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Diane Weigmann / Promo Pictures17:59
Earlier this year I illustrated these promo pictures for the brilliant German singer Diane Weigmann, whose wonderful new album 'Kein Unbeschriebenes Blatt' will be released in early 2013. She is the loveliest person to work with and these were so much fun to draw! I also illustrated the cover/booklet for her new album, can't wait to show you once it comes out. In the meantime you can have a peek at the album cover illustration on her new website. The fantastic photos were taken by Stadtgoeren.de from Berlin.

domain: entertainment


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Up North Hat
Is Northern Michigan one of your favorite places to vacation? Beautiful beaches, forests, and more are ready to be explored! If you're like us and love to go Up North, this hat is perfect for you.
- Unstructured hat
- Two-tone khaki hat with blue bill
- Adjustable strap with brass buckle

domain: geography


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Afghanistan Is About More Than the War
No Associated Press content was harmed in the writing of this post
A couple of weeks ago Dick Cheney made headlines for accusing the Obama administration of "dithering" on its policy goals for Afghanistan. At this point Cheney does not deserve to be thought of as anything other than a crazy and potentially senile old coot, so the substance of what he said is irrelevant. Its subtext may be revealing, though.
The decision on the war should be viewed in the context of the shadowy activities that are taking place in Afghanistan, far away from any battlefields. The prison at Bagram seems particularly important; in Amy Davidson’s jaded but apparently accurate view "closing Guantánamo increases the need for a new Guantánamo." Andy Worthington fleshed out her point by making the persuasive case that the Obama administration is keenly interested in having a place to stash inconvenient human beings that is completely outside judicial or congressional jurisdiction. It appears the CIA is handing suspects over to the military, and they exist completely within the military’s chain of command.
During the Bush years the administration favored use of the Gang of Eight briefing process, approved in 1980, in which "the executive branch is permitted by statute to limit notification to the chairmen and ranking minority members of the two congressional intelligence committees, the Speaker and minority leader of the House, and Senate majority and minority leaders, rather than to notify the full intelligence committees." Unfortunately, there appears to be confusion over what is permitted with the briefing process; Jane Harman complained she was not allowed to take notes during the ones she attended or even discuss it with her colleagues.
Harman’s dissatisfaction shows what makes the Gang of Eight process a charade: The president decides when to use it and can bring enormous pressure to bear on those being briefed. Human nature is to err on the side of caution and to give the benefit of the doubt to those we work with. If the president says, "I’m going to tell you this, but it’s extremely sensitive and a leak could have grave consequences," how defiant do you think any of those eight will be? Harman could have flatly said, I’m taking notes – try to stop me. She did not, though. Yes it was a failure of courage on her part, but no formula for effective oversight can have courage as a prerequisite. Interestingly, the FAS article points out there is officially no restriction to members of the Gang of Eight sharing details of the briefing with the full membership of the intelligence committees. It still seems designed to strongly discourage sharing and disclosure, though.
Presidents will not willingly give that up that power. Barack Obama has threatened to veto the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2010 over its repeal of the Gang of Eight provision. When it was initially revealed a number of bloggers, including Spencer Ackerman, Matt Yglesias and Marcy Wheeler, noted its significance. It did not make much of a splash in the larger outlets, though, and unfortunately has never become a topic for discussion among political or media elites.
Allowing the House and Senate Permanent Select Committees on Intelligence set their own briefing rules is a greatly needed reform. As long as the president can in effect keep Congress in the dark – and make no mistake that is exactly what the Gang of Eight process does – the CIA also has reason to lightly regard it. Silvestre Reyes can furrow his brow at the CIA all he wants, but he must understand that the Agency feels it can lie to Congress as needed because the oversight process is so anemic. (By the way, the SpacePolicyOnline.com article claims "no intelligence authorization bill has cleared Congress in four years." If true that strikes me as noteworthy; failure to pass one presumably does not de-fund intelligence agencies. What kind of institutional inertia or perverse incentives are in play that makes failure to properly authorize a budget so attractive?)
Which leads back to Dick Cheney and Bagram. So far Afghanistan has been an executive branch playground. It is home for not just military adventure but a lawless netherworld into which all the unpleasant consequences of our aggrandized, arrogant and short sighted foreign policies can be hidden away. The courts don’t get to have a say and Congress doesn’t even have to be told. But if we pull out all our soldiers that situation will have to end. No wonder the former vice president wants lots of extra troops sent there, and the current president is so eager to keep news from there bottled up. America has heavily invested in a very dark project in Afghanistan. Transparency can only bring trouble.

domain: news


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The Slovenian territory that borders with Italy, also called the Soča Valley, includes three major towns: Bovec, Kobarid and Tolmin. Kobarid is a small historic town below the mighty mount Krn and the scene of heavy battles on the Isonzo Front. There are many historical sights that tell the story of the Isonzo Front: Kobarid Museum, Italian Ossuary, Memorial church of Javorca, outdoor museums, numerous cemeteries, chapels etc. All these sights are connected by the long-distance Walk of Peace from the Alps to the Adriatic. The Soča Valley is known for its beautiful unspoiled nature, numerous waterfalls (Kozjak, Boka, Virje), gorges (the Tolmin Gorge) and the emerald Soča river. It is also a paradise for many sports activities; there are many hiking and biking trails, water sports and fishing are popular along the Soča River, while paragliders take up their space in the air.
In Soča Valley, the significance of traditional food has been very important already in the past. The gastronomic tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, both in written and oral form, especially the cheese-making tradition. Only a few can resist the smells of local cuisine and renown culinary delicacies such as potatoes with cottage cheese, frika (potato cheese omelette), trout, delicious local desserts “Kobariški štruklji” (sweet dumplings with walnuts and raisins) and “Bovški krafi” (sweet pockets with pears and walnut filling), and for centuries appreciated cheeses with a protected origin – Tolminc cheese and Bovec cheese.
However, the cuisine of Soča Valley is anything but simple and plain. In Soča Valley, local tradition is transformed into top gastronomy. Many excellent restaurants and inns with a long family tradition are developing modern flavors and thus elevating the local cuisine to a higher level. The highlight of the local gastronomy is presented by Hiša Franko restaurant, where Ana Roš, named The World’s Best Female Chef in 2017, creates her original and creative dishes, while the restaurant itself has held the title of one of the best restaurants in the world for several years. It is the only restaurant in Slovenia with two Michelin stars.
The gastronomic offer of Soča Valley is complemented by culinary events and festivals such as Jestival, Potatoe Night, Frikafest, Soča Trout Festival.
Soča Valley is also famous for its liqueurs, as the locals have preserved the distillery tradition very well. Native fruit varieties, mainly coming from large apple, pear and plum orchards, are the basis of local liquors. Brandy has a recognizable flower with a pleasant smell and taste. It is distilled in the traditional way in special copper boilers with caps.
Soča Valley is not a wine-growing area, however, the story of wine is nevertheless very important, as the valley is located right next to Goriška Brda region (Slovenian Collio), famous for its quality wines.
SANTUARIO DI CASTELMONTE
Prepotto is an Italian town with just over 700 inhabitants in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Among the largest municipalities in the province of Udine, its 34 neighbourhoods cover a surface of 34.24 km². It borders for 15 km with Slovenia coinciding with the Judrio stream, which was the border between the Republic of Venice and Austria with the Treaty of Worms of 1521.
The borderland has a particularly interesting history, a perfect synthesis of cultures and populations that have animated this area of Friuli.
The orography of the municipal area is rather complete. Flat plains and mountainous areas alternate creating a unique landscape, rich in flora and wild fauna.
The pride of the Prepotto area is the Schioppettino, a native vine born right in the Judrio Valley that is part of the Ribolla family. This small town famous not only for the landscape, but also for the castle and sanctuary of Castelmonte and the many farms which make Prepotto the city of wine.
Wine tourism and slow tourism are well-founded pillars of the village’s economy.
The cuisine of Prepotto as a borderland has been strongly influenced by history and by the exchange with neighbouring populations, becoming a fusion. In particular, the two culinary traditions that have most influenced it, like all Friulian cuisine, are Slavic on the one hand and the Austro-Hungarian on the other.
Prepotto’s cuisine therefore shares most of the dishes we encounter in the rest of the Natisone Valleys and the Friulian plain.
It is a cuisine which reuses the ingredients, one of its symbolic dishes is undoubtedly the frico, which is prepared using the scraps and remains of Friulian cheeses, mixing them with potatoes and onions.
The white or yellow cornmeal polenta is very significant, it accompanies every traditional dish, while the toc ‘in braideaaccompanies a cream of Friulian cheeses or a sausage ragù.
Soups are highly important, including bean and potato soup which require long cooking and preparation. Among the first courses there is no shortage of homemade pasta cut in the shape of tagliatelle or blecs, or irregular squares in addition to potato, spinach or pumpkin gnocchi in Autumn. With a contrasting flavour we find at the end of summer the potato gnocchi stuffed with plums, a unique and delicious dish that represents well the melting pot of traditions. In spring we find dishes with wild herbs, in particular risotto with “sclopit” (Silene) or “ruscolins” (wild asparagus) and omelette with “urticions” (wild hops).
The most used meat is certainly pork. In the past, home-reared pigs provided the family with meat and fat throughout the year. Like the rest of Friuli, the municipality of Prepotto boasts a very rich heritage of traditional cured meats. One of the best known sausages is the “musetto” (muzzle) which takes its name from the animal’s face. It is almost a ritual food at Christmas and the New Year, which is served together with another symbol of Friulian cuisine that has received DOP protection, the brovada: turnips soured by a long fermentation under the pomace of grapes to red berry. With the meat dishes there is no shortage of beef, game and poultry, especially chicken and rabbits.
Prepotto extends into the valley of the Judrio river, therefore among the traditional cuisine we find trout and, once upon a time, crayfish.
One of the more typical desserts is the Gubana, from the Slovenian “Guba” or “fold” due to its shape; is a dessert made from raised dough with a filling of dried fruit, all embellished with grappa.
If Friuli Venezia Giulia is the best known Italian region for the production of quality white wines, Schioppettino stands out as the autochthonous red grape variety capable of rivaling the white ones. Especially in the territory of Prepotto and in the Judrio Valley, as recognized by the “Schioppettino di Prepotto” classed in the sub-area of the “Friuli Colli Orientali” DOC, this area is specifically reserved for wine made from grapes of the same name. A method oriented around a production of uncompromised quality establishes that the vineyards must produce a maximum of 1.55 kg of grapes per vine and that the harvest is carried out manually.
Aging is mandatory in wooden barrels for at least 12 months and must be placed on the market no earlier than September of the second year following the harvest. Due to the spicy aromatic characteristics, the wine is a notably typical, which derives from the unique relationship between climate and soil that’s created in the Judrio valley. But it’s not only the terroir that makes wine unique: the winemaker too must be able to interpret the language of the earth, transforming it into unmistakable fragrances, flavours and colours. This is how, in the glass, the Schioppettino of Prepotto reveals its authenticity: intense ruby red, strong scent of wild berries and morello cherries and a singular and precious spicy note of pepper. Elegant and complex like the great Friulian wines, it makes versatility its strong point. It ties together meat dishes or, if aged, even game. It also manages to amaze with fish dishes or spicy meals. Historically we understand how the Schioppettino can aspire to be recognized as the most prestigious red grape of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Mentioned since the Middle Ages, the Schioppettino has been present in Prepotto for centuries, surviving the challenging events that have affected this borderland between Italian, German and Slavic agricultural traditions.
In the “Acts and memoirs of the Agricultural Society of Gorizia” of 1877 it was defined as a “delicate grape” originating from Prepotto. Poggi, in his main work dedicated to Friulian viticulture in 1939, described it as a vine “grown almost exclusively in the hills and foothills of the municipality of Prepotto. The black Ribolla, outside its optimum environment, even at a distance of a few kilometers, gives a wine that no longer possesses those peculiar characteristics that make it prized in that of Prepotto with the local name of Schioppettino “. In spite of this, it was almost disappearing until 1977, when the municipal council of Prepotto approved the request that it be included in the list of authorized vines in 1981. Two years later, the European Community included it among their recommended vines for the province of Udine. By 1987 it had obtained the designation of origin.

