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Discover the benefits of both wood and composite decking options for your home. composite decking typically consists of some type of plastic material, such as polyethylene and/or polyvinyl chloride, and composite decks are susceptible to outside elements; for instance, mold grows on all surfaces, says Edger, and
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wood plastic composite is panel or lumber product made from recycled plastic and small wood particles or fibers. The majority of WPC is produced by extrusion process, which uses variety of extruder types such as single screw or double
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Which is the best decking material for a wood deck—cedar, pressure-treated or composite lumber? We compare their durability, Probably the most difficult decision to make when building a deck is what type of decking to use. all three composite decking. Most is made from recycled plastic and wood chips or sawdust.
WPC decking is a kind of new eco-friendly landscaping material which is produced under high temperature and pressure from the mixture of HDPE and wood fiber. We offer Hollow WPC decking, Solid WPC decking, DIY WPC decking.
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7 May 2017 What is wood-plastic composite? What does wood-plastic composite mean? wood-plastic composite meaning - wood-plastic composite definition - wood-plastic composite explanation.
wood–plastic composite (WPC) lumber has been marketed as a low-maintenance, high-durability product. Retail sales in the United States were slightly less than $1 billion in 2008. Applications include decking, railing, windows, doors,
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Lastly, we will analyze how WPC penetrates into the market and take over the traditional solid wood lumbers. Type, Text. , eng. Series, University of British Columbia. wood 493. Date Available, 2016-11-17 Vancouver, British Columbia wood plastic composites (WPCs) as an Alternative to Solid lumber Source: The Corporate Guardian (2009) Source: Hubei Gaoxin WPC Extrusion Co.
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wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are composite materials made of wood fiber/wood flour and thermoplastic(s) In addition to wood fiber and This type of WPC is different than the WPC decking and is not intended for outdoor usage. Manufacturers claim that wood-plastic composite is more environmentally friendly and requires less maintenance than the alternatives of solid wood treated with
Know the difference between various types of composite wood boards, lumber and decking. all like composite woods, which consist of wood fibers bonded together with adhesives and sometimes plastics or other materials. Find out why
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domain: chemistry


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It’s a little after 9.45pm in the Netherlands (7.45am in Melbourne), and polls closed half an hour ago in the Dutch election (see yesterday’s preview here). The BBC reports an exit poll showing prime minister Mark Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD, liberal but leaning rather to the right) with a comfortable lead, projected to win 31 seats. (It’s been added to the Wikipedia page, but I can’t find anything at Ipsos’s own site.)
It puts the next three parties – the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), the Christian Democrats and the “liberal party”, by which I presume it means D66 (left-leaning liberals) – all on about 19 seats. The Greens are next on 16 and the Socialist Party on 14. There are 150 seats in the lower house and it’s strictly proportional, so just take two-thirds of a projected seat total to get an estimated percentage.
That’s significantly better for VVD and worse for PVV than the opinion polls had been predicting. But it’s just one poll, so we’d better wait to get some proper results. As reader Malcolm Baalman kindly pointed out (his preview is here), the Dutch electoral commission also has an English-language version of its website, although there’s nothing much on it as yet.
Turnout is reported to be high, perhaps as much as 80%.
10.15pm Dutch time
You can read more about the exit poll numbers at the Guardian’s live feed. Turnout there is reported at 82%, up from 74.6% in 2012. Perhaps a democratic electoral system would do more for participation here than compulsory voting.
If the exit poll is right, it would mean the four large mainstream parties – VVD, the Christian Democrats, D66 and Labour – would have 78 seats between them, a clear majority. There’s not much doubt that they’d manage to put together some sort of coalition. Labour’s vote is so low (nine seats, about 6%) that Rutte could even dispense with them and rely on some minor parties instead.
Among other interesting features, the poll shows the Animals Party winning five seats, up from two in the old parliament.
10.35pm Dutch time
French readers can also get a good live feed on the results from Le Monde. Its reporter, Philippe Ricard, says Rutte “knew how to profit from the diplomatic crisis with Turkey, in showing himself firm and cutting the grass from under Wilders’s feet.” Nicely put. He also suggests (I think correctly) that far from Wilders benefiting from a Trump or Brexit effect, “the two events worried the Dutch.”
10.55pm (all times Dutch; ten hours behind eastern Australia)
Still no sign of real figures, but assuming the exit poll is about right (and they do have a very good record) it’s interesting that the performance of VVD and PVV is the only real surprise as compared to the last week or two of opinion polls. It suggests that the Turkish imbroglio had a real impact – it worked well for Rutte because he could appeal to anti-Turkish sentiment without doing anything that was anti-Muslim, just standing up for democracy.
There’s a lot of comment around on how badly Labour has done (nine seats, down from 38) and how successful the Greens have been (16 seats, up from four). That’s entirely true, but it’s completely in line with what the polls have been saying. Participation in government in time of austerity clearly doesn’t help centre-left parties, as the Liberal Democrats in Britain discovered.
On the other hand, it’s hard to say there’s been an overall shift to the left. In addition to the Greens, the big winners are D66 (up seven) and the Christian Democrats (up six), both very much in the centre – progressive on social policy but in the mainstream economically.
There are now some real numbers available, here. They’re very small (and they’re in Dutch), but with ten municipalities reporting (out of 388), VVD leads with 23.1%, followed by the Christian Democrats on 16.4%, the PVV 12.5%, D66 10.8% and the Socialists 9.5%. Small rural municipalities tend to report first, so that will overstate the Christian Democrats and understate D66 and the Greens; with that caveat, it seems broadly in line with the exit poll.
Multiply percentages by one and a half to get a good estimate of seats.
With 56 out of 388 municipalities counted, we now have VVD on 17.7%, D66 13.5%, Green Left 12.2%, Christian Democrats 11.0% and PVV 10.5%. They’re also giving projected numbers of seats, which don’t match the vote percentages and may therefore be projections based on where the votes are coming from. On that basis VVD, D66 and the Christian Democrats have 70 seats between them, which is getting tantalisingly close to a majority.
The Guardian quotes Rutte in his victory speech saying “I have had lots of European colleagues on the line. This is an evening where the Netherlands, after Brexit and Trump, said: ‘That’s enough of the wrong sort of populism.'”
With 121 municipalities in, the numbers now line up a bit better with the seat projections. VVD 20.4% and 32 seats, Christian Dems 12.9% and 21, PVV 12.1% and 20, D66 11.9% and 17, Greens 9.4% and 15.
About half way there (195 reporting), and it’s VVD still with a commanding lead, 20.4% and 32 seats, ahead of Christian Dems 12.3% (20), PVV 12.6% (19), D66 12.2% (18), Greens 9.5% (14), Socialists 8.9% (14). Looking pretty good for the exit poll.
It’s a fully proportional system, so the numbers of votes and numbers of seats must eventually come out in the same order. At the moment they’re still a bit out of alignment, but I don’t know which is more likely to be right. It won’t make a difference to the big picture, where we’re most probably looking at a VVD/Christian Dem/D66 government, with support from either Labour or some minor parties (or possibly the Greens). I can’t see anyone trying to form a coalition without Rutte.
2.15am (Dutch time, remember – it’s 12.15pm in Melbourne)
It’s not a total write-off for Geert Wilders, in that it looks as if he’ll at least have the bragging rights for holding onto second place: with about two-thirds counted his PVV is sitting on 12.9%, just ahead of the Christian Democrats on 12.6%. (That looks like 19 seats each for them, as also for D66, who’ve got 11.9%.) He’ll almost certainly become leader of the opposition. But in other respects it’s a pretty awful performance, down on his poll results (which were sitting around 21 or 22 seats), and well short of his 2010 peak of 15.4% and 24 seats.
If only the United States had the Dutch voting system.
Not much is going to change from there – it’s about 85% counted. The VVD is still on track for 32 seats, with PVV, Christian Democrats and D66 all on 19, just as the exit poll said. The Greens and the Socialists are fighting for fifth place, and Labour is a distant seventh with 5.7% and nine seats.
Behind the majors, another six parties are winning seats. Christian Union with six, the pensioners (50+) with four and Denk, an anti-racism party, with three would seem possible coalition partners if needed.
3.45am (1.45pm in eastern Australia)
I’m going to call it a day at that point. With more than 90% of results in, the numbers are now pretty stable. Although they’ve lost nine seats, it’s a triumph for the governing VVD: they’ve exceeded expectations and finished well in front of their rivals. They’re 8% clear of Wilders’s PVV, with only a percentage point separating the second and fourth placegetters.
It will take a few rounds of negotiations to form a new government, but it’s most likely to be based on VVD, the Christian Dems and the left-liberals, D66. Between them they look to be six seats short of a majority, so there are a number of options for them – Labour (nine seats) and the Christian Union (six) seem the most plausible. The Greens, who did well with 15 seats, may also be in the mix.
Let’s not name any names, but the pundits who told us that Wilders was in line to be prime minister and that anti-Muslim populism was the wave of the future are now looking a bit silly.
Next stop, France!
4 thoughts on “Netherlands live!”
Excellent reporting and analysis, Charles. Thank you.
Agree with pretty much all your commentary.
Final results have been posted in the comments section at the end of the article here, “Walk on the Wilders side: Geert ground down, but Le Pen won’t be so easy”

