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The Make it in Great Britain exhibition, brainchild of business minister Mark Prisk, was launched at the Science Museum on Tuesday. TM speaks to some of the exhibitors to find what they make and why they got involved.
On your radar – Raytheon UK
Raytheon UK is the division of a large US company that makes air traffic control products, including the classic spinning radar turret, and other things based on radar technology.
“In the UK we build the secondary surveillance radar, a specific part of that system. We’ve exported 500 systems worldwide,” says Richard Daniel, managing director of Raytheon UK.
“The products take us to the next generation in radar detection,” he adds. “We’ve concentrated on providing a very reliable and long range capability. Recent trials show that we can see aircraft over 300 miles away.”
Raytheon UK, with 1,200 employees in Britain, has sister facilities in Canada (primary radar) and the US (automation systems). Its history in UK goes back to A.C. Cossor, a company involved in the chain Home Air Defence system in World War II.
“We produce the receivers and really set the [global] standard for monopulse secondary surveillance radars, most of which are produced here in UK,” says Mr Daniel. “We are possibly the last of the air traffic control radar producers in the UK.”
There are three manufacturing sites in the UK: Glenrothes, which does research in silicon carbide and manufacturing mainly for export; Harlow, which makes GPS anti-jam products, and ATC radars for IFF – Identification of Friend or Foe; and Broughton that make special mission aircraft like the RAF’s Sentinel.
Yamazaki Mazak – machines to make things
Some visitors will be surprised to find out the UK not only sells Japanese machine tools like CNC turning machines, but that we make them here too.
Marcus Burton, managing director of Yamazaki Mazak in Worcester says “we were very pleased to be selected as one of the 40 companies for this exhibition.”
Mazak is displaying a CNC (computer numeric control) turning machine on show. “It will show people who are not familiar with this how to make products,” says Mr Burton. “Cutting machines are at the heart of all manufacturing, whether making a mould for plastic tooling, or machining any part – this will open people’s awareness of machine tools.”
Is the exhibition good value for money? “There is a cost in transport and our time, but the machine is not here to promote us necessarily, its all about the British economy and manufacturing,” he adds. “If we all get behind these efforts perhaps we’ll get more of a real renaissance of manufacturing that the minister [Vince Cable] talked about.”
Mazak has been manufacturing machines in the UK for more than 25-years. “We make a lot of effort to get our message across, yet even today people think we just import and sell machines. We are manufacturing – 50% of all machines installed in Europe are made in the UK. We do our own R&D, our own machine designs for the European market and have a very modern assembly shop.”
The European market is 30% of Mazak’s global business. How is business given the eurozone’s woes? “Business has held up well – we had a remarkable recovery last year after the recession driven by our German customers shipping product out to Asia,” says Burton. “It has slowed a little bit this year but has held up well.
“Everyone is nervous about the eurozone situation, and as we go into the holiday period, September will be a key indicator.”
Jaguar Land Rover shows off its computer power
Jaguar Land Rover’s story has been well documented in recent months. At the exhibition, the entire exhibition – comprising an array, canopy, virtual demonstrator and screen – were custom made for Make it in Gt Britain (MiiGB).
The stand has an interactive, touch screen system that shows how a car is made, from the ‘Big Idea’ to the finished car. “It shows within minutes that this process takes four years, showing all the stages in between including the virtual design phase,” says Jeegar Kakkad, UK government affairs manager for Jaguar Land Rover. “We spend 1.5 million hours virtually designing a car before it makes any particular product.”
Jo Lopes, head of technical excellence at JLR, says the exhibit, made by Elelment Systems in the US, is designed to explain a complex process to different age groups. “We’ve put the whole process in to layman’s terms. It shows there is 2,500 years of computer time in the 24-month period before building any components.”
Mr Lopes explains there is little difference in design and simulation time between a new model and a variant of an existing model. “If a car has a similar undercarriage but new body work, all the crash calculations have to be redone again.”
What does JLR expect to get from the exhibition?
“We’ve invested not only financially but a lot of time, scoping and creating the exhibit from scratch,” says Lopes. “I hope it will engage with visitors of all ages – the hope is they go away with a better understanding that an automotive business goes through these stages.”
People generally buy a car from a dealership and drive away with little thought about the process behind it.
“This exhibit is saying the machine you’re driving away was visualised and planned four years ago. This, and exhibits like it, should stimulate a deeper understanding of the complexity of engineering within the auto industry. Like other advanced manufacturing industries, there is a huge number of people employed in many different areas. Its money well spent.”
Evac + Chair – small company with a global name
Birmingham-based Evac + Chair makes what appears to be a cleverly-designed but low tech product. The evacuation chair works on a friction-based system, controlling the descent down stairs when moving injured or old people from hazardous areas. It is a market-leader selling in 35 countries. The company has three UK sites employing about 75 people.
“About 80% of product is exported, from the UK across the northern hemisphere,” says Evac+Chair’s Paul Colder. The company makes the products through a South African company to market to the southern hemisphere.
“We are the largest supplier in the world and distribute to about 35 countries. It’s quite a success story for a small company in Birmingham,” Mr Colder adds.
Evac+Chair is unusually highly integrated for an small business. “Everything you see we control, we own,” he says. “We’re the ‘metal bashers’ making the frame, we own the powder coating company, the [seat and back cover] fabric is made by our textiles company in Telford. The beauty of this is we can control quality of the product every time.”
“We reversed the trend about 17-years ago from outsourcing to insourcing” says the company’s Mark Wallace. “We feel we’re in control of our destiny and we still believe we can manufacture cheaper than China.”
The chair is simple but clever, a seat with a rotating leg configuration which brings the next wheeled leg into line as the chair descends a staircase. Is the IP protected? “Some designs are registered, but the main patent expired in 2002,” says Mr Wallace. “Because of the length of time we’ve been making it there are a lot of nuances in the manufacture,” says Mr Colder. “Everybody can copy a drawing from someone else, but while it may look the same it doesn’t operate exactly the same. Unless you have exactly those components in the product, imitations won’t work in every evacuation scenario in the same way that ours does – and I’ve tested some.”
Evac+Chair is a good example of a ‘manuservices’ company. A training division (for operating the chair) has spawned from the product, as well as a product service division to provide life-cycle care to customers. “When you buy the product we look after the customer for life, as a part of a package,” says Colder.
Beam me up – Axon Automotive
Dr Stephen Cousins runs Axon Automotive, a UK company perfecting a new approach to car manufacture. The small vehicle can use a range of powertrains, internal combustion and electric, but the different is in the shell which is made from carbon fibre beams, reducing weight radically.
Axon’s technology is in making these beams. “We look at a car as a set of beams with big holes in between for windscreens, doors and the engine bay. This technology is ideal for making cars, then you clad it with panels.” Mass scale carmakers stamp sheets of aluminium and other carbon fibre cars are normally made from woven sheets too, so Axon’s is a specific technology designed to make car structures stronger and lighter. A polyeurethane material, chosen for noise, vibration and manufacturing properties, fills the beams.
On MiiGB, “we thought it was a great thing to be involved with and we’re pleased with the way they’ve staged one of our vehicle structures,” says Dr Cousins. The car structure is suspended vertically from the ceiling.
On value for money he says: “It has been fairly expensive for us to make it but we need a really good demonstration vehicle structure, and we can use it after the exhibition.”
“We have no real idea who is going to see this exhibit,” he laughs. “We’re trusting that putting our bread on the water some people – both the general public and the Government – will see it and see how real it is.” Axon Automotive is applying for funding from the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative and Cousins hopes its presence at MiiGB will help.


