Champion Vitali Klitschko and underdog Danny Williams meet tonight in Las Vegas for the WBC heavyweight title. A spectacular performance by...
Klitschko makes title defense in Las Vegas: Champion Vitali Klitschko and underdog Danny Williams meet tonight in Las Vegas for the WBC heavyweight title. A spectacular performance by either could vault the winner to the top of a pack of rather undistinguished heavyweight champs.
“It is very important that I win this fight,” Klitschko said.
Klitschko defends the title he won in April against Corrie Sanders for the first time against Williams, who was plucked from obscurity to be ex-champ Mike Tyson’s comeback opponent in July. Williams knocked Tyson out in the fourth round.
“Danny Williams destroyed my dream of fighting Mike Tyson,” Klitschko said. “Now I will destroy his dream of being the heavyweight champion.”
Labor talks to continue Tuesday: The NHL players’ association insists its proposed one-time 24 percent salary rollback will dramatically change the league’s economics. Whether that is enough to persuade NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to sign off on a deal and end the three-month lockout remains to be seen.
A decision could come as early as Tuesday in Toronto as the sides meet for the second time in six days after not negotiating for three months.
“If they just come back and say, ‘Thank you for the rollback. Now we just want to put it in a (salary) cap system,’ I know what the response of the players is going to be, and that would be most unfortunate,” NHLPA senior director Ted Saskin said.
Brazile extends all-around streak: Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, secured his third straight world all-around title in the eighth round of the 10-round National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Brazile, the first cowboy to win three consecutive all-around titles since Ty Murray in 1989-91, has earned $253,160 this season in team roping, steer roping and tie-down roping.
Fashion police: Bode Miller of Franconia, N.H., was disqualified for wearing a giant-slalom suit instead of downhill gear while finishing fifth in a World Cup training run in Val d’Isere, France.
The DQ has no bearing on his participation in today’s race.
Indiana, UC-Santa Barbara triumph: John Michael Hayden scored with 48 seconds left in the second overtime, leading second-seeded Indiana to a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Maryland in the semifinals of the NCAA Men’s College Cup in Carson, Calif.
Indiana (18-4-1) advanced to tomorrow’s title match against ninth-seeded UC-Santa Barbara (21-2-1).
UCSB routed unseeded Duke 5-0 in the other semifinal. Drew McAthy scored twice for the Gauchos.
Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy made seven saves for his 13th shutout of the season.
MetroStars add Agoos: The New York-New Jersey MetroStars acquired defender Jeff Agoos, a nine-time Major League Soccer All-Star, from San Jose in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2005 MLS draft.
Lazio penalized again: Italian team Lazio was ordered to play its next European game without fans as punishment for a game last month marked by racial taunts from the stands. This is the third time Lazio has been punished for racial misconduct, European soccer’s governing body said.
UEFA also fined Real Madrid nearly $13,000 for racial taunts by its fans during the Spanish team’s Nov. 23 Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen of Germany.
Umpire dies at 84: Ed Sudol, the umpire behind home plate when Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth’s record by hitting his 715th career home run in 1974, died. He was 84.
Seattle Times news services


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India stocks fall again on weakness before US Fed meeting
11:10, 15 December 2021
Indian stock indices extend declines for a fourth day on concerns the US Federal Reserve is likely to resort to a hawkish monetary policy stance at today’s meeting, analysts said.
Foreign investors led the pack of sellers, and a late announcement by the government of an incentive package for the semiconductor industry could not reverse the weakening trend seen since the start of the day.
The bellwether Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share Sensitive index ended 0.57% lower at 57,788.03 points from its previous close. The most-traded National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) Nifty50 index weakened 0.6% to 17,221.4 points.
The Nifty Auto index was able to buck the trend with a 0.49% gain. The advance-decline share ratio – the number of advancing shares divided by the number of declining shares – on the NSE was 848-1,231 today.
Anxiety before policy
Sentiment was also hurt after the UK reported the world’s first death of someone with the Omicron virus which led to an increase in global cautiousness.
“Anxiety over more anticipated hawkish policy statement by Fed pressurised the domestic indices to fall. Overall, the Fed is expected to announce a faster end to its bond-buying campaign and may signal a rate hike in 2022 amid rising inflationary pressure,” said Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services.
“While foreign investors continued their selling spree, all sectors barring auto traded in negative territory.”
The federal cabinet has cleared a production-linked incentive scheme for semiconductor makers with the ambition of making the country an electronics hub as the shortage of microchips hurts industrial production, according to a report by CNBC Awaaz television channel.
The government plans to provide incentives worth INR760 ($10bn) crore for semiconductor production over the next six years.
The weak undertone was also seen in the local currency market, where the Indian rupee extended declines and traded at the lowest level since June 2020. The rupee today reached a low of 76.33 against the dollar before trading at 76.20 as of 16.00 IST.
“The dollar is holding the rally and making new highs as the Fed has already acclimatised the foreign exchange market to a faster taper, so any indication over a quickened rate hike calendar will support the appreciation in spot US dollar and we may see it breaching the 76.50 zone,” said investment bank Emkay Global Financial Services.
Barclays pointed out that it sees India’s current-account deficit remaining large. This may reduce India’s foreign currency surpluses, constraining the rupee and affecting equity inflows from foreign investors.
India’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $635.9bn as of 3 December, high by $56.5bn from the same time a year ago, according to information provided by the central bank, the custodian of the reserves.
Stock in One 97 Communications, which runs India’s largest digital payment platform Paytm, tumbled as much as 13% today as anchor investors’ lock-in period ended. The stock, however, recovered to close at 7.6% lower INR1,381.9.
Stock in TVS Motor Company, India’s third-largest two-wheeler maker, ended higher after the company said it was extending and expanding long-term partnership with BMW Motorrad to develop new platforms and future technologies, including electric vehicles. The stock ended 1.4% higher at INR669.4.
The market is expected to remain in consolidative mode ahead of decisions by key central banks and a lack of positive triggers, according to Siddhartha Khemka, head of retail research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
Investors are awaiting the outcome of the US fed meeting today and looking for cues on when the central bank plans to start hiking interest rates, as well as the pace of stimulus tapering, he added.
Dharmesh Shah, a senior analyst at ICICI Securities, said the Nifty50 index managed to close the day near a good support zone at 17200. “If it manages to hold above that level we may see swift bounce, otherwise we may see more drag down towards the 17100-17000 mark which is another support zone on the downside,” he said.
“On the higher side, the immediate hurdle is formed near the 17300-17400 zone. If we cross above that level, we can expect a positive breakout.”

