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In 2013, Time magazine’s then-Middle East Bureau Chief, Aryn Baker, wrote an article entitled Saudi Arabia to Tourists: We Are Just That Not Into You, in which she discussed the country’s disinterest in a regional tourism boom. In the article, she remarked on the kingdom’s reluctance to introduce a tourism visa and an unwillingness to welcome visitors on grounds other than religion or business. “With $288bn in oil revenues”, Baker wrote, “it’s not like Saudi Arabia is desperate for foreign currency.”
More than three years later, and the country is only now reconsidering its closed-door policy on tourism. Estimated to have contributed approximately $12.7bn to the economy – or 1.7 percent of GDP – in 2013, tourism’s slice of the pie grew to around $13.3bn and five percent of GDP by the end of the following year. Nonetheless, the market for non-religious tourism continues to be virtually non-existent, and while efforts to boost the sector have so far come up short, the kingdom would do well to consider embracing tourism in the wake of the oil price collapse.
Business confidence has fallen sharply, banking liquidity is tightening while interest rates are rising, and government spending is declining, according to Olivier Najar, Country Risk Analyst – MENA at BMI Research. As a result, Saudi Arabia will enter a protracted period of subdued growth from 2016, with Najar forecasting annual real GDP growth of 2.3 percent on average between 2016 and 2020, compared to five percent between 2011 and 2015.
The Saudi economy is at a crossroads, and with its stake in the world economy shrinking, it must diversify or suffer severe, long-lasting and irreversible consequences
“Given that the current economic slowdown is a direct consequence of low oil prices, the objective to diversify the Saudi economy away from its overreliance on oil (and the public sector) is a positive”, Najar told Business Destinations. “The reforms have the potential to stabilise the country’s growth outlook, and budget balance, over the longer term.” The Saudi economy is at a crossroads, and with its stake in the world economy shrinking, it must diversify or suffer severe, long-lasting and irreversible consequences.
“Saudi Arabia is in a unique position in its history, in which it has the economic incentive, the financial resources, and the political will to enact true reform”, Oliver Cornock, Managing Editor of the Oxford Business Group, told Business Destinations. “Now Saudis increasingly recognise the need to right the fiscal ship, precisely because the oil price is where it is, and many I’ve spoken to are eager for a reinvigorated, dynamic economy which will offer jobs, and better quality ones at that.”
Today, more than ever, there is the opportunity for policymakers to inject a dose of dynamism into the economy and, in doing so, free the Saudi population from the shackles of oil dependence. According to Cornock: “Even with an eventual recovery in oil prices, population growth, internal oil consumption and rising government expenditures, particularly in the form of long-term liabilities such as healthcare and pensions, the kingdom’s economic future is contingent on the development of a non-oil economy and especially an autonomous private sector growth.”
Saudi Arabia houses 18 percent of the world’s proven petroleum reserves and tops the global pile in terms of exporters. As a result, the collapse in global oil prices has exerted a heavy toll on its economic wellbeing. Occupying around a half of its gross domestic product and 85 percent of its exports, its dependence on oil – while responsible for a surge in prosperity in recent times – threatens to spark a collapse of elephantine proportions.
Over the last century and a quarter, the global economy has burned through roughly half of its proven oil reserves and, according to Peak Oil, consumes 85 million barrels of the black stuff a day. Of this total, Saudi Arabia churns out around 10.5 million barrels a day and shows no sign of letting up, despite encouragement from its fellow OPEC members and the rest of the world to curtail production. Failing that, the kingdom must begin to at least consider its options aside from oil.
It’s not a wholly novel situation, with Saudi Arabia having already struggled with low oil prices in the 1990s and early 2000s, when prices at one point reached single digits, according to Cornock. “Indeed, it was during these periods that the notion of diversification of revenue streams began to come to the fore.”
Soaring oil prices throughout the mid-2000s, however, meant these plans were put on the back burner, leaving Saudi Arabia to play catch up by investing in areas that had been neglected in the past.
As dismal as it is predictable, Saudi Arabia’s worsening financial circumstances and failing consumer confidence demand the ruling royal family pay heed to sectors aside from oil. Here is an economy that hinges on the inherent volatility of oil prices, and while the going is good when oil sells high, when it sells low – which it looks like it will for the foreseeable future – times are tough.
The country can mitigate the gathering storm through aggressive reform measures if it so chooses. Gone are the days when Saudi Arabia could rely on oil revenue and public spending alone for prosperity – the nature of the challenge demands policymakers look further afield in stemming the decline.
Aside from investment in non-oil sectors, Saudi Arabia must lead the transition away from its government-led economic model and pursue a much more market-orientated approach. “With a large population and significant financial outgoings, not least on welfare and subsidies, the importance of diversification and economic reform has never been so clearly understood”, according to Cornock. “Economic growth has been too reliant on public sector spending at the expense of the private sector.”
According to researchers at McKinsey: “In the labour market, greater workforce participation by Saudi men and women is essential to achieve higher household income. Faster productivity growth requires better business regulation and more openness to competition, trade and investment. Improved efficiency of spending and new revenue sources, possibly including taxes and higher domestic energy prices, can help ensure fiscal sustainability.”
More than a quick departure, the reforms require that Saudi Arabia embraces a more inclusive environment and, crucially, a more competitive one, where sectors aside from oil are actively supported and allowed to flourish.
Surprising as it may sound, this recommendation appears not to have fallen on deaf ears: in April, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a raft of economic and social reforms aimed at freeing the kingdom from its dependence on the black stuff. “Our vision is built around three themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation”, according to the official announcement. “Our precious country deserves the best. Therefore, we will expand and further develop our talents and capacity… We are determined to reinforce and diversify the capabilities of our economy, turning our key strengths into enabling tools for a fully diversified future.”
This ambitious plan goes by the name of Vision 2030 and, if successful, will lift millions of individuals out of the doldrums and bolster the country’s non-oil sectors no end. Few – if any – of the policies are completely new, but they reflect the country’s determination (and that of the Gulf countries generally) to shake its reliance on oil exports and expand the role of the private sector.
The country’s tourism infrastructure is relatively weak, and attempts to reach a wider spectrum of visitors have had only limited success
With around two thirds of its population under the age of 30, the kingdom’s human capital potential is – for the time being, at least – terribly underutilised. An estimated 29 percent of under-30s are unemployed, and an emphasis on privatisation – much like that laid out in Vision 2030 – should in theory create the kind of jobs these potential workers need. To date, two thirds of the national workforce is employed by the public sector, and – to compound the issues facing an already underdeveloped private sector – 80 percent of it is made up of expatriate workers. The decision to slash the number of government positions and cut back on spending, therefore, should go some way towards shaking the public sector’s grip on the jobs market. The privatisation of select state assets and services, meanwhile, should attract more talent and investment, and therefore help to right the imbalance between the public and private sectors.
Not merely contained to matters of an economic persuasion, Vision 2030 encompasses a much broader shift in priorities. Social values, according to the announcement, “will be based on moderation, tolerance, perfection, discipline, justice and transparency, and our focus will be on achieving growth of these values and areas”. These principles, while seemingly unrelated, feed into the kingdom’s vision to create a more inclusive and productive society.
Equally ambitious is the country’s revised commitment to tourism – namely, its determination to raise visitor numbers fivefold by the year 2030, which again chimes with the country’s ambitions to expand on the role of the private sector.
The focus on tourism is in some senses surprising, especially considering the country’s strict interpretation of Islamic law and reputation as being an inhospitable locale for Westerners. Still, the kingdom plans to inject a healthy $46bn into the sector by 2020 and give attractive coastal areas and key historical sites a going over, in the hopes that doing so will cause international tourists to put aside their reservations and pay a visit. “It is a promising area and one in which the current government has placed a great deal of hope”, according to Cornock.
One of Saudi Arabia’s advantages, Cornock continued, is that it is home to the two holiest sites in Islam: Mecca and Medina. As a result, Saudi Arabia is by no means an unpopular tourist destination, though certainly more could be done to broaden the spectrum of inbound tourists. The Saudi Government has therefore made it a priority to grow Umrah visitors from eight million to 30 million by 2030, by expanding the infrastructure in both locations to support more pilgrims.
In addition, it will begin the roll-out of the Post-Umrah programme, unveiled by Prince Sultan bin Salman, Head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), which will allow pilgrims to stay up to 30 days in Saudi Arabia and travel to other parts of the kingdom, either for additional religious travel or general tourism, shopping and business.
“These two initiatives alone have the power to generate billions for the economy”, said Cornock. “Saudi Arabia has historical sites, such as the UNESCO-designated Madain Saleh, which I have had the pleasure of visiting and can attest is a magnificent place. It also has majestic desert, mountains with forests and beaches that boast world-class diving and snorkelling. Further expansion of the tourism industry could include opening up these areas to a greater number of visitors. The key, as ever, is to balance this with cultural considerations.”
With the SCTH preoccupied with plans to develop a string of museums and heritage sites, plans to push the tourism agenda will exert a heavy burden on developers. A lot of sites require little in the way of development, although there’s no doubt billions of dollars in added investment will do a great deal to bolster the kingdom’s appeal. Mecca and Medina aside, the country’s tourism infrastructure is relatively weak, and attempts – however muted – to reach a wider spectrum of visitors have had only limited success.
According to Najar: “Tourism is a key area of Vision 2030, as the Saudi Government aims to make economic, as well as political and reputational, gains from opening some parts of the country… We believe that projects focused on developing religious tourism will be developed fast, but this will not impact the Saudi state and society. Sea resorts and other more secular-oriented tourism projects will face more hurdles, particularly from the conservative religious establishment. We believe that the Vision 2030 reforms have the potential for a major evolution of the Saudi society – and state – but this will take many years, and will be gradual.”
Certainly one area that shows great promise is business tourism, which, judging by rising investment in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region generally, the country would do well to capitalise on. Seeing the opportunity to build better hotels and conference facilities, it makes sense the hundreds of thousands of people already doing business of some form or another in Saudi Arabia would see it as a fitting location.
Reports compiled in 2014 suggested Saudi Arabia was missing out on as many as two million airline seats a year due to a lack of capacity. Furthermore, what few tour operators did exist catered mostly to religious tourism – and this was but the tip of the iceberg for Saudi Arabia’s underdeveloped tourism sector. Speaking to The Washington Post, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Toby Matthiesen, noted: “The realities of Saudi Arabia are, however, such that it is inconceivable that the kingdom can really become a tourist destination without fundamentally altering the religious and social policies in place.”
Saudi Arabia’s willingness to open the door to a broader spectrum of arrivals is, in a sense, a milestone for a nation that has in the past too readily shut out visitors. Should the country follow through with its reform programme, it would herald a new dawn not just for tourism, but for Saudi Arabia’s economy in general.
Saudi Arabia’s key sites
Any discussion of Saudi Arabia is hardly complete without mention of the Masjid al-Harãm, or Grand Mosque. The mosque is the largest in the world and, within the Kaaba, houses Islam’s holiest shrine. The building has been subject to numerous phases of development since it was first built in the seventh century, and its oldest remaining parts date as far back as the 16th. The size of the building today is such that it can accommodate close to one million people.
When translated, Dumat al-Jundal literally means ‘Dumah of the Stone’. The ancient city dates back to around the 10th century BC, and is another of Saudi Arabia’s pre-Islamic wonders. The ruins are located in the northwestern part of the country and hark back to a time when this relatively quiet part of the country was a hub for Arabian arts and culture. The architecture of the remaining buildings is testament to this, and those who travel here will be treated to the remains of a mysterious former city.
Al-Soudah, or ‘the black one’, is a mountainous region so named for the black clouds that often hover over the area. Home to some of the country’s best scenery and an abundance of wildlife, Al-Soudah is located close to Saudi Arabia’s highest peak. For many, its forests and dramatic valleys are among the country’s most impressive natural wonders. Although Saudi Arabia is not necessarily regarded as a diverse and thriving ecosystem, Al-Soudah is proof the country is vastly overlooked by tourists.
Mada’in Saleh is often touted as Saudi Arabia’s most impressive pre-Islamic archaeological site. The ‘capital of the monuments’, as it is sometimes called, dates back to the Nabataean civilisation and is reminiscent of the former empire’s more famous capital, Petra, which is today located in Jordan. The area is home to more than 100 tombs, and the exquisite detail and artistry of the facades reflects the expertise of the masons of that time. In 2008, the site became Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, despite its reputation as a cursed place.