domain: food


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Does real estate take a holiday?
LAS CRUCES - Most people are aware that the spring and summer months are considered the “high season” for real estate sales. In most areas of the country, sales peak in April and May and remain brisk well into the summer months. The scenario isn’t much different here in Las Cruces. Warm weather, summer vacation and income tax refunds combine to make spring and summer a great time for buyers and sellers to make their moves.
What about the winter months? Do sales take a significant dip in the “off season?” According to statistics from the Las Cruces Association of Realtors, the answer is yes – but not by much. Take last year for example.
During the winter of 2014, which fell between Dec. 21, 2013 and March 20, 2014, the 237 successful sales of new and used Las Cruces area homes, townhomes and condominiums accounted for 17.2 percent of the year’s total number of closings. Sales hit their high point in the March 21 to June 20 spring selling season, when the 394 closed sales booked during the period made up 28.6 percent of our annual production.
The 371 sales closed during the June 21 to Sept. 20 summer time frame represented 26.9 percent of our annual total. The remaining 27.1 percent of our 2014 sales took place over the Sept. 22 to Dec. 20 fall window, when 374 new and used homes changed hands.
If you haven’t already done the math, here’s what the totals look like. The 765 spring and summer closings accounted for 55.6 percent of the 1,376 homes sold. On the winter/fall flip side, 44.4 percent of our annual sales were booked. Even though the numbers are a bit leaner on the flip side, buying and selling in the “off season” has its benefits.
Buyers can benefit from lower prices, less competition, motivated sellers, favorable mortgage terms, and the possibility of taking a tax deduction for interest paid on closings that take place before the end of the year.
Sellers can also benefit during the winter months. Less competition from other sellers, fewer but more serious local buyers, an influx of snowbirds, and lower interest rates often combine to bring about an impressive number of successful sales.
So, does it really matter whether you buy or sell during the “on” or “off” seasons? Not really. Unlike other areas of the country, where winter weather causes a significant dip in sales, Las Cruces enjoys a steady stream of buyers and sellers year-round.
From a real estate perspective, Las Cruces area residents are fortunate to live in a market that’s conducive to success no matter when they choose to buy or sell.
I’ll have the skinny on this year’s year-to-date sales production and price trends in this column next week, so stay tuned.
Until then, I hope to see you at closing!
Gary Sandler is the owner of Gary Sandler Inc., Realthors, and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: finance


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Award-winning PDF software
Massachusetts Form 982: What You Should Know
This is the only way that a short sale or debt settlement will be deducted from your income. Download Instructions for Form 982, Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness (Inst 982) — Internal Income Tax in Form 982 provides the same reduction as one would take if the debt is not being discharged. It's important to note that if a short sale or debt settlement is taxable, and the transaction doesn't result in an actual discharge of debt — or the proceeds are used or intended for the use of the debtor to repay the debt — no tax liability will be deducted as a result. For example, if you made a loan from a personal loan company and the payment for the loan is later used in a short sale, the income can't be used to repay the original loan. The transaction will be taxed even though you were not insolvent. Form 8283 — Student Loan Payment Program In most cases, the payments you make to your student loan company for your federal student loans aren't taxable because you have made the payments into an IRS-authorized, educational loan repayment plan. If you owe federal student loans that fall under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSL) program, these payments are not considered taxable. In other words, you do not need to make a payment to the government after you repay your student loans. Download Instructions for Form 8283 — Student Loan Payment Program If you owe federal student loans that don't meet the PSL definition, but you have a federal loan program other than PSL, your payments may be tax-deductible. These types of tax deductions include the following: Payments to: Federal employees for education service, including education service credit for education service received from a government-sponsored organization (GSE); and Government employees and employees of nonprofit organizations; and Payments made by an employer towards education expenses that an employee can qualify for by paying for at least an equivalent amount as an earned income credit (EIC). Payments made for: Credit counseling in connection with the purchase or sale of a new or existing home; and Any amount received, or expected to be received, in respect of any qualified written assessment. Pursuant to the provisions of IRC 6323, certain amounts paid for items and services or for tuition and fees will result in a tax deduction.
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domain: economics


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Join author Callie Feyen as she encourages us to build a sharing list to help us better orbit each other this holiday season.
The Origin of a Monster: Happy Birthday, Frankenstein!
The gothic novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley is 200 years old this year, and its core concern about the unintended consequences of science still apply.
Poets and Poems: Sinead Morrissey and “On Balance”
“On Balance,” the new poetry collection by Sinead Morrissey, reminds us that technology brings both the good and the tradeoff.
4 Smartphone-Free Tips to Help Sustain Your Writing Life
Charity Singleton Craig has tips to help you conquer your smart phone habits to take care of your writing and your brain.
Poets and Poems: Jeannine Hall Gailey and “The Robot Scientist’s Daughter”
“The Robot Scientist’s Daughter” by Jeannine Hall Gailey is a story of point-counterpoint of nature and technology, and the bargain we make between them.
How to Become a Better Writer: Artist Date Otronicon
Kathryn Neel considers how to become a better writer and storyteller both now and in the future by browsing technology at Otronicon 2014.