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BACKGROUND: On Friday, October 15th, Member of the UK Parliament, Sir David Ames was holding his regular surgery (opportunity to bring cases to their MP by the public) in Leigh-on-Sea, within his Southend West constituency when he was stabbed and killed by Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old of Somali heritage, who had made an appointment to see him and traveled 50 miles from London to commit the act. He is now in police custody. The MP Jo Cox was assaulted and killed in similar circumstances in 2016 and the weekend UK media is full of debate how to prevent further occurrences.
Surgeries in Public
I was outraged to hear of the murder of Sir David Ames MP as he held a public surgery in his constituency. Many across the political spectrum have been fulsome in praise of his assiduous availability to hear issues raised by his constituents.
Coming within five years of the murder of Jo Cox MP and of abusive trolling on social media, I hear a rising clamour to increase security, vet attendees and even suspend face-to-face meetings to avoide firther such tragedies. I believe any such actions to be misplaced, as they would damage the democracy upon which society depends.
As well as 59 MPs, Scotland elects 129 MSPs, and ten times that number of councillors, all of whom hold public surgeries. In my own eighteen years as councillor representing North Berwick, I held over 800 surgeries. To make sure people knew they were public, I held them on two chairs at the foot of steps leading to the Council Chambers in Quality Street, with a plaque on the wall saying “The Councillor is IN”, visible to all passing. Half the resulting chats were social, not ward issues. I found this delightful, as I believe the best representation comes through interaction. In this, I hope I was following Sir David’s superb example.
Retiring indoors, only to discuss private matters, I did experience heated exchanges that rose to abuse on two occasions. But only one required a half-nelson and bum’s rush to resolve. In my old-fashioned view, exposure to risk 0.1% of the time was part of doing the job properly.
I appreciate not all elected feel as safe, much less up for robust self-defence. But it would be a sad day when they could not mingle with local residents, or be isolated by security or pre-booking systems.
Today (Sunday, October 10th) Business Secretary Kwarsi Kwarteng was doing the rounds of the politics talk shows, trying to pour renewables (rather than oil) on the troubled waters of the badly overheated natural gas market. Wholesale prices, which started at 60p a Therm in January recently rocketed as high as £4.00, before settling back at £2.40.
Households are, to some extent, protected from immediate rises in their bills by a “cap” that is adjusted each October and April, above which suppliers may not raise their prices to consumers. As the cap is set two months in advance, the true impact on consumers will only be revealed in February.
“I am convinced the UK will not suffer gas shortages in the coming months and that the price cap on consumers’ energy bills will not be moved this winter.”
—Business Secretary Kwarsi Kwarteng, Trevor Phillips On Sunday Show
Of more immediate concern is the fact that industrial users have no such protection. Ceramics, glass, fertiliser, brickworks and steel mills are only a few of the many industries that may be forced to stop production as uneconomic, or pass on price rises that will hit consumers other than in their energy bills. But even the “Big Six” gas retailers will be unable to absorb much of such rises as they will be tasked with supplying customers of a dozen smaller energy retailers who have collapsed.
Other than putting out soothing words that supply is not an issue and homes will continue to be heated, Secretary Kwarteng made it clear there would be neither adjustment of the consumer cap process, nor extension of it to business, nor any government bale-out of gas retailers who went to the wall. Unlike many other issues besetting the UK economy like trade impediments, shortages in key workers and erratic supply chains, it would be wrong to assign the blame for this to Brexit.
What it does, however, have in common with the repercussions of Brexit is that both can be ascribed to the lack of long-term thinking and strategic planning on the part of the government, especially the department of which Secretary Kwarteng is the minister.
Reduced North Sea Production. While the gas once seemed plentiful, 40 years of relying on it has depleted stocks; but 2019 only 40% of UK gas consumption was coming from territorial waters, with another 33% coming from Norway. The rest arrived indirectly from Russia or LPG ships.
Control of Production went out the window early with the sale of BNOC. But even British companies now account for barely one quarter (BP 12%; Shell 12%). The two largest are US-owner Harbour (23%) and French-owned Total (17%).But all are private international operations outside UK government control. But all these companies (and a half-dozen smaller competitors) are about to pocket a serious windfall in profits, made at our expense in UK territorial waters.
Overoptimistic Projections. For the last decades, Tory governments have consistently projected that fracking, nuclear and renewables would reduce UK dependency on the North Sea in general and gas in particular.
Insufficient Storage. It is good practice not to live hand-to-mouth and have reservesto buffereither interruption in supply or price hikes, such as we are now experiencing. As examples, Germany stores 250 Terawatts; Italy 195 Tw and most other European countries have more than the UK’s 20 Tw. If this seems low, that’s because in 2017 the government chose not to replace 70 Tw in Centrica’s offshore storage, cutting the UK’s buffer down to less than a week’s of demand.
The Wholesale Market. While the government largely blames this for the price paid in the UK, they are being disingenuous. What they are referring to is the spot market, where price fluctuations are a way of life. The way to avoid this is by “hedging”, which is negotiating a price for future delivery at an agreed fixed price. Most of the “Big Six” are hedged into 2023. Russian suppliers recommend this approach and countries like Germany use hedging as a matter of course. Which is why they are paying €137 per unit while Britain is averaging €245.
Global Demand. Gas storage was emptied last winter due to strong demand, exacerbated by relatively weak renewables generation and strong underlying power demand. Power and gas demand has also been strong in Asia which pulls LNG away from Europe. This has combined with a global supply crunch and limited injections this summer, resulting in record-low stocks as we enter the heating season.
The Impact of Covid. Dealing with lockdown caused delays to new projects and maintenance, notably to maintenance of the Forties Pipeline System in the UK central North Sea, which was postponed from 2020 This resulted in the shutdown of supply from all connected 67 offshore fields, while further work on other parts of the system throughout the year meant field clusters such as Elgin/Franklin, Shearwater, and ETAP were all offline for longer.
Departmental Musical Chairs. The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, created in 2008 to focus on this sector. It was the latest of five incarnations since 1964. It was replaced in 2016 by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has a much wider brief, and therefore less focus. There have been four different Secretaries since 2019. Secretary Kwarteng has clocked jut 9 months in the post.
None of the above points lead directly to the present untenable situation. Even taken all together, they need not have led to this situation. But what is clear is that none of them were unknowns several months ago, and that a plan to anticipate rocketing demand should have been a priority. The idea of Secretary Kwarteng meekly following Boris Johnson’s wheeze of “letting industry tough it out” and hoping the cap will hold down consumer discontent until the Spring, when it will all have blown over seems optimistic at best and irresponsible at worst.
We have been gas-umped and there is little we can do about it. But that makes it all the more urgent that a coherent plan of transition to renewables for the long term and more sensible management of energy for the medium term to avoid getting gas-umped again.
“… to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
—US Declaration of Independence
It is hard for anyone who believes in democracy to fault this fine statement of principle. Americans are justly proud of both the spirit and the letter of it, having had it dinned into them at school.
While I commend and support its sentiment, even as an outsider with many friends and 16 years of residence in the States, I am compelled to make comment on how far Americans have drifted from its core premise, while they still believe their democratic credentials remain the envy of the world.
The prime flaw is simply the document’s age and that of the Constitution founded upon it. Brilliant as both were, the context in which they were formulated was late 18th century colonial America, where 13 states with barely a million inhabitants, occupying a barely civilised strip of land between the forested Appalachians and the Atlantic Ocean communicated by horse and wagon. Other than that, they differed considerably—from the puritan North, the slave-owning South, with nascent metropolises of Philadelphia and New York in between.
This week, Republicans in the Senate blocked Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure bill and vetoed a Democrat attempt to raise the debt ceiling. Together, this may shut down the US government by mid-November. This would not be the first time, as similar tactics blocked both Clinton and Obama and paralysed the federal government. This is just one, albeit massive, example of how the US political system, for all its meritorious origins and high regard in which many Americans hold it, is no longer fit for purpose. Trump’s antics have brought it to breaking point. And if it does break, it is not just the USA that will come down with a crash. Here are some thoughts on salient issues:
“All men are created equal”. This sounds great and, in freeing them from the shackles of a class system, omce served its purpose. But it did not apply to non-whites or females, and certainly not to slaves. Women had to wait until 1919 and Native Americans until 1924 to become full citizens African Americans made progress in 1865 but it was a century later that those in Southern States gained equality. Though it tool two centuries, US society did catch up with its founding principles in the end.
Office of the President Trump played fast and loose with this, showing how weak the “separation of powers” clause had become. The office was made powerful when the country was small. The powers available were little abused by 43 presidents who respected the office. Trump, with no such morals, showed how far they could be abused. Hamilton’s clause about impeachment is a bent reed, when the Senate colluded in running any such effort into the sane. A solution to this is too complex for a blog, but this imbalance and potential for abuse must be addressed.
Congress has become a plutocracy and doesn’t even hide this fact. Whereas Congress was once a collection of landowners and farmers with a smattering of industrialist and intellectuals, nobody gets elected to the House or Senate without serious funding of a professional campaign. Current estimates are that it takes $19.4 million to win a Senate seat. A House seat comes in relatively cheap at $1.6 million. This means nobody but billionaires get elected without being obliged to people and organisations, some of whom want the favour returned. (see: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/11/the-price-of-winning-just-got-higher-especially-in-the-senate/)
The Senate is a gross anachronism and affront to democracy. Both House and Senate must agree to legislation. While the number of Representatives elected to the House is regularly revised to reflect the population in each state, only two Senators are elected per state. When there were only 13 roughly equal-sized states, this worked fine. However, these days, it takes the population of the 22 smallest states to equal the population of California. They get 44 Senators; California gets 2. In fact 51 Senators from the least populous states form a majority, having been elected by just 18% of the US population. The reason this outrage to democracy has not been corrected is that they are nearly all Republicans—turkeys reluctant to vote for Christmas.
Procedure in both House and Senate are arcane and archaic. The Speaker is powerful but partisan because they do not relinquish party loyalties when selected. Anyone can attach anything to any bill; it need not be relevant—even the threat of doing this is a bargaining chip. And the filibuster lives on as a nuclear option to block the passage of legislation. The place alienates and confuses those it should serve
The two-party system is institutionalised. Although it is legally possible for a third party to emerge, even populist Ralph Nader in the 1970s and billionaire Ross Perot in the 1980s failed. Voters must register as one or the other and the massive funding is controlled by the parties, so inertia is huge. Since the 1990s, both parties have been locked in barren hostility that has gone as far as closing down the government.
The Judiciary, the third leg of the “separation of powers” is political. All nine members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President for life. Replacements are chosen for sympathies to those of the President and, by interpreting federal law, have impact long after the President who appointed them is long gone. Decisions momentous to ordinary lives, such as “Roe v. Wade” which legalised abortion, last for decades.
Checks and balances outside are almost non-existent, especially when it comes to foreign policy. Because of shared conviction that American democracy cannot be improved on, its actions and influence in the world must ipso facto be benign. Quite apart from the subsuming of the plains indians, the Mexican War of 1848 that stole most of the West from them and the Spanish War of 1898 that garnered Puerto Rico, Guam & the Philippines and made Cuba a vassal state, there was the Monroe Doctrine that forbade any other power to interfere in the Americas and the convenient hiving off of Panama from Colombia to exercise sovereignty over the canal that was then built. There was no challenge to any of this.