domain: politics


Black Girls Create Presents:
Friday, August 21 – Sunday, August 23, 2020
A digital convention celebrating fandom and creation while centering the experiences and interests of people of color.
Quick Quills Live
A #QuickQuills writing sprint with a twist! Bring your writing tools and ideas and join members of the BGC team as we write, talk about our own personal writing processes, and gas each other up!
Black & British Media Fandom
There's way more to UK media than Harry Potter and Doctor Who (not that sticking to 1 or the other is a bad thing). This panel is all about finding joy in other UK TV show genres, movies, music, and more! Also, find out recommendations for Black British creatives you may not have heard before.
Navigating Fandom Spaces As A Black/NBPOC Fan
Finding community in fandom as Black or NBPOC fans is already a challenge in the large franchise fandoms, but what about finding your space in smaller fandoms? How do you establish yourself as not only a fan but also as a community organizer? What do you do when you're faced with racism or other -isms? This panel is designed not only for panelist sharing but for the audience to ask questions as well.
Book Talk: Animation Inspiration!
Creation doesn’t happen in a void. Writers take inspiration from all sorts of things in order to create fantastical worlds: from current events to other novels, but what about animation? In this panel, we’ll be talking to four fantasy authors about the influences of animation and parallels within their stories & characters.
The Sorting Fez
Join Katelyn and Brenna for an impassioned round of sorting the Doctors and companions of NuWho.
You're Funny — For A Girl
Some of the funniest women we know come together to discuss their careers in comedy, the challenges, and the triumphs of being women of color in a male-dominated space.
Freelancing Ain't Free
A conversation about freelancing with Black women writers who've been there. They'll share their experiences and personal insights, and discussing pitching, being published, and getting paid.
Bey the Brand
A conversation about personal branding with Black women who have done it. We'll discuss ways creators can establish a presence online — websites, social media, and portfolios — and how they can use social media to build reputation and create connections. Panelists will share their experiences and lessons they learned in building their own brands. We'll also talk about free and low-cost tools for building blogs, creating graphics, and managing your social profiles.
Being a Creator of Color
You may think you know, or do you have no idea? Having a creative mind and making creative works is already a lot, add that to the experiences of being a person of color and well...Join us for a chat all about being people of color who create and all that falls therein.
Dial Zoom for Murder
Enjoy a social event to die for from the comfort of your own home. Hosted by members of the BGC community, this is a virtual Murder Mystery party where you get to pick your character.


Imvelo meets up with young initiates to learn more about their initiation process and how they ended up in initiation school. https://www.facebook.com/ImveloSABC1/ https://www.instagram.com/imvelosabc1/ Catch Imvelo, an African religion magazine show, Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 on SABC1! Watch episodes on SABC 1 YouTube after the TV broadcast at 12:00. Enjoy! From culture to tradition, customs […]
Lele grew up as a happy child in a family with both parents. During her teenage years, her life changed and that impacted on her adulthood as well. From the bubbly child she was, Lele lost her confidence and started finding comfort in food. She binged on all kinds of food as an escape from […]
This Friday on Fanbase, Laylizzy is rocking the Fanbase stage with your host Akhumzi! See the fun, laughter, dancing and music this Friday on Mzansi Fo Sho at 18:00! Twitter @fanbasesabc1 Facebook FanbaseSABC Catch the full episode here directly after the TV broadcast at 18:30. Join us then!
We revisit a chat with co-founder of a leadership development and corporate social investment consulting company called Red Leadership, Lebogang George. We take a sho’t left to Tokoza, Johannesburg for a musical experience with the FBA Brass band. We review an app that offers nutritional facts, Healing with Foods, and an anthology of poems called […]
Mimi dates a celeb, desperate to prove that she is not into Molefi. Ivy-Ella, however, tries to play cupid with Molefi and Mimi. Single Galz follows three young women, Nompendulo, Ivy-Ella and Mimi, who find themselves at the cusp of their lives, their early twenties. The possibilities ahead of them are endless and they explore […]
This Friday on Fanbase DBN Nyts is rocking the Fanbase stage with your host Akhumzi See the fun, laughter, dancing and music this Friday on Mzansi Fo Sho at 18:00! Twitter @fanbasesabc1 Facebook FanbaseSABC Catch the full episode here directly after the TV broadcast at 18:30. Join us then!
Founder and Managing Director of EDISIM, Roger Boniface hangs out in the i-DENTITY coffee shop. We spend a day in Orange Farm for the Saaberie Chisty winter warm campaign. What’s Appening features the review of a medical handbook app and a book by a local author. Catch i-Dentity, Wednesdays at 12:30 on SABC 1. Watch […]
Through poverty and peer pressure Vincent found himself caught up in a life of robberies and hijackings out of a desire for money and the good life. It all came crashing down and Vincent had to pay the price for his actions. https://www.facebook.com/Now-Or-Never-SABC1-510549775738312/ Tweets by NowOrNeverSABC Now or Never is a local docu-drama series which […]
It’s competition day and Ayesha is hoping her mother will come see her compete. Bongani makes a decision to compromise with his father. No-one knows where Michelle is. Amaza is a coming of age youth drama series set in a quaint Muizenberg street, in the local college where a diverse group of students must come […]
Now or Never is a local docu-drama series which features real-life characters re-living a period in their lives when they had to make crucial, life-changing decisions or endure traumatic moments. Through their introspective journeys, we take a glimpse into their universe and evaluate decisions made… good or bad. https://www.facebook.com/Now-Or-Never-SABC1-510549775738312/ Tweets by NowOrNeverSABC Now or Never […]


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domain: sociology


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Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present “To Kill A Mockingbird,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee. The play will be performed February 26 through March 13, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.
The unforgettable Pulitzer Prize-winning novel comes to life on the KCT stage, with its unique mix of warm nostalgia and frank realism. The lives of young “Scout” Finch and her big brother Jim are about to change forever, when their father Atticus, a lawyer, is appointed to defend a black man accused of attacking a white teenage girl.
Meanwhile, the children become fascinated by their reclusive neighbor “Boo” Radley. All their worlds collide in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama, as its citizens confront their fears and prejudices.
Harper Lee’s novel has become one of the most respected books of its era. The book won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and has been labelled “a stiry of strong national significance.” This adaptation is the same one performed annually in Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, during the town’s “Harper Lee Days.”
The play is performed by 20 talented young actors, from ages 8 to 16. The role of Atticus Finch will be played by Sean Sloas, a KCT veteran who returns to the company after numerous local performances. “Scout” is portrayed by Maebel Johnson, a longtime KCT student who is making her stage debut. Jean-Louise, the adult version of “Scout,” will be played by Caroline Dyer, a veteran of over 20 KCT plays.
The pivotal roles of the courtroom opponents, Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewing, are played by Derrick Washington, Jr. and Isabelle Hannah. Jim is played by Chase Russell, a KCT newcomer, and the mysterious “Boo” Radley will be portrayed by Jared Watkins.
Three actors, other than Maebel and Chase, are making their KCT debuts: Eric Magee, Zion Olum, and Genevieve Robinson.
The rest of the cast includes Cian Bell, Reed Cooper, Lucas Cunic, Nilah El-Amin, Corbin Fram, Kayla June Nobbe, Quintin Rhodes, Lauren Rymer, Leigh Shields, and Simeon Thress.
KCT is East Tennessee’s leading producer of stage plays for children. To Kill A Mockingbird is the 74th play to be produced by Knoxville Children’s Theatre. Over 17,000 people attended a KCT play in the last two years. The play is directed by Dennis E. Perkins from a script by Christopher Sergel, licensed by Dramatic Publishing Company.
The show is sponsored by The Comcast Foundation, Clayton Homes, and Home Federal Bank. Assistance was also provided by Bandit Lites, and Prestige Cleaners.
Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 109 E. Churchwell Avenue • Knoxville, TN 37917
For more information: (865) 208-3677 • knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com • firstname.lastname@example.org