domain: library


The National Safety Net Advancement Center is proud to work closely with six safety net organizations from across the U.S. to identify solutions to challenges posed by payment and care delivery reform. These projects will contribute to the growing evidence base on how to successfully implement payment and care delivery reforms in safety net organizations.
Government and commercial payers are leading a shift from volume-based to value-based reimbursement. Given the patient populations that they serve, safety net organizations may be uniquely positioned to address underlying causes of poor health and provide the kind of high-value, outcomes-focused health care that new payment models are designed to support. However, safety net organizations face unique significant upfront technical and operational challenges with implementing value-based payment models due to limited financial and administrative resources.
Meet our Grantees
AltaPointe Health Systems (Mobile, AL)
“Using Risk Stratification to Offer Coordinated Care Management in a Behavioral Health Organization”
As a risk-bearing member of a regional care organization, AltaPointe manages behavioral health services for Medicaid patients and is also invested in managing overall medical spend. In preparation for a shift in payment from Fee-For-Service Medicaid to managed care in October 2016, AltaPointe is redesigning aspects of care delivery for some patients. The technical assistance provided through this funding will help AltaPointe to create a system for risk stratification to optimize utilization of targeted interventions. The identification of effective strategies for data-driven, acuity-based patient activation is anticipated to bolster the nascent evidence-base in this area.
Chickasaw Nation (Ada, OK)
“Transforming the Care Team in an Integrated Primary Care Clinic”
Chickasaw Nation Medical Center, a leading tribal health center, will be utilizing new software for service data capture, forecasting, and analytics in order to support care delivery reforms. The new software will centralize multiple data sources to enable quality reporting, tracking and outcome forecasting, and sharing of data across internal systems. Technical assistance provided in the project will facilitate quality improvement efforts related to care delivery reforms possible with the new data capacities.
Guadalupe County Hospital (Santa Rosa, NM)
“Preserving Access to Rural Care- Clinical Integration Initiative”
Guadalupe County Hospital and the project team will work with to integrate health care services across frontier hospitals in six New Mexico counties. Using state-wide Medicaid claims data, the project will identify system utilization patterns to enable data-driven clinical service integration. Armed with claims and service utilization data and a large collaborative team of stakeholders, the project will retain technical assistance expertise to develop alternative payment model and gain-sharing methodologies.
Hudson River Healthcare (Tarrytown, NY)
“Advancing Value-Based Care in NY's Hudson Valley”
Hudson River Health Care co-founded the first IPA of safety net primary care and behavioral health providers in New York State. The IPA is currently developing its first value-based payment arrangement with a managed care organization. The goal of this project is to help build capacity for Hudson River HealthCare to 1) establish the ability to identify high-cost/high-risk patients; 2) define an approach for coordinating their care, and 3) agree upon a methodology for allocating potential revenues and losses.
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (Des Plaines, IL)
“Moving toward Value - Financial and Data Infrastructures Improvements”
In previous experiences with value-based contracting, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) was asked to propose a rate structure early in contract negotiations. The organization lacked necessary data and expertise to produce solid contract rate proposals based on organizational costs. Through this project, LSSI will obtain technical assistance consultation to solidify a value-based rate structure. The barriers and facilitators to contract rate development identified in this setting are anticipated to inform others transitioning to value-based payments.
Primary Health Inc. (Urbandale, IA)
“Risk Stratification and Care Coordination in a Health Center Network”
Eleven of Iowa’s FQHCs have joined together to form an integrated primary care network known as IowaHealth+ (IH+). The move towards value-based contracting and IH+’s network-based approach necessitate that health centers standardize risk stratification and associated care coordination strategies across organizations. Technical assistance will be provided to align risk stratification and prioritization of populations across Iowa’s health home programs and IH+’s value-based purchasing contracts. This will inform the development of the model care coordination strategy and identify potential barriers to successful implementation.


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Mozart’s Don Giovanni is an opera about male desires which take no account of their objects. In this interpretation, HeadFirst Productions have approached the work from a female perspective with an all-female creative team headed by director and producer Sophie Gilpin. The production comes coincidentally, and perhaps serendipitously, at a time of strong media coverage of everyday sexism.
Staging an opera in a relatively small venue like the Pleasance Theatre in north London may seem like a bold decision, but HeadFirst’s production of Don Giovanni manages to do justice to the piece. The entire cast deliver solid performances. Caroline Modiba as Donna Anna stands out in particular. The four musicians, skilfully conducted by Sonia Ben Santamaria, leave nothing to be desired.
One disadvantage of performing an opera sung in Italian in a small space that isn’t quite set up for these kinds of performances is that the surtitles are displayed on a screen on the right side of the stage rather than above which is more typical. From my position in the audience it is difficult to read the surtitles at the same time as looking at the stage. This makes it necessary at times to choose between missing out on seeing what is going on on stage or understanding what is being said.
Some of the costumes, from designer Anna Bonomelli, are quite modern: Leporello, Don Giovanni’s servant played by Samuel Pantcheff, wears a tracksuit, trainers and a cap. The translation of the surtitles matches this in some instances by being more contemporary in its language than I would have expected, especially when Leporello is singing. The modern words are definitely a welcome step towards making opera more accessible and possibly more appealing to younger audiences as well.
This particular production of Don Giovanni has great relevance to recent events in the news
In the first scene of the opera, we watch through a transparent set of doors that form the centre of a revolving stage as a masked Don Giovanni, played Matthew Sprange, attempts to rape Donna Anna while Leporello keeps watch outside. Donna Anna fights Don Giovanni off and screams for help. When her father, played by Stephen Holloway, tries to help, Don Giovanni kills him. Donna Anna swears revenge, enlisting the help of her fiance Don Ottavio, played by Jorge Navarro Colorado.
In scene two, we meet Donna Elvira, played by Elizabeth Roberts, one of Don Giovanni’s former lovers. Don Giovanni encourages Leporello to tell Donna Elvira about all of his exploits and Leporello hands over this information in a in a confidently delivered aria in which he lists how many women Don Giovanni has had sex with, which in many cases may actually mean raped. Donna Elvira then decides to take revenge on Don Giovanni for leaving her.
The third scene introduces the last of the three female main characters of this opera: Zerlina, played by Siân Cameron, a newly-wed bride whom Don Giovanni attempts to seduce on her wedding day. This seduction is prevented by Donna Elvira who tells Zerlina about the kind of man Don Giovanni really is.
This particular production of Don Giovanni certainly has great relevance to recent events in the news such as the Weinstein allegations and the #metoo hashtag. Notably, when Donna Anna tells her fiance that it was Don Giovanni who attempted to rape her, Don Ottavio immediately has doubts and finds it hard to believe because he knows Don Giovanni has standing in society. 230 years after the premiere of this opera, this is still a very common reaction when abusers are accused.
Despite coming around and eventually believing his fiancee, only a few scenes later Don Ottavio tries to pressure Donna Anna into marrying him even though she is still mourning her father. This is not overly surprising given that he tells her, just after her father’s death, that she doesn’t need any man other than him in her life and he behaves as if her grief is unjustified. Even though his request is unreasonable and she gives good reasons for turning it down, she still has to placate him and assure him of her love.
Donna Elvira struggles with her feelings for Don Giovanni, going back and forth between despising him and wanting to forgive him. This very conflicted character does not quite fit into this production that makes a point of portraying Donna Anna and Zerlina as strong and independent women. However it seems difficult, if not impossible, to find a more favourable interpretation of Donna Elvira in the original libretto.
Seeing an opera in such a small space makes it much more engaging and personal than is often the case in larger venues. This production clearly highlights the relevance of themes of this opera to modern day society and provides some very good starting points for reflection on our culture and daily lives. HeadFirst Productions have done an excellent job of bringing this 18th century work right up to date.
Both images are courtesy of HeadFirst Productions
The feature image shows two characters in the moment either before or after a kiss. Their faces are turned towards each other. One is smiling and holding the other’s face in her hand. Both are wearing leather jackets and they stand or sit in front of a grey wall.
The second image is a head and shoulders shot of one of the characters. She has her hair pulled back and is wearing fairly severe grey and black clothing with a gold necklace. One hand is raised and she looks to the side seriously. Light falls on one side of her face leaving the other side in shadow.


The Asia Pacific Vehicle Tracking Systems Market would witness market growth of 20.0% CAGR during the forecast period (2018 – 2024). The rapid expansion of the ride-hailing industry, which attributes supporting government policies and increasing consumer demand, is likely to offer lucrative opportunities to the vehicle tracking system market.
One of GPS tracking systems’ major benefits in transportation-related activities is increased productivity and efficiency. The ability to track commercial vehicles enables accurate delivery times to be predicted, customers to be informed of late delivery, time or date changes in advance. Tracking fuel consumption allows companies to calculate the exact cost of their journey, warn drivers of driving style and selected routes. In order to guarantee discipline between vehicle users, other companies use GPS tracking to reduce operating expenses. Generally, one thing is sure about vehicle tracking systems–saving business time and money in one way or another.
Based on Type, the market is segmented into Active and Passive. Based on Vehicle Type, the market is segmented into Passenger Vehicles and Commercial Vehicles. Based on Tracking Mode, the market is segmented into Cellular Tracking, Satellite Tracking and Mobile Tracking. Based on End User Vertical, the market is segmented into Transportation & Logistics, Aviation, Retail, Government and Others (Construction, Healthcare and others). Based on countries, the market is segmented into China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Rest of Asia Pacific.
The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Cartrack Holdings Limited, Spireon Inc., Inseego Corp., Fortive Corporation (Teletrac Navman US Ltd), AT&T Inc., Continental AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Verizon Communications Inc., Geotab Inc., and TomTom Inc.


