text:
THINGS THAT WE HAVE COME TO
Andrew W. G. Spiers
1 Chronicles 29:10-13
I want to speak of what it says in Hebrews, things that we “have come to” (v22). It is quite important when we are young to understand that in Christianity there are certain things that we need to come to. We might not arrive at all these truths at one time, because it would be in connection, always, with our growth. I have read of these three persons in the Old Testament because what we get in them are the final words at certain points which they had reached in their long history with God.
I would say at the outset that we all need to appreciate increasingly the history that we may have with God. I hope you have started on that road. It is a road which would take you from the time that you put your trust in the Lord Jesus to the day that either you depart to be with Christ, or we are all taken to glory together. The work goes on until it is completed. Let us appreciate that: God’s work in a person ends when He finishes it. Then, currently, because we are not in glory, He takes that person to be with Himself.
But Abraham, Jacob and David had histories with God – histories that teach us a lot in relation to our own pathways here. Take Abraham to start with. Abraham is a person who, first of all, was called out. But let me say what he reached. He reached the point of the truth of resurrection. You ask, ‘Why?’ If you read in Hebrews you will see the point I am making; the truth of resurrection is what Abraham reached, because he expected to receive Isaac from among the dead (Heb 11:19).
Resurrection is an important feature of the truth that we as Christians hold dear. It is a truth that is being questioned in the current days. But it is a truth that remains in all its beauty and all its glory, set out to us when God the Father raised Christ from among the dead. Resurrection is set out for us in chapter 15 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. It is a truth, beloved brethren, that we need to lay hold of in a real way, because, as I said just now, it has been questioned.
Abraham did not arrive at it straight away. He had a history with God, as we all do: you and I have a history with God. He brings us, step by step, to an end, and here is Abraham at his end. First of all he was called out. The principle of faith is applied to Abraham. That is the first step in the Christian’s pathway, the principle of faith.
Faith is the first fixed principle of Scripture, and you will see it there in chapter 12 of Genesis. He was called out and he took a journey, and at the end of that journey he did one thing, he built an altar (v8). When you have finished a step with God, dear Christian hearer, build an altar. Build an altar to the Lord Jesus! In other words, it means you approach God through Him. He built that altar, and, at one point, he had to return to it (ch 13:3‑4). Why? Because he went away. He went down to Egypt – a dangerous thing to do! But he went.
But he returns to the altar, and then he comes to another place, he comes to Hebron (ch 13:18). Hebron, in God’s word, speaks to us of the purposes of God, the oaks of Mamre. And, beloved brethren, let us lay hold, as FER said (I think it was in Birmingham), ‘Young man, lay hold of the purposes of God; they will establish you and keep you firm through your history here.’ The purposes of God are set out for us in Scripture – you will find them in the Ephesian epistle.
And then Abraham takes a further step in his history, and he comes to this point where he was called to offer up his only son, whom he loved (ch 22:2). He was obedient to the divine word. He was obedient to the divine commandment. Why? Because, I think, he had reached the understanding that God, Who had been so faithful to him throughout his pathway down here, would return that son, Isaac, to him. The great point is the truth of resurrection.
Let us lay hold of the truth of resurrection, dear brethren! It is one of the things that we have come to. Do not let us put it on one side. The truth of resurrection is one of the features of the truth that each one of us, essentially, has to appreciate in a greater depth.
Now, with Jacob, it is his knowledge of God. What is your knowledge of God? What is mine? It was his knowledge of God. Where did he learn that? Where did he learn these sentences or part-sentences that he utters here? He learnt them in God’s presence, yes. But he learnt them also during that pathway that he took, right from the house of his father and his mother when he left. He learnt God in his pathway. It was not an easy pathway for him. Read Scripture! The great thing is to read Scripture and find how God took Jacob on his pathway. He did not let him go. He kept him.
That is why he says that God had shepherded him “all my life long.” Can you say that God has shepherded you all your life long? The shepherd character of God Himself is expressed beautifully in the Person of Jesus: the great Shepherd (Heb 13:20), the chief Shepherd (1 Pet 5:4), the good Shepherd (John 10:11,14) of the sheep. That is the Person I know. Do you know Him?
The good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep – think of that great Shepherd. Jacob knew God as the Shepherd Who shepherded him “all my life long.” “All” – take note of that – it is “all my life.” Not just part of it when he was, maybe, knowing the God Who shepherded him. It says, “All my life long,” every step that he took. “The God that shepherded me all my life long to this day” – right from the point when he left his father’s house, and maybe before. Right through the sojourn he had spent with Laban, right through the journey back. Right from that time when he experienced, “This is none other but the house of God” (Gen 28:17): the angels going up and down that ladder. A “dreadful” place he calls it. A terrible place, and yet he returned to it!
First of all he calls it Bethel – the house of God. The next time he visited it he called it ‘God of the house of God’ (ch 35:7). One of the things we all need to have, dear brethren, is a deepening knowledge of God. Jacob learned it through his pathway.
First of all, he says, “The God before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked.” We spoke about Abraham’s walk. We do not know too much about Isaac’s walk, except that in one place it says that “Isaac sowed in that land” and was fruitful (Gen 26:12,22). Dear brethren, sow in the land that God has provided and be fruitful!
Ruth was told to stop in that field (Ruth 2:8). Let us not go outside the field that God has appointed us. Remain in that field, remain with the Man of wealth, Boaz himself!
And then he says, “The Angel that redeemed me from all evil.” Dear brethren, I do not think this brings in the truth of redemption as we may know it, but he says “The Angel that redeemed me from all evil.” ‘This is the Angel that took me and protected me and brought me away from trouble and caused me to come to the place where I reached this knowledge of God in a full character.’ I would suggest, and I would be open to correction, that he is probably morally greater than any other man in Genesis. He was a greater personage, in one sense, than Abraham, because he reached through to his knowledge of God in this way.
With David it is a question of the service of God. David had a chequered history like us all, but the first thing that marked David – and we all like David for this point – is that he overcame Goliath. All the young ones like to speak about David and Goliath. A young lad going into the valley with five smooth stones, and he only had to use one! Think of the history David had with his God. He depended upon Him when he went into the valley. He depended on Him after Ziklag (1 Sam 30:6‑8). He depended on Him after failure came in up until this point. And now he is able to speak here about the God Whom he knew. I think we can say of this that he had reached a pinnacle in the service of God.
“Thine, Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the splendour, and the majesty.” These words should set our hearts aglow as to the glory of what is in the divine realm, because it is David speaking of the God Whom he knew – the God Whom David sought to bring in. This is the glorious area of the service of God – because David in the Old Testament times was the one who instituted the service of God in the way in which it is related here.
We have to wait for our day to know what the service of God is for ourselves; while we are still here, on the morrow, we will enjoy the service of God. Think of the words of David here! I have known them to be used in thanksgiving on the Lord’s day morning. “Thine, Jehovah, is the greatness.” His is the greatness! The Lord has the greatness and the power and the glory. David brings everyone in later on in his prayer here, “Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer willingly after this manner?” (v14).
And so I read in Hebrews because I find these few verses most interesting. We commenced with the things that we have not come to (vv18‑21). I read those just to draw the distinction.
There are eight points, things, that we have come to. The first is, “Ye have come to Mount Zion.” I just want to say a few words about Mount Zion. It is “the city of the great King” (Ps 48:2). There are about 40 references in the Psalms to Zion, and 47 in the prophet Isaiah. It has a great place in God’s viewpoint, mount Zion. It should have a great place in the heart of the Christian. I am not talking now of the literal place. I am speaking of it in its moral or spiritual application to the Christian today. You can go back through the passages in the Psalms and see how they look forward, and relate to the present time and the day to come.
Someone once said as to Mount Zion – I think the address was in about 1910, a brother called Herbert Gill – that Mount Zion to him was like a summit at the end of the road starting with the pathway out of Egypt, right the way through the wilderness, the tabernacle being built, and ending in Mount Zion. Why? Because it was the place that God loved (see Ps 78:68). So today, dear brethren, we need to appreciate what Mount Zion means.
Psalm 78 will tell you what it means, because in Psalm 78 it is presented as the action of the sovereign mercy of God in taking a territory out of the tribe of Joseph and giving it to the tribe of Judah with Mount Zion. Sovereign mercy! And that is for our appreciation of divine grace. Psalm 78 reads, “He rejected the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved” (vv67‑68). Zion in God’s eyes was the place of beauty. Psalm 48 says, “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, … the city of the great King” (v2). That is Zion, and that is how we, dear brethren, need to regard Mount Zion today. It has its relationship to what we appreciate in the truth of the assembly, but it is, as God calls it, the place that He loved. Also in Psalm 132, it is where He wanted to dwell (v13), and then in Psalms 133 and 134 it speaks of what comes out of Mount Zion, “there hath Jehovah commanded the blessing, life for evermore” (Ps 133:3); “Jehovah, the Maker of heavens and earth, bless thee out of Zion” (Ps 134:3).
So there is great joy in appreciating all that comes out of Zion. What a grand start to the things we have come to, Mount Zion! We can go through the other seven points one by one if we wish – it would take us a little bit of time and I do not intend to do it. I can let brethren do a little bit of homework on them! Because maybe we shall appreciate then the things that we have come to; because, in one sense, it is step by step. We start at the top and we finish at the top, because we finish with the blood of sprinkling. You come to “the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.” “Jerusalem above … our mother” (Galatians 4:26).
You go on to “the assembly of the firstborn who are registered in heaven; and to God, Judge of all; and to the spirits of just men made perfect; and to Jesus.” “And to Jesus!” What an end! “Mediator of a new covenant.” That, as we know, is yet to be made with God’s earthly people. Do we, dear brethren, come into the full appreciation of what is known as the “new covenant?” The love of God spread abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit – the new covenant. His love is shining out in all its magnificence. It shone out at the cross, it shines out now! And let us lay hold of the One Who is the Mediator of the new covenant.
I just wanted to draw our attention briefly to “the blood of sprinkling.” It is one of those things, the last thing that we have come to. It is not washing here. It is the blood of sprinkling, not washing. Washing is more personal and individual. The blood of sprinkling is a far wider thought – a far greater thought. If you go back into Exodus, you will find that not only the persons were sprinkled, but the tabernacle system was sprinkled. It was all sprinkled with the blood of sprinkling. Everything, by the blood of sprinkling, is covered. It still refers to the blood of the Lord Jesus, and it speaks better than Abel’s. Abel’s blood cried from the ground, as we learn in Genesis 4:10, but the blood of sprinkling speaks today of the way in which God has secured His end in the praises of Israel. So let us not refuse Him that speaks.
As to the eight things we have come to (or, maybe, not!), those are available today for every one of us to take our steps towards them, step by step. Do not miss out, beloved brother, beloved sister. Take it up, as we said as to Jacob, in your knowledge of God. Come to the cross, and there will be great blessing to your soul in so doing it.
We spoke about Abraham and his appreciation of resurrection. We have spoken about Jacob, or Israel, and his knowledge of God; and of David, reaching that great point in the service of God. May we all reach those three points first. And then there are these in the Hebrew epistle, and the writer (Paul, I think) suggests to us that we have come to these places. And let us dwell, particularly, on Mount Zion, because that is the place where God desires to dwell and which He loves.
Read Psalm 87, and that will give you an idea of what God appreciates in Mount Zion. Because Psalm 87 was written by whom? Not by David. It was written by the sons of Korah, by those who knew what God’s sovereign mercy was. Who of us in this room does not know what sovereign mercy is? Well, may we be encouraged! May God bless the word. Amen.
7 July 2012

