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Fur flying as pet sector players vie for market share
Industry overwhelmingly female-driven in China; dogs more popular than cats
As the clock struck midnight on Nov 11, Beijing-based Liu Yang, owner of two cats and a dog, rushed to snag discounts on Taobao and filled her virtual shopping cart within minutes.
"I was given extra discounts for an order of cat litter because the transaction was made within the first two hours of Nov 11 (Singles Day). I could also enjoy free samples of dog snacks if my order of dog food was among the first 5,000 orders. Days ago I searched for coupons and tips for getting the best prices. It was complicated but worth it considering the money I saved," Liu said.
Liu began to prepare a shopping checklist well in advance, which included six bags of 5.4-kilogram Orijen's Six Fish, a cat food product featuring a protein-rich diet that costs around 550 yuan ($83) for each bag after discount, 20 cans of canned cat food costing some 200 yuan in total plus nutrition bars, hairball remedy products, toys, pest repellent products and several categories of dog products. Liu said the list set her back about 7,000 yuan, which represents a month's salary for her.
"I bought a half-year supply of food and products for my dog and cats, and I waited until June 18(another online shopping gala known for great discounts) for another half-year supply. Keeping pets costs a lot, but it's totally worth it for me. Living about 400 kilometers from my parents and working alone in such a big city makes me feel sad sometimes. Companionship from the cats and dog is a great comfort. I don't see them as my pets. They are my furry family members," she said.
A growing number of pet owners like Liu are an important driving force for Singles Day sales of pet products.
In just the first 30 minutes of Nov 11, sales growth of both pet foods and daily pet necessities surpassed 100 percent year-on-year on Tmall. Sales growth of smart pet products such as automatic feeding machines reached about 1,000 percent year-on-year, according to a report on ixiupet.com.
On another e-commerce giant－JD－transaction value of pet products increased by 110 percent year-on-year from Nov 1 to Nov 11, according to the company. During the first five hours of Nov 11, transaction value increased seven, nine, 35 and 15 times year-on-year for imported pet foods, pest repellents, canned pet foods and hygiene products, respectively. Brands that made it into the top three in terms of product sales included Orijen, Go! and Royal Canin.
Such explosive growth of consumer spending on pet products also happened during last year's Singles Day sales, when transactions of pet products increased nearly 130 percent year-on-year on Tmall. Among the total, sales of cat snacks rocketed by nearly 700 percent year-on-year, while sales of dog snacks surged over 1,400 percent year-on-year. Sales of pet healthcare products rose 165 percent year-on-year.
"In today's fast-paced society, companionship from animals like cats and dogs is increasingly important to some people, especially young adults who work and live alone in big cities. People today are willing to spend more to provide their furry families a better life. In the future the market might see more diversified products to meet pet owners' various needs," said Kong Jing, a consultant with the Chinese Pet Products Association.
According to a report released by Pet Fair Asia and goumin.com－a website for pet owners－the total number of pet dogs and cats in urban areas across China reached 99.15 million, and the pet consumption market surpassed 200 billion yuan in 2019.
The multibillion dollar market is continuing to boom, according to a report from global consultancy PwC in October. Over the next five years, the market will expand even more rapidly and reach 320 billion yuan, spurred by growing pet ownership and consumption upgrades, according to the report's estimates.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic when some consumers cut their expenditures, spending on pet food remained stable. Consumers also showed increasing interest in high-end brands, according to the report.
Highly educated young adults who live alone, especially females, are the driving force behind this booming market. The report said about 88 percent of pet owners are female, around half of pet owners are born in the 1990s or are millennials and roughly 50 percent of pet owners are single. Some 57 percent are college graduates or have higher education backgrounds (fewer than 10 percent of the total population in China are college graduates or have higher education backgrounds).
Among various pet categories, dogs are the most popular pet. About 60 percent of families that keep pets have a dog, according to a report by consultancy Frost & Sullivan China. Cats ranked second. About 41 percent of families that keep pets have a cat. However, the report pointed out the number of cat lovers is increasing in recent years. Aquarium-borne animals ranked third.
The huge market has certainly attracted investor attention. In recent years, internet companies have started business sectors in the pet industry. JD's self-owned online business store has covered pet product categories including food, toys, medicines and bathing products. JD also signed strategic partnership agreements with many renowned pet brands such as Mars Inc.
Meituan, an on-demand service provider, has pet product delivery services and an online healthcare section to tap into the fast-growing pet industry. Zeng Wei, a director at the company, said sales of pet products surged 350 percent year-on-year in the first six months on Meituan's Fast Buy platform－an online grocery store that said to deliver products door-to-door within 30 minutes.
"Internet giants are becoming more dominant in the pet market as they can leverage strengths from capital and channels for much lower product prices for the same brands and a larger number of consumers, which is challenging for traditional pet product retailers," Kong said.
"But there are also sections in the pet industry where internet companies find it difficult to step in, which are personalized services such as bathing, grooming, beauty care and medical care. For pet business operators, such services have a stronger effectiveness in enhancing customer stickiness compared with products because products under same brands can be easily found from other retailers who might offer lower prices. Providing better customized services for targeted consumers might be an opportunity for traditional pet business operators," Kong said.
Lu Kun, general manager for e-commerce at wecarepet.com, an online healthcare service provider for pets, said developing self-innovative products, especially in the food sector, is also an area of potential for local pet business owners. Currently the market is still dominated by overseas brands, but local brands have emerged to challenge their positions.
"There are still many opportunities for small and medium-sized companies in the pet industry, and the government also offers them supportive policies. The key is to find niche markets that allows them to fully utilize their strengths," Kong said.
A report by Taobao last year said there is a surge in sales of pet beds, traditional Chinese clothing for cats and ancient Chinese style quilts, indicating a growing demand from pet owners to make their furry friends' lives fancier.
There are also a growing number of pet product businesses on Taobao selling body care products for pets such as ear-cleaning solutions, pedicure products and paw creams.
"It's really nothing new to pet parents like me. Whenever I get a bonus from work I buy pet cakes and new clothes for my dog and cats, take photos and post them on WeChat moments (a sharing platform for users)," Beijing-based Liu Yang said.
"The increasing number of pet owners who have good education backgrounds, decent incomes and are single are willing to spend more on pets, which has spurred growing demand for high-end and more diversified pet products," said Neil Wang, president of consultancy Frost& Sullivan China.
"In addition, there is an increasing number of pet owners who keep aquatic animals, birds and reptiles, which will drive business owners to develop products suitable for those pets," Wang said.

domain: pet


Police have issued an appeal for any information regarding reports of gun shots fired on Delamore Street, Walton.
The incident happened yesterday afternoon, Tuesday.
At 1:55pm officers were informed of a group of men fighting on the street and witnesses confirmed that gun shots were fired.
Police say that two men fled towards the alleyway side of Delamore Street and the others fled to Cairo Street.
Investigations are now under way, and house to house and CCTV enquiries are ongoing.
DS Peter McCullough said: “Any shots fired in a residential area have the potential to cause devastation.
“Such reckless and violent behaviour will not be tolerated on our streets.
“Our investigation is still in the very early stages as we seek to establish what took place yesterday afternoon.
“Nobody has come forward to report they were injured.
“I would ask anyone who was in the area of Delamore Street at around 2pm on Tuesday who saw, heard or videoed anything suspicious to get in touch with us as a matter of urgency.”
Anyone who has information is asked to DM @MerPolCC, call 101 or contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 23000151963.