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If Paul Harvey were the Devil, he’d sound like Dr. Bronner and Francis E. Dec reading soap bottles to each other in a steaming shower. He’d convince you that hate is in the water we drink and fear in the air that we breathe. He’d have you clawing your eyes out to escape the myth machine. He’d drive you out of your goddamn mind like it was the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
Back in the revolutionary 60s, while Harvey urged America to go back to black-and-white dreams, Bronner and Dec shook themselves awake and turned on to space cadet gnosis. Their sermons, recorded and preserved on the sacred web, will scrub your filthy mind with altruistic universalism and then shove your squeaky clean soul into the prison cell of bitter ego.
In this era of pure lunacy, let us return to our psychotic prophets.
Full article at disinformation

domain: literature


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Friday, 03 December 2021
IT’S about this time of year that the gardens at Greys Court in Rotherfield Greys come abloom with their magnificent roses, writes Joanna McGinn.
The floral display promises to provide the perfect backdrop to the National Trust property’s first sculpture exhibition courtesy of the Oxford Sculptors Group, which opens tomorrow (Saturday).
Running until Sunday, June 25, the show will see visitors encouraged to explore the gardens “like a series of outdoor rooms” to discover more than 100 sculptures by 26 different artists.
Works will be dotted about the walled kitchen gardens, hidden among peonies and flowering vines, as well as inside in the White Garden loggia and the recently restored Tudor Cromwellian building.
Lucky visitors might even catch a glimpse of the artists at work, with a series of hands-on demonstrations including stone carving and clay modelling.
We’re promised there will be something for everyone — from unabashedly abstract works in metal and steel to delicate figurative flora- and fauna-themed ceramics.
All the work on show will be for sale. Prices start at £30 and run into the thousands.
Greys Court volunteer John Nicholls is among the sculptors whose work — in his case stone carvings — will be on display.
He said: “The exhibition is designed to have a wide appeal, with pieces small enough for a bookshelf to large enough for a garden — and a slice of the proceeds will go to the National Trust.”
The Oxford Sculptors Group is made up of artists from in and around Oxfordshire — including
self-taught and professional sculptors.
Local names not to be missed include Steve Woodbridge’s steel pieces, Kay Singla’s award-winning work in clay and bronze, and Daren Greenhow’s sculptures made with everyday objects such as bicycle parts and kitchen utensils.
Greys Court head gardener Adam Ford said: “Our gardens here are glorious in June and are one of our main attractions. To include a sculpture show within them adds an extra dimension and we are looking forward to seeing them in this exciting new role.”
John Penrose of the Oxford Sculptors Group added: “This is the first time we have exhibited at Greys Court, which lends itself so well to sculpture. The beautiful gardens are like a series of outdoor rooms and will set off our artists’ work very well — and we hope in turn that our sculptures will add to the enjoyment of visitors.”
Entry to the exhibition is free with admission to Greys Court (included in National Trust membership). Opening times are 10am to 5pm daily, with last entry at 4.30pm.
For more information, visit www.oxfordsculptors.org/
greys-court and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
05 June 2017
POLL: Have your say

domain: artistic


Pipeline abandonment refers to the permanent removal from service of a pipeline. Depending on a number of factors, sections of pipeline may be abandoned in place or removed.
CEPA, the National Energy Board (NEB), the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB), the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and other stakeholders have collaborated to develop guidelines that operators can follow to abandon oil and gas pipelines in a manner that is safe, economic and environmentally sound. Technical and environmental issues associated with pipeline abandonment were discussed in “Pipeline Abandonment – A Discussion Paper on Technical and Environmental Issues” (NEB 1996). In 2007, CEPA published a report titled “Pipeline Abandonment Assumptions” which discussed technical and environmental considerations for development of pipeline abandonment strategies. A comprehensive review was undertaken by the NEB as part of the Land Matters Consultation Initiative (LMCI) which involved four discussion papers on the different topic areas, 45 meetings and workshops in 25 communities across Canada, and written submissions from 13 parties. The final LMCI report, published in 2009 recommended that knowledge gaps on the physical issues of pipeline abandonment be addressed (NEB 2009). Thus, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) was commissioned to conduct a literature review regarding the current understanding worldwide with respect to the physical and technical issues associated with onshore pipeline abandonment and use the results of the literature review to critically analyze and identify gaps in current knowledge, and make recommendations as to potential future research projects that could help to fill those gaps. DNV published this Scoping Study in November 2010.
CEPA and PTAC have established a framework for collaboration to guide and direct innovation and applied research, technology development, demonstration, and deployment to address knowledge gaps summarized in the DNV Scoping Study. Research findings from the CEPA-PTAC projects will be shared on a broad scale throughout the pipeline industry, the oil and gas industry, as well as with regulators, government agencies, and other stakeholders.