domain: literature


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Exploring Education, Culture and Longevity in Japan
The newly established Hibbitt/Rockwell Fund Travel Fellowship is an opportunity for faculty and student-facing staff to engage in a travel experience that will energize and enrich their professional lives. The intention of this program is to promote enthusiasm and creativity in their work with students. Silvia Campbell, Upper School Spanish teacher recently went to Japan. Below is her story.
A lifelong dream of mine has been to visit Japan––I had always been fascinated by this country where its culture and deeply rooted ancient traditions intertwined with cutting-edge technology. Thanks to the generous Hibbitt/Rockwell Fund Travel Fellowship, my dream came true this summer!
My journey began in the capital, Tokyo. I was incredibly impressed by the convenience and efficiency of the public transportation system, the cleanliness of the city (everyone carries their trash and public trash bins are few and far between!), and the warmth, friendliness, and hospitality of the people. From its skyscrapers and the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing (Shibuya crossing) to its tranquil temples, shrines, and gardens, I found that Tokyo offers a unique fusion of tradition and innovation.
I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and engage with locals by taking lessons in the art of ikebana, kimono, and sushi from local Japanese instructors. Besides learning about the individual crafts, I was able to see the common underlying values shared by these art forms: (1) appreciation for aesthetics, simplicity, balance, and harmony, (2) respect for nature and its symbolic meanings, (3) preservation of cultural heritage and rituals, and (4) focus on mindfulness and being present.
I also had the chance to gain valuable insights into the Japanese education system. Over the span of a week, I visited the Friends School in Tokyo––a wonderful experience where I shared meals with the students, participated in classes and clubs, learned about after school club activities like the service committee and International Friendship committee, and even gave a speech to the school community during the morning worship. It was valuable to see different pedagogical approaches and curricula in action. I was able to witness the way that Japanese values (discipline, punctuality, duty, respect, and many more) were instilled in the school environment. For example, the students respect and care for community spaces by partaking in the meticulous rituals like removing outdoor shoes and changing into indoor shoes and cleaning their classrooms every day after school. An example of the school’s commitment to fostering these values is found in the recurring accessibility lessons––every few months, a session is designed to cultivate an awareness of various disabilities and handicaps, as well as to inspire the creation of inclusive and accessible spaces.
From Tokyo, I explored the natural landscapes of Mount Fuji and the Five Lakes region, as well as those of the Ishikawa and Gifu prefactures. I was particularly enchanted with Shirakawa-go, known for its village of thatched gassho-zukuri houses and green landscapes.
I was excited to ride the Shinkansen bullet train (which reaches 320 km/hr) to arrive in the greater Kyoto area. This region is home to over 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines built throughout Japanese history from the 8th to the 19th centuries. I was particularly impressed by Fushimi Inari Shrine (with its 10,000 vermilion torii gates) and Todai-ji Temple (the head of all provincial Buddhist temples built over 1,200 years ago) in Nara, a city with free-roaming deer.
I traveled west to Hiroshima for a somber and thought-provoking visit to places of remembrance: the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. The city is a powerful reminder of the need for peace, and its recovery to its present state exemplifies Japan’s spirit of resilience.
I also traveled to the subtropical island of Okinawa. Upon my arrival, I noticed the slower pace of life in comparison to mainland Japan. Generally, there were many cultural differences that emerged, a testament to foreign influences throughout history; specifically, the Ryukyu Kingdom having strong ties with China and the region’s governance by the U.S. military for 27 years after WWII. I later visited the remote and forested village of Ogimi (also known as the village of longevity, due to having had the largest population of centenarians) to assimilate lessons in longevity. I learned about the importance of self-reliance and commitment to stay active, “shikwasa” (the citric fruit of longevity), and traditional events to express gratitude, joy, and reverence. I had discussions with locals about “ikigai,” motivation and purpose to live, and a healthy lifestyle, meditation, and diet.
This Hibbitt/Rockwell Travel Fellowship has been truly educational, not only in terms of learning about Japanese culture and international pedagogy, but also as a wonderful opportunity for personal growth. I look forward to sharing these enriching experiences and valuable lessons in my classes.


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A farmer is dead from injuries he suffered in an accident in Milton.
The Rock County Sheriff’s office says the 69-year old man died when the International Harvester 640 he was using to tow a corn picker rolled over pinning the operator against a tree. The rollover happened yesterday afternoon in a field by a bridge off of East County Highway North in Milton.
In another part of the state, a silo collapsed at a farm in Walworth County. The corn filled silo crashed into the farm’s butcher shop and meat processing room causing extensive damage. Sorg says the silo has been there for nearly 50 years. There are no reports of injuries.

domain: news


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State Sets Up Hay Hotline As Farmers Scramble for Feed With AM-Drought Rdp, Bjt
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) _ A ″hay hotline″ has been set up for farmers seeking fodder from as far west as Kansas to feed their cattle in the face of the grass-wilting drought, Ohio officials said Monday.
″We’ve been sending word out across the state and anywhere else that would listen that we need hay,″ said Marion E. Freeman, cooperative extension agent in Mercer County in west central Ohio.
Mercer County usually is Ohio’s top-income agricultural county and is one of the centers of the state’s dairy industry.
Freeman said he asked the Agriculture Department last week to handle calls from both farmers who badly need hay and those who may have some to sell.
″I told him we’d be willing to do it,″ said Alice Walters, spokeswoman for the Agriculture Department.
″We did this two years ago with the haylift (to the South). So we’re not new at this,″ she said.
Two years ago, Mercer County sent 12 boxcars of hay to parched Southern farms, ″but they’re in the same situation we are″ and farmers realize they can’t expect much help from their Southern brethren, Freeman said.
Farmers have been lining up hay in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kansas, ″but those supplies are drying up, too,″ he said.
Michael Broering, who has a 70-head dairy herd near Maria Stein, was on the phone most of the morning lining up hay. He said a friend in Pennsylvania had contacts who could provide 3,000 bales, about a five-month supply, for a reasonable $85 a ton. Some of the western hay is as high as $150 a ton, Broering said.
″I guess now is the time you call in all your friends,″ he said.
Broering said his first cutting of hay produced only 20 percent of normal and the second cutting this month probably will produce less. Two more weeks of little rain, and farmers will be forced to buy feed to cover their needs through next April, he said.
He is beginning to sell some of his registered Holstein cows.

domain: agronomy


Ford electrifies Chinese ride sharing
Ford Smart Mobility and Zotye Auto have inked a deal to build a new joint venture to provide all-electric vehicles to fleet operators and drivers in China’s ride-hailing sector. The new outfit will work closely with the Zotye-Ford manufacturing JV which will build a range of affordable EVs under a new local brand.
The Zotye-Ford manufacturing project was launched last year, with the two companies agreeing to invest a combined $756m.
The newly announced JV will be located in Zhejiang province and focus on serving the ride-hailing market in Zhejiang, with plans to expand quickly to other Chinese provinces. Zotye is a leading maker of small EVs and was one of the first car makers to produce all-electric vehicles in China. The company sold some 36,000 EVs last year.
Ford says the new JV will also engage with local governments and cities to support the development of integrated transportation solutions covering data connectivity and software systems to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion.
The Chinese e-hailing market is expected to grow at 19% a year through to 2022, with an overall fleet size potentially reaching up to 26 million, according to Boston Consulting Group.


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Towards the end of this year I have been in a mood for non-fiction so when I got the opportunity to read For The Love Of Shakespeare by Beth Miller, I jumped at the chance,
About The Book
A treasure-trove of wit, imagination and emotion, his plays and poems continue to surprise, inspire, console and delight us. Whether you're a life-long lover of the Bard or a curious newcomer to his world, this companion will lift the curtain on the unforgettable characters and stories of Britain's greatest dramatist.
My original plan for reading this book as it is a non-fiction was to read a bit then put it down and just keep diving into it every now and again. This almost immediately went out the window and I ended up reading it cover to cover in two sittings as it was so clear and easy to read and extremely enjoyable as well as being informative.
I really loved how For The Love Of Shakespeare is organised, it makes it very easy for you to pick it up and find which bit you'd like to read. The first two sections are about Shakespeare himself and about Stratford Upon Avon and London in his time and then it moves onto his works which are split into The Comedies, The Histories, The Tragedies, The Apocryphal Plays and The Poetry. Each play is then broken down into plots, in a nutshell, other notable characters, body count, did you know and quotable lines. I absolutely love the in a nutshell section as it explains the plot of the play in very basic terms usually with quite a lot of wit!
The quotable lines bit is very good too as I could check out the famous lines I know and quite easily find out which play they are from. I know I keep saying and "this bit is good" but I really mean it, it's all just so good! I enjoyed the other notable characters sections as it highlighted some lesser recognised characters and explained the important things that they had done within the story.
Throughout the book there are mini interviews with people who are involved one way or another in the world of Shakespeare and the seem to be located close to their favourite play which is a nice touch. It was interesting to see how each person had grown to love Shakespeare and what experiences they had had.
Overall such a refreshingly light and still informative book and one I will happily keep on my bookshelves as it is also beautiful on the outside too. I have already recommended this to people I know and will continue to do so.
I gave this book 5 stars and it was one of my stand out books of the year (check that out here)
As part of my review I thought it would be fun to answer the questions that Beth Miller asked each of the people involved in the world of Shakespeare.
What was your switch-on moment?
I know it may seem silly, but I think watching Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. I was the perfect age for this film (teenage girl+Leonardo Dicaprio=success) and it really spoke to me at that time and it made me think more about Shakespeare as being relevant now and not just as a study in my English classes.
Which is your favourite of Shakespeare's play?
My favourite play is A Midsummer Night's Dream, I love the fairies and I love the comedy which is not normally my thing.
Tell us about the most memorable performance you've seen?
It was of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Burnley Mechanics and we were sat in a hall and the seats were in a circle with a space in the middle for the performance. It was so unlike anything I've seen before or since as it felt a lot more interactive as we were all on the same level as the actors, it felt like we were a part of the play.
Which Shakespeare character would you most like to meet?
I'd love to meet Titania, she is a great and complex character. As part of my theatre studies A-level I chose her as my research subject and I designed clothes for her and planned lighting, so I'd love to meet her and see what she thought of my choices.
How would you persuade somebody to give Shakespeare a chance?
I'd say watch a production first before attempting to read a play. Seeing something can really help you understand how a play is to be read and will help you become more immersed in the world and the characters. If you're not a fan of the theatre then there are plenty of film adaptations that you can choose from too. I'd love to visit the RSC Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon one day and watch a play there.