text:
Welcome to FindLaw's searchable database of Supreme Court of Ohio decisions since January 1997. FindLaw offers a free RSS feed for this court. We also maintain an archive of Opinion Summaries from September 2000 to the Present. Cases are browsable by date and searchable by docket number, case title, and full text.
|STATE ABRAITIS v. GALLAGHER||April 21, 2016||No. 2015–0907.|
|STATE RUDERT v. COLLIER||April 21, 2016||No. 2015–1398.|
|STATE v. JUDGES OF FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS||April 21, 2016||No. 2015–1365.|
|STATE DAWSON v. SUMMIT COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS||April 21, 2016||No. 2015–0846.|
|IN RE: COMMISSION REVIEW OF the CAPACITY CHARGES OF OHIOPOWER COMPANY and Columbus Southern Power Company; Office of Ohio Consumers' Counsel||April 21, 2016||Nos. 2012–2098, 2013–0228.|
|View more decisions »|

domain: library


text:
Association carnival returns
AFTER missing out last year, the Gorslas Welfare Association will be holding it’s carnival this year on Saturday, June 15.
Expected building work for the new village school at the Welfare Park meant there was no carnival last year.
“There was a lot of disappointment in 2018 when the village carnival was put on hold as the Welfare Park was not expected to be available.
“Although building work has yet to start on the new school, we are going ahead with the carnival this year,” explained Welfare Association chairman, Ellis Davies.
The carnival procession will follow the usual route - along the main road from Heol Cross Hands to Gorslas Square before turning on to Church Road and ending in the Gorslas Industrial Estate.
Application forms for carnival floats can be downloaded from http:// gorslaswelfare. org.uk/

domain: news


text:
Bridging the Physical and Virtual World
Peace be with my brother all. This time I will provide information about a project that is very interesting for you to know in a new cryptocurrency called Colletrix. Before heading to the discussion, I think we all agree that blockchain technology still requires efforts that encourage adoption to continue to grow and continue to grow in the future.
Colletrix gives artists the ability to convert their IP addresses into digital assets, which enables them to better protect their IP addresses every time a token is sold. Consumers can verify the authenticity of their collections using token information stored on the blockchain.
Colletrix is supported by talented teams from UNDONE, Animoca Brands, Future Arena, and Bitwork Accelerator. UNDONE will share its trading experience to demonstrate the benefits of blockchain technology for products, Animoca Brands will introduce a broad network of IP owners, as well as blockchain technology and gamification, while Future Arena will use a strong portfolio of sports and entertainment services in the IP field – all to create IP ecosystems, commerce dynamic and physical trading using blockchain technology.
When intellectual property is sold in a free market, the original creator usually loses both legally and economically. Buyers and collectors must always verify the authenticity and history of the goods or intellectual property they buy before making a purchase. Unfortunately, the practice of law knows many negative examples when buyers fail to get complete information about the rights obtained. Following are the main problems faced by participants in the market for trade in intellectual property and property rights:
1 Lack of an effective verification method. Traditional methods do not provide a complete guarantee of authenticity, therefore, many market participants pay attention to new digital technologies and try to develop a system of verification of their own rights.
2 Reducing the value of intellectual property rights and reducing the income of the owner. Modern business models cause gradual decline in value and a decrease in income. The legal object is depreciated due to forgery and other serious vulnerabilities.
3 Counterfeit and counterfeit goods. Luxury items or limited editions are often marketed with high collection value. Nonetheless, many dishonest intermediaries negatively affect their value, because the costs fall quickly.
Colletrix allows intellectual property writers and collectors to turn their properties into digital assets, which enables them to improve their rights to have distributed distribution in blockchain, the reliability that everyone knows. In this way, ownership is protected safely and the owner can always prove ownership. Buyers can check information about assets obtained on the open public registry blockchain and get all the information and history about items purchased. It should be noted all categories of users who can use the Colletrix ecosystem and receive benefits and advantages:
1 For intellectual property owners. They receive a prize in the form of a fixed percentage of the price of the NFT trade made by the owner. Trading prices are generated as a result of trading on the NFT special stock exchange
2 for sellers. They can sell their unique assets through licensed ownership, registered in the NFT token. Each NFT token can be used several times and cannot be copied or faked.
3 For collectors. Because NFT tokens and physical goods will be limited in number, limited supply will cause high competitive demand in the market.
4 For CIPX token owners. Owners of these virtual currencies can freely participate in the intellectual property market economy. The more users involved in the ecosystem, the more items and NFT tokens will be generated through the platform, attracting all new users.
Colletrix developers have begun to take advantage of current technological advancements. The Blockchain-registry is a reliable solution for recording all operations on the platform. He also protects the content rights of intellectual writers, owners of rare items and collectibles and unique luxury items. Every user is always free to check the information needed in an open and transparent network.
Benefits and features
If we talk about the other side of the project, it is also rich in other compounds, because groups like collectors, traders, IP owners, crypto fans and many other network users can unite in one space. For all of them, the Colletrix system has prepared a number of attractive functions and advantages, with which they can not only receive decent original items, but also other gifts for their positive actions. As such, Colletrix will form a truly new, mutually beneficial business model that will expand the possibilities of traditional, outdated economic systems.
In addition, the Colletrix ecosystem will greatly expand the values and possible benefits for all IP owners, and provide them with additional features that allow them to keep license fees in their hands. For merchandisers, chances are Colletrix will open access to all types of goods and other digital assets, so they will be able to fully let go of all their talents and skills in managing goods. As for collectors, they will find truly unique tools where they can expand the range of their products for every taste and color.
Consider the second internal token of the CIPX system , which was developed based on the ERC-20 standard. It is safe to say that his role is also very important, because he is the one who has the special honor of acting as a means of buying and selling for all domestic goods available under Colletrix . And also to participate in transactions for NFT purchases . It is important to note that the number of CIPX tokens will be limited, a total of 10 billion coins will be issued. Of these, only 700 million will be available for public sales. The initial cost of 1CIPX is $ 0.01 US.
Project team and advisors

domain: law


text:
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These heartwarming stories of animal babies, rescued and nursed back to health by humans, will pull at the heart strings and make kids realize there's a survivor inside all of us. This reader is illustrated with adorable photographs that document these animals' recoveries. The carefully written text guarantees a successful and rewarding reading experience for level 1 readers.
National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
|Publisher:||National Geographic Society|
|Series:||National Geographic Readers Series|
|Sold by:||Penguin Random House Publisher Services|
|Lexile:||520L (what's this?)|
|File size:||33 MB|
|Note:||This product may take a few minutes to download.|
|Age Range:||5 - 7 Years|


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On a 2-0 margin, the Providence Board of Canvassers voted Tuesday to hold another hearing to examine whether state Rep. John Carnevale resides at his listed address in Providence.
The Canvassers Board, which has an open seat, was responding to a complaint filed by state Republican Chairman Brandon Bell. That came after a WPRI-TV report questioned whether Carnevale actually lives within his district.
During a City Hall hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes, the Canvassers ruled there was reasonable cause to question whether Carnevale resides at his voting address on Barbara Street in Providence. Carnevale did not attend the hearing (nor was he required to do so).
The four-term Democratic lawmaker, who serves as vice chair of the House Finance Committee. Carnevale represents parts of Providence and Johnston. He maintains he lives at his house on Barbara Street, not at a Johnston property outside his district.
Speaking after the board's meeting, Bell applauded the decision. Although Board Chairwoman Claudia Haugen said the next meeting is expected to be held in mid-July, Bell said he didn't have serious concerns about that, acknowledging that finding a Republican challenger in Carnevale's district is difficult.
“I think it should be heard as soon as possible, but they obviously have scheduling issues and they have to put the challenged party on notice," Bell said. "They have to go through that process."


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2020 EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS. READ MORE
Staged at Salford’s iconic Lowry venue Words Weekend there are 60+ events in 5 different spaces from 27-29 March 2020.
When? 27 – 29 March 2020
Where? The Lowry, Salford
Who? 2020 Speakers, including, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, TV presenter and music critic Stuart Maconie and author Emma Jane Unsworth. The programme gives a nod to the city’s muiscal pedigree, featuring Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder in conversation and an in-depth panel on legendary post-punk band The Fall.
Website? Words Weekend Salford