Anti-colonialism. Having sought freedom from colonial masters, American folklore is that it is a beacon for those seeking independence. For years, various presidents lectured the British and French on this. Yet their own record is poor, if not hypocritical. The US annexed Hawaii, ignoring a kingdom already there. They fought a brutal war against an independence movement in the Philippines. Puerto Rico is still a colony without democratic representation 123 years after being “liberated” from Spain. If given statehood, it would be bigger than 18 of the existing states, and entitled to at least five representatives in the House and two Senators.
This is not meant to disparage the United States. It is a fine, modern country—still offering the highest level of prosperity to its 330 million citizens. But its politics are neither modern, nor fit for purpose in an advanced society facing the 21st century. Any constitution, no matter how well conceived and crafted cannot still be 100% relevant 232 years later. The anachronistic 2nd Amendment about bearing arms is just the tip of the iceberg.
Influential Americans must start recognising just how far their country has drifted from the ideals of the founding fathers. Commentators and politicians seem unable to acknowledge this fact. The otherwise disastrous Trump presidency may actually have done thoughtful Americans a favour by demonstrating how fragile a system devised for a million ex-colonists could be abused by an unprincipled egotist with money two centuries later.
For the five years since the EU referendum result, there has ben an ever-increasing drum-beat of good news emanating from Downing Street and its environs in the shape of interviews, press releases, statements to the House and articles in loyal publications from the Telegraph to the Spectator. The invariable theme is how much better Britain is now doing—whether in trade opportunities, diplomatic standing, or generally “punching above our weight” as a country.
All this was achieved while fighting the Covid virus by rolling out a ‘world-beating” vaccine programme, at the same time the “levelling up” agenda blew great gaps in the “Red Wall” of Labour seats across Northern England. Such success was binding Scotland ever closer in the union, in contrast to Wales and Ulster, neither of whom were showing the least inclination towards leaving.
To Tory faithful—amd a goodly number who had never voted Tory before—this was soothing reassurance in difficult times. Brexit had bred much uncertainty, adding to the strain and constraints of life under lockdown. But Boris Johnson’s blonde mop top bounced with irrepressible vision of Churchillian sunlit uplands we would all inhabit.
Unfortunately, too many of these rosy projections—from “pandemic over by Christmas” to “oven-ready” solutions to social care turned out to be founded on groundless optimism. Only a weak parliamentary opposition allowed the UK government to posit a stream of spurious assertions to reassure business and punters alike through a pliant media.
This was exacerbated by a virtual blackout of any comparisons with abroad—either in dealing with Covid or sustaining the economy. The mantra was:
“Brexit is finally letting Britain stand tall, without bureaucratic interference from Brussels. It would only be a matter of time before the UK regained its rightful leading place in the world, basking in the special relationship we always had with the USA.”
While visiting the UN in New York, Boris took credit for America easing 18 months of travel restrictions for Britons the country and asserted his government were clearly ahead in creating jobs and prosperity because “the OECD have projected that Britain now has the fastest GDP growth rate for this year in the G7”.
This correct but, like most Johnsonian pronouncements, misleading.
How so, if this is factually correct? Well, during the worst of the pandemic, government statements, via a pliant media, carried the story that the UK was dealing with Covid better than anyone. That Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and many other places suffered few cases and far fewer deaths, was under-reported. The UK did hear of Italy’s terrible outbreak at the start and how slow vaccine roll-out was in the EU. But when the EU performance overtook the UK, reporting went dark.
Now, in the run-up to COP-26, the focus has moved to economic recovery. To hear the UK government tell it, nobody is recovering better than Britain. Looking at OECD projections for this year only appears to validate this (Table 1).
That might look conclusive. But haud oan jist a wee mnnit: isn’t this view rather narrow, taking in just one year? And where are China, Russia and India, not to mention a host of dynamic Asian tigers? Looking at full OECD stats might not change relative order, but it does put world ranking in perspective, as shown in Table 2.
Britain is doing fairly well in fifth place. China and Spain both have higher projected growth than the UK. But neither are G7 members. More importantly, this is just a one year snapshot; taken out of context. Looking back to the Brexit decision, when Britain started to plan its unimpeded future should show the growth potential beginning, Even with recession in economies caused by Covid, if Britain truly achieved a better response than elsewhere, this should show up as less of a ‘hit’ to UK prosperity. Comparisons over the five years to date should show how well economies had been managed through these difficult times. OECD data, ranged by change over that time are shown in Table 3.
That paints a poorer picture of UK economic achievement by this present Conservative government. But it gets worse. Their insistence that Britain would prosper if freed from the shackles of the EU does not apply to parts of the UK. Indeed they are at pains to stress benefits to Scotland staying in a union with England and painted a picture of dire economic consequences, were it to leave. Scotland often compares itself to nearby countries of similar size enjoying close ties to Europe and comes to a much different conclusion. Who is right?.
Table 4 replaces other G7 members with such nearby countries, again ranking by GDP growth over the same five years as above in Table 3.
Here, the UK clearly comes of worst of all, for three reasons:
Sluggish growth for three years after the Brexit decision—UK economy was not at the races even before Covid hit.
Larger-than-anyone-expected drop in UK GDP, due to poorer and more erratic manner of Covid lockdowns
Rebound growth this year comparable to others, but due to having lost so much ground in the first place.
By making a more expansive discussion of OECD statistics, as illustrated above, it is clear to see why the present UK government would do all it can to suppress detailed comparisons with other countries—whether G7 members or even small neighbours. Gullible Britain is buying false goods from a government keener on offering obfuscation than serious progress reports
But the day of reckoning cannot be far off. Exports and imports are both down, due to much increased red tape. The only trade deals struck replace those we had as part of the EU. Far from being dynamic, UK post-Brexit performance has been sluggish, making us the worst in the developed world.
Which perhaps explains why Boris Johnson has been “economic with the veracity”.
Standing less than 2m tall, Boeing’s ScanEagle looks more like something you would find at the local model aero club than anything threatening. But this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)—also known as a drone—has become a front-line weapon in the War on Terror. And, increasingly, the weapon of choice for the US military. Originally developed in the early 21st century for reconnaissance purposes, its armed variant represents the bulk of those in existence.
George W. Bush first used them experimentally in 2004. Since then, US presidents and their military have placed increasing reliance on these unmanned weapons that spared lives in executing strikes on elusive and hidden targets, such as terrorists and their camps.
When he took office, Barack Obama followed the trend toward drone strikes, dramatically increasing their use in the war on terror. Some 1,878 drone strikes in Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia during Obama’s tenure included 154 strikes in Yemen alone.
That said, Obama did limit the use of drones. Strikes were to be permitted only:
Against terrorist targets that posed a “continuing, imminent threat to U.S. persons.”
Absent extraordinary circumstances, direct action against an identified high-value terrorist be taken only when there is near certainty that the individual being targeted is in fact the lawful target
If the lawful target is known to be located at the place where the action will occur
Absent extraordinary circumstances, direct action will be taken only if there is near certainty that the action can be taken without injuring or killing non-combatants.
When Trump took office, all such niceties went out the window. His administration wrote new rules to allow strikes where there was scant or no threat. These could be made against anyone regarded as a terrorist, even by a local military commander. The use of drones and reporting the number of civilians killed by drone strikes ceased. Trump launched 2,243 drone strikes in he first two years alone.
The most notorious Trump strike was in 2020 against Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, killing him and nine others. This violated international law because the U.S. had not provided evidence that Soleimani presented an imminent threat to justify the attack. Trump’s response? “That’s giving a pass to terrorists.
Biden suspended Trump’s rules immediately, and began to review how the policies of both Obama and Trump had worked. In its plan to end “forever wars,” the Biden administration brought drone use to an all-time low. Unfortunately, an August 29 drone strike on a supposed Al Qaeda cell only killed 10 civilians.
Even if Biden does curtail usage, this does not auger well. For the last century, America has shown an increasing tendency to act in its own interests globally. And ‘act’ has increasingly come to equate to military intervention. (See “The Two Trillion Dollar Tragedy”). Despite repeated setbacks, it is the US military that has repeatedly intervened in execution of foreign policy—and this is likely to continue into future
But because Americans are particularly squeamish about their “boys” coming home in body bags, the use of drones to attack terrorists and other awkward targets without risking any number of soldiers as “boots on the ground” that ground operations require. Despite the appeal to US politicians and military alike, there are significant disadvantages to this approach:
Drones are not cheap. At $800,000 each, they are a bargain, as compared to an F-35, but they require significant technical support and carry expensive stand-off munitions
They have a very limited payload—ideal for surgical strikes against human targets in a very small area, but trivial compared to artillery bombardment.
They lower the bar for military engagement, enabling the US to insert itself into other countries at a much lower cost than in the past.
Like other munitions, drones are indiscriminate who they kill. The ratio of military to civilian deaths is not known, but dozens of civilians at an Afghan wedding were killed by a drone strike in 2008.
This penchant for using force and reluctance to risk American lives to do so does not auger well for discontinuing the use of drones as (in von Clausewitz’s phrase) “diplomacy by other means”. As America continues to lose economic ground to the Chinese, it will be interesting to see whether, in global dominance, the ”Belt and Road” turns out to be mightier than the drone.
(Research material derived from Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter from America)
“And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to your destruction; but do good; for Allah loves those who do good.”
But the spider that sits at the centre—politically; geographically; morally—of this Middle Eastern web that is a vortex of enmity and warfare—is the Saud family, their on-going absolute control of Arabia and the severe Wahabi branch of Islam they espouse. The fact that Wahabis are still a minority is ignored. The fact that the religious extremism of their clerics has spawned extremist terrorists is denied. The denial that the ruling Crown Prince Muhammad bin Saud (a.k.a. MBS) had anything to do with the virtual kidnapping of Lebanese premier Harare, or condoned killing and dismembering journalist Khashoggi by a 15-man hit squad inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey fails all standards of credibility.
It is undoubtedly true that the Saudis would like nothing better than their domination of a peaceful Middle East. But, despite all their money and unquestioned backing of the USA, they have made a pig’s ear of it so far. They are running a cold war with most of their neighbours, especially Iran and even with tiny Qatar, whose free-speech Al Jazeera broadcast network drives than crazy.
This on-going instability helps no-one, except insurgents, like Al Quaeda. But neither the regime, nor its US backers seem ready to admit the extent to which insurgents derive from Saudi Arabia and its fearsome Wahabi cleric-driven religion. Almost all of the plotters behind 9/11 turned out to be Saudi. By far the largest contingent of foreign fighters captured by NATO forces in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo for questioning, were Saudi. The immature autocracy practiced by MBS is alienating many in the ruling family. The 40% of the population who are Shia are tired of neglect. The 8 million foreign workers resent being treated like slaves. The Saudis rely on them and almost a million Western technicians to run the country’s infrastructure. But unrest may drive enough away to curtail cheap petrol, water and other ways to keep those outside the blessed 15,000 quiet.
Though they may wish for peace and stability, the Saudi royal family are riding the Wahabi tiger. Its strict Islam may not directly preach unrest, let alone terrorism. But that has been the growing effect, one that neither the kingdom, nor its US patrons admit to. This wilful blindness means more than overlooking MBS’ clumsy actions and blaming Iran for all Arab terrorism. It means admitting that 9/11 and similar random acts of terrorism can be laid indirectly at the door of the Saudi royal family who have unwittingly spawned a generation of jihadists by the manner in which they have led their country since its inception.
“I want a better Saudi Arabia. I don’t see myself as an opposition. I’m not calling for the overthrow of the regime, because I know it’s not possible and is too risky, and there is no one to overthrow the regime. I’m just calling for reform of the regime.”
“You may fight in the cause of Allah against those who attack you, but do not aggress. Allah does not love the aggressors.”
