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IRS scrutiny of insurance premium deductions and a pending case involving Intel subsidiary Altera are among the many legal issues tax practitioners will keep an eye on in 2019.
Practitioners also are tracking a series of expected challenges to the Internal Revenue Service’s authority to impose penalties.
Bloomberg Tax asked tax attorneys with a wide range of specialties what they expect the new year will bring. Here are the legal issues to watch in 2019.
The IRS has always been watchful of how companies insure themselves, but it may be taking a harder stand in 2019, Fred Murray, director of the University of Florida’s graduate tax program, said.
Captive insurance—where a company creates a subsidiary to insure itself—has drawn scrutiny from the IRS because it can be a way for parent companies to generate tax benefits by moving money to its subsidiaries in the name of insurance premiums.
After the IRS completes its audit, the U.S Tax Court evaluates whether the insurance agreement between the parent company and its subsidiary is valid.
“There are a number of these that the IRS is looking at and about a dozen of these cases are pending in the Tax Court right now,” Murray told Bloomberg Tax. “It’s a question of whether the Tax Court respects the tax benefits of the transaction after determining if it is valid.”
The Tax Court’s June decision in Reserve Mechanical Corp. v. Commissioner could be appealed, Timothy L. Jacobs, a partner with Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in Washington, told Bloomberg Tax.
If appealed, Jacobs said, it would be the first captive insurance case to make it to the circuit courts.
The case involved an international corporation that opted to be treated as a tax-exempt domestic insurance company. The Tax Court rejected that position because Reserve Mechanical Corp. didn’t issue insurance contracts or receive more than 50 percent of gross receipts from premiums.
Waiting for Altera
One of 2019’s tax cases to watch was decided in the summer of 2018—until it wasn’t.
Practitioners and Silicon valley tech firms are still waiting for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in Altera Corp. v. Commissioner. A ruling in favor of the IRS could lead to higher tax bills for Ebay Inc., Tesla Inc., and other companies.
A central question in the case turns on how domestic companies share expenses with their offshore units. Altera is challenging an IRS ruling that it is required to share the expenses of its employees’ stock-based compensation with its Cayman Islands subsidiary.
The court ruled in the government’s favor in July, but withdrew the opinion a few weeks later because one of the judges who heard argument—Judge Stephen Roy Reinhardt—died before the opinion was issued. The case was re-argued in October.
“I think people will certainly be watching Altera and how that comes out,” Jacobs said.
The Altera ruling isn’t just a transfer pricing case, Jacobs said. It also touches on issues under the Administrative Procedure Act, which established requirements that federal agencies must follow when issuing regulations.
Altera argued that the IRS violated that law by ignoring stakeholder testimony when it created its 2003 cost-sharing rules. Companies had told the agency that unrelated parties don’t share the costs of stock-based compensation.
If the court sides with Altera, the comment period will be increasingly more important to the rulemaking process, Jacobs said.
Challenges to IRS penalty authority is another issue to watch in 2019.
“One thing we are going to continue to see a lot of is cases talking about whether the IRS appropriately received managerial approval for penalties,” said Guinevere Moore, a partner at Johnson Moore in Chicago.
Section 6751(b) of the U.S. Tax Code requires that no penalty be assessed “unless the initial determination of such assessment is personally approved (in writing) by the immediate supervisor of the individual making such determination.”
This code section was litigated in two frequently cited tax cases—Graev v. Commissioner and Chai v. Commissioner. The Graev and Chai cases determined that the agency bears the burden of providing evidence of written approval for initial penalty determinations.
“Graev and Chai have created a whole new subset of cases where the taxpayer and the government are figuring out how these cases are working their way through the system,” Moore said.
There are also a series of cases that deal with the way IRS calculates penalties against taxpayers who fail to file required annual reports on foreign financial accounts.
The cases revolve around whether the IRS can asses penalties at 50 percent of the value of the account at the time of the violation or if penalties should be capped at $100,000, Megan Brackney, a partner at Kostelanetz & Fink LLP in New York, said.
The IRS did prevail in one recent case on the issue: the U.S. Court of Federal Claims’ June ruling in Norman v. United States. But the government in 2018 lost in two other cases at the district court level: United States v. Colliot and United States v. Wadhan.
The taxpayers argued in Colliot and Wadhan that the government is bound Treasury’s regulation, which listed the penalty as a maximum of $100,000 dollars.
The government will likely appeal those two cases, Brackney said.
If the government loses it’s going to be an issue “because they’ve been assessing penalties and prevailing in litigation against people” for penalties of 50 percent of the accounts, rather than the $100,000 said Brackney. People who have been assessed millions in penalties are likely to be upset and pursue litigation if that happens, she said.
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After micromanaging unparalleled professional as well as personal workloads, it’s high time women got back on the job, writes MINAKSHI MISHRA.
The few women who have fought and won over the obstacles of gender and societal obligations, mental conditioning and an unfriendly work environment, are just a minuscule percentage of the Indian population. For the rest, the road is long and narrow.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit every sector and resulted in an unprecedented loss of employment. A large percentage of women also lost their jobs or struggled to balance work and home.
According to World Bank data (June 2020), the percentage of women in labour markets has declined in the last two decades in India. In fact, India’s female labour force participation (FLFP) is the lowest in South Asia. It is alarming that from 30.3 per cent in 1990, India’s FLFP dropped to 20.3 per cent in 2020, lower than that of Pakistan and Afghanistan at 22.2 per cent and 2.8 per cent, respectively.
So, what are the conditions that hinder the progress of employment of women in our country?
Lack of higher education, except for the privileged few, is a major factor. Also, there is a need for proper implementation of legal rights of ownership of property. Women either have little knowledge of legal rights or prefer not to pursue them.
The lack of a safe work environment is another major factor behind the low percentage of women’s workforce, for they have to think multiple times before joining or taking up a career outside their home state. Gender equality is a far cry in India.
COVID marred the entire year of 2020, which took a toll on working women worldwide. Conditions worsened with the closure of schools and daycare centres. The responsibility of caregiving fell disproportionately on the women, thereby, compounding the complications in getting back to work after a sabbatical or an unplanned break. In our country, despite government initiatives and laws, many workplaces are not lenient towards women who need more flexibility, which only worsened during the pandemic.
But, it is not only during the pandemic times. Women have had difficulties always, including wage discrimination, job insecurity, unsafe work environment, etc. They always have to maintain the work-home balance impeccably.
So, what could be the solution? Support at the policy level and changes to rectify the inequalities and inclusion of more women in the workforce. What goes without saying is the need for safety and zero tolerance for sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
Getting back to work after a break is a challenge that needs more discussion. Workplaces, including private and government ones, have various schemes, programmes, and detailed rules which offer relief to parents in the form of maternity and paternity leaves. However, for those returning to work after a break for any other reason, there is hardly any provision. Here are some pointers which might help bolster one’s confidence, and help meet the demands of the industry they seek to join.
• Be honest: Honesty counts, so one should never hide their career break. Doing a self-study about the industry or organisation they are seeking to join is highly recommended. A transparent and confident attitude is the key to ace the interview. One must speak about what they gained during the career break, like learning a new skill or devoting time to family. Showing their potential employer that there have been positive outcomes during their time away from work will work in their favour.
• Be confident: Indian society often considers homemakers a non-working category. The scenario is worse if a woman has recently left a job. But, she need not discount the value of her career gap or be sorry about taking care of young children or old parents. It is heartening to note that recent observations by social analysts have acknowledged that the contribution of stay-at-home women is significant. So, women who are looking to get back to work must pep up their self-confidence and let that be their USP to get back!
• Rejig the resume: One must make sure that one’s self-confidence and personality is reflected in the resume. So, updating the resume, i.e., including current industry terminologies, stressing on skill sets relevant to the job, etc., must be top priority. One must also look into what skills the employers are looking for, and check how that aligns with the candidate’s experience.
• Prepare for the interview: Take time to read about current issues in the industry you wish to join. Brush up your knowledge and go through probable questions. The internet can be of more help than you imagine. You must be confident, you may not have all the answers, but you can clinch the job with your confident attitude.
• Rebuilding networks: Now is the right time to rejoin your professional network online or offline. Meet your old buddies or plan a get-together in any of the new cafés in town. You will marvel at what a cup of coffee can do. Spruce up your social networking profile and update LinkedIn. You can also register for online courses and webinars to gain confidence.


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This Modern Baby Shower Footprint Banner will add the perfect touch for your baby shower. Fashioned from Premium Card stock. All hand pieced. Nothing printed.
Reads: SWEET BABY
Length : Approximately 62" with 24" of extra hanging ribbon on each end
Size of Circles : Each circle is 5"
Color: White, Gray, Light Pink
Matching Baby Shower Decorations:
Main Shop Page:

domain: design


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Evidence suggests that children who grow up with their father present in the household develop a stronger ability to regulate their emotions (Schore, 2017). Also, children (especially sons!) with adequate access to their fathers have fewer behavioural problems and other mental health issues.
“Support for legislation to create a presumption of equal shared parenting in child custody cases has increased since 2017” -Nanos National Survey (2022)
If you have been following us for a while, you know that we support what is in the best interest of children. Evidence shows that

domain: psychology


The sprawling new Mark Anthony Brewing facility off Shop Road in Columbia represents what area leaders would like to see more of in Richland County: an influx of major manufacturers that will help the area catch up with other regions in the state that have become major manufacturing hubs.
The Mark Anthony project, located on 200 acres in the Pineview Industrial Park, is the second-largest development deal ever for Richland County, bringing a $400 million investment to the area and 300 jobs. Chicago-based Mark Anthony’s new facility will help the company respond to an exploding national market for its hard seltzer products. The Shop Road location will brew White Claw, Mark’s Hard Lemonade and Cayman Jack cocktails.
Mark Anthony came to the area as a result of aggressive promotion from both Richland County and the city of Columbia, as well as buy-in from local utilities such as Dominion Energy and the city’s water utility, which offered bulk water and sewer rates that offer per-gallon discounts for large users. Mark Anthony, which will need 3 million gallons a day for its operations, will be the city’s largest water consumer.
Area economic development leaders say more of the same will be needed to continue to attract large manufacturing projects to an area that in the past 30 years has seen other large manufacturers like Michelin, BMW, Boeing and Volvo look to the Upstate and the Charleston area to locate new facilities.