domain: artistic


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This week on The Nomad Files we are joined by Michiel, founder and editor of Minor Sights. Minor Sights/Michiel writes about places that are not or barely mentioned in guidebooks. Many of these Minor Sights are every bit as fascinating as the more famous ones.
Hi Michiel, tell us a bit about your story and what types of adventures you go after.
I’m a long-term, serial expatriate. This means that I have gotten to know a number of countries and cities relatively well, which means I no longer bother with their top-ten-must-see-main attractions, but I am more interested in sights that offer history, art, culture or nature without the crowds. I refer to these places as Minor Sights- and to me this a badge of honour. They’re often as interesting as the major attractions, and often much more enjoyable as you don’t have to share them with 50.000 other tourists.
Do you have a particular song/video/poem/quote that particularly inspires you to travel?
There’s a quote from the movie ‘Strictly Ballroom’: ‘A life lived in fear, is a life half lived’ (try saying it with a thick Ozzie accent). I think that’s very true, whether we’re talking ballroom dancing or travel.
Can you let us in on a secret? What is one discovery you have made through your travels that was truly ‘the road less travelled’?
It’s hard to choose. Many places I’ve written about are endangered in one way or another. They won’t be here (or at least not in the same way) 20 years from now. But one place that so far has stood the test of time (a good 2000 years) is Vulci (Italy) which is basically an Etruscan Pompeii. Everybody has heard of Pompeii, but nobody has heard of Vulci, and it’s even closer to Rome than its more famous competitor. It’s also far older.
What did you do there and why should I visit?
You should visit because the Etruscans are way, way cooler than the Romans. The Romans were still hillbilly rednecks while the Etruscans traded with Greece and organized sophisticated banquets. And they built temples and cities. Vulci is one of them.
What took you there and how did you find out about this place?
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Northern Lazio and the Etruscans are everywhere. I mean, of course they’ve all been dead for 2000 years but you still see their faces in towns like Tuscania. Vulci was one of several Etruscan sites I came across and one of the more impressive ones.
Tell me about the food. Was it different to anything you’d experienced before?
It’s funny you ask. The area around Vulci (known as the Maremma) is famous for its cattle. They look like they’ve walked off an Indian movie set- very different from the Friesians I grew up with. Maremman steak is rightly famous. Rare, of course, never well done.
Could you explain a bit about the culture of this place? Did you have much interaction with the locals?
Well, the locals have all been dead for 2000 years.. nobody lives in Vulci these days. Northern Lazio doesn’t see many foreign tourists. So the people are less jaded than in Tuscany or Rome. Speaking Italian (or at least trying to) helps tremendously. I find Italians incredibly welcoming and forgiving when I butcher their language.
Was there anything you actually missed out on doing that you wish you had?
There are scores of other Minor Sights in the region- I still have lots to see and do…
Beyond the things to visit, do you have any tips on how one might best experience this place?
You will need your own wheels. Ever since the Etruscans left, public transport has been lousy in this part of Italy. If you rent a car you can drive there from Rome in little over an hour, and visit either the beach or some other sights on your way there.
Changing lanes a little now, can you share with the internet one hidden secret or discovery of a favourite city of yours that people would likely skip past unless they knew about it?
Have you ever been to Bombay? There’s a bridge, the Worli Sealink, which is basically the only bit of proper highway this city of 20 million has… It zips right past a small peninsula with a 300 year old Portuguese colonial fort and an ‘aboriginal’ fishing village. Thousands of commuters (and some tourists) zip by it daily and I bet 99.9% has never taken a closer look. Next time you’re in Bombay, go check it out…
Can you recommend any of your favourite travel blogs to other readers?
Of course! I like http://www.blocal-travel.com/ which is run by a girl called Giulia, and she has a perverse interest in abandoned places and street art, which I find fascinating…
Then there’s http://englishmaninslovakia.com/ run by Luke, who’s a professional travel writer who’s settled in a country that’s very dear to me.
Finally, http://hitchhikershandbook.com/ written by Ania and Jon who let their thumbs take them around the world.
Where do you live on the internet and social media for people to come visit?
If you would like to be a part of the Nomad Files, send me an email to firstname.lastname@example.org, and we’ll get started.
Sidebar: Backtreet Nomad’s Anti Travel Guide to Sydney is out now! If you’re heading there any time soon, grab it on kindle for the price of a beer and learn how to see Sydney as a local.

domain: geography


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I have the honor of volunteering at a therapeutic riding facility in La Center, WA. It is a dream created through hard work by both horses and people. It is a place I like to allow the outside world to reflect my inside world. I believe my inside world shows me what is happening, by reflecting moments for me to experience, as it is reflected back by others.
Now, this can be amazing and it can also be not so amazing, depending on how deep-rooted my unconscious upheaval happens to be. This example I am going to share with you runs both deep and shallow and I am beginning to understand that how it resolves itself is entirely up to me.
I have been experiencing difficulty with a particular person for as long as I can remember. This is the sprinkle of upheaval in the outside reflection of my internal conversation. Over the past nine years I feel I have tried everything I can to resolve this upheaval. I have picked up the proverbial rock and studied it from every angle. I would be remiss if I didn’t share that many breakthroughs have been had while working through my stories, my anger, my frustrations and even my flowing tears. For all of my breakthroughs, I am overjoyed and thankful, BUT still, I have not found my happy place with this person. Why is this so important to me, you may ask. Because, I believe, that if I am in a place of genuine oneness, wholeness, I cannot be in conflict with myself or others.
Last Saturday at the farm was a glorious day for all – horses, people and cats. I was flowing with all the new information I’d gleaned over the week studying Natural Horsemanship and learning to support the Veterans in the program with PTSD. I was in the moment, open-hearted and giving. It felt fabulous. At the end of the day, I had a discussion with the people on the farm regarding an exchange that happened a couple of weeks ago with another volunteer. We had different approaches to an aggressive interaction between two horses. This was an event to be learned from. This was an event that needed to be discussed and resolved. In the end, an apology was asked of me, and in this moment I had two choices (well, the choices were in the millions but let’s keep it simple with two).
I could choose to go into defense mode and argue my case. Or I could choose to relax and open my heart. It took a moment to begin to get my many selves in alignment, but I chose to open my heart. I was asked to use specific language in future communications with this person so they don’t feel disrespected. I said I would do my best and genuinely meant it. My head was spinning with all that still wasn’t in alignment BUT I accepted and agreed to the request. What I saw in that moment was the Universe reflecting back to me where I am not in alignment with myself. A little turbulence wanting to come up and flow through. I considered how similar this interaction was to my unresolved difficulty from almost nine years ago. The outside world was reflecting my inside world and my inner voice made the connection. “Am I ready to let this go? Here is yet another opportunity.” Yes! Boom!! Set it down!!! Set down the rock and walk away into the beautiful sunset I just created.
To be sure, everyone plays their part. We all wear our own colored glasses. I can’t be responsible for others, but I sure can be responsible for myself. I have much respect for both antagonists in this story and for those who will show up later in my life. I love growing this big heart of mine.

domain: psychology


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181,724 Bedroom Design Photos
With busy lives full of family, friends and work, our bedroom is oftentimes the place we go to relax and escape everyday life. When done right, a bedroom is a stress-free private sanctuary full of soothing colors, comfortable bedding and plush pillows. Setting that tone is often a challenge, especially when kids often take precedence, but a quick makeover can easily transition even the most in-trouble space. More
1512 Dolphin TerraceSpinnaker Development
These floor to ceiling book shelves double as a storage and an eye- capturing focal point that surrounds the head board, making the bed in this master bedroom, the center of attention.
Chicago Condo RemodelNormandy Remodeling
This tranquil master bedroom suite includes a small seating area, beautiful views and an interior hallway to the master bathroom & closet.
Parkwood Road Residence Master BedroomMartha O'Hara Interiors
Design by: Jenny Martin Design, Construction by: Domingo and Co, Photography by: Joshua Lawrence Studios INC
ParadorJoshua Lawrence Studios INC
This room is a converted attic space. The platform holds two full size mattresses. Behind the bed is a ledge. The fronts of the ledge are hinged to use as storage and also to access the plugs on the wall.
Bohemian BunkroomHopkins Designs
Palmer Point Road Residence 2 Master BedroomMartha O'Hara Interiors
Photographer: Anice Hoachlander from Hoachlander Davis Photography, LLC Project Architect: Melanie Basini-Giordano, AIA
Lakeside Family CottageBarnes Vanze Architects, Inc


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Reaching over 4.5 million readers, Hillsdale's Imprimis speech digest recently featured Save Our States explaining "The Dangers of the Attacks on the Electoral College."
In the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election, some Al Gore supporters determined to do away with the Electoral College. They called their plan, and the organization they created to push it, National Popular Vote.
SOS Director Trent England writes in USA Today that the National Popular Vote interstate compact, if it takes effect, would mean “rural and small town Americans who supply our food and energy will lose their voice.”
The Clinton campaign’s inability to excite voters outside the biggest cities is not a reason to change the Constitution, or to otherwise manipulate election rules.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called the Electoral College “a shadow of slavery’s power” and says it “undermines our nation as a democratic republic.”
She deserves credit for noting that our country is a republic, but she’s wrong about history.
The Constitution is full of checks and balances, and the Electoral College was created to put some balance in presidential elections. A recent editorial points out how much this matters for smaller states in “flyover country.”
Delaware and Colorado have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, with New Mexico likely to follow soon. It's about being part of The Resistance. Hopefully legislators considering NPV in other states will remember that what matters most is having rules that actually work and that voters can rely on. NPV is not such a set of rules.
Larry Arnn in The Wall Street Journal: "We can think about this better if we understand two things: What does the Electoral College do, and why does it do it?"
Who wins in one or two elections is a shortsighted way to think about political institutions. Instead, we should think about the incentives an institution creates and whether it tends toward stability rather than chaos.
National Popular Vote would turn presidential elections into a majority-rule affair. Would this be good or bad? Electoral College expert Tara Ross explains.
Do you understand what the Electoral College is and how it works? Author and Electoral College expert Tara Ross does, and she explains that to understand the Electoral College is to understand American democracy.