That complacency changed in September 11th 2001 when in a well prepared and coordinated effort, four commercial airliners were hijacked in the North-East of the USA. One was flown to crash into the Pentagon; a second heading for Washington crashed short, apparently because passengers had tried to take back control; the two others deliberately crashed into upper floors of both towers of New York’s World Trade Centre, killing 3,000 people.
Understandably, outraged America wanted to find and bring the culprits to justice. As soon as it was established that the Taliban government in Afghanistan had provided shelter for those who had planned, a massive military operation swept them from power, to be replaced by a more western-democratic government, and the search for the leader Bin Laden continued.
Poor though relations between the West and the muslim world at this point, antipathy escalated. Suspicion that the “unfinished business” of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq had resulted in them also harbouring terrorists, as well as ill-defined “weapons of mass destruction” being developed, the Second Gulf War in 2003. Although the main action was soon ended with the fall of Baghdad and the death of Hussein, unrest and guerrilla action continued over the next decade, despite massive investment into both Iraq and Afghanistan and the presence of Western, mostly American, troops.
Many, again mostly American, companies profited from the trillions of dollars spent, but little understanding of the fragmented tribal nature of both countries, let alone the sensitivities of strict muslims meant what were effectively alien occupations, resented by the bulk of a population resentful of their continued poverty, which contrasted with the relative wealth of collaborators, especially the corruption, from which many of them profited.
None of these interventions brought peace. The continued presence of major US forces, practicing their western ways in Saudi Arabia duelled resentment among extremists. This fuelled the short-lived Islamic State straddling Iraq and Syria, eventually overrun with help from the Kurds. Meanwhile, revolution had broken out against the Assad regime broke out in Syria in 2011. Because the Saudis had driven the Hashemites like Assad, the Saudis supported the rebels, only to be countered by support for Assad from Iran and Russia, following the old adage that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend. Not content with this mess, the Saudis also supported the Yemeni government on their southern border against Houthi rebels, because they were Shia “unbelievers” and also because the Saudis had annexed some of their provinces during their rush to dominate Arabia.
Gentle reader, if you are tiring of the relentless complexity, not to mention brutality, of all this, the real dilemma is that there is no simple cure, nor any single villain. We could blame the clumsiness of the US in seeing the world in terms of enemies and those who want to live like Americans. We could blame young muslim extremists for using brutal methods to display their contempt for Western culture. Both are true—to an extent.
“Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.”
—US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, February 2002
“Feed the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Allah, saying: We feed you, for the sake of Allah only, for we wish for no reward nor thanks from you.”
Clashes with infidels has long been part of Arab history since the 6th century. Relations were not improved by El Cid, several brutal crusades and the fall of Constantinople to Seljuk Turks in 1454. But only in the latter part of the 20th century had substantial numbers of muslims made their homes in the West—Turks moving to Germany; Algerians to France, Pakistanis to Britain, and so on. Here, opposing cultures were seldom separated as in Arabia. Most integrated peacefully, but a minority resented domination by infidel. Saudi Arabia, true to its origins, supported Wahabi missions outside Arabia. They were religious centres, not terrorist cells. But they were catalysts in bringing younger, more radical muslims together.
While the Saudis stood aloof from efforts towards pan-Arab unions (such as Nasser’s UAR with Syria in the 1950’s), young Saudis, not needing to focus on making a living, looked for places to express their passion for their religion in a world they saw as increasingly dominated by infidels.
This came to a head when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and were soon embroiled in dealing with a fierce and unconventional resistance to the puppet republic they had set up. The Mujahideen proved to be doughty and creative guerrillas, adept at using terrain to raid and harass conventional forces, whom modern weaponry proved ineffectual.
The Pentagon crowed how the Russians had “found their Vietnam” but clearly took no lessons from it, as they made the same mistakes themselves twenty years later. Among those doughty Mujahadeen were a number of volunteers from other muslim countries, like neighbouring Pakistan. But the largest contingent came from Saudi Arabia, one of whose leaders came from the Saudi royal family: Osama Bin Laden.
When the Soviet Union collapsed and the Russians withdrew in 1989, they left thousands of fighters experienced in unconventional warfare with their tails up. Almost immediately, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and looked like he was poised to take the Saudi oilfields next. Bin Laden offered King Fahd the services of his trained, tough fighters, but was rejected in favour of George Bush’s intervention of Operation Desert Shield. For over six months, a massive build-up of US and allied forces flooded Saudi Arabia with Western soldiers and technicians, may of them female and none sensitive to how they were treading on the cultural toes of orthodox muslims.
While this temporary inundation was bad enough, 1991’s successful execution of the subsequent Desert Storm only cleared Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Substantial US forces remained as security during the 1990s. This was with Saudi approval but sat badly with Wahabi clerics, the young men who followed them and the tough guerrillas who had cut their teeth in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Several bloody attacks on training camps and US military facilities resulted. These were largely swept under the carpet by both the US and Saudis as isolated incidents.
“The Taliban are good fighters and great negotiators.”
“By the brightness of the noonday sun, and in the night when all is still, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased. Soon your Lord will be bountiful to you and you be satisfied.”
On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, it is less than a month since the West’s resulting long military involvement in Afghanistan ended abruptly as a car crash. There is a school of thought that, as the original goal of preventing the country being used as a base for terrorism had been achieved by 2002, troops could all have been withdrawn This would have avoided two decades of casualties on all sides as well as a failed “nation-building” programme.
What was never properly discussed—certainly not in public—was the background to that conflict, nor the likely consequences in a region that holds 55% of the world’s oil reserves and supplies one in three litres of its daily consumption. By far the bulk of this is supplied by Saudi Arabia, whose history, development and politics are never brought under scrutiny. This underlies the deeper story of 9/11.
From being essentially a British protectorate a century ago, this new country passed under American influence as Standard Oil of California (SOCAL) began wholesale exploitation of its riches. It being in no-one’s interest to rock the rich boat of wealth that ensued, the serious culture clash between the materialistic West in a country that officially adheres to the strict Wahabi strain of Islam was studiously ignored by all concerned.
The origins of this unusual and unusually influential country lie two centuries ago in a small tribe led by Ibn Saud, who set up a successful trading post deep in the Nefud. The tribe developed a strong religious bent when it adopted the Wahabi faith of Sunni Islam, which granted successive Saud rulers with absolute authority, in exchange for adhere to Wahabi tenets and to spread them abroad. After a chequered century or so fighting the Ottoman Empire, the Saudis, by siding with the Allies, emerged victorious after WW1 and proceeded to extend their power across Arabia during the 1920s. This was accelerated by the expedient method of King Ibn Saud marrying daughters of rival tribal leaders and so securing control over most of the peninsula. Today’s extensive Saudi royal family numbers some 15,000 members, around 1,500 of whom are regarded as “senior”, and therefore influential.
The extent of the kingdom now meant that they controlled the holiest shrines of their religion in Mecca and Medina, The Saudis were therefore seen as curators of the heart of the muslim religion. For decades, the disruptive intrusion of Western culture in the shape of oil engineers and technicians was accommodated by strict segregation, especially socially. The import of unskilled labour from other muslim countries released Saudis from menial tasks. To date, a swollen population of 34 million includes 2 million Bangladeshis, 1.5 million Filipinos, 1 million Pakistanis, 250,000 Lebanese and large contingents from many other muslim countries.
Several events, such as the storming of the holy mosque by dissidents in 1979 resulted in ever stricter practice of Islam, reinforced by recruitment of clerics into the education system. Strict interpretation of the Qur’an and application of Sharia law sat increasingly badly with Western ideas of democracy, personal freedoms and emancipation. But because business was so profitable to both cultures, Western workers obeyed the rules as required, yet younger Saudis grew resentful of their presence and their status.
“Ibn al-Wahhab was not the godfather of contemporary terrorist movements. Rather, he was a voice of reform, reflecting mainstream eighteenth-century Islamic thought. His vision of Islamic society was based upon monotheism in which Muslims, Christians, and Jews were to enjoy peaceful co-existence and cooperative commercial treaty relations.”
A haughty British indifference to the world outside the Empire applied as much to Lancashire mill workers as to victims of the Irish potato famine in Connemara. As long as mastery of global wealth and of a rigid social hierarchy applied, Britain could continue to be run by the same, small, English elite through their aura of permanent, unruffled sang froid. The institutions that underpinned this—the Etons & Harrows; Oxbridge Bullingdon-esque and St James gentlemen’s clubs; the shooting estates—continue to the present day. One needed neither masonic handshake, nor membership for identification by fellow nomenklatura: your accent and your attitude were passport enough.
Though still extant, effortless superiority suffered erosion from financial earthquakes of both world wars and voter emancipation giving political powers to workers. Stripped of an accepted social certainty, they found themselves forced to operate out of the tabloid reach of the public eye, to whom they appeared a shadow of their former selves—much like Great Britain itself.
Formerly reserved careers were whittled away—RAF pilots were swamped by massed bomber crews in WW2; cavalry regiments degraded by rude mechanicals; pin-stripe management by business school upstarts. Even the douce “Something in the City” patrons of the Waterloo & City line found themselves jostled by loud Loadsamoneys in bright braces after 1987’s “Big Bang”. Post-Thatcher society in the South (meaning south of the Cambridge and East of the Cotswolds) modernised, finding affluence and social flexibility still exploited by the few, but now in a less obvious, if no less important, way.
But outside the South, elsewhere in England was drifting. Devon and Cornwall were growing ever more resentful of depopulation by holiday home. Eastern village farm worker cottages filled with retirees and commuters. The once-industrial Midlands and North drifted through denial that their great cities had lost their purpose and drive.
What areas of England did share was a wistfulness at their triple loss: empire; industry; influence. Since the 1970s, Britain had been chided as “The Sick Man of Europe”. So, it is unsurprising what came from UKIP—that greatness could be had if we only repelled an invasion of foreigners and threw off shackles forged by the bureaucrats of Brussels. This cheap slogan is as old as politics: garner support by creating a foreign enemy you will deal with. This ploy scared the bejasus out of the Conservatives, whose base in the South was especially vulnerable to such positioning.
So the Tories saw no choice but to out-xenophobe the UKIP xenophobes. It mattered not that the rest of Britain did not share the panic. Not only did Brexit become the obvious counter to outflank UKIP before being outflanked, but the money salted away behind front companies in various tax havens were about to be revealed through EU legislation against such convenient anonymity. An added bonus of northern job losses stirring up resentment to “blame the foreigners” carried Brexit over the line. In turn, this led to the 2019 crumbling of the Red Wall, with Boris Johnson trying to look like John Bull glaring defiantly out over the beetling cliffs of Dover.
It might have looked like unity, but not as we know it. Outside a mile radius from London’s Pall Mall and a few outliers in places like Farnham, Cheltenham and Great Walsingham, it would be hard to gather significant numbers of English people who agreed on what their country wanted to do upon leaving the EU, much less a clear future ambition for itself, or what role in the world. Purposeful Victorian clarity of Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” it is not.
Though many couch it in terms of “Britain”, it is, in fact, an English dilemma. What’s more regional cultures that make up England don’t share the same dilemma, ever since ever since the Nazis disintegrated and the Empire went the same way. Though far from achieving the relaxed sense of identity found in Denmark or Norway, the Scots, Welsh and (aside from a dying anachronism called unionism in Ulster) the Irish are all growing comfortable in their own skins. None of them have much interest in this on-going elite-driven Southern English throwback delusion of global greatness. Nor are they likely to hang around to see what happens when realpolitik presents the truth to their benighted English cousins who share these pleasant, but (let’s face it) geographically marginal islands.
Until the elite stop thinking it self-evident that they are and the South stops encouraging them, the decline of the last century will continue, the Celts will adopt the more modest, socially cohesive Scandinavian model. Outlying English regions may get lucky and—for once—London will leave them to forge their own future.

