text:
Everyone could use a few tips on becoming a better investor. Here's one: Invest like a child.
An academic paper (a big tip of the hat to Abnormal Returns) by Henk Berkman, at the University of Auckland Business School, Paul Koch, at the University of Kansas School of Business, and Joakim Westerholm, at Sydney University School of Business, looked at investment accounts for children aged 0 through 10 and discovered something quite remarkable: The accounts did very well, outperforming the accounts of older investors.
For example, in the day following a trade, children's accounts outperformed older investors by 9 basis points – which is big for a single day.
This is screaming for an explanation, of course. I would have thought that the adult guardians who oversee their children's accounts take a different approach than they take with their own money. For their kids, they think longer-term, since the money is generally used to fund education – particularly if we're talking about Canadian registered education savings plans – at least a decade down the road.
It seems to me that guardians would be less likely to actively trade stocks within the accounts, to their detriment. As Terrance Odean and Brad Barber argued in 2001, excessive trading was a sign of overconfidence, particularly by men, who generally underperform buy-and-hold women in the stock market.
But Mr. Berkman, Mr. Koch and Mr. Westerholm offer a different take, using data from the Nasdaq OMX Helsinki exchange. For one thing, they believe that the adults who open accounts for their children and invest on their behalf tend to be better investors, with more wealth and superior stock-picking skills.
"The emerging picture points to a broader group of informed guardians who tend to channel their best ideas through the accounts of children," they said in their paper.
Not convinced? I don't think the academics are either. So they offer another, more sinister, explanation: Children's accounts are ideal places for adults to hide illegal insider trading activity.
For sure, there are some unusual things going on here. The tykes do suspiciously well with trades conducted just before major corporate news events. The day before an earnings announcement, account holders get the share price direction right 57 per cent of the time. The day before a big share price shift, they get the direction right 58 per cent of the time.
And, here's the kicker: The day before a takeover announcement, they get the direction right 72 per cent of the time.
"Since this outperformance is especially evident for short horizons, it likely stems from superior private information that is about to become public," the academics said.
In other words, naughty children.


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LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Stone Energy Corp. translated high oil prices and more production into a 56 percent increase in first-quarter profit, the company reported.
For the January-through-March period, Stone said it earned $39.8 million, or 81 cents per share, on revenue of $197.9 million. In the year-ago first quarter, Stone earned $25.4 million, or 52 cents per share, on revenue of $163.8 million.
Oil revenue jumped from $100.6 million to $152 million, while natural gas revenue fell from $63.2 million to $45.9 million.
Stone said its average oil price was $99.29 per barrel during the first quarter, compared with $76.59 for the first quarter of 2010. The company's average gas price fell from $5.43 per thousand cubic feet to $4.31 per thousand cubic feet.
The company increased oil production by 13.5 percent from a year ago while reducing gas production by 7.5 percent.
Stone CEO David Welch said the profit increase was the result of the company's strategy of using conventional production on the shallow shelf of the Gulf of Mexico to fund growth exploration areas in Appalachia, the Rockies and the deep water Gulf regions.
The company is reviewing additional projects that could increase its $425 million capital expenditure plan approved in December, Welch said.
"We are currently working on several exploration and exploitation projects which provide us with potential reserve and production growth exposure," he said.
The results were released after financial markets closed Tuesday.

domain: news


text:
In the early 1990s, when Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd was starting in Mumbai things were not so easy. But the team decided to make a dream come true. The people in Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd always had the secret desire to dedicate their lives to the cinema, to work on a movie set, and film typical Bollywood music movies.
Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd the biggest producers in India
Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd soon realized that everything was not as wonderful as it seemed but with hard work and effort Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd have produced seven films and written and directed many series and television commercials and they became one of the biggest companies and movie producers in India.
Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd trajectory of Indian cinema
Cinema is today an inseparable part of Indian culture to such an extent that it acts as a unifying element of the nation. When you go to the cinema, you do not look at the religion, caste or culture of the spectator next door, but laugh, cry and enjoy the film with the rest of the audience. Indian cinema thus manages to unite the whole audience, and that is one of its main merits.
Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd an international projection
Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd director highlights the impact that Indian films have in Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, and also for the millions of citizens of those countries who live abroad. Zenica Cars India Pvt Ltd is aware that modern and contemporary films require a greater international projection.

domain: artistic


text:
|Species|| Previously: Human|
|First Appearance||Fable III - Weight of the World|
|Last Appearance||Fable III|
|Status|| Alive (if evil option taken)|
Deceased (if good option taken)
Connor is a character in Fable III who is involved in the quest Stolen Statue. Connor lived in the Silverpines camp until he fell asleep on watch and was exiled from the small village into the dangerous forests.
Connor steals a statue, called White One, from a noblewoman in Millfields which has the power to make the holder a leader of Balverines, as well as make him a Balverine, too. The Hero comes to collect the statue to find it had been stolen and goes in search of the thief.
Connor gives the Hero an option. Either destroy the silver lanterns guarding the settlement and get the statue (evil option) or don't get the statue and fight him and he will tell the Balverines to attack the settlement anyway (good option).
If you chose the good option, Connor will send his balverines to attack the village. You then go and help the other people in the settlement. Eventually, Connor will arrive and transform into a White Balverine, at which point the Hero must defeat him. If you chose the evil option, Connor will tell you that you are always welcome around these parts and will give you the statue. You get the statue from him anyway if you kill him.
- Even though Connor states that "you'll always be welcome" in Silverpines if you help him, any Balverines subsequently encountered will still attack you.
- The name Connor (when derived from the spelling Conor) can be translated to mean "lover of wolves" or "wolf kin", fitting for Connor's Balverine status.
- When spelled "Conor", which is the traditional Irish spelling, it translates to "King of Wolf Hounds".

domain: game


Zee Media Bureau/ Gayatri Sankar
Mumbai: Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt are gung ho about their latest- ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya’. The two are going places to promote their film which sees Varun playing Humpty and Alia essaying the role of Kavya.
Alia’s character in the film happens to be a huge fan of Kareena Kapoor Khan. The trailer even shows Kavya telling that she would marry only if her wedding attire looks like what Kareena had worn in a film.
Varun aka Humpty, took to Twitter to post a picture of Kavya with her idol- Kareena Kapoor Khan!
— varun HUMPTY dhawan (@Varun_dvn) June 26, 2014
As an actress, young Alia reminds us of Kareena. After her debut in Karan Johar’s ‘Student of the Year’, Alia proved her acting prowess in Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Highway’ which saw her put up a brilliant performance. And then with ‘2 States’, Alia make million hearts skip a beat.


text:
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Kim Phúc, visits St. Elisabeth’s.
A photo taken of Phan Thi Kim Phúc (known as Kim) on Thursday 8th June 1972 made her the most famous nine year old in the world. During the Vietnam War, Kim’s village of Trang Bang became a battleground between the North and South Vietnamese forces and the actions of a South Vietnamese pilot that day changed the life of nine year old Kim and the hundreds of others caught in the napalm bombing.
As Kim ran naked, her skin burning from the effects of the napalm, Vietnamese Associated Press photographer, Nick Ut, captured what would become the most iconic and haunting images of the Vietnam War.
Ut captured a 9-year-old child in agony running from a man made hell, arms spread like a crucifixion.
After taking the photo, Ut took Kim (along with the other injured photos) to Barsky Hospital in Saigon, where doctors determined that Kim’s burns were so severe, she was unlikely to survive.
(AP Photo/Nick Ut)
After a 14 month stay in hospital and extensive surgeries, Kim had beaten the odds and was able to return home.
41 years later, Kim and Ut were reunited for a special exhibition in Manchester, and the pair attended a Sunday morning service at St. Elisabeth’s, Reddish.
Kim spoke to Rev. Angie about how she became a Christian as a young adult and believes that God saved her
“I believe God had a plan for me. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and now I’m in the right place.”
Kim, is now a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and spends her life travelling, talking and praying for world peace, and supporting children who are victims of war.
Nick and Kim forged a lifelong friendship and Nick continues to document Kim’s extraordinary life.
Photo: Jerry Clifford ©
1. Manchester Confidential interview with Kim Phuc and Nick Ut [http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/culture/arts/icons-kim-phc-and-nick-ut-in-manchester]