domain: sociology


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All PS5 Pro rumors are startingly quiet right now, which suggests that now the PS5 is readily available to actually buy, that’s everyone’s focus at last. It is very early to be thinking of what’s next for the PS5! There’s a little step forward toward a Pro mineset though from Sony with the PS5 DualSense Edge controller, which is available now for $199.99 / £209.99.
Weirdly the latest rumor is that Sony is gearing up for launching a PS5 model with a separate, external disc drive, which would be the fourth iteration of the PS5 so far. However, it’s not quite a PS5 Pro…
Truth be told, whether a PS5 Pro arrives in 2023, 2024, or sometime later, a PS5 Pro does feel inevitable – given the precedent PlayStation set in the last generation with the PS4 Pro. For those of you who don’t remember the details, back in 2016 Sony refreshed the PlayStation 4 hardware to help mitigate a surprisingly long generation cycle, delivering a console that would not only play every title from the PS4 back-catalog but allow new releases to run with higher frame rates, output with 4K visuals, and run with more stability than their base PS4 counterparts.
This technological advancement set the stage for the PS5. It was perfect for players who were looking for a little more performance out of their favorite PS4 games, it gave those with a passing interest in virtual reality a stronger case to adopt early into PSVR, and showed us the potential for 4K and HDR-infused experiences. It’s no surprise that Microsoft delivered a mid-generation hardware recycle of its own with the Xbox One X, touting a similar boost to performance, frame rate, and resolution.
What of the PS5 Pro, then? While Sony is only now in the midst of releasing its first wave of first-party PS5 exclusives beyond the launch window with the launches of Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7, and God of War Ragnarok set to release later this year, it isn’t out of the realms of possibility that the platform holder is already looking towards the future – after all, CPUs and GPUs are always improving and dropping in price, the quality of TVs and sound systems are getting better too, as are virtual reality and augmented reality headsets.
So, while we wait for new PS5 restock updates, join us as we speculate on what the future may hold for the hypothetical PS5 Pro in the future.
PS5 Pro design
Say what you will about the design of the PS5, but it’s a hefty bit of kit. It’s a miracle that the PS5 runs as quietly and as cooly as it does, but that’s likely the reason we’re dealing with a home console that absolutely dominates live room spaces. While there are already calls out there for Sony to release a PS5 Slim to reduce PlayStation’s real estate beneath your television set, there’s no telling what a PS5 Pro could look like.
If you remember back to 2016, the PS4 Pro was markedly larger than the base PS4 – it looked like a three-tier layer cake made up of PS4 Slims. If PlayStation is intent on pushing for 8K fidelity and other upgrades, that could come at the cost of size. If you aren’t a fan of the white design of the PS5 and are hoping that a PS5 Pro would change up the color configuration, don’t forget that Sony released Official PS5 faceplates in five colourways and a line of DualSense controllers in different colors to match.
PS5 Pro price and release date
While uncorroborated rumors surfaced last year suggesting that a PS5 Pro console could be on the way as early as 2023 or 2024, that seems unlikely given the stock shortages impacting the base PS5 console right now. There are chip shortages throttling production owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and while a change in the internal chipset on a refreshed PS5 Pro could help ease the strain on supply, we’re in uncharted waters right now.
Ultimately, the PS4 Pro launched three years after the PS4 made its debut. It was an answer to advancements in technology far outstripping what the home consoles could reasonably handle, and it made sense to push for advancements in fidelity and performance to avoid players getting left behind when compared to what PC gamers would soon be enjoying. It’s unclear whether a PS5 Pro will be as necessary in 2023, although improvements and price reductions to 8K TVs – and a shift in stock, price, and quality of desktop graphics cards – could change all that.
Speaking of price, the PS5 is yet to see a price reduction on its base RRP of $499/£449. The PS4 Pro originally launched as an effective replacement for the base PS4 at $399/£349, allowing the PS4 Slim to come in as a cheaper alternative on store shelves. Given the high price point of the PS5, you’d hope that Sony would follow a similar pattern here, although it really does depend on how costly the internals are in production.
PS5 Pro specs
It’s difficult to predict what the PS5 Pro specs could look like. According to a new report, the PS5 Pro performance should be double that of the base PS5, but couldn’t give exact specs or even reported hardware inclusions.
At the very least, it’s worth considering that there are a number of features that the PS5 is missing and which early adopters are lamenting. This includes 1440p output support, along with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision compatibility. Whether these additions would necessitate a fully-fledged PS5 Pro remains to be seen, but they are still high on the PS5 wishlist for features. Of course, the PS5 is a bit of a beast, able to output capably at 4K, at a solid 60 FPS, ray-tracing continues to impress, and what small implementations of 120hz gaming have been dazzling too. If there were to be a PS5 Pro hardware refresh, many will be hoping to see a console which is capable of hitting peak performance of 4K at 60FPS with ray-tracing enabled.
And if the tech giants are to be believed, we are only a few years away from 8K TVs and monitors being more commonplace in the home. The PS5 will reportedly be able to output games at 8K with a future system update (opens in new tab), but with 8K TV and monitor panels being so inaccessible to most consumers it’s difficult to know whether this will ultimately come true.
It seems more likely that any improvements to hardware will be focused around a renewed interest in virtual reality. While details on PSVR 2 are light on the ground, if Sony really wants to compete with the best VR headsets – the Oculus Quest 2, Valve Index, HTC Vive Pro 2, and whatever should come next from the major manufacturers – then the PS5 will need to be capable of delivering unwavering performance, high graphic output, and transformative virtual reality experiences in the coming years.
With PSVR 2 and 8K gaming to consider, Sony could look to incorporate forthcoming GPU and CPU architecture (the 5nm Zen 4 and RDNA-3 GPU, perhaps) from AMD – a more viable proposition when we start looking to 2023 and 2024. Of course, given that the PS5 currently uses a custom chipset based on the Zen 2 processor and RDNA 2 graphics from AMD, it really is difficult to know how far Sony is willing to push the internals to achieve 8K output versus cost effectiveness for consumers.
Should you wait for a PS5 Pro or buy a PS5?
While the existence of a PS5 Pro is purely speculative at this juncture, we do know that Sony has big ambitions in the 8K space. Before the PS5 launched, Sony was promoting TVs that apparently support 8K resolution and 120 frames-per-second that are “PS5-ready” on the PlayStation blog (opens in new tab). Meanwhile, a massive Q&A explained (opens in new tab) that “PS5 is compatible with 8K displays at launch, and after a future system software update will be able to output resolutions up to 8K when content is available, with supported software.” If Sony is serious about 8K, VR, and 120fps, then that’s where the PS5 Pro will surely factor in – especially as we’re yet to really see games deliver native 4K at 60fps with ray-tracing enabled.
Right now, there are widespread stock shortages of the PS5. It’s proving difficult to get hold of a system, especially with the best PS5 games, and a long list of amazing-looking upcoming PS5 games, vying for our collective attention. But if you can find a PS5 at RRP, if you’ve done your research on the console and the PS5 exclusives, and you’re happy with that decision, then we’d recommend going all-in. 8K graphics and a 120 frames-per-second future seems as speculative as the PS5 Pro right now – Hell, we haven’t even seen what PSVR 2 looks like yet, let alone what its games will be like. Don’t put off enjoyment today for an incalculable amount of enjoyment in the future.


2000 Pontiac Grand Prix Fuse Box Location Wiring Forums
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open glove box and look to the right of it. There is another fuse box on the passenger side of the engine compartment on the wheel well near the battery.2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Key Fob Programming
To start off you're going to want to pull the mall PGM fuse located in the fuse block behind the glove box door to the right once you've pulled that fuse.grand prix fuse box | eBay
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SOURCE: fuse box diagram 2001 Pontiac grand prix. If you are looking for a wiring diagram for the fuse box then there are a couple of sources. Pickup a hayes or chilton repair manual from a local parts store or go online to ALLDATA. com.pontiac grand prix fuse diagram compra.site
Pontiac Grand Am Wiring Diagram 2006 Prix Fuse Box Location 2000 Explained Diagrams L 2004 Starter 1998 Electricity Basics Maraud In Depth O Beauti Stereo 2003 Schematics Ls Mall Pgm 2001 2007 Headlight Gt Radio Switch Gran 2002 2005 Abs Front End plete Pa Custom Blower Motor Monsoon Cigarette Lighter Residential Electrical Ignition Main ...How to Replace the Fuses in a Pontiac Grand Prix | It ...
Fuses in the 2005 through 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix are a combination of maxi fuses, mini fuses and J case fuses. The maxi fuses and J case fuses protect high current circuits, so whichever fuse you replace, turn off the ignition and turn off all accessories before opening the fuse blocks.Interior Fuse Box Location: 1997 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix ...
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maroon dining room living paint


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A method that supports cutting, copying, and dragging tokens from a search field.
- iOS 13.0+
- Mac Catalyst 13.0+
A search field asks its delegate for an
NSItem when the user starts to copy or move a token. To support these interactions, set the search field's
delegate to an instance of
UISearch that implements
search and set the search field's
allows property to
The search field’s
paste handles pasting and dropping tokens as well as text.


