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Since the implementation of the initial Open Door Policy in 1978, China has experienced rapid development—making it the world’s second largest economy in nominal terms.
In the next year, the country will move into the next phase of opening up its economy by lifting restrictions on the foreign ownership of securities, insurance, and fund management firms, and this will make the economy more accessible to the outside world than ever before.
An Opportunity Too Big To Ignore
Today’s infographic from BlackRock explores the steps China’s markets have taken to attract foreign capital on a global scale.
China’s moves are funding the nation’s next stage of growth, and are also creating new investment opportunities for foreign investors.
The China Investment Opportunity
Currently, foreign investors hold just 3% of total Chinese securities, despite the country having the world’s second largest stock and bond market globally.
As the onshore equity and fixed income markets open up, investors have the opportunity to gain exposure to more sectors, particularly those that focus on the domestic economy.
China’s large consumption base of 1.3 billion consumers is a powerful engine of growth, with consumer spending increasing to $4.7 trillion in 2017, from $3.2 trillion in 2012.
Ensuring Sustainable Growth
There are structural reform gaps that need to be addressed in order to ensure China’s growth is sustainable.
These reforms, which seek to correct imbalances caused by uneven economic growth, cover many areas of the economy. They affect the government, as well as corporate, financial and household sectors.
Some of these key reforms include:
- Capital reallocation: Debt reduction and interest rate liberalisation
- Income redistribution: Property, household and corporate tax reduction
- Market regulation: Supply-side reform and environmental protection
- Institutional framework: Intellectual property protection, and reformation of the hukou— China’s registration program, which serves to regulate population distribution and rural-to-urban migration
With 22 reforms currently in progress, the long-term impact is expected to be tremendously positive for growth.
Opening Up the Great Wall
China has shown great support for economic globalisation, and has already been making strides to open its markets to the rest of the world.
- 2002: Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme launches
- 2011: Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) scheme launches
- 2014: Shanghai/Hong Kong Stock Connect launches
- 2016: Shenzhen/Hong Kong Stock Connect launches
- 2017: Bond Connect scheme launches
- 2018: MSCI announces 20% inclusion factor of A-shares
- 2019: Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index begins including yuan-denominated bonds
- 2020: JPMorgan Chase & Co. plans to add Chinese government debt to index
These index inclusions will result in a substantial inflow of new investor funds. According to Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg’s decision to increase the weighting of Renminbi-denominated government and policy bank securities in the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index could attract between $120-$150 billion in new investments into Chinese debt markets.
New China vs. Old China
China has transformed from an export-driven and rural country, into a global manufacturing and technology superpower.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into China’s tech sector have been rising significantly, and currently account for almost a third of total FDI.
China already has the world’s largest robot market, and the government is actively promoting the robotics industry with tax reductions and special R&D funding.
—Victoria Mio, CIO Chinese Equities, Robeco
China’s ambitious “Made in China 2025” ten year plan will lower its dependency on imported technology and make China a dominant player in global technology manufacturing.
An Economic Force To Be Reckoned With
China will inevitably face challenges as it proceeds to lead global economic growth. However, its changing economy is creating a new landscape of opportunity for potential growth, and may continue to do so for the coming years.
The continuous expansion of market access, combined with new policies that promote foreign investment, have helped improve investor confidence. If foreign investors exclude China from their portfolio, they risk missing out on the huge potential of this rapidly expanding market.
Structured Notes: The Secret to Improving Your Risk/Return Profile?
Structured notes provide some downside protection, while allowing investors to participate in market upswings. Learn all about them in this infographic.
Structured Notes: The Secret to Improving Your Risk/Return Profile?
Structured notes are gaining momentum in the market, with a whopping $2 trillion in assets under management (AUM) globally.
So why haven’t more investors heard of them?
Traditionally, structured notes had a $1 million minimum investment. They were only available to high-net-worth or institutional investors—but they are now becoming more accessible.
Today’s infographic from Halo Investing explains what structured notes are, outlines the two main types, and demonstrates how to implement them in a portfolio.
What is a Structured Note?
A structured note is a hybrid security, where approximately 80% is a bond component and 20% is an embedded derivative.
Structured notes are issued by major financial institutions. Since they are the liability of the issuer, it is critical that the investor is comfortable with the issuer—as with any bond purchase.
Almost all structured notes have four simple parameters.
- Maturity – The term typically falls within 3 to 5 years.
- Payoff – The amount the investor receives at maturity.
- Underlying asset – The note’s performance is linked to the price return (excluding dividends) of an asset, such as stocks, ETFs, or foreign currencies.
- Protection – The level of protection the investor receives if the underlying asset loses value.
As long as the underlying asset does not fall lower than the protection amount at maturity, the investor will receive their initial investment back in full.
This is the primary draw of structured notes: they provide a level of downside protection, while still allowing investors to participate in market upswings.
Types of Structured Notes
There are a variety of structured notes, providing investors with diverse options and a range of risk/return profiles. Structured notes generally fall into one of two broad categories: growth notes and income notes.
Investors receive a percentage—referred to as the participation rate—of the underlying asset’s price appreciation.
For example, a growth note has the following terms:
- Maturity: 5 years
- Participation rate: 117%
- Underlying asset: S&P 500 index
- Principal protection: 30%
Here’s what the payoff would look like in 4 different scenarios:
|S&P 500 return||Growth Note Return|
The S&P 500 can return a loss of up to 30%, the principal protection level in this example, before the note starts to lose value.
Over an income note’s life, investors receive a fixed payment known as a coupon. Income notes do not participate in the upside returns the way a growth note does—but they may generate a higher income stream than a standard debt security or dividend-paying stock.
This is because protection is offered for both the principal and the coupon payments. For example, say a note’s underlying asset is the S&P 500, and it pays an 8% coupon with 30% principal protection. If the S&P 500 trades sideways all year—sometimes slightly negative or positive—the note will still pay its 8% coupon due to the protection.
Income notes have another big advantage: their yields can spike in tumultuous markets, as was demonstrated during the market volatility near the end of 2018.
Why did this spike occur? Banks construct the derivative piece of an income note by selling options*, which are more expensive in volatile markets. Banks then collect these higher premiums, creating larger coupons inside the structured note.
Investors can diversify their return profile by using a combination of growth and income notes.
*Option contracts offer the buyer the opportunity to either buy or sell the underlying asset at a stated price within a specific timeframe. Unlike futures, the buyer is not forced to exercise the contract if they choose not to.
Structured notes are powerful tools that can accomplish almost any investment goal, and investors commonly use them as a core portfolio component.
- Step 1: Select a portfolio asset class where downside protection is desired.
- Step 2: Reallocate a portion of the asset class to a structured note
- Step 3: Improve risk/reward performance.
The asset class will demonstrate an enhanced return profile, with less downside risk.
A Global Market
While relatively small in the Americas, the structured notes market is growing on a global scale:
|Region||AUM (2019 Q2)|
In the first half of 2019, assets under management in the Americas was up by 4%. It’s clear the asset class presents enormous untapped potential—and investors are taking notice.
Lowering Barriers Through Technology
Technology is becoming more ingrained in wealth management—empowering investors to access structured notes more easily through efficient trading.
The market is already becoming more accessible. By 31 October 2019, the average transaction size had decreased by almost $500,000 over the year prior.
Technology also offers other benefits for investors:
- Improved analytics
- Investment education
- Risk information
- Increased competition = lower fees
- Improved secondary liquidity
As more investors take advantage of this asset class, they may be able to improve their return potential while limiting their risk.
The History of Interest Rates Over 670 Years
Interest rates sit near generational lows — is this the new normal, or has it been the trend all along? We show a history of interest rates in this graphic.
The History of Interest Rates Over 670 Years
Today, we live in a low-interest-rate environment, where the cost of borrowing for governments and institutions is lower than the historical average. It is easy to see that interest rates are at generational lows, but did you know that they are also at 670-year lows?
This week’s chart outlines the interest rates attached to loans dating back to the 1350s. Take a look at the diminishing history of the cost of debt—money has never been cheaper for governments to borrow than it is today.
The Birth of an Investing Class
Trade brought many good ideas to Europe, while helping spur the Renaissance and the development of the money economy.
Key European ports and trading nations, such as the Republic of Genoa or the Netherlands during the Renaissance period, help provide a good indication of the cost of borrowing in the early history of interest rates.
The Republic of Genoa: 4-5 year Lending Rate
Genoa became a junior associate of the Spanish Empire, with Genovese bankers financing many of the Spanish crown’s foreign endeavors.
Genovese bankers provided the Spanish royal family with credit and regular income. The Spanish crown also converted unreliable shipments of New World silver into capital for further ventures through bankers in Genoa.
Dutch Perpetual Bonds
A perpetual bond is a bond with no maturity date. Investors can treat this type of bond as an equity, not as debt. Issuers pay a coupon on perpetual bonds forever, and do not have to redeem the principal—much like the dividend from a blue-chip company.
By 1640, there was so much confidence in Holland’s public debt, that it made the refinancing of outstanding debt with a much lower interest rate of 5% possible.
Dutch provincial and municipal borrowers issued three types of debt:
- Promissory notes (Obligatiën): Short-term debt, in the form of bearer bonds, that was readily negotiable
- Redeemable bonds (Losrenten): Paid an annual interest to the holder, whose name appeared in a public-debt ledger until the loan was paid off
- Life annuities (Lijfrenten): Paid interest during the life of the buyer, where death cancels the principal
Unlike other countries where private bankers issued public debt, Holland dealt directly with prospective bondholders. They issued many bonds of small coupons that attracted small savers, like craftsmen and often women.
Rule Britannia: British Consols
In 1752, the British government converted all its outstanding debt into one bond, the Consolidated 3.5% Annuities, in order to reduce the interest rate it paid. Five years later, the annual interest rate on the stock dropped to 3%, adjusting the stock as Consolidated 3% Annuities.
The coupon rate remained at 3% until 1888, when the finance minister converted the Consolidated 3% Annuities, along with Reduced 3% Annuities (1752) and New 3% Annuities (1855), into a new bond─the 2.75% Consolidated Stock. The interest rate was further reduced to 2.5% in 1903.
Interest rates briefly went back up in 1927 when Winston Churchill issued a new government stock, the 4% Consols, as a partial refinancing of WWI war bonds.
American Ascendancy: The U.S. Treasury Notes
The United States Congress passed an act in 1870 authorizing three separate consol issues with redemption privileges after 10, 15, and 30 years. This was the beginning of what became known as Treasury Bills, the modern benchmark for interest rates.
The Great Inflation of the 1970s
In the 1970s, the global stock market was a mess. Over an 18-month period, the market lost 40% of its value. For close to a decade, few people wanted to invest in public markets. Economic growth was weak, resulting in double-digit unemployment rates.
The low interest policies of the Federal Reserve in the early ‘70s encouraged full employment, but also caused high inflation. Under new leadership, the central bank would later reverse its policies, raising interest rates to 20% in an effort to reset capitalism and encourage investment.
Looking Forward: Cheap Money
Since then, interest rates set by government debt have been rapidly declining, while the global economy has rapidly expanded. Further, financial crises have driven interest rates to just above zero in order to spur spending and investment.
It is clear that the arc of lending bends towards ever-decreasing interest rates, but how low can they go?
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domain: economics


