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Kaleidoscope Dream is the magical sophomore album by Miguel, an LP in which he infuses the sounds of rock, soul and funk into the expanding box that is modern R&B. On “Adorn,” which is currently No. 1 on the Hip-Hop/R&B charts, he croons about love and intimacy over the funky bass line. “‘Adorn’ is romantic, but it’s dirty at the same time,” he told us the day his album dropped. “It’s all the highs of love with all the coolness of the party.” Then there’s “Use Me,” “Do You,” “Arch & Point,” and “Pussy Is Mine” that explore the beauty of intimacy. While “Do You” is as much about the sensuality (“Do you like hugs? Do you like love?”) as it is about sex (“I wanna do you like drugs tonight”), the provocative “Pussy Is Mine” is completely about Miguel’s friend with benefits making him feel like it is all his.
But don’t get it twised. Miguel’s sophomore effort is not just as a babymaking album filled with sex, sex and more sex. In fact, Miguel himself is disappointed in the oversexed direction the genre has moved in (think Trey Songz , think Pleasure P). “R&B has become a caricature of itself in the last 15 years,” he said (see our video above). What exactly does he mean? “We forgot that this isn’t a stereotype, it’s a genre and should be creative,” he opined. “In the past 15 years it’s just been easier to kind of relax and let it be for the bedroom or being sexy…Where’s the individuality is what I’m saying?”
This explains why for every song like “Use Me,” there’s a “Kaleidoscope Dream,” a “Where’s The Fun In Forever,” (co-written by Alicia Keys), or a “Candles In The Sun.” No two songs sound the same. Despite his biggest influence deriving from soul music, there’s rock n’ roll in the guitar strings in “The Thrill.” You hear the uptempo pop-y rhythm and blues in “How Many Drinks.”
Kaleidoscope Dream is interesting in that while it’s categorically an R&B album —and probably one of the closest to traditional R&B albums released in the last few years— it also feels like it fits right alongside the current cabal of R&B artists who are readily pushing the boundaries of the genre; artists like Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Jhene Aiko and Elle Varner also embody this spirit. “What I’m excited for now is there are emerging artists who are being themselves, but still being soulful,” he said optimistically. “It’s time. We’re kind of in the midst of a renaissance.”
While R&B artists have, for a myriad of reasons, slowly veered more toward the EDM and pop sound, fans desire the diversity of ’90s R&B that blasted from home stereos in the form of Brandy, Silk, Blackstreet, Jodeci, En Vogue and so on. What’s been missing has been the soul-stirring, heart-tugging music that made you feel something. One thing’s for certain: The alluring sound of Miguel’s Kaleidoscope Dream definitely puts soul and emotion back in rhythm and blues.
Miguel On Pop Music: “I think there’s pressure for R&B musicians to go in the direction of EDM.” (WATCH)
Miguel on “Pussy Is Mine”: “When you’re single and you have friends that you’re intimate with, in the moment of intimacy, I treat it like it’s mine.” (WATCH)