domain: history


text:
Is there a way to create a Scrivener link that links to a document within another Scrivener project? Not to the project itself (Igloos-of-South-America.scriv) but to a specific document within that document (“Igloos of Paraguay”)?
I tried Option-dragging a document to another project, but it copied it instead of linking. I checked the manual, and didn’t find this feature.
In general, I love Scrivener’s model of keeping all documents related to a project together in one place: a single Scrivener project.
But in those cases where I am referencing and updating the same source documents from several DIFFERENT projects, which I do NOT want to combine into one Scrivener project, it would work much better to link to a single copy of the source documents, rather than try to keep several copies synchronized.
For instance, if I am writing a series of SF novels, or a biographies of several members of the same family, I might want to keep the individual books separate from each other as I write, yet refer to the same reference documents. If I update the reference documents (better world-building, additional interviews with neighbors, new photos), I want all the reference links in all the working projects to take me to the same, updated reference files.
The easiest way to do this would be to have a Scrivener project just for the reference notes in common, and link to it from the Scrivener projects containing each book. So for instance:
Jones family reference.scriv
What I do in such circumstances is keep my “master library” in DevonThink (I expect Eaglefiler or Together would also suffice) and drag and drop copies of the most relevant documents into individual Scrivener projects, as required. This follows a scheme described by the historian and author Steven Berlin Johnson. You could do something similar with Scrivener References in the Inspector, or imported Aliases in the Binder, and the Finder, I imagine, and either of those would deal with the updating issue.
Another way about it is to keep all related books/publications in one scrivener project, assuming that they do share a lot of information in common. In the SF series example, you’d have your world building information at hand, and any already-published books would either be moved out of the draft folder and into a “Book X” folder, or you could take a compiled PDF/RTF with annotations and document notes compiled in-line and re-import it into your research folder, archiving the original project and deleting the draft documents before starting on book Y.
There are pros and cons to either approach. Using an external archive and linking to documents therein runs the risk of broken links as you decide to rearrange that archive, or you make a mistake when restoring from a backup after some kind of disaster. The keep-everything-related-in-one-project method means that backups can get a little bloated (depending on how many embedded images you use). Also, compiling might get a bit tricky if you’re ever working on two or more volumes at once–this isn’t too bad, as you can compile a particular folder out of a choice of several, effectively giving you multiple Draft Folders, but deadline dementia can make even the simplest things seem daunting.
Can one do the opposite too? i.e. linking in another program to a document in Scrivener. Some programs let you get an internal link to their documents so that upon clicking the program would launch and open the document subsequently. I wonder if such a thing would be possible in Scrivener too.
Hugh, I just tried your tip, and it just opens an instance of the document in the other Scrivener Editor window. Drat!
binkybok, I want that functionality too.
It is MUCH more useful to be able to link directly to a document within a Scrivener project than to link to the project as a whole. Kind of like the difference between sending your friend to the EXACT web page that has the article, video, or blog post you want them to see… vs. sending them to Microsoft.com or YouTube.com, or WordPress.com.
The bigger a Scrivener project, the more useful it becomes to be able to link directly to a document within it.
What I’m really after is a way to point to a document WITHIN a Scrivener project… from ANY other document, Scrivener or not. Which requires a link format, generated by Scrivener, that will allow deep links. Keith? Anybody?
There isn’t currently a way to get a link out of Scrivener to do what you want. That’s why I suggested keeping all of your related writing in one project – it’s the only way to link to specific parts of a scrivener project safely.
Although… you could do an external folder sync, which would allow you to create references to an up-to-date version of any of your text documents, but they’d be outside of your projects.
Hi , I have a similar question (posting in this thread along with the main thread to attract more views.)
I want to copy/drag text clippings from documents stored in DT Pro and have Scrivener create a new doc (scrivenings?) from the clip with a url link back to the DTP file, preferably DTP’s “Copy Item Link” for a permanent link. I especially like the new feature of writing in compose mode with separate floating “quick reference panels” so DTP’s item link doesn’t really help in this regard.
Another option but i don’t how to do this, would be to click open the link as “quick look” type of quick reference panel.

domain: library


text:
The Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC) Project has achieved a significant milestone by receiving a positive rating from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This rating designates the project as eligible for funding from the FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, bringing it one step closer to full funding and groundbreaking. Inglewood, a city poised for transformation and economic growth, welcomes this achievement as a positive step towards enhancing connectivity and transit accessibility for its residents and visitors.
Mayor James T. Butts, Jr. Acknowledges the Achievement: Mayor Butts expresses gratitude to the FTA for advancing the ITC Project, emphasizing its potential to improve access to housing, commercial centers, and world-class sports and entertainment venues. The project aims to create job opportunities and contribute to the overall upliftment of Inglewood and the region.
Rigorous Effort to Earn Positive Rating: To secure the positive rating from the FTA, the City undertook a rigorous effort to demonstrate the ITC’s ridership potential, alignment with FTA’s land use and economic development goals, and its financial capability to deliver the project.
Importance of FTA’s CIG Program: Projects like the ITC must maintain a ranking of “medium” or higher to qualify for federal funding through the FTA’s CIG program, which has supported over 150 projects nationwide, spanning subway systems to rapid transit bus lines.
The ITC’s Significance: The ITC is envisioned as a 1.6-mile automated people mover that will bridge the transportation gap between the Metro K Line and Inglewood’s major employment and destination hubs. This includes iconic locations such as the Kia Forum, Sofi Stadium, YouTube Theater, the Intuit Dome, and housing and commercial destinations in Hollywood Park.
Environmental and Economic Impact: The ITC holds the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle miles traveled to and from Inglewood. Furthermore, it is expected to create numerous construction and permanent jobs, boost economic investment, and foster broader economic development in the region.
Commitment to Diversity and Local Workforce: The project aims to benefit disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs), with a requirement for 16% of contract values to go to DBEs. Additionally, a Community Workforce Agreement ensures that a substantial portion of construction hours will be worked by local hires, transitional workers, and apprenticeships.
Partnership with LA Metro: The City has collaborated with LA Metro to establish the Inglewood Transit Connector Joint Powers Authority (JPA), which will oversee and manage the project.
Project Progress: The ITC Project has made significant strides, including compliance with environmental regulations and securing over $873 million in local, state, and federal funds. The City anticipates securing a CIG grant to cover 60% of the project’s anticipated costs.
The ITC Project stands as a transformative endeavor for Inglewood, addressing transportation challenges, fostering economic growth, and promoting sustainable public transit. As the project advances, Inglewood is poised to further elevate its status as a dynamic and vibrant city.
For additional information about the project, visit www.envisioninglewood.org


text:
Work Conditioning / Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs).
Injured workers benefit from occupational and physical therapy services from the onset of injury through their return to work. Early therapy intervention consists of treatment for acute musculoskeletal problems and other injuries. Many patients who receive appropriate early care return to their job without additional rehabilitation services.
For those who are not able to return to work because of unresolved physical problems following acute care, treatment focus changes to restoration of function. Defined as WORK CONDITIONING, Heritage Valley Health System offers this program to address the physical issues of flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination, and work-related function for the goal of return to work.
In addition to work conditioning, Heritage Valley Health System offers Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs). An FCE is a systematic process of measuring and developing an individual’s ability to perform meaningful tasks on a safe and dependable basis. By performing an FCE we can:
- Determine whether a person is physically able to do a certain type of work
- Determine if any safety precautions need to be taken at work to prevent reinjury
- Determine if there are there are any physical conditions that will make longevity in a particular occupation hazardous
Work conditioning is provided at all Heritage Valley Outpatient Physical Therapy sites. Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are provided at the Heritage Valley Center Township location, located within the Center Township Medical Neighborhood.