domain: literature


C8 Corvette (2020- ) Introduced to the public as the Next Generation Corvette, the 2020 Stingray is the sum of every generation before it – yet stands alone as the first ever mid-engine Corvette. The result: a revolutionary new model that is the most powerful – and safest – Corvette to date.
The vision of a mid-engine model had been growing since the early days of the Corvette. The legendary Zora Arkus-Duntov was convinced in the 1950’s that a mid-engine Corvette would offer the best combination of balance, visibility, acceleration and braking. As early as 1959, Chevrolet began building concept cars and prototypes that would eventually pave the way for a mid-engine Corvette. While in production, GM affectionately nicknamed the 2020 Corvette the “ZERV” as a tribute to Zora’s dream that was six decades in the making.
The mid-engine C8 puts the weight of the engine over the rear-driving wheels which enhances traction. With the engine behind the cockpit, there’s more forward visibility. And with the seats positioned closer to the front wheels and axle, the driver and passenger serve as the car’s center of gravity. The result is the kind of reflexes you’d expect from a well-honed sports car.
Tom Peters, Director of Design for the GM Performance Car Studio, led the design team for the C8 Corvette. Peters was passionate about showcasing the engine as part of the car’s overall aesthetic design. He wanted the engine to be the “jewel” of the design, with the rest of the Corvette serving as the backdrop.
The design team also recognized the importance of incorporating elements into the C8 that represented the history and heritage of the generations that came before it. Many classic Corvette signatures were adapted into the new mid-engine Stingray’s design: a distinctive front fascia that communicates the purpose of the vehicle’s mission, a classic horizontal crease, aggressive front fenders and familiar positioning of the dual-element headlamps.
Every detail of the C8 Corvette was designed to provide a natural and immersive driving experience. The moment the driver sits in the cockpit, everything is perfectly positioned to perform. Every element designed for comfort – from seat options to button placements. The mid-engine design created space for a trunk in the front, located under the hood. Combined with the rear trunk, there’s 12.6 cubic feet of storage space.
The 2020 Corvette had a starting price of $59,995. Fully loaded models can top $80,000.
The 2021 model debuted with new graphics and color options. 2021 owners can personalize their Corvette with full-length dual racing stripes or bold hood Stinger stripes. New exterior colors include Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat and Silver Flare Metallic. The new interior color is Sky Cool Gray with Strike yellow stitching and seat belt accents.
The C8 has wasted no time collecting awards and accolades. The 2020 Corvette was named the North American Car of the Year and the Motortrend Car of the Year. Both the 2020 and 2021 models were named to Car and Driver’s coveted 10Best list.


Microstructural, chemical, mineralogical, and thermal analysis was carried out in a study to use Eraring Power Station (New South Wales, Australia) fly ash as pavement base material. The fly ash was stabilized with cement and lime separately. The effects of cement and lime stabilization were examined in terms of chemical composition, crystalline structures, and hydration products. Unconfined compressive strength of samples was also measured to observe the effect of stabilization over time. The results obtained from cement and lime-stabilized samples showed that the hydration products that account for strength gain of the stabilized fly ash are almost the same for both types of stabilizing agents. The discrepancies between the resulting strengths are due to the proportion and density of these products.


In an interesting development, a university in China has invented a special “kissing device”, which allows long-distance lovers to share real physical intimacy. Patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology, the remote kissing device has silicone lips equipped with pressure sensors and actuators and it mimics a real kiss by keeping the pressure, movement and temperature of a user’s lips.
This device can be operated using a mobile application which has to be downloaded on the mobile phones of both users. The leading inventor of the design, Jiang Zhongli, said, “In my university, I was in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend so we only had contact with each other through the phone. That’s where the inspiration of this device originated”.
However, there is a mixed response to this device on the internet, as many called it vulgar and creepy.


text:
Options for long term care solutions are dropping in poor, urban areas across the United States according to a new study by researchers at Brown University. The study, funded partially by the National Institute on Aging, shows that between 1999 and 2008, nursing home closures in the United States were concentrated disproportionately in poor, urban and predominantly minority neighborhoods. The research shows that the country has lost 5% of its beds during that time period and that closures of nursing homes are twice as likely in the poorest areas than in the richest areas. The findings of the study were published in the January 10th Archives of Internal Medicine and show that where at least one nursing home has closed in the past decade, the distance on average from the prior nursing home to the next closest has increased to 3.81 miles from 2.73 miles.
“This is an issue that is not going to go away, precisely because of the aging of the population and the increasing bifurcation of society into rich and poor,” said Vince Mor, the Florence Pirce Grant University Professor of Community Health at Brown and a senior author of the paper.

domain: news


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The British Heart Foundation supported by the Rotary Club of Stowmarket Gipping Valley are holding a charity Concert on Saturday 11March at the United Reformed Church in Stowmarket at 7.30pm.
There are two very talented groups performing at the Concert. The first ‘Stellar Acappella’ are well known in the area for the quality of their singing. Rotary’s Peter Andrews stated that the club had the all women group performing at previous concerts and they were “absolutely marvellous”. The second performers are the very talented duo of ‘Evie White and Matt Snow’. Evie has the perfect voice when singing songs from the shows and Mat is a great pianist to accompany her.
Tickets are expected to sell fast and are competitively priced at £12 available (£6 for the under 18s) from the British Heart Foundation, 12 Ipswich Street, Stowmarket, IP14 1AD. Further information available from: www.gippingvalleyrotary.org / 07747 600 501 .
The Rotary Club of Stowmarket Gipping Valley meets every two weeks on a Thursday by Zoom and also face to-face. If you would like to see how we operate, please email: firstname.lastname@example.org or phone: 07834 247 244.

domain: artistic


text:
Into the Calderón caught up recently with David Villa for a conversation about his time at Atlético Madrid and what he has been up to since helping los Colchoneros to an incredible league title in 2013/14. The former Spain international — La Furia Roja’s all-time leading goalscorer — is now in his third season at Major League Soccer’s New York City FC, where he is club captain and the reigning MLS MVP.
Into the Calderón: What do you recall about the process that led to your departure from Barcelona and your transfer to Atlético Madrid?
David Villa: It was hard to leave Barcelona, but in that moment I wasn’t playing much and I wanted to have more minutes. Signing for Atlético was an easy decision because I wanted to be happy on the field.
ItC: What did you experience in your first days at Atlético that you maybe had not experienced before?
DV: The first days at Atlético were incredible. I was very happy because I wasn’t expecting to see the fans get so excited for my signing. From the first day I received a very warm welcome, not only in the streets but also in social media. I remember the day I was introduced to the fans as an Atlético de Madrid player at the stadium and a lot of people came to welcome me. It was very special to me.
ItC: What is your favorite moment from the 2013/14 season?
DV: The day we won La Liga, especially the moment the referee blew the whistle to end the game. La Liga is a very difficult title to win, because it goes all year long and you need to be very regular [in picking up points]. We lost some points during the last month, but we won it and that was my happiest moment at Atlético.
ItC: Entering that final game against Barcelona at Camp Nou, all Atleti needed was a single point to lift a first title since 1996. What was the buildup to that game, and how nervous were you and your teammates?
DV: We prepared the game knowing that it was like a final. That felt like a real final, because it was the last game of the season and both teams could have won it. We prepared it thinking that we needed to win the game even though a tie could have been enough. But that’s always the best way to get the result.
ItC: Was it at all strange to celebrate a league title at Camp Nou while playing for a team other than Barça?
DV: I would have preferred to win the title at another stadium because I would have celebrated it with more energy. I was very happy because we won the title, but at the same time I had to respect the Barcelona fans because they were always good to me when I played for them.
ItC: At the 2014 World Cup, you were in the same team as Diego Costa, Juanfran and Koke, all of whom played in a World Cup for the first time that summer. Did you get a chance to talk to them about what representing Spain is like?
DV: I am not a person who gives advice to people unless they ask me. But when they do, I talk to them about my past experiences as a player. During those first days, they wanted to know how it was to play in a World Cup. I told them that it is a very unique experience that they will never forget.
ItC: At NYCFC, you've become club captain and MLS MVP. What is special about football in the United States?
DV: The playoffs system is very attractive. I have never experienced it before because in Europe it doesn’t exist, but I really like it. The playoffs make the league better because more teams have the chance to win the title. In Europe, only three or four teams can win it during the last months, and here even 12 teams have a chance at the end.
ItC: What is your relationship currently like with Atlético?
DV: I stay in touch with my Atlético teammates. In every team that I played for, players, coaches and staff leave over time, but I like stay in touch with them.
ItC: What do Atlético need to do to at last win the Champions League?
DV: They have to keep doing the same [things they’ve done], because the two finals that Atlético lost were very close. I was on the field in one of them and we lost it in the last 20 seconds, and the second final Atlético lost in PKs. In soccer, the little details are very important. Atlético are very close to winning that first Champions League.