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Staying Safe together Queens Hotel are delighted to announce Offering a prestige stay, wonderful service with strict safety procedures in place under government guidelines
Guest Information & Updates; COVID-19 Our Commitment to Safety and Wellbeing
At Queens Hotel, nothing is more important that the health and safety of our guests and colleagues. We have implemented changes to the running of our business to contain the spread of COVID-19. In line with this we have introduced cleaning and sanitising protocols based on expert advice of governments, public health authorities and medical professionals. We are closely monitoring government policy changes to make changes and adaptations, as necessary.
- Guest temperatures and health screening questions will be carried out; temperatures of 37.8°C and above will be refused entry.
- Guests required to wear mask upon arrival (you may be asked to temporarily remove this for identification purposes) Please wear this throughout communal hotel areas.
- Guests travelling with children; we remind you to supervise children to ensure social distancing guidelines are followed.
- High touch/used areas throughout the hotel will be sanitised on a regular basis.
- Social distancing promoted throughout the hotel by use of signage.
- Hand sanitiser dispensers located throughout the hotel.
- Indoors, people can meet in groups of up to 6 people, or as a group of 2 households
- Social distancing should be maintained between people who do not live together or share a bubble
- All non-essential decorative items in the rooms have been removed.
- Rooms to be deep cleaned and sanitised after each use.
- Tea/Coffee making facilities sanitised daily.
- Full English breakfast will be served in our dining area & other options available.
- Adaptations have been made in line with government guidelines.
- Tables must be limited to groups of 6 people or 2 households/bubbles
- All staff of the hotel to have temperature taken.
- All staff to practice COVID-19 cleaning and sanitising protocols and observe social distancing.
- PPE will be provided to all staff to ensure personal safety.
- Please read cancellation policies according to booking type selected. These can vary depending on the offers selected.
Queens Hotel will continue to closely monitor the rapidly developing events and make changes and adaptations accordingly.
We look forward to welcoming you and hope you to feel safe and at ease whilst staying with us.
Social distancing, hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes, remain the most important measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Queens Hotel Management

domain: travel


Montreal – The fourth edition of the Montreal Stop Motion Film Festival will take place on October 19, 20, and 21, 2012, at Concordia University’s J.A. de Sève Theater (1453 Mackay Street, Montreal).
The 2012 edition will feature some 70 films in official competition along with three special guest speakers from the industry: Mark Shapiro from LAIKA, who will reveal some of the secrets behind the film ParaNorman, Chris Walsh from Mad Lab Productions, and Merlin Crossingham, creative director for Wallace & Gromit at Aardman Animations.
The Stop Motion Film Festival is open to artists and film enthusiasts alike. We will be presenting two free family screenings alongside “hands on” sections where young animators can get better acquainted with the technique of stop motion animation.


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Mr. Holden Roberto, leader of the Angolan National Front for the Liberation of Angola (F.N.L.A.)?
GV Nairobi airport building
SV Aircraft taxi-ing
GV Kenyan Foreign Ministry officials await Angolans
SV Angolan leaders walk down aircraft steps led by Mr. Roberto, met by officials
SCU Security guard
SV Angolan leaders cross tarmac (2 shots)
GV Angolans out of airport posing for press
SCU Official party walk to cars and get in
SV PAN Official car leaving airport
Initials BB/1900 BA/JB/BB1915
Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
Background: Mr. Holden Roberto, leader of the Angolan National Front for the Liberation of Angola (F.N.L.A.) arrived in Nirobi on Saturday (14 June) for the proposed summit meeting of three Angolan Nationalist groups, aimed at ending the bloody fighting among their supporters.
He will meet Dr. Jonas Savimbi of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (U.N.I.T.A.) and Dr. Agostinho Meto, of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (M.P.L.A.).
The meeting is to be held in Nakur, 150 Kilometres (90 miles) from Nairobi, under the Chairmanship of President Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya.
Fighting between the liberation groups erupted after the three leaders met last January to formulate a united Policy for independence negotiations with Portugal.
Since then, over 1,000 people are estimated to have died in fighting a higher death toll than in the nationlists's anti-colonial war under the old Portuguese regime.
Followers of the marxist-oriented M.P.L.A. and the Zaire-based F.M.L.A. have clashed repeatedly, both in the rural areas and the capital, Luanda.
U.N.I.T.A. was brought into the violence for the first time earlier this month (June) when Portuguese official accused the M.P.L.A. of killing at least 10 people in an attack on a U.N.I.T.A. office in Luanda.
SYNOPSIS: Leaders of Angola's three liberation movements are arriving in Nairobi for a summit meeting it's hoped will end fighting which has left a thousand dead in the West African State since January.
First to arrive was the Zaire-based Angolan National Front for the Liberation of Angola, led by Holden Roberto. He'll be a key figure in the summit, a last-ditch attempt the opposing movements.
Mr. Roberto's movement has been feuding with the other two since the War in 1961. The leaders last met in January to hammer out a united Policy for independence negotiations resulted in the formation of an Angolan transitional Government.
The transitional Government includes the three nationalist group and the Portuguese military, and a target date for independence was set -- the eleventh of November this year. The arrangement's proved unworkable.
Long-standing difference between the three leaders, Mr. Roberto, Dr.Agostinho Neto and Dr. Jonas Savimbi, together with ethnic and geographical differences, have led to fierce fighting between the factions. The summit will be held in Nakuru, ninety miles from Nairobi, and its Chairman will be the Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta, who's Played a leading role in bringing the three leaders together.

domain: news


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Reviews for the ebook Fruitless at 40: Rediscovering my Creative Power"If you identify with creativity you will be interested in Christine’s story of the changes she made in her life over the past six years. There is something for all of us; for those in their 40’s - you may identify and take heart that you too can change, if you are younger – this is a blueprint and a cautionary tale, and if you are, (like me), well past your 40’s – there are many ah-ha moments when I saw my life and reflected on my journey through ‘early’ midlife." -Linda Hermanson Creative expressions through Social Work, Beading, Knitting, Doodling, Cooking
E-book - Fruitless at 40: Rediscovering my Creative Power I am not fruitless anymore. Through the writing, learning and practicing of the past 6 years, I have come out the other side with more wisdom, creativity and passion than I knew was possible. I know I am not alone in this type of transformation. Everyone who enters the decade of being the age of 40 comes through it changed. I didn't realize how much better I would feel and how much more I like myself as I move through these transitions.

domain: literature


MSc ME Thesis presentation
- Friday, 30 September 2022
- Timmanzaal (LB01.170)
Detecting Medical Equipment in the Catheterization Laboratory using Computer VisionRenjie Dai
Workflow analysis aims to improve the efficiency and safety in operating rooms by analyzing surgical processes and providing feedback or support, where observations can be made and evaluated by algorithms rather than human experts. For our study, we mount five calibrated cameras from different angles in a Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) to observe and analyze Cardiac Angiogram procedures. To automate the classification of workflow and personnel activities, we propose an object detection algorithm based on Scaled-YOLOv4 with a filter to improve bounding box prediction. Scaled-YOLOv4, as a state-of-the-art technique, is featured with extremely fast processing speed and decent precision. However, we find that Scaled-YOLOv4 still suffers when detecting objects with flexible appearance due to fixed anchors. This can result in the prediction of bounding boxes missing parts of the object or containing a blank environment. In this work, we design a filter following Scaled-YOLOv4 to improve the prediction of the bounding box by matching the features detected from different cameras. With the keypoints detected by SuperPoint and matched by SuperGLue, the filter adjusts the boundaries of the bounding box to include all the matched keypoints. The proposed algorithm achieves 95.1% mAP in detecting medical equipment in the Catheterization Laboratory and a real-time speed of 58 FPS on RTX 3090.


Mexican denim factory Global Denim has given its image an update to reflect its commitment to sustainable innovation.
With decades in the business and a vertical structure, Global Denim is working to make denim production greener with solutions that save water, chemicals and energy, such as a hydropower plant and its Ecolojean process that dyes denim with zero water discharge.
The manufacturer has revealed a new logo that points to its efforts in circularity and environmental action. It has also rolled out an updated website, complete with a digital showroom. This virtual showcase of its textiles will enable remote engagement between Global Denim and its clients around the globe, particularly as trade shows are moving back online to stop the spread.
Read more on Carved in Blue.
This article is one of a series on Rivet from Lenzing’s Carved in Blue denim blog. From conversations with the experts behind the mills that make some of the world’s most-wanted denim to the global brands bringing novel denim made with TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal to the market, Carved in Blue shares the stories of those whose roots run deep with denim. Visit www.carvedinblue.tencel.com.