domain: medical


text:
Minaret destroyed at 12th-century Syrian mosque on World Heritage list
April 25, 2013 -- Updated 1530 GMT (2330 HKT)
- The minaret is destroyed at the 12th-century Great Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo
- The mosque is on the United Nation's World Heritage List
- Opposition groups blame government forces for destroying the landmark
- The government blames a terror group linked to al Qaeda
(CNN) -- Both sides in Syria's civil war were in rare agreement Wednesday: The minaret at a 12th-century mosque in Aleppo has been obliterated.
Unclear, however, was who destroyed the tower at the Great Umayyad Mosque, which has witnessed the march of nine centuries. It was just last month that a United Nations official expressed concern about the two-year war possibly damaging the mosque, a World Heritage site.
An opposition group blamed the government.
"Regime forces have committed today a new crime against human and cultural heritage by targeting the minaret of the mosque and completely destroying it," the Local Coordination Committees said. The group released a photograph of the mosque without its signature minaret, apparently reduced to rubble.
Chemical weapons used in Syria?
Was Obama's 'red line' crossed in Syria?
Israel: Syria used chemical weapons
The Syrian Coalition also blamed President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"Today, the Assad regime committed a new crime against history and civilization, as they destroy(ed) the minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo. The minaret was hit by tank shells and was shattered to the ground," the coalition said in a statement.
"The Assad regime has done all that they can to destroy the social fabric of Syria," it added.
The Syrian government, however, blamed one rebel group, Jabhet al-Nusra, for blowing up the minaret. The jihadist al-Nusra Front in Syria has been linked to al Qaeda in Iraq.
"Terrorists from Jabhet al-Nusra detonated explosives in one of the minarets" at the Great Umayyad Mosque, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported Wednesday. "An official source told SANA that terrorists placed highly explosive materials in the minaret and the mosque's southern door and set them off."
The agency also reported Wednesday that government forces launched special operations against "Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in the Aleppo countryside." An official source told the state-run agency that those maneuvers "resulted in destroying many of their dens and gatherings."
What is the Syrian Electronic Army?
2 kidnapped Syrian bishops remain missing
Part of complete coverage on
October 16, 2013 -- Updated 1708 GMT (0108 HKT)
CNN senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh looks back at his reports from the front line, for which he has won an Emmy.
January 28, 2013 -- Updated 1637 GMT (0037 HKT)
Thousand of war-weary Syrians continue their exodus into Jordan. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom travels with some to the border.
October 29, 2013 -- Updated 2201 GMT (0601 HKT)
Polio, not seen for a decade, has returned to Syria. Atika Shubert reports on the crisis that leaves 500,000 at risk.
September 6, 2013 -- Updated 1000 GMT (1800 HKT)
New video by opposition groups in Syria exposes suffering from apparent malnutrition, as CNN's Arwa Damon reports.
October 23, 2013 -- Updated 0357 GMT (1157 HKT)
CNN's Atika Shubert reports on the horrific violence witnessed by one volunteer doctor in Syria.
July 23, 2013 -- Updated 1051 GMT (1851 HKT)
In Lebanon, resentment toward Syrian refugees is growing. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom reports.
November 6, 2013 -- Updated 1340 GMT (2140 HKT)
Raqqa was one of Syria's most liberal cities. Now locals call it Tora Bora. Now they say it's as if the Taliban of Afghanistan have taken over.
September 16, 2013 -- Updated 0158 GMT (0958 HKT)
Increasing numbers of Syrian children are suffering from malnutrition as vital supplies are cut off, as CNN's Arwa Damon reports.
September 11, 2013 -- Updated 0132 GMT (0932 HKT)
Facing the threat of U.S. military action, Syria has said it welcomes a Russian proposal to hand over its stockpiles of chemical weapons.
November 5, 2013 -- Updated 1321 GMT (2121 HKT)
It's an odd experience flying in to Hatay, southern Turkey, on the border with Syria and its nasty and seemingly infinite war these days.
November 6, 2013 -- Updated 1612 GMT (0012 HKT)
Al Qaeda now holds power across large parts of northern Syria, according to a CNN survey of towns, activists and analysts.
August 31, 2013 -- Updated 1122 GMT (1922 HKT)
For 13 years, Bashar al-Assad has governed Syria, for the last two, he's faced repeated calls from inside and outside the country for his resignation.
September 10, 2013 -- Updated 0711 GMT (1511 HKT)
The younger brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is described by analysts as someone even more brutal than his sibling.
August 29, 2013 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT)
As the Syrian civil war rages on, the president's high-profile wife, Asma, has kept a low profile.
September 6, 2013 -- Updated 2224 GMT (0624 HKT)
The Syrian civil war has birthed rebel groups across a wide ideological and geographic spectrum.
September 16, 2013 -- Updated 1842 GMT (0242 HKT)
More than 2 million Syrians have fled their country, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
August 28, 2013 -- Updated 0226 GMT (1026 HKT)
CNN's Fred Pleitgen obtains exclusive video footage of the aftermath of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria.
Today's five most popular stories

domain: politics


Why is my wireless printer not printing?
First, try restarting your computer, printer and wireless router. To check if your printer is connected to your network: Print a Wireless Network Test report from the printer control panel. … Ensure your wireless router is turned on and functioning properly.
Why is my HP printer not printing?
Another possible cause of your HP printer not printing issue is the stuck print queue. The print queue containing failed print jobs can stop functioning normally and lead to printer not printing issue. You can clear all print jobs to get your HP printer back to normal. a) Open Devices and Printers in Control Panel.
How do I fix my printer not printing?
- Unplug and restart your printer.
- Check cables or wireless connection.
- Uninstall and reinstall your printer.
- Install the latest driver for your printer.
- Run the printing troubleshooter.
- Clear and reset the print spooler.
- Fix printer problems after updating Windows 10.
- Change a printer’s status to “online”
How do I reset my wireless printer?
From the home screen of your printer control panel, touch the Wireless icon . Touch the Setup icon . Touch Restore Network Defaults or Restore Network Settings, and then touch Yes to confirm your selection.
How do you reset your printer?
To do this, power down the printer and then unplug the power cord from the wall. Wait for a minute, then plug the printer back in and power it back up. Wait for the cartridges to center, and then try printing again. If your issue persists, you can also try resetting the printer to the default or factory settings.
How do I fix HP printer not printing?
Troubleshoot- HP Printer not printing anything
Check that the network cables are properly connected with each other. Try to restart your computer as well as the printer. After turning off the printer, unplug all the connected cords and then plug them again. Use the HP Printer Assistant to fix the issue.
What if my printer is printing blank pages?
Several factors may cause the product to print blank pages, such as print settings, low ink, or the product itself. … Print a nozzle check pattern to see if any of the nozzles are clogged. Clean the print head, if necessary. Make sure the paper size, orientation, and layout settings in your printer software are correct.
How do I reset my HP printer?
1 Restore Defaults
- From the screen on your printer, navigate to Setup.
- Tap Tools.
- Tap Restore Defaults.
- Tap Yes.
- The printer will restart.
- Once restarted, your printer will have been reset to factory default settings.
How do I get my HP printer to print?
- Make sure your Android device and printer are connected to the same wireless network.
- Go to 123.hp.com to install the HP Smart app on your phone or tablet.
- On the app home screen, tap the printer icon or the plus sign .
- On the My Printer screen in the HP Smart app, tap Advanced Settings.
How do I get my HP printer back online?
Go to the Start icon on the bottom left of your screen then choose Control Panel and then Devices and Printers. Right click the printer in question and select “See what’s printing”. From the window that opens choose “Printer” from the menu bar at the top. Select “Use Printer Online” from the drop down menu.
Is there a reset button on HP printers?
To restore your HP printer to factory-default settings, follow these steps. Turn the printer off. Disconnect the power cable from the printer for 30 seconds and then reconnect. Turn the printer on while you press and hold the Resume button for 10-20 seconds.