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Tweets from the widely followed accounts that appeared on Sunday evening suggest a connection to Anonymous. Unfortunately, the hackers' tweets were far, far less interesting than the usual fare from either show.
Update (8:22p): These tweets were deleted shortly after this item was posted.
Update (8:25p): Later Sunday evening, the hacker and The Daily Show staff appeared to be sharing control of the @thedailyshow account.
Update (8:30p): The hacker clarifies his or her affiliation.


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Culture and entertainment news, CIFO excibit, NWS concert, Opera
Gary Nader fine Arts, New World Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, MiamiCity Ballet
Art Basel,David Grushin, Bat Sheva dance co,Handel Massiah
first Vive Miami weekly culture and entertainment news
in spanish http://www.vivemiamitv.com
A weekly Culture and Entertainment news recommendation segment for TV in Miami
By Vivian Fulop
More stuff from “Vive Miami TV”
Heads up: the shoutbox will be retiring soon. It’s tired of working, and can’t wait to relax. You can still send a message to the channel owner, though!
Channels are a simple, beautiful way to showcase and watch videos. Browse more Channels.

domain: artistic


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Thank heaven for leather! Cody decided he really likes the couch...can you tell? He seeks out any place that's cool. We'll probably have to get him one of those cooling kennel pads for the summer months - we'll see. He's already the most spoiled dog I know.
We've started walking around the block twice a day and he's very well behaved on the leash. Our former trainer (the one who we worked with with Maile) sent us the Level 1 homework paperwork from the class...10 years later! Ramsay and Victoria Anakalea are super folks. Ramsay is a minister now and no longer does dog training (he is the former Maui Police Dept. K-9 instructor), so I really appreciated him sending me the schedule. I still have Level 2 and 3 on file, so we're set. We start "formal" training this week!
As you can see, he also likes his new pool. He spent about 20 minutes playing in it last week, so I know he's going to love the water and the beach!

domain: pet


Table of Contents
How to Build Amplifier Circuit: A Beginner's Guide
Are you interested in building your own amplifier circuit? Amplifiers are essential components in many electronic devices, including audio systems, radios, and televisions. Building your own amplifier circuit can be a fun and rewarding project, and it can also save you money. In this beginner's guide, we will cover the basics of building an amplifier circuit, including the components you will need, how to assemble the circuit, and tips for troubleshooting common issues.
Understanding Amplifier Circuits
Before you start building your amplifier circuit, it is important to understand how amplifiers work. An amplifier circuit is designed to increase the power of a signal. The signal can be an audio signal, a radio frequency signal, or any other type of signal. The basic components of an amplifier circuit include a power supply, input signal, output signal, and amplifying device.
The amplifying device is the heart of the amplifier circuit. It is responsible for increasing the power of the input signal. There are many different types of amplifying devices, including transistors, tubes, and integrated circuits. The choice of amplifying device will depend on the specific requirements of your project.
Components Needed for Building a Simple Amplifier Circuit
To build a simple amplifier circuit, you will need a few basic components. These include:
- Amplifying device
- Power supply
- Input device
- Output device
- Circuit board
The amplifying device, as mentioned earlier, is the heart of the amplifier circuit. The power supply provides the necessary voltage and current to operate the circuit. The input device is used to feed the signal into the amplifier circuit, while the output device is used to deliver the amplified signal to the load, such as a speaker or headphones.
Resistors and capacitors are used to control the flow of current and voltage in the circuit. A circuit board is used to mount the components and connect them together. Wires are used to connect the circuit board to the power supply, input, and output devices.
Assembling the Circuit
Once you have gathered all the necessary components, it is time to assemble the amplifier circuit. The first step is to mount the amplifying device on the circuit board. Then, mount the resistors, capacitors, and other components according to the circuit diagram.
Next, connect the power supply to the circuit board. Make sure to observe the polarity of the power supply and the capacitors. Then, connect the input device to the circuit board. This can be done using a 3.5mm audio jack or RCA connector.
Finally, connect the output device to the circuit board. This can be done using speaker wires or a headphone jack. Once all the connections are made, it is time to test the circuit.
Tips for Troubleshooting Amplifier Circuits
If your amplifier circuit is not working properly, there are a few common issues that you may encounter. The first and most common issue is a loose connection. Check all the connections and ensure that they are secure.
Another common issue is a faulty component. If a component is faulty, it can cause the entire circuit to fail. Test each component individually to identify any faults.
Finally, check the power supply. If the voltage or current is not within the specified range, it can cause the circuit to fail. Use a multimeter to measure the voltage and current and adjust the power supply accordingly.
Building your own amplifier circuit can be a fun and rewarding project. By understanding the basics of amplifier circuits, gathering the necessary components, and following the steps to assemble the circuit, you can create a functional amplifier circuit that can be used in a variety of applications. Remember to test and troubleshoot the circuit to ensure that it is working properly.
- Do I need any special tools to build an amplifier circuit?
You will need basic tools such as a soldering iron, wire cutters, and pliers. You may also need a multimeter for testing and troubleshooting the circuit.
- How much does it cost to build an amplifier circuit?
The cost of building an amplifier circuit will depend on the specific components and tools you use. A basic amplifier circuit can be built for less than $50.
- Can I build an amplifier circuit without prior electronics experience?
Yes, you can build an amplifier circuit without prior electronics experience. However, it is important to take your time and follow the instructions carefully.
- What is the difference between a tube amplifier and a transistor amplifier?
A tube amplifier uses vacuum tubes as the amplifying device, while a transistor amplifier uses transistors. Tube amplifiers are known for their warm and rich sound, while transistor amplifiers are known for being more efficient and reliable.
- Can I modify an existing amplifier circuit?
Yes, you can modify an existing amplifier circuit to suit your specific requirements. However, it is important to have a basic understanding of amplifier circuits and electronics before attempting any modifications.


text: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr For the uninitiated, the problem with Yoko Ono and her music generally stems from the perception of the series of recordings she made with John Lennon in the late 1960s shortly after they paired up, married and subsequently—at least in the greater popular misconception – went on to break up the most popular band in the world. It’s an easy enough leap to make, given the rather off-putting nature of the sounds collected on Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (1968), Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions (1969) and Wedding Album (1969). But it’s also an incredibly lazy move and one that has prevented generations of listeners from experiencing the work of a singular talent and perhaps one the most unique canons in all of popular music. A visual artist first and foremost, Ono sought to employ her Fluxus-bred training in an aural capacity that would often prove far more challenging (at least in terms of the public’s ability to consume it willingly) than any of her art pieces. Lennon, a pseudo-intellectual who fancied himself an artiste and, by the time his path crossed with Ono’s, above the pop cultural contributions of the band on which his reputation had been built, took note of Ono’s stature within the art world and, aside from the immediate levels of attraction, sought to hitch his wagon to her proverbial star. The result of this is the aforementioned trio of recordings the couple released in the waning years of the Beatles’ pop music reign. And it’s here that the problems begin in sort of a catch-22 scenario: Ono’s status rose in the wake of her association with Lennon, while it also allowed the two of them to record and release these rather misguided, amateurish sound collages that, had they been released by literally anyone else would’ve been wholly ignored by all but the most ardent of avant-garde enthusiasts and reissue-label fetishists. Instead, all three were released on the Beatles’ Apple imprint (admittedly via the Zapple subsidiary) and, to complicate matters further, the first release from the duo featured the pair stark naked on the album’s cover. While the world was in the midst of a cultural and social revolution, it was by no means ready for a beloved generational figurehead to put himself in such a position, both literally and figuratively. That he was with a Japanese woman of largely unknown (to Westerners unfamiliar with her wealthy banker father and classical pianist mother) provenance muddied the self-described tolerant, peace-loving waters all the more. In this, the response to Two Virgins was perhaps the most blatantly racially motivated bit of vitriol launched at Ono following her meeting Lennon. Yet it’s just the sort of boldly artistic statement one would have expected from Ono as she found herself with a far bigger platform from which to spread her message of peace, love and tolerance (one adopted wholesale by her previously wildly misogynistic new husband). It’s just unfortunate that the corresponding sounds weren’t as revolutionary. For those who’ve made it through any of the three albums, you’ll know they’re little more than a series of field recordings from the Lennon/Ono world circa-’68/’69, often augmented by tape manipulation and assorted vocalizations. Life with the Lions is perhaps the most intimate of these, with “No Bed for Beatle John” acting as a sort of singsong diary entry from Ono and “Baby’s Heartbeat” the heartbreaking sound of a life that was not to be. It’s a sound that carries briefly over to “John & Yoko” on Wedding Album, a track that essentially becomes little more than a primal scream session in which the pair vocalize each other’s names across a myriad range of human emotions. It’s fairly dull and doesn’t have much to offer in the way of any sort of grand artistic statement, rather more the sounds of a newly-in-love couple messing around with a newly-purchased tape recorder (which is essentially exactly what all three of these albums are). In other words, in terms purely creative, there is nothing here that wasn’t already being done elsewhere and far better by other, lesser-known creative types for whom the avant-garde was their only recognized purview. And comparatively, none of these albums offer anything even remotely challenging in terms of listenability or pushing the creative envelope to new extremes (this would all come later when Ono and Lennon moved into a more avant-rock direction). Because of this, there truly isn’t much to recommend on any of these three recordings aside from an early evolutionary step in Ono’s development as an aural conceptualist (check her hesitant warbling on “Two Virgins: Side One” for the embryonic stages of a powerful vocal tool she would employ to much greater degree with subsequent releases, including on Life with the Lions’ “Cambridge 1969”). These are instead curiosity items made all the more so by the involvement of, at the time, one of the most popular and successful pop musicians on the face of the planet. There is little in the way of a modern analogue (let alone one before or since), which makes this trio of recordings a difficult beast to reckon with on any level other than visceral. And given the raw, intimate and often mindless nature of the recordings, this seems to be to intent. Fifty years on, they remain as obtuse as at the time of their release.