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Don’t Forget Your Mama
Panic not. There’s a whole business week until Mother’s Day. But it’s time to make a plan. Here are a few restaurant brunch specials that have shown up in our inbox recently that are sure to make your mom feel like queen for a day.
The Wine Market (921 E. Fort Ave.,  244-6166, the-wine-market.com) offers several options including a 3-course brunch, 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., $28/per person (entrée choices include sourdough waffles, ricotta gnocchi, chicken fried steak, and fried oysters); a 3-course dinner, 4 p.m.- 8 p.m., $35/per person (entrée choices include Murrey’s Farms Pan Roasted Chicken, Hudson Valley Duck Confit, Creek Stone Farms Grilled Sirloin Steak). A la carte menu is also available for dinner.
Wit & Wisdom (200 International Drive,  223-1245, witandwisdombaltimore.com) offers a special Mother’s Day Brunch, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., $75/per person (entrees include shrimp and grits, steak and eggs, softshell crab, and Dutch pancake). Live music and a Bellini and Bloody Mary bar included in the price.
The Chameleon Café (4341 Harford Rd.,  254-2376, thechameleoncafe.com), begins serving a la carte brunch for the first time this weekend. For Mother’s Day, brunch will be $30 prix-fixe with choices including house-made scrapple with lentils and poached egg, brioche French toast with local strawberries and bacon ice cream, and fried chicken with biscuits and gravy.
If you’re really tight, IKEA (8352 Honeygo Blvd.,  931-5400, ikea.com) is offering moms a free small breakfast (bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and a cup of coffee) until 11:00 a.m. Maybe you could upgrade with some toast or a cinnamon bun?