King Mswati III turns 53 today. Fresh from Sherbone School in Dorset, England, he ascended the throne at just 18, inheriting a system carefully built by his father, King Sobhuza II. Over the years, he has exercised control over the country, routinely quelling dissent and populating institutions with people agreeable to him and his policies across all three spheres of government.
Now, 35 years later, one institution – Parliament’s House of Assembly – is showing signs of independence, vigorously debating the government’s bills and notices to the point of rejecting some. But there is no official opposition in the house, owing to there being no political party representation. Instead, some members of Parliament (MPs) have formed a collective akin to one.
Radical MPs have steadfastly opposed some of the government’s laws and positions, but they are few and have had little support and impact on decision-making. This could change, though, as the number of MPs who have organised themselves into an effective coalition has progressed and they are critically debating bills, raising motions and defeating many of the government’s positions.
A history of rule
eSwatini became an independent state in 1968. Before then, it had been many things under settler rule.
After successive white administrations, the country became a protectorate of the South African Republic, under Boer rule, in 1894 through what was called the Third Swaziland Convention. With the British the victors of the South African War in 1903, it became a British protectorate and would remain a colony of Britain until independence.
Under a constitution drafted and implemented by the British, Swaziland became a democracy, with parliamentarians voted for through their political parties, for just four years. In April 1973, Sobhuza II – who had become king after independence, having been designated paramount “chief” in 1922 by the colonial government – declared a state of emergency, abolishing the independence constitution and dissolving the house of assembly. He would rule by decree until 1978, the year the country’s first general elections were held and a new constitution introduced, effectively banning political parties from participating in the political system.
King Sobhuza II died in 1982, leaving behind an electoral system called Tinkhundla. Under this system, one representative would be elected to Parliament from an administrative division (called inkhundla) created by combining a number of imiphakatsi governed by traditional leaders. For the purposes of elections, usually three imiphakatsi would combine to form a constituency, from which one MP would be elected. The system started with just over 40 tinkhundla. The number went up to 55 years later and is now at 59, after some constituencies were deemed too big and further divided.
It is this electoral system that King Mswati III inherited along with his throne in 1986. It is a system he has presided over, as an absolute monarch, for many years. And it is a system that the country’s 2005 Constitution further strengthened.
Section 94 of the Constitution, for example, empowers the king to appoint 20 of the about 31 House of Senate members “in his discretion after consultation with such bodies as [he] may deem appropriate”. Then, once constituencies have sent their representatives to the House of Assembly, Section 95 prescribes that the king add 10 of his own. The constitution of the houses makes it his Parliament.
A significant year
Except for episodes of protests and futile outspokenness by some MPs in past parliaments, there has never been a serious opposition coalition in the House of Assembly – at least nothing organised and sustained. Suspect decisions have been taken and controversial bills passed into law by past parliaments with little opposition from inside the house. Then came 2020.
Progressive MPs in the house rejected at least two bills and one legal notice last year, sending them back for further consultations.
In June, the house was to pass the Opium and Habit-Forming Drugs (Amendment) Bill into law. It was a bill prepared in haste by the Ministry of Health and presented by Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi. Deputy speaker Phila Buthelezi was in favour of passing the bill, as was attorney general Sifiso Khumalo, an ex officio member of the house. The minister claimed that the bill, if passed into law, would open the cannabis industry to eSwatini citizens and help revive the country’s ailing economy.
There were reports, however, that an American company called Stem Holdings had already received preliminary approval, and would soon be granted a monopoly licence to farm and process cannabis and industrial hemp in the country. The cannabis bill would be the instrument to put a stamp on it all.
A group of MPs, led by Bacede Mabuza of Hosea Inkhundla, rejected the bill. A select committee led by Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo had not conducted satisfactory consultations, said Mabuza, who suggested that the health ministry’s portfolio committee take over the process. Members of the house then voted overwhelmingly with Mabuza, rejecting even Khumalo’s select committee report on the bill.
A bill to tackle cybercrimes
In August, the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology published the Computer Crime and Cybercrime Bill in the government gazette. With Minister of Information Princess Sikhanyiso (King Mswati III’s daughter) on maternity leave since November 2019, it fell on acting minister Manqoba Khumalo to table the bill.
Among other things, the bill sought to criminalise sharing fake news on any medium, especially social media, with some offences carrying a fine to the tune of R10 million.
It was seen by many to target some of the independent and online news sites that are now popular among eSwatini citizens. Prominent among them is Swaziland News, a site that publishes investigative stories about even the most powerful in the country, including the royal family. The police detained editor Zweli Martin Dlamini after he published two stories about the king in early 2020, and confiscated his laptop and other devices. The police later said they were investigating him for suspected sedition.
Dlamini fled to South Africa and continued to publish stories, some about Princess Sikhanyiso. The bill came in the wake of this and commentators saw it as a politically motivated piece of law.
Mlungisi Makhanya, leader of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), said the bill was laughable. “The cybercrimes bill that you are talking about, I want you to check the Zimbabwean bill. Word for word. Those guys, they literally plagiarised and copied the Zimbabwean bill, section by section. They went and took [Emmerson] Mnangagwa’s bill and only replaced Zimbabwe with eSwatini.
“We are not resolving challenges that are potentially facing Swaziland. We are getting inspiration from other dictatorships to try and strengthen [a] tin-pot dictatorship here.”
Members of the House of Assembly rejected the bill, with Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze saying the law targeted “citizens and the independent media”. Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi Simelane, a vocal dissenter on most issues debated in Parliament in 2020, was particularly harsh: “We can’t arm this brutal government with such a law. It will use it against the citizens. We have seen this happening before.”
The bill was subsequently withdrawn. It was yet another victory for progressive sections of the eSwatini Parliament.
Then, in October, MPs went on to reject Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg’s Legal Notice 183 of 2020, which ruled that vehicles imported into the country shall not be older than seven years at the date of purchase. Many of the cars on eSwatini roads are imported from Japan. Some of these cars are as old as 15 years when they are bought. It is all many eSwatini residents can afford.
Not many people in the country are employed in the formal economy. Many scrape a living in the informal sector and in neighbouring South Africa. They do not have a credit profile. So, for cars, they go to the many Pakistani dealers in Matsapha and other towns. Prices range from R35 000 to a little over R100 000, depending on the make. And buyers can arrange to pay in instalments, over many months.
For days, members of the House of Assembly debated the notice and rejected the finance minister’s stipulated seven years, eventually settling for 12.
Simelane spoke strongly against the notice, saying it goes against “public interest”. People in rural parts of the country depend on these cars to get to towns and health centres, he said. Government ambulances sometimes cannot attend to emergencies such as women in labour, for example, because there are often fuel shortages.
The ministry’s initial claim was that these cars are an environmental concern, but it later admitted that the ban was a measure towards improving the country’s earnings from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). A member state’s share of revenue drops when most of its imports are from outside SACU countries. Rijkenberg hoped that the ban on most Japanese car imports would help improve eSwatini’s profile in the customs union, leading to an increase in receipts.
In the end, it did not matter as MPs rejected the notice.
Progressive elements of the house would have scored even more victories had their resolution on the controversial Prevention of Organised Crime Act been successful. The act, passed in 2018 before the current MPs were elected to Parliament, was later used to target cannabis growers in the country. MPs opposed the manner of the act’s application in 2020 and sought to repeal it. However, their efforts proved futile as only a court of law can order the repealing of a law already approved by both houses of Parliament and assented to by the king.
That 2020 was a particularly busy year for the eSwatini Parliament, especially the House of Assembly, may appear to be democracy in action to the outside observer. But human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko – jailed in 2014 for 15 months, after questioning the independence of the judiciary – warns against looking at recent events in Parliament as democracy in action.
“The mere fact that some bills have been withdrawn does not necessarily mean that that’s a victory for democracy, or even a victory within the context of democracy. And besides, we don’t know if they are withdrawn permanently. They might come back at some point, in a different form,” he said.
“I am not even sure if the ‘fights’ in Parliament are informed by an intention to advance democracy in Swaziland … That’s why I am not sure that can be said about this Parliament.”
Mabuza, however, said he and some of his colleagues are exercising their rights by speaking up in Parliament. By opposing motions and bills openly and at this scale, they are “exercising democracy without fear. We now want to talk [about what] exactly the issues of the electorate [are], because we have been representing the people.”
When asked if he hopes to see the end of the current system, he said: “If the people of eSwatini want the change from Tinkhundla to democracy, then us representatives need to represent them. Because we are the voice of the people. So, whatever they want, we need to do it without fear or favour.”
The system is the problem
Maseko said the main problem in eSwatini is the system of governance, and that meaningful debates in the service of democracy should be directed at that. “But there is never a debate around the system of government. The elephant in the room is the system.
“Even if one accepts that there are one or two MPs who appear to be progressive, they have not challenged the root cause of the problem of the Swazi people, which is Tinkhundla as a form of government. That is where we have a problem in this country. All these other things don’t matter. There has been no direct challenge of the system by this Parliament. Of course, these people are elected through the very same problematic system.
“If perhaps the debates were saying these bills are intended to entrench Tinkhundla as a system of governance and therefore they can’t be allowed, perhaps one could say there is some hope. If that were the position. That is, if their argument was that the system is an impediment to achieving greater democracy for the whole of Swaziland.”
Makhanya agreed with Maseko. “One can start by saying, at the moment, our opposition to the regime is an opposition to a system that goes beyond spontaneous individual actions here and there. It is about the system.
“So, a pronouncement by a member of Parliament, a progressive pronouncement, does not change the systemic repression of a regime,” said Makhanya.
“Small victories matter, definitely. But it is important that we don’t get jaundiced from small victories and start confusing a need for a solution for a bigger problem by elevating small victories, making them appear like they signify real victories.”
Makhanya reiterated Maseko’s point that these seemingly progressive moves would mean more if they were directed at the system of governance itself. He said this affects every aspect of the country’s running. “But our position has always been clear, my brother. In Swaziland, the king enjoys executive, judicial and legislative absolutism. It is for that reason, for example, that in November last year Judge Ticheme Dlamini of the high court said to litigants on a matter that was before him that these people must seek the intervention of the king to resolve the matter.
“This is a judicial question and here is a judicial officer of the high court, instead of adjudicating the matter based on what the law says, he is sending the matter to the king. And there is nowhere in the Constitution where it says legal matters must be resolved by paying respect to the king. What instrument is the king going to use to resolve legal matters?”
Makhanya said Parliament operates in a similar vein.
Still a site of struggle
Pudemo still views Parliament as important, despite its limitations. Makhanya said his organisation is willing to work with MPs who want to fight for the people.
“Even where we take a principled decision as a party to say we are not going to participate in Tinkhundla elections, for instance, it does not mean that we are not going to regard Parliament as an important site of struggle.
“But we simply say … if we were to tell our people that if you elect us into this platform, this platform will automatically transform into a representative platform, we would be lying.
“But if we do have people who are there, who are willing to fight for the people, they will always find an ally in Pudemo. And that has always been our posture.”