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Mr Trump's comments came as two senators presented details of a bipartisan compromise that would protect DACA immigrants and also strengthen border protections.
"President Trump made remarks which were obscene, racist and vile", said the Florida Democratic Party, calling the silence from GOP gubernatorial candidates Adam Putnam and Ron DeSantis "alarming" and "deafening".
Weekend weather: More snow and rain followed by sun
Snow melted away just in time for a fresh layer, and it looks like Friday's flakes will be around longer than just the morning. The strongest winds will be found from west central to south central Minnesota where winds could gust to 40 miles per hour .
The president tweeted later on Friday: "Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country". He went on to criticize the immigration deal, saying: "What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made - a big setback for DACA!"
During a 2016 campaign event in Miami, he said "the Haitian people deserve better" and told the audience of Haitian-Americans he wanted to "be your greatest champion, and I will be your champion".
But Sen. Dick Durbin also said that South Carolina Sen. Why do we need more Haitians? "Probably should record future meetings - unfortunately, no trust!" "They're so abusive. I've traveled in these countries and it's horrendous what these people live in".
National Weather Service: Potential for flooding Friday into Saturday
Houses were flooded in Cameron, West Virginia and numerous roads were closed due to flooding in Wheeling, West Virginia. One of the consequences of this brutal cold was the development of ice on rivers in the Northeast and Midwest.
"Get on a plane right now and go to this country, that handsome country, attractive people, the most fantastic people, lovely beaches", Jeune said.
But today, Senator Durbin was fronting the press to denounce Mr Trump's insulting terms for African countries and Haiti in a follow up meeting yesterday.
Jean, a refugee from Haiti who came to Canada in 1968 and was raised in Thetford Mines, Que., also noted that Friday was the eighth anniversary of a devastating quake that struck her native country, one of 57 member French-language countries - many from Africa - that form La Francophonie. President Donald Trump's words describing the glorious people of Africa, El Salvador and Haiti is far worse than mere insensitivity or even nationalism. I thought about my own family.
The Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro said the problem with Trump's remarks was that he used a curse word and that "he said it behind closed doors unlike Joe Biden, while Conservative pundit Ann Coulter said that "s***hole countries" should be given respect by being called "s***hole nations". Never said "take them out".
Pro-Celgene Corp Institutional Investors Sentiment Runs High in Q3 2017
Parag Vora decreased its stake in Penn Natl Gaming Inc (PENN) by 27.33% based on its latest 2017Q3 regulatory filing with the SEC. Raymond James initiated the stock with "Strong-Buy" rating in Tuesday, September 1 report. (NYSE:HUBS) on Friday, December 15.
Echoed Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine: "These comments are highly inappropriate and out of bounds and could hurt efforts for a bipartisan immigration agreement". Trump reportedly said. "Take them out".


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Tag: chicken coop door
Countryside Magazine Contributor
I’ve spent the 17 years in the poultry supply business, so I should be able to provide some unique insight into the world of backyard chickens.
When thinking about basic chicken coop design, you need to consider six main things. From there, use your imagination to create your perfect coop!
Backyard Poultry Contributor
When my family first brought chickens into our lives, a mobile chicken coop had not yet entered our plans. But, it took our chickens only a few months to eat
Building this automatic chicken coop door requires some basic carpentry skills and tools, a general understanding of electricity and a little tech savvy.
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domain: hobby


THE HAGUE, Sept 10 — Conflicting claims surround the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was downed in rebel-held east Ukraine on July 17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people aboard.
A preliminary report from Dutch investigators, which said yesterday the aircraft was hit by numerous “high-energy objects”, could back up claims that the plane was shot down by a missile, although the report did not apportion blame.
Below are the explanations offered by different parties:
The ukrainian authorities
July 17: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he views the downing as a “terrorist act”, saying “we do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the Ukraine Armed Forces did not fire at any targets in the sky”.
July 19: Kiev accuses Russia of helping insurgents try to destroy evidence at the crash site.
July 17: The prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic says that a Ukrainian jet shot down the airliner.
Rebels in the other separatist region, the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, claim the airline split in two after being shot down by a Ukrainian jet—which was then shot down in turn.
A social media site attributed to the top military commander of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Igor Strelkov, says the insurgents shot down an army transporter at the exact site of the Malaysia Airlines crash.
July 17: Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine “bears responsibility” for the crash. “This tragedy would not have happened if there was peace in the country, if military operations had not resumed in the south-east of Ukraine,” he says.
July 18: Russian official television, accusing Kiev of being behind the crash, goes as far as to speak of a plot against Putin who was returning from a trip to Latin America.
July 21: Two high-ranking officials of Russia’s General Staff say Russian records show a Ukrainian fighter jet was flying close to the Malaysian airliner just before it crashed and a US satellite was flying over rebel-held Ukraine at the time.
The United States
July 18: US President Barack Obama says that a surface-to-air missile fired from separatist-held territory in eastern Ukraine was to blame for the “unspeakable” downing of the airliner. He says rebels would not have been able to hit the airliner without Russian equipment and training.
US ambassador Samantha Power says the plane was probably shot down by a SA-11, a common variant of Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile, from a zone held by the separatists.
July 20: The US embassy to Kiev confirms as authentic recordings released by Kiev of an intercepted call between an insurgent commander and a Russian intelligence officer as they realised they had shot down a passenger jet.
US Secretary of State John Kerry says the missile system used to shoot down the Malaysia Airlines jet was “transferred from Russia in the hands of separatists”.
July 22: US intelligence officials say evidence shows pro-Russian separatists launched the missile, possibly targeting MH17 by mistake. — AFP


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The cats get modified prey model. I give them much less bone than normal, because I have two cats with issues that are exacerbated by the dryness of the bone, and I decided the potential of long-term issues caused by not enough bone were less painful/complicated than the potential for immediate issues caused by too much for them. Two of my cats cannot have kibble again, and with the number of animals I have, canned food would cost more than I have, so raw is the best balence of my in-house medical needs and my financial ability.
The dogs get prey model with occasional supplementation of grain-free high quality kibble when money and/or time are short. Kibble is often cheaper than raw, though not always, and Liberty is not an easy feeder - she's about ten pounds smaller than Oscar and eats more than he does without gaining weight (I swear that's some mental superpower she's developed on her own - she's like a bottomless pit of hunger) so supplementing her with kibble helps her keep weight on a little better.


