough was then pressed into the multicooker bowl in an even layer. I took a plastic scraper and cut the scone round into wedges before setting it to cook. (I forgot to give my scones a glaze with some egg wash before baking but even without they did brown nicely).
I set the multicooker to bake for 30 minutes and during that time, it smelled amazing!
After baking time was up, I removed the bowl from the machine and allowed the scones to cool a little in there, before then removing them from the bowl. They slid out effortlessly.
To finish the scones, I melted a little white chocolate and drizzled this over the top and sprinkled on a little of the lavender sugar.
The Redmond RMC-M4502E multicooker makes baking scones so easy. No cutting out shapes, simply press, score and go!
Disclosure Statement: I have received payment for creating this recipe and received the multicooker free to use.
These look absolutely delicious and I love the combination of ingredients.
This is such a gorgeous recipe. Love white chocolate and fruits together.
These scones look so yum and that white chocolate drizzle makes it even more gorgeous.
Love a whiff of lavender, sound great with apple and white chocolate too!
What a great idea for your multicooker, I would never have thought of making scones in it and they look great.


text:
International Current Affairs - 2020
Latest International Current Affairs 2019 with news summaries and current events in International developments, geopolitical, organizations, groupings and fora related updates for India and world with all important national news updates and events for the year 2019.
India and Sweden to sign Polar Science Cooperation Agreement
India and Sweden are to sign their first maritime cooperation agreement during the Swedish Royal couple visit. The agreement includes cooperation between the countries in both Arctic and Antarctic regions and hence the name Polar Science.
In the last few years, India has signed series of maritime agreements to exchange military information and to extend the reach of its armed forces in the arctic region. This will help India to learn about resource exploration and keep in pace.
The agreement further aids in India's ambitions in strengthening its defence forces. The agreement will help India get access to Russian bases in the Arctic.
Royal Couple Visit
The Swedish Royal Couple King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are to visit India for 5 days. This is the third visit of the Swedish Royals to the country. Earlier the visits were in 1993 and 2005.
The bilateral trade between India and Sweden was 3.37 billion USD in 2018. The relations between the countries have been friendly, transparent and by rule of law.
Month: Current Affairs - December, 2019 Categories: International
Tags: Antarctic • Arctic Region • India-Russia • India-Sweden • Military
First India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi
India and Japan held their first ever Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) in New Delhi. During the meet the two sides discussed about boosting defence and security ties besides other issues of mutual interest. This India-Japan ministerial meeting comes ahead of annual summit of two prime ministers scheduled to be held in Guwahati, Assam in December 2019. India has a similar 'ministerial level 2+2' dialogue with the USA as well.
Highlights: India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
Partcipants: Indian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar while Japanese side was led by Japan's Foreign Affairs Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Taro Kono.
The 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is an upgrade of meeting between foriegn and defence secretaries of two countries, the first round of which took place in 2010. This upgradation was followed after an agreement was reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during 13th India-Japan Annual Summit held in Japan in October 2018.
Dialogue provided an opportunity for two countries to review the status of as well as exchange further views on strengthening defence and security cooperation between India and Japan so as to provide greater depth to 'India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership'.
Both sides also exchanged their views on situation regarding Indo-Pacific region as well as their respective efforts under India's 'Act East Policy' and Japan's 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision' for achieving their shared objective of progress, peace prosperity, to realise a better future for people of two countries and region.
Tags: 2+2 Dialogue • Act East Policy • Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting • India-Japan • Rajnath singh
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It was in a small local ground nestled behind a row of detached houses, on a Thursday afternoon in the sleepy South London suburb of Carshalton, that the two semi-finals of the ConIFA World Cup would take place. An independent tournament set up for teams representing unrecognised territories and minorities, the competition would first see Northern Cyprus take on Padania, whilst the second match would be a derby pitting together the ethnically Hungarian minorities of Ukraine and Romania – Kárpátalja and Székely Land respectively.
The first fixture was a close-run affair, but Northern Cyprus' quality shone through in the latter stages of the game; goals from Turan and former Ireland U21 international Mehmet turned the match around from 2-1 to 3-2, sealing their qualification to the final. London's Turkish diaspora were in full voice throughout the match, and just like in previous games, they created a fiery atmosphere.
The Kárpátalja and Székely Land fixture was a unique one as both teams represent a Hungarian minority group. Fans found it difficult to choose which side to support, but Székely Land chants became more dominant as Hungarians of this area are more common in London than Hungarians of Kárpátalja, who originate from Ukraine. Throughout the match Székely Land created a lot more chances, but failed to capitalise. On the other hand, Kárpátalja were patient and much more clinical and by the 75th minute they were 3-0 up. There was a late resurgence by Székely Land in in the last 15 minutes, scoring two goals in quick succession, but a counter in extra time allowed Peres to slot home, securing a 4-2 victory for Kárpátalja.
Amidst the clouds of red, white and green created by the flares, the fans were singing traditional Hungarian folk songs and chants. After the game finished, Székely Land fans congratulated Kárpátalja for their triumph and both teams and fans sang the Hungarian national anthem together. This was a fixture that allowed the Hungarian minority groups to express unity and solidarity for each other.
How did you experience the world cup so far?
Very good so far. I would not have thought of this even in my wildest dreams. We wanted to win more and more games and get to the final. Thanks to God, we got there. This is team work.
What was the goal originally?
I don't know. Each game I play, whether for club or country, my aim is to win. Everyone else's goal in the team is the same.
The majority of Hungarian fans were supporting Székely Land, how did this make you guys feel?
I cannot contest this. We are from one blood. The way they supported them, in their hearts they supported us well. We are all Hungarian.
Do you have any players' performances which have impressed you?
Well, this is a team sport. I can only say team work. Players start and sit on the bench, but in my opinion the whole process is team work.