domain: food


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Mark 4:35–41 ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ (v38)
You would think that being anywhere in the company of the Son of God, His followers would never be afraid.
But the terrible storm that springs up in today’s reading frightens these seasoned fishermen.
And where’s Jesus? He’s asleep! The disciples wake Him up; we can imagine their terror. Just a few words later, and Jesus has quietened the storm. ‘Quiet! Be still!’ (v39).
He asks the disciples why they’re so scared; we note in this passage that the disciples didn’t give Him a direct answer – at least, not one that is recorded.
Instead, they mutter to themselves about the identity of One who could calm a storm like this.
They are in the presence of One who has power over nature! Actually, it’s interesting to note that although they had lived with Him and had seen Him do amazing things, they still doubted Him when they were in trouble.
For us, the storms of life that inevitably come can serve to strengthen our faith, even when we feel as if our lives are about to be shipwrecked.
It’s so easy to let trials and difficulties almost drown us – and that can happen when we take our eyes off the One who is able to save us.
Worries and hardships can cause doubt to replace faith, and fear to replace stillness. It’s a gradual slide away from faith until we find ourselves at the place of questioning God: ‘Don’t You care?’ Yes, He does.
He cares enough to send His Son to die for us so we do not have to live in separation from our holy God.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Father, there are times when, in the storm, I question whether You care. But I know You love me. Still my storm, I pray. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Are you in a storm today? Call the name of Jesus, and let Him speak words of stillness into the chaos. If it helps, speak with a Christian friend who can pray with you.
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 69:1–36; Isa. 53:1–12; Luke 10:38–42; John 11:17–37
Join the 40-day challenge. Read our Lenten articles every day for the next 40 days!

domain: literature


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SHREK THE MUSICAL FIRST EVER GLOBAL TOUR PREMIERS IN ISTANBUL
DreamWorks Theatricals, Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC and NETworks Presentations
30 August, 2015
DreamWorks Theatricals, Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC and NETworks Presentations, LLC are pleased to announce that the English language production of SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, is coming to Istanbul for the very first time as part of its first-ever international tour. As described by USA Today, this “BIG FAT HIT!” will be playing at the Zorlu Performing Arts Center, for 22 performances only, from January 22nd to February 7th.
SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks Animation film that started it all. This live adaptation brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to the stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey that does not keep quiet, a villain with a short temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand and his name is Shrek.
“We are thrilled that SHREK THE MUSICAL will be performed in places it’s never been before,” said DreamWorks Theatricals, “and for families all over the world to experience their favorite ogre and fairy tale creatures live on stage.” Murat Abbas, General Manager of Zorlu PSM also said “We’re pleased to host this spectacular musical on our stage for the very first time. This show will be the perfect opportunity for families to have a great time with their children”.
SHREK THE MUSICAL features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize® winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Good People), music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline, or Change). SHREK THE MUSICAL is choreographed by Chris Bailey and directed by Stephen Sposito who served as Associate Director of the Broadway revival How To Succeed In Business starring Daniel Radcliff. Costumes are the Tony Award® winner designs by Tim Hatley (Private Lives, Spamalot).
This production of SHREK THE MUSICAL is produced by Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC and NETworks Presentations, LLC.
SHREK THE MUSICAL will play at Zorlu PSM for 22 performances only, between January 22 and February 7. Tickets go on sale now and are available at www.biletix.com, www.zorlucenterpsm.com and Zorlu PSM box offices. Don’t miss the chance to see this magnificent show for the first time in Istanbul.

domain: artistic


text: Enjoy the afternoon painting on the farm! We are having a Mother's Day Special, so if you would like to include your child, please bring them along. There will be prizes, laughter, good times and even time to play with the goats. It will be a day the whole family can enjoy, not only Mom and Child (Men are always invited)! Get your tickets while they last, seats are limited so don't miss out. Remember, everything is included to create your MASTERPIECE! Tickets will close at 11:59pm on Wednesday, May 3rd for final prep.