domain: finance


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ALMA MEDIA CORP. PRESS RELEASE 7 JANUARY 2005
ALMA MEDIA ACQUIRES CITY24.EE, LARGEST INTERNET HOME AND PROPERTY MARKETPLACE IN ESTONIA
Alma Media has purchased the entire share capital of Kinnisvaraportaal AS, which maintains City24.ee, Estonia's leading Internet home selling service. The company has net sales of some EUR 300,000 and employs four people. The company was sold by the private equity company Intergate and three real estate companies, who set up the service in 2000. Alma Media is the market leader in Finland in Internet classified advertising services. Alma Media's services are Etuovi.com, Autotalli.com and Monster.fi in Finland, as well as Mascus.com which operates in several countries and Byttruck.com in Sweden.
City24.ee is Estonia's leading Internet home and property marketplace. City24.ee covers 70% of the housing on offer in Estonia and its service offers property from 200 real estate companies. More than 40,000 visitors use the service every week. The service functions not only in Estonian and Russian but also in Finnish and English.
"The purchase of City24.ee fits in perfectly with Alma Media's strategy. We are the market leader in Finland in our chosen sectors and the natural next step is expanding into neighbouring areas. Etuovi.com has got off to a good start in Finland and City24 provides an excellent opportunity for us to expand its business outside Finland. City24 has a multi-language service in use, including Russian, and has plans for expanding into Lithuania and Latvia," states Raimo Mäkelä, president of Alma Media Interactive Oy, which is responsible for Alma Media's Internet classified services.
Estonia's housing market has grown strongly in the past few years. Housing sales rose altogether 16% in 2003. During the first quarter of 2004 10,700 sales transactions were recorded and growth for the whole year is expected to be similar to the previous year. The average price of housing in 2003 was EEK 472,000 (EUR 30,100), an increase of 13% from 2002. Low interest rates have kept interest in home purchasing high. The number of home mortgages taken out increased 61% in 2003.
"City24 has established a strong position in property advertising on the Internet. Cooperation with Alma Media opens up new, interesting opportunities to expand the service offering via the Internet to mobile services and other media such as newspapers and television. Our customer-focused approach to developing information technology and our desire to copy the best of Alma Media's business concepts help us to offer our customers the leading services in the field in our existing and new market areas," says Marko Veerberk, Managing Director of Kinnisvaraportaal.
Alma Media Interactive Oy is the leading classified advertising specialist in Finland. Etuovi.com for homes, Autotalli.com for second-hand vehicles, Monster.fi for job recruitment and Mascus.com for used heavy-duty equipment and machines are all market leaders. The services reach a total of 800,000 visitors each month. Classified services had combined net sales in 2004 of EUR 13 million and employed altogether 62 people.


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The Way – Film
Are you looking for something ‘more’, but don’t know where to start your search? What so many of us fail to see is that the answers are within, if only we care to look there. Many people, whether they are searching or not, ‘find themselves’ on the Camino de Santiago – a world-famous pilgrim route that starts off in France and travels across the whole breadth of Spain to end up at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, in the northwest of Spain.
This film is a truly powerful and inspirational story that depicts exactly that – the profound impact that travelling the Camino de Santiago can have on a person when they least expect it. The Way stars Martin Sheen, who plays Tom, a mature man, very set in his ways, who travels to France after his son (played by Emilio Estevez) dies in a tragic accident while doing the Camino himself. Instead of returning home to the US, Tom decides to fulfil his son’s burning dream to carry out the ‘Route of Saint James’ and finish it himself. The journey, often very amusing in parts, turns out to become an unexpected life-changing experience.
For more information on the Camino de Santiago see www.OnThePulse.es

domain: artistic


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J.W. Garrison, the head of a top-secret sub agency of the United Nations, discovers that a team of terrorists, led by the murderous Oliver Maxwell, plan on producing a bomb carrying an anthrax virus to be used in the United States. Garrison summons CIA agent Zack Hamilton who puts together a team of three beautiful women; CIA trainer Kim Taylor; photographer Victoria Carrera; and actress Eva Kirov to go to undercover as fashion models to infiltrate the terrorist organization to find the bomb before it can be used.
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.
Papa Hemingway in..
In 1959, a young journalist ventures to Havana, Cuba to meet his idol, the legendary Ernest Hemingway who helped him find his literary voice, while the Cuban Revolution comes to a boil around them.
In this undersea thriller, a United States submarine is seized by terrorists. But a rescue attempt by an elite group of Navy Seals goes wrong when they are captured. Now they must wage a silent war beneath the waves.
The Kite Runner
After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.
Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.