text:
Lesperance Joins Editorial Advisory Committee for Domestic Preparedness
Journal advances thought leadership for first responders, emergency management
Maren Disney,
Ann Lesperance, director of the Northwest Regional Technology Center at PNNL, has joined the newly established editorial advisory committee for the Domestic Preparedness Journal.
(Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
Ann Lesperance was invited to join the newly established editorial advisory committee for the Domestic Preparedness Journal. The committee has convened 21 subject matter experts from diverse disciplines and jurisdictions to provide content, feedback, and suggestions to maintain a robust editorial plan for the publication.
"Ann is a valuable addition to the team and a wonderful person to collaborate with. Since 2012, when we published her first article, she has been sharing her knowledge and making sure that our readers are familiar with innovations in research and technology related to preparedness," said Cathy Feinman, the journal's editor.
"Having been a reader of this journal for years, it is exciting to join in the process to deliver the quality content our first responders and public safety community have come to expect," said Lesperance.
Established in 1998, the Domestic Preparedness Journal shares news and commentary on emergency preparedness, disaster response, and resilience. The monthly publication reaches an audience of over 7,000 first responders, health professionals, emergency managers, government officials, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
Lesperance has a long history of partnering with and helping researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to publish in the journal, including recent pieces on human-machine teaming, fentanyl detection, and pandemic response and recovery. Her committee term is January through December 2022. Lesperance is joined on the committee by representatives hailing from diverse fields, including hazardous materials, law enforcement, emergency management, and critical infrastructure.
In addition to this role, Lesperance engages with the emergency preparedness and disaster recovery mission by leading PNNL's Northwest Regional Technology Center, serving on a joint appointment to Northeastern University – Seattle, where she is the Director of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities Programs and has a Faculty Affiliate appointment with Northeastern's Global Resilience Institute, and served on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Applied Research Topics for Hazard Mitigation and Resilience.
To learn more about Lesperance's and PNNL's work in response, recovery, and resilience, visit http://www.pnnl.gov/projects/nwrtc.
Romie Morales Rosado Named STEM Professional of the Year
Luttman Contributes to AI for U.S. Army Workshop
Related Researchers
Ann Lesperance
Director, Northwest Regional Technology Center