domain: sports


Part # 9995675-US-ASSY
Alternate Part #'s 9995678-US-ASSY
Power Supply DYN USA 2010 - 9995675-US-ASSY
Please Note: Maytronics power supplies no longer come with power cords. If you need a power cord you need to order Part # 5898412LF.
This power supply fits the following Maytronics Dolphin Robotic Pool Cleaners:
My pool vacuum has a sticker on it that says Dolphin Dynamic 2002. The power supply part number is 9995675. What power supply should I replace it with? Thank you
Yes, this power supply part number 9995675-US-ASSY would be the correct replacement power supply for your model 9995675.
I have a power supply that lighting may have hit.did all checks and no power no where.
P.No 9995679. Is this still a good number. Odell
Hi. P.No 9995679 is not a good number. Please provide the name of your unit.
My Dolphin Deluxe 5 has a remote control. Does this power supply # 9995675-US-ASSY work with the remote?
i have a dolphin pro i bought about 6 years ago. i need a new power supply. which model of power supply do you recommend? also, will my cord still fit the new power supply, are they all the same size fitting? thanks
Hi Dan, I would recommend contacting Maytronics with your unit's S/N, they will tell you which power supply you will need for your unit because they are different power supplies for different models.


text:
Deliberate practice (DP) occurs when an individual intentionally repeats an activity in order to improve performance. The claim of the DP framework is that such behavior is necessary to achieve high levels of expert performance. The proponents of the framework reject evidence that suggests that other variables are also necessary to achieve high levels of expert performance, or they claim that the relationship between those variables and expert performance is mediated by DP. Therefore, the DP framework also implies that DP is sufficient to achieve high levels of expert performance. We test these claims by reviewing studies on chess expertise. We found strong evidence that abundant DP is necessary (but not sufficient) and estimated that the minimum requirement to achieve master level is 3,000 hours of DP. We also review evidence showing that other factors play a role in chess skill: general cognitive abilities, sensitive period, handedness, and season of birth.
From Guillermo Campitelli1 and Fernand Gobet "Deliberate Practice Necessary But Not Sufficient," 20 Current Directions in Psychological Science vol. no. 5 280-285 (October 2011) (Hat tip to Dienekes).
As the press release for the study notes:
In one survey of chess players in Argentina, Campitelli and Gobet found that, indeed, practice is important. All of the players that became masters had practice at least 3,000 hours. “That was not surprising,” he says. There is a theory in psychology that the more you practice, the better you’ll do in areas like sports, music, and chess. “But the thing is, of the people that achieved the master level, there are people that achieved it in 3,000 hours. Other people did, like, 30,000 hours and achieved the same level. And there are even people that practiced more than 30,000 hours and didn’t achieve this.”
Campitelli and Gobet concluded that practice is necessary to get to the master level—but it’s not enough. . . . [Also] about 90 percent of the general population is right-handed, only about 82 percent of adult chess players are right-handed.
Establishing a similar point, D. Z. Hambrick, E. J. Meinz show in "Limits on the Predictive Power of Domain-Specific Experience and Knowledge in Skilled Performance." Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2011; 20 (5): 275 DOI: 10.1177/0963721411422061, that general IQ can predict a large share of performance in tasks like piano sightreading, even controlling for hours of practice.
In one experiment Hambrick and Meinz tested 57 pianists with a wide range of deliberate practice under their belts, from 260 to more than 31,000 hours, to see how well they did on sight-reading -- playing a piece from a score they'd never seen before. Those who had practiced more did better. In fact, practice -- even specific sight-reading practice -- predicted nearly half of the differences in performance across the subjects. But working memory capacity still had a statistically significant impact on performance. In other words, regardless of amount of deliberate practice, working memory capacity still mattered for success in the task. . . . Challenging another "experts-are-made" contention -- that beyond a certain threshold, intelligence makes less and less of a difference in accomplishment -- the authors cite a study by Vanderbilt University researchers that looked at the math SAT scores of people with PhDs in science, technology, engineering, or math. Those who scored in the 99.9th percentile at age 13 were 18 times more likely to go on to earn a PhD than those who scored better than only 99.1 percent of their teenage peers. "Even at the highest end, the higher the intellectual ability -- and by extension, the higher the working memory capacity -- the better," says Hambrick.
The result is not surprising (to me), but is important.

domain: psychology


text:
10y historical generalAndAdministrativeExpenses data for Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) from 2013 to 2022.
Netflix, Inc.'s latest twelve months generalAndAdministrativeExpenses is 1.57B.
Netflix, Inc.'s generalAndAdministrativeExpenses for fiscal years ending September 2013 to 2022 averaged 784.44M.
Netflix, Inc. operated at median generalAndAdministrativeExpenses of 746.93M from fiscal years ending September 2013 to 2022.
Looking back at the last 10 years, Netflix, Inc.'s generalAndAdministrativeExpenses peaked in 2022 at 1.57B.
Netflix, Inc.'s generalAndAdministrativeExpenses hit its 10-year low in 2013 of 180.30M.
3 Years: 72.02%
5 Years: 82.14%
10 Years: 772.37%

domain: economics


text:
Lilu Wicker - Book Stand - Natural PRE-ORDER FOR CHRISTMAS
Another beautiful, vintage inspired piece from Lilu that we simply had to have! These stunning book stands really are a delightful statement piece for any space and are big enough and strong enough to hold all their favourite story time treasures for many years to come.
Features two coloured pom-poms and tassels which are also removable.
[Colours of pom poms and tassels can vary slightly to those pictured.]
*Recommended for indoor use only.
THIS PRODUCT IS A BULKY ITEM AND EXTRA POSTAGE CHARGES MAY APPLY

domain: design


Are all Honeywell thermostats programmable?
Furthermore, are all Honeywell thermostats compatible?
The devices most commonly called “smart thermostats”, such as thermostats from Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell, etc., are only compatible with “low voltage” 24v HVAC systems. You should be certain that your HVAC is compatible before you try to hook up a smart thermostat.
Keeping this in view, are all Honeywell Pro Series thermostats programmable?
How to Program Honeywell T4 Pro Thermostats. The Honeywell T4 Pro Programmable Thermostat has several programmable and non-programmable options that can be fine tuned to your schedule.
A Honeywell thermostat may be malfunctioning generally, and this is the cause of its inability to hold temperature. If your screen is blank and unresponsive, or flashing, it may mean your thermostat's batteries are dying. Dirt or debris within the thermostat can also cause problems.


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“It’s like a sorority, someone was saying, but I would say it’s more like hazing,” Morgan told Page Six of her nearly five-season stint on “The Real Housewives of New York City.” “Waterboard me — I think I could survive.”
Morgan, 52, is set to return for Season 8 of the Bravo series when it premieres Wednesday at 9 p.m. And while she and longtime pal Luann de Lesseps have gotten their friendship back following last year’s tense reunion, the pair cited co-star Singer, 59, as the reason for the rift.
“We’ve been spending more time together, we’ve been separated for awhile, meaning Ramona wedged herself between us,” explained de Lesseps, 50, who is engaged to Thomas D’Agostino.
Meanwhile, Morgan shared that she can’t quit pal Singer quite yet.
“It’s always rocky, I’d say the last three years,” Morgan said. “But when you’re friends with someone for 30 years, it’s hard to shake that off. We love each other no matter what comes up.”
Watch Sonja and Luann put their own spin on the Housewives’ taglines:

domain: celebrity


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Foxgloves is an immaculate, single storey cottage just a short walk from the River Tavy and Lopwell Dam. The breathtaking Lopwell Dam and nature reserve can be found on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park and the location is nothing short of idyllic - a haven for wildlife. The Bere Peninsula Cycle Route runs nearby, and the Tamar Discovery Trail begins at Lopwell, offering excellent walking and cycling in a stunning rural landscape.
The cottage shares with the friendly owners two acres of grounds, which were formerly part of Lord Roborough's 6000 acre estate. You are welcome to explore or simply enjoy the beautiful views from the private patio. Inside, Foxgloves is beautifully finished, and thoroughly well done - a perfect choice for that 'special occasion'. The lounge is warm and spacious and the kitchen well equipped, though you may be tempted by the delicious lunches served at The Old Pump House cafe on the banks of the Tavy nearby.
Ground Floor: Lounge. Kitchen/Diner. Bedroom with double bed and en-suite wet room with shower, WC and washbasin. Utility Room with WC and washbasin.
Underfloor heating. Electric cooker, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, microwave, washing machine, tumble dryer. TV/DVD, WiFi. Bed linen and towels included free of charge. Off road parking for two cars. Extensive garden shared with owner and private patio. Regret no pets. No smoking. Pub 1 mile. Shop 3 miles.
Surrounded by Dartmoor, the South Hams and the South Devon coast, Plymouth offers both heritage and beauty. Wander the narrow streets with their shops, restaurants and art galleries and down to the Barbican quayside. Visit the Hoe with its view across the harbour and where Francis Drake played bowls as the Armada sailed into view. Tour the Plymouth Gin distillery, watch a show at the Theatre Royal or go to the National Marine Aquarium. There are boat trips around the Sound and Naval dockyards, watersports at the Mountbatten Centre and the city centre shopping. The tors of Dartmoor, beach resorts of Torbay, stately homes and gardens and coastal scenery of South Cornwall can be reached in under 45 minutes.
Devon has quite a few claims to fame such as being the backdrop to many films, including; War Horse - starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, and directed by Steven Spielberg. Sense and Sensibility - starring Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Kate Winslet. The French Lieutenant's Woman - starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons. Edge Of Tomorrow: Live Die Repeat - starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Brendan Gleeson. So you may recognise a few of the locations from their appearances on the big screen.
Did you know that Agatha Christie, Reverend John Russell, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Walter Raleigh all hailed from Devon? Agatha Christie went on to become a best-selling novelist, Reverend John Russell developed the Jack Russell Terrier, Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world, and Sir Walter Raleigh became a famous explorer.
South Devon is home to over 20 miles of Torbay coastline which is otherwise known as the 'English Riviera'. Brixton, Paignton and Torquay are the three Riviera towns and are great places to enjoy a day at the seaside. So if you fancy some fresh sea air and picturesque views then visit the 'English Riviera'.
The Dartmoor National Park can be found in Devon and offers visitors a dramatic moorland landscape, ancient woodland, rare wildlife and notable influences, such as the location for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes case 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.
We hope you enjoy your break in Devon!