domain: news


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Kanye & Contacts Love Lockdown
It’s finally October! Have you been waiting all year to wear that sparkly jacket then realized, I don’t have blue contacts for my Kanye costume?? Well, look no further because we are here to help you make sure you follow the correct steps to achieve that fierce look.
Plan ahead. Costume and colored contact lenses are typically custom orders. These lenses take time to arrive so start planning now if you need colored contact lenses for Halloween!
You will need to book an eye exam prior to receiving contact lenses. Since all contact lenses are different sizes, we take measurements of your eyes to ensure you have the correct fit and that you can see properly. If you do not have a properly fitted contact lens, you risk injuries to the front of your eyes and trust us, it’s painful! Even Yeezy had his eyes examined when he wore his colored lenses!
Don’t buy costume contact lenses at your local gas station or beauty store. Buy them at an eye care professional’s office. Contact lenses are a medical device!
Contact lenses sit right on your eye. You might think, it’s just a small piece of plastic but there is a lot more that goes into contact lens. Not every material is safe for the eyes. Your eyes need to breathe properly. If you are wearing a pair of contact lenses that do not allow enough oxygen to pass to your eye, you risk severe infection and complications which can lead to permanent vision loss.
All our contact lenses at MVC are approved by Health Canada and our team ensures that you are wearing lenses that are safe for the eyes.
Leave extra time for your contact lens insertion before your big Halloween debut! The last thing you want is to feel rushed trying to get your lenses in. Also, always apply makeup after your contact lenses are in.
If you’ve never worn contact lenses before, our staff will teach you the proper techniques on how to wear and care for your contact lenses. Remember that these lenses are fit just for you and are NOT to be shared. If at any time your eyes are feeling irritated or red, remove your contact lenses and see us right away!
If Kanye can manage to see an optometrist to make sure his costume contact lenses are fitting properly, then surely you can too! Whether you are Kanye at the Met Gala or Kanye as a Perrier bottle we hope you have a safe and wonderful Halloween!
Click here to book an appointment for an eye exam!
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domain: medical


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The top cities between Colmar and Avila are Lyon, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Bilbao, Zurich, Geneva, Lucerne, San Sebastian - Donostia, Salamanca, and Segovia. Lyon is the most popular city on the route — it's 4 hours from Colmar and 13 hours from Avila.
Known for Segovia Aqueduct, Alcazar de Segovia, Cathedral of Segovia and more.
42% as popular as Lyon
14 minutes off the main route, 94% of way to Avila
Best stops along Colmar to Avila drive
The top stops along the way from Colmar to Avila (with short detours) are Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière. Other popular stops include Aqueduct of Segovia, Beach of La Concha, and Place de la Bourse.
UNESCO- Von Bern
UNESCO World Heritage Site with arcaded walkways, fountains & Switzerland's tallest cathedral.
Museum of local art and furnishings from the Middle Ages housed in a flamboyant Medieval hospice.
Rue de l'Hôtel Dieu, 21200 Beaune, France
Vieux Lyon sits on the River Saône quayside, overlooked by Renaissance-era mansions with hidden courtyards and terracotta-tiled roofs. The medieval Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste is noted for its ornate astronomical clock, while the Movies & Miniature Museum showcases scale models by miniaturist Dan Ohlmann. Hilly, medieval streets lead to fine-dining restaurants and stylish bars selling Beaujolais wines.
Sights & LandmarksHistoric Walking Areas
69005 Lyon, France
La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière
19th-century basilica with 4 octagonal towers, a religious art museum & regular Catholic services.
This famous sand dune runs alongside the shore & reaches a height of 110m above sea level.
Natural featureNature & Parks
Le Musée de la mer
Sea life center with sharks & rays, coral-reef fish, a Caribbean lagoon, plus seal feeding times.
AquariumNature & Parks
Plateau de l'Atalaye, 64200 Biarritz, France
Beach of La Concha
Bustling, sandy, shell-shaped beach on the Bay of La Concha featuring restaurants & more.
20007, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Small, rocky island topped by a tiny, 10th-c. chapel, accessed by more than 200 stone steps.
IslandNature & Parks
48130 Gaztelugatxeko Doniene, Biscay, Spain
Casco Viejo forms the medieval old quarter, a lively riverside district of narrow alleys lined with modern shops and traditional taverns. La Ribera market has food stalls in a boatlike waterfront structure, flanked by pintxo bars serving Basque tapas on sticks. Santiago Cathedral is a 14th-century landmark rising to a dramatic Gothic spire, and Teatro Arriaga draws well-dressed crowds to opera and dance performances.
Historic Walking AreasNeighborhoods
Bilbao, Biscay, Spain
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Gleaming titanium and glass museum, designed by Frank Gehry, housing major 20th-century artworks.
Abandoibarra Etorb., 2, 48009 Bilbo, Bizkaia, Spain

domain: geography


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|VS - Hearts of America|
Today was the day for Football and cross stitch. My Hunny B is a football fanatic and therefore, the TV on Sunday is dedicated to the pigskin. I spent the day stitching up my 3rd Heart (actually #2 in the series) Pennsylvania.
A little about the Great State of Pennsylvania as described on the Victoria Stitch chart.
Pennsylvania was the second state ratified by the Federal Constitution on December 12th, 1787. Its nickname is "Keystone State" and its motto is Virtue, Liberty and Independence. The Mountain Laurel was designated as state flower in 1907, after over 3,000 women signed a petition endorsing it.
The Liberty Bell, a symbol of freedom and independence for all of the States hangs in Philidelphia. In the stitched piece there are two keystone shapes which refer to the nickname which was adopted to show the "key" position of Pennsylvania in the economic, social and political development of the US. The featured Victoria Stitch represents the wide variety of trees in the woodlands which cover at least half of the state. At the bottom of the heart are symbols reminiscent of the Pennsylvania Dutch Hex signs with which the Amish decorate their barns and homes for good luck and protection.

domain: history


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The Fooles is a young, enthusiastic 17th-century Italian string band that believes in the power of innovative and underutilized historical techniques to bring repertoire from the birth of instrumental music back to life for the modern day. Its co-directors, Alyssa Campbell and Tsutomu William Copeland, met while students at The Juilliard School, and are deeply interested in the scholarly research of all aspects of music, art, and society in early modern Europe. Members of The Fooles perform regularly across the United States and Europe on various historical repertoires and instruments from the Renaissance to the modern day. Their first major project in September 2021 was a large-scale showcase of Italian instrumental music for strings and continuo at the turn of the 17th century. It included 3-6 part dances, sinfonias, and transcriptions of vocal pieces by forward-thinking composers of the time, including predecessors and contemporaries of Monteverdi, as well as the female composers Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, and more, performed in meantone on period string instruments with a large and varied continuo section. Additionally, The Fooles has performed works by composers like Marini, Castello, Fontana, and others in recitals and other chamber music concerts given in New York City from 2020-2023.
“Remove the Veil,” is a recording project that brings life to renaissance and early baroque instrumental works. As an ensemble, we will record several madrigals, dance suites, and sonatas in a program showcasing the grandeur of 17th century Italy. This will involve a residency period with Les Arts Florissants where my ensemble, The Fooles, will work intensely on sound production, interpretive ideas, and refining our performance of the music we will record. This project will play an important role in our future as a professional early music ensemble.
The title of this project comes from a translation of the first line of text from the madrigal Lasciar il velo, found in a prominent Renaissance voice treatise by Maffei as an example of ornamentation in an ensemble setting. In “Remove The Veil,” The Fooles will use Lasciar il velo, in addition to other madrigals and instrumental works, as an entryway into the sound world of early 17th century Italy.