SINGAPORE -The 17th edition of the President's Challenge kicked off on Sunday (Feb 26) with $22,000 raised through a choral concert held at the School of the Arts.
About 350 guests including President Tony Tan Keng Yam were treated to a performance by about 150 choristers in a concert organised by the Wild Empire Choral Group.
This year, the President's Challenge - an annual community outreach and fund-raising campaign - will support 52 organisations from various sectors, such as family social services, healthcare, eldercare, and the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.
The President's Challenge was initiated by the late former president S R Nathan in 2000. Since then, it has raised more than $167 million for various beneficiaries.
Dr Tan, who launched the President's Challenge 2017 on Sunday, said that since 2015, the campaign has been encouraging more arts projects with meaningful social objectives. Such projects include a music mentorship programme by the National Arts Council.
He said the President's Challenge will partner The Esplanade for the first time, to bring the arts closer to children with special needs, people with chronic illnesses and at-risk youth.
Sports is another platform, and the President's Challenge will support a "Beat the Streets" programme run by the Wrestling Federation of Singapore this year, which engages primary school pupils who are on after-school programmes through wrestling.
Dr Tan said that like last year, 20 per cent of funds raised will be pledged to the Silver Volunteer Fund, to support initiatives that encourage the elderly to offer their time and talent for good causes.
He said: "As a national movement, President's Challenge supports a wide range of beneficiary organisations across numerous sectors to meet the needs of a growing nation.
"It is ultimately about building a caring,cohesive and inclusive society together."


text: With the help of Whole Foods Market, we are building a greenhouse to start our seedlings! A HUGE thank you to @wholefoodsbergennj for choosing MEVO as their Community Giving Day recipient! How can you participate? On Wednesday, March 29th come shop at Whole Foods Market in Ridgewood, Paramus, Closter, or Edgewater and spread the word to everyone you know! On this day, 5% of net sales at all Bergen County stores will go directly to supporting our environmental sustainability work!

domain: food


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Lady Whilton's Wedding And An Enchanted Affair
Two enchanting Regencies at one enchanting price!
When her cantankerous Uncle Albert dies, Daphne Whilton vows not to let his death ruin her mother�s wedding day. But to keep the news of his passing a secret, she must keep his corpse hidden until the festivities are over. It�s no easy task, though�Uncle Albert is proving to be even more of a nuisance after his death than he ever was alive. So when the groom�s handsome son, Lord Graydon Howell, offers to lend a hand, Daphne is forever indebted to him�and hopelessly in love�
Lovely Lisanne Neville has always loved the beauty of Sevrin Woods. But now they are to be destroyed to pay off the Duke of St. Sevrin�s gambling debts. In order to save them, Lisanne proposes marriage to the duke�and her fortune for his woods. The groom-to-be knows he has nothing to offer this sprite of a girl but his crumbling home, a blackened reputation, and a mountain of bills�but one can never underestimate the power of love�
Signet (Regency), August 2005

domain: library


Caitlyn Jenner holds her first press event in Sacramento since announcing her campaign in California’s recall election. Here are three key takeaways from the brief appearance.
While Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a Napa County school today to sign a budget that will expand preschool and pour a record-breaking sum into K-12 education, GOP reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner seized on a paperwork error by the governor’s lawyer to try to boost her long-shot campaign to replace Newsom in the Sept. 14 recall election.
Jenner held her first press conference before the Sacramento press corps, highlighting her decision to intervene in a lawsuit in which Newsom is suing the secretary of state he appointed and asking a judge to allow him to list himself as a Democrat on the recall ballot — even though his attorney missed the deadline for including that information.
As the Sacramento Superior Court proceeding played out over Zoom, Jenner gathered media at the Hyatt Regency across the street from the state Capitol to make the case that Newsom “absolutely blew it” on his election paperwork. Newsom, meanwhile, surrounded himself with school kids and TV cameras and signed legislation that’s part of the state’s new $123.9 billion education budget.
It was a continuation of the dynamic that’s played out the last few months and one that Californians should expect to see more of throughout the summer: Newsom is campaigning against the recall by making his work as governor as obvious as possible to voters up and down the state. Recall candidates are trying to get out their message with odd publicity stunts (like an 8-foot ball of garbage and a 1,000-pound bear), a few serious policy proposals, and attempts, like Jenner’s, to draw attention to the governor’s gaffes.
Jenner is a 71-year-old former Olympic athlete who transitioned from male to female several years ago and has had a role on the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” TV show.
Here are three takeaways from her first news conference with California’s political press:
She didn’t have much to say
Jenner called the news conference to discuss her decision to intervene in Newsom’s lawsuit over the ballot paperwork. But she talked about that for only about a minute and 20 seconds, and her comments were vague.
“I want to make sure that (Secretary of State Shirley Weber) does her job and I want to be involved in that process,” Jenner said. “I want transparency. I want people to see what’s happening up here in Sacramento.”
Then she answered questions from reporters for about 12 minutes, speaking in broad generalities without making a single policy proposal or campaign promise: “People see what’s happening in this state. They see law and order, how it’s going down. Corruption that’s going on. We’re running out of water. I am a big advocate of fire protection, OK?”
The lack of specifics has been par for the course for Jenner. She also said in a CNN interview in May that she didn’t vote in November because she didn’t have an opinion on any of the propositions on California’s November ballot, when voters weighed in on a dozen thorny questions about criminal justice, property taxes, employment law and voting rights. Asked how she will convince voters that she can craft policy as governor if she doesn’t engage as a voter, Jenner said she has “been involved in politics from the outside” and mentioned that she once served on the California Athletic Commission.
Then her aides quickly ushered her out of the room.
The real argument was playing out in court
Newsom’s campaign lawyer Tom Willis copped to missing a Feb. 28, 2020, deadline to identify Newsom as a Democrat on the recall ballot, in the first question that asks voters if they want to remove him. Willis called it “an inadvertent mistake on my part,” but argued that an inflexible adherence to a deadline that serves no “election administrative purpose” would come at the cost of denying voters valuable information.
Lawyers representing both the recall campaign and Jenner said Newsom shouldn’t get a pass. “Now he just wants to go back and get a do-over notwithstanding the fact that the (law) is very plain,” said Bradley Benbrook, representing the Jenner campaign.
Eric Early, a lawyer for the recall petitioners, added that granting Newsom’s request would set an unworkable precedent. Weber is about to be “inundated with all kinds of documents by people who want to run for governor” before the July 16 filing deadline, he noted. Will those candidates also be entitled to squishy deadlines?
The proceedings played out in high legalese, but the implications are plainly political. Ballot designations are one of the surest ways that campaigns have to make a clear and final impression on voters, making them some of the most fiercely fought-over text in California politics.
Judge James Arguelles, a Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointee, said he would issue his opinion by Monday.
Jenner’s candidacy could help Newsom defeat the recall
Polling shows that California voters are inclined to keep Newsom in office, with only 40% saying they will vote “yes” on the recall. But the risk for Newsom is that the Democratic voters who are most likely to support him are not tuned in to the election. Republicans, on the other hand, are fired up and ready to vote.
Jenner brings a splash of celebrity to the campaign, which generates more media coverage and makes voters aware that an election is coming up. She said she plans to spend the month leading up to the Sept. 14 election on a bus tour around the state, ensuring news coverage in lots of cities. While that could boost her support, that could also help Newsom excite his base.
He’s already begun using Jenner’s fame and GOP ties to stoke his supporters. Since Jenner announced her candidacy in April, Newsom’s campaign has sent out 14 emails mentioning her. Last month, Newsom shot off a fundraising email with this subject line: “Governor Caitlyn Jenner.” It went on to say:
“If you knew that your $3 could keep someone like Caitlyn Jenner or some far-right Trump acolyte from moving California backward on issues like COVID recovery, climate change, and criminal justice reform, wouldn’t it be a small price to pay?”
Jenner could help Newsom in another way, too: Lacking policy chops and political experience, her candidacy could very well lead some voters to see the recall as a farce. That perception could motivate them to shut it down, not only allowing Newsom to complete his term — but also setting him up for a strong re-election campaign next year.
CalMatters reporter Ben Christopher contributed to this story.


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Whether you’re an avid athlete or do a lot of heavy lifting, shoulder pain isn’t always such an uncommon symptom for many of us. (And since each and every one of us is aging, it becomes increasingly more likely as we get older.) But when does pain merit a visit to an orthopedic physician?
Here are a few signs that it might be time to make an appointment.
Swelling and Redness
Physical symptoms that go beyond just “feeling sore” can be a sign that you should seek out medical assistance. (Depending on the severity and whether or not it was spurred by an injury, immediate attention might even be in the cards.) If your shoulder joint is visibly swollen or if it is tender or warm to the touch, you should strongly consider having it looked at – particularly if symptoms persist over long periods of time.
Home Remedies Failed
When you experience joint pain in an area of the body like the shoulder, your first instinct is likely to try out some home remedies to help the symptoms subside. But if over-the-counter pain reducers, a nice long nap or applying cold or hot compresses don’t seem to be doing the trick (or if they only offer a temporary reprieve), it’s probably a good plan to set up an appointment at OI.
Many injury-related shoulder pains can be linked to harm to your rotator cuff. That’s why one surefire way to determine whether your pain is something that needs a physician’s care is to try lifting your arm over your head. If this or other everyday activities, like getting dressed in the morning, increase your pain level, you may be experiencing a tear or strain that needs to be treated. (Just make sure that you stop at the first sign of pain – there’s no need to overdo your arm-lift test and risk making the condition worse.)
Some temporary, home-treatable conditions will last a day or two and subside. However, if your shoulder pain prolongs over several days or even weeks, regardless of the pain level, it may be the result of something chronic such as osteoarthritis, tendinitis or bursitis. If you’re experiencing even moderate symptoms that last longer than a week, consider scheduling an appointment with an OI physician or physical therapist.