domain: geography


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Dancing to a New Tune 1: Divya Ravi’s VitthāMāi
This Mini-series examines the connection between new musical compositions and how these elicit new ways of moving, which may or may not be outside the strict classical form. Over 2023 in my normal course of attending performances and keeping abreast of developments in South Asian dance, I came across the works of three dancers which stood out for their freshness and originality. A large part of the appeal was the musical score to the dance which in turn influenced the choreography.
In the case of Divya Ravi, the seamless transition between Carnatic and the Marathi bhajan tradition of Abhanga resulted in high energy jumps and leaps from folk dance; a completely new structure for an odissi Mangalacharan (invocatory item) by Arushi Mudgal; and a Western-influenced score which eschews lehra (the repetitive refrain) which accompanies kathak dance in Amina Khayyam’s Birds. I had the good fortune of conversing with the three dancers..
We open the Series with Divya Ravi’s VitthāMāi produced for Spirit of Margazhi Utsav (a digital arts festival) which was initially created as a dance film and which had its première in January 2023. She is currently developing a stage version which will be performed at the Nartan Festival in Leicester on 4 November at the Curve Theatre. The piece is based on the beliefs and practices of the Varkaari Tradition of Maharashtra that considers a specifically male deity as a Mother – 'Māi'. Divya uses the music traditions of the Abhanga.
I watched VitthāMāi, initially on YouTube, and then saw a short excerpt at the Ananda Festival in Bedford. To give a brief context to the piece: VitthāMāi takes four episodes from the lives of Marathi saint-poets of medieval India. The lyrics are based on their writings and collectively these belong to the bhakti tradition, which flourished in India between seventh and tenth century in South India and spread to the North from the tenth century onwards. The essence of bhakti is the devotion and personal connection to a god, most commonly to Vishnu in his various forms. Bhakti incorporates ideas of inclusivity, rejection of caste and a direct relationship between the devotee and his maker: often this love is expressed through music and dance. In Maharashtra the village of Pandharpur is the focal point of the worship of Vitthala – a version of Krishna, where the statue of the deity stands with hands on the waist in an erect posture. Despite the ‘maleness’ of his form Vitthala, also called Panduranga, is regarded both as father and mother.
One of the enduring messages of the piece is the idea of strapping men needing the same love and ‘cradling’ in the arms of the mother as females and children. The idea of unconditional love of the mother for all her children is at the heart of the cult.
Divya Ravi and her musical collaborators, husband Sharan Subramanian for vocals and musical arrangements and rhythm compositions by Srihari Rangaswamy, have created an otherworldly and magical experience helped by atmospheric lighting (Keerthi Kumar) and excellent filming (Arjun Jith). There are four sections in the work based on the writing of Saints: Senanai, the barber, Tukaram, Chokamela the outcast and Janabai, the housemaid. Divya individualises each of the Saints through appropriate movements, dress and carriage: the hesitancy of Chokamela with two steps forward and one back, maintaining a bowed position; the ghoulish projection of Vitthal is brilliantly evoked with turned out legs on heels and raised arms bent at the elbow in a ‘bat-like’ portrayal; Janabi’s carelessly sitting with knees apart and head-thrown back savouring the oil massage. The range of movements deployed, the detailing of gesture and expression matched by the sympathetic vocals and mridangam’s strokes harmonise. At one point I can hear Sharan’s voice dripping with karuna compassion that elucidates the concept of a mother’s unconditional love for her children.
The piece builds up to a crescendo as Janabi requests, ‘Deva, Abhanga bolo’, ‘Deity please sing the abhang’ and the dancer launches into an ecstatic series of movements covering space with leaps and jumps. It is Vitthala himself who breaks out in dance.
On further viewing I can appreciate how cleverly Divya uses swings, twists and half-circles with the legs to give the feeling of unbridled joy and freedom. The pulsating rhythm that one wants to clap and stamp to increase in speed until one is caught by the frenzy.
You can watch for yourself- the link is given here
To delve further into the making of the piece, I asked Divya about how the music composition and choreography came together.
1. In VitthāMāi you commissioned new music; what were your stipulations to your composer?
VitthāMāi was commissioned by Spirit of Margazhi Utsav and my task was to work on a Tamil Madhurageetam (devotional song) composed by their spiritual teacher, Maharanyam Sri Muralidhara Swami.
Sharan Subramanian (my primary musical collaborator, also my husband) and I selected a few verses from the Tamil Madhurageetam and we instantly were able to match well-known Abhangas (Abhanga is a form of devotional poetry in Marathi sung in praise of the god Vitthal) against each of the Tamil verses, owing to our fascination with Marathi Bhakti poetry over the years. The Marathi verses became an expansion of the essence of the Tamil lyric. There were multiple voices belonging to different poets, so we tied it all back to their subject of obsessive love for the deity ‘Vitthala’ who became VitthāMāi, the matriarch in a chaotic household.
Since most of these compositions (the Madhurageetam and three out of four Abhangas) already had melodic structures in place, my main instruction to Sharan was to seamlessly shift in and out of the Tamil composition and the Marathi Abhangas. We also incorporated rhythmic passages to suit the storyline of each poet. For instance, Tukaram addresses VitthāMāi as a Bhoot (ghoul) that is out to grab him and all passers-by. Visually I imagined this naughty mother: scary but smiling and trying to grab hold of her child - this resulted in a rhythmic section that used the word Bhootam. We layered it rhythmically using multiple voices to sound ‘ghost-like’, and I asked my flautist to overlay notes that gave an eerie effect.
One of the Abhangas (Tulsi Che Bani of Janabai) was not set to music, and I requested the renowned music composer, Rajkumar Bharati, to set this in Raga Dwijavanti. I chose this Raga as I felt it embodied love that sits in the ambiguity between maternal, romantic and platonic and complemented Janabai's emotionscape.
The section on Chokhamela (who was an outcaste), demanded an earthy, tribal feel. The mridangam was too 'classical' for this, and I asked my percussionist to use the khanjira for this segment.
VitthāMāi's musical score involved lots of small, but detailed musical choices and a collaborative effort from musical stalwarts.
2 How would you describe the music of the piece and how does it differ from the music of your repertoire items?
The genre of Abhanga music is a whole world by itself – it is a highly evolved tradition that has developed over centuries. Far from being in a single bucket of 'freestyle' or ‘folk’ art, I believe the Varkari musical traditions are also deeply rooted in embodied rigour and classicism. But there's an element of abandon and freedom – probably arising from the ethos of the Bhakti movement that propagated the idea of accessibility of a personal godhead rather than idolising the deity within the lofty temple walls. The geographic position of Maharashtra also gives it the advantage of influences from both Carnatic and Hindustani styles of music.
Most often Abhangas are sing-song, lofty and magnetically pull everyone in – tying back to the cultural originals stemming from togetherness and community. We can’t ignore their lyrical virtuosity – Abhangas intelligently embed esoteric and philosophical concepts into verses that sound like accessible everyday rants; mirroring the Bhakti movement that made the spiritual accessible. All of this contributes to this distinct musical genre of Abhangas.
The bharatanatyam repertoire is traditionally based on Carnatic music and lyrics in South Indian languages (Tamil, Telugu and Kannada). But honestly, this is all continuously evolving, and it is not uncommon to see Hindustani-based compositions and lyrics in various languages in today’s repertoires.
3 The free style movements which depart from bharatanatyam adavus are skilfully woven in the dance; are these improvised or derived from a named folk style?
I derived a lot of inspiration from Maharashtra folk dance forms – ‘Lavani’, ‘Dindi’ and ‘Kala’ while choreographing VitthāMāi. For the segment on the ghost, I also drew ideas from folk forms of ‘Bhoota Kola’ from Karnataka, ‘Theyyam’ from Kerala and Christopher Bruce’s ‘Ghost Dances’. But I wouldn’t say that my presentation departed from bharatanatyam adavus – rather it is an extension of the existing movement vocabulary. I could break down every single posture and movement I’ve used in VitthāMāi to specific bharatanatyam adavus or chāris existing in the Natyashastra. A small variation, a musical deviation, is all it takes to make the grounded look breezy. That’s been my search while creating this work – how do I transpose a particular folk-movement that works for the mood, onto an existing adavu pattern?
The takeaway for me was the robustness, versatility and fertility of bharatanatyam to welcome varied influences and still retain the core of its form.
4 How does it feel to incorporate free movement?
I already find freedom in just the rigour and discipline of the form of bharatanatyam, even when doing a demanding ‘Kuditthu Mettu’ or ‘Mandi’ adavu. Over the years, I’ve come to befriend the form for all it offers, and my dancing body has learnt to find freedom within the structure.
My primary role as a choreographer is to serve the concept. But as a performer, I only work with the form bequeathed to me - bharatanatyam. The exciting part is being both at the same time – ambitiously finding new ways to move, taking inspiration from other art forms, while stringently being a bharatanatyam Dancer.
I’m always on the verge of collapsing at the end of VitthāMāi – that’s how physically demanding and intense the last piece (‘Nache Panduranga’) is. That it appears to be ‘free movement’ is a compliment that the choreographer in me will gladly take.
5 Do you feel that there is a trend towards opening up the classical repertoire?
The bharatanatyam repertoire has continuously been evolving over the decades, as any living art form rightfully would – both in terms of content and format. Sringara-based literature paved the way for Bhakti-based compositions during the reformist movements, but to this day, Sringara’s position in the repertoire stands strong and uncontested. Over the years, socially and politically significant literature has also worked its way into the repertoire, questioning the relevance of Sringara and Bhakti. Language is no longer a barrier, and one finds poetry from diverse languages incorporated into bharatanatyam. Of course, some of these trends stand the test of time; some disappear for good; and some re-emerge every now and then. What hasn’t changed for bharatanatyam (and hopefully won’t in future) is that the repertoire offers a fertile ground for development of narrative, expressive, emotive and experiential themes amidst the virtuosic movement vocabulary.