Be ready for whatever mother nature sends your way with the ultra light and packable Ranger Jacket. Built using a DWR treated 100% Polyester body, the Ranger MTB jacket is highly windproof and water resistant. Designed for the unpredictable weather condition you run into on the mountain - it's ready at a moments notice.
- Front Side: 100% Polyester
- DWR treated 100% polyester body for wind/water resistance
- Extremely lightweight & packable for maximum portability
- Two hand pockets provide storage for essential items


text:
found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
I am already neutered, up to date with shots, good with kids, and good with dogs.
Tater does tend to like to pick on other cats, and can be a bit of much for them. However, he does great and is very confident around dogs.
If you are interested in adopting or the adoption process please visit our website at www.adoptmountainpets.org where you will find the application and other useful information or call the Shelter between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday 970 626 2273.

domain: pet


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Well, this was my second time watching Superman. The first time I watched it I had to have been about seven or eight-years-old. My father showed it to me and I watched it with gusto. I honestly remembered practically nothing about the film except the traumatizing scene when Lois gets buried by an earthquake. That stuck in my psyche.
So yesterday, after a botched attempt to watch 2011’s Green Lantern my sister and I decided to sit back and visit an all-time classic, Superman. My feelings toward this movie are…mixed. I perceived Superman in a sort of reverse emotional basis that I did with the Captain Marvel film.
I find the first half of Captain Marvel unexciting and ultimately a bore. It is the film’s third act, however, that leaves beaming and exhilarated. For me, I found the first two acts of Superman charming, well-written, and overall fantastic. It was heartwarming, fun, and funny. In fact, my sappy self could barely contain tears as I watched Clark Kent and Lois Lane flying romantically in the sky over and through the clouds. However, it was the film’s third act that left me underwhelmed and very disappointed.
I was waiting for Zod to show up…he never did. Lex Luthor was a formidable villain but there wasn’t enough of his conflict with Superman. Superman’s saving California felt drawn out and I was just waiting for it all to end. And the fact that we didn’t get to see him tell Lois that he was Clark Kent was maddening. I understand that the sequel, Superman Returns, tackles these plot points such as his conflict with Zod and Lois learning of his being Superman but geez, I was waiting for that moment!
All in all, I’m glad I now fully know this film but man, I expected it to be better. But maybe that’s because I’m spoiled with modern superhero movies and Man of Steel (which I find much more entertaining.) I’ll give this movie 4 out of 5 stars and 85 out of 100.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a spectacular day.
One thought on “My Review of ‘Superman’”
In 1978, the critics were much harder on the first act of the film. There was not a widespread acceptance that superheroes should be treated with that kind of solemnity or seriousness. The movie was way ahead of its time in that respect. They were much happier with the movie once it got to Metropolis. All I can say is, I like the whole thing. I’ve watched it many times since I first saw it as a child. I think it’s the one, true, definitive Superman movie that defines the absolute baseline for the character. Man of Steel was smartly working off this baseline and bringing Superman into a more serious, complex world, but the original Superman movie was so iconic and representative of people’s vision of the character, that the comic books ended up changing their approach based on it. Superman had actually been changed to be a TV reporter in the comics by that time, but this movie forever put him back into the role of a newspaper reporter.
The next movie is Superman II, not Superman Returns, which was a much later soft reboot of the franchise that failed enough that it was abandoned and rebooted fully with Man of Steel. There is a Superman III and IV from the ’80s as well, which suffered the typical ’80s problem of sequels with rapidly diminishing returns.
Superman II, though, got terrific reviews at the time. It was like an entire movie in the style of the second half of the first movie. It resulted in a Director’s Cut decades later, but you should not even consider watching that before you watch the original version. Superman I and II were written at the same time, and much of part II was shot at the same time. So the two movies are very closely linked. Part I is in many ways a well-planned set-up for part II. You should definitely watch part II as there is a chance it satisfies what you felt was missing from part I, and that may in fact have been what they intended all along.
LikeLiked by 1 person


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DENVER, July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- RE/MAX brokerages outnumbered competitors and RE/MAX agents out-produced them in the RISMedia 26th Annual Power Broker Report. Of the 1,000 brokerages who qualified for the extended version of the survey, nearly 30 percent, or 292 brokerages, were RE/MAX affiliates. That is more than any other brand in the report which ranked participating brokerages by total 2013 home sales.
"RE/MAX Associates are known to be productive entrepreneurs who provide a high level of customer service," said Margaret Kelly, RE/MAX CEO. "As a result, they earn a positive reputation and their business grows through word-of-mouth referrals."
The Power Broker Report also shows that participating RE/MAX agents averaged 18 transaction sides, more than double the eight that competing agents averaged. In sales volume, RE/MAX agents averaged slightly more than $4 million, while the average competitor sold 60 percent less at just under $2.5 million.
The average transaction sides per agent for national franchise competitors included: Realty Executives 12.8, ERA 9.5, Coldwell Banker/NRT 9.1, Century 21 8.6, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 7.5 and Keller Williams 7.4.In April, RISMedia released a preliminary 500-brokerage Power Broker Report yielding similar results. Short list or long, RE/MAX agents measure up in productivity. Additional metrics from the complete 1,000-brokerage version show:
- Forty-five of the top 50 brokerages are RE/MAX when ranked by most transaction sides per agent.
- Comparing 2014 to 2013, RE/MAX agents increased their average sales volume by 17.6 percent and average transaction sides by seven percent.
- RE/MAX accounted for eight percent of the agents in the report, but closed 15.7 percent of the transaction sides.