domain: medical


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- We all have bad habits, but some can affect the people around us and even damage the sexual harmony with our partner
- Sex educator Sara Tang highlights the warning signs and offers tips to revive and enhance your sexual relationship
There is no denying that we all have bad habits. While some are small and seemingly insignificant, others could negatively affect our daily life or even ruin romantic relationships.
Many of us don't realise we have annoying habits, much less their negative impact on others. It is because many of these bad habits, formed unconsciously, have become part of our "usual" behaviour and are accepted as such.
Habits " good or bad " define our character, our feelings, and sometimes our thoughts. They also affect how we conduct ourselves and how we deal with and communicate with others. Daily habits, especially the bad ones, affect how others relate and respond to us.
Some bad habits only affect us, so they aren't always a big deal. But some, such as being disorganised, constantly late or procrastinating, could affect others.
When your bad habits affect your partner on a daily basis, they can take a bigger toll than you think. It is especially problematic if they affect the sexual harmony between you and your partner.
One of the worst relationship habits is being overly jealous and possessive combined with being extremely controlling, warns Sara Tang, a sex educator and coach, and founder of Sarasense, a relationship consultancy. "The worst part is mistaking this for a sign of love," she adds.
Having constant conflict with your partner in the form of nagging, arguing, or bickering could be equally damaging to your relationship and sex life. But if a couple don't ever fight, that's not healthy either, Tang adds. "It could also mean you're avoiding conflict, swallowing your feelings and letting resentment build."
Fights and arguments are inevitable in any relationship, but when they happen, you must remember not to show contempt or verbally attack your partner with phrases like "you always …" or "you never…". Instead, try to focus on resolving the problem as a team, she says.
"Other habits include judging your partner for their sexual desires, fantasies or performance in the bedroom," explains Tang. "Sex is a very vulnerable act and people get very sensitive. Any criticism is really an act of rejection and can profoundly hurt your partner."
Passive habits such as laziness and complacency can lead to reluctance to make sex a priority in a relationship. New parents, who are strung out from taking care of a newborn, need to make time to connect with each other. Couples should also avoid falling into a routine or spending too much time together; this is because being together all the time can smother desire and passion. As the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Those who have been in a committed relationship for a long time should remember not to become too comfortable and let themselves go as a result. For example, not bothering to put in the effort with your appearance or not trying to be interesting and appealing to your partner will very likely cause them to lose interest.
"Communicate regularly about your sex life. Couples tend to only talk about sex when things have started to go wrong. But sex should always be a broader, ongoing conversation around desires, needs, likes and dislikes, intimacy, and the quality of their connection," Tang explains.
Communicate regularly about your sex life. Couples tend to only talk about sex when things have started to go wrong. But sex should always be a broader, ongoing conversationSara Tang, sex educator and pleasure coach
Other practical approaches include guiding your partner in bed. You can't expect them to magically be able to read your mind, she advises. "You can do it verbally, saying 'I would really love it if you …" or "It's so hot when you….", or expressing joy through moans, sighs or body movements." On top of that, you must always remember to listen to your partner and be open to their suggestions for you.
To make it work, both partners really need to want to work together as a team; compromise is one of the cornerstones of a good relationship. And if things still haven't improved, couples can seek professional help with a trained sex coach or therapist. Remember, there is no shame in using therapy to help you or your relationship improve.
Whenever engaged in a serious conversation with your other half, make sure it is without criticism or judgment and try to show vulnerability first. The point is to make the conversation about intimacy and connection as opposed to sexual frequency or performance, Tang says.
"A simple script could be something like, 'I've noticed we haven't been connecting as well as we used to sexually. And it's been making me (show vulnerability) feel lost/lonely/miss you. Would you be open to talking about it'?", Tang says.
"Try to establish a bit of a 'sexy distance', for example not sleeping in the same bed for a couple of days or changing your sexual routine. We are often focused on orgasm as the goal of sex, tease each other for a few days without letting each other orgasm. See if that increases your longing and desire for each other," she advises. "Experiment together; I'm a big fan of taking online courses with explicit videos (not porn) to learn new sex skills. Or even going to a couples' retreat led by trained sex and relationship coaches who help you break down habits and form new ones," she says.
"Research says new habits take time to form. At least 21 days is the minimum. If you are trying to change a bad sex habit and replace it with a new positive one, you must do it consistently and repetitively for some time in order for it to stick," she says. Finally, self-scrutinising is important so that you can check in with yourself to make sure there are no bad sex habits getting out of hand.
"Do a 'sex check-in' every six months because sexual relationships evolve all the time. Ask yourselves, 'Where are we in our sexual journey? Are we happy with our sex life as a couple? What should we add to it? Is there anything we haven't talked about?'", says Tang.
Luisa Tam is a correspondent at the Post
Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.查看原始文章

domain: sociology


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Financing your Education
A few options for financing your Alchemy Code Lab tuition are :
Our low-interest partner lender:
Skills Fund, a loan provider that only works with the highest-rated code schools across the country, provides full tuition loans, plus a housing stipend for full-time students. With new, flexible loan options for full and part-time students in Code 201 through Code 401, Skills Fund makes it easier to focus on your education and job search.
Diversity In Tech Scholarship:
Alchemy Code Lab supports diversity in tech and believes that a varied collection of perspectives creates more opportunities for everyone. With our in-house Diversity In Tech Scholarship, we hope to remove barriers and provide opportunities for women, veterans, LGBTQ+, and students from racial and ethnic backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in tech.
Local Grant Programs:
These Oregon grant programs provide funding for re-training in the tech industry.
WorkSource offers tuition grants for qualified unemployed students
TechRise tech training tuition grants for students aged 18-29
RebootNW grants for tech students who are unemployed, underemployed or an unemployed veteran
Urban Tech League of Portland grants for long term unemployed and underemployed tech students
If you are paying for a course out of pocket, would like to talk to an Admissions Advisor about other payment options, or have any questions about scholarships, financing, or student loans, please get in touch.

domain: economics


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Microsoft has unveiled a lot of cool products this year but for our money the coolest one is the new Skype Translator software that will interpret what someone is saying in real time and offer you a translation into your preferred language right on your screen. If it works as well as Microsoft hopes, it would go a long way toward breaking down language barriers and allow us to interact with people in ways we never before imagined.
Microsoft this week announced that you can use a preview version of the Skype Translator right now as long as you have a Windows 8.1-based PC or tablet and if you sign up on Skype’s official preview registration page. Microsoft emphasizes that this is just a preview so we shouldn’t expect it to work perfectly just yet as the company is still ironing out some bugs.
That said, Microsoft says the service will learn as it goes and thus should get better the more you use it. The company also says it will support “a few” languages at first with more to come in the coming months.
To sign up to use the preview of this incredibly cool technology, check out the official Skype registration page by clicking the source link below.

domain: news


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By cowriting and serving as executive producer, the late John Huston could be said to have passed the baton to son Danny Huston on Mr North. Unfortunately, Danny has not only dropped the stick but tripped over his own feet in his feature film debut, a woefully flat affair which even a stellar cast cannot bring to life.
The 1973 novel by Thornton Wilder is a resolutely old-fashioned tale about an unusually gifted young man who stirs things up among the rich folk in Newport, RI, circa 1926.
Wilder’s fanciful yarn has Theophilus North, a bright Yale gradulate, arriving in the seaside bastion of old money and extravagance and making his way in society by magically curing the rich of what ails them, and charming them to boot.
All of this gains North a reputation as something of a savior, but doesn’t go down too well with the pillar of the local medical community, who drags the shining fellow into court.
Anthony Edwards gives it a reasonable try in the leading role, his matter-of-factness in the face of extraordinary accomplishments proving rather appealing, but he can’t singlehandedly rescue this waterlogged vessel.


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Colorado’s Royal Gorge Bridge and Park re-opened to the public on Labor Day weekend 2014 with the completion of a new 14,500 foot Visitor Center, Silver Rock Railway (a mini-train), and the Royal Rush Skycoaster. Summer would be an ideal time for your family to check out this time-tested attraction.
Formation of the Royal Gorge
About 3 million years ago, as the Rocky Mountains rose from the surrounding plains, a small rivulet that would become the Arkansas River rose with them. Eventually, it cut a deep channel through the surrounding granite, at a rate of about one foot every 2,500 years, creating what we know as the Royal Gorge near Canon City, Colorado. The gorge’s peculiar shape can be attributed to this long, direct erosion through hard rock.
With a width of 50 feet at the base of the gorge and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of 1,200 feet in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep crevasse that has attracted visitors for more than a century.
In 1907 the federal government donated the gorge to Canon City to be used as a municipal park. As a practical measure, a bridge was needed to cross the gorge and unite the two highest points. A pedestrian bridge—the highest suspension bridge in the world--was built in 1929. At 1260 feet long, it’s no wonder it became a tourist attraction and designation on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Get your adrenalin flowing on the Royal Rush Skycoaster, which swings out over the Royal Gorge, momentarily suspending participants 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River. Don’t forget to visit a museum and learn about the Royal Gorge region’s rich history, drive the Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway, or walk with dinosaurs at the Garden Park Fossil Area—called the greatest dinosaur graveyard in the world.
Need more thrills? Take in a whitewater rafting adventure on the Arkansas River or go off-road on a Jeep tour. Get a true taste of adventure by zooming 1,500 feet down into the gorge in a helicopter. Not for the faint of heart, the helicopter dives and climbs the gorge, grazes the river, and skims over the bridge at speeds of 150 mph.
Or try zipping over canyon walls, the regions newest outdoor adventure. Colorado Zip Line Tours near the Royal Gorge offers 20 zip lines including classic and extreme courses. Royal Gorge Zip Line Tours offers an exhilarating tour across the Royal Gorge plateau or near the Arkansas River, where you’ll have beautiful views of the 14,000 peaks of the Sangre De Christo mountain range.