domain: library


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Young bloggers review Bath Kids Lit Fest
Our young bloggers have been really enjoying this year’s festival. Read what they have to say about the different events they’ve been to…
Hannah Price, age 13:
On Sunday 8th October I attended the Norse Myths event with Francesca Simon and Kevin Crossley-Holland, it was both riveting and educational. Both authors said they had been introduced to Norse Mythology at a young age. Francesca said she had read the myths at the age of 8, sitting on a beach in California where she grew up. In contrast, Kevin had the tales told, or sung to him (accompanied by the Welsh harp) by his father when he was a boy.
Both writers described their interest in Norse Mythology and how their studies in medieval literature at Oxford University had contributed to their writing over the years. Their presentation resembled a free flowing discussion between them, which as they are both so engaging, resulted in an enjoyable and informative conversation.
Some of the things I learnt:
The Norse Myths were an oral tradition, and so weren’t written down until 300 years after the Vikings invaded Europe – they were never recorded by people who actually believed in them!
About half of the words in the English language are derived from Viking or Anglo-Saxon words. An obvious example: Thursday = Thor’s Day.
The Viking invasion reached as far as Constantinople.
An audience member asked both writers if it was the Norse Myths that originally encouraged them to write books. Interestingly, they both replied that the Norse Myths had not directly inspired them originally, but they could not imagine writing without the foundation of that language. Francesca Simon said that she had used Kevin Crossley-Holland’s The Pengiun Book of Norse Myths as her “go to” factual reference for her latest book “The Monstrous Child”. However, she decided to write this story from the Goddess Hel’s point of view and she stressed that when writing in the first person you require a distinct and unique voice for your character. Amazingly, she said that the first line of the book just popped fully formed into her head when she was jet-lagged and travelling on the New York subway! In this way she wrote Hel’s viewpoint as that of a grumpy, depressed teenager.
It was extremely impressive to hear Kevin not only reading out passages from his new book Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki, but also quoting the last passages from Beowulf – in the original Anglo-Saxon! By the end of the talk I felt like that I had been given the best and most fascinating education in the Norse Myths that I could possibly hope for. I am very grateful to both authors for this, and for signing my books afterwards.
I have thoroughly enjoyed both events that I’ve attended this year, and I’m already looking forward to seeing the line-up for next year’s BathKidsLitFestival!
Christopher Cooper, age 8:
Oscar Lovell-Clark, age 9:
“Joe Berger told us about his book – The Pudding Problem – which is based on his life growing up. He really likes cartoons and said that you can use really simple faces to show different types of feelings – like eyebrows going down to show anger, or going up to show worry. He drew Sam, the main character from his book, and asked us what he could add to Sam’s face to make him look really angry – like steam coming out of his ears, and red cheeks. Then he drew another picture of Sam and asked us what he could add to make him look really worried – we said lots of things, including worry drops coming off around his face, wobbly lines going down the side of his body, and knocking knees, which actually made him look desperate for the loo!
Then we got to draw our own comic strip – it was really good fun.
At the end, I asked him what his favourite books, authors and illustrators had been – he said Tin Tin and Roald Dahl. I like them,too.
Time flew at Joe Berger’s Drawing Masterclass; it was such good fun. And I highly recommend his books – the bits he read out were very funny!”
I thought Animal Encounters with Kieran Larwood and Gill Lewis was really good. They sat together on a small stage and were interviewed about their life, their books and their inspiration.
Both Kieran Larwood and Gill Lewis rescued injured animals when they were children – and they said that that’s where their love for animals came from. In between the interviewer’s questions, Gill Lewis and Kieran Larwood read passages from their books, which was brilliant because it gave everybody an insight into what their books were like.
Gill Lewis’s book – Sky Dancer – sounded really good. It’s about a boy called Joe whose dad was a game keeper but died in prison. Joe lives in a community who are debating the fate of hen harriers – a bird of prey that’s nearly extinct in the UK. The book is all about Joe having to make a decision. I’d like to read it because I’m not that good at decisions, so it might help me learn how to make decisions in the future.
Kieran Larwood is one of my favourite authors. It was so interesting to find out how he came up with his ideas for the magical world of Podkin One-Ear. When it was the audience’s turn to ask questions, I put my hand up and asked him how he came up with the names for his characters. He said that when he was little, he rescued a rabbit from being chased by a weasel in his garden, and called it Pod, so Podkin’s name originally came from there. When it came to thinking of names for the Gorm Lord, he wanted something that sounded big and sharp and spiky, and came up with Scramashank – it’s perfect.
I can’t wait for Kieran Larwood’s next book! It comes out in 2018 – I don’t think I can wait that long!
To sum it up, I thought it was good to sit and listen to these authors being interviewed – I found out things I’d never have known otherwise. I wonder which authors will be coming to next year’s festival!
Faye and Catherine, age 9:
“On Sunday, we went to the Bath Literature Festival to see the author and illustrator…CHRIS RIDDEL!!! His most resent book is Goth Girl and the sinister symphony. He said his favourite type of books are the tiny books in the back of story’s. We got to ask him a few questions and someone asked “him what is your favourite book?” And apparently “I have always wanted to walk through a wardrobe so it’s probably Narnia.” Someone else asked him “what is your favourite place?” He replied “Norfolk because my wife came from there.” He’s a very funny man and our favourite part was how he illustrated his point. His hair and beard make him look better than Michael Rosen (his words not ours).”
Rose Goddard, age 8:
“On Sunday afternoon, I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Dion Leonard (and his dog Gobi) at the ‘Finding Gobi’ book event.
I know I’m not alone in thinking this event was wonderful.
I knew about this inspiring story but nothing prepared me for meeting Dion and Gobi (a small stray dog who joined Dion on a 155 mile race across the Gobi Desert in China). I think everyone in the room fell in love with Gobi as she walked in with Dion, her tail wagging and full of enthusiasm.
In a jam packed room, I sat with other children on the floor next to the stage completely absorbed in the story. Dion is from Australia and started by teaching us how to say ‘Hello’ in Australian – Good Day Mate (pronounced ‘Good Eye Might’!). He told us his story of his childhood and how he got into running extreme marathons in the desert. Then he reached the bit I’d desperately wanted to hear about – how he met and adopted Gobi.
He told us first about how he had not particularly paid attention to Gobi when she suddenly appeared because he was focused on his running and doing as well as he could in the race. But Gobi was determined to stay with him. As he saw her running next to him mile after mile he gradually fell in love with her! That evening in the tent Dion was asleep next to a very happy but tired Gobi.
When the race had finished Dion set about trying to import Gobi back to Edinburgh where he lives with his wife. It was a tricky process so some people took care of Gobi in China while he was back at home making arrangements. One day, Dion got the worst call possible – GOBI HAD GONE MISSING! So Dion decided to go back to China and search for Gobi. He put some reward money out. Lots of people helped – some people because they wanted the money and others because they wanted to be helpful.
Dion found it very stressful especially because he kept getting calls about people thinking they’d found Gobi but they hadn’t – including one that was a black labrador! Until one night when he was beginning to think he would never find her, some people sent a photo of a dog they had found and said come and have a look at it. AND IT WAS GOBI! A very different Gobi though because one of her legs had been injured and she had a bad cut in her head. (She still has the scar now.)
I won’t spoil any more but I will just say that it has a happy ending!
Dion told the story of his experiences so well, I felt like I was actually there with him and Gobi. Some parts were sad, some funny and all of it moving and inspiring. After his talk, I think everyone queued up for a book signing with Dion and – best of all – a photo with Gobi!
It was really special being able to meet Dion and Gobi and hear their life changing story.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I will also definitely look out for the movie of their story that Dion said is likely to come out in 2020. If it’s even half as good as this event, it will be AWESOME!”
Deadly Drawing with Horrible Histories
“I really like Horrible Histories and I love drawing so I was really looking forward to the ‘Horrible Histories Deadly Drawings’ event with Martin Brown.
It was a great mix of history facts, drawing tips and jokes.
Some of his ‘horrible facts’ were amazing. My favourite fact from the show was… a World War I solider who had 10,048 lice just on his shirt (the average was 20 lice).
I liked how he involved everybody in the audience, like getting people on stage to help show a history time line and guessing the answers to his horrible facts. It made it interesting and fun.
The main thing he stressed was “anyone can draw!” and “just have fun with it”. It doesn’t have to be realistic – cartoons are just as good.
It was loads of fun giving Martin Brown suggestions for 3 cartoon heads that he drew – my favourite one had straw hair and a carrot nose! He also gave us some drawing tips. One of my favourite bits was when Jane Austin walked on stage and joined Martin Brown so that he could do sketch of her. It was really good!
At the end, he set everyone some homework “Go home and draw!” This is homework I will definitely make time to do!”
Hannah Price, age 13:
“On Sunday 1st October I went to see The History Girls event with authors of Middle Grade historical fiction, Emma Carroll and Eloise Williams. They were both very engaging and shared their experiences of researching and creating their books. It was also lovely to hear them reading out passages from their own work as you could hear their characters come to life in their voices.
Emma Carroll was discussing her latest novel, Letters From the Lighthouse. She told us how she researched recipes from the Second World War and in particular, the ingredients which were substituted in for rationed products. It was hilarious to see a line of disgusted faces when she asked for volunteers from the audience to try her “carrot fudge” ( ingredients: carrot, orange essence and vegetarian gelatine -yuk!) She told us about using internet resources such as the BBC’s People’s War Project and maps where you can see when and where bombs were dropped during WWII as well as personal stories from relatives; and then using that as a base for creating her characters.
In contrast, Eloise Williams described basing her story, Gaslight, on her own experience as an actor and spending time in the grotty back stages of theatres as well as research about the theatre during the Victorian era. She said she builds her characters by thinking about how they would react in all the situations she finds herself in – for example, how they would walk; what they would cook and what they would be interested in. As she described it, you could almost see her physically embodying the character Nanci; and when she read a segment her delivery was dramatic and enthralling.
Both authors told us that in writing historical fiction they are able to raise issues which reflect contemporary events and allow children to put current affairs into perspective, which I found very interesting.
I completely loved attending this event. I always learn something new whenever I listen to children’s authors at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival, and if you have not attended an event yet, I would strongly urge you to go before the festival closes next Sunday night. I am very much looking forward to another event next Sunday about Norse Myths!”
Lois Edwards, age 11:
“This year I was lucky enough to be chosen to write for the Bath Children’s Literature Festival. This is my third year writing for them and I am really excited to have this opportunity again. This year I am going to see the Laugh Out Loud Funny Show. I chose this event because I really love funny books and comedy.
The people who are presenting it are: Michael Rosen, who will be joined by Liz Pichon, Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. I saw Liz Pichon last year and she was amazing so I can’t wait to see her again. I don’t really know Michael Rosen or Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet that well so I am really exited to watch them.
It’s a Sunday afternoon and we are waiting in the Guild Hall. I arrived here about half an hour before the show had started, there is already a huge queue for the show. Even though we had to wait a while, it gave me a good chance to look at the place itself. There are loads of amazing paintings and the ceiling was really interesting because it has loads of decorative patterns and swirls engraved into it and fantastic chandeliers. I couldn’t wait for the show to start.
The show begins with the director of the Literature Festival introducing the guests and welcoming us all to the show. Then Michael Rosen starts talking about the Lollies awards, as soon as he started talking I could tell that he was going to be hilarious. He explained how he created the Lollies award because he knew there were loads of different book awards but there wasn’t an award for the funniest book and he thought there should be one.
Liz Pichon was really great because she played loads of games and did lots of silly doodling, she even told us how to do the caramel wafer trick: all you need is a caramel wafer:
1. unwrap the wafer carefully
2. eat the wafer
3. fold the wrapper back up so it looks like there is a caramel wafer inside
4. now leave it on a plate for someone to come up and eat it
5. to there surprise there won’t be anything in there
Liz Pichon also played us one of the songs from Toms Gates band Dog Zombies, it was really cool and I loved all of the illustrations to go with it. She also did this game where she drew this really silly monster with bacon legs and triangular eyes, she asked the audience to describe different parts of the monster while she was drawing it, it turned out really funny.
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet were the previous winners of the lollies awards last year with their book “I Need a Wee” and that is why they were here today. They have also written plenty of other books you might have read: Supertato, No-bot, Simon Sock, Cake, Barry the Fish with Fingers, Gordon’s Great Escape, Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell, Norman the Slug who Saved Christmas and many many more books.
Paul Linnet had actually wrote a song about Supertato and how he always saves all the other vegetables when the evil pea is mean and bullies them. It was a really funny song and even though it was aimed at younger children it was still fun to listen to.
Although every one else was good Michael Rosen was fantastic! He told us loads of funny stories and my favourite one was about sneaking downstairs at night to eat chocolate cake, you can see the full story here.
He also joked about how he lived in the Stone Age which obviously wasn’t true but it was still funny anyway. He also said that his teacher was really strict and she wouldn’t let anyone breath in class, she said that the children have all playtime to breath in. Can you imagine what it would be like if teachers were really like that!
I also liked him because even when the other authors were talking, he was always making funny gestures and joining in with the songs. He was really funny to watch and I left wanting to find out more about his writing as I think it will be really funny.
I really liked the whole show in general although apart from Michael Rosen the other presenters didn’t tell many funny stories, if they did that the show would have been perfect.
If you want to vote for the Lollies awards this year then you can click this link here in order to do so.
If you want to see more of my blogs from the past literature festivals shows, then you can go and look at them on my blog at: Loloscribbles.wordpress.com.”
Alex Lea, age 12:
Dragons in Bath
“I had a lot of fun at the Dragons! event with Jasper Fforde and Scarlett Thomas. Both authors were fascinating and read passages from their brilliant books, The Last Dragonslayer and Dragon’s Green. They also talked about their inspiration for the books. Scarlett said that hers was a village she saw on a map, and told her partner that if she ever wrote a children’s book she would call it Dragon’s Green. Jasper’s sister was the one who told him to write about dragons. They had both written only adult books before. Both of them talked how magic is all around us, unnoticed in our busy lives. Including how books, which are just black text on white paper, can magically fill our heads with stories and images. At the end there was a question and answer session, in which we found out neither of them were particularly impressive students at school! They gave advice for budding writers, such as that you should take inspiration from anything and everything. Both of the books are the first in a series. There are three books in the The Last Dragonslayer series, with one more yet to be published. Dragon’s Green is the first in the Worldquake series, with book two coming out in April 2018. I can’t wait! Overall, I found the event very interesting and enjoyed myself a lot. The books are both absolutely terrific – they are smart and funny and surprising. Go out and get yourself a copy of each right now or order them from your local library. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Liz Pichon Rocks
“I took my seven year old brother to listen to Tom Gates’ author Liz Pichon. The Forum was packed with youngsters who gave a deafening round of applause when Liz came on stage. She was accompanied by Dude 3, Tom Gates’ favourite band, who played such classics as the School Dinner Blues (perhaps better known as We Want Chips). Liz drew lots of doodles and got the audience to help create a monster just for Bath with eyes on antennae, hairy knees and belly button and all sorts of strange bits and pieces. Everyone was given pencil and paper so Liz could teach the audience to draw the Tom Gates way. My brother absolutely loved it, which isn’t surprising as it was loud and silly and action packed. “What is a reading without a fart cushion?” Liz asked at one point as two kids from the audience helped to create the sound of noisy shoes. The audience couldn’t have been happier. After we got home my brother carried on doodling for ages, singing the School Dinner Blues all the way. Right. It’s time for a snack. Where did I put those caramel wafers?”
All hail Chris Riddell!
“The Chris Riddell event was brilliant! With him sketching the audience and revealing hilarious stories about himself and his life, it was an event to remember. It started off with a humorous pencil sharpening demonstration and a sketch of the front row – I bet they’re glad they arrived early! The queue was already monstrous by the time I got there. I was glad his work was projected onto large screens either side of him so we could all see the drawings as he did them. You’ll have to read his latest book, Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony, to find out why he won’t be doing any American book tours in the near future. Ouch – his political satire is as sharp as his pencils! One thing I particularly liked was the fact that he told so many stories, none of which I had heard him tell before, and the way he involved the audience. Overall, I thought it was very clever, very funny and all in all, fantastic. I would also like to point out that Chris Riddell, as well as being a former Children’s Laureate, is now President of the School Library Association and a much needed champion of libraries and librarians. Now that’s the kind of President we need!”
Awesome Award Winners
“I had an exciting and informative evening at the Award Winners event with Gillian Cross, Geraldine McCaughrean and Alex Wheatle. Alex and Geraldine both talked about their transition from adult to young adult books and all three authors agreed that they much prefer writing for children. They also said that young adult books have to have something happening on every page and you don’t get that in adult books. Alex talked about his young adult books – a series about gang warfare and teenage life in a fictional town called Crongton. He spoke about his inspiration for the character of Lemar in Liccle Bit who was based on a boy he had met while he was a youth worker and who disappeared one day, only to turn up later in hospital after being stabbed. As you would expect, Liccle Bit is gritty and pulse racing. It is also surprisingly funny with great dialogue. Gillian has written scores of books. After Tomorrow is one of my favourite books of all time and I can’t recommend it highly enough. This book about refugees is both bleak and uplifting. Gillian’s Demon Headmaster series for younger readers is funny and creepy. The headmaster is a great character and Gillian clearly has a whale of a time writing about him. Geraldine talked about and read from her new book Where the World Ends, which sounds immensely exciting and also very dark and scary. I bought a copy and can’t wait to read it. The book is based on a true story from 1727 and is about a small group of men and boys stuck on a remote sea stac in the Scottish islands of St Kilda. They were left there for nine months when no-one came back to collect them and Where the World Ends is a fictional account of what might have happened there. Geraldine has written a whopping 160 books and won’t be stopping any time soon. She described books as a safe place that kids can travel through and come out wiser, going on adventures without actually being killed. All three authors have won major awards and their books are amazing. It was definitely one of my top events so far in the festival.”
“The Animal Encounters event was epic! The event started off with both authors talking about their proximity with animals during childhood and how it had fuelled their creative writing. Gill Lewis chatted about filling her dolls house with creepy-crawlies and Kieran Larwood told us about the long nature walks he took as a child on the Isle of Wight. We also found out that his first book was set in Victorian London, and how he tried for a different vibe with fantasy tale Podkin One-Ear. The story behind Gill’s latest book is the constant struggle between grouse farmers and hen-harriers, which consume huge quantities of grouse but are also an endangered species that needs our protection. Gill then read an extract from her book, aptly named Sky Dancer. She was followed by Kieran, who read about the Gorm invasion on Munbury burrow in the first book of his Podkin series. They then spoke about the research process, which Kieran breezed through, as his book was set in an entirely fantasy world, but Gill did painstaking background research about the moors and grouse shooting for Sky Dancer, including going paragliding to experience the sensation of flight. The authors also voiced their opinions on the impact of wildlife upon us, and the importance of it. Gill told us that she was terrible at spelling as a child, and Kieran told us about his early ambition to write comic books, until he discovered that he found the writing more enjoyable than the drawing! They then talked about the issues covered in their books and how they told the stories of people from many different walks of life, Gill Lewis’s in particular. Kieran then spoke about Podkin’s character development from the beginning of the book to the end, from a lazy young bunny to a rabbit with the makings of a hero. This is my last event blogging at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival. It’s been a privilege to blog and I hope I also have the opportunity to do it next time. The festival, as always, has been brilliant and I’m already looking forward to next year.”