It seems Russian forces have knocked out another two Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks. If so, they would be the fourth and fifth Leopard 2 loss in just a week or so along a single sector of the 600-mile front line of Russia’s wider war on Ukraine.
The apparent recent Leopard 2 losses all happened in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where the Ukrainian army’s 33rd Mechanized Brigade—the sole user of the initial 40 69-ton Leopard 2A4s Ukraine got from its European allies this spring—lately has assumed a lead role, replacing the exhausted 47th Mechanized Brigade four months into Ukraine’s southern counteroffensive.
“The enemy’s losses in that direction totaled as many as 85 personnel, three tanks including two Leopards, four armored combat vehicles and two motor vehicles,” the Kremlin told state media Thursday.
The Russian defense ministry frequently lies about Ukrainian losses, so be skeptical. But also note: there’s video seemingly depicting at least one of the recent strikes on a Leopard 2.
A spike in Ukrainian Leopard 2 losses isn’t unexpected. As the 33rd Brigade shifts into closer daily contact with Russian regiments along the axis between Verbove and Melitopol in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, its Leopard 2 battalion—normally equipped with at least 30 active tanks—is exposed to more mines, artillery barrages and, most critically, explosives-laden first-person-view drones.
Drones seem to be responsible for most of the five recent Leopard 2A4 kills. A surge in Russian drone ops might be the other big factor in the 33rd Brigade’s escalating losses. There are more and more FPV drones over Zaporizhzhia.
A two-pound FPV drone clutching a one-pound grenade isn’t a terribly powerful anti-tank weapon, explained Samuel Bendett, a senior non-resident associate with the Europe, Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
“An FPV is not always better than other weapons since not every FPV hit results in an actual kill,” Bendett said. “Sometimes it takes multiple FPV drone strikes to destroy a target as large and well protected as a tank, while a powerful anti-tank [missile] can finish the job with a single hit.”
But FPV drones often attack in swarms. The first strike damages the tank, perhaps immobilizing it. The follow-on attacks incrementally wreck the tank.
It should go without saying that the more drones an army has, the more drones it can afford to deploy against a single vehicle. In a year of determined effort, the Kremlin massively has expanded domestic production of small drones while also training up a corps of skilled drone operators.
Once the industrial and personnel infrastructure is in place, it’s easy for a military to scale up an FPV drone force. “FPVs are ubiquitous because of their cheap cost—around $400-500 per drone—and both sides in the Ukraine war are supplying many thousands of them per month,” Bendett said. “So we are seeing a drone saturation on the battlefield.”
What’s happening now, over Zaporizhzhia, was all but inevitable once Moscow got serious about deploying FPV drones. Inescapable Russian drones make it extremely dangerous for a Ukrainian tank crew to break cover and travel across fields or along roads, especially in daytime: a brutal reality the 33rd Mechanized Brigade’s tankers surely appreciate.
To be clear, Ukraine isn’t about to run out of Western-made tanks. The recent spike in tank losses belies Ukraine’s overall success in preserving its Western tanks, which so far include 40 German-made Leopard 2A4s and 21 Leopard 2A6s, a few dozen Leopard 1A5s, 10 Strv 122s from Sweden, 14 Challenger 2s from the United Kingdom and 31 American-made M-1A1s. Additional Leopard 1s and Leopard 2s are scheduled for delivery.
In four months of hard fighting, the Ukrainians have lost seven Leopard 2A4s, three Leopard 2A6s and a single Challenger 2. Eleven Western tanks out of 150 or so that Kyiv’s allies have delivered.
Meanwhile, damaged tanks don’t tend to stay damaged. “Although some have been lost, the recovery rate has been excellent, with damaged tanks rapidly repaired and put back into service,” noted Nicholas Drummond, a British tank consultant.
But the rate of loss indisputably is getting a lot worse for Ukraine. To sustain their best tanks through the next year of the wider war, the Ukrainians must do a better job of protecting them from small drones.
That might mean three things: deploying more mobile air-defense guns including the best German-made Gepards, doubling down on radio jammers that can interfere with drones’ control signals and targeting drone units before they can launch their lethal little flying machine.
“Both sides are trying to adapt as quickly as possible to the ever-growing threat of FPV drones,” Bendett said.
But drone operators themselves are adapting to that adaptation. The first generation of tank-killing FPV drones mostly includes models weighing just a few pounds, with payloads of around half their unloaded weight.
Now the drones are getting bigger and carrying payloads of up to 10 pounds. Ten pounds of explosives can inflict a lot more damage than one pound of explosives can do.


Barker Inlet Stormwater Scheme
Helping South Australia Lead the Nation in Stormwater Reuse
The Barker Inlet Stormwater Reuse Scheme is an $8.15 million project to harvest, treat, store and distribute stormwater from the Barker Inlet wetlands at Wingfield to industrial, commercial and irrigation customers in the Regency Park area.
The Scheme will provide upto 350 million litres of dual reticulation standard stormwater per annum, reducing the use of potable water and thereby improving the security of water supplies for metropolitan Adelaide.
Establishing the Barker Inlet Stormwater Reuse Scheme has seen construction of the following components:
Infrastructure to harvest stormwater from the Barker Inlet wetland system
Equipment for storing treated stormwater deep underground for future use and supply to industrial, commercial and irrigation customers (via a process called Aquifer Storage and Recovery or “ASR”)
Chlorination and UV disinfection systems to treat stormwater to a dual reticulation standard
Water distribution mains to Wingfield, Regency Park and Angle Park
The Scheme is jointly funded by the Australian Government, the Government of South Australia and SA Water.
The Barker Inlet Stormwater Reuse Scheme will create positive outcomes for the environment and the people of metropolitan Adelaide by reducing reliance on water from the River Murray and Mount Lofty Ranges, and increasing urban stormwater harvesting and recycling.
The Barker Inlet Stormwater Reuse Scheme will harvest stormwater from the Barker Inlet wetlands. The Barker Inlet wetlands are fed by four stormwater drainage systems, carrying urban and industrial stormwater runoff from a catchment of approximately 4,500 hectares of the metropolitan area.
It is expected that the Scheme will be operational in 2013
Transfer of water from the Torrens River to Barker Inlet Wetlands
During the past two Summers, investigations to reduce the presence of blue green algal blooms in the Torrens Lake in the heart of the City of Adelaide have occurred. The investigations involve the release of water from a reservoir, with this water flowing through the Torrens River and Lake where it will disturb the growth of the algal blooms. These flows are referred to as "amenity flows" as they improve the amenity of the Torrens Lake.
Currently the amenity flows are diverted to the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant and West Lakes however there is a need to examine more beneficial uses for these flows.
One beneficial use that been identified is at the Barker Inlet wetlands. It is envisaged that the Barker Inlet Stormwater Scheme could make use of around half the daily volume of the amenity flows throughout future Summer periods.
Prior to investment being made for this transfer on an ongoing basis, SA Water are conducting a small scale trial during the 2012/2013 Summer to determine the feasibility of the proposal to divert the amenity flows to Barker Inlet wetlands using the existing stormwater network.
For further information about the trial read our fact sheet
For more information please call SA Water’s Customer Contact Centre on 1800 812 362.


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We have a great video premiere to share with you today from Rich McMahon. Ten Thousand Miles From Dublin features on his latest album ‘Songs of Exile, Love & Dissent’ which was produced by Mercury and BBC Folk Award nominee Gerry Diver. The video was filmed, directed and edited by Rich with contributions from Rory Haughney. Rich was kind enough to provide some words about the song and film below.
The traditional emigration song seemed passé in Ireland until the worldwide recession hit in 2008. In recent years a new generation of economic migrants has left Ireland for Australia, including my own sister, her partner and their young son. The song ‘Ten Thousand Miles from Dublin’ is my attempt to address the personal and political circumstances behind this latest wave of emigration from Ireland.
The accompanying video was filmed on my visit to New South Wales in January 2015. My sister had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and her partner was working many miles away in Queensland. The video is my attempt to chronicle their life in Australia, to convey that sense of a double-migration, in which the narrator is not only forced to move from his homeland, but also to spend weeks away from his partner and child in a remote location in order to earn enough money to survive.
The song is critical of the political and financial system that allowed such a thing to happen, and the images in the video illustrate perhaps that it is not a set of problems restricted to Ireland, but to the world in general.
Rich is currently on tour promoting his album. Tour Dates below:
20 – Penn Bowling Club (Irish Folk Set) – nr Wolverhampton
21 – Quatt Village Hall (Beyond Borders Show) – Shropshire
22- Patshull Park (Irish Folk Set) – Shropshire
23 – Warwick Folk Club (with Mad Jocks & Englishmen) – Warwick Arms Hotel, Warwick
29 – Flan O’Brien’s (‘Exile’ Tour Preview Show) – Walsall
04 – The Bull’s Head (‘Exile’ Tour Preview Show) – Chelmarsh, Shropshire
05 – The Swan Inn (‘Exile’ Tour Preview Show) – Staunton, Gloucestershire
06 – The Market Vaults, Stafford (‘Exile’ Tour Preview show) – Stafford
07 – The Whiskey Jar (Singers’ Night) – Manchester
08 – Otley Folk Club (Singers’ night) – W. Yorkshire
08 – Flanagan’s Apple (‘Exile’ Tour Preview Show) – Liverpool
11 – The Old Wagon & Horses (‘Exile’ Tour Preview show) – Kidderminster
24 – Dinedor Village Hall (Beyond Borders Show) – Hereford
26 – Katie Fitzgerald’s (‘Exile’ Tour preview show) – Stourbridge
13 – Croc an Oir (Exile, Love & Dissent Tour) – Tipperary, Ireland
15 – Whelan’s (Song Cycle) – Dublin
17 – Bruxelles (Zodiac Sessions) – Dublin
01 – Nuneaton Folk Club (with The Dubliners’ Sean Cannon) – The Crown Inn, Nuneaton