domain: travel


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“I believe that in 2020 we will see very strong deployment of solar technologies in Africa”
Interview with Sliman Abu Amara, Area Manager Africa, DNV GL – Energy, diamond sponsors at African Utility Week in Cape Town in May.
Let’s start with the Department of Energy’s (DoE) recent announcement that it has approved 13 new renewable IPP bids:
DNV GL is very pleased that the DoE has announced the results of round 4. We are even more pleased with the second announcement that they are going to add even more renewable energy capacity on top of round 4. It signals the strong commitment of the South African government to continue renewable energy deployment in South Africa. We encourage the whole sector to anticipate these developments and continue helping South Africa stabilising its energy sector and solve the load shedding problems. DNV GL is committed to continue to be the reliable partner for renewable energy projects in South Africa.
What is your vision for solar in Africa?
Everybody always smiles when you talk about solar in Africa: the continent that is so abundant with sun so solar is the most logical choice for Africa. There are a few projects starting, South Africa again is leading the market. Morocco has developed a few projects, so has Egypt. Other countries are following suit but unfortunately it is still going too slow. And that is despite the fact that during the last ten years, solar has become cheaper and cheaper and cheaper.
What we identified as a company, for African utilities to continue attracting investments in solar, they have to solve issues related to grid integration and grid connection of solar, to identify the sites and to upgrade the grids. Once this chicken and egg dilemma in Africa has been resolved, you will see a larger penetration of solar projects.
What I personally project, looking at the transmission and interconnection lines between many countries between the power pools, that will ready I think in 2020. I believe that in 2020 we will see very strong deployment of solar technologies in Africa. Like never before. You can quote me on that!
You have a specific way that you go into a country and kind of immerse yourself as a local firm. Can you explain that philosophy?
We are very selective about the markets that we operate in. We see a lot of potential in many countries but we are more interested in their governments and utilities that have to implement the commitments. There has to be at least the political will to do something and improve the situation in their countries. That is the case in countries that are ahead of others, where we pioneering and helping them. Pioneering in our contact with the key stakeholders, we have established excellent relationships with the utilities, with government, but also with the investors and developers. So we also play a role in boosting confidence. When we arrive in a country as an independent, third party electrical engineering company and start with a project that is a first for that country, we assist the project developer with the technical challenges, both in terms of renewable energy technology, grid connection and integration, we boost confidence and then the project becomes visible.
We have applied that model with success in many countries. I can proudly say the last biggest success for us was being the engineering company at the Lake Turkana Wind Park in Kenya, 300 MW of wind power, it will be the single largest wind park in sub-Saharan Africa. And our company was involved in this project from the beginning and now it is being implemented.
Tell us more about the workshop you recently hosted in Egypt?
We all know what has been happening in Egypt in the last few years. The country was very ambitious in terms of renewable energy. It has high targets: 20% renewable energy in the country. The political instability has caused delay in the situation. The recent government has recently announced quite an ambitious programme with quite a solid FIT programme to enable to financing of renewable projects in Egypt, both solar and wind. We were requested by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and our partners and project developers from other countries to engage in a one-day workshop to highlight to everyone who is interested in the Egyptian market the technical challenges in the market.
We have done this presentation and our key message to all our clients was that Egypt is a very important market for the renewable energy sector – it is going to be growing very fast. There are of course political and financial challenges which we at DNV GL cannot solve but we are there to boost the confidence that we can solve any technical challenge. And we are there to assist all the project developers, investors and utilities in Egypt to make the government’s plans achievable and implementable, at a reliable, sustainable and affordable price.
Can you share more of DNV GL’s success stories?
I think the biggest success we have achieved has been in South Africa. South Africa as a country is slightly different from other African countries. It has its own well developed electrical market and a high level of electrification. It has a modern economy, has high ambitions but also has a lot of challenges which we are all aware of. The commitment by Department of Energy, the government and the financial sector, which was very important to South Africa, has attracted so many investors from abroad to come to South Africa. DNV GL as a company has played a key role in technical engineering here and South Africa now leads the African and Middle Eastern markets in terms of installed capacity of wind energy and that is going to be the case in the next five, 10 and 20 years. That is I think the most exciting thing in Africa.
Can you tell us about the DNV GL survey on three dynamics reshaping renewable and the grid? You are planning to present specific results on Africa at African Utility Week in May.
At this moment our company is working on a large survey for Africa regarding three dynamics reshaping renewable and grid connection. We know that as a company worldwide that renewables and the grid is a complex issue. It is the same in more advanced economies such as in Germany and the US. But we are also aware of this from our work in South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco that grid integration and connection will be the challenge in the coming years in Africa and it will become bigger and bigger and bigger.
This is why at the African Utility Week, DNV GL will announce the results of the survey in order to develop a tailored solution to the African grid challenges that will enable African utilities to connect and integrate more renewables into the grid.
Why did DNV GL decide to join AUW as a diamond sponsor this year?
First of all, we have noticed a lot of things happening in the African market, in South Africa, in sub-Saharan Africa and in Northern Africa. We have noticed that the African market is ready for the penetration of larger scale renewable energy on the continent. As a company that has been working in Africa for so many years and being the key player in the renewable energy sector, I can proudly say that my company has been working on the largest wind and solar energy projects in Africa. That’s the case in South Africa, that’s the case in Kenya with Lake Turkana, that’s the case in Morocco and that’s the case in Egypt. We also see the first projects coming in Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria. So, we know the market, we know our clients and know the needs of the market. We want to use this opportunity to emphasise our commitment to the electrification of Africa, to the sustainable development of Africa and also to show that we are here, we are staying and that we are here for years and years ahead.
What will be your message at African Utility Week this year?
DNV GL is the diamond sponsor at African Utility Week this year. We wanted to demonstrate to our partners and clients our commitment to the development of the power sector in Africa. We are here to demonstrate once again our commitment to the long term development of the renewable energy sector in African countries. We have identified the challenges that this sector faces in these countries through our experiences. We are willing to continue working with my clients on all the projects and plans coming through. We also identified one issue and that is our commitment to local content – the empowerment of Africa. We have identified the issue of capacity and we have now developed a strategy to localise in terms of resourcing, working with universities in African countries to empower Africans to make DNV GL localised and looking African. Our company is 150 years old, that is very old. In China we are Chinese, in India we are Indian, in Brazil we are Brazilian and in America we are American. We want to be African in Africa and we want to be South African in South Africa. And that is going to be the challenge but we are looking forward to jointly implementing it with our partners and clients in Africa.
Full video interview on our YouTube channel below
[vsw id=”EiqanbjRUeQ&feature=youtu.be” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

domain: geography


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The CFO of the ABC Corporation asks you to address the following three questions. ABC faces a top corporate marginal tax rate of 35% on both ordinary income and on capital gains.
a. The firm is considering investing in some equipment costing $ 500,000. A 10% investment tax credit is available on the equipment. The equipment is depreciable using straight line depreciation over 3 years with a zero salvage value. The firm uses an after tax discount rate for this type of investment of 10%. The CFO asks you to estimate the present value of the tax savings from this investment. Assume the tax credit and first year depreciation are taken immediately. How do the present value of the tax deductions compare with immediate expensing of the total outlay (with no investment tax credit)?
b. The equipment above is expected (assumed here for simplicity) to generate a one time pretax cash flow of approximately $ 805,255 at the end of year 5. The CFO asks you to estimate the expected annualized pretax and after tax rates of return on this investment. Would you recommend undertaking this investment? Is this a tax favored investment? Does it bear implicit taxes?
c. The firm has $ 5 million in short term investments. The money is to be used to expand facilities. However, due to regulatory delays in obtaining environmental approval, the expansion has been delayed 5 years. The firm now wishes to invest the funds in longer term higher yielding securities. The firm is considering three options:
i. Invest in corporate bonds yielding 12% per annum pretax.
ii. Invest in non dividend paying corporate equities, expected to earn 12% per annum pretax.
iii. Invest in preferred stock of other corporations paying a 10% dividend per year.
The corporation is eligible for a 70% dividends received deduction. Which option would you recommend and why? State any assumptions you need to make.
d. The CFO asks you to prepare a proposal outlining any tax arbitrage strategies that the firm might be able to undertake to reduce its taxes. In preparing your proposal, make sure that the strategies do not run afoul of the tax rule restrictions listed in this chapter. Provide a numerical example for each strategy to illustrate how it would work and how much in taxes it would save.

domain: finance


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Montreal Canadiens reassign Harvey-Pinard, Primeau, Schueneman, and Ylönen to the AHL
The Canadiens have given their AHL affiliate some serious reinforcements for their playoff push.
On Sunday morning, the Montreal Canadiens announced that four players had been reassigned to the AHL's Laval Rocket, including Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.
The Canadiens have three days off, not playing again until Wednesday night on Long Island, while Laval plays on Monday night at Place Bell versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Laval is in a desperate bid to make the AHL post-season, currently one point up on the sixth-place Cleveland Monsters for fifth in the North Division. These reinforcements have been made with the aim of ensuring a win in Monday's game, and shifting the focus of the organization to getting the young players some professional playoff experience.