AXIS 0284-001 Fixed Dome Network Camera is an ultra-compact fixed dome with an innovative and unique camera design. It is specifically developed for recessed mounting in drop ceilings, creating an unmatched discreet solution for network video surveillance -- measuring 9 cm (3.6") in diameter and barely sticking out 3 cm (1.1") from the ceiling.
Model Number: 0284-001
Alt Part Number(s): 0284-001
Product Type: Network Security Camera
Technology: Network (IP)
Image Sensor: Color
Optical Format: 1/4"
Scanning Method: Progressive
Image Sensor: CMOS
Compression: H.264, MPEG-4, MJPEG
PoE Class: 802.3af: Less Than Equal too 4.0 W
Resolution: SD: 640 x 480
Fixed Focal Length: 3.0
Video Connection(s): RJ-45/12
Housing Color: White
Special Features: Privacy Masks, Video Motion Detection
Ultra-discreet fixed dome design
Multiple H.264 streams
Power over Ethernet
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Intelligent capabilities such as enhanced video motion detection and detection of camera tampering attempts like blocking or spray-painting.
Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3af), eliminating the need for power cables and reducing installation costs.
Advanced security and network management features such as HTTPS encryption with preserved performance, IPv6 and Quality of Service.
Open Application Programming Interface (API) for software integration, including VAPIX(tm) from Axis Communications.
* Product descriptions and part numbers are subject to change, and may not reflect manufacturer product changes. Please check the manufacturer's website and use the item's manufacturer part number to find the most up to date product description.
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Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet Delivers Tough Business Capabilities
Office workers and field staff whose daily activities bring them into a variety of challenging work situations will find plenty to like in the new Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet.
The Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet is the slimmest and lightest waterproof LTE tablet, making it easy to carry along on any job. Plus it also incorporates specific features that will help workers in rugged environments overcome factors such as water, dust, noise and low light.
Communicate effectively in noisy environments under any light conditions
Whether you spend your work day on a production line where low light makes camera-based communications difficult, in an outdoor environment where there’s no control over whether it rains or shines, or on a dusty, noisy construction site where hearing and being heard are the challenge — or a mix of all three — the Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet will make sure you can continue to communicate effectively with supervisors, customers, suppliers and head office.
The Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet comes with built in digital noise cancellation (DNC) technology that mutes ambient sounds and makes it easier to hear phone conversations and videos, especially when using it with Sony’s compatible digital noise cancellation handset. Additionally, it incorporates Sony’s live colour LED display technology, delivering deep and intense colours, and features a two-megapixel high-definition front camera that facilitates clear video calling as well as an eight-megapixel rear camera that allows you to take brilliant pictures under all light conditions.
Protect both the device and your IT investment
The Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet is the logical choice for workers concerned about operating effectively in tough conditions where water and dust are ever present. It’s also the logical choice for IT managers concerned about constantly repairing or replacing tablets damaged under such working conditions.
The Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet is an IP55/58-compliant waterproof tablet that will resist dust and will survive full immersion in fresh water up to 1.5 metres deep for up to 30 minutes. This increased durability delivers device protection in the field and budget protection back at head office.
Be more productive with one of the world’s fastest processors for tablets
The first tablet to feature Qualcomm’s 2.3 GHz Quad-core processor with Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB RAM, the Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet is a no-compromise solution for resource-intensive applications such as video playback while easily handling normal office functions such as email, presentation decks and documents.
The bottom line
Regardless of the office application, the office can now go on the road in a slim package that combines leading features with robust performance. No matter where your business brings you or the challenging conditions you find there, the Sony Xperia® Z2 Tablet will cover all your business needs with no worries about the environmental conditions in which you will use it.