text:
Venezuelan opposition leader says desperate president plans to sell gold reserves
Venezuela's Maduro Closes in on Power to Rule by Decree
By Marcelo Daniel
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gj_PJx34GYgDXJAy762JU...
CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro was a step closer to getting the votes he needs to govern by decree after his ruling party ousted an opposition lawmaker from parliament.
Opposition deputy Maria Mercedes Aranguren walked out of the unicameral National Assembly after lawmakers voted to expel her and remove her parliamentary immunity.
Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) is one vote shy of the three-fifths majority it needs to give the leftist leader the power to rule by decree for one year.
Aranguren was elected as a PSUV candidate but she has since moved to the opposition and faces embezzlement charges.
She will be replaced by her alternate, Carlos Flores, who is considered a "Chavista," a follower of the doctrine of late leader Hugo Chavez who is expected to vote for the presidential "enabling law."
Maduro asked for the special legislative powers last month, arguing that he needed them to fight corruption and an "economic war" against his government amid soaring inflation at 54 percent.
The Chavez protege already used his authority over the weekend to cut prices at appliance retail stores and deploy troops to guard the shops as people hunting for bargains formed massive lines.
The National Assembly is expect to vote on the "enabling law" this week.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who refused to concede defeat to Maduro in the April presidential election, said the parliamentary move was a "fraud against Venezuelans."
"This is not how you debate the laws of the country," he said.
For his part, National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello recalled that Aranguren "was elected with votes from Chavismo and her substitute is a Chavista."
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that there was enough evidence to put Aranguren on trial on charges of embezzling public funds.
But the opposition says the accusation is part of a ruling party strategy to give Maduro the power to rule by decree.
In a five-minute address to parliament, Aranguren said her ouster was "political retaliation" and that she had "proof that I don't have one cent that belongs to the people of Venezuela."
Lawmaker Pedro Carreno, who led the investigation into the embezzlement case, said Aranguren had "direct responsibility" in irregular payments of $4.6 million to companies while she held public office in the state of Monagas.
The parliamentary maneuver comes less than a month before municipal elections that are seen as a key test of strength six months after Maduro's contested election to replace Chavez.
Maduro says he would use the extraordinary powers to impose caps on private sector profits and crack down on speculators.
He appealed for calm Monday after his decision to impose price cuts sparked a rush to electronics stores which he accused of inflating prices.
Maduro accused the opposition of stoking violence at the stores and 28 people were arrested in the commotion. He said the measure would be extended to toys, cars and clothing.
But critics blame the country's economic woes on the government-imposed fixed exchange rate and price controls, saying they have led to shortages of basic goods such as toilet paper, rice and meat.
Capriles said the government was in negotiations to sell oil assets and gold reserves worth $1.8 billion to cover its "currency needs."
He added that Venezuela is seeking a $3 billion line of credit to pay the debt owed by the government's currency agency, Cadivi, to Venezuelan importers.
Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said the state oil monopoly PDVSA, which oversees the world's largest proven oil reserves, will issue $4.5 billion in bonds -- a move that analysts said was expected to alleviate the foreign exchange market.
Venezuela makes a limited number of dollars available for imports at 6.3 bolivars to the dollar but the greenback costs almost eight times more on the black market.
Business people say the dollar shortage forces them to use the black market exchanges to buy imported goods, causing prices to soar.
Gold gets mere travelogue from Vanity Fair ... Gold has achieved a staggering 3,500% retur...


Today we will take a look at GBPUSD, pair that has been the weakest last week when pair lost nearly 300 pips. On daily chart we see a nice bearish swigs since start of this summer with clear lower lows and lower highs formation so we definitely want to stay in the direction with a trend, especially when it comes to trading.
Based on the wave count above, there is room for another 300 pip drop or so as we are looking towards 161.8% Fibonacci extension target for wave three of three that seems to be in progress. As such, we want to get involved on the short-side and look for potential opportunity on lower time frames. Well, on the intraday, 30min count there was a three wave rally up 1.5591 to 1.5734 that is called a zigzag, now completed because of recent drop down to 1.5617. Notice that decline was impulsive from that latest swing high, so we except to see lower levels, especially as rally from 1.5617 also looks very slow and choppy, so it must be a correction as part of a downtrend.
Gregor Horvat, based in Slovenia, has been in the forex markets since 2003. He is a technical analyst and individual trader who has worked for Capital Forex Group and TheLFB.com. He also is founder of forex services on www.ew-forecast.com. EW-Forecast.com provides technical analysis of the financial markets, highlighting behavioral patterns based on the Elliott Wave Principle (EWP). Website: http://www.ew-forecast.com/ TryEW-Forecast.com's Services For 14 Days for just €1 at http://www.ew-forecast.com/service .