Another singularly incredible and ruthlessly exploited species, the Northern Elephant Seal has returned from the brink of extinction, increasing its population steadily for the last 125 years. From as few as 20 individuals in the late 1890s, as many as 150,000 seals now occupy their historic territory in the eastern Pacific ocean. Migratory, Northern Elephant Seal travel as far north as Alaska and British Columbia, as far south as northern Mexico, and as far west as Hawaii before returning twice a year to islands and beaches on and off the Pacific coast. In the summer, they come to molt; in the winter, bulls come to battle for supremacy and to breed with female seals, which have come to bear their pups from the previous year’s breeding season.
After an eleven-month gestation, female seals give birth to a single pup. The females nurse the often boisterous pups, providing them milk with the highest fat content of any mammalian species on the planet. The pups quickly put on weight. And they need to. The females have fasted since shortly after arriving at the birthing area, and they return to sea about two months after giving birth. When the weaners get up the courage to head out to sea themselves, they don’t have to worry about seal hunters, but they do have other issues to face.
Because of unusually high water temperatures that have persisted in the Pacific ocean for several years, the marine organisms (including anchovies, sardines, and mackerel) on which sea lions, harbor seals, elephant seals, fur seals, and others depend for sustenance can no longer be found in abundance. This has forced female seals to travel further to sustain themselves and has driven hungry pups to leave their rookeries to hunt for food on their own before they have the strength or skills to do so successfully. Many become so malnourished in the attempt that they perish. The lucky ones are rescued when they wash up on a nearby shore. In recent years, organizations like the Marine Mammal Center have rescued, tended, fed, and released record numbers of sick, injured, and emaciated seal pups of various species.
In the case of Northern Elephant Seal pups, some venture into the surf and get pulled out to sea by the overly strong currents or get washed out to sea by strong storms. Some leave the beach only to fall prey to Great White and other sharks patrolling the Pacific coastline. Others simply aren’t strong enough to prosper after leaving their birthing colonies. Either they tarry too long on the beach and waste the stores of fat they had built up, or their mothers, weakened by the lack of food before they arrived, could not provide enough high-quality milk to sustain their pups until they could successfully hunt for themselves. The latter is a phenomenon—linked to climate change—that has also been reported by researchers studying the Southern Elephant Seal, a related species that frequents the Antarctic or Southern Ocean.
If the unusually persistent high temperature of the Pacific Ocean results from climate change, as many scientists believe, weakened mothers and underfed pups will not be the only negative effects that climate change will have on the Northern Elephant Seal. Some elephant seal colonies have seen higher pup mortality rates in recent years. Climate change has also been linked to a higher percentage of male births among elephant seal—both northern and southern species. Should this persist, the population of the species will almost certainly diminish with fewer females available to give birth to new pups.
More powerful storm systems and stronger El Niño events are also likely to cause increased erosion on the off-shore islands and coastal enclaves that elephant seal have been using for birthing colonies in the winter and safe havens in the summer (when they experience catastrophic molts and cannot venture into the ocean). And as sea levels rise over the next fifty to one hundred years as a direct result of climate change, many of the islands and coastal beaches that now provide habitat to the elephant seal will cease to exist, inundated by encroaching ocean waters.
Thanks to the fossil record, we can trace the lineage of the elephant seal back to the Miocene era, as many as 23 million years ago. To secure blubber as fuel for lamps, we nearly annihilated the elephant seal (and many whale species) in a little more than a hundred years. And our stubborn love affair with coal, oil, and gas, may cause the ultimate extinction of the elephant seal and other marine and terrestrial species in the next hundred years. If not sooner.
• Climate Change and Seal Survival: Evidence for Environmentally Mediated Changes in Elephant Seal, Mirounga leonina, Pup Survival
• Climate changes put the freeze on elephant seal births
• Elephant Seals and Climate Change
• Elephant seals shed light on climate changes
• Elephant Seal Births Are Up, but the Pups Struggle to Survive
• Elephant Seal Tracking Reveals Hidden Lives of Deep-diving Animals
• Elephant Seals
• Marine Mammal Center’s Elephant Seal Care Picks Up On Local Beaches
• Northern Elephant Seals: A Dramatic Conservation Success
• The Northern Elephant Seal: A Life of Singular Extremes
• North Pacific Climate Mediates Offspring Sex Ratio in Northern Elephant Seals
• Seals and Their Race against Climate Change
• Unusual Ocean Conditions Continue to Cause Record Strandings
• Warming Ocean Temperatures May Reduce the Survival Rate of Elephant Seals
• Warming Waters Bias Elephant Seal Sex Ratios
• World Expert on Seals Discusses their Fate in the Context of Climate Change


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Tourist activities in the Maldives – January edition
Every year, Maldivian tourism promoters, industry affiliates and other key stakeholders organize and execute several tourism industry related activities that aim to build the popularity of tourism branding in the Maldives. , to create a stronger buzz on international news platforms and to maintain the momentum of the destination.
Every year, the Maldivian tourism industry is bustling with several such activities that stimulate or expand the economic sector individually or holistically. Similar activities were also carried out during this year.
Welcoming the first tourist of 2022
The island nation might be one of the few tourist-intensive destinations that, in fact, celebrates the arrival of the first tourist of every year. So the Maldives welcomed the first visitor of the year 2022 with a special celebration at the island nation’s main airport; Velana International Airport (VIA).
The first tourist arrival of the year was a British national, Mrs. Georgina Canning who, together with her partner, was welcomed to VIA by officials from the Ministry of Tourism and senior officials from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) as well as senior members of Maldives Immigration and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
Ms Canning had received a 5 night stay with full board for two at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo.
Associations affiliated with tourism meet the Minister of Tourism
It was reported that on January 3, 2022, members of the National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) together with their newly elected President, Mr. Ismail Hameed, met with the Minister of Tourism, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, for discussions.
Discussions focused on opportunities in the tourism industry as well as challenges facing the cruise and safari ship sector.
On the same day, members of the Huvadhoo Tourism Board Association and Gaaf Dhaal Vaadhoo Board members met with Dr. Mausoom to discuss community initiatives for sustainable tourism development on the island.
On January 4, 2022, members of Vilingili Council of Gaaf Alif Atoll and Member of Parliament for the constituency, Mr. Saud Hussain, met with Dr. Mausoom to discuss opportunities related to tourism development on the island.
Refresher course in Laamu Atoll
The Ministry of Tourism and UNDP have partnered with the Polytechnic of the Maldives through the Reimagining Tourism project to announce two Level 3 certificate courses in Laamu Atoll. Courses include the CIII in Bed and Breakfast Management and the CIII in Small Business Management.
The courses aimed to encourage the development of local tourism businesses at an individual and holistic capacity; primarily for homestays, bed and breakfasts and other tourism-affiliated businesses with the aim of increasing tourism benefits to communities and boosting the local economy.
Booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for employees in the tourism sector
The Ministry of Tourism launched the Covid-19 booster vaccination program for frontline workers in the tourism sector in January in association with the Maldives Health Protection Agency (HPA).
In late January, a total of 3,026 frontline tourism workers were certified to have received the recall. Meanwhile, as part of the ‘I am vaccinated’ campaign launched in 2021, 98% of frontline tourism workers had received two of the first doses of the vaccine by the third week of January this year.
At the same time, since January 14, the ministry has been organizing daily reminders for representatives of airports in the Maldives.


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Asians are all about long-term determination in their connections. Because of this, they value respect and wo n’t tolerate dishonesty or other behaviors that jeopardize their strong bonds. Numerous Asians also place a high value https://www.newsweek.com/why-women-should-stop-trying-be-perfect-64709 on personal development and education. Connecting with your Asian day and demonstrating your concern for her aspirations can be done by engaging in cognitively stimulating dialogues.
Asians also place a high value on having strong family ties. In fact, we discovered that owning a home is one of the most important life goals for the majority of families, and Vietnamese Americans are more likely than other American ethnic groups to agree. ( 37 % of respondents say it’s very important ).
In contrast, many Asian nations promote a strong parental focus and gender-specific roles. Therefore, compared to someone dating an kyrgyzstan woman of a different cultural context, you might find yourself talking more about an Asian girl’s career paths and family beliefs when you’re dating her. To establish a strong relation, it’s crucial to honor these differences and maintain open conversation.
And do n’t be afraid to tell your Asian date that you are feeling romantic. Since love is a widespread emotion, expressing it through acts of kindness and presents may strengthen your relationship. For instance, you could tell her you’re thinking of her by giving her a small product on Valentine’s Day. Additionally, it’s a good idea to celebrate minor milestones like birthdays jointly to show her how much you care about her.