The advent of the Holiday Season means it is time for the annual list of Application Performance Management (APM) predictions, the most popular post on APMdigest, viewed by tens of thousands of people in the IT community around the world every year. Industry experts — from analysts and consultants to users and the top vendors — offer thoughtful, insightful, and often controversial predictions on how APM and related technologies will evolve and impact business in 2016. In addition to APM, the related technologies include Business Service Management (BSM), End-User Experience Management (EUEM), IT Operations Analytics (ITOA), Network Performance Management (NPM), as well as monitoring and log analytics.
The 2016 APM Predictions List is the longest predictions list ever featured on APMdigest, with almost double the number of predictions on last year's list. This reflects a rapidly growing, changing and increasingly complex IT environment that presents more challenges than ever before.
As usual, some of the predictions overlap with last year's list of predictions. In an industry that is continually evolving, it makes sense that certain topics would remain top of mind several years in a row – end user experience and mobile APM, to name just a few. Analytics, always present on the lists, is growing to the point where it could almost generate a list of predictions on its own. Other topics such as Network Performance Management (NPM) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) are back, after an absence on the 2015 list. In addition, development related topics, such as APIs, microservices and containerization are becoming more prevalent.
One of the most popular topics discussed on previous lists, DevOps now has its own complete list of predictions on DEVOPSdigest, an APMdigest partner site. Amazingly, the first annual list of DevOps Predictions is just as long as the list of APM predictions, featuring insight from many of the key experts in the DevOps arena.
Some of these predictions may come true in the next 12 months, while others may be just as valid but take several years to be realized. Still others may be wishful thinking. But taken collectively, this list of predictions offers a unique and valuable snapshot of what the APM industry is thinking about, planning, expecting and hoping for next year.
The predictions will be posted in 5 parts over the next 5 days.
A forecast by the top minds in Application Performance Management today, here are the predictions:
APPLICATIONS BECOME MORE PERVASIVE THAN EVER BEFORE
In 2015 we saw applications became more and more common, and in 2016 applications will be even more pervasive. Instead of using desktops to log in or trying to connect to a network, the vast majority of users are going to use applications to accomplish tasks at work. IT teams should be prepared for new user expectations in keeping applications connected to ensure business operations run smoothly.
VP of Product Management, Ipswitch
APM IS ALL ABOUT BUSINESS
From a high level, APM will become more about the business and its effectiveness will be increasingly measured on its business impact.
Research VP, IT Operations, Gartner
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SPANNING DEVELOPMENT, IT AND THE BUSINESS
In 2016, we'll see significant evolution in the adoption of microservices and enabling technologies such as containers, cloud platforms and polyglot programming languages. As these new modern applications make their way into production, IT will be faced with an ever increasing complex and rapidly changing application environment impacting how they monitor, triage and diagnose application performance. In response, we'll see greater emphasis on collaboration across the development lifecycle, innovations to simplify complexity, increasing insights into the impact of change, better use of analytics and new modern monitoring platforms with open APIs to allow for greater flexibility and agility. This year we'll see a shift in application monitoring that will span across development, IT and extending into the business.
VP, DevOps Product and Solutions Marketing, CA Technologies
In 2016 history will repeat itself, but perhaps with a new audience this time around. Dev and ops groups have been transforming culturally to adapt to infinitely increasing customer expectations for business teams but not
Marketing Director, Dynatrace
Last year I predicted that APM was no longer the central story — but a "new-age BSM" under another label would come to pass. In retrospect I was both right and wrong. Right in that research we did this years showed that ITSM, operations and DevOps are being impelled to work together more and more through shared analytics, automation and process workflows across all IT disciplines. Wrong in that the new banner is "digital transformation" with an emphasis on proactive business versus simply IT outcomes. I predict that 2016 will witness this trend evolve further — to push toward a more integrated, service-aware business-IT community.
VP of Research, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA)
Broader APM adoption within the enterprise: Application performance monitoring will no longer remain a NOC function and will find broader applicability across the application development lifecycle. Developers and QA engineers will rely on APM to ensure that application releases can meet real world conditions, operations will continue to monitor production environments, and business users will look at leverage APM metrics to gather business intelligence. As the application development lifecycle gets more automated, IT will expect APM products to integrate with the tool chain.
Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Riverbed
FOCUS ON END USER EXPERIENCE
End User Experience Management will extend its lead as the most critical dimension of APM. According to the Gartner 2015 Survey Analysis: End-User Experience Monitoring Is the Critical Dimension for Enterprise APM Consumers, 46% of respondents ranked EUEM first in importance vs. 33% for ITOA. In 2016, this lead will grow as more enterprises leverage products that can deliver an immediate, unified view of end user experience for mobile apps, cloud-delivered apps (including Shadow IT), and apps that run on virtualized environments.
Chief Product Evangelist, Aternity
In 2016, brand value will be more tightly linked than ever to technology reliability. Every brand in every vertical – from consumer packaged goods to healthcare – will be judged and valued based on the quality of the experience users have with their apps and websites. As the volume of machine data increases, and as the distance between competing apps and services decreases, monitoring performance and availability will be what distinguishes leaders from laggards. Organizations that monitor, measure, and value every transaction will gain more customers and earn new business from existing ones.
VP of Product, Big Panda
For 2016, I predict we'll see increased competition among APM vendors to address the needs of IT Operations leaders looking to incorporate real user experience more broadly into their unified monitoring strategy.
VP, Product Management, Zenoss
We're seeing a strong trend – customers want their infrastructure optimization to be driven by customer experience. As a result, 2016 is the year Application Performance Management moves into the "must-have" category for complex service assurance. Gaining insights with APM as to how different application components alongside power, network, compute, storage and middleware interact and perform will be critical for improving customer experience and maximizing return on investment.
Director of Product Marketing, SevOne
USERS DEMAND UNIFIED PLATFORM
The fundamental drivers of cloud, mobile, social and DevOps will cause more companies to recognize that APM/user experience requires a more strategic, holistic, platform-based approach to ensure successful outcomes.
Technology Analyst and Founder of TechTonics Advisors
People are tired of managing the high costs and low returns of having their application support staff manage incidents by having many monitors that publish events to an incident management system. Consolidated monitoring platforms will replace this old paradigm by aggregating all performance data, performing analytics on this data and providing a single view of health for all support teams. Solutions with consolidated monitoring support for self-service cloud deployments will be the leaders in this shift.
VP Products, SL Corporation
Consolidation of monitoring tools across five major platforms now accounts for more than 80 percent of the application monitoring market. In 2016, that percentage will continue to rise as environments become increasingly complex and the desire for "single pane of glass" monitoring increases, pushing IT departments to combine APM and holistic infrastructure monitoring.
Product Director, Comtrade System Software and Tools
Simplicity, power and unified visibility: Enterprises are dealing with immense tool fragmentation across the IT organization. Rather than invest heavily towards integrating disparate, best-in-class tools, they will look for simpler, yet powerful and unified platforms that give them visibility and diagnostics across all IT domains that deliver value quickly.
Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Riverbed
MOBILE APM CATCHES UP WITH CONVENTIONAL APM
Crowdsourced buyer intent data indicates Mobile APM is set to hit an inflection point in 2016. When I look at the reviews of APM solutions, I see a significant increase in research for mobile APM product reviews. We recently launched a new category for Mobile APM and have found this area to be one the fast growing topics on IT Central Station.
Founder and CEO, IT Central Station
Globally, more people are experiencing the internet via mobile devices, completely skipping the desktop-laptop stages. That will make not just Mobile APM but also the ‘device mesh’ more significant than ever in 2016. Irrespective of the devices, ISPs and, geographies, end users will expect seamless experience across all the device endpoints they use to access the applications. Moreover, they will also demand the applications to remember their last sessions and let them pick up the session from another device endpoint. The device endpoint categories will also explode as wearables and IoT further take off. Ensuring application performance across such increasingly diverse use cases will be challenging for the app providers and APM vendors alike.
Product Marketing Manager, AlertSite, SmartBear
Mobile usage has overtaken desktop, and the tools we use to measure mobile performance and user engagement have finally caught up. In 2016 we're going to see business owners embrace mobile performance measurement and harness the power of their user data to develop better mobile experiences. With the latest real user monitoring tools, business owners will understand how mobile users are interacting with their sites and mobile apps across a huge swath of metrics: bounce rate, session length, conversion rate, location, network connection, operating system, ISP, and more. Increasingly, site owners will even gather data around how users engage with specific page elements, such as spinners and animated features.
Senior Researcher & Evangelist, SOASTA
Application performance monitoring (APM) has become one of the key strategies adopted by IT teams and application owners in today’s era of digital business services. Application downtime has always been considered adverse to business productivity. But in today’s digital economy, what is becoming equally dreadful is application slowdown. When an application is slow, the end user’s experience accessing the application is negatively affected leaving a dent on the business in terms of commercial loss and brand damage ...
Useful digital transformation means altering or designing new business processes, and implementing them via the people and technology changes needed to support these new business processes ...
xMatters recently released the results of its Incident Management in the Age of Customer-Centricity research study to better understand the range of various incident management practices and how the increased focus on customer experience has caused roles across an organization to evolve. Findings highlight the ongoing challenges organizations face as they continue to introduce and rapidly evolve digital services ...
The new App Attention Index Report from AppDynamics finds that consumers are using an average 32 digital services every day — more than four times as many as they realize. What's more, their use of digital services has evolved from a conscious decision to carry around a device and use it for a specific task, to an unconscious and automated behavior — a digital reflex. So what does all this mean for the IT teams driving application performance on the backend? Bottom line: delivering seamless and world-class digital experiences is critical if businesses want to stay relevant and ensure long-term customer loyalty. Here are some key considerations for IT leaders and developers to consider ...
Through the adoption of agile technologies, financial firms can begin to use software to both operate more effectively and be faster to market with improvements for customer experiences. Making sure there is the necessary software in place to give customers frictionless everyday activities, like remote deposits, business overdraft services and wealth management, is key for a positive customer experience ...
For the past two years, Couchbase has been digging into enterprises' digital strategies. Can they deliver the experiences and services their end-users need? What pressure are they under to innovate and succeed? And what is driving investments in new technologies? ...
Adapting to new business requirements and technological shifts requires that IT Ops teams adopt a different viewpoint, and along with that, skills and culture. A survey by OpsRamp uncovered some common thinking among IT Operations leaders on how to address talent, budget, and data management pains amid digital disruption ...
Unexpected and unintentional drops in network quality, so-called network brownouts, cause serious financial damage and frustrate employees. A recent survey sponsored by Netrounds reveals that more than 60% of network brownouts are first discovered by IT’s internal and external customers, or never even reported, instead of being proactively detected by IT organizations ...
Digital transformation reaches into every aspect of our work and personal lives, to the point that there is an automatic expectation of 24/7, anywhere availability regarding any organization with an online presence. This environment is ripe for artificial intelligence, so it's no surprise that IT Operations has been an early adopter of AI ...