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CLAYTON — For decades, managed health care provider Centene Corp. focused on scale. Now one of the largest in its industry, Centene is recalibrating for efficiency.
The change in strategy brought an abrupt end this week to plans for an East Coast headquarters in North Carolina, stunning local executives there but delighting Wall Street. With 90% of its workforce now fully or partially remote, the company has quietly shed most of its once-expansive office footprint in St. Louis and across the country.
The company may have had no choice: Investors wanted the company to cut costs and improve profit margins. With a new CEO at the helm, the company has been aggressively slimming its real estate portfolio across the country — moves that are likely to improve its bottom line but leave cities, like the St. Louis region, struggling with dozens of vacant office buildings.
People also read…
“Making sure Centene delivers on its margin expansion promises is something investors take very seriously,”[ads1]; said Julie Utterback, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research Services. “It sounds like this management team is taking it very seriously as well, which is appreciated.”
The East Coast campus was not Centene’s only victim. The company has already said it was no longer going to complete a $770 million headquarters expansion in Clayton that would have added nearly 1 million square feet of office space, hundreds of apartments or condos, retail stores, a 1,000-seat auditorium and a hotel in near South Hanley Road and Forsyth Boulevard.
And Centene has vacated nearly its entire real estate footprint here — roughly 1 million square feet of office space — according to marketing materials marketing those properties for lease or sublease:
• Approximately 300,000 square meters in Chesterfield.
• 180,000 square meters in Des Peres.
• 100,000 square feet in Richmond Heights.
• 100,000 square feet in Creve Coeur.
• More than 60,000 square feet in the city of St. Louis.
The company confirmed in a statement that it will leave “several leased locations”, although it did not specify which ones. The Centene spokesperson also said it will maintain its headquarters in Clayton, its operations center in Ferguson and its Home State Health headquarters in St. Louis — despite a marketing brochure advertising the entire building for sublease.
It’s a reversal of how the company previously operated, gobbling up any block of office space in the region that was 75,000 square feet or more. And it comes on the heels of the pandemic that cooled the office market as companies reassessed their needs, commercial real estate experts said.
“The centene effect, combined with the COVID effect, is catastrophic for the St. Louis market,” said Kevin McLaughlin of KMA Commercial Real Estate.
And the Centene offices are coming to market at a time when St. Louis already has a surplus of office space.
“There’s tons of competition you didn’t have three to five years ago,” McLaughlin said.
Centene’s expansive real estate portfolio was a product of former CEO Michael Neidorff, who led initial plans for the East Coast headquarters that would bring 3,900 jobs to North Carolina.
For years under Neidorff, Centene succeeded through growth. Neidorff grew the company from a $40 million health plan into a giant in the managed care industry, generating $126 billion in revenue last year. Neidorff took a medical leave in February, and Sarah London was named his replacement in March. Neidorff died in April at the age of 79.
After years of acquisitions, investors have been looking for change. Analysts said the company’s share price underperformed its peers. Last year, the company announced a plan to improve margins and shed non-essential assets. After an activist investor stepped in last year, the company agreed to audit the board.
During an earnings report in July, Centene said it planned to reduce its domestic leased space by 70%, which it expected would save $200 million in rent each year.
“From my perspective, having two headquarters is not a way to achieve efficiency,” said Utterback, the Morningstar analyst.
The company also announced plans to sell a Spanish hospital business and a company that operates radiology clinics in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The investors seem satisfied with the moves. After news broke that Centene scrapped its plans for its East Coast headquarters, Wall Street reacted with enthusiasm: Centene shares rose 1.6% on Friday to close at $96.90.
In Clayton, where officials are still finalizing the development agreement with the company, Mayor Michelle Harris said the company’s presence is a real positive for the region.
And its decision not to implement its East Coast campus brought “some closure to the community” that Centene will not be leaving the St. Louis area.
“I hope your employees come to lunch in Clayton,” Harris said.


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(18-03-2014) An international group of scientists led by Daniel Van Damme and Geert De Jaeger from VIB and Ghent University together with Staffan Persson at the Max Planck Institute in Potsdam (Germany) identified a novel protein complex that lies at the basis of this endocytosis in plants. This finding was published today in the scientific journal Cell.
Plant cells are in contact with the outside world via proteins in the cell membrane. These proteins have different functions and can be compared with antennas, switches and ports.
For the proper functioningofthecell,thecompositionofthemembraneproteinsmust be constantlyadjusted.Novel proteinsare incorporated intothemembrane,whileoldproteins are includedandare recycledbackthroughthe cell.
In 2013, thedepartmentofPlant Systems Biology of VIBandGhent Universitypublishedno fewerthan 100scientific articles. 2013 was a 'grandcruyear' forplant research in Ghent.


Agricen and Taranis, a precision agriculture company, have received a grant from the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation to collaborate on a project to advance and commercialize a new precision agriculture system for abiotic stress detection and prevention in row crops.
Abiotic stresses are environmental or physical impacts on a plant (e.g., drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, nutrient deficiency), and result in billions of dollars of lost crop value each year. The Agricen/Taranis collaboration will address this agricultural challenge by creating a solution that merges the Taranis platform—which incorporates field imaging technology and a deep learning algorithm—with Agricen’s proven biostimulant technologies.
Once developed, the system will be able to be utilized in any geography to help detect and prevent abiotic stress in row crops, saving growers significant time and resources while increasing plant health and yield opportunities.
A simulation of the abiotic stress detection platform that will be developed is shown in the image above, with red boxes outlining the signs of drought stress in corn. Based on the stress identified, appropriate recommendations can be made—including the use of agricultural biostimulants—to both ameliorate the conditions causing stress and prevent further crop damage.
Learn more about Agricen's biostimulant technologies by downloading our Biocatalyst Technology FAQ.