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From Our Editors
Costumes and actors and plays, oh my! Lakeshore Players Theatre offers engaging theater for you and everyone you know in White Bear Lake. No matter what you're hungry for, the menu at this theater promises the perfect dish for you. Bring the whole family to this theater, where kiddos are welcomed with open arms.
Parking is plentiful, so visitors can feel free to bring their vehicles.

domain: entertainment


Local Program Offers Healthy Cooking Lessons
RAYMONDVILLE – As most people prepare for a big Thanksgiving meal, one group works to educate people on how to eat healthily.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offers their Healthy South Texas cooking sessions on almost all Rio Grande Valley counties.
One session in Willacy County was aimed at people who have diabetes. The group listens, takes notes and is also invited to participate.
“To learn how to manage their diabetes through eating healthier and doing some basic changes that will prolong their life,” explains Perla Flores with AgriLife Extension.
KRGV’s Rick Diaz has more.
Watch the video above for the full story.
CON MI GENTE: WesMer drive-in theater
Police Support Peaceful Protesters in Edinburg
City of McAllen distributing sandbags to residents in preparation for hurricane season
Heavy downpour builds up water to flow into Edinburg home due to...
As mass COVID-19 tests conducted, pending results backlogged in the Valley


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Dubai has always been encouraging towards art and culture. The city’s metropolitan vibe has always attracted artists from across the globe to showcase their art in Dubai.
Making it a global hub of culture, art and creativity, the idea to grant cultural visas will open doors for artists from across the globe, making Dubai a global centre for culture. The decision comes from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who adopted a new system to grant the first cultural visa in the world.
The initiative will position UAE as the leader of the global cultural scene which will attract writers, artists, and creators alike. The new phase of the cultural visa initiative will not only be a global artistic hub but will also boost the economy around cultural activities.
According to the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, since the initiative was announced, it has received 261 cultural visa applications from individuals from 46 nations. The golden Dubai visa will be granted to talents hailing from the field of literature, culture, arts, heritage studies, history, knowledge and different creative industries.
Dubai has always been a melting pot of culture and art with having world-class opera houses to public libraries and theatres, heritage houses, historic neighbourhoods, ancient archaeological sites and museums among others which attracts millions of visitors annually.
Not just that, Dubai has been host to thousands of cultural events every year, bringing artists from the field of music, arts, literature and entertainment under one roof.
With such a creative hub that Dubai already is, the cultural visa will only add to the city’s rich and varied heritage, doubling its reputation globally and enhancing the UAE’s cultural economy.
Picture Credit: Shutterstock


Status Updates posted by Skara
Isn't it lovely when your gun shoots lasers until you hit the field, then shots go everywhere but where you aim.
Nonetheless it got me a couple of otherwise impossible hits
>Chronoes the arp, does 0.5J
>Opens the gearbox and finds the spring snapped clean in half
>Puts SP90 (around m100) in, chronoes at 0.7J
>Puts M110 in
- Show previous comments 6 more
Yeah I know.
But still pisses me off..
Btw the arp spring guide has a spacer, not a proper thrust bearing but does the same thing.
Oh well at least I got to clean up the mess created by the plastic king arms piston I previously had in the gun.
There is an air leak around the nozzle, but I'll wait to rebuild the whole box to fix it.
Beat me to it, was going to suggest of course obligatory broken spring replacement but whack an 0-ring nozzle in there whilst you're at it.
On my Ares 008 I'm using an M90 with spring and pistonhead bearings with a 128mm 6.01 inner and it sits just about on 1J, really shouldn't need an M110 to get you there.
5mm & 10mm thickness
Alas the 5mm thick has only a M5 hole
so you may need to widen it a bit depending on piston head fitment
a 3mm tooth equates ROUGHLY to M05 or 16.4fps
so ROUGHLY a 5mm spacer adds up to 27 fps
& ROUGHLY a 10mm spacer adds up to 54 fps
Or a 5mm spacer will offset most of power lost from SS 2 teeth
& a 10mm spacer will offset a smidge more than SS 3 teeth
APROX - it kinda works but airsoft physics never works out
exactly in every case - but along those lines somewhat
One word of caution though...
If using a 10mm spacer, double check some longer spring guides
do not bottom out on spacer at full 101% stroke
it is very rare but one spring guide just kissed the 10mm spacer
at full retraction
Not really an issue for me as I SS quite a few boxes
but on say a full length AK 455mm where you keep full or most of stroke, then it is something to remember if trying to boost power
(either a m80 spring to get 350fps or a m100 spring for DMR use)
Then if boosting the spring compression/power with a 10mm spacer
just see if the guide/spacer come close to bottoming out...
FUCK IT - pics say a 1,000 words...
variation in spring guide lengths:
(no they are spring guides not collection of "other toys")
and some instances where a longer spring guide might bottom out
Now admit that is due to the collar from bearings being used...
but you get the idea of what to watch out for
(and why you should not push it with longer 15mm or 20mm long spacers inside piston)
So I use 5mm or 10mm thick 15mm spacers
and wtf as i revisited my old imgur account
here is 007's view on which gears to use...
€270 and won't be shipped before April 2021.
- Show previous comments 10 more
@Skara - Yeah I don't really get what the supply chain issue is. Even if you pre-ordered yonks ago you won't have one in your hands for another four months.
@Skara - That's one way to ensure healthy cash flow!.....also I may have accidentally ordered one but thinking of cancelling it in hindsight. I've just ordered another SSX23 and that shoots about as far as I would need it to. Plus, really struggling to compute having only 24 rounds in my primary magazine (plus those MK23/SSX23/SSX303 mags are a bitch to load).
So I found this telegram group.
People are buying/selling airsoft kit.
There's enough material to post once per hour on Macks for the next 15 years!
I've put a few items in there too (at reasonable prices, 65% of rrp yallayalla), I'm getting some dumb offers, didn't know I had "charity" next to my name.
I fucking love when your gun is fucking spot on at home (even after fucking extensive testing), but then on the field it does whatever the fuck it wants.
Fuck off, really..
Does anyone have any experience with Perun Optical mosfets?
Shall I buy it for the arp9?
Can't be worse than the Ares rail I currently have, right?
Ares motor died, finally, after 4 years..
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The gun somehow came back to life on its own 😕
i suspect a jam, because when I took the barrel out there was a BB stuck inside.
Gonna take it apart nonetheless to check for actual damage, at worst a new tappet plate and piston (which I already have).
If the sector is damaged I'll just swap the whole set with the stock gears from the specna.
Also installed the SHS HT into the ARP and my club's tech suggested to run the gun as it is until it dies and only then open it up to install the 13:1 set.
I'm also turning off active braking because it heats up the motor like.....a motorfucker (yay I'm funneeee)..
If the other gears are OK then just try replacing the sector only
& see how it rolls/spins/meshes perhaps
Std sectors are usually compatible - just if they mesh smoothly
If the bevel/spur are OK, shimmed OK & meshing nicely
eg: bevel to pinion, then just look to change sector
(or as little as possible)
Also some have said the std SA gears are not that robust
BUT I don't own one or a SA set myself
Yes AB is all well & good but heat can increase
on a ferrite motor, the motor continues to spin - a lot
Where as on a neodym motor, the strong magnets slow th
motor much quicker than a ferrite motor
On "the bench" the ferrite motor spins a lot longer
The neodym motor slows much much much quicker
In reality though the spring starting to compress slows them both
But I feel the neodym motor overspins slightly less in the box
So on a neodym motor AB is not needed perhaps
A clip showing AB on & the AB off with a neodym motor
YES with AB off the motor spins more
BUT no where as much as std ferrite motor does
This is a SHS High Speed so it is spinning faster
But doesn't carry on spinning like a std motor would
Now as said, ON THE BENCH
In a gun, in actual use, the spring would slow a weak ferrite easily
So it is debatable just how big the overspin difference really is
between neodym/ferrite motors in a working gun perhaps
But I feel neodym motors only need very very slight/light AB
to stop them and even without AB they still overspin less
AB imho should be used to accurately stop the cycle on pre-cock
or when trying prevent double firing when a gun is cycling too quickly
When people use AB to prevent double firing it can be a sign of sticking switch, worn COL or most commonly just taking the piss rof
If your gun does really need AB (for set pre-cocking)
then don't or at least try not use it, or only very soft AB
I don't use AB, so any motor heat is purely down to the build itself
(than reversing the polarity at the motor)
TLDR again - yeah turn off AB if you can
Yep, already did that on every gun I own bar the Ares as the EFCS allows for fuck all customization. I rarely use semi auto anyway and when I do it takes seconds to turn it back on (at least on the ARP)
Regarding the Ares gearbox, I have yet to open it. I might do it this Saturday, so I can also figure out a way to rewire the thing to the front. Will make a new status update once I see what's gone and what's still useable.
Thanks for the help mate!
Bought a Guarder SP90 for the striker, it chronoes at 1.05J on a Guarder SP100.
One would say "good, it'll drop to 0.9something", right?
Decided to nip a coil off the SP100, power goes up to almost 1.1J...
Another coil off, 1.08..
A third of the spring is now in pieces and finally the bloody thing is below 1J....
- Show previous comments 2 more
Specs change but SP90 seems irregular at one end...
slightly tighter at one end than the other
so you "should" have got some difference
compared to a regular spring...
(which should be same either way round)
Some other irregular springs are tighter in middle
AND one of the ends are tighter than the other...
Honestly the way the spring is fitted can make a difference
(as said I've flipped a spring to squeeze another 10fps more than once)
The SP90 or SP100 should just be tighter at one end
so should have made some slight difference
BUT like I said specs can change and be a different spring
or most likely just them qwirky airsoft gremlins
as said these spring/power stuff doesn't always follow logic
Probably why Mr Spock doesn't do airsoft
(his ears would be stinging as easy big target)
you got it sorted & that's all that matters
Yep, I am definitely gonna experiment more with this irregular spring theory. I've heard it in the past but never got to "play" with it.
SP100 is done but I still have the SP90 and I can always buy another SP100 after all it's €7.50, won't lose my sleep over that amount, plus having an extra spring in my spare parts drawer is always nice.
i just thought it was funny to cut a spring and gain power
Now I can SlAy ChEeTaHs on Sunday
Big game on Sunday with all the teams from the region.
Field looks seems to be really open.
Shall I take the sniper or sling 0.32s in my AEGs?
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Ahahahah, I'm afraid our adventures with the cheetah club are over
After "stealing" our worst members (literally, they took in a guy who doesn't call his hits unless he bleeds and another who thinks he knows it all lol), we decided to never invite them on our field again.
With that being said, I think I'll bring the AK, although I have to check the shimming as it's a bit of a whiny bitch, if I can't fix it in time then it's Honey Badger time with the specna as a backup.
I have ML rubbers in all my guns, so hopping them rocks isn't really a problem..
BOIS I NEED HELP!
(Nice clickbait huh?)
for real tho.
A mate of mine has an Amoeba CCR for sale, externally it's OK but internally it's utter shit, all grindy and runs at sub 20 RPS on a beefy 11.1...
I have a Honey Badger, internally it's great but I want a super short rifle with a folding stock.
Would it be worth to swap bodies?
- Show previous comments 6 more
I just rebuilt the HB in its stock form, with the super unbalanced and heavy OEM 9" rail. It's uncomfortable but it does look good, especially with the FF carry handle (which I bought FYI ).
also chronoed it, 0.96J (good) and 16 RPS on a 11.1 (meh).
New motor's coming in next week (debating whether or not putting the ifrit 25k or the incoming SHS high torque in there, any tip?).
I've already seen that AY thingy, what bugs me is the metal receiver.
Not because of the weight (2070g vs 1930 of the Ares and I can still send it to a friend to be skeletonized and shave some grams off) but because after a while all the metal body guns I've seen turned into wobbly cunts. Definitely inviting for the price (apart from the weird gearbox shell).
I'll check on another teammate who has a CCR, it's been rebuilt recently and runs somewhat smooth.
Ifrit is more expensive
25k and main point is it has an " O " type pinion
The SHS HT is 30k (ish), has a D type pinion
To me it falls to performance/price and ease of pinion replacement. Even if you got a pinion puller, if you can get or already have spare pinions that some might mesh with bevel being used
SHS do both type of pinions anyway
If you got a puller then it boils do to the price/performance & availability I guess
Both are good motors
If you got an ifrit in your gun then you don't HAVE to change it like you would if you had a later STD 18k G&G grey motor
If people find the 25k Blue "Powerful Motor" ferrite motor
or better still the Orange Ifrit in their new G&G then they don't really need a new motor is what I mean
tough call but price performance I'd probably go for SHS
but if a Ifrit came in gun or lightly used one came along for a cheap price I'd consider it
as said think price/availability along with pinion etc...
will dictate which one is better - but both are decent
Asked because I already have an ifrit (it's in my arp at the moment), since I'm getting another SHS HT/13:1 combo I thought I'd slap the SHS stuff in the ARP and use the 25k on the Ares.
I'll give it a try tomorrow and see what happens
Not looking at 27 RPS/7.4 type of performance tho.
but ffs 16 RPS on a 11.1 is just meh
Time to redo all the loadouts!
Move your ass G&G and release the SSG-1 drop stock and handguard already!
Fuck's sake, I need to build my stupid tournament gun!
Can't you get a drop stock adapter 3d printed?
I swear I don't get some people.
1st game after the summer break, we invite the infamous cheater club (ye ye why are we inviting them... More people at the field, more targets to shoot at, that's why).
TL;DR version is that everything went well until the last 3 games, at that point nobody was calling his hits anymore 😕
Spotted the enemy sniper and dumped about half a flash mag on his forehead (before anyone goes full KM, it was the only thing I could see) from close distance (under 10 metres), only to be shot in the neck by a G18 burst as I closed in on him. Meh, took it and didn't complain, he looked like Jesus Christ with his crown of thorns, 'twas enough for me.
Last game was surreal though, one guy and I did a super long flank on the enemy defenders until we stumbled upon this girl who was looking the other way (she somehow didn't hear us and we almost missed her entirely), at this point I aim at her butt, flick to semi but the gun doesn't fire, she notices that we are both aiming at her from literally 3 metres, raises her gun but I've already vanished behind cover. My teammate went behind the very tree she was hiding in before she could let the first shot off.
She tried to burst my ass but I had switched to the AAP and put 4 rounds in her mask, my teammates pops out of cover and puts another 3 in her side, meanwhile she sweeps the void in a somewhat desperate attempt to hit us as we were on her 3 and 9 o'clock from her position.
She calls the hit and rushes to our club's president to call us out because we "blatantly cheated"..
Fuck's sake it was going soooooo well
Imagine going on a bike holiday with your old man.
Imagine having the worst luck possible throughout the trip.
Imagine him crashing in the most retarded way ever, completely destroying his right knee ligaments.
Just when we reached the best places..
Fucking deans, such a pain to solder..
I suddenly want to move to Crimea