domain: news


text:
Email us for help
In this episode, Dr. Johnny Bergstrom guides us through a meditation designed to boost our self-esteem. A lot of the thought traffic that contributes to the congestion of the thousands of thoughts we think every few minutes are attributed to automatic negative thoughts - too many of which are centered around speaking to ourselves in critical and negative ways. If you and your self-esteem could use a boost today, please enjoy this seven minute guided meditation from Dr. Bergstrom’s “Seven Minutes to Serenity” guided meditation series. The only thing standing between you and serenity is just seven minutes.

domain: psychology


text:
Almond Blossom In Andalusia in January, with the village of Comares in the background
Lovely shot. The rest of us do Blossom, you do blossom in Andalusia!
27 May 2011 8:14am
Entre l'image d'hier et celle d'aujourd'hui, c'est le miracle de la Nature qui s'est produit!
Bonne journée lumineuse!
27 May 2011 8:19am
Lovely details and colours and a great setting! How different from yesterday's :)
27 May 2011 9:03am
wow! great capture with harmonic colors!
i feel great when i look at this :) well done...
27 May 2011 9:18am
By heck you like to get around!
27 May 2011 10:12am
Glorious shot - the hill top village in the background is a brilliant touch.
27 May 2011 10:35am
27 May 2011 12:26pm
It's a beauty, and I like that other one just in pre-opening stage, as well as the bokeh village. A fresh air photo.
27 May 2011 1:54pm
Wonderful framing ! Great colors , superb details , very beautiful !
27 May 2011 2:01pm
Magnificent composition and beautiful flowers friend! They are wonderful! Best regards, Adela
27 May 2011 2:15pm
I like this upward view of this beautiful blossom. Nice close up detail and color.
27 May 2011 2:28pm
27 May 2011 4:15pm
27 May 2011 9:38pm
I like how you've included the village in the background. Maybe a little cropping on the left would make it a bit more obvious?
27 May 2011 10:54pm
@Andrea: A good point. I held a sheet of paper up to the screen and masked out the left hand side, then took it away. Did it several times and couldn't make up my mind which I preferred :)
Great shot! Nice composition, colours and light...
28 May 2011 3:09am
Waking up the world. Alive and so beautiful!
28 May 2011 4:05am
it's funny, i was looking for a pear tree today at a nursery and i saw some almond trees for sale. they looked very pretty. i just wish i had room for one. well, i mean, room for one in *addition* to the pear tree i'd like. but i think now, i might have to wait until next spring to find a pear tree.
28 May 2011 7:48am
Beautiful light and colors, like the white village in the distance...
28 May 2011 8:18am
29 May 2011 4:14pm
Add your comment ...
NIKON COOLPIX P70001/1000 secondF/5.0ISO 10028 mm (35mm equiv.)
almond blossom comares andalusia spain
Photography by grouser © 2019
Powered by Aminus3 Photoblog Software


text:
1) Background to the photos
Today, I took a trip aboard Air Force One from Albuquerque to Joint Base San Antonio. The adventure is just beginning!
2) Detailed Flight Information including servers, time, route
Casual Server, 1300Z, KABQ to KSKF
After a great sunrise takeoff, I am on my way to the Alamo!
Raton Pass and Santa Fé are in the distance as I climb into the desert.
Welcome to the dunes of west Texas!
I see the lights of San Antonio!
That’s our runway!
After an hour of fun, we have made it to Joint Base San Antonio!
Be sure to tell me which picture is your favorite in the comments!

domain: travel


text:
Fort Carroll (2)
Fort Carroll (2) (1841-1841) - A U.S. Army post established in 1841 during the Second Seminole War by Captain T.P. Guynn, 8th U.S. Infantry, in present day Polk County, Florida. Named for Sergeant Major Francis Carroll, 7th U.S. Infantry, who was killed by hostile Indians while escorting the wife of an officer from Micanopy to Waccahoota. Abandoned in 1841 in favor of Fort Cummings.
Abandoned for health reasons later in 1841 with the troops removed to Fort Cummings.
Private property in Polk County, Florida.
Visited: 1 Feb 2012