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Companies that want to do business in the European Union will soon have to pay extra if the carbon footprints of their products are too high.
The EU on Sunday officially began phase one of its carbon tariff.
The EU on Sunday officially began phase one of its carbon tariff. The first-of-its-kind tax scheme could help reduce the climate-warming emissions of industries that are notoriously hard to decarbonize, including cement and steel manufacturing.
Under the EU’s new policy, foreign companies must now report all the greenhouse gas emissions associated with certain imported goods: cement, steel, iron, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen fuel and electricity. Starting in 2026, any of those imports that don’t meet the bloc’s emissions standards will face an additional fee when crossing the border. Other goods will be considered for the tax in the coming years, the European Commission said.
foreign companies must now report all the greenhouse gas emissions associated with certain imported goods: cement, steel, iron, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen fuel and electricity
The tax policy has drawn criticism from countries like China and Russia, which argue it undermines the principles of free trade and worsens geopolitical tensions. Supporters say the program is necessary to put EU companies on an even playing field with nations that have lower environmental standards. They also say it will incentivize industries to more quickly reduce their carbon emissions and encourage other countries to follow suit by adopting their own carbon tariffs.
The EU’s carbon tariff “is not about trade protection,” Paolo Gentiloni, the European economy commissioner, told Reuters. “It is about protecting the EU’s climate ambition and seeking to raise the level of climate ambition worldwide.”
By law, the EU must reduce its emissions 55 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
The way a carbon tariff works is relatively simple. A company in China, for example, might sell relatively cheap cement, but with a high carbon footprint because the product is made in factories that run on electricity from coal-fired power plants. That puts EU cement makers, which are required to have lower emissions, at a cost disadvantage.
The EU company has had to invest extra money to switch to cleaner energy sources, buy carbon offsets and install more energy efficient equipment—meaning that, for now at least, it must sell its cement at a higher price. A carbon tariff essentially reduces the price differences between the domestic products and the more carbon-intensive foreign imports, incentivizing companies sending goods to the EU to reduce their emissions to avoid the additional fee.
Climate activists have long called on nations to adopt carbon tariffs, saying they’re a crucial tool in the fight to curb global warming. If enough nations adopt similar tax schemes, they say, even the companies and governments most resistant to calls for climate action could be forced to play ball.
In the United States, where climate policy has been highly politicized, the concept of a carbon tariff has recently emerged as a rare opportunity for bipartisan support.
While Republicans have generally opposed any new domestic taxes, some have now jumped on board with the idea of taxing the carbon emissions of foreign imports, seeing it as a way to give the U.S. a leg up on rivals like China.
Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, introduced a bill in Congress proposing a carbon tariff. Called the “Foreign Pollution Fee,” Cassidy said the legislation “would curtail China‘s ability to undercut U.S. manufacturers by penalizing China for not meeting the same reasonable environmental standards to which domestic manufacturers are held” and “level the playing field for American workers, making it less likely that jobs migrate to China.”
bill in Congress … called the “Foreign Pollution Fee”
Democrats proposed a similar bill last year, called the “Clean Competition Act,” championed by U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. The Whitehouse bill, however, would also charge domestic companies a fee if their emissions exceeded the average for their industry, E&E News reported.
With the two parties still fighting over budget issues, including efforts by GOP lawmakers to cut climate related funding made available under the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s unclear how either of the carbon tariff proposals will shake out this year.
Still, there are signs that the idea is gaining support. In August, a group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced the “PROVE IT Act,” which would require the Department of Energy to study the carbon intensity of U.S. industries with the intention of informing a future carbon tariff.
“The United States manufactures and produces domestic goods and resources with some of the highest environmental standards in the world—far cleaner than many of our global competitors,” U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, said in a statement announcing the bill. “I’m glad to join this commonsense legislation that will demonstrate to the world our environmental standards and promote the continuation of clean production.”
Explanation of graph from Learn Economics
Carbon taxes and carbon trading
A carbon tax is a tax on carbon emissions. The term ‘carbon’ is now generally used as a shorter alternative to ‘greenhouse gases’, with C02 making up around 65% of global greenhouse gases .
Carbon is generated as a result of economic activity from both production and consumption. Most carbon emissions arise directly from the generation of energy from fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil). In terms of sources of carbon, energy use if the single largest source, at 75% – comprising energy used in industry at 24.5%, energy used in buildings at 17.5%, and energy for transport at 16.2%. Agriculture and land use makes up a further 18.4% of emissions. .
Carbon taxes and carbon permits  are two methods which try to put a price on carbon emissions, and reduce the market failure [iii] arising from unregulated carbon emissions. Both carbon taxes and carbon permits use market mechanisms to help establish a price for carbon.
Classifying carbon taxes
There are several ways to classify carbon taxes depending at which stage in the supply-chain the tax is levied.
Upstream taxation puts a tax on the primary source of the carbon emission, including the industries that extract and process fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal producers. The tax is then passed downstream towards final users , eventually resulting in increases in the downstream prices of goods (and services).
In theory, a carbon tax could be imposed at any point in the supply chain of a particular good (or service). However, those responsible for designing carbon tax systems prefer the tax to be imposed as far upstream as possible as there are fewer ‘entities’ involved . The initial tax is then passed down through the supply chain, finally arriving at the end-user – hence there are fewer administration costs for the tax authorities.
How do carbon taxes work?
Like all indirect taxes, a carbon tax is imposed on producers, rather than consumers, although the incidence of tax may fall more on consumers than producers – this depends on the price elasticity of demand for the goods or services on which the tax is levied.
The rate of tax should, in theory, equate to the external cost of carbon to society. Most countries that have a carbon tax set a rate per metric ton of CO2 produced.
A carbon tax is, in effect, an additional production cost. How much costs increase depends partly on whether the tax is a percentage tax – known as an ‘ad valorem’ tax – or a specific amount.
Globally, carbon taxes are typically set at a fixed amount per metric ton produced, with annual increases to take into account each country’s target for reduced emissions. For example, Norway’s current €60 per ton tax is set to rise to €200 by 2030. Graphically, the effect of a tax is to shift the supply (cost) curve vertically upwards.
The incidence of a carbon tax
The incidence of a carbon tax (or, indeed, any indirect tax) refers to ‘who’ pays the tax. In the above case, the incidence is split relatively evenly between the producer of the taxable output – in this case, the steel producer – and the consumer or user of the output – in this case, the downstream firms, such as motor vehicle producers. Motor manufacturers will, in turn, pass this on to the next stage – fleet car companies, or private car purchasers. Of course, governments can add additional taxes down the supply chain, such as introducing an additional carbon charge on new vehicles, or on petrol (gasoline) or diesel.
More countries introduce carbon pricing
As can be seen below, since 2005 carbon pricing has increased so that by 2021 nearly 25% of all carbon emissions were covered by some form of carbon pricing initiative. The single biggest impact on this growth was the introduction of China’s national Emissions Trading System in 2021. Of course, critics would point to the 75% of global emissions that remain untouched by carbon pricing.
The global carbon tax map
The map below shows which countries currently use a carbon tax. This does not include countries who participate in an Emissions Trade System (ETS). It should also be noted that not all countries refer to these taxes as carbon taxes. For example, in the UK the relevant tax is called the Climate Change Levy.
Advantages and disadvantages of using carbon taxes
Carbon taxes provide a number of benefits, including:
Helping achieve the socially desirable and sustainable quantity of carbon emissions.
Taxes are widely ‘understood‘ and accepted as a means of altering behaviour.
Carbon taxes are relatively cheap to collect, with a small administrative cost.
Global take-up is increasing.
Carbon taxes generate tax revenue.
Rates can be increased each year to help governments meet their carbon reduction targets.
Rates can be adjusted for different energy sources – different rates for gas, oil and coal.
Jobs cab be created in the emerging ‘carbon economy‘.
Taxes exploit the market mechanism to ‘internalise the externality‘ – despite their failures, market forces are a powerful and efficient means of allocating resources and changing behaviour.
Carbon taxes also have several disadvantages, including:
While carbon taxes will affect the price of carbon they do not set a cap on emissions – unlike ‘cap-and-trade’ systems.
Setting tax rates is subject to information failure.
There may be unintended consequences, such as ‘carbon leakage’ where producers outsource production to territories which are not part of any carbon scheme.
Reductions in carbon may not be guaranteed as consumers/users continue to undertake carbon emitting activities, and are willing to pay the tax [there is no cap on emissions].
Indirect taxes tend to be regressive, with the heaviest burden on the poor (or poorest nations).
Sources and endnotes
 United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2019, viewed April 5, 2020, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
 Options and Considerations for a Federal Carbon Tax, February 2013, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Viewed May 8th 2021, https://www.c2es.org/site/assets/uploads/2013/02/options-considerations-federal-carbon-tax.pdf
 Options and Considerations for a Federal Carbon Tax, February 2013, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Viewed May 8th 2021, https://www.c2es.org/site/assets/uploads/2013/02/options-considerations-federal-carbon-tax.pdf (p5).