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Our Sales Team can assist at every step of the planning, bringing years of experience to bear in delivering an outstanding event for you and your clients. We have 6 different meeting room spaces, and a large function room which can seat up to 150 guests for dinner or 170 theatre style presentations. We also offer an extensive menu of Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner options for all occasions and budgets, as well as a private bar area.
Out on the course, your guests will enjoy championship golf in the stunning surrounds of the Powerscourt Estate, with breath-taking views of the Sugarloaf Mountain and surrounding Wicklow Countryside. All elements of the perfect golf day are offered, from corporate golf clinics with PGA Professional Paul Thompson, to Nearest The Pin & Longest Drive competitions, along with refreshments cart services or half-way house barbeques.
If you would like more information on running a Corporate Event or available dates, please contact our Group Sales Manager Gareth Watkins, on 01-2046038 or fill in the contact form below.


text:
import math
from stdutils import prettyFunction, inputAsDict

vals = inputAsDict(('d','r'))

# Convert degrees to radians
vals['ra'] = vals['d']/180
# Calculate arc length
vals['len'] = vals['ra']*vals['r']
# Calculations with pi
vals['rap'] = vals['ra']*math.pi
vals['lenp'] = vals['rap']*vals['r']

# Print out values
print('')
print(prettyFunction("Arc Length = ({d}{degree} x {pi}/180) x {r}", vals))
print(prettyFunction("{len}{pi} = {ra}{pi} x {r}", vals))
print(prettyFunction("{len}{pi} {approx} {lenp}", vals))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Ahh, the mythical unicorn of the sea, only this guy isn't a myth! Erstwilder's adorable Narwhal brooch has been hand-assembled from a combination of glitter and solid resins and features hand-painted details. Careful now, those resin tusks are priceless. All designs are made from layered resin.


Country music's power couple is heating up the "Soul2Soul Tour". For an incredible music night featuring the husband-wife duo, get your hands on Tim McGraw Phoenix tickets. McGraw and Faith Hill are superb live performers – Their on-stage chemistry makes their concerts memorable; an experience worth having at least once. It's sizzling, the fans know it, they can surely see it and they most definitely can hear it when the gifted duo is live on stage. July is the time to be in Phoenix as country music's prom king and queen set the stage ablaze at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Married, parents to three children and having loved each other for years now, the pair of mega-stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have etched their love story in an album. Their first collaborative effort, "The Rest of Our Life" is a collection of undeniable passion and powerful vocals. The couple has kept their youthful spirit alive in the 11-track album, steering it to the number one position on the Billboard Country charts. Peaking at second position on the Billboard 200, it features romantic singles like "Damn Good at Holding On" and the chartbuster, "Speak to a Girl".
Touching upon a variety of emotions, McGraw and Hill beautifully capture heartbreak, sorrow, passion, love and youth. These are the very feelings that their fans get to see when the couple is performing live on stage. Their "Soul2Soul Tour" will make a stop at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, Tim McGraw Phoenix tickets for which are among the hottest purchases.
What to Expect at McGraw-Hill Concerts?
The crowd can't help but swoon to their heartfelt ballads and duets. Their live rendition of "Break First" is supported by a sultry performance. With time Tim McGraw has only gotten better and thus remaining a favorite in all these years. So, don't miss this chance as McGraw sings a Cowboy Lullaby and sweeps you off your feet.
Currently the average price for Tim Mcgraw Phoenix AZ tickets is $273. The date and location for this event is 15-Jul-19 at Comerica Theatre, Phoenix. The minimum get-in price for Tim Mcgraw Phoenix AZ tickets is $62.