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Baby Yoda and the Mandalorian have appeared in Minecraft.
Things are getting spooky in Minecraft Dungeons.
Steve is taking his place among gaming legends.
New missions, environments, weapons, and more are now available.
PlayStation 4 Minecraft players can experience the entire game in VR.
Train dinosaurs, build exhibits, and explore the park in Minecraft.
Minecraft Dungeons players are getting new missions, new merchants, and more.
Prepare to enter the jungle in Minecraft Dungeons’ first DLC release.
Prepare to enter the jungle in Minecraft Dungeons’ first DLC.
Minecraft’s Nether is getting an overhaul in next week’s update.

domain: game


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Whenever you come across a birthday invitation, you get elated with joy. Well, it all depends on the intimacy with your birthday recipient that instills you with the urge to buy him/her a lovely present. The gift you buy for your recipient shows the strength of your bonding with him. So, if you are looking forward to get some birthday gifts ideas, you can always take a look at the sites and thereafter choose the right option. There are ample websites where you can even order your desired present for your recipient. So, just have a look at the following paragraph and choose the ultimate gift of your choice.
If you find water appealing you should check out the fun enjoyable water Sports tips available. Water sports however, may not be suitable to the very young without the supervision of a parent or other adult. Among the most popular sports in water include swimming, fishing, rowing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, surfing, water skiing and more. The biggest restriction to some of these sports is geographic area. If you have the ability to travel doing these things can’t be stopped. Avoid allowing the little obstacles to get in your way when it comes to enjoying a sport you enjoy.
With the emergence of Michael Phelps as one of our national heroes swimming has become a more popular sport and a great alternative for exercising. One of the key points in swimming is your legs and how strong you kick. Develop your ankle and leg strength and most importantly, ankle flexibility. There are simple exercises to help develop ankle flexibility at home, such as calf raises and flexing your ankles while sitting down with your legs straight out. What helps the most though? Get in that pool and swim.
This kind of platform will always provide you a better chance of negating the fake tipsters. You will never be deceived of false records when using the services of such a website. You can remain assured of one thing when you purchase im4 betting picks through the link of such sites– the tipsters and their track records are 100% genuine. You will in fact be able to make the right tipster selection and get a profitable betting experience when using the service of the site. So, experience a complete win-win situation by using the service of such a third party organization.
The particular measurements of this particular TV is something else that is definitely amazing. Even though everybody is creating 55 inch TV’s these days, the fact that the depth of this specific TV is under an inch and a half is what truly makes it stand apart. So you can practically place this TV up against a wall and lose hardly any space in your room.
One of the key benefits of shopping for G Star shoes and boots is that they’re available online. Whether you’re in the market for a new pair of shoes or boots, you can likely find it via the Net. The range of G Star shoes and boots available varies among different online stores. By doing enough comparison shopping, you can likely find the perfect pair of G Star shoes or boots, at the right price. As an added bonus, you might find them at a discounted price.
If you want to feel like a star, then choose G Star shoes and boots. With over two decades in the fashion industry, the company is already one step ahead of the footwear competition.


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Capitol Police in the United States have arrested more than 400 protesters from an organisation seeking to remove big money from politics.
The mostly calm and orderly demonstration by Democracy Spring resulted in arrests for what the US Capitol Police called "unlawful demonstration activity" such as crowding and obstruction.
Organisers vowed to repeat the demonstration every day for a week.
The protest was held "to demand congress take immediate action to end the corruption of big money in our politics and ensure free and fair elections," said Democracy Spring on its website.
The group lists actor Mark Ruffalo and academic Noam Chomsky and dozens of well-known activist groups among its supporters.
"We believe this is the people's house, and congress should be responsive to the people. We need to protect voting rights," said Peter Callahan, the group's communications coordinator.
Protesters hoisted a scarecrow-like effigy of a corporate lobbyist holding money bags and a sign reading, "Warning: massive civil disobedience is next."
Police arrested those who sat on the stairs of the East Front of the Capitol, the seat of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Reuters / Newshub.


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I'm too tired to read anything new so have been round the libraries taking out my default-setting books to read over Christmas. These include:
The Pursuit of Love, Nancy Mitford. The blood-stained entrenching tool displayed above the fireplace, child-hunting over Shenley Common, Jassy traumatising the local children telling them the facts of life. The scene at the Gare du Nord where Linda sits on her luggage to cry and meets Fabrice always takes me back to the first reading of the novel, sitting wrapped in my Welsh Tweed shawl, in a tiny bedroom on the eighteenth floor of a high-rise in Kennington. The Pursuit of Love is romantic, hilarious and bleakly eccentric.
Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady, Florence King. When I entertained troops on the American base in Kandahar, four South Carolina army captains made me an Honorary Southern Belle. Madame Galina, they said, in all her unreasonable, high-blooded, simpering flounce reminded them of the girls back home. Florence King never became a Southern Lady, let alone a Belle, but her grandmother's failed efforts to make her one (she never convinced her to become so delicate in her nether regions that her womb might potentially fall out, like the sky on Chicken-Licken's head) are tremendously funny.
Mansfield Park, Jane Austen. I'm always beguiled by the exactitude of this novel. I see it as a fairy story - Cinderella and The Fisherman and his Wife - find the Crawfords deeply erotic, Mrs Norris horrifying. In my more recent re-readings I've stopped heckling Fanny Price. She's not well in her head.
A Murder is Announced, Agatha Christie. The clues in this one always have me grinning. Watch for the gender of names, use of diminutives and alternate spellings of a word. The most obvious clue to the murderer's identity is presented again and again but I've yet to hear from anyone that has grasped its significance at first reading.
Incidentally, the lesbian couple, Miss Hinchcliffe and Miss Murgatroyd, are described with neither prejudice nor special pleading. In a complaint email to ITV I cited them, along with Mr Pye (The Moving Finger), Clotilde Bradbury-Scott (Nemesis) and 'my queer house-sitter' (A Caribbean Mystery) as evidence that Christie does not need ITV's LGBT character transplants...
'Reworking the plot of The Body in the Library as you did recently, you managed to jettison one of the great joys of a Miss Marple: that moment when she gasps, says she's been so terribly, terribly stupid and sends Gladys/Cherry/Edith, or whichever maid is working for her at the time, to fetch Inch, the local taxi driver. We know she's going to London, to Somerset House, and are now on the lookout for someone in the novel being secretly married to someone else, or being their parent, child or sibling. As I say, it's one of the joys of a Miss Marple. And you ruined it.'
Lesbifying Dame Agatha's denouements indeed!


Every year, hundreds of journalists around the world are physically and verbally attacked, jailed, and killed. While in the United States we enjoy decent press freedom (45th out of 180 on the 2018 Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index), this is historically not the case in many other countries. Therefore, for my second visualization lab, I chose to work with data on the number of journalists killed worldwide from 1992 to present. This data was compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Critique of Previous Visualizations
The visualizations that I found are not about the same topic, but a related topic: the jailing of journalists worldwide. Unfortunately I did not find a visualization that I believed to be particularly successful, but feel I can learn from the mistakes of two of them.
While this visualization (Fig. 1) makes sense within the context of the post where it was found, if it is removed from the post, it does not contain enough context to be understood. Additionally, not all readers are familiar with the abbreviations of countries, and their placement on the visualization only vaguely correlated with their place in physical reality. Unless you are dealing with a small geographic area that most of your primary audience is acutely familiar with, the full names of places should be spelled out.
This CARTO visualization of the Islamic States’ effect on the press is a visually striking one, but I don’t find it to be particularly useful for finding more specific information. Each dot on the map contains the name and information of a journalist who was killed by the IS. While it does convey the idea that the IS has killed many journalists in the last six years, the overlapping dots and fast-moving time lapse makes it difficult to see information about the dots that appear early on in the visualization but get covered up by later dots. It is also hard to tell the dots apart and a group of dots turns into one large mass. While I do think maps are generally most effective for this topic, this visualization may need some tweaks to be as useful as possible to researchers and everyday readers alike.
For this visualization, I used Tableau Public. I downloaded and ran the program on my desktop, and later uploaded the visualization to the Tableau Public site to save it. After finding a dataset in the .csv format from the Committee to Protect Journalists and ensuring that it was clean enough to use, I uploaded it onto my desktop application. Tableau generally recognizes the kind of data that you have uploaded (years, countries, etc), which makes using the data relatively easy.
I chose to use all of the data available on journalists killed from the Committee to Protect Journalists. I could have perhaps limited it to the last 10 years (or since the beginning of a specific conflict), but because this was exploratory, I used the entire dataset. I am not an expert on international journalist killings, so most of my visualizations were experiments, to see if interesting, striking relationships would emerge out of different combinations of categories.
Because I did not have an explicitly quantitative row/column, I worked a lot with Tableau’s “Number of Records” function, which counts the number of times a record of a certain category appears under another category (See Fig. 3 for an example).
I created eight visualizations and one dashboard (including four of the visualizations) in Tableau.
For the dashboard, I chose the four visualizations that were most compact and easy to read. The visualization that I found to be the most successful was the map. The map provides approximate numbers for every country and can also give you information about regional trends. I don’t think it’s a perfect visualization, as it only provides approximates, but it is easier to interpret than some of the others.
Visualizations that listed all countries individually were often too large and required scrolling to read in their entirety (See Fig. 5-8). While I do think that these visualizations would be useful for researchers and could be useful for lay readers if they were able to be displayed on one page (perhaps in a newspaper), generally the more compact visualizations can give you more of an impression of the situation overall.
To view all of the visualizations, see the following links:
- Total Journalists Killed, 1992-2019
- Total Journalists Killed: Local & Foreign, 1992-2019
- Total Journalists Killed By Country, 1992-2019
- Total Journalists Tortured By Country, 1992-2019
- Total Journalists Killed by Country, 1992-2019
- Type of Death by Country (Totals), 1992-2019
- Total Journalists Killed By Country, 1992-2019
- Total Journalists Killed by Gender, 1992-2019
A challenge that I encountered while working with the dataset was my limited knowledge about the subject. Perhaps there is a benefit to working with a dataset about a topic that you are not familiar with, as you are less likely to find specific patterns that you are already searching for, but if there is previous knowledge about the topic, you are also better able to know what factors to look for or what parts of the data may yield a meaningful visualization. I would have preferred to work with a dataset about the jailing of journalists worldwide as it is something that I have been following in Turkey since 2012. Unfortunately I was only able to find datasets on this topic from the Committee to Protect Journalists for 2017 and 2018.
I also think this visualization project could benefit from normalization of the data by including either population of each country listed, or, more ideally, including the number of journalists in each country. Giving a percentage of those killed or a number compared to the total number may be more impactful when telling the story of the dangers the journalists face to do their work.
I do think Tableau Public is a perfectly suitable tool to investigate and visualize this topic, but I might prefer a tool with a greater variety of mapping capabilities. Because there are regional variations in journalist killings (likely due to violent conflicts), maps would have provided a more clear representation of the situation and would have been able to accommodate the other factors that I incorporated into my visualizations (total over time per country, gender, number tortured, etc).