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How many clues do you need that it is related to what you eat or how you eat ?
Would you like your lips to write a message to you:
"Dear lip owner, the reason why I, your bottom lip, get red after you eat is because you eat !!!"
People can actually be allergic to many things. It works like fire.
Lets say you are allergic to gluten (it is called gluten intolerance).
But, you ignore that intolerance for a long time.
Due to the specific effect of gluten intolerance, your body and your intestines may actually become sensitized to many other foods that you consume together with gluten, making it appear as if you are also allergic to all those other foods like milk, night shades, berries, sugar, fruits, eggs, shrimps, fish, soy, corn, rice etc.
But, once you eliminate gluten, your body and your intestines stop being irritated by a strong allergen, and suddenly all those those other foods (or most of those other foods) may stop being the trigger of your red lips.
Now, this may not happen exactly suddenly.
It may take some weeks or even months on gluten free and milk free diet, especially if you have been gluten intolerant for a very very long time.
Healing time is proportional to the time you were intolerant.
If I were you, I would forget all those blood tests which, buy the way are sometimes useless, and I would try to live for 2-3 weeks 100% gluten free, 100% grains free, 100% Sugar free (sugar added to food) and 100% milk free.
If you are sensitive to gluten or wheat or milk or Sugar (these are the most common sensitivities), and if those foods are the trigger of your inflamed lips (red = inflammation = allergic reaction to specific proteins and specific sugars and maybe other molecules found in specific foods )
That simple experiment may answer your question.
What can you eat ?
Research the paleo diet, or the keto diet, or the vegan diet, or make your own diet free from those common trigger foods.

domain: biology


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The holiday season is full of bright lights, desserts, decorations, presents, and togetherness. This is why spending Christmas alone can be hard of whether you are accustomed to being surrounded by other people throughout the holidays, or if you are making the conscious choice to be alone. The author of HOW TO BE ALONE, Lane Moore, has some great tips on how to be happy, even if you are spending the holidays alone this year, regardless of what your reasons are.
#1 You Aren’t Alone Because You’re Not Good Enough
The first and most important thing to remember is that you aren’t spending the holidays alone because you deserve to be alone. Every person deserves to have a great family who loves them and makes them feel safe, and we all deserve to be surrounded by those people. While you may know that with your conscious mind, you might however subconsciously start believing that you are alone because you don’t deserve to be surrounded by people who love you. Especially during the holiday season when we are being bombarded with images of happy, seemingly perfect families. Remember, you deserve love and normalcy just as much as anyone else does.
If you are choosing to spend Christmas away from your friends and family because you just need some space for yourself right now, that’s okay too. You aren’t under any obligation to be around your family just because they are there, even if you have the healthiest, most amazing relationships with them.
#2 You’re Not a Bad Person if You Don’t Like the Holidays
The world is doing a serious disservice to people by neglecting to acknowledge the people who have a hard time coping during the holidays. And it’s not fair. Hating this time of year is typically a coping mechanism that we use to protect ourselves from experiencing more pain. If you associate the holidays with a particular event that was traumatizing, or even a series of traumatizing events, you cannot possibly be expecting to deck the halls and trim the tree with a smile on your face. It doesn’t make you a joyless, cold monster. It makes you human. It’s called coping, and it’s normal.
Even if you don’t have a traumatizing event in your past, maybe the lights, crowds, and excitement just aren’t for you. This is okay too. There is absolutely no reason that you should make yourself uncomfortable to celebrate holidays. You are allowed to dislike the holidays for any reason you want to.
#3 Celebrate the Holidays in Your Own Way
There is no right way to celebrate the holiday season. So, if you are currently getting ready for the holidays by avoiding it all, watching movies unrelated to the holidays, and eating snacks, then that’s completely acceptable. If you are spending the holidays checking out pictures of other people’s happy Christmases and being bitter, this is also completely acceptable. However, it is not okay to ruin their holidays with snarky commentary.
Choosing to stay home alone and avoid parties doesn’t make you weak or antisocial. It is your choice how you want to survive the season. It’s not anyone else’s business. Don’t let anyone pressure you into being around them if you don’t want to be. Don’t listen if anyone tells you that your plans are “sad” or “wrong” or anything else. You understand your choices. They are helping you get through the season safely. Just do what feels right to you. That’s all that matters. (How to Listen to Your Inner Guide – Some Practical Tips.)
#4 Focus on Yourself During Your Holidays
You are spending Christmas alone because you have decided that it is the best thing for you to do. Your reasons behind this decision are yours, so why not make the holidays all about you too. You can spend the holidays pampering yourself, take a long bath. Read a book you have been struggling to find time to sit down and enjoy. Book yourself in for a massage. Indulge in preparing yourself a meal that would usually be more work than you would spend cooking for one. Maybe even take a couple of days and stay in a fancy hotel, either near or far from your home, and enjoy just being with yourself. The options for pampering yourself are endless, have some fun with it.
And Here Are Some Other Awesome Tips…


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The emerald ash borer in Pointe-Claire
Since it arrived in Pointe-Claire in 2013, the emerald ash borer has infested over 1,200 trees. This invasive insect has been decimating ash tree populations in Canada since 2002.
The emerald ash borer is a beetle originating in Asia. Its presence in Canada was discovered in 2002 in Windsor, Ontario, probably arriving by boat before contaminating trees in Canada. Over the years, it has spread to Southern Ontario, parts of Quebec, and half of the United States, where it has destroyed millions of trees.
Its environmental impact has devastating consequences on forest ecosystems, underbrush vegetation, and birds. The decrease in the number of trees in urban areas due to felling also reduces air quality and biodiversity.
The emerald ash borer lays its eggs under the bark and in crevices on the tree. The egg then develops to the larval stage, burrowing under the bark and feeding on the area between the wood and the bark. Like a parasite, the larva draws nutrients and water from the tree and destroys the sap, the tree’s source of vital energy, thereby killing the tree.
The larva then develops to the adult stage, becoming a small green insect 8 to 14 mm in length. To exit the tree, the insect bores a D-shaped hole. It will then stay in the sun on treetops during its reproductive period, feeding on leaves until there are no more left.
How to identify an infected tree
From outside, you can identify the presence of emerald ash borers by the D-shaped holes they leave when exiting the tree. If you check under the bark, you can see S-shaped tunnels made by larvae.
Situation in Pointe-Claire
In 2017, the City had 222 infested ash trees on private land and 857 trees on public land out of 9,900 ash trees in total.
When an infected or dead tree is felled, it is replaced by another tree species to fight the spread of the insect. Every year during Earth Day, the City distributes 575 trees free of charge to help residents with replanting efforts. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, April 21.
Treatment and grants from the City
37% of ash trees on public land and 9.5% on private land are treated each year. This leaves 2,410 trees on public land and 4,376 trees on private land that are likely to become infected.
Preventive treatment for ash trees requires TreeAzin™, a systemic insecticide. Since 2012, 1,426 ash trees throughout the city have been treated.
The City offers grants to treat and fell ash trees. The grant for treatment covers 50% of its cost, up to a maximum of $1,500 over two years for each residential address. The grant for felling covers 50% of its cost, up to a maximum of $200 per tree.
To apply for a grant, contact the Public Works Department at 514-630-1230 or firstname.lastname@example.org
- CAA-Quebec: Emerald ash borer: beware of firewood! https://www.caaquebec.com/en/at-home/advice/tips-and-tricks/tip-and-trick/show/sujet/emerald-ash-borer-beware-of-firewood/
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): Areas Regulated for the Emerald Ash Borer http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/plant-pests-invasive-species/insects/emerald-ash-borer/areas-regulated/eng/1347625322705/1367860339942
- Natural Resources Canada (NRC): Emerald ash borer https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13377