domain: artistic


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How events like the Sharjah Architecture Triennial lay a foundation for the emirate’s rapidly changing urban makeup
Sharjah, like many cities in the Middle East and North Africa, has an incredibly rich architectural and cultural history. Some of its momentous buildings include the Radisson Blu Resort on the corniche, King Faisal Mosque, the Holiday International Hotel in Al Buhaira, and the Al Majaz Twin Buildings, also in Al Buhaira.
And while last issue, Middle East Architect explored Bait Al Naboodah, a Sharjah-based restoration project spearheaded by Sheikh Khalid Al Qasimi, chairman of Sharjah Urban Planning Council, the government entity supporting the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, this issue looks at the triennial itself and what it means for the industry in the Middle East.
The first of its kind across the region, the triennial – which will launch at the end of 2019 – will offer various exhibitions, architectural interventions across the city, seminars and panel discussions. Planned to occur every three years, each triennial will be directed by a curator, in coordination with the team and partners.
In an interview with Mona El Mousfy, architect and advisor to the triennial, she noted the renewed interest in the architectural and historical value of buildings across Sharjah from the 1960s through to the 80s, and how that interest is curtailing their demolition. In recognising the richness of its history, individuals and authorities are empowering the foundation for Sharjah’s future development.
“If you look at our Instagram page, we have begun spotting and posting images of buildings from the 1960s, 70s and 80s that we think have architectural value or historical value, or both,” El Mousfy said, “and we are mapping them to help visitors identify them, as well as understand who the architect was, when it was built and what its history is.
“The Sharjah Art Foundation has also started doing that. And when we identify buildings with important historical and architectural value, we try to send red flags against their demolition.”
According to El Mousfy, most of the architecture from the 1960s, 70s and 80s was not considered very valuable until recently, with coral structures found in the Heart of Sharjah taking precedent among government initiatives.
“We are creating this awareness now about the buildings from those times and we are hearing similar ambitions happening in other emirates as well. So this will become a mechanism – maybe even a federal mechanism — where some of these buildings get preserved,” she added.
According to El Mousfy, the Sharjah Art Foundation has already done this with several buildings across the city, including a kindergarten in Kaalba, which stands as a prototype of kindergartens found in the emirates designed by Ja’afar Touqan and George Rayes.
“It’s difficult to say from what direction the triennial will affect the city, but it’s important that there is awareness,” said El Mousfy. “At our first event, people were shown a comparative study on how some countries in the Gulf have begun to re-question the idea of land distribution, like Oman for example, where alternatives include more low-density neighourhoods for young couples, instead of continuing this sprawl into the desert…Comparing urban strategies of various cities can help [Sharjah] think more broadly about different strategies.”


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domain: health


Extra performance in new-look Ranger
Tickford, the blue oval’s former factory-backed answer to HSV, is back in business.
Prodrive Racing Australia (PRA), the reigning V8 Supercar championship-winning team, is behind plans to revive the brand for a new range of performance Fords - starting with the Ranger ute.
Tickford is a new off-shoot of the company owned by racing veterans Rod Nash and Rusty French that will use the brand to sell its range of performance parts for a variety of Ford models, initially the Ranger and Mustang.
The new operation is set to be officially unveiled at the Bathurst 1000 in October with a prototype Ranger on display, and last week a Facebook page was created revealing the new Tickford logo.
Although PRA has already been a wholesale and retail provider of Ford Performance parts from the blue oval’s international operation, Tickford will also develop its own components inhouse.
‘‘We don’t just want to be a ‘me too’ business, we’re trying to develop our own packs, our own parts,’’ explained PRA CEO Tim Edwards.
He confirmed that Tickford will offer both performance and styling upgrades to the Ranger and Mustang initially but didn’t rule out other Ford models being included in the future.
The Ranger will be available with extra performance from its 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel engine, a unique suspension tune and bespoke alloy wheels with a focus on on-road performance instead of off-road capability.
‘‘Ranger is a fantastic vehicle and not everyone wants to turn it into a mud-spitting, winched-up vehicle.
‘‘Some people out there just want to personalise it,’’ Edwards said.
The Ford Ranger will get a performance upgrade from the new Tickford operation.


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Swipe your finger to guide a snake of balls and break the bricks. Very easy to play but very hard to reach high scores!.
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domain: entertainment


text:
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domain: pet


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Cheese, tomato and herbs.
Cheese, tomato, ham, pineapple and cabanossi.
Cheese, tomato, muhrooms, olives, capsicum, pepperoni and anchovies.
Cheese, tomato, ham, mushrooms, capsicum and prawns
Cheese, tomato and the lot. (Olives and Anchovies optional).
Cheese, tomato, Bolognese, ham, cabanossi, capsicum,mushroom and pineapple.
Cheese, tomato, chicken, ham, pineapple, cabanossi, onion, mushrooms and capsicums.
Cheese, tomato, chicken, mushrooms, onion, capsicums, olives and pineapple.
Cheese, ham, cabanossi, beef, pepperoni, bacon and BBQ sauce.
Cheese, tomato, bacon, beef, onion, capsicum and chilli.
Cheese, tomato, bacon, beef, onion, capsicum, chilli and chicken.
Cheese, BBQ sauce, ham, bacon, onion, mushroom and pineapple.
Cheese, BBQ sauce, mushrooms, onion and chicken.
With cheese and sauce on top.
Garlic base topped with fresh tomato, onion and basil.
Chicken strips drizzled with a peanut satay, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
Topped with Napoletana sauce and a variety of vegetables, fetta cheese and fresh chopped tomatoes.
Acollection of seafood including prawns, calamari, octopus and mussels in a white wine tomato sauce, with a touch of chilli, basil and mozzarella cheese.
Garlic king prawns, fresh chopped tomatoes, Spanish onions, mushrooms, capsicum and mozzarella cheese.
Creamy pesto chicken scattered with sun dried tomatoes, red peppers and cheese.
Topped with spicy Bolognese, corn chips, jalapeno and mozzarella cheese finished with sour cream.
Garlic butter king prawns with a touch of tomato sauce, peppers, mushrooms, Spanish onions and cheese.
Italian prosciutoo upon a spread of garlic base, Spanish onions, fresh chopped tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
Mushroom, Spanish onion, pineapple, capsicum on a tomato base.
Satay base, mushroom, Spanish onion and pineapple.
Sundried tomatoes, artichoke, Spanish onion, capsicum, olives on a tomato base.
Mushroom, Spanish onion, pineapple, artichoke, capsicum, olives and herbs on a tomato base.
Pesto base, Spanish onion, artichoke, sundried tomatoes, capsicum, olives and garlic and herbs.
Mushroom, Spanish onion, artichoke, fresh tomatoes and capsicum.
Extra fillings for $4.00
Bacon in mild chilli sauce.
Traditional Italian meat sauce.
Oregano, basil, onion, garlic and cloves in tomato sauce.
Creamy sauce with mushrooms, bacon and shallots.
Bacon and egg in creamy sauce.
Chicken, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes in Napoletana.
Bacon, capers, anchovies, garlic and chilli with Napoletana.
Chicken strips in a creamy white wine pesto sauce.
Vegetables in a garlic and cracked pepper butter.
Mushrooms, bacon and chicken in a creamy sauce.
Blue vein, tasty cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan in a cream sauce.
King prawns, mussels, octopus in tomato or creamy white wine sauce
King prawns in a chilli tomato or cream sauce.
Mushroom, Spanish onion, pineapple, capsicum on a tomato base
Satay base mushroom, Spanish onion and pineapple.
Sundried tomatoes, artichoke, Spanish onion, capsicum, olives on a
Mushroom, Spanish onion, pineapple, artichoke, capsicum, olives
and herbs on a tomato base.
Pesto base, Spanish onion, artichoke, sundried tomatoes, capsicum,
olives, garlic and herbs.
BBQ Octopus cooked in a garlic chilli sauce.
Fresh water shrimp splashed with cocktail sauce.
BBQ mussels served in a garlic wine, lemon and parsley sauce.
In a cast iron hot pot with oil and garlic, chilli tomato or garlic cream sauce.
A rack of ribs with choice of either BBQ, Sweet chilli or plum sauce.
1 x Rack of ribs, 1 x corn, wedges and sour cream with a choice of either BBQ, Sweet Chilli or Plum sauce.
Chicken snitzel with side of chips and gravy
Served in a tomato sauce, baked with Italian double smoked ham and mozzarella cheese, with side of chips
Fresh garden vegetables in a tangy Italian dressing.
Fresh garden salad in a tangy dressing topped with fetta cheese and Greek kalamata olives.
Chicken strips and fresh salad tossed in a honey and seeded mustard dressing.
Crisp lettuce drizzled with a traditional dressing and garnished with crispy bacon, croutons and Parmesan cheese.
Our garlic butter melted over a hot corn cob
Served with sour cream and sweet chilli.
with gravy on the side
Fries topped with bacon and melted cheese.
Cheesy mozzarella sticks, served with sweet chilli sauce (8 in a serve )
Served with ice cream or cream.
Served with cream or ice cream.
Strawberry and Cointreau, Nutella and Strawberry or Nutella
Oven cooked chicken wings
Oven cooked chicken wings with our home made honey soy sauce plus side of chips
Hot dog with yalopenos topped with chilli, cheese and tomato sauce.
Hot dog topped with ground beef,hot English mustard cheese and sprinkled with nacho chips and tomato sauce
Hotdog topped with bacon,onion ,cheese and tomato sauce
Hotdog topped with ham, pineapple, cheese and bbq sauce
Delivery is $0.00 away
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domain: food


text:
Brewer’s yeast is a rich source of minerals — particularly chromium, an essential trace mineral that helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels; selenium; protein; and the B-complex vitamins.
Brewer’s yeast is often used as a source of B-complex vitamins, chromium, and selenium. The B-complex vitamins in brewer’s yeast include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), and H or B7 (biotin). These vitamins help break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which provide the body with energy. They also support the nervous system, help maintain the muscles used for digestion, and keep skin, hair, eyes, mouth, and liver healthy.
Brewer’s yeast does not contain vitamin B12, an essential vitamin found in meat and dairy products. Vegetarians sometimes take brewer’s yeast mistakenly believing that it provides B12, which can be lacking in their diet.