Tri States Public Radio Staff
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Fri April 13, 2012
It's Friday The 13th, So Say It All Together: 'Paraskevidekatriaphobia'
By Mark Memmott
You can't say we haven't warned you about Friday the 13ths, and offered a tip for how to get over any fear of such supposedly scary days.
Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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CENTER POINT – The Lady Pirates overcame a 1-2 sets deficit Tuesday, eventually defeating Junction in a critical District 29-2A volleyball match.
Scores favored Center Point 25-20, 14-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-12 which moved the Lady Pirates to 4-1 in district play. Junction slipped to 2-2.
Center Point faced three ties after trailing early 0-1, but behind kill shots from Iris Lozano, Victoria Beckerson, Kaylee Blackledge, and Kortney Carmouche the home team was in command throughout the first set.
Beckerson, Blackedge, and Carmouche notched five kills apiece. Carmouche placed three dinks over the net which came close to kills as well.
“Once we get on top of our game, we’re hard to stop,” said Center Point head coach Lovey Ortiz.
Some slippage appeared in sets two and three when Center Point committed the bulk of its 11 service errors, which combined with 27 attack miscues that helped the Eagles take wins.
“Those kind of errors will come back to hurt us if we fail to clean them up, but to come back like we did shows the fight this team has,” said Ortiz.
The Lady Pirates never trailed in the fourth when they came back strong with blocks from Carmouche, Destiny Johnson, Lozano, and Blackledge to force the deciding fifth set.
Carmouche, Blackledge and Jasmine Carlos topped blocks with four each. Johnson and Lozano had three apiece.
Center Point was behind 6-7 in the final set until Beckerson went to the serving line and put her team ahead 9-7. Beckerson’s hand was helped by a Lozano kill. Lozano added three more points that ran Center Point out front 13-8.
Junction’s own service error eventually contributed to match point which gave Center Point its eighth win overall. Junction went to 12-10 overall.
Remaining stat lines showed Blackledge with 45 assists and six digs, Johnson adding 11 assists, Carlos getting five digs, and Lozano coming in with four kills, four assists, and three blocks.
Center Point’s next match is scheduled in Harper for Tuesday, Sep. 30.


Authorities in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi have received the first global shipment of AstraZeneca’s EvuSheld antibody COVID-19 drug.
The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention granted Emergency Use authorization (EUA) for the long-acting antibody medication, which is designed to prevent severe infection and death amongst immunocompromised patients.
The treatment can be given to adults and children over the age of 12 who are not infected with COVID-19.
This medication will be in addition to the existing COVID-19 medications that are already available within Abu Dhabi and the UAE, Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
Earlier this week, AstraZeneca announced that Evusheld, which contains tixagevimab and cilgavimab — monoclonal antibodies that are packaged and administered together, per the FDA, is successful at neutralizing the highly contagious omicron variant.
The first doses of Evusheld arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday following a collaboration of key partners, including Rafed, the UAE’S Primary Group Purchasing organization and the procurement arm of the UAE, along with Etihad Cargo, the national cargo carrier of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in addition to AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, and Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).
The medication is to be stored at Rafed’s Distribution Center, the region’s largest cold-chain storage facility, and then distributed from there to health facilities.
In a statement, Sameh Elfangary, AstraZeneca’s country president for the GCC and Pakistan, said: “We are delighted to see the first doses of Evusheld arrive to the UAE, just over a week after being granted Emergency Use authorization by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention.”
“The UAE is one of the first countries globally to procure and receive doses of Evusheld. We appreciate the leading role that the UAE government continues to play in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by providing early access to innovative medicines for its people.”
Evusheld is administered as two separate consecutive injections — one per monoclonal antibody, in which one is given immediately after the other. It may be effective for pre-exposure prevention for six months.
It is not currently authorized to treat COVID-19 or for post-exposure prevention.
The UAE reported 301 positive coronavirus cases on Monday, which is the highest since 321 on September 25.
The country has not specified whether any of the new cases were of the omicron variant, though it announced that it reported its first case of the new, highly transmissible variant on December 1.
The UAE cautioned against over-the-top celebrations for Christmas and the New Year. It also restricted entry into all government institutions only to people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, starting from January 3.
UAE COVID-19 cases continue to increase amid global reports of omicron spreadCOVID-19 cases in the United Arab Emirates continue to climb amid global reports of the rapidly-spreading omicron variant.For the latest headlines, ... Coronavirus
UAE restricts entry to government sites to vaccinated only amid COVID surge concernsThe UAE will restrict entry into all government institutions only to people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 starting from January 3, state ... Coronavirus
Expo 2020 Dubai sees 7 mln visits, organizers impose heightened COVID-19 measuresExpo 2020 Dubai organizers have recorded more than seven million visits to the site since the launch of the global event, as some activities at the ... Coronavirus


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Entourage Sunglasses - Black 1131
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
An Age Eyewear classic, the multi layered temple acetate in our signature Bone and Black stands out from the crowd with that extra attention to detail. Green Monochrome Lens
A large and devoted ENTOURAGE guaranteed with these sleek angles

domain: design


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Five Signs Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth's Engagement Was Heading for a Wrecking Ball
And that wasn’t the only clue.
Hint 1: She took that ring off
As soon as we laid eyes on the 3.5-carat Neil Lane diamond The Hunger Games star, 23, slipped on the singer’s finger in May 2012, we knew it was definitely not a Nashville (wedding) party. So when Cyrus was spotted without her Hollywood-worthy rock in March, buzz that their own relationship was on the rocks quickly followed. A source told PEOPLE that the newlyweds-to-be “split for now,” but by the end of the month, she put the ring back on – also for now.
Hint 2: They put the wedding on hold
Soon after – and just less than a year since they made plans to wed – the couple took their big day off the calendar. “They want to figure out their life together before they get married,” a source told PEOPLE in April of the postponement. “They just realized that there is no rush with the wedding and that it’s better that they wait a bit.” Even with the pressure to tie the knot removed, a source told PEOPLE Cyrus was still struggling to stay with Hemsworth.
Hint 3: That VMAs performance
Tongues were wagging – including her own – when Cyrus went from working on her relationship to Twerking at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Her eyebrow-raising, booty-shaking performance of her hit, “We Can’t Stop,” with Robin Thicke reportedly received no standing ovation from Hemsworth.
Hint 4: She was a “wreck”
The most shocking part of Cyrus’s follow-up to “We Can’t Stop” had nothing to do with the fact she was swinging around naked at a construction site. (Or that her tongue was in her mouth. And there were no teddy bears involved.) The Terry Richardson-directed music video for “Wrecking Ball,” released at the beginning of the month, featured a tearful Cyrus singing about a destructive relationship: “All I wanted was to break your walls/All you ever did was wreck me.”
Hint 5: Tweethearts no more
Cyrus expressed more than she could ever say in 140 characters or less when she unfollowed Hemsworth on Twitter over the weekend, further foreshadowing that the power couple was indeed #over.

domain: celebrity


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Extreme Temperatures Linked To Deaths In Latin America
June 27, 2022
A recent study published in Nature Medicine highlights the effects of extreme temperatures on mortality for urban populations in Latin America. Researchers from the Salud Urbana en América Latina (SALURBAL) project analyzed the relationship between hot and cold days and mortality in 326 cities across nine countries in Latin America and found that nearly 6% of all deaths can be linked to temperature extremes.
Key findings include:
- On very hot days, a one-degree Celsius increase in temperature will mean a 5.7% increase in deaths.
- Older adults are especially vulnerable to extreme temperatures.
- Extreme temperatures have a particularly large impact on deaths related from cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
- Over 10% of deaths from respiratory infections can be attributed to extreme cold.
“Our findings underscore the need for cities to prepare now for the increasingly frequent and severe extreme temperatures we expect to see over the coming decades. We must act to identify vulnerable populations, adapt critical infrastructure, and improve emergency response measures that will save lives as the climate changes,” says Dr. Josiah Kephart of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative, lead author of the study.
These findings are in line with evidence that supports the need for drastic mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the most extreme effects of climate change and safeguard human health.
“Latin America has a very large urban population at risk of heat exposure, yet until now, few studies have documented the linkages between extreme temperatures and health in cities across the region. Greater exposure to heat is only one of the many adverse impacts of climate change on health. Our findings add to the evidence showing that urgent action to address climate change is needed,” says Dr. Ana Diez Roux of the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health and Principal Investigator of the SALURBAL project.
Moreover, adds Dr. Daniel A. Rodríguez, Professor and Principal Investigator of the UC Berkeley team that participated in the project, “demographic trends in Latin America – including an aging and increasingly urban population – make understanding the public health risks posed by climate change in the region all the more critical. We need adaptation strategies that are tailored to the Latin American context.”
Urban Health in Latin America (SALURBAL) is a research project that aims to study how urban policies and the environment affect the health of residents of Latin American cities. The results of this project will serve as a reference to inform future policies and interventions to make cities healthier, more equitable, and sustainable throughout the world. SALURBAL is funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Nature Medicine is a transformative journal, supporting publication via immediate gold Open Access. The journal publishes research that addresses the needs and goals of contemporary medicine, including original research on the effects of the environment on human health.
In addition to Kephart, Diez Roux, and Rodríguez, authors of the study include Brisa N. Sánchez (Drexel), Jeffrey Moore (Drexel), Leah H. Schinasi (Drexel), Maryia Bakhtsiyarava (Berkeley), Yang Ju (Berkeley), Nelson Gouveia (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil), Waleska T Caiaffa (Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil), Iryna Dronova (Berkeley), and Saravanan Arunachalam (the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
For more information, contact Andrea Bolinaga at email@example.com