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FLINT, Mich—When Janay Young received a free Brita water filter earlier this month from the state government she immediately called the company’s customer service line to ask if it filtered out lead. (It does, but Young still has her doubts.) And though the city and state promise Flint water is now safe for bathing, Young, a nurse’s assistant, still heats up 10 bottles of water on the stove to give her toddler a bath every day.
“Over the past two years the government has said it’s safe to drink this water. But all along the water was testing high for certain things. And they were lying to us,” Young said.
Why should she believe them now?
That’s the struggle that government officials face in Flint, now that they are finally responding to the crisis. Residents were ignored after they complained, soon after the city switched its water source in2014 from Detroit’s Lake Huron supply to the Flint River, of odd-tasting and in some cases brown water. Over the past two years, bacteria, a carcinogen called TTHM, and, most dangerous of all, lead, showed up in dangerous levels in the water, even as the government insisted the water was safe.
Now, officials are distributing filters and bottled water to every resident and have switched the water source back to Lake Huron from the Flint River, while promising to fix the damage to the 700 miles of pipe that make up Flint’s water system. The top official at the state agency in charge of regulating the water resigned, and Gov. Rick Snyder has apologized several times.
But few in Flint believe anything the government says to them anymore.
“The complete lack of trust is justified and it’s now impeding the efforts of very well intentioned people to intervene and help,” said Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech scientist whose research first showed high levels of lead in Flint water, contradicting the assurances ofstate officials. “We’re getting calls from front-line relief workers who are asking us to talk to residents and tell them that it’s safe to bathe and shower and to use the lead filters that are being distributed to protect them.”
Edwards started a web site with his students to provide the people of Flint with information about the water, since residents’ trust in what government is telling them is “seriously broken.”
“That’s how low we’ve come, when a volunteer group of students running a website 13 hours away has more trust than all the agencies of the state and federal government combined,” he said.
Robert Bowcock, a water quality expert who works with environmental whistle-blower Erin Brockovich, said Flint residents would show the brown and red water coming out of their taps to government officials who would “come in with a straight face and say this water is safe to drink.”
“They were lied to by their city officials, they were lied to by the county officials, then they were lied to by the state,” Bowcock said. “It would take a saint a year to regain that trust, but I think it can be done.”
Some elected officials whose job it is to earn back residents’ trust themselves feel shaken and angry by the repeated failures that led to the crisis.
“I’ll tell you right now, my level of trust is just as bad as the residents’,” said Jim Ananich, a state senator who has lived in Flint his whole life. Ananich said that as a Democrat, he’s always believed that government can be a force for good in people’s lives. Now he’s not so sure.
“[The state’s] philosophy of government has now shaken mine,” Ananich said in the living room of the house he shares with his wife and newly adopted infant son. “It’s hard for me to even come up with words because I’m so angry and so frustrated about what happened.”
In this environment, conspiracy theories have blossomed. Several residents said they believe there is a plot in place to kick out all of the low-income people, re-do the city’s ailing pipes and other infrastructure, and then build developments for college students and wealthier people to live in. (Flint is home to at least five colleges.) In order to speed this plan, the water was tainted on purpose.
Believing that officials intentionally poisoned Flint residents in order to get rid of them is not a stretch for some, given the government’s apparent lack of concern until recently.
“Are you really trying to help me out or are you trying to run me away?” asked Roscoe Bond, a 59-year-old auto worker at the nearby GM plant and life-long Flint resident.
A Flint City Councilman echoed this theory that developers want to convert Flint from a mostly poor, minority city of 90,000 to a wealthy college town. “What happened when people didn’t leave fast enough? What did they do? They tainted our water,” Councilman Wantwaz Davis said in an interview last week.
Ananich, the state senator, says he understands why some people feel this way, because it’s scarier to confront the sheer indifference of one’s government than to believe in a nefarious land-grab plot.
“The reason there’s inaction is that people didn’t care enough,” Ananich said. “I’d want to believe something else, too. But it’s become unbelievably clear to me that our community was treated as a throwaway community.”