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Hangar3 has been providing thrill-seekers with adventure for 20 yrs with Tandem Hang Gliding opportunities in in the Hudson Valley.
Bee Soulful Restaurant in Middletown NY showcases soul food, signature drinks, delicious desserts, and honey-infused specialties.
Torrid believes that curvy bodies should not change to fit clothes, we’ve changed clothes to fit curvy bodies.
Deserto's Deer Cutting in Middletown NY process deer, bear, elk, caribou, moose, and create fresh, home made meat products.
Sweets & Treats Candy Shoppe in Middletown NY features a wide collection of nostalgic candy that can take you back in time.
Hot Donna Soaps are made in the Hudson Valley with the finest ingredients that are gentle, anti-aging and great for all skin types.
Copperbarn Coffeebar creates all coffee and espresso flavors from scratch and Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan & Dairy Free Options.
Gold Star Chimney Cakes are an authentic European pastry known for its shape, sweetness and deliciousness that can be enjoyed alone or filled.
Orange County Bagel Bakery is a perfect spot for breakfast, lunch, or a coffee stop. The bagels are baked fresh daily.
Spice Beast creates all natural spice blends packed in glass jars. Keto, Paleo & vegan friendly with low sodium and zero calories.
Frontera Tacos & Tequila Restaurant offers selections from the wide range of Mexican dishes with a fusion and modern touch.
Since 1991, Pretzelmaker has been rolling out fresh-baked and handcrafted pretzels that are innovative and a twist on the pretzel.
Something Sweet Cafe offers scratch-made meals and desserts, served in a warm and inviting atmosphere in historic downtown middletown.
The Orange County Antique Auto Club is a gathering of people with a common interests in all types of cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Mar-Ang Soaps are made from all natural and organic ingredients that are guaranteed to soothe your body as well as your soul.


text:
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CRISIS OF 1933
THE TROUBLED MARCH OF LABOR
CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE
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activities American Annual Report assembly plant automation automobile began bomber Breech Bricker Bugas building cent Chevrolet Chrysler Cologne Committee company's Crusoe D. J. Davis Dagenham Davis dealers Dearborn Detroit Detroit Free Press directors Division Dollfus early Edsel Ford employes executives Expansion and Challenge factory Ferg Ferguson Fisher Body force Ford car Ford Company Ford engineers Ford Ltd Ford Motor Company Ford SAF Ford's German Harry Bennett Henry Ford interv July June Kanzler knew labor later leaders Lincoln Lincoln Zephyr Lindbergh Logan Miller machine manufacturing Matford Meanwhile ment Mercury Mins models never NLRB operations organization pany Perry planes Poissy President production profits Reminiscences Rouge plant Sept Sheldrick soon Sorensen steel strike tion took tractor trucks union United vehicles wages Wibel Willow Run workers


If the Opening Night performances of No. 4-ranked Duke and No. 5 Kansas University mean anything — and that, of course, is debatable — the Blue Devils would have to be given the early nod entering Tuesday’s Champions Classic basketball contest in Chicago.
“They hung 111 on Davidson (in 111-77 win). That’s a 34-point beatdown against a team that had a lot of players coming back from when they beat us in Sprint Center a couple years ago,” KU coach Bill Self said Friday after his Jayhawks’ 80-63 victory over Louisiana at Monroe.
A disciplined Davidson team stunned the Jayhawks, 80-74, on Dec. 19, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo.
“They pressure. They are going to get after us,” Self added of coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils. “If we allow their pressure to offset our size, then they win. We’ve got to be able to neutralize their pressure so we can take advantage of size. Then we would win that particular battle.”
Duke freshman sensation Jabari Parker, 6-foot-8, 235 pounds from Chicago, who was ranked No. 4 in the recruiting class of 2013 by Rivals.com, scored 22 points off 8-of-10 shooting in his collegiate debut Friday. He hit three three-pointers in three tries. No. 1-ranked Andrew Wiggins opened his college career with 16 points off 5-of-9 shooting vs. ULM.
Duke sophomore Rodney Hood, a 6-8, 215 transfer from Mississippi State, decked Davidson with 22 points off 9-of-10 shooting with nine rebounds and two three-pointers in two tries. Duke junior point guard Quinn Cook, 6-2 from Washington, D.C., had 21 points and eight assists. KU starting point Naadir Tharpe, meanwhile, missed the Jayhawks’ opener while serving a one-game NCAA suspension.
Meanwhile, Duke starters Amile Jefferson (6-9 sophomore) and Tyler Thornton (6-2 senior) had 10 and six points respectively and reserve Rasheed Sulaimon (6-4 sophomore) 20 points off 6-of-9 shooting, 3-for-4 from three. Overall, Duke swished 13 of 21 treys. KU made seven of 18 threes versus Louisiana at Monroe.
“Our defense is just horrendous from what it needs to be, so we’ll have to do some things differently,” Self said. “We’ll have to handle the ball a lot better (after committing 15 turnovers to ULM’s 13).
“When we play Duke,” Self added, “our guys will know all their guys, and their guys will know our guys. It’s kind of easy on the scout: (You say), ‘Sulaimon is going to do this. Parker is going to do this. Cook is going to do this.’ When playing guys you are not familiar with and you’ve got young kids, No. 33 (ULM’s Drew Kite) comes in the game, and he bangs a three on Andrew White when he falls asleep.
“We put Wayne (Selden) into the game to guard him, and Wayne forgets he just banged a three on Andrew White, and he shoots a set shot and makes it. Those are things from a learning curve we have to pick up that stuff quicker. It’s going to be interesting for a while until we get the hang of exactly what we need to be doing and what our focus should be.
“Perry (Ellis) is young. Jamari (Traylor) is young. How do you have three offensive fouls called on you in five minutes?” he asked, referring to what did happen to Traylor. “It’s an entire team of young-uns that is going to be frustrating from time to time, but very rewarding I hope in the end.”
How KU plays against Duke remains to be seen.
“It will be good for our guys to play in the game,” Self said. “I think we have a pretty good feel who we are now. We’ll have a better feel, just like they will after Tuesday.”
KU will meet Duke approximately 9 p.m. Tuesday, after a 6:30 contest between Michigan State and Kentucky.
KU recruits attending games: Cliff Alexander, a 6-8 forward from Chicago’s Curie High who is ranked No. 4 in the class of 2014, has said he will attend KU’s women’s game against Oral Roberts, set for a 2 p.m. tip today in Allen Fieldhouse. He is considering KU, Memphis, DePaul and Illinois. Alexander’s girlfriend, Caelynn Manning-Allen, is a KU freshman forward from Chicago Curie High. ... Meanwhile, Jahlil Okafor, who is ranked No. 1 in the class, says he will attend Tuesday’s KU-Duke game in Chicago. He’s 6-10 from Chicago’s Whitney Young High and is expected to choose between KU and Duke. The weeklong early signing period begins Wednesday.


text:
appreciation. They did not specify a trading symbol or expense ratio in the initial filing.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by using a quantitative, rules-based strategy that is designed to provide returns that correspond to the performance of the [ ] (the “Benchmark”). The Fund, in accordance with its strategy allocation rules, will invest substantially all of its assets in a combination of exchange-listed futures contracts on gold, and exchange-listed futures contracts on the CBOE Gold ETF Volatility Index (“Gold VIX Index”). The Fund also will invest in U.S. Government securities, money market instruments (including repurchase agreements), structured notes, cash and cash equivalents to collateralize its derivative investments or for other purposes.
The Benchmark’s allocation to futures contracts on the Gold VIX Index serves as an implied volatility hedge against exposure to gold futures, as volatility historically tends to correlate negatively to the performance of the gold commodity market (i.e., rapid declines in the performance of the market generally are associated with particularly high volatility in that market). “Implied volatility” is a measure of the expected volatility of the SPDR Gold Shares Trust, which is an exchange-traded product that primarily invests in gold bullion and whose performance is intended to reflect the spot price of gold. The Gold VIX Index measures the 30-day forward volatility of gold prices as calculated based on the prices of certain put and call options on SPDR Gold Shares Trust. The Gold VIX Index is a theoretical calculation and cannot be traded.
During periods of increased volatility, a greater portion of the Fund’s assets will be invested in futures contracts on the Gold VIX Index. However, during periods of lower volatility, a greater portion of the Fund’s assets will be invested in gold futures. Although the Fund seeks returns comparable to the returns of the Benchmark, the Fund can have a higher or lower exposure to any component within the Benchmark at any time.
[The Fund seeks to gain exposure to the gold commodity market and futures contracts on the Gold VIX Index by investing in a subsidiary organized in the Cayman Islands (the “Subsidiary”). The Subsidiary would be wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. Should the Fund invest in the Subsidiary, it would be expected to provide the Fund with exposure to investment returns from futures contracts within the limits of the federal tax requirements applicable to investment companies, such as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in futures contracts and may use leveraged investment techniques. The Subsidiary would otherwise be subject to the same general investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, references to the investment strategies of the Fund for non-equity investments include the investment strategies of the Subsidiary.]
For the complete filing click: HERE
Related: (NYSEArca:GLD), (NYSEArca:IAU), (NYSEArca:GLD), (NYSEArca:GDXJ)