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It is good in Egypt in any season of the year. In winter, particularly, when from the cold weather you find yourself in really hot summer just in several hours. Just like in Sharm El Sheikh, the Sinai peninsula.
When you fly up to Sharm El Sheikh, you can see from the top that the whole resort is a real hand made wonder: Huge hotel-cities, palmaceous oasis, bougainvilleas and oleander brushwood’s, shopping centers, and all this came out of nowhere in the middle of the desert. This special, blossoming fairy tale, appearing in the monotonous sands, is the best present to the beloved person. That’s the way, perhaps, the S7 Tour workers thought, when they were deciding how to present their projects not to be like everyone else, and, also, to introduce the biggest caravanserai Domina Coral Bay, on the Read Sea shore, which is perfectly expedient for the intensive-tours.
The motto of the trip, just as of all the activities for the coming season is “To be different”. S7 Tour is the affiliated tour operator of the S7 Airlines, which suggests tours on the regular and charter races of the same company, and, per se, the trip organizing is done by people from the same company. It means that, unlike the ordinary voyage, the holyday begins already on the board, just when the plane took off the airport and gained height.
“To be different is to be able to look at you and on the surrounding world from a new and sometimes unusual point of view”, that’s what they think in the S7 Tour. There are several pontoons on the beach, which the snorkeling lovers use to dive to a very beautiful corral reef, the part of the Ras Mohamed national park.
The two kilometer beach of the hotel is cleared of corrals and sheeted with soft yellow sand, depth increases very slow and that is good for children.
The hotel is huge. As a matter of fact these are seven hotels in one, which differ by rooms’ comfort and the level of service. A simple walk in this “city” can take the whole day. There is a constant wish to wander into a restaurant or to do some shopping; after all, there is a real eastern market in the hotel, where you can buy multicolor carpets, papyruses and jewelry. In the evening you can go to a disco and casino.
And if you would like to leave to hotel you can always go to a Soho promenade, recently opened near the Savoy and Sierra hotels. Besides the entertainment centers and shops there is a bowling center and even a skating rink.
You don’t have to make a long journey for the authentic Egyptian entertainments, either. Not far there is a desert where Egyptian evenings are organized during which one can enjoy traditional dishes prepared on a real fire under the stars in the heart of the Sinai desert and watch an impressive dance show.
The Spa center helps a lot to relax on your holyday. And though the girls from the tour agency were “on duty” and not on holydays, they couldn’t miss their chance either
“We are what we eat” consider the owners of the hotel, and that’s why the main products have to be made on our own. There is a bio-farm in the hotel, they grow fruits and vegetables there, make milk, yogurt and fresh cheese.
The quintessence of the trip is the gala-dinner, with a big cake baked especially for it. S7 Tour promises to do everything to be different.
After this kind of reception, you will not even want to go home.
You don’t want to leave the sea, the sun, the beach and Egypt… With cheap Egypt holidays available now, you can explore the ancient land for a great price.

domain: geography


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Bio: Knock Kneed Sally is an american original, this regionally touring band plays original music.
A bluesy mix of original Blues tunes that continue to have an ever growing following throughout the world. With fans in such diverse locations as Croatia and Germany.
Voted the “Best Blues Band” in K...See Full Bio
New CD coming out Mid Summer.......