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Where to start? Perhaps with this description of Frankie’s playing by Fintan Vallely in the Sunday Tribune:
Innovation may be the buzz-word in Traditional music, but Frankie Gavin’s digressions are not in the common areas of tempo and superficial style-impressions. His contemporary borrowings of art-deco and music-hall Irishness are re-jigged in original avenues of exploration. His dextrous treatment of troublesome tunes might get even the Pope out on the floor, his orchestration could break hearts.
A superbly uncompromising player, he makes refreshment of the old by picking out and polishing every detail and setting it off in a steady, listenable pace. Gavin edgy and brilliant on both fiddle and flute, with always the most meticulous attention given to tone and variation. Live, his tune sets are perfectionism that drive and are driven by an audience spontaneity that spurs Gavin to push fiddle from shriek to rasping bass.
Tears and cheers erupt spontaneously, the goodwill of his mixed-age audiences has always been great sauce. Like herding the mythic creac, Frankie Gavin here whoops a great retrospective before him into the Ogham of Celtic Valhalla.
These two web pages provide detailed information though both are out of date.
Wikipedia / Shamrock Irish Music
There’s a fascinating 2004 interview with Frankie Gavin here.
Further information in no particular order
Frankie comes from a musical family and started playing when he was given a tin whistle for his fourth birthday. Here he is on the left of the photo.
Here he talks about how it all began.
At the age of six, Frankie played for President Kennedy when he visited Ireland in 1963. Fifty years later, Kennedy’s daughter Caroline came to Ireland to open the National Library’s exhibition commemorating the four days her father spent in Ireland. Frankie, together with sister Norin and brother Sean entertained their American guests again.
Simon Haines interviewed Frankie for Living Tradition magazine in 2014. You can read the resulting article here: Frankie Gavin
Frankie with Yehudi Menuhin. They met in New York during the filming of Bringing it all back home
In 2008, Frankie and the band featured on an Irish stamp
On September 20th, 2010, Frankie officially became the fastest fiddle player in the world. Here the Guiness Book of Records certificate:
At a ceremony in Verona in 2013, Frankie was made the Irish Cultural Ambassador to Italy. The band has played in Verona and elsewhere on several occasions.
Frankie’s Wikipedia entry makes interesting reading, and includes (a not completely up-to-date) Discography: Frankie Gavin (musician)
This Shamrock Irish Music web page also contains interesting detailed information about Frankie, though, again it is out of date.
In addition to co-founding and leading De Dannan for many years, Frankie Gavin has had a glittering career as a soloist and playing in duos. Here are a few highlights from YouTube.
Frankie Gavin plays McFaddens Handsome Daughter and Táim gan Airgead on Aisling Gheal at the start of the 1980s
Frankie with Dermot Byrne, Steve Cooney and Carl Hession
Frankie with brother Sean (accordion) and sister Noreen (whistle).


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Chief Technology Officer Bryan Sivak believes that, despite all of the strides made in health IT over the last few years, data collection efforts have hit a lull.
"One thing that's struck me ... is that we're still at the same tip of the iceberg," Sivak (pictured right) said during a panel discussion at the mHealth Summit just outside of the District of Columbia on Wednesday. "My Fitbit and Misfit [Shine] and Jawbone and other devices basically do exactly the same stuff with none of the additional analysis that I think is needed to actually make these things much more useful for helping others live a better and healthier life."
To remedy that issue, Sivak said five topics must be addressed, including:
- Data ownership: "I think it's a big question: Who owns the data we generate?" Sivak said. "Is it the manufacturers of the devices? Is it the institutions that hand us the devices that want us to collect data? Is it the individual themselves?"
- Privacy: HIPAA's reach for securing data is limited to patient clinical information, Sivak said. "There need to be some rules thought about for privacy and around some of this data in order to make data flow much more seamless and in a frictionless way."
- Data types and standards: To use self-generated data in a clinical setting, it's going to be very important to understand what the differences are between devices and their functionalities, according to Sivak. "If we're looking at cohorts of populations, if we're looking at differences between people, we need to be able to analyze the data in a very similar way," he said.
- Incentives: Data shows that people who get one of these devices use it, on average, for about three weeks, Sivak said. So what are the incentives for using them? "Obviously one of those is better health, but that means that we need to figure of analyzing the data to help people get to better health."
- Clinician design: "I've talked to a lot of doctors about this," Sivak said. "The most common response I get is, 'I spend all day seeing patients, I go home and spend four hours charting every night, when do you want me to take a look at this constant stream of random data that is going to tell me whether Mrs. Jones is walking enough?' I think that's a fair point."
James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, disagreed with Sivak's notion that doctors often are technology averse, imploring the audience to consider the many continuous data channels used in modern intensive care units.
"I think healthcare professionals are actually very passionate about incorporating technology when it helps their patients and when it is effectively integrated into their workflow," Levine said.