domain: geography


text:
"'What is the use of a book,' thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?'"
—Lewis Carroll (1832-98) [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] British mathematician, writer
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- VIDEO: Safe space landing for torch mission Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:09:26 GMT
- The two cosmonauts, Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky, and American astronaut Michael Hopkins, have landed safely after completing their Sochi Olympic torch mission.
- VIDEO: BBC joins search helicopter flight Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:23:45 GMT
- As the search continues for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the BBC's Alice Budisatrijo has has joined a team on one of the Vietnamese search and rescue helicopters looking for Flight MH370.
- VIDEO: Dog dirt detectives in Naples Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:18:58 GMT
- Naples is introducing forensic DNA testing to track down the owners of dogs that foul on the streets of Naples
- VIDEO: 'Spying setting fire to internet' Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:39:11 GMT
- Global mass surveillance conducted by the US and other governments is "setting fire to the future of the internet", says Edward Snowden.
- Genghis Khan 'lucky with weather' Tue, 11 Mar 2014 01:08:18 GMT
- The rise of Genghis Khan and the huge Mongol Empire in the early 13th century may have been helped by good weather, scientists suggest.
- Abu Dhabi's million-dollar phone number Tue, 11 Mar 2014 09:57:12 GMT
- A VIP mobile phone number sells for more than two million dollars at an auction in Abu Dhabi.
- GM recall faces US investigation Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:39:04 GMT
- A US congressional committee says it is investigating General Motors's recall of nearly 1.6 million vehicles over faulty ignition switches.
- US investors buy Man Utd shares Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:10:40 GMT
- US investment firm Baron Capital buys a quarter of all Manchester United shares available for sale on the New York Stock Exchange
- Google faces in-app purchase action Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:29:47 GMT
- Angry parents have filed a legal action against Google over the way children can make purchases from apps without their consent.
- Mt Gox wins US bankruptcy protection Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:57:05 GMT
- Mt Gox, the troubled Japanese bitcoin exchange, wins bankruptcy protection to temporarily halt US legal action alleging fraud.
- Hollywood: Too few women on screen Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:16:23 GMT
- A new study shows female characters are "dramatically under-represented" in the top-grossing films of 2013.
- Queen musical to close in West End Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:29:02 GMT
- We Will Rock You, the hit musical based on the songs of Queen, is to close in the West End after a 12-year run.
- Light pollution alters bat behaviour Tue, 11 Mar 2014 14:50:05 GMT
- Light pollution is having an impact on the regeneration of tropical rainforests because it disrupts the behaviour of seed dispersing bats, a study suggests.


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BV AH36 steel is a kind of high tensile strength marine steel. All of these steels have been engineered to be optimal long-lived shipbuilding steels.BV AH36 Shipbuilding steel plates are mainly used for making the offshore oil drilling platform, the hull of ship building and ship repairing, the platform pipe joints and other components. Related searches ship building steel material vessel plate
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News & Updates
NTA starts NEET-UG-2019 Applicationswww.Opasis.com
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has started the applications for NEET 2019. The entrance exam is used for admission to MBBS/BDS and AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) Courses in India in Medical/Dental Colleges run with the approval of Medical Council of India/Dental Council of India under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India except for the institutions established through an Act of Parliament i.e. AIIMS and JIPMER Puducherry, which conduct their separate entrance tests.
Indian Nationals, Non Resident Indians (NRIs), Oversees Citizen of India (OCIs), Persons with Indian Origin (PIOs), Foreign Nationals are eligible to apply for NEET (UG) - 2019.
The entrance exam shall be conducted across 154 cities across India in pen and paper mode and in 11 languages.
The seats are classified in the following categories:
(i) All India Quota Seats
(ii) State Government Quota Seats
(iii) Central Institutions/Universities/Deemed Universities
(iii) State/Management/NRI Quota Seats in Private Medical / Dental Colleges or any Private University
(iv) Central Pool Quota Seats
Applications close on 30.11.2018 and the NEET (UG) - 2019 shall be held on 05.05.2019 (5th May).
For Eligibility, Test Pattern, Key Dates and Clashing Exams refer NEET (UG) - 2019Follow us on Follow us on


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Mulligan’s Grill, Ellisville, MO Mulligan’s Grill – When you have your own private label bourbon you have to know that you are doing something right. As a [...]
St Louis Restaurant Review offers exactly what the name implies; restaurant reviews for restaurants in the St Louis area.
Talayna’s Italian Restaurant Talayna’s Italian Restaurant is located at 68 Four Seasons Shopping Center, Chesterfield, MO. Call 314-469-6650. Talayna’s offers [...]


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Rose Quartz Sterling Silver Necklace
This peaceful crystal is known as the "stone of unconditional love" and it transforms relationships with yourself and others. Which then creates love and harmony. Feel this Rose Quartz in your hand to get its warmth and wear it close to you heart chakra. Necklace is handmade with a stunning 41 mm x 41 mm Rose Quartz pendant on a 50 cm sterling silver solo chain. A piece of jewellery that is unique, just like you.
Rose Quartz is also a wonderful stone to use in times of trauma. It helps you to take an objective look at a situation without being overwhelmed. Teaching you to accept yourself and live from the heart.

domain: design


We sat down for an in-depth interview with Berklee Death Metal band, Hate Storm Annihilation. Check out what they had to say! Read More
We discuss the epic nature of Beyoncè's headlining performance at Coachella, as its festival owner is condemned for ties to anti-LGBTQ organizations. Check it out!
We discuss the validity of today's singing competitions and the perception they create of how the industry works. Check it out!
We discuss the all-female rock band's latest album and delve into the powerful female empowerment messages conveyed throughout.
We give you a few tips and tricks for maximizing early touring success! Check it out.
We checked out Acid Dad at a house show, and brought you the deets! Check it out.
We discuss the relevance and validity of award shows. Check it out!
We discuss some of the most successful women in music. Check it out!