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If salty crunchy snacks are your thing, this alternative to fried potato chips will be your new favorite treat. At about half the calories of your traditional potato chips, these parsnip and carrot chips are baked instead of deep fried.
Parsnips are much like a cinnamon-infused, blonde carrot and they are loaded with potassium. Chock full of vitamin A, carrots are antioxidant powerhouses. This snack is also a good source of fiber.
So next time you need to satisfy your salty snack craving, try salt and vinegar parsnip and carrot chips!
Parsnip and Carrot Chips
4 large carrots
Braggs apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
Oil spray (such as olive oil)
1. Preheat oven to 300. Liberally coat 2 baking sheets with oil spray.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips out of the carrots and parsnips. Continue reading “Snack Today: Parsnip and Carrot Chips with Salt and Vinegar”
As we age, our bone density decreases and diseases such as osteoporosis can occur. The best way to avoid this, or decrease the chance of this disease, is by making sure your bones are strong now. Exercise, diet and supplementation are all important for building strong bones and maintaining bone health.
Many studies have shown the value of calcium along with other minerals and vitamins in supporting bone health. The best way to get calcium and other supportive nutrients is a combination of diet and supplements. This has shown to be a more effective way of protecting bone mass than diet alone or supplementation alone.
So first thing, make sure that you are eating healthfully. Make sure that your diet contains foods that are rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and zinc. Although dairy is most people’s go-to for bone health, there are many other options for getting your calcium and other bone-supportive nutrients. Continue reading “Building Strong Bones with Diet, Exercise and Bone Guardian”
Today the World Health Organization (WHO) linked processed meat and bowel cancer. The WHO announced that eating processed meats can increase the occurrence of bowel cancer. Processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation. Most processed meats contain pork or beef. The report defines red meat as beef, lamb and pork.
The France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO, put processed meat like hot dogs and ham in its Group 1 list, “carcinogenic to humans.” Tobacco, asbestos and diesel fumes are also on the Group 1 list.
The risk which seems to be most associated with processed meats made from red meats. And red meat was classified as a “probable” carcinogen in its Group 2A list that also contains glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weed killers. Continue reading “Processed Meat and Bowel Cancer: WHO Finds a Link”
In our family, the pancake is not just a breakfast food. Maybe it’s because we top them with local maple syrup, but pancakes are always a hit in this house. This is why I also try to make them as nutritionally dense as possible… from beet pancakes to pumpkin pancakes, there are a lot of delicious additions you can make to regular pancake batter. Get creative!
Zucchini is one of my favorites things to add to pancakes. It is a light-tasting vegetable that belongs in the squash family and is a late summer crop. Luckily, we have had a mild fall, so there are still some lingering in local gardens.
Zucchini has a range of nutrients including vitamins B6 and C, potassium and manganese, and with a medium-size zucchini containing only 30 calories, it is great for those who need to watch their calorie intake.
This recipe combines grated zucchini with ricotta for a high-protein meal that can be enjoyed any time of day. Continue reading “Dinner Tonight: Zucchini Pancakes”
Studies recently published in the the British Medical Journal suggest that taking supplemental calcium does not boost bone density or prevent fractures as people get older.
In the new studies, scientists in New Zealand looked at the effect of diet and supplements on bone health in people over age 50. The first study found that increasing calcium intake from dietary sources or by taking supplements produced small (1%-2%) increases in bone mineral density, and the second found there was no evidence from clinical trials that increasing dietary calcium intake prevented bone breaks.
The researchers concluded that most people should get enough calcium through a normal diet with the inclusion of dairy products, vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, soy beans, nuts, and anything made with fortified flour. Currently, the US National Osteoporosis Foundation promotes at least 1,200 mg calcium, plus 800-1000 IU of vitamin D daily, as a goal for women age 50 or older. Many also believe that few people can achieve these intakes through dietary means alone, and this is where nutritional supplements may be beneficial. Continue reading “New Research on Supplemental Calcium”

domain: food


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One thing which any follower of Conservative politics knows is that Lord Ashcroft is not a great fan of David Cameron. He spent a lot of money, 8 million is often quoted, on the 2010 election campaign, Cameron failed to win a majority, went into coalition with the Liberal Democrats, and failed to offer Lord Ashcroft a significant job. Some say that instead Ashcroft was offered his wish of an airport on St. Helena.
Some ten months ago on this blogI pointed out the revelations of a former airline pilot, Brian Heywood, who had in 2010 written to David Cameron warning against building the airport. Lord Ashcroft has now taken to the pages of Conservative Home to attack the former Prime Minister for ignoring that letter.
I am not a great fan of David Cameron, but I do wonder if I was faced with pressure from a disgruntled, billionaire party donor to build an airport, and a letter from an unknown former airline pilot advising against doing so, which path I would have taken!


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Super Bowl Sunday traffic in any city is bound to be relentless and Super Bowl LI was no exception. Looking to cut down on game day stress, many elected to carpool, ride share, take public transit and even walk to NRG Stadium. StubHub.com, however, had other plans in mind when it came to moving their some 5,000 people at their pregame party to the stadium. By hiring FestDrive for SuperBowl shuttles, they were able to seamlessly shuttle all 5,000+ party-goers safely to the stadium.
Surveyed passengers were quoted as saying they were so pleasantly surprised and how much fun the shuttles contributed to the Super Bowl experience. Driving would have only added to the already stressful commute, but partying with friends on a luxury bus charter not only reduced that stress, but made the commute fun. They were able to enjoy pregame food and adult beverages without the worry of who was going to drive etc, FestDrive had their backs.
In addition to getting everyone there safe, sound and ready to cheer, FestDrive did the city of Houston a service by removing roughly 1,700 cars off the road for gameday. Those who were in Houston for the game will testify to the insane traffic, safe to say it could’ve been a lot worse.
FestDrive continues their mission to make festival and event travel more fun, more affordable and better for the environment. Take a Festdrive bus charter to your next festival.

domain: travel


If you are not familiar along with this rifle, you need to consider buying one for your own self. If you are actually intrigued in possessing this type of rifle, you should take into consideration a couple of essential things concerning the AK-47.
The AK-47 is a rifle that could be quickly functioned. The weapon performs not need a bunch of time to discover just how to utilize it. Actually, a considerable amount of folks that have actually know how to use this rifle have had the ability to use it right away. This is a quite necessary component that most individuals yearn for in a rifle. Nevertheless, an individual would not intend to must discover just how to run a weapon that is going to simply be actually utilized on a couple of events.
The AK-47 AK-47 RIFLES FOR SALE can be made use of for practically any kind of objective. You should presume concerning how you will certainly be actually capable to use it if you are fascinated in utilizing this style of rifle. This will definitely help you calculate what type of rifle you will definitely have the ability to utilize.
If you are interested in looking, the AK-47 is actually perfect for you. You should check into acquiring this kind of rifle to ensure you can obtain one in a wide variety of sizes. It will certainly be much easier for you to pick the rifle that is going to operate better for you.
If you intend to buy a rifle that is going to be actually used for army purposes, after that the AK-47 is the one for you. The rifle is used by folks that reside in the armed forces at all times. This is a terrific alternative for you if you yearn for to know exactly how to utilize this style of rifle.
This is actually likewise a good alternative for you if you really want to acquire an AK-47 to use for the reasons of the authorities power. You will have the ability to find a rifle that is just right for the role that you think about. When you are actually in an urgent, this will certainly produce it simpler for you to know exactly how to use the rifle so that you will certainly be capable to be prepped.
If you are interested in acquiring an AK-47 for the objectives of personal use, after that you ought to consider buying a semi-automatic rifle. This is a sort of gun that is offered in many different measurements as well as arrangements. This is a great choice for folks who carry out certainly not require a great deal of energy in the gun.
When you are actually exploring the different types of rifles readily available, it is crucial for you to make sure that you know the possibilities that you possess. Given that there are actually lots of different kinds of rifles that you can easily obtain, this is a significant point to take into consideration. If you understand what you are looking for in a rifle, after that you will definitely have the capacity to locate one that is suitable for you.
If you are interested in buying a rifle given that you are curious in seeking, therefore you ought to search in to the AK-47. You will certainly be able to discover a rifle that is actually best for your necessities.
If you are interested in making use of the AK-47 for the purpose of self-defense, then you should take into consideration buying an automated rifle. This is actually a possibility that is offered to you if you perform not possess the amount of time or persistence to learn exactly how to make use of a semi-automatic rifle. It is actually easier for you to be capable to discover exactly how to utilize this type of weapon when you are using one.
If you want getting a rifle given that you are actually wanting to purchase one for the functions of a recreational function, then you must take into consideration the AK-47. This is actually a choice that is ideal for you. It is durable and also is actually user-friendly for a selection of reasons.
There are various kinds of rifles that you can buy depending on what type of condition you would like to use it in. This will make it simpler for you to receive one that you will certainly have the ability to make use of. This will certainly likewise make it easier for you to find one that you can easily utilize when you are hoping to purchase one for a variety of objectives.
What will a male like me to point out if he were actually to discuss that he was seeking the AK-47? To the unaware, the item is actually a Russian-designed rifle that has been actually used in conflicts around the globe.
The AK-47 is actually a weapon that shoots the complete calibre shot – a cartridge that is one as well as a 50 percent opportunities the size of a rifle cartridge. Hence, the AK-47 is among the bigger calibre rifle ink cartridges around the world.
This size makes the AK-47 among the much larger rifle ink cartridges, and because of this is actually frequently considered a big deal. Certainly, as a result of its own dimension, the AK-47 is actually made use of by several military forces, featuring the Russian army.
The AK-47 was initially made through Mikhail Kalashnikov, the exact same man that generated the Kalashnikov rifle, and also was actually later on used due to the Russian army. Although it is now had by the Russian government, lots of folks still use it as a searching tool.
As it is the most extensive rifle cartridge, the AK-47 possesses a large cost of fire. This is actually not a correct figure, it is actually likely that the AK-47 can easily terminate in between five hundred to seven hundred spheres every min.
Due to this high firing cost, the AK-47 has actually been actually utilized as an automatic rifle as well as is actually typically utilized for searching. It is actually utilized for haunting as well as assailing pets, and although not as precise as the rifle, may be made use of properly.
Unlike the AK-47, the AK-56 possesses a much reduced shooting fee and is actually so much more accurate. It is actually a much smaller calibre rifle, the AK-56 is quite preferred with many seekers.
The AK-47 has been the item of choice for lots of folks who really want a rifle that may conveniently be utilized for searching. It is not one of the most popular rifle, but it is actually still very popular. It can be utilized for seeking as well as being utilized by forces.