Chinese president's special representative attends UN high-level meeting on climate change
Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative Wang Yi, also Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, on Wednesday attended a high-level meeting on climate change at the United Nations (UN) headquarters and delivered a speech.
Wang noted that Xi has clearly pointed out that the Earth is a big family, that the human race belongs to one community, and that as climate change poses a common challenge to all humanity, mankind should cooperate to tackle the issue.
China believes that global climate governance goals should be advanced in four aspects, Wang said.
The first is to focus on making the UN climate change conference to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh a success, so as to achieve positive and balanced outcomes in such aspects as mitigation, adaptation and finance, Wang said.
The second is to attach importance to implementing actions. It is necessary to follow the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, adhere to the consensuses that have been reached, and accelerate the realization of the temperature control goal set in the Paris Agreement, Wang said.
China supports the universal early warning system initiative launched by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Wang said, adding developed countries should honor their commitments and provide financial, technological and capacity building support for developing countries.
The third is to promote green transformation in a practical manner. Wang called for gradually withdrawing from the mode of traditional energy on the basis of secure and reliable new energy sources.
He also appealed for high-quality and just transformation within the framework of sustainable development.
The fourth is to create a fine political environment. Unilateralism, geopolitical games and green barriers should be abandoned, said Wang.
Developed countries should achieve carbon neutrality well ahead of schedule, make room for developing countries to develop, and restore mutual trust between the North and the South with concrete actions, he said.
Wang also introduced a series of positive measures taken by China to unswervingly follow the path of ecological priority, green and low-carbon development.
China has announced carbon-peaking and carbon-neutrality goals and will complete the world's most dramatic reduction in carbon emission intensity in the shortest time in global history, Wang said.
Noting that China has exceeded the climate action goals of 2020, Wang said China has updated its nationally determined contribution targets, steadily adjusted its energy mix, strictly controlled carbon dioxide emissions, and established a carbon market with the largest coverage of greenhouse gas emissions in the world.
China has also carried out extensive South-South cooperation on climate change, implemented the Global Development Initiative and jointly built a green Silk Road with other parties, Wang said.
Stressing that China will shoulder its due international responsibilities and create a new miracle of green transformation, Wang said that China is ready to work with other countries to take more concrete actions, support the United Nations in playing a central role, protect the Earth and create a better world for future generations.
On the same day, Wang also met respectively with the prime minister of Georgia, French president's diplomatic counselor, the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy and foreign ministers of Russia, Norway, Hungary, Poland and Somalia.


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You will find complete description of Focus below:
- Original Title : Focus
- Movie title in your country : Focus
- Year of movie : 2015
- Genres of movie : Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance,
- Status of movie : Post Production
- Release date of movie : 2015-02-27
- Companies of movie :
- Countries of movie : United States of America,
- Language of movie : English,
- Durationof movie : 104 Min
- Average vote of movie : 4.3
- Youtube ID of movie : 6vY9UPiI4eQ
- Translation of movie : EN,ES,RU,DE,HU,FR,
- Cast of movie :Will Smith (Nicky), Rodrigo Santoro (Gárriga), Robert Taylor (McEwen), Gerald McRaney (Ownes), Margot Robbie (Jess Barrett)
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Screenplay : Glenn Ficarra, Director : John Requa, Screenplay : John Requa, Director : Glenn Ficarra
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domain: entertainment


text:
StudioCanal’s adaptation of Matt Haig’s upcoming novel, How To Stop Time, will be starred by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Benedict Cumberbatch is linked to “How to Stop Time,” which will be adapted from Matt Haig's upcoming novel. Cumberbatch’s production company SunnyMarch obtained its film rights. Moreover, Cumberbatch is going to executive produce via his SunnyMarch production company with Jamie Byng, CEO of Canongate Books.
How To Stop Time recounts the tale of Cumberbatch's character, Tom Hazard, a man who might seem a normal 41-year-old; however, thanks to an extremely rare condition, he is many centuries old. The plot represents a fantastic love-story that spans centuries and continents
"The prospect of Benedict Cumberbatch playing Tom Hazard is a hugely exciting one and I could not be happier about working with Adam and Jamie, and to be reunited with StudioCanal," said Haig.
Haig is a bestselling author, and the language of his books have witnessed 30 translations. “How to Stop Time” will mark the end of a four years hiatus by Haig when it comes to adult novels. Haig’s latest children’s book, “The Girl Who Saved Christmas,” was published in late 2016 in over 20 countries and is regarded as a sequel to his critically acclaimed book “A Boy Called Christmas.” Studiocanal and Blueprint Pictures obtained film rights to the series in 2015, and have been pushing for development of a feature film adaptation.
Other books from Haig’s bibliography include his memoir “Reasons to Stay Alive,” which remained a part of the Sunday Times’ top-10 bestseller list for 46 weeks, and “The Humans.” He worked in a screenwriting capacity as well on Heyday Films and Studiocanal’s 2014 blockbuster “Paddington.”
StudioCanal UK CEO Danny Perkins said: “We are delighted to be continuing our successful relationship with Matt Haig as well as build upon our long-running and dynamic partnership with SunnyMarch, Benedict Cumberbatch and Adam Ackland.
“This compelling novel will make for a powerful film that falls in line with StudioCanal’s ongoing commitment to British talent, storytelling and production. We look forward to bringing it to audiences around the world.”
It is unknown when will the filming begin, but the novel version of How To Stop Time will be released this July. Haig has enthusiastically announced the news on Twitter.


text:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Serving: 4 People
- Calories: 4315 kcal
- Carbohydrate Content: 397.33 g
- Cholesterol Content: 410 mg
- Fat Content: 150.06 g
- Fiber Content: 127.4 g
- Protein Content: 357.02 g
- Saturated Fat Content: 32.335 g
- Serving Size: 1
- Sodium Content: 10067 mg
- Sugar Content: 29.99 g
- Trans Fat Content: 0 g
Bean and Bacon Soup
Homemade Bean and Bacon Soup is a quick, healthy, yet delicious soup recipe made with very minimal ingredients.
I know bacon and bean combination is a little weird. So when you heard the name bean and bacon soup, you may not want to give it a try in your kitchen. But let me clear it, this soup tastes really good with fewer spices added. Trust me and give it a shot.
During this wintertime, I love a big bowl of soup with a piece of bread. So here I write those ingredients which I have generally used to cook this soup which are bacon, carrots, celery, chicken broth, tomato sauce and gives it flavor with yellow onions and garlic. To season it, I only use salt and pepper. There are other soup recipes I like homemade Panera broccoli cheese soup.
Ingredients of Bean and Bacon Soup Recipe
- Diced bacon - 8 Oz
- Diced yellow onions - 1 Cup
- Diced carrots - 1 Cup
- Diced celery - 1 Cup
- Salt - 1 Teaspoon
- Pepper - 1 Teaspoon
- Minced garlic cloves - 2
- Chicken broth - 4 Cups
- Great northern beans - 3 Cans
- Tomato sauce - 1 Can
How to Make Bean and Bacon Soup
Step 1: Cook the bacon in a soup pot or dutch oven until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but about two tablespoons of the bacon grease.
Step 2: To the hot bacon grease container, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook over MEDIUM heat until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook and additional minutes.
Step 3: Stir in the chicken broth and beans. Season it to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a bubble then reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 1 hour.
Step 4: Remove half of the soup to a blender or food processor. Process it until smooth.
Step 5: Return the puree to the soup pot and stir into the remaining soup. Add the tomato sauce and ¾ of the reserved bacon and stir to combine. Taste it and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 6: Let the soup simmer until it is heated through, about 5 minutes and serve it hot topped with the remaining bacon.