Pool Equipment Troubleshooting
Gas Pool Heater Running but not Heating? Here’s What To Do
If your gas pool heater won’t turn on, try out these troubleshooting measures — they could spare you the cost of a replacement.
By Allen Hayward
When the outdoor temperature gets colder, you might find that gas pool heaters are a great way to keep your pool water warm. But if you have a malfunctioning gas pool heater, then your pool water will get chilled rather quickly in the fall or spring seasons.
This doesn’t mean you need to call a professional, though. There are ways to troubleshoot the heater in order to see where the problem lies. Let’s explore all the common problems that can happen with a gas pool heater and the best ways to fix them.
Common Problems with Gas Pool Heaters
To understand gas pool heater troubleshooting better, we must examine the most common issues which cause it to malfunction. Then you can learn how to resolve the problem without professional assistance.
Heater Ignition Failure
The most common issue with gas pool heaters is that they don’t ignite. This can happen every now and then for several different reasons. First, see if the heater switch is activated. Next, check the thermostat temperature and make sure it is set higher than the temperature of the water. After that, see if the pilot is still lit or not. Also, the gas supply valve should be in its “on” position.
Pilot Does Not Light
There are a few reasons why your pilot may not light. Your heater may have low gas pressure, poor venting, or weak air supply. Inspect each vent to ensure nothing is interfering with the heater. Also, make sure you have normal pressure, and the gas is turned on.
Water Temperature Doesn’t Match the Set Temperature
You might have a low setting on the thermostat if this is happening. Perhaps you have a very small heater for a pool of your size. If enough gas is not going to your heater, that could be a problem too. Check to see if you have a faulty high limit switch because it might be causing the heater to deactivate before the water gets heated properly. Sometimes your heater may be running when the outdoor temperature is too cold. If that happens, wait for the temperature outside to warm up.
On and Off Cycling of the Heater
The water must be heated to the set temperature before the heater cycles to the off position. But if the cycling between on and off takes place before the desired water temperature is reached, then the water flow might be the problem. Check to see if you have a clogged filter, reversed water connections, or a closed valve. In other cases, you may have a bad thermostat which must be replaced.
Your pool water has all kinds of sanitizing chemicals in it. However, the heat exchanger will eventually get damaged from the constant exposure to these chemicals. This could cause your heater to leak. The cold winter temperatures can cause this to happen too. You could replace the heat exchanger if you’re confident that’s the problem. But first, make sure you don’t have a loose connection or leaky gasket. If they appear to be fine, then you can pursue the more expensive options for fixing the problem.
Leaky Heater While Burner is Lit
If it is extremely cold outside and the burner is lit, then condensation can accumulate and drip from the heater. Sometimes the leak may be from too much water flow or a damaged internal bypass. Consider an external pool water heater bypass installation to lower the flow of water that goes to the heater.
If too much heat is damaging your heater, then you might see dark exhaust coming out of it when it’s on. In this situation, monitor your gas pressure and see if you have enough air available and good venting. Sometimes wind or a downdraft may be responsible for this problem. A high wind stack installation may be needed to fix the issue.
The sanitizing chemicals in the water can damage more than just your exhaust. They can also corrode the pool heater too. You’ll notice this is happening if you see rust anywhere in the pool as your heater is turned on. If you own a cast iron heater, then this problem is very common. Test the water of your pool and see if the chemicals are balanced. Replacing corroded components may be required if nothing else works.
Need a new pool heater unit learn hoe much it will cost you and running cost .
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Hayward H-Series H250FDN Review Hayward H-Series H250FDN 250,000 BTU is a high-performance natural gas pool heater....
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Chefs & Buyers
Why Superior Fresh leafy greens?
100% USDA Organic
All of our greens are certified 100% Organic. We obtained our first Organic certification in October of 2017, with additional audits taking place annually thereafter. Obtaining Organic certification as an aquaponics facility is no easy feat. It is very difficult for conventional hydroponic greenhouses to obtain Organic certification due to high costs and lack of approved inputs available. With our integration of aquaculture, we are able to use the organic nutrients the fish provide and avoid the conventional alternatives.
Our crops are protected by 4 walls and a roof - guarding them from the elements and contaminants. Food safety is the number one focus of our team and is built into every task on our farm. To show our commitment to safe produce, our greenhouse is SQF (Safe Quality Food) certified.
Why Superior Fresh Fish?
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommends Atlantic salmon and Steelhead raised in recirculating systems are a “Best Choice” for consumers.
Best Aquaculture Practices
Our farming methods are certified to meet or exceed all standards of the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) programs.