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Believe it or not, Leo's biggest turn-on is feeling desired. Leos are so terrific in bed because they're enchanted by seduction—both giving and receiving. Leos purr at the idea of being wanted, which is why sexy tension is so important to this ferocious fire sign.
Leo men crave affection and they are attracted to women who know how to show them love. If you want to make him chase you, be affectionate with him. Leo's love compliments, physical touch, and spending time together. Always let him know you care about him.
Compliment him often.
Compliment the Leo guy you fancy for all the things that make him special. You can flatter his looks, but don't be afraid to go deeper. He'll want to hear what makes him different from the rest, whether that be his sense of humor, his storytelling abilities, or his masterful artistic skills.
Being clingy is a surefire way to drive a Leo man away.
He'll appreciate that you let him do his own thing, and he might even miss spending time with you. This is also a great way to show off your independence and maturity.
Leo men crave warmth, touch, and intimacy.
Leos never shy away from PDA, so don't be afraid to hold his hand and give him plenty of public smooches. Constant petting makes your Leo feel like king, and he'll treat you like royalty in return. Leos love a good cuddle session.
Leo men are attracted to partners who are well-groomed and put together. Bonus points if you have a unique style. Confidence, charisma, and independence are important character traits to a Leo man—they suggest you can be a match for his own ambition and drive. Enthusiasm and creativity are also important.
Leo men love independent women. They don't want a woman who is clingy or needy. So, if you want to make him miss you, it's important that you show him that you're capable of taking care of yourself. Do things on your own and show him that you're not going to rely on him for everything.
Leos are known to be very ambitious and have a strong desire for power and authority. In relationships, they look for partners who support and encourage their dreams and don't hold them back. When in pursuit of a goal, Leos can be quite relentless and aggressive. So, if you love your Leo, learn to give 'em some space.
Almost every Leo adores being warmly desired, perhaps that's precisely why being ignored or snubbed is a major turn-off for the lions. Sagittariuses are known for being adventurers. So when dating a Sag, you should know that they tend to get easily bored.
Leo: Make That Kitty Purrrrr
Lions are naturally seductive, and the wooing game comes second nature to these fiery beasts. Lucky lovers taken by Leo will simply drown in lavish displays of affection. To catch regal Leo's eye, all you need to do is compliment him or her. Literally.
Leo's Favorite Body Part: The Heart And Spine
The back just might be where it's at for this fire sign. Next time you go in for a hug with your loved-up Leo, linger a while, running your fingers up and down their spine or in little circles.
It's all about the back. A Leo loves having hands wrapped around them, back massages, and soft touches up the spine. Any back action will get a Leo's endorphins going, including around the shoulders.
One of the worst things you could do to ruin your relationship with a Leo is by calling them needy or desperate. Leos consider themselves to be self-reliant and they are happy to be alone at times in their own private space.
Loyalty is one of the most important virtues for a Leo man, and he would like the love of his dreams to be a loyal partner to him. Once he is in love with a person, he will make it very obvious by showing off his partner to his friends and introducing them to friends and family.
As a fire sign, Leos love spontaneity and variety, even in their sex lives. This is a sign that constantly seeks new horizons—or with sex, new positions. To be completely irresistible to a Leo man, keep him on his toes and be the sexual partner that he can never quite predict.
He wants a woman that cares about her appearance and takes care of herself. He likes when she dresses sexy and her makeup is on point. He'll want to show her off to everyone and will get an ego boost when he sees other men eyeing her but knowing she's his. But he also likes when a woman is intelligent, kind and sweet.
Leo. "Fiery, passionate Leo's love language is definitely physical touch—these lovers need affection to be showered with affection," says Kavanagh. "They also appreciate quality time with their loved ones and words of affirmation, as Leos love to be loved in all ways."
As a Leo lover man, you are most compatible with women who love to be the center of attention and want to be the center of your life. The most compatible signs are Libras, Sagittarius, and Aquarians. A good match will be drawn in by your magnetic personality and natural leadership skills.
It is important for Leos to feel adored and appreciated by their partner. Thus, they are likely to regret ending a relationship with someone who gave them a lot of attention. But this won't happen often. Also, Leos don't change their mind too frequently.
Leo Man In Love and Relationships
He needs a partner who strokes his ego a bit and appreciates his expressive nature. A potential mate gains his affection by showing interest in what he enjoys; Leo will then reciprocate. This is a man who doesn't play games; instead, he wants to show off and dazzle you.
Who are Leos most compatible with? Leos tend to gravitate towards fellow fixed signs, Scorpio and Aquarius. Scorpios understand Leo's need for loyalty, and they both crave a lot of intensity when they're dating someone.
Send him a sweet "good morning" text or a "thinking of you" message sometime during the day. He'll see that he's been in your thoughts and be encouraged to pursue you. There's no need to get too explicit; just be earnest and a little suggestive if you're comfortable with that. "Good morning, handsome!

domain: psychology


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Shares of GameStop Corp. fell more than 3% in the extended session Wednesday after the specialty retailer reported mixed third-quarter earnings, showing a larger-than-expected quarterly loss and sales that were above estimates. GameStop said it lost $105.4 million, or $1.39 a share, in the quarter, compared with a loss of $19 million, or 29 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Sales rose to $1.3 billion from $1 billion a year ago, GameStop said, with growth in part attributed to “new and expanded brand relationships.” FactSet consensus called for a loss of 52 cents a share on sales of $1.19 billion for the company. Inventory was $1.14 billion at the end of the quarter as the company sought to front-load investments in inventory “to meet increased customer demand and mitigate supply chain issues,” GameStop said. The company ended the quarter with $1.41 billion in cash and equivalents and no debt other than a $46.2 million low-interest, unsecured loan, it said. Shares of GameStop ended the regular trading day down 2.3%. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Key Words: Warriors coach Steve Kerr rips Congress for inaction on gun control: ‘It’s pathetic’ - May 24, 2022
- Key Words: Gun-control groups respond to Texas shooting: ‘Schools should be sanctuaries of safety for our children, not where they go to die’ - May 24, 2022
- Death toll from Texas elementary school shooting rises to 18 children, 3 adults - May 24, 2022