domain: food


A young Northern Ireland student has given a stranger a second chance at life after selflessly donating her stem cells.
Grace McCullough, a medical student at Queen's University, was moved to act after seeing first-hand the devastating effect blood cancer can have on patients during her placements at hospitals.
The 22-year-old from Banbridge in Co Down, donated her cells at King's College London after being recruited by Belfast Marrow, a branch of the Anthony Nolan student volunteer network.
Grace said: "Two years ago, two representatives from Belfast Marrow gave a talk after one of our lectures about Anthony Nolan and joining the stem cell register.
"When they told us about it, I knew I had to sign up.
"Throughout various placements within hospitals, I had seen first-hand the devastating effect that blood cancer can have on people - the difficulties that can occur in finding a match for a stem cell transplant and the life-changing effect that a transplant can have for these individuals.
"However, I was unaware of the opportunity to sign up to the register until we were given a talk about the Anthony Nolan register."
During the past two years, Belfast Marrow has recruited 1,507 people to the charity's stem cell register and more than 675 people have signed up since July.
Grace explained: "The whole donation process was very straight-forward, and Anthony Nolan was very accommodating of everything. My stem cells were collected over two days, during which I got to sit in a comfy chair and watch a lot of TV.
"My ambition in life is to help people through the practice of medicine some day, so to be given the opportunity to help someone now, and in such a simple way, was an amazing feeling. I would urge anyone who hasn't heard of stem cell donation to take time to read up about it and to seriously consider joining the register.
"The procedure is really nothing to be worried about, and it can literally save someone's life." Young people are the most likely to be chosen to donate cells because they are less likely to have long-term health problems which might delay or prevent donation. Typically, around one in 1,200 people on the Anthony Nolan register go on to donate.
Charlotte Cunliffe from Anthony Nolan said: "There is something remarkable happening at Queen's University Belfast, with selfless students playing a key role in curing blood cancer and blood disorders.
"Every student who signs up at university has an above average chance to give someone an invaluable second chance of life.
"And the statistics show that they are responsible for almost a quarter of the potentially life-saving transplants that Anthony Nolan facilitates in the UK, which is simply incredible."
Marrow groups operate in more than 50 UK universities, and have recruited more than 100,000 people to the Anthony Nolan register since 1997.
The charity also revealed that a quarter of people who have donated stem cells to blood cancer patients in the UK in the last two years joined the stem cell register at university.
To join the register, or for information about supporting the work of Anthony Nolan, visit www. anthonynolan.org


Salem girls beat Dover, stay unbeaten in softball
The Blue Devils (8-0) are the only unbeaten team in Division I. Dover fell to 5-3.
Dover was led by by pitcher Molly St. Germain, who went 2 for 3 with two runs batted in and walk.
Longtime Salem coach Harold Sachs called the game one of the toughest of this season. “There was a time where we looked like we were going to break, but we pulled it out,” said Sachs.
The Blue Devils responded in the bottom of the third with three runs of their own, two of them on a base hit by Wallace. Salem led 4-3 after three.
Towler, who entered the game in the third inning, shut the door on Dover threats in the fifth, sixth and seventh, striking out four and stranding five Green Wave base runners.
Said Sachs: “She’s a junior. She’s starting to really find her way on the mound. She’s a leader when she’s out there and I think people are comfortable playing behind her.”


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is backordered. We will ship it separately in 10 to 15 days.
A relaxed infant sleeveless playsuit with snap back opening features a Grunge Check print all over. Crafted from French Terry, the composition provides comfort and durability. Finished neck, sleeve and hem detail. Designed in Australia.
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domain: design


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Escherweg 2, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany
How to get to Oldenburg and OFFIS
Closest airport is Bremen (BRE) which is approx. 45 km away from Oldenburg. Other airports are Hamburg (HAM) and Hannover (HAJ) both approx. 170 km away.
Trains stop at Oldenburg's central station "Oldenburg Hbf". Check http://www.bahn.de/p/view/index.shtml for connections. We recommend to use a taxi to go to OFFIS from the train station (approx. 3 km).
Via the highway A28, exit "OL-Haarentor". Take a left-turn in the direction of the "Innenstadt" (city centre). After about 700m, turn left at the traffic-lights in the direction of the "Polizeiamt" (police station). After about another kilometer, take another left-turn after the "Edeka" supermarket onto "Industriestraße". The second street on the left is "Escherweg".

domain: geography


text:
Saturday 2nd February - 11.45am (45m)
Free event, booking essential.
Come along and listen to local storyteller, John Edgar and his captivating tales of frogs and zombies. This inter active and fun session starts at 11.45am until 12.30pm on Saturday 2nd February. Families welcome.
Suitable for children aged 6 plus. Tickets available from Wednesfield Library.
Click on cover above to read an excerpt


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Compost has its benefits and drawbacks. Compost piles are generally a better solution for the average homeowner and gardener for not just transforming organic waste into something beneficial, but also for an easy way to dispose of it.
Table of Contents
Is composted manure as good compost?
It helps to improve the soil’s water capacity and supplies many nutrients for healthy plants to grow. For root crops like carrots, manure is not supposed to be used. It can cause illness and death if it is transferred to humans. (EPA) has banned the use of manure in food production. EPA that it can contaminate water and soil with harmful bacteria and viruses.
Is composted manure safe for vegetable gardens?
Use composted manure. Composting manure with your yard and garden waste help reduce the risk of contaminating your garden vegetables with pathogens. Ensuring that your compost pile reaches a temperature of 140F will further reduce your chances of being contaminated.
Compost is a good source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients. It is also a great way to increase the amount of organic matter in your soil, which is essential for the health of your plants and the environment.
Is manure a type of compost?
Compost is meant to nourish your soil to provide a healthy habitat for your plants, trees and animals. Green manure is the most common type. It is made up of a mixture of organic matter, such as leaves, grass clippings, manure and compost.
This type of manure can be used to fertilize your garden, but it can also be composted and used as a soil amendment to improve the health of your lawn and garden. Green manure also has the added benefit of being a good source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are essential nutrients for healthy plants and healthy soil.
Farther down the food chain, you’ll find compost that is mixed with animal manure. In this case, the animal waste is broken down by bacteria in the compost to create a nutrient-rich fertilizer that will help your plants grow.
You can use this compost as an addition to your regular garden soil, or you can mix it into your compost pile and add it to the soil in your yard.
Why compost manure is not commonly used?
Alone, compost may not adequately supply sufficient nutrients—particularly nitrogen during rapid growth phases of crops with high nutrient demands (e.g., watermelon, tomato, and pepper at fruiting) (Tyson and Cabrera, 1993). Composted manure is more expensive than fresh or partially digested manure, which can be used as a source of nitrogen and other nutrients.
The use of compost as an alternative to manure has been shown to be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than using fresh manure (Cabrera et al., 1995). However, it is important to note that compost is not a substitute for manure in the production of organic fertilizers, because it does not provide the same amount of nutrients as manure.
For example, the nitrogen content of a compost pile may be lower than that of the manure used to produce the fertilizer.
Which plants do not like manure?
Use it on plants that don’t need a lot of nitrogen, like lawns, corn, potatoes, garlic, and lettuce, but not tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, or any other plants that need a lot of nitrogen. If you want to grow tomatoes in your garden, you’ll need to add nitrogen to the soil before you plant your tomato plants.
You can do this by using a nitrogen fertilizer, such as N-Nitro-Methyl-L-Cyclodextrin (NMMLCD), which is available at most garden centers. If you don’t have a garden center near you, check with your local nursery to see if they carry this product.
Can you use composted manure as potting soil?
You can make the standard store-bought mix go further by mixing it half and half with composted manure. Composted manure is ready to use in potting mix when it has an even texture throughout and is not too wet or dry. If you want to make your own compost, you’ll need a compost bin.
You can buy one at your local hardware store, or you can make one yourself at home. If you don’t have a bin, a plastic bag with a hole cut in it will work just as well. Just make sure that the hole is big enough for the compost to fit through.
What is the best manure to use in a garden?
Pig, dog, cat, and human waste should never be used in a vegetable garden. Cow, horse, chicken/poultry, sheep, goat, and llama manure are acceptable types of manure appropriate for use in vegetable gardens.