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Germany’s central bank is hosting a four-day conference on blockchain this week.
The Bundesbank said in a statement:
The Bundesbank has called the for regulation of bitcoin in the past, with Deu... Read More
The development of this prototype underscores the usefulness of Blockchain technology in the securities field. The prototype will implement a concept which is based on a Blockchain from the Linux... Read More
German central bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, which is also the most influential member of the European System of Central Banks ESCB due to its strength and former size, announced the unveiling of a... Read More
“Passporting rights are tied to the single market and would automatically cease to apply if Great Britain is no longer at least part of the European Economic Area (EEA).” UK’s post Brexit position ... Read More
The results, which went into compiling Deutsche Bundesbank’s report on Payment Habits in Germany 2014, showed that of the 2,000 people who responded to the survey, 28% had heard of Bitcoin overall.
Who's Said What About the Coinbase-Visa Payment Dispute
Users of cryptocurrency startup Coinbase have seen repeated charges appear on their bank statements tied to their Visa credit and debit card use in recent days, prompting several rounds of statements
Actor Steven Seagal Endorses Questionable 'Bitcoiin' ICO
Action film star Steven Seagal has become the brand ambassador for a controversial cryptocurrency ahead of an initial coin offering (ICO).
A statement posted to Seagal's Twitter account confirmed t
Israel Confirms It Will Tax Bitcoin as Property
Israel's government confirmed Monday that it would treat bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a kind of property for tax purposes.
The notice confirms past indications that the Tax Authority will
Who Said What About Coinbase and Visa's User Payment Dispute
Users of cryptocurrency startup Coinbase saw repeated charges appear on their bank statements tied to their Visa credit and debit card use, prompting several rounds of statements from the companies in


Transformation Mechanism of Dual-mode Penetrators Achieved by Changing of Single-point Detonation
A shaped charge was produced with a wave shaper that can transform dual-mode penetrators by changing the single-point detonation location. Specifically, the theory of denotation wave formation was applied to analyze changes in the liner surface pressure in different initiation situations. An analytical model was established of the projectile explosively formed by denotation at the top of the liner and jetting projectile charge formed by denotation at the center of charge. LS-DYNA finite element simulation software was used to study the effects of the liner configuration parameters on the formation of dual-mode penetrators, and orthogonal optimizing design and simulation calculation was conducted to obtain suitable structural parameters of a uniform-thickness eccentric hemisphere liner. X-ray imaging and penetration experiments were then conducted. The penetration depth of the explosively formed projectile in a steel target was 0.64Dk（the charge diameter）,while that of the jetting projectile charge was 2.42Dk when the burst height was approximately 13Dk.
Where otherwise noted, the Articles on this site are licensed under Creative Commons License: CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India


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Hadley has been out of England for the last seven years. Living a life he didn’t really want. When he returns to England he finds himself the pawn of others once again. How will he ever break free.
Barbara is Mary Edwardes companion and Hadley’s step-mother. She has her own plans. She wants to be free of Sir Richard and keep Hadley for herself.
Mary Edwardes and Hadley are put upon a course that will alter their lives forever. Along the way they find themselves falling for each other. But when Mary finds out the truth about Hadley will she continue to trust him?
I love Victoria Vane’s stories. They seldom follow the traditional formula for historical romances and I find that very refreshing and often intriguing.
Treacherous Temptations continues the tradition of Victoria Vane novels by being unexpected! This story has a darker edge to it than most of Victoria Vane’s novels. It’s more sinister and it did not appear we would get an HEA out of it.
Sir Richard and Barbara were absolutely despicable. I couldn’t stand either one of them. They are vile people and it definitely came through!
Hadley was interesting. I wanted to like him and at times I did while at others I detested him. It was quite a quandary for me. I did finally end up liking him in the end but it was touch and go for a while.
Mary Edwardes started out completely likable but I quickly found myself frustrated with her. She was so naïve and trusting. Even after Barbara was so mean to her, Mary continued to trust her. I just wanted to shake her!
The intrigue of the story kept me glued to the pages, as I wanted to discover if Hadley and Mary would get their HEA. I had to know if they discovered the plot between Sir Richard and Mary.

domain: artistic


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'It's amazing' Regional Cities Initiative making headway in Northern Indiana
MISHAWAKA, Ind. - After more than 35 and a half million dollars were distributed to cities in Northern Indiana for projects to improve quality of place and attract more people to the area, Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger was in Mishawaka and South Bend Friday to tour some of the completed projects of the Regional Cities Initiative.
"It's amazing what's happened up here in the central region with the Regional Cities initiative," Schellinger said. "I was just talking to the mayor. What's so impressive is the whole region, Elkhart County, St. Joseph County, Marshall County, you told us what you were going to do, and you've done exactly that."
Schellinger toured the Mill at Ironworks plaza and Biergarten in Mishawaka and Howard Park in South Bend, three of the completed projects in the Regional Cities initiative. The overall project is a partnership between the State of Indiana and cities like Mishawaka, South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen and Plymouth. That partnership aims to improve those cities so as to create more "destination cities" in Indiana and attract people to more areas in the state than just Indianapolis. Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood said success of the project comes down to the people.
"Anytime I come down here and I see families out on a stroll, enjoying themselves, maybe popping in to the local restaurant, maybe going on a bike ride, maybe sitting out on their balcony enjoying a beautiful sunset, maybe coming out to our park and enjoying a free concert event with some good local food and beverages, that's success to me," Wood said.
Wood said he hopes this project can help Mishawaka quickly develop, much like a central Indiana city has that he hopes Mishawaka can emulate through this project.
"We took a trip down to Fishers where the sibling of this building sits," Wood said. "We went and looked at it several years ago. It was one building much like ours here surrounded by not much right in downtown Fishers. I went back last year, and the entire area was developed. We're seeing that here now."
Project leaders said seeing some of the completed projects in the area have them excited to keep going.
"All of these are amenities that are attractive and bring young people, retired people, people really of all ages are looking for those types of amenities in the places that they are looking to move," said Regina Emberton, the President and CEO of the South Bend/Elkhart Regional Partnership. "So, we are able to offer both great jobs and an amazing quality of life, and it really is making a difference in the population with increases across the region. We're heading in the right direction."
People from the area hope the project will continue with things like park improvements.
"Definitely create more restaurants and outdoor opportunities for families," said Molly Robinett who grew up in South Bend. "We're at Howard Park. It's been really nice for me and my husband to bring my son out here, but it's still very limited on where we can go sit and eat outside, listen to live music and support local businesses."
So far 17 of the 26 planned projects for the initiative are done. Six are under construction and three are still in the planning stages. A full list of the projects can be found here.

domain: geography


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GD Star Rating
“You are an ant. You are at war. Kill or be killed in this fast paced survival games style PvP arena. Tunnel your way through the earth while fighting for your life.”
From the creator of Fathmar Deathmatch comes Hivemind, a new fresh look at minecraft pvp. Use your speed and powerful mining tool to dig your way through a 100 x 100 pillar of dirt that reaches from the void to the block limit. Fight enemies using a combination of spleef and survival games skills as you fight to be the last ant alive.
With speed ten and jump boost ten enemies will try to get away fast when weakened. Learn to track them through the anthill but be careful not to fall into one of their cobweb traps. Learn how to escape quickest by using other players’ tunnels or by filling in your path behind you.
When you are lost within the depths of the anthill keep looking over your shoulder. They will find you. They will kill you.
The game is 2-8 players. Feel free to make a server or Youtube video as long as you mention the author.
Thank you for downloading. If you have any questions, comments or bellyaching contact me in the comments. Check out other maps by me: Chrome Defense, Let’s Be Creative and Fathmar Deathmatch. All of them can be found in the minecraft forums.
GD Star Rating
“The floor of this spleef arena – which is most of the time made out of snow – is made out of… dragon eggs! This arena is truly unique – never has this kind of spleef arena been made before. I’m proud to present you this arena!”
“Spleef is one of many popular player-invented games played in Minecraft. The overall objective is to be the last player standing. The name is a play on the word grief as the game involves destroying blocks. The game can be played entirely in vanilla. Though the peak of its popularity was in Minecraft Classic, it has since made a comeback in Beta and the full release.” – Minecraft Wiki
The floor of this spleef arena – which is most of the time made out of snow – is made out of… dragon eggs! This arena is truly unique – never has this kind of spleef arena been made before. I’m proud to present you this arena!
This map – contrary to other spleef arenas – doesn’t require any tool to “break” the block the floor has been made out of. As you now, you just click a dragon egg, and it will teleport away. This will also add an interesting new feature to this spleef: most dragon eggs will, as they teleport, stay inside the arena, some will fall through the current holes and some will just teleport out of the arena. The ones that manage to stay inside the arena, will create an interesting and challenging scenery with stacked eggs!
This minigame requires at least 2 players (of course) and can be played with up to 4 players. Just choose your color and when everyone is in the arena, the game will start automatically. Good luck!
For more info and let’s play’s, go to http://bit.ly/16a0G7F
GD Star Rating
“Want to play spleef but too hungry to start? Try shadowman9119’s cake-eating spleef map!”
Cake-Eating Spleef by Shadowman9119 follows the same rule as the regular spleef mini game. This game map also features a surprise compensation chest if you spawn outside the allocated spawn point. Play with your friends and have fun nomnom-ing those cakes.
This is one of my maps; this time, it’s a spleef minigame.
But this isn’t normal spleef.
It’s CAKE-EATING Spleef! It’s simple; all you do is eat the cakes under your opponents and make them fall and die.
You will get infinite and really strong hunger so that you can keep eating cake without stopping!
Hope you guys enjoy the map, I will make more little fun mini games later on sometime if people like my existing ones or if I just feel like making a map.