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Staunton, October 6 – The Kazan mayor’s office has refused a request by Tatar activists for permission to hold a meeting on October 17 in one of the central squares of the city on the anniversary of Ivan Grozny’s sacking of Kazan in 1552, something activists have done for 30 years and always with the permission of the authorities before.
One Kazan official told the applicants that their request was being turned down because of concerns that at such a meeting, participants might make appeals that would threaten the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation or spark conflicts between Tatars and Russians (idelreal.org/a/30878115.html).
One perhaps can understand their concern: at the memorial meeting last year, 250 participants carried signs attacking Putin’s decision to make the study of non-Russian languages voluntary, called for an end to “genocide” of Tatars in other republics, and declaring that “Tatarstan isn’t a region; it’s a state” (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2019/10/kazan-meeting-on-1552-anniversary-calls.html).
But the decision will infuriate many Tatars who view the conquest of their capital in 1552 to be a defining moment in their national life and who will see Kazan’s refusal to allow a meeting this year as an indication that the authorities in Tatarstan are too willing to kowtow to Moscow and too unwilling to defend the national interests of the Tatars.
In the 1990s, meetings on this anniversary were massive; but they have declined in size in recent years, attracting fewer Tatars. But at the same time, especially since the 2014 Anschluss of Ukraine’s Crimea, they have attracted representatives not only from the peoples of Idel-Ural (the Middle Volga) but from Ukraine and other former Soviet republics.
Kazan appears to have decided that it is not worth the risk of allowing another such meeting to occur. But its decision almost certainly will backfire in a double way. On the one hand, it will lead ever more Tatars to view their own republic government as alien and not representative of their interests.
And on the other, it will likely lead to a radicalization of opinion, with Tatars concluding that if they don’t have to triangulate their positions lest they weaken the republic, they will speak out when and where they can in the name of their national cause. Some, for example, will look to the Tatarstan government in exile or to the Idel-Ural movement.
At the very least, what the city government of Kazakh has done will change the balance between those in Tatarstan who have always believed that their best strategy is to find a way to work with the powers that be and those in that republic who say that approach won’t work and that a more radical one is needed.

domain: politics


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Soothing Face Moisturizer
This natural hemp oil moisturizer preserves elasticity and keeps skin supple and moist. A host of anti-inflammatory active ingredients, including Boswellia serrata, an anti-inflammatory Indian herb used in Ayurvedic medicine, reduce unwanted redness, tone the skin, and reduce fine line visibility. Powerful antioxidant ingredients shield against aging, while shea butter and aloe vera provide fresh hydration in a non-greasy formula suitable for oily skin types.
Hydrating, relaxing and soothing
Infused with organic hemp oil
Helps to reduce imperfections and redness
Suitable for all skin types
Size: 1.7 floz/ 50 ml
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Alcohol, Glycerin, Hemp Seed Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Benzyl Alcohol, Menthyl Lactate, Gluconolactone, Boswellia Serrata (Salai) Gum, Parfum (Fragrance), Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe), Leaf Extract, Linalool, Sodium Hyaluronate, Calcium Gluconate, Eugenol Citric Acid

domain: chemistry


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Monday 17 February 2014 3:25pm
The fruits of the 2013 Frances Hodgkins Fellowship are revealed in a new Hocken Library exhibition featuring five large tableau-like sculptures - and a suite of botanical-inspired water colour paintings.
The works, in the No Need for Water: Zina Swanson exhibition were created by Zina Swanson during her tenure as the University of Otago’s 2013 Frances Hodgkins Fellow.
Hocken Curator of Pictorial Collections Natalie Poland says Swanson’s art has always reflected her personal interest in botany and the mythology that surrounds certain plants and her fascination with the strange relationship between the human and plant worlds.
The title of the exhibition is based on the common misconception that the fascinating Air Plant (Tillandsias) does not require water.
“The roles humans designate to plants, plant names and their varying requirements and the domestic furnishings produced that imitate nature are some of the ideas that inform Swanson’s recent work,” she says.
“Her sculptures and paintings reveal the prevalence of anthropomorphy in human perceptions of nature and reveal the myriad of ways that humans have transformed or replicated nature for their decorative domestic purposes or to aid plant husbandry.”
The idea of anthropomorphy is explored in her sculptural installation Dracaena Screen that takes the 1960s pseudo-scientific experiments of Cleve Backster as its starting point.
Backster conducted lie-detection tests on pot-plants in an attempt to prove that plants are capable of human feelings. A terracotta bead curtain hung across the width of one of the galleries masks a Dracaena, a common household pot plant, which is presented on two upended marble pedestals. The shape of the terracotta balls that make up the screen replicates an absorbent ceramic pebble that is the basis of hydroponic horticulture and a watering aid for household plants that replaces the need to use soil.
Swanson’s Waterwalls incorporates two of the gallery’s walls which are freestanding and painted blue part-way up to suggest a waterline.
Propped up against one end of each wall is a long length of scientific glass tubing filled with Prussian Blue water that is being drawn up from a bottle at its base. This contraption evokes the rudimentary experimental methods of early alchemy.
Ms Poland says her use of the pipe as a siphon recalls the elaborate hydraulic engineering of the Romans who used siphons in their aqueducts to bring water to the gardens of magnificent villas. These glass devices also echo the form of the water level gauge, a gardening aid.
“This installation draws our attention to the often overlooked gallery walls, which Swanson wants us to perceive as sculptures in their own right,” she says.
Practices that occupy the fringes of scientific investigation are also examined in Swanson’s work through its references to Backster’s experimentation with plants, alchemy and hypnosis.
Hypnosis, like lie-detection tests, is a disputed area of the fringe of science. Swanson’s Can Anybody Hear Me?, commissioned in 2013, was a participatory work that involved a series of hypnotised subjects located at specific outdoor sites in Christchurch’s earthquake-ravaged central business district. All of the subjects took on assigned plant roles.
The titles of three of Swanson’s larger watercolours, exhibited in this show, use quotations drawn from the transcripts of the Can Anybody Hear Me? hypnosis sessions. Three stools used by the participants of this work have been repurposed in No Need For Water. Placed beneath this series of paintings the stools provide both a link to the previous participatory work and offer onlookers a chance to engage in a dialogue about human attitudes to plants and to contemplate their own stance on the legitimacy of hypnosis.
A further suite of watercolours, which resemble botanical drawings in their modest scale and detailed appearance, show strange, imaginary plant experiments that Swanson has dreamt up. Four Leaf Clover Rehydration shows a dried four leaf clover specimen receiving hydration treatment and Panadol Plant shows medicinal tablets grafted onto a Sensitive Plant (Mimosa Pudica), reiterating the human tendency to give plants human characteristics, in this case a human remedy is suggested as a cure for the plant’s ailment. The exhibition runs through to 15 April.
Zina Swanson: Zina graduated from the University of Canterbury, Ilam School of Fine Arts with a BFA in sculpture in 2003. In 2004 she was winner of the CoCA/Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary Art. Her solo exhibitions have included a self-titled show at the Physics Room, Christchurch in 2007 and The Risk of Falling Apart at the same venue in 2009; Symptoms of Incompatibility at the SOFA Gallery, Christchurch in 2010. In 2010 her work was shown in the group exhibition Ready to Roll at the City Gallery, Wellington. Her performance work Can Anybody Hear Me? was commissioned for SCAPE 2013 curated by Blair French.
After losing her studio and most of her early art production in the Christchurch earthquakes she lived in Auckland briefly before arriving in Dunedin in 2013 to take up her tenure as the University of Otago’s Frances Hodgkins Fellow. In April this year Swanson will travel to New York where she has been invited to be the Apexart New York Inbound Resident.
For further information, contact:
Curator of Pictorial Collections
University of Otago
Tel 64 3 479 5600
A list of Otago experts available for media comment is available elsewhere on this website.
Electronic addresses (including email accounts, instant messaging services, or telephone accounts) published on this page are for the sole purpose of contact with the individuals concerned, in their capacity as officers, employees or students of the University of Otago, or their respective organisation. Publication of any such electronic address is not to be taken as consent to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages by the address holder.


Project Platypus Plantout - Elmhurst
Project Platypus run tree planting event in July of every year. The Elmhurst event will be our forth and last for the year and is on a beautiful site overlooking Mt Cole forest and the Pyrenees forest to the north. Come along and enjoy a hot drink around the fire, help us plant some trees and enjoy good company of fellow volunteers and the beautiful surrounds of the property. Lunch will be provided, please register if attending through http://www.platypus.org.au/ for catering purposes.
DATE & TIME
Sunday, 28 July 2019
10:00am to 3:30pm
116 Sandy lane
Suitable for Children
Accessible for Disabled
Signage will be placed on the corner of Sandy lane and the Pyrenees highway indicating the entry point to site. follow signs to the marquee and register.
Please come prepared for wet and cold weather
,Tools and equipment for planting,Drinking water,Snacks,Refreshments,BBQ