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Arrivals, nights in Croatian campsites rising for 12 yrs running
Croatian camps recorded 1.9 million tourist arrivals in the first eight months of the year, up one per cent on the year, and 12.7 million nights, the same as at the same time last year, the Fourth Croatian Camping Congress heard in Sibenik on Thursday.
Campsites in Croatia have seen a rise in both arrivals and nights for 12 years running and they account for 27 per cent of Croatia's tourism figures, said Josipa Cvelic Bonifacic, chair of the Croatian Camping Union Executive Committee.
Croatia has 235 campsites and 284 mini-campsites which can accommodate a total of 232,080 people in one day, she said.
The highest increase in camp nights this year was recorded in the southern coastal region of Dalmatia.
Cvelic Bonifacic said a poll conducted among 1,000 guests was very positive for Croatian camps.
The average campsite guest is 47 years old, 62 per cent have college education, 75 per cent have a monthly income of over 1,500 euros, and a family vacationing in a Croatian camp spends an average 2,424 euros.
The director of the Croatian Tourism Board Main Office, Niko Bulic, said HRK 8.6 million was spent on camping promotion this year alone, while HRK 10 million would be spent for that purpose next year. (Hina)


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History buffs will enjoy a visit to Wadowice and visitors are sure to appreciate the castle and museums. Visitors can also indulge in everything this welcoming and walkable, riverfront city has to offer, including its restaurants, shopping, and bars.
- Though not directly in Wadowice, you'll find Expedia hotels in the surrounding area
- December is the most expensive month to travel here, while February tends to be the cheapest
- Closest major airport is in Krakow (KRK-John Paul II - Balice), 18.8 mi (30.3 km) from the city centre
Sightseeing around Wadowice
- Taking a tour is a top activity, and Garden of John Paul II in Inwald is one place to visit
- Well-known for its museums and cultural attractions such as Holy Father John Paul II Family Home and Museum of History and Ethnography
- Its historic sites and castle are notable and landmarks to visit include Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Park and Lipowiec Castle
Getting around Wadowice
There are plenty of options for getting around Wadowice. If you want to venture outside of the area, take a train from Wadowice Station.
Staying in Wadowice
Looking for a romantic getaway, a cosy spot, or a boutique stay? You might like Mlyn Jacka Hotel & Spa, averaging GBP 83.72 per night. A 4-star favourite with Expedia travellers is Mlyn Jacka Hotel & Spa with a 5 out of 5 user rating.
Dressing for Wadowice
- Between January and March, you can expect average temperatures of 10°C during the day and -7°C at night
- From April to June, the average during the day is 23°C, while the average at night is 0°C
- July through September has daytime averages of 23°C with nighttime averages of 6°C
- In October–December, you can expect daytime averages of 16°C and nighttime averages of -4°C
- Average annual rainfall for Wadowice is 24 millimetres


Former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley ran a soft primary campaign. Indeed, during the Republican nominating convention, when it appeared certain that potential primary challenger John McKinney would not have sufficient votes to wage a primary, the Foley forces intervened and convinced enough nominating delegates to switch their votes so that Mr. McKinney might enlist in the primary.
Concerning the delegate swap, there are two schools of thought. According to the first, Mr. Foley was a gentleman and much too mild mannered to participate effectively in Connecticut’s political mosh pit. According to the second, the delegate swap gambit was a stroke of pure genius. In one bold move, Mr. Foley had split his primary opposition between Mr. McKinney and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton who, unlike Mr. McKinney, had rounded up enough Republican delegates to force a primary.


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Top 10 Best PlayStation Plus Premium Games 2023, With the arrival of PlayStation Plus Premium on the popular console, players have flocked to subscribe.
Especially since there are more than 700 games that have been introduced when you buy the subscription. These games range from popular PS5 titles that were recently released to classic PS1 games that many remember from their childhood.
However, with so many games to enjoy and experience, searching through so many different titles can be a real challenge. Fortunately, among this plethora of games, there are a few that stand out as an experience you should never ignore. Although it never hurts to play a few more that get your attention.
Top 10 Best PlayStation Plus Premium Games 2023
10. Death Stranding Director’s Cut
While it may not be the most recent game released on PlayStation, Death Stranding is a game that has captivated fans from the start. There are three reasons for this: the first-rate casting of Norman Reedus, the adorable but slightly disturbing little baby, or the undeniably stunning graphics.
Regardless, this game brings a fresh take on action and exploration, bringing small elements of horror, sorrow, and hope to each mission and to the overall story. The Director’s Cut features some never-before-seen elements that make this new installation a wise choice.
9. Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales
After the success of the first Spider-Man game, which is also available on PlayStation Plus Premium, and the success of the Miles Morales movie, it was only logical to launch Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. This one attracted thousands of fans and many of them still enjoy swinging through the city and defeating the bad guys.
It’s essentially an action-adventure experience in a relatively open world where you play as the legendary Miles Morales. Sometimes you feel like you’re watching and acting out elements of the beloved animated film and other times you feel like you’re creating your own story. Either way, it’s a game you’ll never forget.
If swinging or walking with a baby in your arms is not your kind of game, then try Aragami. It is a stealth adventure experience in which the player explores Aragami the Assassin. However, this is not a typical assassin game, as Aragami has a supernatural touch that makes it a thrilling experience.
It combines magic with stealth and an amazing Japanese touch that often feels like a perfect match. It’s not a particularly fast game, but this one is perfect for those who prefer a bit of stealth and magic when taking down an enemy.
7. Batman Arkham Knight
Batman: Arkham Knight is the latest installment in the Batman: Arkham series and arguably one of the best. You may want to explore the first three titles, but if not, you may want to read up on what happened before jumping into this exciting action game.
It’s not just an action game, which is what makes this title so enjoyable to play. Detailed, beautiful and lengthy scenes will immerse you in the story and prepare you for the Batman-like action. Speaking of which, the action itself is as well designed and enjoyable as the scenes, so you’ll never have to worry about getting bored.
6. BioShock Remastered
Originally launched in 2007, BioShock is far from being a new series that fans have never heard of or played. However, for those who have never experienced this shooter, this should be one of the first games you download. Even if you played it back in the day, this game could give you the perfect dose of nostalgia.
Essentially, BioShock is the first in the series and tells the story of a genetically engineered protagonist who shoots everything in sight in a mysterious underwater city. It’s a great first person shooter for anyone who just wants to run and gun while having a relatively interesting story.
5. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
Even though it doesn’t include the recent Borderlands 3 game, PlayStation Plus Premium offers you the best: The Handsome Collection. It’s great if you liked Borderlands 3 or if you’ve never played the series – it’s a great starting point.
Borderlands is a first-person shooter with a twist. It doesn’t take anything seriously and allows you to feel powerful, hilarious and befriend some pretty interesting characters. Drive in this open world game while shooting bandits and blowing up Skags.
4. Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
PlayStation Plus Premium is not limited to shooters or action adventures. Among the additions to this subscription are warmer, slower experiences that are sure to leave a lasting impression on you as you read their stories.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of those experiences. It is not a long game and it is recommended to go through it in one go to feel all the emotion. Either way, this title is a must for solving puzzles, telling a fantastic story and discovering characters you’ll fall in love with.
3. Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is a classic. It’s a fan favorite for many, and the suspicious introduction of a London-style mod into the game has brought fans, new and old, back to its post-apocalyptic landscape. This landscape is one of the main reasons for its success and one of the aspects you might fall in love with.
It’s a game you either love or hate, but more people seem to prefer it than ignore it. If you’ve never played Fallout, you should try this one or New Vegas, both available on PlayStation Plus Premium.
2. Ghost Of Tsushima: Director’s Cut
One thing the PS4 and PS5 are proud of is the technical aspect of their games. Some of the recently released titles that can be played on it are stunning. Every blade of grass sparkles in the sun, and every ray hits the water perfectly, giving the impression of a dream of reality. Ghost of Tsushima is perhaps one of the best representations of what modern graphic artists and game designers can do.
The whole game is beautiful and often feels like a turning point in what video games could be.
1. God Of War
When God of War was released, it took the video game world by storm. Fans loved it, gamers made many memes about the poor boy, and critics loved it. It’s understandable when you play a God who kills titans and other unreasonably gigantic beings.
This is a thrilling hack and slash that requires tactics, patience and good coordination. In addition to that, there is also the fantastic bond between the two characters, which makes the game entertaining, captivating and a bit emotional at times. In any case, this game is worth playing.