domain: finance


1-20 ton gas/oil fired boiler
Capacity: 1-20 ton/h
Pressure: 0.7-2 Mpa
Fuel: Nature gas, coke oven gas, biogas, methanol, liquid propane gas, diesel, heavy oil, light oil, crude oil, etc.
Industries: Heat supplying, chemical, food, textile, printing and dyeing, cigarettes and tobacco, fodder, pharmacy, building materials, brewery, rubber, hospital etc.
7-70 MW gas/oil fired hot water boiler
Capacity: 7-70 MW
Pressure: 1.0-1.6 Mpa
Fuel: Nature gas, coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, carbon black off-gas, biogas, methanol, LPG, diesel, heavy oil, light oil, crude oil, etc.
Industries: Heat supplying, hospital, colleges and universities.
2.8-29mw coal fired boiler
Pressure: 1.0-1.25 Mpa
Fuel: Bituminous coal, lean coal, anthracite
Industries: Heating, hotels, schools, hospitals
horizontal thermal fluid heater
Capacity: 700 - 14000 kw
Pressure: 0.8 - 1.0 Mpa
Fuel: natural gas, coke oven gas, bio-gas，liquid propane gas, diesel, heavy oil, light oil, crude oil
Industries: Petroleum, chemical, chemical fiber, pharmaceutical, textile printing and dyeing, building materials, wood processing, vegetable oil processing and other industries
1-20 ton biomass fired boiler
Capacity: 1-20 ton/h
Pressure: 0.7-2.5 Mpa
Fuel: Biomass particles
Industries: Heating, chemical, food, tobacco, textile, printing and dyeing, feed, medicine, building material, wine, rubber, hospital
How to Make Fire Logs Out of Sawdust (3 Steps) |
How to Make Fire Logs Out of Sawdust. A fireplace is a lovely accent to a room with the added benefit of providing heat, but purchasing wood or fire logs can be
28 Ways to Recycle and Reuse Sawdust and Woodchips
Being a thrifty fella, this thread over at Woodnet caught my attention: Where do you get rid of chips/sawdust? I used this thread as a starting point and then
Bio fuel briquettes, compress paper pulp and
Intro: Bio fuel briquettes, compress paper pulp and sawdust into fuel bricks. Project: To find a use for the large amount of sawdust produced from wood turning sawing
Biomass Boilers | Hurst Boiler
GO Carbon Neutral with a Hurst Biomass Boiler System. Reduce Carbon, Reduce Emissions, Reduce Operating and Fuel Costs, and SELL your Carbon Credits
Making a sawdust heater part 1 - YouTube
Jun 25, 2009 · This is by far the best sawdust heater about.. email us for plans to make [email protected] only £10 each copy..
Rustie - Frazzle/Ooompa/Cat Nip/ Sawdust - YouTube
Apr 07, 2012 · I was going to up these separately but why cut them up when they sound so sweet in sequence? (Deliberate alliteration) I would love to see these put onto
*SAWDUSTOVEN.* - Instructables
Sawdust + tin Can = Stove /Oven. Backpacking Camping and living Stove Powered by Sawdust made of Recycled Stuff. I Love camping since I was Just a child, and Now its
Urjex Boilers Pvt. Ltd. - Manufacturer of IBR
IBR Steam Boiler or Packaged Boiler, Thermic Fluid Heater Hot Water Boiler Manufacturer offered by Urjex Boilers Pvt. Ltd. from New Delhi, Delhi, India
mushroom equipment,mushroom machinery,mushroom
Zhengzhou Satrise Industry Co.,Ltd is mushroom equipment,mushroom machinery,mushroom machine,steam sterilizer,substrate bottle Manufacturers Suppliers.
This is a twin-drum water tube boiler from Rakhoh. One is Water drum other is is steam drum. This is most suited for applications that require uninterrupted boiler
Chowmein Making Machine and Noodles Processing
Rising Industries - Chowmein Making Machine, Noodles Processing Machine Spice Processing Machine Manufacturer from Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Mini Boiler - WoodMaster
Mini Boiler. The Mini Boiler is an indoor ASME-certified wood pellet boiler. The compact design utilizes thermal storage to maximize efficiency.
Glenwood 7020 Multi Fuel Boiler by Obadiahs
Glenwood 7020 Multi-Fuel Boiler and more quality heating products at Obadiahs Woodstoves. Contact us today for a shipping quote!
Glenwood Pennstoker 7710 Auto Boiler by Obadiahs
Glenwood Heaters Pennstoker 7710 Automatic Boiler and more. Contact Obadiahs today for all of your heating needs!
Home - Maine Wood Furnaces
Wood Oil Boiler Forced Hot Water. The Benjamin CC500 is our most popular unit. A wood and oil combination unit allows you to heat your home and also takes care of
Wood Boilers, Pellet Boilers and Biomass Boilers:
Wood Boilers, Pellet Boilers and Biomass Boilers: Wood fired boilers, Log Boilers, Wood Pellet Boilers and Biomass Boilers, UK boiler Stockists and Installers
TAMACC is a nonprofit 501(c)6 organization founded in 1975 by a small group of Hispanic businesspersons interested in increasing business opportunities.
SOLUTIONS - Vyncke
VYNCKE is not just a typical boiler manufacturer but a more complete energy solution provider with many references of thermal oil heaters, hot water boilers, steam
Greenheart workshop stoves - sawdust stove UK
These Greenheart workshop stoves are ideal for sheds and workshops and can burn sawdust and wood (most workshop stoves are either dedicated sawdust stoves or


Better Homes and Gardens reported it can cost $5,000 to install a simple, small concrete patio. A complex, stone or more unique patio can range from $10,000 to $35,000. A DIY project could cost less, according to Fixr. You can spend $700 on a 16x12-foot one using heavy concrete pavers.
Meanwhile, a 16x20-foot deck can cost as little as $6,720 or as much as $22,720. On average, it’ll cost $10,560.
When you set a budget for the deck or patio you want to install, size is also going to be a factor. And even if you want a large outdoor hangout space, you need to consider the size of your yard.
“If your patio is overly large it could lose its intimacy,” Southern Exposure Landscape Management said on its blog. “This shows the importance of planning and determining the size of your patio before creating a patio. Planning ahead of time results in a well-designed outdoor living area that you can utilize to suit your lifestyle.”
For your deck, take the size of your home into account, according to the Armadillo Composite Decking blog.
“Most builders suggest that your deck should be no larger than 20 percent of the house’s square footage. This is so that the deck does not overwhelm a home visually. This, of course, is up to you. If you feel you need a larger deck that takes up more of your yard space, feel free! This may give you less lawn to mow and more yard to enjoy.”


text:
a selection from
this video clip, Abortion Counseling Service (aka "Jane")
volunteers talk about the actual process by which women received
their abortions. They also reflect on the social and political issues
that surrounded their work and why the counseling service was so
important to women at the time.
Note: This video is also available through our "Jane"

domain: sociology


Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for the Period Beginning July 1, 2022 and Ending June 30, 2023
The 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant Program is available for public examination at the following locations: Appomattox Regional Library, 209 E. Cawson St.; Hopewell Redevelopment and Housing Authority, 350 E. Poythress St.; Department of Development, 300 N. Main St.; and the Hopewell Community Center, 100 W. City Point Rd. The Annual Action Plan explains the activities to be funded through the CDBG grant. The following programs will be funded as approved by City Council. The Action Plan gives a detailed description of each program.
|The James House||$9,000|
|Commonwealth Catholic Charities-Financial Literacy Workshop||$15,796|
|Hopewell Food Pantry||$5,000|
|Project Homes-Emergency Home Repair||$75,000|
|Infrastructure Improvements-Maple St. & New York Ave.||$71,448|
All interested agencies, groups, and individuals who wish to comment on the Plan may submit written remarks to Christopher Ward, Interim Director of Development, 300 N. Main St., Hopewell, VA 23860. Written comments will be received until 5PM, August 15, 2022. For additional information or a copy of the draft Annual Action Plan, please contact Kim Kinker, Executive Assistant, at (804) 541-2220, fax (804) 541-2318, or email email@example.com.


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Geo Geo Bianco Onice Wallpaper
Roll Size: 10m x 52cm
Repeat: 416 cm
Match: Any 52 cm
Available on back-order
About Geo Geo Bianco Onice WallpaperBianco Onice wallpaper is a truly luxurious design. It brings together rich ivory neutrals and ambers with fine pearlescent framing, creating a stunning visual effect. The wallpaper is made up of blocks with variable markings and tone, which come together to form the large scale patterns of the design. This makes it a perfect choice for those who want to make a statement in their home. The wallpaper is also incredibly versatile, as it can be used in a variety of different rooms and settings. Whether you're looking to add a touch of luxury to your living room or bedroom, or you want to create an eye-catching feature wall, the Geo Geo Bianco Onice wallpaper is the perfect choice. The deco graphic wallpaper is comprised of eight square motifs that build to create an extra long repeat. The stylised stone markings are unique to each motif and hold their own combinations of colour. Close up, these markings seem similar to a camouflage pattern. However, when viewed from a distance, the markings blend into the marble compositions from which they originated. This gives the wallpaper an aura of sophistication and elegance, while also providing a visual interest that will keep guests engaged. Whether used in a commercial setting or in the home, this deco graphic wallpaper is sure to make a statement.
Geo Geo Bianco Onice Wallpaper Material
Printed on Mica coated smooth non-woven paper.
Digitally printed in the UK.
Orders printed on demand which typically takes 3 weeks.