When it comes to funding an online business systems that implements your business processes and ideas, which one is the better way to go? Pay every month (or year) or cough up a larger sum in the beginning and never pay again?
The first option is the Subscription model, where the cost of the development is spread over a period of agreed time (most often ongoing).
The second one is the One-time Payment model, in which the company decides on a budget and the system developers are given a certain period of time to design, code, and test the system. Notice something missing in that list? Correct, maintenance and modifications. A business system has to be maintained and also modified to suit the changes in the business. After all, the system is created to support the business, not the other way around.
What is the consensus?
Whenever I asked this question to a business owner, in seven out of ten the answer leans towards a One-time Payment (usually upfront and a much larger sum). Except those who has tasted the experience of a properly-planned and properly-executed Subscription model development.
In a sense, this is not surprising, it is human nature to prefer a one-time purchase rather than subscription, unless the benefits of paying subscriptions is clear (or if they do not have a choice in the matter).
The reality is, building a system to help implement a business process has a lot more parameters and is prone to changes, both from inside or outside factors. Therefore, and the statistics agrees, it is rare that a custom business system can be developed in one iteration. The successful ones are built in several iterations with some that takes care of the inevitable changes.
- The company pays a subscription periodically
- The developers are motivated to continuously enhance the system because doing so will make their job easier. As the result, the system is getting more stable and robust over time
- The system can be built to follow the changes in the business processes. This is very important when the company is trying to train and organize their employees in phases
- There is time to build measurement functions into the system, enabling the company to know exactly how effective the system is. This is a key feature for those answering to a board of investors
- Everybody wins in the end
- The company pays one time
- The developers are motivated to do their best, but more often than not, the requirements collected upfront is not complete, therefore the system cannot be as stable and robust as it needs to be, before the time or the money (or both) run out
- The system is highly susceptible to changes in the business processes
- Everybody loses in the end
Can We Not Pay Later for Modifications?
Certainly, you can hire the same system builders or someone else to do the modifications to the system later on, but this does not solve the problem of whose responsibility is it to monitor the performance of the system and make sure that it is still aligned with the business process it is supporting?
If the business owner is willing to take on this responsibility, then the risks are:
- The business owner may not have the time to do it because he is busy running the business (as he should be)
- The business owner may not have the necessary skills and experience to determine when the system needs to be modified
The better candidate for fulfilling this role is actually the system builders. They are in the position to setup automated monitoring system (which in itself, an evolving sub-system) that can notify the business owner when certain events are detected within the system.
The cool thing for the business owners are: They are not wasting time monitoring the system, but they are notified so they can make the decision where it matters, at the business process level. The best way to get this benefit is to adopt the Subscription model.
Can One-time Payment Ever Be a Good Choice?
The answer is yes, if the following conditions are true:
- The system’s requirements can be defined clearly upfront
- And, more importantly, those requirements do not change a lot as time goes
A good example would be a well-known system like a shopping cart, or an accounting system. Unfortunately these systems alone are rarely sufficient to help a company serve their customers and grow at the same time. Most companies seeking to build their own system has way too many customized rules and a lot of unmeasured assumptions.
In business today, you can’t survive without taking advantage of what technology has enabled us. From remotely scanning documents, to SEO marketing, to a full-blown employee resource tracking and management system, to a data-analysis system capable of evaluating the quality of customers, we have so many technologies that a custom business system can take advantage of, that also changes rapidly.
The only way to keep up with it is to have a team of developers who are always on the ready to make the necessary changes to the system. A subscription-based arrangement is designed to fund this kind of project because as they say: Time is on our side.