domain: game


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Robert Green Ingersoll Quote
It is a blessed thing that in every age some one has had the individuality enough and courage enough to stand by his own convictions.
Robert Green Ingersoll
If we had to earn our age by thinking for ourselves at least once a year, only a handful of people would reach adulthood.
About Robert Green Ingersoll

domain: literature


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The Little-Known Secrets To Basketball Sport
We had set up our tent in a public campground solely a couple of miles from the harbor of Garibaldi, Oregon. Garibaldi is a small town situated on the Tillamook Bay alongside the Oregon coast. Garebaldi has the perfect location for a harbor and a marina because the waters are comparatively calm within the bay.
The flat hull backside can provide probably the most wonderful stability, and what is more, it is not going to rock when someone is shifting. The evident and apparent good and large high windowed cabin can get your attention, and in addition the 6′ 6″ of the headroom can one way or the other make this tiny boat seem to be it’s unusually spacious.
Then cover the bottom with crispy bread croutons.
The Emigrant Wilderness, part of the Stanislaus National Forest, encompasses a hundred named lakes and about 500 smaller, unnamed lakes. It accommodates miles and miles of streams, the headwaters of the Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers. Nevertheless it wasn’t at all times the fishing paradise that it’s immediately.
But neither did they have to be dismantled.
I’ll go with a spinning setup of a 7′ medium heavy st croix rod with a Shimano Stradic reel spooled with 20 lb Energy Professional braided line. I’ll use this set up 90% of the time as it’s much much less maintenance and no selecting out the occasional birds nest aka.. again lashes in the dead of night. I additionally keep it quite simple as far as lure selection using only a few specific lures that I name my “Night Stalker” baits.
If Homer is understood for a very good catch of halibut, this location is in style as it is identified as the salmon capital of the world. The reality of this is simple; the longer a bait is unbroken the much less it turns into solution and the less it’s actually performing as concentrated solution which is the form carp best reply to! And the heaviest recorded halibut discovered weighs around 300 kilos. You possibly can really say that it is rather difficult.


That's always been the game-day good luck charm for Kansas City's rookie kicker. But he went ahead and drilled a 38-yarder with 22 seconds left, lifting the Chiefs to a 31-30 victory Saturday over the Oakland Raiders.
No matter how filthy Tynes' transportation might be, he probably would never have gotten on the field if not for Dante Hall's 49-yard kickoff return after Sebastian Janikowski's third field goal, a 46-yarder, put the Raiders on top 30-28 with 1:03 to play. Hall waited as the expected squib kick bounced perfectly into his arms and then set sail behind some excellent blocks.
It was the fourth win in a row for the Chiefs (7-8), whose Super Bowl hopes were dashed by a 1-3 start and a four-game losing streak in November.
Janikowski scored the last nine points for Oakland (5-10) on three field goals, including a 45-yarder that made it 28-27 with 3:49 left.
Hall was not stopped until Janikowski got him on the Raiders 36. Then Trent Green, whose fumble had led to Janikowski's go-ahead field goal, hit passes to Chris Horn and Tony Gonzalez and Tynes trotted onto the field.
Holding for Tynes, who missed from 50 yards and had another attempt blocked, was punter Nick Murphy, who was signed at midweek.
For much of the game, two of the worst defenses in the NFL seemed bent on proving statistics don't always lie.
But it looked like the last crucial mistake belonged to the Kansas City offense when Ted Washington recovered Green's fumble on the Oakland 43 with 1:42 to play and Janikowski converted a field goal. He also had a 40-yarder that put the Raiders on top 24-21 in the final seconds of the third quarter.
Green hit 32 of 45 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns to tight Tony Gonzalez. Oakland's Kerry Collins was 18-for-37 for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
After their first two possessions ended in a turnover and a blocked field goal, the Chiefs reeled off three straight scores, powered by the Green-to-Gonzalez passing combo that produced two TDs and 112 yards receiving in the first half alone. Gonzalez finished with 11 catches for 124 yards.
His first TD catch covered 2 yards. A few minutes later, Gonzalez beat linebacker Tim Johnson on a 26-yard crossing pattern in the end zone. His 54th career TD gave the Chiefs a 21-14 lead and tied him with Wesley Walls for third all-time at tight end.


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Cycle tour- morocco - guided - 9 - days
Morocco – Here’s looking at you, kid
Type of JourneyGuided
22.03. - 30.03.2019
24.04. - 04.05.2019
18.10. - 26.10.2019
Characteristics of this journey/holiday
Day by day
Day 1 Arrival in Marrakech
Pick up at the airport by our local guide and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stop in Marrakech.
Day 2 Marrakech
Get to know the vibrant historic town center of Marrakech, its history and also today’s life during a walking tour of the city. The Souk welcomes you with the finest and most delicious food and we will prepare ourselves for an adventurous trip. Overnight stop in Marrakech.
Day 3 Ourika valley 37 km
After a transfer you will start your cycling tour surrounded by the lush greens of the Ourika valley. By passing small Berber villages with their typical mud-walled houses and by visiting a Berber museum, you will learn more about the culture and tradition of this indigenous people. Overnight stop in Marrakech.
Day 4 Beni Mellal 38 km
Destination of today’s cycling tour is the lively city Beni Mellal. After being transferred to the waterfall of Ouzoud, we will mount our bikes to explore the fascinating nature all around us until another transfer will take us to the city Azilal, where we can remount our bikes and enjoy a relaxed cycling tour towards Beni Mellal. Overnight stop in Beni Mellal.
Day 5 Azrou and Ifrane 29 km
Arriving in Azrou, after a transfer, we will start cycling through the beautiful woods of Azrou towards Ifrane. This is a famous holiday city, not only in winter to go skiing, but it also attracts many metropolitans who long for a bit of recreation in the mountain landscape. Here we will be picked up and transferred to Fès, one of the most beautiful and exciting cities of the country. Overnight stop in Fès.
Day 6 Moulay Idris 35 km
Fields and agriculturally characterized sections will accompany us along the first stage of today’s cycling tour. Sitting enthroned on top of a hill, we will approach the majestic little city of Moulay Idris, which is surrounded by a fairytale-like landscape and nature. The statesman and founder Idris the first lies buried in this town, which is why the city is said to be holy and attracts many pilgrims every year. We will cross this town to reach the ruins of the city Volubilis, which dates back from the Roman times. Overnight stop in Fès.
Day 7 Meknès 15 km
We will spend this day in Meknès, which belongs, next to Marrakech, Fès and Rabat to the four royal cities. We are going to visit one of the most important historic madrassas of the country, the Medersa Bou Inania, as well as the Medina, the historic town center of Meknès with it’s fascinating Souks. We suggest you use your free afternoon to stroll around the small alleys or to visit one of the many museums. Overnight stop in Meknès.
Day 8 Casablanca 27 km
You will be picked up and taken to Rabat the capital of Morocco to explore the Medina, the historic town center which will sweep us of our feet. We will start cycling along the coast and will finally be taken by transfer to Casablanca, the biggest town of Morocco. Not only is this city famous for giving its name to the classic movie, but also for it’s exciting historic town center and especially the Hassan-II-Mosque, which is the fifth largest mosque worldwide. It is able to welcome up to 25.000 people. Overnight stop in Casablanca.
Day 9 Casablanca and Departure
During an one hour bus drive, we will get to know the dimension and importance of this extraordinary city. Afterwards we will have to say goodbye, the bus will take us to the airport. Having spent 9 days to collect colorful and exciting impressions and memories, we will travel back to Europe.
Unless you want to prolong? No problem! Just contact us.
- 8 Overnight's stays in 3 and 4-star hotels
- 8x half board with a special Welcome and Goodbye dinner
- Water supply on biking days
- Travel guide from France à vélo and
- Moroccan guide on site
- Transfers in minivans with air conditioning
- support vehicle on biking days, opportunity for a lift
- luggage transfer
- high quality rental bike, brand Cannondale
- admission fee
- guided visit of Marrakech and Fès


Efficient CFRP strap configurations for the shear strengthening of RC T-beams
A prestressed carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) strap retrofitting system has been found to significantly enhance the shear capacity of existing reinforced concrete beams. In previous studies, the CFRP straps were supported on metal pads placed on the top and bottom of a beam necessitating top surface access. The goal of the current work was to develop a system where the straps were installed from underneath a slab without compromising the strengthening efficiency. A series of T-beam experiments was conducted where the CFRP straps were inserted through holes that were drilled from below the flange, thereby avoiding the need for access to the top surface. The depth of penetration of the CFRP straps into the compression flange, the concrete strength, the CFRP strap spacing, the presence of holes in the compression flange, and the size of the loading pads were all found to affect the shear performance. Using the most successful installation technique, the resulting CFRP strengthened beam failed at a load that was approximately 50% higher than that of an unretrofitted control beam.