Party Favor 2017
Party Favor Concert dates
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Party Favor tour dates
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Party Favor tour tickets
Shaky Beats Music Festival Concert schedule
- Fri. May. 05 : Shaky Beats Music Festival Centennial Olympic Park, GA - Atlanta
- Fri. Dec. 29 : SnowGlobe Music Festival South Lake Tahoe Community College, CA - South Lake Tahoe
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Thanks to this website, you could attain Party Favor concert ticketss whether where you live is in Atlanta and South Lake Tahoe , and principally you will pay only reasonable prices. Due to the legions of fans that Party Favor concert tickets has including in Atlanta and South Lake Tahoe, tickets sell out a bit early and in some cases prices are hefty, however not after you arrived here. This website makes it easy for you to attend Party Favor concert tickets 2017 performances and supports you book VIP seats for all concert performances taking place in Atlanta and South Lake Tahoe or anywhere around US.


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Lest you think Beyoncé and Jay Z really run the game, Sony is here to remind them who can actually make the world stop. In an extensive look at Tidal’s shortcomings, Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Sony is threatening to pull all of its artists’ music from Tidal — including one of the streaming platform’s co-owners, Beyoncé. According to sources, Jay Z has yet to reach a deal on a streaming contract with Sony, which is reportedly asking for “large advances” in return for the rights to stream its artists’ respective catalogues. (Two of the other major record companies, Universal and Warner, have reached deals with Tidal.)
If Jay Z can’t pay Sony the money it’s requesting, Bloomberg says Beyoncé and all other Sony artists — including other Tidal co-owners Daft Punk, Alicia Keys, and Usher — will likely disappear from Tidal. (Sony recently pulled its artists from SoundCloud for similar reasons.) Bloomberg does, however, note that Tidal is in good financial standing, meaning this could either turn out to be just a minor headache for Hov or a major embarrassment. Whichever way it goes, it’s pretty clear Jay Z is not having a good day (or year).
Update: Sony Music’s CEO Doug Morris has issued a statement denying Bloomberg’s report: “Jay-Z is a friend and business associate for many years. I have always admired his business acumen, his entrepreneurship and his passion for music. All of our content, including Beyoncé, is available through the Tidal service, and we have announced no plans to remove our catalog from Tidal. Like all of our other partners, we are rooting for Jay and Tidal to succeed.”


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Emerson Palmieri has revealed Eden Hazard’s sombre final message to his Chelsea team-mates before he joined Real Madrid.
After 12 long months, the Belgium captain finally got his move to the Bernabeu in a deal worth up to £130m.
Although Hazard signed off with two goals in Baku to secure the Europa League, his parting gift to his team-mates was far more heartfelt.
And Palmieri admits he couldn’t quite believe their star man was gone until he left their WhatsApp group.
He revealed there has been no activity in the group since as players began to enjoy their downtime before returning to London for pre-season.
Palmieri told ESPN Brazil : “On the WhatsApp group, the last move there was Hazard’s farewell.
“He said goodbye to the boys and such, since then, we don’t know anything else. It’s weird.
“He sent a ‘thank you, I love you guys’, and then it showed ‘Eden Hazard left the group’.
“I said damn, he really left.”


After making its official debut at the 2010 SEMA Show as a feature vehicle in the Source Interlink booth, the 2011 MM&FF/AMSOIL Mustang is now ready for its close-up. Built in just two months time, Source Interlink pulled out all the stops in creating the head-turning end result. Completely modified from the inside out, the Mustang GT brings big horsepower and bigger presence. The attention to detail throughout the build is impeccable, including the hand painted logos, colors and ‘real fire’ effects featured on the vehicle.
Upcoming publicity for the AMSOIL Mustang includes an article featuring the build in the March issue of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine, followed by a cover story in the April 2011 issue. AMSOIL is installed throughout, making this ride capable of handling all the power and performance modifications that have been added to it. Be sure to pick up the March issue first when it hits newsstands January 25th, and get all the details on what went into the making of this striking 2011 Mustang GT.


Samples of the week: sounds, instruments, offers, giveaways
Source: Gear News
Samples of the week! We bring back 6 virtual basses from multi-instrumentalist Dan Dean’s collection, a sample-based replica of a Fender Stratocaster, and a very interesting Kontakt instrument for experimental sounds. Fans of free downloads should check out the new LABS instrument, Tape Piano. Read more below…
Tracktion Dan Dean Essential Bass – Samples
This Tracktion plug-in provides six sampled bass guitars from the collection of musician, producer and developer Dan Dean. His credits include BB King, Peggy Lee, Dionne Warwick and drummer Alex Acuna – I wouldn’t doubt his ability to spin a groove!
For the instrument itself, an intuitive user interface gives you access to important parameters such as attack, release, glide and release noise. An amp simulator, effects section and over a hundred presets are available for further sound processing. A variety of slides and harmonics can be controlled from the mod wheel and key switches in an effort to achieve realistic articulations.
The plugin works in 64-bit VST2, VST3 and AU formats on macOS 10.11+ and Windows 10+. PDF instructions and a 90-day free trial are available on the developer’s website. The reduced introductory price of USD 70 applies until July 15. The normal price is 99 USD.
Native Instruments Session Guitarist – Electric Mint
Electric Mint gives you the sound of a world famous electric guitar – a simple Fender Stratocaster. Native Instruments and Drumasonic sampled a model made in the USA in the 1960s. The lush description of “silky licks and soulful grooves, driving solos or hard-hitting funk riffs” sounds about right. The Strat sound is timeless and it’s nice to have it in a keyboard-friendly format for producers who love it. For this, the Kontakt instrument comes with enough patterns and MIDI chord progressions to start a song in almost any style.
Native Instruments has also thought about sound shaping possibilities. You can adjust the sound of virtual mics, modify a dynamic vintage mic, and apply various amp and cabinet emulations. There’s probably a bit of Guitar Rig 6 here, which I would totally agree with. You can choose between finger-picked or plectrum-picked articulations while the sound engine supports hammers, pull-offs, fret noise, legato, and other appropriate phrasing details. You can manually determine the character of muted notes and accents between upbeats and downbeats, as well as swing and humanize settings. You can also add bends with the virtual tremolo lever and finger tremolo.
The instrument includes 71 presets ranging from clean and direct sounds to crisp and distorted sounds. Electric Mint works in the free Kontakt Player and the full version of Kontakt 6.7+. It includes 222 patterns and 53 ready-to-use songs in a 14.6 GB download. The library costs 99 EUR.
sonic dust plankton
Plankton is a Kontakt instrument that looks very fun. It strives to emulate an organic music system somewhat inspired by the music game Electroplankton for the Nintendo DS. If you like this game or the loops, polyrhythms, generative music, and surprise crashes, you’re going to like this!
Plankton incorporates a sequencer and an algorithmic playback engine as well as a suite of different effects. It features 83 specially recorded impulse responses to create both natural and “impossible” spaces for each joint. The samples themselves are from a Novation Summit, a Hohner Pianet T, a Cramer grand piano, a Celesta and Dulcitone and a Hammond BR. So some variety right there!
The instrument includes 1500 samples and 50 snapshots in a 1.1 GB download. The full version of Kontakt 5.8+ is required. The normal price is 48 EUR, but you will only pay 33.60 EUR until July 18, 2022.
Free: Spitfire Audio LABS Tape Piano Samples
A piano recorded on an old tape recorder? Of course, bring it! Spitfire Audio presents an irresistible combination with the latest entry in its popular LABS series. Tape loops, echoes and a magnetic card reader were used during recording. The sounds obtained are pleasant and “wobbly”. The instrument runs in the free LABS reader, which is available as a plug-in for macOS and Windows. You will find all the additional information on Spitfire Audio.


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Why Did Genise Shelton Disappear From ‘Married to Medicine’?
What happened to Genise Shelton? ‘Married to Medicine’ fans might remember her vanishing from the show in Season 5. Here’s what reportedly happened.
Longtime Married to Medicine viewers might remember Genise Shelton, the friend who recurred in the Bravo reality show’s fourth season and guest-starred in the fifth before disappearing from the show. So, what happened to Genise on Married to Medicine?
If you believe the online gossip, Genise got the axe when cast member Contessa Metcalfe came along, and apparently, she and Contessa used to be friends! Here are the salacious details…
Genise Shelton was reportedly dropped in favor of Contessa Metcalfe.
In November 2017 — around two months before Bravo aired Genise’s last credited episode on IMDb — AllAbouttheTea.com reported that Genise had been fired and even “backstabbed and replaced by [her] former friend.”
“Production fired Genise and replaced her with her own friend,” an insider told the site. “This friend is the new girl on the show. She took Genise’s spot and the whole thing is messy as hell.”
That purported friend was Contessa, who became a main Married to Medicine cast member in Season 5.
“Contessa test-filmed, and the producers loved her,” the insider said. “But she could have declined to come on the show when she found out she was in and Genise was out. They fired Genise and replaced her with Contessa.”
Contessa’s nanny, Renee Byrd, said she got Contessa on the show.
The insider also told AllAbouttheTea.com that one selling point for Contessa was that producers liked the nanny working for her, a nanny who who was “loud” and “rude” and “cuss[ed] like a sailor.”
That nanny turned out to be Renee Byrd — who happens to be the mother of Donell Jones, according to Reality Blurb — and she spilled the tea on her experience on the show in a March 2018 interview with AllAbouttheTea.com.
“[Married To Medicine production] told me that I was the one that got Contessa on the show. I was told I wouldn’t be on contract,” Renee told the site, adding that she hadn’t been Contessa’s nanny for a long time by that point.
“I told Contessa I would do one show, but it ended up that I was doing more than one,” she said. “They kept calling me to film several scenes, but no one was doing my make up and I wasn’t being paid. I’m doing everything for [Contessa] and getting nothing, so I started to feel used and abused.”
Genise is back to work at her real estate business and her nonprofit.
She may not be a Married to Medicine fixture anymore, but Genise is still hard at work. She’s the owner and managing broker of Genesis Realty Group in Atlanta, and she’s the founder of Our Children’s Keeper, a nonprofit organization that seeks to protect children and vulnerable individuals from sex trafficking.
“A lot of time, we wait until it hits home to act, but I had to ask myself why wasn’t anything being done to prevent this horror from happening,” Shelton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in December 2017.
For help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, call 1-888-373-7888 (TTY: 711), text 233733, or use the hotline’s live chat.