Fleet operators will have a key role to play in paving the way for the introduction of autonomous cars, according to experts.
The pace of development in ‘driverless’ systems requires a new technical, legal and regulatory framework to allow trials to take place on open roads. It also needs vehicle manufacturers and insurers to establish fresh rules about liability in the event of an accident involving a car in driverless mode.
The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), a joint venture between the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, is tasked with plotting a path to the successful introduction of autonomous vehicles.
“This summer we will consult on changes to the regulatory framework to adapt to the first wave of technology,” said Ian Forbes, head of the CCAV. “We will be working with the insurance industry and manufacturers, and we will see what we as a Government have to do.”
Delegates at a seminar on insuring self-driving vehicles last week heard experts predict that autonomous driving systems could cut accident rates by 80% within a decade, but to achieve such results requires “changes to the Road Traffic Act and European law to allow us to test these autonomous vehicles”, said Peter Shaw, chief executive of Thatcham Research. The law as it stands requires the driver always to be in control of the vehicle.
Autonomous driving also requires a completely fresh approach to vehicle insurance.
“The current system is a negligence-based system and it will have to evolve,” said Tim Marlow, head of autonomous and connected vehicle research at the insurer Ageas.
“When an autonomous vehicle is involved in an accident we will need to understand the extent to which any blame may be assigned to the vehicle or the driver. Once you get to the stage where the vehicle is in control completely for the whole of segments of a journey, then the manufacturer is liable and should take responsibility for the incident.”
Volvo Cars has already committed to accepting liability for accidents due to a malfunction in its autonomous technology.
“When the car is driven in autonomous mode it’s our responsibility. A malfunction should not happen and if it does it’s our problem,” said Hakan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Car Group, which is to launch a trial of 100 autonomous cars in London next year.
How these developments impact on fleet underwriting remains to be seen.
“At the moment fleet policies typically have a fixed premium from the chairman’s Rolls Royce to the salesman’s Fiesta,” said Marlow. “Will autonomous and non-autonomous cars pay the same premium? It’s very difficult to predict. But the more autonomous systems we see in vehicles, the better the claims experience should be.
“A lot of fleets now are only purchasing or leasing vehicles that have a five-star Euro NCAP rating, and you cannot get a five-star rating without autonomous emergency braking.”
The transition to autonomous vehicles also faces the uncertainty of road space shared by conventional and driverless vehicles.
James Dalton, director, general insurance policy at the Association of British Insurers, asked how other road users will react to the concept of cars without a driver in control.
Will the situation arise where the driver of a conventional car has to buy third party liability insurance, but the driver of an autonomous vehicle does not because the manufacturer carries the risk, he said.
At present there is no consensus between manufacturers on who is responsible for a vehicle when it is motoring under its own control, with some insisting the driver must still supervise progress as a pilot surveys the instruments when a plane flies on autopilot.
“There cannot be different treatments or different rules for each brand,” said Dalton.
ACFO chairman John Pryor said fleets would welcome new technology that would save them cost and mitigate their risks, but he added that it was premature to formulate a response to the consultation document before publication.
He also raised the issue of data ownership and protection, which will need to be resolved if vehicles are to be fitted with black box recorders to identify when they are being driven and when they are in driverless mode.


The United Federation of Teachers ratcheted up pressure on Mayor Bloomberg over teacher evaluations with a new television ad campaign that will run daily between now and Jan. 17.
The 30-second spot — and an accompanying statement from Michael Mulgrew — take aim at Bloomberg’s education legacy during the 11 years he’s been in office.
The ad begins with a still shot of a young student who has grown up through the city school system during the Bloomberg’s tenure, entering first grade during the mayor’s first year in office.
“And while she’s changed a lot, he hasn’t,” the narrator says, as negative tabloid and op-ed headlines fill the screen. “It’s still his way or the highway, at whatever cost.”
The ad also implores Bloomberg to “put politics aside” and “agree to a fair evaluation system that gives teachers the support they need to help children succeed.”
The $1.2 million campaign, which will run on local broadcast stations and cable television networks in the New York area, comes amid stalled negotiations between the city and the UFT over how to evaluate teachers. The city has until Jan. 17 to come to a deal on an evaluation system or else it will lose an estimated $250 million in state aid funding.
Update: Bloomberg must have seen the ad and didn’t like it. On his weekly radio radio this morning, the mayor scoffed at the notion that he’d feel pressured to negotiate in response to criticism. And he said the union’s tactics were an intentional ploy to avoid a negotiations.
As Capital New York reports:
“If there’s ever a ways to force somebody to not come to an agreement, it’s to run ads calling them bad things,” said Bloomberg, during his regular Friday morning radio show. “I mean, what kind of a strategy is this? And they’re not stupid. They know what they’re doing. So they’re deliberately trying to keep us from having a contract. It’s the only rational explanation.”
Up until last month, relations were cordial and both two sides publicly said they were committed to working together to meet the Jan. 17 deadline. But that harmony has dissolved in recent weeks, first with scathing letters from union leaders that essentially broke off talks. Then, two days after Christmas, the city filed a labor complaint that alleged the union was negotiating in “bad faith.”
In a statement this morning, UFT President Michael Mulgrew urged the mayor to come back to the bargaining table.
“If he wants his legacy to be anything but a decade of disaster, he will put politics aside and come to an agreement on an evaluation system that helps students and teachers succeed,” Mulgrew said.


Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT) and Telecom Syed Amin-Ul-Haq on Saturday said that Pakistan’s telecom industry market size and exports of IT services have grown “considerably” in recent years. He went on to add that in line with the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ‘Digital Pakistan Vision’, 5G technology will be rolled out by December 2022.
As reported by Business Recorder, the IT Minister was addressing as the chief guest at the 17th annual Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) ICT Awards ceremony held here at a local hotel. He talked extensively about connectivity and stressed that it is a precondition for digitization.
The ministry has been working on infrastructure development across the country.
“This year alone, some Rs 18 billion have been earmarked for the connectivity related projects,” he said.
In next three years, around Rs31 billion will be invested for the improvement of connectivity, he said, adding that the country will launch 5G technology by December 2022 with a vision to further expand the telecom services and internet and making it inclusive for remote and backward areas of the country.
Associated infrastructure development and prerequisites are being done. Frequent meetings are being convened with the stakeholders in this regard.
The IT Minister also took the opportunity to praise P@SHA as the representative organizations of software and tech firms.
“As soon as I assumed office charge, I vowed, IT ministry would give priority to the recommendations put forward by P@sha,” he said. “The ministry has been working to ensure an ease of doing business in the country. A number of issues raised by P@sha have been resolved.“