But when the groups do crack through to the more general English language press, the surface level is generally the only level that’s looked at. Idol groups are treated as a joke (“Can you believe this boy band is 40?!”) or as fodder for scolding, social justice warrior outrage (“Why isn’t this girl group more empowered?!”). And just to make it a condescension trifecta, I’ve also seen cultural commentators--generally the type looking to “corner the market” on some underexplored angle of pop culture--attempt to look at mega-popular Japanese idols through the standard “music critic” filter. And guess what? The results of any of the above are always embarrassing to the Westerner.
So, when my old friend Will started posting about Japanese pop act BABYMETAL, I didn’t want to see him fall blindly into the same trap and I offered to share whatever knowledge I’d accumulated about Japanese idols over the last few years.
Here is the dirty secret many people writing about Japanese culture in English don’t want you to know: many of them do not understand the Japanese language and have done little to no reading on their chosen topics from Japanese sources. This is really important because, what you need to understand before looking into Japanese pop culture, is that the Japanese, in general, do not give a fuck about the outside world. This means that almost nothing is translated into English and what does get translated into English is coming through some very specific filters. Most of what you can find in English is either a) product for Japanese nerds sought out by translated by Western nerds (i.e. anime, video games) or b) “globally-minded” middlebrow product enjoyed by cultural elites across the world (i.e. Murakami novels, Kurosawa films). There are exceptions, of course, but they are few and far between. But I think it’s not mentioned often enough that Japanese pop culture is created and consumed in an entirely Japanese bubble. If a reviewer or commentator is trying to sell you on a viewpoint and they don’t understand this simple fact, then his or her opinion is worth absolutely nothing.
Here’s just a small example of how little the Japanese care about what the international market thinks. When the adorable idol group named “Sexy Zone” debuted in 2011, the boys were all young teens except for the youngest member, who was only 12 years old. To the English-speaker, “Sexy Zone” is a highly inappropriate name for a group featuring prepubescent boys but the English word “sexy” doesn’t mean the same thing in Japanese as it does in English. The word “sexy” has been imported into Japanese with a meaning that’s something more like “appealing to the opposite gender” rather than the English “sexually desirable”. And with the addition of “Zone” as a nonsense English word, what sounds like an inappropriate name to us native English speakers boils down to a phrase meaning something like “The Cute Bunch” to native Japanese speakers.
With all that in mind, here is the odd thing about BABYMETAL: they are a bit of novelty act in Japan not because they combine idol music and heavy metal but because BABYMETAL have become somewhat popular among music nerds in the West. Their Japanese wikipedia page devotes an entire section to this fact that goes unremarked upon in the English page. The group has been around since 2010 but their “breakthrough” in Japan came in late 2014, thanks to Lady Gaga of all people. What I want to make clear is that BABYMETAL is not indicative of mainstream Japanese pop idols. The weird anime your nerd friend is obsessed with is not indicative of mainstream Japanese entertainment. And what Murakami is speaking to are global middlebrow values, not the specific Japanese experience. Got it? That’s not to say that these things can’t be really good but there is very limited value in using them to draw any broader conclusions about the Japanese people, the Japanese entertainment industry, or mainstream Japanese culture.
BABYMETAL are fun but the reasons that they caught on in the West have little or nothing to do with the (extremely healthy) idol market in Japan.
Okay, now. Idols. What is an idol? Just a pop star, right? Wrong!
Idols are magical creatures. They are us and yet they are not us. They are better than us. Idols exist to give the entertainment industry some much needed emotional heft. They are professional “personalities”. Some idols may also excel at singing, dancing, acting, or comedy, but many others trade on nothing except supernova levels of charisma. All idol fans have different relationships with their idols. There is an element of romantic or sexual attraction for some fans, yes, but you can’t paint all fans with the same brush. A 14-year old girl crushing on a dreamy teen hunk has a different relationship with idols than a 70-year old grandma who finds pleasure in watching sweet, young men romp around on television game shows. The man who obsessively collects pictures of his favorite female idol as masturbation fodder is not be the same man who enjoys learning the dance routines from girl groups in order to perform them at karaoke. Or he may be. It’s complicated.
Idols exist for us to watch but they also exist for us to identify with and to fantasize about. And, very importantly, they enable fans to bond with each other. Japanese idol culture has a strong lateral component. The top down idol - fan relationship comes first but the fan - fan relationships are almost as strong. I’ve been to a handful of idol (and idol-type) concerts in Japan and at almost every one, people went out of their way to talk to me and help me out with things like… the intricate audience choreography during certain songs. Yes, we want to be waved to by the idol but the overpowering feeling that comes from joining thousands of other fans in a coordinated dance is just as strong.
Now, how does one spot these mythic creatures? Not every pop star is an idol. A lot of it has to do with a) self-identification and b) what exactly is being sold. For example, pop group Perfume looks like an idol group to the outside observer because the unit features three beautiful women who dance and lip sync to catchy songs. But Perfume are not idols. They aren’t selling personality and personal narrative. Perfume considers themselves primarily a dance unit. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is another one who is often mistaken for an idol by Westerners but she isn’t. Kyary is an attractive young woman who sings pop songs but she makes a point of stressing the fact that she is not an idol. She doesn’t have an emotional relationship with her fans and, though she does trade on her image, it’s primarily as a (kooky) fashion model.
Contemporary idols include groups like the 40-something rock band Tokio who have a massively popular television show where the members run around the countryside in overalls and do things like harvest crops and go fishing. What marks them as idols? Personal narrative and self-identification. Tokio are members of idol agency Johnny’s & Associates, home to dozens of male idols. If you are with Johnny’s, you are an idol. People love Tokio and have long-running emotional investment in them. That's what makes them idols.
Idol music runs the entire musical spectrum from sappy ballads to crazy novelty numbers to heavy metal rockers and electropop dance numbers. By and large, idols do not write their own songs nor do they play musical instruments, although there are exceptions, like the aforementioned Tokio. Idol fans are totally fine with this. (Western pop stars also do not write their own songs or play musical instruments but this fact is less generally known or accepted by audiences.) Idols do not generally have what Western audiences think of as “good” (i.e. American-idol winning) singing voices but idols don’t need them in order to be enjoyable to listen to. Think of it this way. Those big American-idol style, Broadway-style singing voices are the vocal equivalent of eating out at a fancy 5-star restaurant. Idol voices are like eating your favorite home cooked meal. The Broadway voice may be “better” but which do want to hear everyday? The meal that’s “technically” prepared better or meal made with love?
And love is what it’s all about in the end. That’s what separates idols from pop stars. I, personally, have broken down in tears at an idol concert, overwhelmed by the love from the group on stage and my love for them in return. And that is what best idols do. They make us love them and they love us in return… sure, they also sell dishwashing detergent and shitty singles written by friends of their talent agency heads but we’ll buy those shitty singles and learn to like them because we love our idols and they love us. Nothing comes close to replicating that intense emotional bond in Western entertainment, except maybe certain corners of genre fandom, like Star Trek.
It’s easy for outsiders, especially snobby Western music critics, to mock and laugh at idols. The glitzy outfits, the lip-syncing, the coordinated dancing, these are things that are not respected in English-language cultural circles. The idea that the emotional content of music matters more than the technical content is completely outside the realm of “music criticism” and all the value it places buzzwords like “authenticity” and “originality” and “progress”. But, if you ask me, there is nothing more “authentic” than getting choked up listening to a stadium full of fans sing along with a 30-something boyband on their 15th anniversary. That feeling of a shared journey, of a following ups and downs in the idols’ lives and the songs marking the ups and downs in our own, that love isn’t captured in bits on a plastic disc or available for download from some streaming service. It’s intangible. It’s not for sale… though it does drive lots of sales. That is the catch-22 of idols.
Each idol group, each idol talent agency has their own methods, their own traditions, and their own history. Some idol groups use a rotating system, cycling in new members and phasing old ones out. Some idol groups incorporate a sales-based voting technique to “elect” the face of the group. Some idol groups use the groups' own friendships as a major selling point. I know a bit about some of these groups and quite a lot about the groups from Johnny’s & Associates but it’s important to keep in mind that these groups, and their talent agencies, are extremely opaque. Nobody really “knows” what goes on behind closed doors except the idols themselves. There is no TMZ in Japan. Idols have a pretty strong line between their public and private lives and a lot more privacy than Western stars.
Since I’ve already gone into TL;DR territory, I’ll end with my thoughts on BABYMETAL as idols. To be honest, I find the group a bit disturbing because the girls, the actual idols, are treated like props.
I had a hard time making it through the PV for “Karate” because I didn’t like how small and diminished the girls were in comparison to the backing band. What exactly is being sold here? Are the girls really idols if they aren’t being sold on personality? There are far fewer close-ups of the girls’ faces and much more emphasis on the “real” musicians, the band, behind them than I’m used to seeing in idol videos.
Compare that to a more typical idol video from モーニング娘。(Morning Musume)
Or ももいろクローバーZ (Momoiro clover Z)
Notice the close-ups of faces. The girls are the main attraction, the only attraction. They are who we are supposed to be watching and identifying with. Maybe there is some shadowy offstage figure pulling strings but while they are on stage these girls are the only ones in the spotlight. They are idols and we love them.
I strongly suspect that one of the reasons BABYMETAL caught on here in the West is that we Westerners are so literal minded that we can only accept the pleasures that idols have to offer--i.e. watching charming people romp around on stage--if it’s couched with some sort of wink. BABYMETAL is acceptable because the band is onstage signaling to the Western nerds that the group is “authentic” because there are instruments being played somewhere in the dancing girls vicinity. How much of the girls’ individual personalities comes through to the Western fan is murky.
That’s not to say that BABYMETAL is bad. They aren’t. I enjoy their television appearances when they pop up on the Japanese music shows I watch but I remain highly skeptical of their appeal to English language music nerds. I find it kind of gross, to be honest. Without distinct personalities, the girls of BABYMETAL may as well just be Gwen Stefani’s faceless Harajuku backing dancers. Can they really be idols if their audience doesn’t understand meaning of the lyrics? Can’t read their interviews in magazines? Can’t watch them interact on television? Can’t understand their cultural context?
I said earlier that idol music can’t be judged merely on the music itself and I stand by that. It really can’t. And critics attempting to do so should not be listened to. One can like an idol song or not like it, like an idol group, hate an idol group, or adore an idol group, but the value of that group’s songs isn’t something that can be captured in a review. Taken on its own, Arashi’s “WISH” is an incredibly stupid song:
2006年7月 少年倶楽部 ゲスト：嵐 by yasuieda
BUT that song, over ten years, has developed layers and layers of meaning. It was the theme song to a phenomenally popular television drama starring one of the group members, giving them a boost in popularity. That drama was beloved. The song is now bound up with fond memories of the drama and is itself now fondly remembered now by many, many people. Not just Arashi fans. The drama and the song are cultural touchstones. When Arashi perform the song now, “WISH” isn’t just an insipid collection of notes but a fun callback to the days when they were striving youngsters, a sign of love to the fans who have followed them since those days, and a burst of nostalgia for the heady days of Hana Yori Dango mania.
嵐 × ももクロ！コラボメドレーFNS／2015年12月2日 by happy274
Here they are performing the song with Momoiro Clover Z on FNS Winter Music special in 2015. The song still seems fresh 10 years later, a testament to the talent and appeal of both Arashi and of Momoiro Clover Z.
Sure, one could write a music review detailing what a terrible song “WISH” is but whether the song is good or bad is utterly beside the point. The song is. And its existence is its meaning. I don’t go out of my way to listen to “WISH” but you bet your ass that I can belt it out at karaoke or in the shower and have a great time doing so.
I love idols.
Obviously I have a lot more I could say on the topic but this has already turned into a monster post. If you’re looking for a good hook into finding a Japanese idol group for you well… go video diving on youtube or dailymotion. There are lots. From Arashi to the AKB48 groups, Golden Bomber, Kanjani8, Momoiro Clover Z, Sexy Zone, Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku... find a group, start watching concert videos, music videos, television show appearances… and get hooked. Then you, too, will understand why I burst into tears every time when A.B.C-Z started singing ボクラ～LOVE&PEACE～” (Our LOVE&PEACE) at the concerts I attended last year.
Oh yeah become one, そうさLOVE & PEACE
If our small wishes were piled together,
Oh yeah become one, yeah, that’s LOVE & PEACE


text:
Live review: Hollie Cook @ Scala, London, 03/10/18
An woman, artist and human being that gives you the hope that not everything in life is total crap.
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Door Handles - Pull Handles
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Door pulls make the right first impression
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