"How will Noah survive the flood?" asks the voice-over on the USA Today video, in that serious-but-still-enthusiastic timbre familiar to fans of those faux breaking-news segments on "Entertainment Tonight" or "Extra." The question swirls over a visual of the raging waters sent by the Creator to wipe out errant humanity — and sent by director Darren Aronofsky to make Paramount Pictures some $44 million in the opening weekend of his movie, the No. 1 flick in America last weekend. Not so soggy.
"I think we all know the end of that story," continues the voice, "but we've never seen it told in such a controversial way."
That word — controversial — has been the main meme of the movie "Noah," which stars Russell Crowe as the fortunate fellow dispatched by God to ride out a flood sent to submerge his fellow homo sapiens, while accompanied by a floating menagerie of animals, zonked out in the Aronofsky movie so as not to be eating each other and creating a mess. Paramount executives have embraced the term and its box office-boosting potential, with Rob Moore, Paramount's very quotable vice chairman, even comparing his struggles against those opposed to his studio's movie to the trials undergone by biblical figures.
"I actually feel like some combination of Noah preparing for the storm, or Joseph," Moore told USA Today, apparently sans irony and in the grand tradition of movie executives forgetting, at least temporarily, that few of their problems have existential implications. Just money and artistic ego.
In many ways, this headline-ready so-called controversy ("rough religious waters," "flood of opposition," "Noah riding the waves" and so on) has played out exactly as Paramount might have wished. There was early opposition to the film on the grounds that it took too many liberties with the Bible and turned Noah into a lefty vegetarian environmentalist — a blog-fueled storm based on a leaked draft of the script.
This attack would appear absurd to anyone who has seen the final movie, so it either was bogus from the start or Paramount made a whole lot of changes to that script. But it not only stirred media interest in the film, it also allowed Paramount time to come up with a defensive game plan, which involved approaching more mainstream religious groups and convincing them that the film at least had its heart in the right biblical place — a sense of the spiritual root of the story, narrative liberties notwithstanding. Many of these groups were convinced that any big studio movie about a biblical topic provokes many discussions of that topic — you are reading one right now — and thus serves evangelical ends. It is akin to the savvy position the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints took over the musical "The Book of Mormon," which it greeted with an advertisement saying, "You've seen the show and you're curious, now read the book."
Then, apparently as a result of those conversations with religious leaders, a truly absurd but mightily shrewd disclaimer was added by Paramount to marketing materials, saying that the Aronofsky movie took "artistic license" but was true to the "essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide."
"The Biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis," went the studio's helpful statement, as if we all were under the impression that it was to be found in "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" or on the moon.
Let's deconstruct that statement a bit. You could argue that being true to the integrity of the story requires only some basic following of the core events in the four relevant chapters of Genesis — the wickedness, the two by two, the flood, the landing on top of Mount Ararat. So that's fair enough. "Essence" is a much weirder term. Since the biblical story of Noah actually takes up far less narrative space than the movie's screenplay, which adds all kinds of Hollywood characters, digital critters and other epic accouterments, the source is really more the essence of the adaptation than the other way around. The movie is the essence of nothing; it is an expansion. This is true of almost all drama based on biblical stories. Such stories, their fame notwithstanding (and the ones recounting the life of Jesus being an exception), tend to be very short. As Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber came to understand with their "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," you've got time for a megamix.
As for the values of this story of a vengeful God wiping out humanity, kids and all? Well, biblical scholars have debated that one for centuries; no one movie could possibly be faithful to the values of a story of such metaphoric moral ambiguity. At minimum, it's a continuum, not an either-or proposition. But then Paramount's statement was about religious politics, not logic.
Meanwhile, the controversy was a useful signal to the mainstream secular audience (and critics) that "Noah" was not mere biblical fodder for fundamentalists, but a movie that might have something therein for agnostics or sensation seekers. Since artistic worth generally is seen as requiring some level of activist creativity, as distinct from slavish narrative reproduction or fidelity to pre-existing values, whatever that might mean, that also was a cue for critics to take the movie more seriously, which, for the most part, they did.
Right on cue, Glenn Beck denounced the movie on his radio show, offering a beautifully timed thunderbolt of rage, calling the movie "dangerous" (an adjective applicable to few dramatic works, if any), "hostile to God" (why would God care?) and "a slap in the face" to the true believer (by definition, a true believer should not be even remotely concerned with falsehood), thus adding a few more million bucks into the "Noah" pot and putting Beck back into the middle of the cultural conversation.
Beck's anger was especially interesting, given that the apocalyptic imagery (and verbosity) you find as illustrations (and content) in his many media outlets is not so far removed from the Aronofsky aesthetic as manifest in his movie, with its ferocious subtexts, raging fury and aching sentimentality. Beck set himself up as the yin to Aronofsky's yang, but it's probably more accurate to regard them as two faces of the same clever coin. There is, for sure, some overlap between those of us who find Beck's view of life and death consistently interesting and those lining up to see Aronofsky's brooding, whacked-out "Noah" these past few days.
The "Noah" controversy also did a great deal for Russell Crowe, who was, after all, playing a character who is supposed to be struggling with colossal moral choices on the order of "Do I love and shelter my granddaughters or murder them?" and "Is man worth saving?" The notion that the entire enterprise of the film was a weighty struggle could not help but wash over into the central character's core dilemma, lending the actor and the character gravitas, which is no bad thing when your ark is being guarded by monsters that look like refugees from "Transformers."
Of course, "Noah" is hardly the first movie to play it right down the middle between secularists and believers, irritating both groups a little and intriguing both a lot. As Glenn Whipp noted in the Los Angeles Times last Sunday, Cecil B. DeMille earnestly sought out religious groups' blessings for his 1927 epic "King of Kings," but that didn't stop him from opening the movie with an orgy.


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Medicaid funding has New York State taxpayers furious and legislators pointing fingers at everyone but themselves. This past spring, state legislators overrode the governor's veto of excessive spending. Instead of cutting spending, they imposed new surcharges on numerous state services. Without public input, the Legislature arrogantly passed the Clean Air Act, forcing many businesses to close. Buffalo's Rick Naylon jumped through the hoops and hurdles Erie County threw in his path. Yet, in the end, he was forced to close his business of 23 years. Result: minus 35 taxpayers, plus 35 unemployment recipients.
Erie County and Albany legislators must repeal unfunded mandates and cut or eliminate excessive taxes. The State Legislature needs to address extra pay that legislators receive for being on certain committees, chairing committees and special funding for special interests. Legislators can pat themselves on the back for a job not done!
Voters have no one to blame but themselves for this disaster. How many people voted against the referendum for a Constitutional Convention in 1997?