domain: game


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Halton Garden Week 2022
The free community event in Halton will offer a number of virtual presentations and workshops for participants to grow their food skills and learn about gardening, climate change and how to reduce food waste.
At Gardens Stratford, presentation “This for That: Native Alternatives for Invasive Plants”, by Lorraine Johnson, author of numerous books on environmental issues and gardening.
Lake Simcoe Gardeners speaker Cathy Kavassalis subject is Herbs: Savoury, Sensual and Poisonous.
Ottawa Horticultural Society: Presenters Patricia Stirbys and Peter Croal will give a brief outline of the genesis of this initiative, and their respective motivations for creating Healing Forest.
Master Gardeners Assocation of Alberta presents Janet Melrose on seed propagation.
Pickering Garden & Horticultural Society presents Berrydelicious with Cathy Kavassalis about small fruit growing for the home gardener
Trish Symons takes us through her beautiful Hockley Valley garden.
Stratford and Area Master Gardeners and Stratford Public Library offer a virtual presentation by Sean James on Layered Designs for Natural Gardens.
Leaside Garden Society presents Marc Yamaguchi on the the East Danforth Rain Gardens Project.
Oro-Medonte Horticultural Society presents Marianne Lepa on March 14 talking about Europe's Allotment Gardens: The original urban farms.
Sean James will discuss techniques to aid in infiltrating rainwater into the soil while beautifying your landscapes and allowing a more unusual palette of plants to be used.
The next meeting of the Stittsville Goulbourn Horticultural Society is on Tuesday, March 15th and will take place on Zoom at 7:00 pm. Our guest speaker this month, Master Gardener Mary Shearman Reid, will give her presentation “Bulbs for Year Round Enjoyment.” Mary will discuss what to look for when selecting bulbs, how to plant […]
Master Gardeners Assocation of Alberta presents Scott Meer on how natural enemies of insects can be our friends.
Trenton Horticultural Society presents David Hobson on "Grow Something Different to Impress Your Neighbours".
Peterborough Horticultural Society presents Joyce Hostyn on foodscaping and wildscaping as a new approach to gardening in a changing climate.
Ancaster Horticultural Society
Join the Vancouver Master Gardeners for a stellar program that will inspire and help you understand how to fight the negative effects of climate change.
At Gardens Stratford, “Native Trees and Shrubs for Urban Gardens and Landscapes” presented by Sean Fox, manager of Horticulture and Curator of Collections & Conservation at the University of Guelph Arboretum.
Over the past twenty years, Ursula Eley has had the pleasure of demonstrating design, talking about gardening, and teaching floral design.. Ursula's garden is mainly a shade garden now and she enjoys growing native plants and some of their beautiful foreign cousins. As well a representative from King Township will be on hand to distribute […]

domain: agronomy


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What are the functions of political parties in democracies?
Why are the different types of party systems?
How has political party influence changed over time?
Why is it important for political parties to get people elected?
What is the best way to advance in a political party?
Who votes and does not vote in elections?
What impact does electoral realignment have in politics?
What do you think the future of the Republican Party is?
Include at least one reference (book, journal article, etc.)
Make sure your answer is at least 2-3 pages long, typed, and double spaced.

domain: politics


text: The plants can then be set out in prepared rows, vacant areas in fields or as an ornamental ground cover plant for home landscaping. There are other benefits to growing your onions from seed as well. It is also fun to try growing trees from seed, although patience is required as it … Once you’ve prepared the seed tray, store it for up to 2 months in a dark area of your house like a closet. Thimbleberry is a unique bramble native to the Western states with clusters of sweet red fruits, white star-shaped flowers, and big velvety maple-like leaves. PrintPrepared by D. A. Abdalla, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service, Orono, ME 04469. Place the sprouted seeds vertically in the holes and fill the holes with potting soil. The resulting seedling from the growing blueberry seeds will look like grass with a few tiny leaves atop. Timing is everything when it comes to growing brussels sprouts. Growing brussels sprouts from seed. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Article Sources. Download your free seed harvest handbook. in height. Growing plants from seed is a great way to start gardening earlier in the season. It’s exciting enough to see a small seed germinate into a flower or vegetable, just imagine watching trees mature knowing that you planted and nursed them from seed! Date plants are easy to grow from seed. Because each plant has unique seed-starting requirements, it helps to start small by growing just a few varieties. The upright, arching branches vary from nearly thornless to quite thorny, and are apt to grow to ten feet, if left unpruned. ... As the seed starts to sprout in spring, keep an eye on the growth. Like other fruit plants, it takes a few years to get a crop, and the plants must be kept in full sun to do well. Dust like seeds shouldn't be covered and sprinkled on the surface and kept moist. Once the blueberry bush seed plants are big enough to transplant, move them into pots in a sunny, warm area and keep moist. However, growing in the garden makes seeds more vulnerable, so Damien suggests putting 2-4 seeds in each hole, to increase your rate of success. Store your seeds in a warm, dark area and make sure they stay moist. The results outweigh the challenges along the way. Unless you buy feminized seeds, which have a very high likelihood of growing into feminine plants, you can’t tell just by looking at a seed whether it’s a seed for a male or female plant. I start my seeds indoors in mid to late May, moving the seedlings to … Growing plants from seeds are not only easy to do, but it is also one of the cheapest ways to fill your garden with abundance. Phenology: Bloom time: May-June. Set up a grow light over the seeds and leave it on at all times. Covered in thick, scaly skin and topped with a spiky crown, pineapple fruit also contains Ananas seeds, which can be used to produce even more fruit. Follow our step-by-step guide to growing leeks from seed, below. Seeds have been sprouting and trees have been growing for an awfully long time without any help from humans. Some people may think only of growing vegetables from seed, but flower seeds are just as easy to plant. Thimbleberry is a favourite berry of children and adults as well as other wildlife. You have to plant a bunch of seeds, wait until you can determine whether the plant is … A regular organic potting mix is good for clay and other non-plastic pots. Learn the basics of growing trees. The sumac (Rhus spp.) For the best results possible, try to keep the room at a temperature of about 77 °F (25 °C). When growing small seeds that are near the surface, it's often better to cover the seed tray/container to stop the seed compost from drying out in strong sunshine.


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Back by popular demand, the second annual mayoral panel at this year’s AIA South Dakota Convention included four leaders representing communities across the state. While their cities vary greatly in geography, economy, diversity and population, the mayors found common ground in the challenges they are all facing in planning for a better future. Moderated by AIASD Board President Tom Hurlbert, the panel addressed questions ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic response to affordable housing and smart development.
Selected excerpts of the discussion follow (responses are not verbatim):
Q: How has the COVID pandemic affected planning in your town?
A: (Collier-Wise) We have had great success in converting outdoor space for temporary dining and commercial use. We have begun to challenge the mindset that we only have three nice months for outdoor activity, and are finding new ways to expand the outdoor season. (Allender) We also had great results with expanded outdoor dining, but also learned we could’ve used a hand in planning as we continued to make adjustments to sidewalk barriers over the summer.
Q: How are you addressing the “missing middle” of affordable housing?
A: (Allender) We are in the midst of a trial project, with 5 units on a former single-family lot. (Caron) Watertown had made zoning changes to allow more options for housing, such as communal living as a conditional use with some additional regulations for parking. We have a new compact residential zone with smaller lots to increase density.
Several of the panel indicated private homeowners are often the impediment to allowing infill multi-family and affordable housing, so groups need a clear vision and ability to gain some consensus in the neighborhoods they want to work in.
Q: How can cities incentivize infill development and higher density, along with disincentivizing continued urban sprawl?
A: (TenHaken) We have a number of options to help subsidize the cost of infill development, such as our housing trust fund. Developers need to be creative with other new funding sources. (Allender) We have 85 TIF’s in Rapid City, largely because the council never wants to be seen as anti-development. With 2-year terms they need to worry about the next election before they even understand the full duties of their position. Sprawl is our major “financial sin” and we need to explain the long-term cost to the whole community of extending and then maintaining miles and miles of new infrastructure every year. (Caron) We have two TIF’s in progress for mixed use developments- we invested taxpayer dollars to make the projects work.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: (Collier-Wise) Don’t forget our smaller towns- we need communities of all sizes to thrive for the state as a whole to prosper. (TenHaken) Get involved! The AIA should be the trusted voice that the city council can go to for advise on all these planning issues. Show up to support the good ideas as well as opposing the bad ones.
Moderator Hurlbert kept the discussion moving, and cautiously allowed that all four panelists would be invited back next year for another engaging conversation.
Steve Allender was elected as mayor of Rapid City in 2015, following 29 years in the RCPD including a long tenure as Chief of Police. He is excited to meet the challenge of growth around the upcoming bomber program being added to Ellsworth AFB.
Sarah Caron was elected as mayor of Watertown in 2017. She formerly worked as a civil engineer including work for the city of Watertown. Sarah and her husband moved back from the West Coast to raise their family in the nation’s “Strongest Town” (2020 winner.)
Kelsey Collier-Wise had the most unlikely path to mayor, being appointed to the position earlier this year after the passing of Mayor Jack Powell. Kelsey completed her undergrad out of state before returning to earn her law degree at USD, in her hometown. Kelsey also serves as Executive Director of the Vermillion United Way.
Paul TenHaken was elected mayor of Sioux Falls in 2018, following a career as an executive in the digital marketing field. Paul is looking forward to partnering with surrounding communities as Sioux Falls builds up to its neighbors and becomes a true metropolitan area.
Thomas Hurlbert, AIA, is principal architect at CO-OP Architecture in downtown Sioux Falls. While not a trained moderator, he got the job done.
Keith Thompson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a principal at Koch Hazard Architects in Sioux Falls.