Let's talk about is a series of features on The Collector where we discuss a particular film, TV, comic or book in detail with someone who is unfamilar with the material.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Batman V Superman.
So Batman V Superman. Two of the greatest superheroes of all time battling it out. Brains vs braun. Sounds like an amazing concept for a film.
Well, yes. That does sound like a good film. It's not quite the one we've got though.
Well, Batman V Superman not only deals with two of the greatest superheroes of all time, but it also introduces an entire Justice League's worth of characters while also introducing Lex Luthor; managing a conspiracy subplot for Lois Lane and creating a big bad who can destroy some more of those lovely buildings Zack Synder loves to rip apart.
How does Batman get introduced?
With a fresh reboot of the Batman and meeting him later on in life you would think that we'd get a brand new angle for meeting the character.
Ah great, if I see Bruce Wayne's parents get murdered in an alley again I'll go mad.
Hmm, yeah. Erm. So, Bruce Wayne's parents get murdered. Just like in every other film.
Well it's always good to have a recap... I guess. So how does Batman first find out about Superman?
So this bit is actually quite clever. You see, Bruce Wayne was in Metropolis when Man of Steel took place. He was on the ground watching the building destruction happening and he witnesses a lot of people getting killed, including his own employees at Wayne Financial. At this point, I understood why Batman needed to fight Superman.
Right, so that explains Batman's motive.
Yeah, exactly. Except no. For some reason that's not enough for audiences to believe that Batman needs to take out Superman for killing hundreds of innocents, so instead Batman has a series of dream sequences/premonitions and in one of them (known as the Knightmare sequence) it appears our entire world has pretty much destroyed and Batman is left fighting Superman's army and flying(!) minions.
And then he wakes up from the dream and there's this portal open at his desk.
Yeah, a portal where this guy is telling Batman that Lois Lane is the key.
It's the Flash. I think. I mean, as a comic book geek and knowing where the movies are headed we can summise it's the Flash. We've never met him before and he's not wearing his usual helmet so I'm not sure. But he was dressed in red, so I think so. I don't know how someone who hasn't read up on their DC superheroes would know this though.
So what impact does the man in the portal have on the rest of the film? Is Lois Lane the key?
No, instead this storyline strand is never mentioned again.
So the rest of the Justice League feature in the film too?
Kind of. In the worst way possible. Wonder Woman AKA Diana Prince is in the film throughout and introduced in costume in the third phase, but the rest of the Justice League are only featured when Wonder Woman sits at her computer and watches the trailers for the other DC characters'.
Wonder Woman sits at a computer to watch trailers of other DC properties?
We get a glimpse at what each hero can do via a short video. What's most concerning is even in 1 minute of screen time they couldn't find anything interesting for Aquaman to do. Doesn't bode well for a full film.
Ok, so let's get back to the film's title. Batman V Superman. The big fight, the main reason we are here. So I know why Batman is angry at Superman. Why is Superman angry at Batman?
So Superman doesn't think Batman is doing a great job as a vigilante.
Superman, the guy who destroyed umpteen buildings in Man of Steel and who knows how many people thinks Batman, who has a no kill policy, isn't doing a very good job?
Yes. And no. Batman kills now. With guns.
Yeah, he admits to Alfred early on that he's been a criminal all along. And so during his screen time he racks up a number of kills, often involving using a gun from one of the criminals he's beating up.
Not only that, but Batman also brands his enemies with the bat symbol so when they end up in jail they are inevitably killed by the other inmates.
Yeah, except this isn't the reason Superman fights Batman. Superman fights Batman because of Lex Luthor.
Ah yes, Lex Luthor. From what I saw in the trailer, Jesse Eisenberg looked like he was going to give a standout performance. Does he?
From the reactions I've seen from different people, Jesse's performance seems to be a bit like marmite. Some people love it, some people hate it. It seems like Lex Luthor has become more like The Joker. There's a lot more chaos and madness to Lex this time round. He's also learned Superman's identity.
I don't know. Maybe he can read minds?
Why does Lex hate Superman?
It turns out Lex has done quite well out of Superman destroying all those buildings with his construction company. But he's not feeling that powerful, and he wants to either destroy or control the God that is Superman.
So how does Lex convince Superman to fight Batman?
So Lex pushes Lois Lane off of a tall building, which Superman "feels" with his super sensitive hearing. And so comes flying to her rescue.
And then Lex tells Superman that his kidnapped his Mom, Martha Kent, and that the only way he can save his Mom is by killing Batman.
Did Superman not "feel" Martha get kidnapped?
No. Maybe it only works with Lois as he is in a relationship with her. Maybe it's cos they are extra close.
He's not close to his Mom? Who bought him up?