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Words like audacious and ambitious will be used to describe the sprawling three hour saga from co-directors Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer. Based on a novel by British author David Mitchell, it’s a non-linear epic that connects six characters—make that souls—throughout different times in history. It is audacious and ambitious, and all those other “a” words, but I’d add another word to the mix—baffling.
Careening through history like a time machine with a broken steering wheel, the movie jumps from the Pacific Islands circa 1849 to 1973 San Francisco, to Cambridge and London in the 1930s and present day to Neo Seoul in 2144 to a time known as 106 years after the Big Fall.
The structure seems random at first, but as the running time ticks on connections begin to assert themselves and through lines emerge. Each story has a distinct look and feel—Neo Seoul is futuristic, present day London is pitched almost like Benny Hill meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—but share a common cast. Each actor plays many characters—to stop your mind from wandering you may find yourself playing a Where’s Waldo game, trying to identify the actors in their various guises.
Genders are bent and ethnicity skewed to make the point that each of these people are connected, their souls passed form one time frame to another. It’s as if we’re watching a history (and future) of civilization seen through a handful of people. “Our lives are not our own,” the film tells us, “we are bound to each other from womb to tomb.” In other words these characters are replaying their lives throughout eternity, raising questions of fate versus destiny.
It’s heady stuff, much of it, but while there are loads of ideas on display, only one is hammered home. The idea that we are all connected, while spiritually satisfying, is the most simplistic of the movie’s concepts. We get it in the first hour, it’s reinforced in the second and by the end of the third act you want to scream, “I know! I know! We’re all connected!”
It’s heavy handed concept wise, but there is much to enjoy here. The performances are strong. They have to be to battle with the nonlinear structure that sees these stories seemingly randomly cut and pasted together as the trio of directors slowly connect the story’s dots.
It’s a pleasure to see actors like Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent and Hugo Weaving push their boundaries. Hanks takes on multiple characters with fake teeth, fake hair and in one case, even a really fake accent.
The action scenes, however, are a let down. Surprisingly for directors who redefined movie action in their “Matrix” trilogy, the anticipated Wachowskis touch is missing in the bigger set pieces.
“Cloud Atlas” is a sincere attempt to bring a difficult novel to the screen, and even though the filmmakers include a scene where a critic is thrown off a balcony to his death, literally exploding in a gory gusher, I have to admire it’s scope, if not it’s execution.
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This Lancet editorial published on October 2 likened the flurry of bans that trailed the discovery of the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 to shooting down the harbinger of a very important message
On Nov 24, South Africa alerted the world to the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant, omicron (B.1.1.529). The omicron variant distinguishes itself from previous variants by harbouring in its genomic sequence 49 mutations (30 of which occur within the spike protein)—a jump from the 13 mutations found within the delta variant (B.1.617.2). More mutations does not intrinsically mean that a variant is more dangerous, but almost immediately omicron generated concern within the global health community regarding its transmissibility and ability to evade both vaccine-induced and natural immunity. The report of the new variant has caused national governments to react with the reintroduction of non-pharmaceutical measures and ramped up vaccine booster programmes in the hope of delaying the spread of omicron. Controversially, however, for some governments the immediate response was to issue travel bans against South Africa. The UK was the first to adopt such a proposal, and was swiftly followed by the USA, Israel, and others.
The bans are, ostensibly, aimed at preventing the spread of the omicron variant. The political rationale appears logical: governments want to provide a sense of security to their citizens, and a ban on travel appears a straightforward solution to do so. However, WHO advises against blanket travel bans, arguing that they do not succeed in preventing international variant spread. Instead, WHO states that such restrictions would have a detrimental impact on the targeted countries. By restricting travel from these areas, the economies of these countries will be harmed, and this in turn will hurt their ability to combat the pandemic. South Africa, therefore, is being punished for being the first country to raise the alarm.
The travel bans do not even appear to be effective in their aims. As of Nov 29, omicron cases have been detected in eight EU countries, as well as in Australia, Canada, the UK, and other regions. Most notably, Dutch health authorities identified the variant in samples taken on Nov 19 and Nov 23 (before the formal discovery of the variant). WHO official guidance also warns that travel bans might do more longer-term damage than their possible shorter-term benefit: punishing the country that discovers the variant could unintentionally discourage countries from sharing genomic data on new variants in the future. Inhibition of this crucial data sharing could be disastrous. Omicron is the latest variant but is unlikely to be the last. We cannot risk disincentivising nations from alerting the world to new variants. In fact, globally, we would benefit from upscaling genomic surveillance.
The COVID-19 Data Explorer on Our World in Data shows an uneven distribution of global surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants worldwide. Some regions, such as Denmark and Hong Kong, are sequencing at least half of their COVID-19 cases, searching for mutations. Most countries sequence zero cases, suggesting potential for global blind spots for variant emergence. South Africa, which has sequenced only 0·8% of its cases but discovered two variants (beta [B.1.351] and omicron), potentially provides a template for the national surveillance of infectious agents. In May 2020, the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa—a collection of laboratories, scientists, and academics institutions—was launched with the aim of sequencing SARS-CoV-2 samples to inform public health response in South Africa. The Network, writing in The Lancet Microbe in October, 2020, outlined their principles for the creation of such a network.
Increased global genomic surveillance of variants requires both international collaboration and the sharing of resources and expertise. And although recent results regarding the distribution of vaccines worldwide have not been encouraging, a special session of the World Health Assembly provides some hope. Convening in Geneva between Nov 29 and Dec 1, numerous world leaders met to discuss recommendations for improving global pandemic response. The most notable outcome was the agreement to develop an accord to govern pandemic response, including a commitment to the equitable distribution of diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines.
In addition to resources, countries will need assurances that they can report all findings without fear of reprisal. The genesis of variants, such as omicron, are (in part) the result of our unequal response to COVID-19. The large portions of the global population that remain unvaccinated present the greatest risk for mutations and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. So, while these people remain without a vaccine, the least we can do is stop penalising the countries that bring the consequences of our inaction to light.

domain: biology


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First of all, thank you for your patience. For six years, we held very loyally (and to many: stubbornly) to our signature Yellow-and-Black mega-metropolis interface that only just seems to get busier by the years.
Over the years, we have accumulated enough hate mails from the faint-hearted, generally blaming us for the tremendous overload of daily buzz going on within the network. However, through these same years, we have also made many very good friends, and in the pursuit of our belief, amassed a pool of loyal followers and partners who too believe in what we do.
It's important to know though that TAXI was started by creatives, for creatives. For a very simple reason -- we wanted to build a company that allows us to do what we love to, while making our lives in the process. So, if I can think of an 'official' explanation why we stayed so loyal to the Yellow-TAXI-madness, here goes -- 'TAXI was started because of a passion, not a purpose.'
So six years up, and tens of thousands of professional members later, we realized The Purpose is finally significant enough to match The Passion. And so, THE REDESIGN.
Inspired by the increasing volume of veteran designers, photographers, illustrators who signed up to our network over the past few months, the redesign began with the idea to combine the busy, contemporary, big-city urban vibe with the classic, old-school charm of traditional print media.
The design process began with an extensive research into the design philosophies of newspapers, magazines, galleries, and even product packaging, and then building and integrating these print elements with sophisticated, and cutting-edge technologies.
And if you're frustrated with the fact that almost Web 2.0 (which includes the tons of design portals) website out there look the same, trust us, we too. Also, not many of the old kids who we love to see hang out on our network, like the 'Web 2.0' look very much either. :)
Thus, the new edition of TAXI hope to provides our creative readership and membership a unique visual experience they can associate with creatively.
First, on the name -- yes, and no. We started as TAXI Design Network, a design-focused network. But over time, TAXI Design Network became the online home to the portfolios of many creative practitioners beyond the fields of design -- photographers, illustrators, artists, stylists, advertising creatives, artist reps, you name it. So to better cover the scope of our ever-growing network, the change to the new name "TAXI: The Global Creative Network" was almost inevitable.
The new logo did not happen overnight either. Over the years, even though we stayed true to our website grid, loyal followers of TAXI would have observed the progressive evolution of the TAXI branding. So this new logo, with the launch of the new website, came naturally to us. The new logo, the four giant characters T A X I, works in line with our drive to connect with creative practitioners around the world in a more easily-recognized, straightforward presentation, similar to how the word 'TAXI' works universally.
The website targets to serve our professional membership, our global network of established professionals, including photographers, illustrators, advertising art directors, designers and artists, a more efficient platform to promote their works, and a more user-friendly communication channel for clients and buyers to navigate and contact these professionals.
The new website also aims to provide our members with an efficient platform great enough to use as their primary website, with significant built-in convenience. For instance, by simply updating their portfolio works, they can immediately export their resume/portfolio into PDF, notify their base of contacts, as well as have the updated information translated into foreign languages Simplified Chinese, and Japanese. We even have your personal offline update assistant who'd help you update your portfolio based on your preferred sources for you! These features allow the members to market their works further, and with much more ease than ever before.
Before I end, I'd like to use this opportunity to thank my wonderful team members for putting this all together. You guys are simply wonderful. I hope you all enjoy the in-office 'bonding' sessions over lunch.
Also, to all the previous editors of TAXI who have helped craft the direction of TAXI over the years, friends, advertisers, our world-class partners, you have been great support.
Last, but definitely not least, thanks to our never-say-die programming crew who condensed the original 6-month production timeline to less than 30 days (We know the crazy schedule you guys are going through!), we look forward to building more ground-breaking projects with you.
So now, moving forward, we hope you'd enjoy the network now even more now as we work hard to build yet another important chapter for the multi-disciplinary creative industry.