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Angkor Thom – The “Breath” of Ancient Era
by Seni World Jul 11, 2017
Located in Angkor Archeological Site, Angkor Thom also has its own nice fame to travellers like Angkor Wat. Thus, starting an adventure in Angkor Thom is one of the right and wise choices for those who are interested in the Khmer architecture, the long and mysterious history of Cambodia and the “breath” of ancient stuff.
General information about Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom, which means Great City in Khmer language, inspired many people come and explore it. The reasons at the top of the list explaining for that are Angkor Thom’s history and its stunning attractions.
In 1811 King Jayavarman VII, who was considered as the Angkor’s greatest king, recaptured the power of governing the Khmer capital from Cham. After this victory, he began to found his own and new capital city by erecting a large number of buildings which created Angkor Thom - the last capital city of the Khmer temple.
Like other structures in Angkor Archeological Site we know today, Angkor Thom was also built to represent the cosmology in ancient story and the religious symbol. Therefore, when you have a general view of the Angkor Thom, you can realize that it was erected on a square shape with the first layer is the moat surrounding the second layer- the stone wall. The ancient building – Bayon temple was constructed inside the wall to symbolize the Mount Meru – home of god enclosed by cosmic ocean.
Outstanding features and structures in Great City
Unlike other structures, Angkor Thom has five gates instead of four. You can find the gates in the middle of each sides of the wall. Three gates were built in the North, West, South, respectively and two gates in the East. Built in Bayon style, the gates of Angkor Thom are also very special. They were built of sandstone with 23 meter high. The top of each gate was marked by 4 huge stone faces. Each of them faces each cardinal direction. Moreover, on the lower level, the gates are decorated with elephants whose trunks are used as pillars.
The East Gate of Angkor Thom
Nowadays, most visitors come inside the ancient capital through the South gate since it is the best well-deserved gate. The large causeway still remains statues of gods on its two sides, which brings the feeling like stepping back to the past for visitors when they first approach Angkor Thom although some of statues were damaged seriously.
The South Gate of Angkor Thom
It can be said that Bayon temple is the most famous structure in Angkor Thom. Bayon Temple was erected in the middle of the capital in late 12th century. It is a perfect cooperation of Buddhist and Hinduism since it was built by King Jayavarman VII to dedicate Buddhist but it also represented the heaven and earth in the cosmic world in Hinduism. Bayon can be seen as the smaller capital in Angkor Thom. It also has three levels. The first and the second levels are walls marked with bas-reliefs which describe historical and religious events.
The last level leaves strong impression on visitors by its 54 towers in which each of them feature 4 mysterious smiling faces. Each face turns to each compass direction. Some people consume it as Buddha’s face because the purpose of the temple is to worship Buddhism. However, some say that it might be the King’s face since the stone face has similar feature with the statue of Jayavarman VII. Some other even consider the face is the combination of Buddha and King. However, the answer has not found yet.
Terrace of Elephants
The Terrace of Elephants was served as the large platform for King to observe the games and hold celebration. It has three level of staircase which was ornamented with elephants’ heads, lion statues on two sides. The wall was decorated with impressive bas-relief decorated with fighting scene between an elephant and a lions, sculptures of elephants, five-headed horses, dancers and warriors.
Beside Bayon temple and the Terrace of Elephants, there are some other must-see buildings. For example, Phimeanakas – the Hindu temple was built in the shape of three tier pyramid, Baphuon - the temple orginally worshipped Shiva God but changed to dedicate Buddhist later or Prasat Suor Prat - a series of ruin towers, etc.
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| TransDigm Group is a holding company. Through its subsidiary, TransDigm Inc., Co. is a designer, producer and supplier of aircraft components for use on commercial and military aircraft. Co.'s segments are: Power and Control, which develops, produces and markets systems and components that predominately provide power to or control power of the aircraft utilizing electronic, fluid, power and mechanical motion control technologies; Airframe, which develops, produces and markets systems and components that are used in non-power airframe applications utilizing airframe and cabin structure technologies; and Non-aviation, which develops, produces and markets products for non-aviation markets.
When researching a stock like TransDigm Group, many investors are the most familiar with Fundamental Analysis — looking at a company's balance sheet, earnings, revenues, and what's happening in that company's underlying business. Investors who use Fundamental Analysis to identify good stocks to buy or sell can also benefit from TDG Technical Analysis to help find a good entry or exit point. Technical Analysis is blind to the fundamentals and looks only at the trading data for TDG stock — the real life supply and demand for the stock over time — and examines that data in different ways.


While the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ will be a show of what the German giant has in store for the future, the E-Class All-Terrain will join the V90 Cross Country in the niche segment of all-terrain luxury wagons.
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Mercedes-Benz has announced its portfolio of exhibits, to be unveiled at Auto Expo 2018. The three exhibits include the latest generation Mercedes-Maybach S650 saloon, the E-Class All-Terrain and its Future Mobility concept, the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ. While the Maybach S650 will be launched at Auto Expo on February 9, the E-Class All-Terrain will only be unveiled for Indian roads, and be launched in the country later this year.
The three exhibits from Mercedes-Benz's stable belong to three completely different categories. The Maybach S650 will sit right at the top of Mercedes-Benz's portfolio alongside the S-Class AMG offerings, and aim to further improve on the self-titled 'best car in the world'. Meanwhile, the E-Class All-Terrain will cater to a niche segment, which was first addressed in India by Volvo with the V90 Cross Country. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain will bring all the comforts of the E Class, while presenting more rugged driving dynamics and the stretched wheelbase of an estate. It will be unveiled at the Auto Expo, preceding its official launch due later this year.
The final exhibit will be a show of electric, connected and assisted mobility that every car maker across the world is working on. The Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ is an all-electric SUV, capable of supporting wireless charging, permanent all-wheel driving, total range of 500km and maintaining the aesthetics of a luxury car. The Concept EQ SUV will be equipped with the connected car infrastructure that is expected to be imperative in future cars, and also come with autonomous driving technology. This will fit into the shared mobility models of future, where owning a car will no longer be necessary. This will also fall in line with India's strategy of promoting smart cities and electric mobility, making it one of the most relevant concepts to be present at the show.
The India Auto Expo 2018 commences for the public on February 9, 2018. Watch this space for exhaustive coverage of everything present at the greatest automobile show in India.
Digit caters to the largest community of tech buyers, users and enthusiasts in India. The all new Digit in continues the legacy of Thinkdigit.com as one of the largest portals in India committed to technology users and buyers. Digit is also one of the most trusted names when it comes to technology reviews and buying advice and is home to the Digit Test Lab, India's most proficient center for testing and reviewing technology products.
We are about leadership-the 9.9 kind! Building a leading media company out of India.And,grooming new leaders for this promising industry.


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Bentonite a powerful drilling mud and a tested toxin binder is named after Benton Shale, Wyoming, United States, where it was initially founded.
This clay is usually formed from the weathering of volcanic ashes generally in the presence of water.
Bentonite clay has different names in respect to the different elements it consists such as Calcium, Sodium, Aluminium, and Potassium.
It has different multiple uses in varied industries, such as drilling mud in oil and gas wells, industrial cleaning agents, foundry-sand bonds, toxin binders in stock feed.
Properties of Bentonite:-
- Excellent Colloidal Properties
- High Swelling clay
- Ionic Surface
- FDA compliant (For contact with drugs and food)
Structure and Types:
Bentonite is a freely available, inexpensive, non-toxic, and abundant naturally occurring clay used to combine attractive nano-composite of palladium as a super steady and recoverable green catalyst (Fe3O4/Bentonite-Pd).
It has excellent colloidal and swelling properties which makes it:
- A functional sealant as it enables self-sealing, low-permeability barrier.
- A geotechnical and environmental investigator when used in drilling mud for boreholes as well as oil and gas wells.
- A useful toxin binder in stock feed.
When added with organic fertilizers, Bentonite pads can also be used in organic farming.
It is also commonly used for large castings using dry molds.
It is mainly a functional adsorbent of ions in fats and oils as well as solutions.
Calcium Bentonite is the primary active ingredient of fuller’s earth likely, one of the earliest industrial cleaning specialists.
It is commonly used for smaller castings using wet molds.
Industrial Uses of Bentonite:-
Drilling Mud – Because of its unique rheological properties, It is used in drilling fluids in order to:-
- Remove cuttings
- lubricate and cool down the cutting tools ensuring prevention from blowouts
Binder – A wide usage of bentonite is as a foundry-sand in steel and iron foundries.
Apart from that, in iron ore pellets manufacturing, it is used as a binding agent.
Purification – Bentonite can decolorize various vegetable, mineral, and animal oils.
It can also clarify liquor, wine, beer, cider, and vinegar.
On the other hand, it is considered an effective low-cost adsorbent to remove the chromium(VI) ions from contaminated wastewater.
Adsorbent – It contains adsorbing properties to seperate protein molecules from aqueous solutions.
- To remove huge amounts of protein from white wines, it is used uniquely in the winemaking process.
- Surrounding the feces and adsorbing the odor, it is used in varied pet care items like cat litter.
- To adsorb grease and oils.
Other Industrial Uses:-
- Groundwater Barrier
Where to find Bentonite:-
Jagdamba Minerals is one of the Leading Manufacturers of Bentonites in Rajasthan and the quality of Bentonite clay produced is top grade suited for varied industries.