domain: biology


A 3D printable robotics platform to build your own robotics projects upon.
CAD files, schematics and code are free and open source.
Robot Platform V
By Holger Zahnleiter
This project is about building a robotics platform.
The platform offers: Mechanics, power supply, drive, cameras, microphones, speaker, networking and compute.
You can build your own robotics applications on top of this platform.
The case is 3D printable, the electronics components are all stock items.
It is well suited for building your own.
The Git repository contains the original Fusion 360 CAD files as well as exports in various formats (STEP and STL).
Furthermore, wiring diagrams, programs and descriptions are included.
The platform comes with a C++ API to control the devices:
Custom C++ API to control drive and head
Comming with Nvidia’s Linux distro for the Jetson platform:
Linux drivers for wireles and wired networking
Linux drivers for Bluetooth
Linux drivers for USB audio (mics and speaker)
The usual suspects can be used to process audio and video: OpenCV, TensorFlow etc.
The concept is somewhat modular: The following picture shows adapters for NEMA 17 and NEAM 23 stepper motors.
The NEMA 17 motors turned out to be too weak.
I quickly designed and printed another adapter to fit NEAM 23 motors.
These have sufficient power to reliably move the robot.
Big openings in the body give access to the interior.
This is especially convenient when mounting electronics and mechanics inside.
The covers are helt in place by magnets.
This way I avoided to design complex hinges or locks.
Status: The first iteration of that project is done.
Improvements will follow.
This is a non-profit, free and open source project.
The information on this web site and the documents downloadable from here have been carefully reviewed and is
believed to be reliable, but I do not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any
documents, programs or circuit described herein.
Furthermore I want to declare that I'm not responsible in any way for the content of other web pages, books and
other sources I'm refering to.
I am using free and/or open source products and services.
I want to thank enterprises, organizations and individuals alike for providing free services and open source
software, electronics and mechanical designs and for sharing their knowledge and insights.
The respective products and services are recognized in the README.md that accompanies the project


text:
- Rams Coach Blows Up Tony Dungy's 'Michael Sam Is A Distraction' Theory
- Check Out Daniela Ospina, Wife Of New Real Madrid Star,James Rodriguez
- Could The Entire Clippers Team Quit If Donald Sterling Remains The Owner?
- New And Rumored NBA Uniforms For The 2014-15 Season
- Georgia's Todd Gurley Gunning For 2,000 Yards This Season
Should The Stop That Won The Ravens The Super Bowl Have Been Defensive Holding?
The Baltimore Ravens are Super Bowl XLVII champions, prevailing 34-31 over the 49ers after a furious San Francisco rally ultimately fell short. And it fell short thanks to a Ravens stop on 4th and goal with less than two minutes left. Big play, clutch defense… or cheating? While of course just about any penalty is less likely to be called at so pivotal a moment… well, there was plenty of contact. See for yourself:
Jim Harbaugh certainly thought a call should have been made… then again, on the Jim Harbaugh reaction scale, this one hardly rates. If that’s all he can muster, maybe it really was a good no-call. Then again… there was a lot of contact there. Let us know: should that have been defensive holding? (And while you’re at it, let us know if you’re a 49ers or Ravens fan, so we can properly contextualize your opinion.) And either way, congrats to the Ravens.
- Octagon Fight Spills Over to the Street
- Savage Punishment for Laying Hands on Referee
- 10 Of The Most Gorgeous Women In Sports Today
- Damon Martin Joins Press Row

domain: sports


text:
As part of our on-going coverage on the use and potential abuse of facial recognition AI, we bring you news out of Michigan, where the University of Michigan’s Law School, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Michigan have filed a lawsuit against the Detroit Police Department (DPD), the DPD Police Chief, and a DPD investigator on behalf of Robert Williams—a Michigan resident who was wrongfully arrested based on “shoddy” police work that relied upon facial recognition technology to identify a shoplifter.
The allegations against DPD are deeply troubling. It is alleged that DPD fed a poor-quality screenshot from a surveillance video into a facial recognition program in order to generate a potential lead. The program “matched” the screenshot with an outdated driver’s license photo of Williams, which was then included as part of a six-person photo array and shown to a security contractor who picked Williams’ photo from the array. Importantly, Williams’ complaint states that the security contractor was not present at the store the day of the crime and based their identification solely on their review of the poor-quality surveillance video—a fact that was omitted from DPD’s warrant request. Furthermore, while DPD cited its use of a facial recognition program in its warrant request, it did not provide copies of the surveillance video, probe image or six-pack photo array. Essentially, in this case, everything was left up to the facial recognition software without any accurate cross-checking.
The magnitude of DPD’s facial recognition software misuse was further highlighted in a public admission by the DPD Police Chief that, “If we were just to use the technology by itself, to identify someone, I would say 96 percent of the time it would misidentify.” Even if such facial recognition software were to be used properly, there would still remain concerns that the software was trained on a dataset that is inherently biased—something that Williams’ complaint also identifies and provides as a basis for requesting an injunction from the Court “prohibiting Defendants from using facial recognition technology as an investigative technique so long as it misidentifies individuals at materially different rates depending on race, ethnicity, or skin tone.”
As with all technology, facial recognition software will get significantly better with time. But even so, like all things, it will never be perfect. It is therefore necessary that organizations and the people within those organizations understand the limitations, impacts and best practices associated with such tools. While DPD’s alleged use of its facial recognition software is exemplary of what not to do when using AI algorithms, there are companies that are taking proactive steps to encourage responsible AI use. One recent example of a company taking the initiative to understand the impacts of bias in software algorithms is Twitter, which recently announced the launch of a new initiative called “Responsible ML” that will conduct in-depth analyses and studies to assess the existence of potential harms in its machine learning algorithms, including:
- A gender and racial bias analysis of its image cropping algorithm.
- A fairness assessment of the timeline recommendations across racial subgroups.
- An analysis of its content recommendations for different political ideologies across seven countries.
Twitter’s steps to study the use and impact of its machine learning algorithms should be lauded. These initial studies are also an important reminder that algorithmic biases may impact a variety of different groups (e.g., gender, race, political ideology) and that organizations need to be mindful of this fact. At its heart, AI is a tool. And it is incumbent on the user to understand and use that tool properly. Twitter’s Responsible ML program may end up being a model, or even a standard, for how organizations can gain the requisite understanding on how to use AI algorithms in an ethical and unbiased way. The most important takeaway from this is that organizations need to start asking these questions now if they want to reduce the risk of being on the receiving end of a lawsuit.

domain: news