domain: design


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Jane Campion's Bright Star is a gorgeous, beautiful romance, a story of love between the legendary John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his muse, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). Co-starring Kerry Fox and Paul Schneider, Bright Star is a sumptuous period piece that doesn't feel like a costume drama. It is a timeless love story brought to life by an amazing screenplay by the writer and director of The Piano. She sat down with us recently to discuss the film.
MovieRetriever: When I was doing research, the first post on the IMDB message board struck me. It was "Is Jane a feminist filmmaker?" How would you answer that user?
JANE CAMPION: (Long pause.) That's a loaded comment, isn't it? In the sense that I'm led by doctrine, no. When I look at this film, I think you can see that I'm interested in seeing it from Fanny's point of view. And there's the sense that it's simply because I'm a woman and there aren't a lot of women out there making movies. So it seems unusual to see things from their own sex's point of view. In fact, it's pretty common. (Laughs.). If fifty percent of directors were women, then fifty percent of the material we received in the world would be more even. But it's kind of sad that it's unusual.
MovieRetriever: Why is it that way? Why is it such a boy's club?
CAMPION: Interestingly, it's probably to do with the money. In our countries – Australia, New Zealand – all finance comes from the government. As a friend of mine said, "Feminism has no natural predators in Australia and New Zealand." It took the place by storm. The early feminists in the film industry insisted on equal representation. You're ALL paying taxes and you want an equal share of the money. That was a real concern early on. The fact is that we're all being shortchanged by not seeing as much from a female point of view.
MovieRetriever: Do you think it's gotten better since you started?
CAMPION: No. That's a misconception. These situations are far more conservative than you realize. It's very, very entrenched. In the women as well.
MovieRetriever: Women holding themselves back?
CAMPION: Ideas about what's attractive between women. This idea that men should be dominant and women should be submissive leads to very different ideas of themselves in the world. The director is a dominant position. It's a relationship and women really value relationships. I'm guessing. More diversity would be really great. Guys can be really sensitive too. It's nothing like that. It's something else. I don't think women own sensitivity.
MovieRetriever: Let's talk about Bright Star. There's a credit that reads an Original Screenplay but credits a biography as a main source. How much does it stick to the already-published information?
CAMPION: I was very informed by it. That and deciding to imaginatively explore it from Fanny's point of view, for which there isn't much information. Basically, I've strayed right off there. I'm doing my own "Ballad of Fanny and Keats." There are so many ways to get involved in the Keats story and this was the one that I thought was the broadest. The one that I thought I wanted to tell in two hours. It had a lot of detail ... the detail came from stuff we do know about the timeline for Keats, what was happening. We have such a lot of it because Keats' brother George saved these long letters from him. He talked about when he met [Fanny].
MovieRetriever: It starts with an interest in Keats and trying to find a story to tell about him? Where's the origin?
CAMPION: Reading the biography and not knowing much about him and feeling him come to life. Wading through some of the earlier analysis and coming across this love story. The letters are really what she read. I was very moved by it. Of course, the outcome and the innocence and purity.
MovieRetriever: I love the innocence and purity. There's a beautiful moment after their first kiss when they play a child's game, a variation on Mother May I.
CAMPION: They just made that up. They're incredibly special actors. Wait, I guess that was my idea. I was driving through the streets and saw some school kids playing and thought that would be a great way to come back from wherever they were after that kiss.
MovieRetriever: Let's talk about Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw. How did you choose them?
CAMPION: Through the audition process. I knew both of them beforehand and they were both very taken by the story. Abbie felt that the story really got into her and came to her. The way they approached the auditions was very passionate and compelling. Ben was well-known. Abbie had done Somersault [and] Candy. We were all aware of her being a strong young talent. I was looking for an English person but she had this streak of independence, this in-touchness with her own intuition that was powerful. I really loved that. And Ben, I had heard that he had done this amazing Hamlet when he was quite young. I didn't see it but I felt hopeful because one of the qualities I needed in Keats was someone you could imagine had written those poems – the intelligence and sensitivity.
MovieRetriever: What about Paul Schneider?
CAMPION: I think he's fabulous. I saw him in All the Real Girls. I noticed him and thought, "God, he's unusual. He's intimate. He's sensitive." And then I was a judge on the Venice jury and saw The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Amazing. All the performances were amazing. And he was SO different. I thought he could do character in a really subtle way. I rang Paul up and spoke to him and asked if he would do an audition and he said that he still had the ticket stub from The Piano in his wallet that he carried around because it was the reason he went to art school. He did a rough Scottish accent in his audition but I loved the way that he talked about it and it was for me a lot more aggressively connecting with his role and what he might do with it than a lot of the English actors [I saw].
MovieRetriever: You've got actors from all over the world.
CAMPION: One English, one American, one Australian.
MovieRetriever: Did you worry about bringing them all into a believable space?
CAMPION: Of course you do. I guess my job is to bring clarity and direction. And hire a very good voice coach.
MovieRetriever: Did you have a long rehearsal process?
CAMPION: Three weeks, which is actually unusual and long. And we had a very good voice coach. It sort of worked in a way that it helped them to make it feel natural. Certainly, the accents weren't there to begin with. Once you start, it's got to happen.
MovieRetriever: How much research do you encourage? Did Ben go and read everything Keats wrote?
CAMPION: Ben had the biggest challenge. Abbie did some sewing, Paul did some reading, but, for Ben, it was intimidating with Keats' output being so enormous. He read the biography. We got various people who we thought were good interpreters of Keats' work and had Ben meet with them to discuss. I recommended some ideas of ways to do things and had a friend who I think had a juicy way of interpreting the period and ways that I would make available to him, but, even still, it was really scary. We said, "Look, you've just got to give him your love. It's the best you can do."
MovieRetriever: Do you worry about the film not finding a large audience?
CAMPION: I can't concern myself. We have to try. Diversity in the world is attractive to me. You have to be a soldier for it. You can't go, "Oh well, I guess I'll do Batman." I mean, you could. But, I think if you love and respond to something then people will too if they get the opportunity. This is not a very difficult film. It's an accessible film. We've proved that in Cannes. It has a very wide response. You just have to have access to your emotions and you can enjoy this movie. It's incredibly accessible. My daughter, friends, people who know nothing about Keats – they just love it. It's a very emotional story. Just come and it will be fine.
MovieRetriever: That's a good tagline – Just come and it will be fine.
CAMPION: More than fine. Thrilling. (Laughs.)


text:
Sometimes considered home to the best beaches in Spain, Benidorm has been a popular destination for British sun seekers since the 1970s. Offering blue flag beaches, stunning weather, great water sports options, sandy beaches and crystal blue waters, Benidorm is a fantastic destination choice at any time of year and great for the whole family. Known as the sunrise beach, Levante Beach is great for those looking for fun in the sun. Nearby, there are a many bars of restaurants and night time venues.
Camera en vivo Benidorm – playa de Poniente

domain: geography


Thermaltake has announced a new duo of mid-tower cases dubbed the Versa G1 and Versa G2. Thermaltake new entry-level mid-tower cases are ideal for home-computer builders and gamers alike, the cases allows enough space for high-end hardware and expansion.
The Versa G1 and Versa G2 comes with ventilation options, it has a cleanable air filter and a front bezel that helps to keep the entire system cool and dust-free. They both have a frame size with extensive options to customize user’s computer or gaming system.
It has the ability to accommodate a standard ATX motherboard, long graphics cards up to 32cm such as the nVidia GTX690, it can support up to six 3.5-inch (5 internal and 1 external), one internal 2.5-inch and three external 5.25 drive bays. The mid-tower cases features a black-finished steel construction to unify the look and advanced cable management to grant a better air flow in the chassis.
The front bezel is perforated for maximum air intake, along with the cleanable air filter helps to reduce dust in the system; ensuring users equipment is efficiently cooled and reliable.