domain: chemistry


Mozart's First String Quartet
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Ever heard of him? That classical composer? He's been a household name for centuries, often referred to as a prodigy or mastermind. Even sometimes called the founder of the (ill-name) classical era.
But why? Why is his music, almost 3 centuries later, still held as a pinnacle for genius? Why does history remember his name? It is apparent in his first string quartet, written at the young age of only 14.....and if that's not impressive enough....written in a single day. His first string quartet! At the age of 14! In a single day! I could barely write a full sentence at 14, forget about composing music. Imagine the potential! Even before puberty this young man was creating beauty in a way that had never been heard before!
The year is 1770. Bach has been dead for only 20 years. Having traveled the rough roads of Europe, young Mozart and his father find themselves in the busy city of Lodi in northern Italy, known for its beautiful churches and baroque architecture. Wolfgang arrived with wide-eyes, eager to explore the city. As a talented youth, Wolfgang's father Leopold Mozart pushed his child to unlock his potential, much like that of Michael Jackson. "You're not going outside til you finish your homework..." So Wolfgang wrote a staple of string history.
Let's delve into the notes.
The piece consists of four parts: Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola and Cello. Mozart places us in G Major, using a pulsing bass and viola part to prolong the tonality while the 1st Violin begins with a sweet melody, while the second violin stays silent. From Bach's point of view, this is unusual. You've got four instruments! You're paying them all! Why isn't the 2nd violin playing anything?!
In the third measure, as the first phrase ends in the 1st Violin, the 2nd Violin joins in with a soft high D(m. 3-4). Again, Bach is rolling in his grave! How can the 2nd Violin part be higher than the 1st!? What is going on here?!
Let me explain: when we play a triad on a piano, some extra strings also ring, even though they have not been struck by the hammers of the piano. These overlying harmonies (think harmonics) are called 'sympathetic resonance'. Like a true friend, they cry out softly when they hear their kindred spirits hammered. Mozart is using this idea outside the piano, having the 2nd Violin ring a sweet sympathetic harmony above the 1st Violin. What an inspired concept! Taking natural sounds and applying them in a new setting! We have our first evidence of genius thus far!
As we continue, we cadence with a suspension to the V or D major chord. (sigh) ahhhh. Finally, something Bach would be comfortable with. Mozart however, doesn't give Bach much satisfaction. Instead of returning to the tonic of G Major, Mozart continues to prolong the V chord, using linear motion in the bass and viola parts. Again, we hear a sympathetic high D in the 2nd violin (m.11-12). This time, however, we hear the soft D above the V chord, giving us a totally different taste than the previous sympathetic high D above the tonic or G Major chord.
In measure 13, we hear a sixteenth run and allow the 2nd Violin to show off, much like a side-note, until we land on the V chord.
What a badass!


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A 3D Bioprinting Stock That’s Not Organovo
One thing we’ve noticed over the years is that the way we imagine a disruptive technology being commercialized is rarely how things actually transpire. We’re seeing that now as 3D printing business models and technologies evolve over time into something different. The same can be said for the companies that are involved in disruptive technologies where things move fast and investors expect things to happen quickly. If you don’t move quickly to commercialize a new technology at scale, there are plenty of companies that will gladly fill that void.
It’s been a while since we’ve looked at 3D bioprinting, a disruptive technology that we imagined would involve 3D printing replacement organs for the human body. One of the most promising stocks back in the day was a company called Organovo (ONVO). We’ve written a number of articles about the firm, the last being an article titled “An Organovo Article With a Negative Spin” which pointed out how the company seemed overly focused on the way they were being perceived by the media. It’s understandable why a firm would be focused on investor relations, especially if they’re being attacked by short sellers for example. Still, it’s hard not to be thinking negative things about Organovo as we all wait for the revenue growth to happen. From our last article:
On the first day of 2012, Organovo had 22.4 million shares outstanding and since then that number has risen to 81.5 million. With the shares outstanding having nearly quadrupled, investors can take some solace in the fact that Organovo has $50 million in cash as of March 31, 2015. Given last year’s cash burn was $19.6 million, we can expect another 2.5 years of funded operations provided that costs don’t increase.
That was written almost four years ago and at the same time, we noted how investors keep waiting and waiting for those big revenues to show up. We’re all still waiting as the company continues to burn through cash and now has 119.5 million shares outstanding.
3D bioprinting may be a tough game for Organovo, but not so much for another 3D bioprinting stock we’re going to look at today called CELLINK (CLNKB:SS).
A Nordic 3D Bioprinting Stock
The story of CELLINK is one that doesn’t follow the typical timeline of a technology firm that raises venture capital with hopes of an eventual exit down the road. Founded in 2016, Swedish firm CELLINK had only been in existence for ten months before they decided to pursue their IPO in November of 2016. At that time, their $10,000 bioprinter could be found “in 25 countries around the world, mostly universities in the US and Asia, but even some private customers.” That’s according to an article by Business Insider which talks about how CELLINK listed on Nasdaq First North after a 1070% oversubscribed IPO. (Roughly speaking, that means that demand for their shares was 10X what they expected.) Since then, shares have risen +400% giving the company a present-day market cap of around $257 million.
As you can see in the above chart, shares have risen sharply since the beginning of last year. Let’s take a look at what sort of products the company offers.
CELLINK’s Product Offerings
Today, CELLINK products can be found in more than 600 labs in over 50 countries. In addition to offering their own 3D bioprinter, CELLINK has also developed an entire suite of products and consumables including “the first universal bioink that’s compatible with any cell type in any 3D-bioprinting system.” Here are some of their hardware devices that are either in development or commercially available.
Apart from the two bioprinters seen above – BIO X and INKREDIBLE – they’ve also developed a number of other hardware products.
- CELLCYTE X is a cost-effective and high-throughput live cell imaging system which lets you incubate your creations and see how they’re progressing.
- I-DOT is a robotic device added to their product suite as a result of acquiring a German startup called Dispendix for around $5.6 million. The robot can be used for all your liquid handling tasks from filling plates to creating reagent mixes from multiple solutions.
- Lumen X is a machine they developed with another startup called Volumetric. The tool uses over a million points of light to bioprint microscopic features down to 200 microns and is used for applications in microfluidics, cell-laden hydrogels, macroporous structures, and more.
- Holograph X is a tool they’ve developed with a startup called Prellis Biologics which came up recently in our article on 9 Regenerative Medicine Companies for Living Longer. With a price tag of $1.2 million, Holograph X enables rapid 3D printing of high-resolution structures that match human capillaries and the finest extracellular matrices.
In addition to these hardware products, the company offers an entire suite of bioinks along with consumables like needles and nozzles. Most importantly, companies are buying these products and using them resulting in a growing revenue stream for CELLINK. You can build the coolest products imaginable but if you can’t get the industry to adopt them, you’re out of luck. What’s notable about CELLINK is who they’re working with.
CELLINK’s Customers and Partners
CELLINK dedicates an entire section of their website to showcase the various accomplishments being made using their 3D bioprinting technologies. One notable event last year was when researchers at the University of Newcastle managed to 3D print an entire human cornea. That news was particularly notable because there is a shortage of corneas available for transplant. It took only ten minutes to print which means we may soon have an unlimited supply of human corneas. Additional research work is being performed on CELLINK’s products at the world’s most notable academic institutions – the company’s largest customer group is universities and research institutions – but they’ve also managed to land some very notable commercial users as well.
In December of last year, CELLINK entered into a collaboration with MedImmune, the research and development branch within AstraZeneca, to look at using 3D-bioprinted tissues as a tool in the research of new diseases. Other notable collaborations announced by the company include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Takara Bio, and a firm called CTIBIOTECH who they’re working with to print cancer tissues. The company now offers a complete range of products in 50 countries worldwide, with the United States as the largest market followed by Asia and Europe. As their install base increases, the consumption of bioink also increases, and that’s how the company has been able to achieve high margins leading to profitability in their last quarter.
3D bioprinting is a disruptive technology that’s only now beginning to build some momentum. Companies that provide the picks and shovels for emerging technologies are among the first to benefit as technologies begin to take off and everyone buys hardware and consumables as they explore applications. (Think about how well Illumina has fared by providing the picks and shovels for exploring the world of genetics.) Strong consistent revenue growth is almost an expectation, and CELLINK doesn’t disappoint. For all of 2018, they saw $4.88 million in revenues. That’s not a very big number – about the same as Organovo – but it’s consistently growing. For the first quarter of 2019, CELLINK already brought in $2.15 million in revenues, a growth of 148% over the same quarter in 2017.
More importantly, last quarter was a profitable one which means soon they won’t need to sell more shares (in other words, dilute existing investors) to fund their operations. They’re also managing to secure funding from grants offered by the European Union which is essentially just free funding. All those dollars are being used to grow their full-time staff – from 24 at the beginning of 2018 to 100 today – and expand their global footprint.
For a company that’s not even four years old, CELLINK has managed to accomplish a lot very quickly. It’s quite remarkable to think that when we last wrote about Organovo, this company didn’t even exist.
What’s notable about CELLINK is that they’re working with other companies to expand their product offering. They’re also not afraid to acquire complementary products as they’ve done with Dispendix which will contribute 1.28 million in revenues for the remainder of this year. Since they have their foot in the door at more than 600 labs with existing products, it’s easy enough to then up-sell additional products. CELLINK appears to be quite aware of what’s happening in the world of 3D bioprinting, and our next article on this topic will look at some of the promising 3d bioprinting startups out there that they’re probably keeping a close eye on. In the meantime, we’ll continue to keep our fingers crossed that Organovo can get out of the doldrums and show some consistent revenue growth for their investor base that’s been waiting way far too long for it.
There's a little-known European 3D bioprinting stock that's quickly becoming a leader in this space. So, we bought some shares and went long. Become a Nanalyze Premium annual member today to find out which 3D bioprinting stock we're holding in our tech stock portfolio.