I guess not. It's not explained. Maybe it's because Martha Kent was out of his hearing range. But that doesn't make sense either as Superman rescues Lois from Africa at the start of the film.
Okay... Why does Lex want Batman dead?
I think it's because he wants Superman dead and he knows Batman has stolen his supply of Kryptonite which gives Bats the advantage. But I don't know. It's not explained.
Yes and no. He is. But Lex also has a backup plan.
He's made a spear out of hte Kryptonite he's stolen. Not bullets for his gun, but a spear so he can kill him like a vampire.
Once Batman and Superman stop fighting Lois Lane (who has no idea what the spear or Kryptonite is) throws it in to a deep pool of water.
Not forever. Lois later realises that we still need the spear so she dives in to the water to retrieve it. I'm not sure how she realises this as she's no idea that it's useful.
What's Lex's backup plan then?
Lex is also creating Doomsday using Krypton technology found in General Zod's space craft currently residing in a facility in Metropolis. So he has a backup.
Ah, Doomsday. I remember that spoiler from the trailer. Presumably that's why Batman and Superman stop fighting each other?
No. Batman and Superman stop fighting each other because their Moms have the same first name.
Their Moms have the same first name?
And that stops the fight?
Right, so Batman forgives Superman for killing all those innocents and Superman forgives Batman for being the bad vigilante because their Moms have the same name?
That's... one way of resolving it I guess.
Yep. We wait roughly two thirds of the movie runtime for Batman and Superman to start fighting and when they do that's the resolution. Batman and Superman fight for only 15 or so minutes.
Wait, two thirds of the movie runtime? What happens before that?
Oh you know... A lot of chopping and changing of scenes in very rapid succession. Switching from one character to another to another to another to another with some Batman dream sequences thrown in for good measure.
Ok, so where does Doomsday fit in to all this. And Wonder Woman?
Well, when Batman saves Superman's Mom with the line "I'm friends with your son" straight after smashing Superman in the head repeatedly for 15 minutes, Superman confronts Lex Luthor and Lex unleashes Doomsday on the World.
No, Lex has no control over Doomsday. It's not really clear why he thought unleashing a beast of Krypton on the Earth was a good idea. Possibly to smash some more buildings for his company to re-build.
Is Doomsday an awesome DC villain?
If you're a fan of bad CG, sure. Somehow he looks worse than he did in the trailer. But we do get a glimpse of the three heroes working together at last. Trinity.
Yes. She shines when she's on screen. And she has a cool soundtrack too. The three of them take on Doomsday in an abandoned part of Gotham.
So less chance of people being in the buildings?
Yes, less innocent casulaties this time around. And it's also pointed out that it's after 5pm so no-one is at the office district too. No people were harmed in the making of this movie.
How did they travel from Metropolis to Gotham?
Oh, it turns out Gotham is just across the river from Metropolis. Convenient.
Yeah, if you stand on top of a tall building in Metropolis you can actually see the Bat Symbol lit up over Gotham.
Well, it saves everyone a flight. It means our heroes can spend all their energy on defeating Doomsday.
And then they all live happily ever after?
Nope. Not wanting to go in to massive spoilers here, but the movie ends with Lex and Batman having separate premonitions about 'bad things coming' with Batman telling Wonder Woman she better go form the Justice League as he has a hunch that things are going to get rough.
A hunch. Okay. So what happens now?
There's a whole host of DC Universe movies planned going forward. How many of them make it depends on box office takings, but Wonder Woman is almost complete so I would expect that to stick to schedule. Batman and the Justice League film also look like certainties. The others, we'll just have to wait and see.
Hopefully! I'm actually excited about a Wonder Woman film now. It has the potential to be good. And Suicide Squad should be a laugh too. It feels like they will succeed as they don't have the weight of carrying an entire extended universe on their back to deal with.
It's quite a challenge, introducing all the characters.
It is, and you could argue in a film about Batman fighting Superman it really didn't need anyone else. It was a simple concept made complicated by the need to catch up to Marvel and get a piece of the superhero universe pie.
We've seen from Terminator Genisys and even Age of Ultron that it's much better to focus on the current film than try to shoehorn in lots of pieces of an Extended Universe.
Right. For me, the DC Universe needs to take a step back. Reduce the scale of the universe, the scale of the battles. Arguably the best bit of Batman V Superman was when Batman was rescuing Martha Kent and he was taking out bad guys in a single room.
So, should I see the film?
If you keep your expectations low and don't mind not understanding the characters' motives, then sure. But Zack Synder has already said that the home release will contain 30 minutes of cut footage so maybe that will include some of the answers - so maybe wait for that?
Would that not make the film 3 hours long?
Yes. It would. Like I say, it tries to do way too much. Batman and Superman were enough star power to sell the film without all this extra stuff.
Batman V Superman is out in cinemas now. Enjoy.