Software Industry Outlook Moving Away From Legacy Vendors Because ofOctober 9, 2012 Functionality, Not PriceAnalysts Conclusion: We recently spent time with Sears CIO Keith Sherwell and CTOPeter Goldmacher Philip Shelley to discuss their innovative approach to IT at one of the worlds(415) 646-7206peter.goldmacher largest retailers. Over the past 2 1/2 years, Sears has systematically email@example.com its spend with legacy tech vendors in favor of recreating the vast majority of its infrastructure using custom development and open source technology. TheJoe del Callar primary issue facing Sears was the reality that the current line up of technology(415) firstname.lastname@example.org it had been using from its existing vendors wasnt able to keep up with the demands of the business. The benefit of its transition to a custom environment is a more nimble IT infrastructure that can better support the business at a materially lower cost. Technologies of the Past. IBM mainframes and Oracle Exadata were two technologies described as too expensive and not flexible enough to adapt to the changes and seasonality of the business. Oracle RAC is being used only where absolutely necessary, and MySQL is seen as a compelling and viable alternative in most situations. The company is also moving away from Microsoft (Mail), Netezza (DW) and Greenplum (DW) in favor of open source solutions wherever possible. Technologies of the Future. Sears is investing aggressively in Hadoop, Linux and Private Clouds. With a well thought out architecture and materially lower price points, these technologies are perceived as more flexible and cost effective. Sears has also been investing in IT personnel with advanced skills. Even with the increased investments in staff, the cost savings associated with getting off legacy technologies are perceived to be well worth it. Standardizing on as few technologies as possible is enablingPlease see addendum of IT to leverage staff across multiple requirements. ETL workloads on Hadoopthis report for important have helped Sears make big strides towards a "Single Source of Truth" thatdisclosures. was previously impossible. Sears is investing in high bandwidth connections to its stores and mobile, which should increase demand for Bigwww.cowen.com Data mgmt and analytics.
Software Notes • Speakers: • Keith Sherwell, CIO, Sears • Philip Shelley, CEO, MetaScale and CTO, Sears • Over the last two years, Sears has been looking to modernize its IT • Sears is trying to modernize in a way that is not traditional (different price points, more up front engineering/manpower investment, cheaper infrastructure) • When Phil arrived at Sears three years ago, it was full of legacy infrastructure and software • Sears’ new emphasis is for standardization on open source, emerging technologies • However, Sears acknowledged there is a shortage of skilled labor in the marketplace • Reason for start of MetaScale subsidiary: help other large IT organizations adopt open source solutions, including Hadoop, by leveraging Sears’ internally developed skills • Technologies being supported (and learned) include Hadoop, Linux, private clouds at scale, etc. • On IT budgets at Sears: • Sears IT is working under a tight margin environment • Objective is to increase the value of its IT investments • Focusing on a strong foundation to provide customers solutions and services • New devices are replacing handheld devices from 5-10 years ago • Sears is replacing mainframes with a private cloud: more scalability, cheaper • New technology applications and infrastructure enables Sears’ multi- channel delivery and loyalty programs at a reasonable initial investment that will lower costs in the future • On whether old technology can handle new requirements • IBM mainframes would have been able to add new functionality, but cost is very high • Mainframes are less flexible as well, have to plan for scale, peaks/valleys in demand for computing (e.g., Holidays) • New technologies • Open source stack: removing traditional relational databases • Using MySQL as the primary transactional database, Oracle RAC as a last resort • Hadoop is being used for analytics2 October 9, 2012
Software• Oracle costs • Putting petabytes of data in an Oracle stack is extremely expensive • The kind of workload needed by Sears cannot really be handled by Exadata • Retiring Exadata systems, moving to a highly-distributed SQL cluster • Get better scalability from new MySQL systems• Staffing costs • Have to build a resource strategy combining permanent employees, contractors and offshore resources • For what Sears needs, only about 0.2 employees are available for each available job opening, despite high unemployment • Sears has a large data center and staff in India • Recognized that other companies have similar staffing issues, and hence Sears is attempting to mitigate this by starting MetaScale • Will develop talent as part of the MetaScale business • Many of its employees are becoming leaders in the open source community • Up and coming developers are more familiar with the open source environment • Many developers nowadays participate in open source projects• Maintenance costs • Increasing internal skills and standardizing on a very rigid, limited set of technical parameters • Stack is open source • Getting rid of solutions from Microsoft, Oracle, Netezza, Greenplum, IBM • Each of these systems needed different maintenance and staff for support • Standardization allows the company to leverage existing staff across requirements for the department• On interest from other companies • Seeing interest in MetaScale’s services at events that Phil has spoken at • Phil believes we will see a gradual ramp in demand rather than a big explosion• SAP is ostensibly interested in integrating with Sears’ open source solutions (Sears had presented at Sapphire)• Sears is investing in high-bandwidth network connectivity at all its stores• Sears expects to take 2-3 years to move its legacy technology to its private cloud • Expect this to transition to pick up speed in the future • Sears has already migrated one of its key apps to its private cloud infrastructure, replacing a service provided by a company that was using ExadataOctober 9, 2012 3
Software • Sears is currently evaluating several big applications on IBM because of needs for better speed and scale • E.g., had a mainframe application that could handle 1,000 txns per second, but it failed when higher throughput was required. Re- implemented using its open source private cloud stack with positive results • The application layer is the most complex to move • ETL • Sear’s aim is to have a single source of truth in Hadoop • Will not move data off of Hadoop unless completely necessary • Sears has a “hub-and-spoke” architecture where analytics systems pull data directly from Hadoop • Getting rid of ETL processes improved performance, improved latency of data • E.g., An ETL job went from hours to minutes • E.g., Trees of ETL jobs make data more and more stale. Eliminating these ETL trees make data more timely/relevant • Vendors • Strategy is to be as void of vendors as possible • Use open source MySQL • Use Hortonworks or Cloudera Hadoop distributions • Use open source flavor of RHEL (only pay RHT occasionally) • Dropping HP-UX and AIX (2-year job to get rid of AIX) • Will use some JBoss (when needed) • Will use some Oracle (when needed) • Using an open source email solution (dropping MSFT) • Will continue to use some TDC • Five-year outlook • State of adoption of open source and Big Data technologies depends on the industry in question • Every industry/organization approach the solutions with different business needs (e.g., needs for support) • This is also driven by costs • There will be a gradual migration to open source solutions like Sears • MetaScale has a high-speed trading company and a healthcare company that it helped scale using Hadoop/open source solutions • The healthcare company used to use Exadata • On data warehouse systems • Greenplum preceded arrival of Keith and Phil4 October 9, 2012
Software • Other than costs, the issue with Greenplum was that data was getting stale as it was transferred from system to system • Sears still has Teradata for the more complex analysis • TDC’s Hadoop connectors and adaptors do not work particularly well • Sears is at the same level of engineering as EBay and other e-commerce companies, so it is able to develop its own technology as needed • Not planning to do any columnar stores in TDC • Using MySQL’s Infobright columnar store in lieu of TDC columnar stores. Effective at up to 1TB • For larger data sets, using Hadoop’s technology (HBase) directly • Status of transition after two years • Cloud infrastructure has been put together • Will finish the infrastructure over the next year • Migration to the private cloud will take several years, more deliberate to ensure nothing breaks • Analytics to begin next yearStocks mentioned Stock / Ticker Closing Price (10/8/2012 Cowen and Company Rating IBM / IBM * $213.58 Outperform Microsoft / MSFT $29.78 Outperform Oracle / ORCL $31.18 Neutral Red Hat / RHT $54.41 Neutral SAP AG / SAP $71.63 Underperform * Stock covered by Moshe Katri Source: Cowen and Company October 9, 2012 5
Softwaretargets). All Cowen trademarks displayed in this report are owned by Cowen and may not be used without its priorwritten consent.Cowen and Company, LLC. New York (646) 562-1000 Boston (617) 946-3700 San Francisco (415) 646-7200Chicago (312) 577-2240 Cleveland (440) 331-3531 Atlanta (866) 544-7009 London (affiliate) 44-207-071-7500 COWEN AND COMPANY RATING DEFINITIONS (a)Rating DefinitionOutperform (1) Stock expected to outperform the S&P 500Neutral (2) Stock expected to perform in line with the S&P 500Underperform (3) Stock expected to underperform the S&P 500(a) Assumptions: Time horizon is 12 months; S&P 500 is flat over forecast period. COWEN AND COMPANY RATING ALLOCATION (a) Pct of companies under Pct for which Investment Banking servicesRating coverage with this rating have been provided within the past 12 monthsBuy (b) 55.7% 9.2%Hold (c) 41.9% 1.7%Sell (d) 2.4% 0.0%(a) As of 09/30/2012. (b) Corresponds to "Outperform" rated stocks as defined in Cowen and Company, LLCs rating definitions (see above). (c)Corresponds to "Neutral" as defined in Cowen and Company, LLCs ratings definitions (see above). (d) Corresponds to "Underperform" as defined inCowen and Company, LLCs ratings definitions (see above). Note: "Buy," "Hold" and "Sell" are not terms that Cowen and Company, LLC uses in itsratings system and should not be construed as investment options. Rather, these ratings terms are used illustratively to comply with NASD and NYSEregulations. October 9, 2012 7


text:
With the right announcements the markets would react positively, support the government in seeking growth, writes Melanie Verwoerd.
Morning clouds. Cool.
Eskom has hit back at reports that it has paid out performance bonuses, but instead asserted it has made provision for 13th cheques as per employment contracts.
At large companies, ordinary non-executive members on listed company boards are paid an average of more than R646,000 per year.
The PIC board is engaging with Treasury to develop a new remuneration policy for staff, members of Parliament heard.
Staff in Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan's private office amounts earn salaries totaling R16.5m, according to the minister.
CEOs of South Africa’s top companies earned a median of R5.4m in 2018, up from R5.2m in 2017, which represents R450 000 per month, a new trend report has found.
South African ambassadors get generous allowances and "hardship" travel perks on top of salaries that are among the highest in the civil service – with no top diplomat earning under R1 million per year.
It's no secret that CEOs of some of the biggest companies listed on the local stock exchange are millionaires, some of which are lucky to be earning their salaries in dollars and even in pounds.
Naspers has vowed to be transparent about its executives' earnings, the AGM heard on Friday.
Women of both races, however, receive larger remuneration packages than men when poached.
Cash has proven to be a short-term booster for employees. There are less expensive ways to show appreciation.
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook made $125m (about R1.8bn) in the company's 2019 fiscal year, less than the year before due in part to a lower bonus.
"I need my account to match my lifestyle and taste."
Electricity workers saw a large annual increase of 8.7%, and on average earned almost R44,000.
The report also found that 85.9% of listed South Africa companies are white.
A new working paper from the Reserve Bank suggests the private sector may be responsible for driving up salaries in the public sector – and shows which sectors have seen the fastest average growth in remuneration.
The Western Cape and Northern Cape now offer higher average salaries than Gauteng.
KwaZulu-Natal traditional leaders are not happy about the monthly "stipend" they receive from the government, saying that it's not enough for them to support their families.
The top 200 directors in SA collectively increased the value of their holdings by 63% since 2008 – in comparison the average South African adult’s wealth rose by only 29%.
Naspers has denied that its CEO Bob van Dijk earned R1.6bn in the year ended 31 March 2018, saying that he has not cashed in vested share options.
Donald Trump’s personal driver for more than 25 years says the billionaire real estate developer didn’t pay him overtime and raised his salary only twice in 15 years.
Cape TownO'Dwyer Personnel
Western CapeOdwyer PersonnelR14 000.00 Per Month
R 2 260 000
R 8 300 000
R 2 500 000
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