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Oriental Style Decor
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Robberies in Northeast DC and the Code of the Streets: Bad people pay attention and watch
Yesterday's Post reports ("D.C. burglaries increase in Brookland, Michigan Park") that "new residents" are concerned about a rise in burglaries that seem to be based on an understanding of when residents are not home.
I have all kinds of experiences of this kind related to when I lived in the H Street neighborhood. I wrote about it a bunch over the years. And here:
-- Revitalizing places that are contested spaces
-- Historic preservation in low income neighborhoods
-- More on unaffordable housing (Yes, gentrification is part of the program in DC)
-- Community Preservation and Development
-- One reason why I think the Gentrification word is over- and mis-used
-- Does change mean gentrification? Categorically?.
My joke is that when I moved to "the city" I was young (well, 27 years old) and dumb.
It wasn't until 2001 that I read the book Code of the Streets by Elijah Anderson.
Afterwards I joked that it's too bad I hadn't read such a book before I moved to the city, so that I could have been much better educated and prepared for what I was about to get into.
Other than moving my wallet from my back pocket to my side pocket to reduce the likelihood of pick pocketing, and not using ATMs or buying gasoline at night, I didn't do enough to harden my behavior to protect me from crime.
But today's residents have the advantage of being able to read Code of the Streets or even the "Code of the Streets" article by Anderson from The Atlantic Magazine circa 1994.
Also see this op-ed by Elijah Anderson, "Code of the street is keeping crime alive," from April 2005 in the Philadelphia Inquirer. (No longer available online.) From the op-ed:
In the code of the street, a set of informal rules governs interpersonal public behavior, including violence. The rules prescribe both a proper comportment and the proper way to respond if challenged. They supply a rationale that allows those who are inclined to aggression to precipitate violent encounters in an approved way.
In this setting, there is tremendous jealousy and envy. For a person to "have something" can be seen as disrespecting another; it can be confused with making the other feel small. So if another person has money, material things, or even simply good looks - anything that can be taken as a social good - such possession can be cause for an altercation to settle things.
On the streets, the distinction between street and decent is often irrelevant; everybody knows that if the rules are violated, there are penalties. Knowledge of the code is essential for operating in public. Families with a decency orientation often reluctantly encourage their children's familiarity with it.
New residents, especially white or Hispanic, stick out in neighborhoods where most residents had been African-American. So it's easy for people to figure out where the new opportunities are.
In 2006, Courtland Milloy wrote a column ("Violent Robberies Make It Hard to Ignore D.C.'s Vicious Side") where he made the point that the distance in DC between the haves and have-nots is not very big, which creates tremendous opportunity for crime, which waxes as wanes as neighborhoods change.
From the column:
The District has the largest disparity between rich and poor of any city in the country; the well-to-do may be enjoying their wealth too much to really notice. But the geographic distance between the two groups could hardly be smaller, and now there's apparently more resentment to go with the proximity.I'd "forgotten about this" as then remembered as we were about to move to Manor Park in 2008, and I feared re-experiencing burglaries and street crimes. For the most part, it didn't happen. Although cars (we don't have one) seem to get broken into frequently enough, my rear rim was stolen off my bike (which was locked to my front porch), and Suzanne's flip flops were stolen off the porch.
But I take that as part of living in the city, but any city.
OTOH, one of Suzanne's colleagues lives about one mile away from us, closer to Fort Totten, and they are experiencing the kind of targeting, combined with some bad luck, that I remember from H Street. At one point they were considering leaving, but I think now they are going to stick it out.
It takes a lot out of you, especially if you aren't really prepared for it happening. It's why I am not interested in moving to a neighborhood more like what H Street was like 15-20 years ago.
I no longer have the energy and tolerance for the pain and anguish. But for the most part, I do know better how to protect myself and our household.

domain: sociology


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- Halvorson, Jonathan J.; Gonzalez, Javier M.; Hagerman, Ann E.
- Soil Science Society of America journal 2013 v.77 no.4 pp. 1199
- cation exchange capacity, etc ; Alfisols; Aridisols; Entisols; Mollisols; Ultisols; biogeochemical cycles; catechin; gallic acid; nitrogen; procyanidins; soil organic carbon; soil quality; soil solution; tannins; Canada; United States; Show all 17 Subjects
- ... Phenolic plant compounds, called tannins, can be retained by soil and affect nutrient cycling but have been studied in only a few soils. Soils (0-10 cm) from locations across the United States and Canada were treated with water (Control) or solutions containing procyanidin, catechin, tannic acid, ß-1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl-O-D-glucose (PGG), gallic acid, or methyl gallate. We measured soluble-C and ...


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Phone: (312) 494-1000
Click here to email Sara.
Sara Masloroff, formerly Sara Lund, was admitted to the bar in 1998 after receiving her Juris Doctor degree from the John Marshall Law School. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1994. She practices in the areas of commercial real estate, mergers and acquisitions, commercial finance and corporate transactions. She also has extensive experience in commercial litigation and until recently, she served as General Counsel to a Chicago real estate development firm, managing transactions, litigation and real estate development for projects located in Illinois, New York, Arizona, Wisconsin and Florida. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association and currently volunteers for World Relief-Chicago. She served on the Associate and Governance Board for Cook County’s Legal Aid hotline, Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS) and formerly served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Areas Of Practice
Commercial Real Estate
Mergers and Acquisitions
Corporate Organization and Governance
U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois, 1999
John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois, 1998
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 1994
Bachelor of Arts
Corporate Creations Podcast, Legal Issues: Getting Ready for a Commercial Real Estate Purchase
Corporate Creations Podcast, Mergers and Acquisitions
Illinois State Bar Association
Chicago Bar Association
Westside Pastor’s Coalition for AIDS – Board Member

domain: law


Russian occupiers' tugboat with anti-aircraft missile system "TOR" on board, which was carrying people and weapons to Serpentine, was hit by the Ukrainian Navy.
“The Ukrainian Navy hit another” no analogues ” – tugboat from SAM "TOR" on board
In the Black Sea, the tug of the Black Sea Fleet “Vasily Bekh” was hit while transporting ammunition, weapons and personnel of the Black Sea Fleet to the island.
Even the presence of on board the anti-aircraft missile system "TOR" did not prevent the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from demilitarizing the Russian invaders.
The tug with a displacement of 1605 tons built at the Astrakhan shipyard was accepted into the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in 2017.
Prepared by: Nina Petrovich


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Love shows the genius to the world and only love can show it to the world.
If you are a fan of Selvaraghavan, who has the reputation of making movies that could touch high drama at one moment and instantly fall into a trough of emotional subtlety at the next moment, then you will be enthralled to the core. Though clouded by moods of confusion, depression, desperation, hatred, betrayal, and exploitation, it manages to put a smile on your face as the end credits roll by. Such is the bittersweetness and delicateness of the story! And Selva has handled it with real care.
Mayakkam Enna – Multifaceted brilliance!