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text:
Bethesda-based Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE: WD), through its subsidiary Walker & Dunlop, LLC, reported that it completed a financing deal for the Hunt Valley Towne Centre in north central Baltimore County.
The $90 million arrangement was made possible through a loan from American International Group, Inc (AIG). Terms of the loan include 8-years interest-only payments.
The 766,256 Class-A shopping center located in Hunt Valley, Maryland was developed by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial and is anchored by the first Wegmans Grocery chain in the state.
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Newly elected NHGOP House Speaker Dick Hinch died of COVID-19, according to a statement released by the N.H. attorney general’s office, a result certain to increase criticism of how House Republicans have treated rules and restrictions related to the pandemic.
“New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jennie V. Duval has determined that the cause of Speaker Hinch’s death was COVID-19. During this difficult time, the family has requested that their privacy continue to be respected,” according to the statement.
Hinch died Wednesday night, inspiring an outpouring of praise and sympathy from both sides of the aisle. Former U.N. ambassador (and likely 2024 POTUS candidate) Nikki Haley tweeted: “Heartbreaking to hear about the passing of Speaker Hinch. He will be remembered for his warm heart and dedication to the people of New Hampshire. Please join me in lifting up his family in love and prayer.”
And Democratic U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan said: “Serving in our legislature — and especially in leadership positions as Speaker Hinch did — requires tremendous effort, all in essentially a volunteer capacity. Speaker Hinch was deeply committed to this service, and I am grateful for all he gave to our state and our country.”
However, there has also been bipartisan criticism of how elected Granite State Republicans — and the NHGOP House Caucus in particular — have handled the coronavirus outbreak.
A November 20 gathering of incoming House Republicans at the McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester, featuring an open food buffet and no mask requirements, led to several cases of COVID-19. NHGOP House leadership did not disclose that fact until the eve of Organization Day, angering Democrats who would be at the outdoor event the next day.
“We are less than 24 hours from Organization Day and the Republican Leadership in the House purposefully neglected to tell the Speaker’s office or their Democratic colleagues of an outbreak within their caucus,” outgoing Speaker Steve Shurtleff said at the time. “We were with Republican Leadership just yesterday for Organization Day and the COVID-19 outbreak was not mentioned to anyone.”
The criticism came from GOP Gov. Chris Sununu as well.
“It was badly managed from the beginning,” Sununu said of the NHGOP House caucus’s COVID track record. “As things moved forward, communications should have been happening between both parties and both bodies,” Sununu said, “I don’t know how that [communication] transpired, but my understanding is it wasn’t good.”
That was before the news hit of Hinch’s death due to COVID-19. Afterward, Carroll County GOP Rep. William Marsh, an ophthalmologist with a medical degree from Dartmouth, put the blame squarely on his fellow Republicans.
“Those in our caucus who refused to take precautions are responsible for Dick Hinch’s death,” Marsh tweeted.


text:
Police have arrested a Chinese national for allegedly using an offensive weapon to cause harm to his Ghanaian co-worker at a construction site at Kweikuma suburb of Takoradi, in the Western Region.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect, Xue Hue, on September 28, 2022, allegedly attacked the victim, who is a mason with a construction company at Kweikuma, with a knife inflicting a cut on his neck, the Police said in a statement on Thursday September 29.
The victim has since been treated and discharged.
“Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody assisting investigation and will be put before court on September 30, 2022, to face justice,” the statement stressed.
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domain: law


text:
Playing tracks by
Catz 'n Dogz, Technasia, Claptone, The Temper Trap, Nora En Pure and more.
Had a blast putting this mix together and even more fun performing it during my 1st gig at Sandwich Bar in Orlando! I appreciate all of you who came to support me more than you know and I hope listening to this helps you remember what an awesome night for music it was. For all those hearing it for the first time; sit back, relax and enjoy the yearn <3

domain: hobby


The SYS-C23-GW is a Smart Edge Compute Unit, built on NXP i. MX 6SoloX Processor, enables multi core edge computing and networking, while ensuring wide connectivity. As far as memory is concerned, the device features a 32-bit DDR3L memory soldered on-board, up to 1 GB. When it comes to interfaces the board is plentiful: networking interfaces - such as 2x Fast Ethernet RJ-45 ports, Wifi, BT LE combo module with on-board antenna - but also other interfaces like 2x CAN port, 4x analog inputs, I2C, 2x PWM and many others. The device is indeed a multiprotocol bridging for industrial PLCs and smart factory devices. Fields of application include Home Automation, Industrial Internet of Things and Surveillance among the many.