domain: entertainment


UN special rapporteur on torture Professor Nils Melzer gave a Q&A to the Foreign Press Association (FPA) last Friday, discussing his book, The Trial of Julian Assange: A Story of Persecution.
Melzer’s answers provided a devastating indictment not only of the treatment of Assange, but of contemporary capitalist society and its claim to democratic rule based on “checks and balances”. His efforts to secure humane and legal treatment for the WikiLeaks founder have been met with a “wall of silence. This was the untouchable case.”
The special rapporteur has spoken powerfully in defence of Assange since 2019. He recalled in his introduction to the FPA briefing his initial reluctance to intervene in the WikiLeaks founder’s defence. “Years of exposure to scandalous headlines and biased reporting,” Melzer writes in his book, had made him dismiss a request for help from Assange’s lawyers in December 2018.
After re-examining the case in March 2019 in light of the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the case history of a now totally discredited Swedish sexual assault investigation, and the medical opinions of Doctor Sondra Crosby, who found evidence for a violation of the Convention Against Torture, he decided to conduct his own investigations.
What Melzer found “really shocked me,” he told the FPA conference. He concluded Assange “had been subjected to inhumane treatment” and found “massive due process violations” and facts “distorted deliberately” by the British and Swedish states and media. “The deeper I got into this case, the more dirt came to the surface. But it was not on the side of Assange, it was on the side of governments.”
Having drawn these conclusions, Melzer “confronted” the governments responsible, but “all four involved states [the US, UK, Sweden and Ecuador, who granted then revoked Assange’s asylum] refused to engage in a constructive dialogue”.
He found they were engaged in “a concerted effort, trying to set an example of Julian Assange to deter other journalists.”
Melzer’s book, “not really part of the job description” for a special rapporteur, is his response to his inability since then to secure redress for the wrongs done to Assange “through the diplomatic channels at my disposal, or by alerting the General Assembly [of the UN] or the Human Rights Council in Geneva”.
The UK government’s refusal to respond to Melzer’s concerns beyond a single, dismissive letter he described on Friday as “profoundly shocking” and added that he has not been granted a single meeting at the ministerial level.
It is standard, Melzer explained, for him to meet with the foreign or justice minister when he intervenes in a case. But the UK has delegated meetings “downward to the administrative level” where “they cannot take any decisions… When I’m given interlocutors like this, it is a message: you’re not going to change anything.”
Melzer acknowledged the pressure exerted by the US on the British government but added that it was “not just about the US… [O]ther countries, they’re not interested in having their dirty secrets published either. So, I don’t think that this is just US pressure on those states. I think that those states are quite voluntarily cooperating with the US because they agree, they don’t want this type of public transparency.”
The UN and human rights experts are “instrumentalised very often,” said Melzer. He pointed to the contrasting treatment of Assange and Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. “There you see the hypocrisy of official policy”.
Describing the UN as “the best thing we have”, Melzer acknowledged, “It’s not a rule of law organisation. Rule of law plays as long as power politics deems it’s to its advantage. As soon as power politics goes in a different direction, the rule of law is neutralised. That’s the reality we live in today, And I think it’s a reality we have to outgrow fast if we’re to survive as a human species, given the challenges we have today.”
In seeking to raise the Assange case within the structures of the UN, Melzer explained, “I informed the Human Rights Council in my yearly meeting… I informed even the General Assembly in New York.” But “there was no reaction. I even tried to meet with the High Commissioner for Human Rights [Michelle Bachelet]. On several occasions I’ve asked, writing for a meeting, and she delegated it to a level where, again, it’s not helpful.”
The response in the media has been equally “alarming,” said Melzer. “The silence is deafening.” Citing the BBC, he told how the broadcaster released a televised interview with him when he first issued a statement on the Assange case. “The next hour, it was gone,” taken “offline, so there’s no trace of it.”
Melzer contacted the BBC to argue, “What I’m claiming is so outrageous, that either I’m wrong, and then I have to resign, or I’m right, then someone else has to resign. There is no way that an actor like the BBC can be indifferent to this… But they responded to me that ‘right now this is not newsworthy’.”
Criticising its coverage of Assange’s extradition hearings, Melzer said, “Yes they’re reporting on the court hearings, but they’re just saying, ‘the judge said this; Julian Assange said that’. They’re not really looking at what’s happening, what this is really about… The UK courts are systematically violating this person’s rights.”
Assange’s incarceration in London’s Belmarsh high security prison, for which “there is no legal basis”, not only “destroys his health” but “prevents his from preparing his case and defence properly.”
He compared the WikiLeak’s founder’s treatment with that afforded the Chilean dictator, torturer and mass murderer Augusto Pinochet while he was in Britain. Pinochet “was under house arrest and he was free to receive as many visitors as he wanted and had access to the public.”
Asked what he thought of Assange’s chances of resisting extradition, Melzer said, “Unfortunately, if I look at the track record of the UK judiciary in this case, I’m not optimistic,” despite the fact that “legally speaking there is no way this extradition could ever lawfully go forward.” Critical elements of international law have been “so distorted by the UK judge” that it was “really grotesque”.
Melzer held out “hope” that the European Court would “have the integrity to apply the law as it should be,” if Assange could “somehow sustain his mental health” until such a verdict could be reached. However, he added, “the question is whether the UK would respect that ruling.”
Describing the significance of Assange’s persecution, Melzer explained it was “not just about Julian Assange as a person. Look at what he has revealed [through WikiLeaks]. These are some of the most grave crimes… War crimes are not being prosecuted. But those who expose them are being prosecuted and subjected to ill treatment, arbitrary detention and what could amount to psychological torture.”
The case is “fundamentally threatening to not only the human rights of Julian Assange but the human rights of everybody else… If the US succeeds in prosecuting this man and sending him to a supermax prison for the rest of his life, this will have an enormous chilling effect on the free press.”
His book, he concluded, has been written to “expose the facts of the case” so that people can “speak out”. He writes in its conclusion that to ignore Assange’s persecution, and work as a journalist, is “a denial of reality comparable to ignoring the fire alarm in the house of our civilization, and comes at a price which we, as a species, soon will no longer be able to afford.”
- The horrific persecution of Julian Assange continues
- UN rapporteur Nils Melzer demands Assange’s immediate release after ten years’ arbitrary detention
- UN rapporteur Nils Melzer exposes British government attempts to obstruct his defence of Assange
- UN rapporteur Nils Melzer condemns Britain’s criminal role in the torture of Julian Assange
- UN rapporteur Nils Melzer warns: Julian Assange may die in a British prison


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There’s no better medium for art or graphic design than canvas. Our prints are solid yet refined works of art in their own right. Add a striking and unique masterpiece to any room.
Art comes in many shapes and sizes, and our canvas prints are built to fit each of them. The final dimensions will depend on the image you choose, but to give you an idea, here are the most common photographic sizes:
I for one welcome our invisible pink horsey overlord.
This is a sister design to the invisible version!
invisible, pink, unicorn, invisible pink unicorn, atheist, atheism, god, religion, russells teapot, belief, believe, fun, funny, joke, humor, humour, silly, cover, covers, duvet cover, phone case, case, cases, phone, jez, kemp
Jez Kemp! Author, Musician, Ideas Generator! Also international rogue, and now designer too.http://www.facebook.com/jezkempdesignhttp://www.facebook.com/jezkemphttp://twitter.com/jezkemphttp://www.youtube.com/jezkemphttp://jezkemp.bandcamp.comhttp://www.reverbation.com/jezkemp
Great design, and funny too xDAll hail his mighty Pinkness!
Thanks, glad you like it! :D
Thank you kindly! :)
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Federal and provincial government officials joined the Toronto Transit Commission to announce the purchase of 1,043 new buses and the revitalization of 695 current buses as part of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Bus Purchase and Bus Rebuild project.
“We are proud to support one of the largest bus purchase and rebuild projects in the City of Toronto’s history,” said Amarjeet Sohi, minister of infrastructure and communities. “As a former bus driver, I know how important it is for people to have safe, accessible, reliable buses to get to and from school, work and appointments. This bus purchase will mean better transit for people in Toronto and it is part of the government’s commitment to improve infrastructure across Canada.”
The total investment is $934 million with the Government of Canada providing more than $442 million through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund while the City of Toronto is providing the remaining costs of $492 million.
The project will ensure that the TTC’s bus fleet remains in a state of good repair and is able to meet Toronto’s future ridership demands. Not only will this project mean that people will be able to get around the City faster and more easily, but it will also help to improve operational efficiency, accessibility and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“Every day, the lives and livelihoods of Toronto residents depend on being able to move around our city quickly, safely and reliably,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “Maintaining our existing bus fleet and adding more buses on our roads will bring transit into every neighbourhood of our city. There is no area where collaboration and cooperation is more essential than in keeping our residents moving. Together, we will make Toronto’s transit system faster, stronger, safer and more accessible to everyone in every part of our city.”
Also announced today was joint funding of over $20 million for 15 new public transit projects across Ontario. These projects include cycling infrastructure improvements, new active transportation routes, and the purchase of new buses.
These investments are part of an agreement between Canada and Ontario for the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.
The bus purchase component of this project involves the purchase of 729 clean diesel buses, 254 second generation hybrid electric buses, and 60 battery electric buses.


A team from luxury jewellers Laings are taking part in a gruelling trek this week to help to raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation and the life-saving work that they do.
The team, including Wendy Laing, marketing director, and Joe Walsh, CEO, will be taking part in the Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek on Saturday 20 July to support their charity partner, the British Heart Foundation.
The team compromising of Wendy Laing, Joe Walsh, Hollie Gillies, Craig Nisbet, Katie Little and Felicity Lynden will tackle the 100km walk from city to city, raising funds as they go.
James Cant, British Heart Foundation Scotland director said: ‘We are so grateful to the team at Laings for all of their support and for volunteering to take on the Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek. 500 people have signed up for this fantastic challenge and it looks set to be a great weekend.’
The demanding challenge see’s participants trekking for up to 30 hours over 100km along the Forth and Clyde and Union Canals, via the Falkirk Wheel all the way to the Capital. The test of endurance is no mean feat and the walk equates to a staggering 145,000 steps, putting both the mental and physical stamina of the participants to the test.
Wendy Laing, marketing director of Laings said: ‘I’m excited about taking on the trek, but nervous at the same time! Although we’ve done plenty of training, which has allowed us to see some beautiful areas of Scotland, I still keep thinking “has it been enough”. I think at the end of the day it will be mind over matter to get us to the finish line!’
Laings launched the charity partnership in September last year and are dedicated to raising vital funds. It is also a charity that resonates personally with the Laing family and Wendy Laing and her husband Joe Walsh want to help the charity to continue to support families affected by heart and circulatory diseases.
Find out more about why Joe and Wendy have taken on the challenge and sponsor them here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joe-wendy100km
James Cant added: ‘Around 700,000 people in Scotland are living with heart and circulatory disease and nearly 50 people a day die from these conditions. We want to change this, but we can only continue our life-saving research with the support of the public and fabulous fundraising teams like Laings.’
All of the money raised by the team will be donated to the British Heart Foundation, a charity that funds research to find cures and treatments for heart and circulatory diseases, the world’s biggest killers. Over the years they’ve helped to develop machines which can re-start hearts, devices to correct heartbeats and so much more. However, heart and circulatory diseases still kill 1 in 4 people in the UK and there’s more work to be done.
Katie Little, Watch Technician said: ‘It was important for me to take on the Glasgow to Edinburgh Trek because 2019 marks the 15th Anniversary since my dad had a quadruple heart bypass.
‘Heart problems have affected my family for generations and we’d have been lost without the care, research and support of the British Heart Foundation.’
You can sponsor Katie here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/katie-jo5989
Growing from strength to strength in recent years, Laings now has three stores in Glasgow and one each in Edinburgh, Southampton and Cardiff, as well as a prominent online presence. Click HERE for more details.


The Kottonmouth Kings have premiered another video off their upcoming release ‘Long Live The Kings’. You can view the video for “Let’s Go” on IGN at the following location. In the beginning of the week MySpace premiered ‘Long Live The Kings’ in it’s entirety. Head on over to their MySpace page to check the album out for yourself.
‘Long Live The Kings’ will be available in stores and online next Tuesday.
For more information please visit: www.myspace.com/kottonmouthkings.