domain: entertainment


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What are the most significant top 40 songs from 45 years ago? While that are no definitive answers to that question, I will be sharing what I consider to be the best pop singles of 1977.
During 1977, I lived in Roanoke, Virginia and was employed by WJLM 93.5 FM as a country DJ. With this full-time position, I was totally immersed within the genre of country music at my radio station.
Whenever I wasn’t working at WJLM, my radio listening tended to be in non-country formats. Since my first love musically was rock music, I predominantly listened to top 40 stations. And whenever possible, I also tuned into “All Things Considered” on Roanoke’s NPR affiliate, WVWR 89.1 FM.
My go to radio station that I heard the most during 1977 was WROV 1240 AM. I was employed part-time at this legendary top 40 outlet while attending Virginia Western Community College during 1974 and 1975. I fondly remember regularly listening to WROV DJs Bart Prater, Rob O’Brady, Bill Jordan and Larry Bly in ’77.
Since WROV reduced their power at sundown, I would sometimes listen to a couple of 50,000 watt AM stations during the nighttime: WLS 890 Chicago and WABC 770 New York.
On the FM band, I could listen to a couple of high-powered top 40 North Carolina stations that came in strong throughout the Roanoke Valley: WKZL 107.5 FM Winston-Salem and WRQK 98.7 FM Greensboro. And if weather conditions were just right, I could pick up Q94 Richmond (94.5 FM) which was a premier Top 40 station in Virginia.
With this edition of my musical musings, I am concentrating on most significant top 40 hits from 45-years ago. Using Billboard magazine’s, “Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1977” chart as a reference, I will countdown the what I consider to be the best songs in this category.
Below are the ten biggest records of 1977 according to Billboard. Interesting that none of these songs made my final countdown list.
1 “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”–Rod Stewart
2 “I Just Want to Be Your Everything”–Andy Gibb
3 “Best of My Love”–The Emotions
4 “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)”–Barbra Streisand
5 “Angel in Your Arms”—Hot
6 “I Like Dreamin'”–Kenny Nolan
7 “Don’t Leave Me This Way”–Thelma Houston
8 “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher”–Rita Coolidge
9 “Undercover Angel”–Alan O’Day
10 “Torn Between Two Lovers”–Mary MacGregor
Before starting my listing with the best top 40 hits of 1977, I have tabulated 10 singles that fell just outside of my top 20 countdown. These songs are in a random order and have no ranking.
- Weekend in New England—Barry Manilow
- Give a Little Bit—Supertramp
- Don’t Worry Baby—B.J. Thomas
- On and On—Stephen Bishop
- Lido Shuffle—Boz Scaggs
- Don’t Stop—Fleetwood Mac
- Stand Tall—Burton Cummings
- Livin’ Thing—Electric Light Orchestra
- Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing)—Johnny Rivers
- You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)—Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
Without further ado, here are the top selections with my 1977 countdown of fantastic top 40 hits:
20. Strawberry Letter 23—The Brothers Johnson
Peak Positions on Billboard: #5 Hot 100, 54th Biggest Song of 1977
R&B band with siblings George (“Lightnin’ Licks”) and Louis (“Thunder Thumbs”) E. Johnson. “Strawberry Letter 23” was produced by Quincy Jones and the song featured studio guitar player Lee Ritenour.
19. Easy—The Commodores
Peak Positions on Billboard: #4 Hot 100, 33rd Biggest Song of 1977
Front man Lionel Richie wrote and sang lead vocals. “Easy” opened the way for two other number 1 hits for the Commodores during the late 70s: “Three Times a Lady” and “Still.”
18. Carry on My Wayward Son—Kansas
Peak Positions on Billboard: #11 Hot 100, 58th Biggest Song of 1977
Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren. Vocals and keyboard duties were from Steve Walsh. This classic rock single is considered the signature song for Kansas.
17. Telephone Line—Electric Light Orchestra
Peak Positions on Billboard: #7 Hot 100, 15th Biggest Song of 1977
Hybrid progressive/pop/classical/rock English band. Composed, produced and vocals are from ELO leader Jeff Lynne.
16. I Wish—Stevie Wonder
Peak Positions on Billboard: #1 Hot 100, 51st Biggest Song of 1977
Lead single from the legendary “Songs in the Key of Life” album. Stevie wonder wrote and produced the song and it won a Grammy Award for “Best R&B Vocal Performance.”
15. New Kid in Town—Eagles
Peak Positions on Billboard: #1 Hot 100, 59th Biggest Song of 1977
New Kid in Town” was penned by Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther. First single from “Hotel California” album. Song won a Grammy Award for “Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices.”
14. Whatcha Gonna Do? Pablo Cruise
Peak Position on Billboard: #6 Hot 100, 16th Biggest Song of 1977
American rock band. This yacht rock classic song was written by Pablo Cruise members David Jenkins and Cory Lerios. From the album, “A Place in the Sun.”
13. Nobody Does It Better—Carly Simon
Peak Positions on Billboard: #2 Hot 100, 83rd Biggest Song of 1977
This power ballad was composed by Marvin Hamlish with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager. Theme song from James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Carly Simon’s single received both Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for best original song.
12. Just a Song Before I Go—Crosby Stills & Nash
Peak Positions on Billboard: #7 Hot 100, 47th Biggest Song of 1977
Acoustic ballad written by Graham Nash. Comeback hit for CSN, superb harmonies and excellent guitar solo from Stephen Stills.
Peak Positions on Billboard: #11 Hot 100, 53rd Biggest Song of 1977
The Wilson siblings are leaders on this hard driving rock masterpiece. Ann’s excellent vocals and Nancy’s exceptional guitar playing shine on this song.
10. Dancing Queen—ABBA
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 12th Biggest Song of 1977
ABBA’s most recognizable and popular song. Inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. Melodic tune and excellent vocal harmonies by the Swedish quartet. Reached number 1 in 14 countries around the world.
9. Dreams—Fleetwood Mac
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 39th Biggest Song of 1977
“Dreams” is the only Fleetwood Mac song to peak at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Stevie Nicks. Ranked #9 on Rolling Stone’s, “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” listing published in 2021.
8. I’m In You—Peter Frampton
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #2 Hot 100, 42nd Biggest Song of 1977
English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Was the highest charting single for Peter Frampton. Background vocals provided by Mick Jagger.
7. Fly Like an Eagle—Steve Miller Band
Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #2 Hot 100, 79th Biggest Song of 1977
Title track from the Steve Mille Band’s biggest selling studio album. Mix of synthesizer and guitar creates a laid back, soaring experience. Most beloved song by the California band.
6. So in to You—Atlanta Rhythm Section
Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #7 Hot 100, 38th Biggest Song of 1977
American Southern rock band formed in 1970. Had six top 40 hits. “So in to You” was the biggest hit from the Georgia group. Now considered “Yacht Rock.”
5. Couldn’t Get It Right—Climax Blues Band
Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #3 Hot 100, 32nd Biggest Song of 1977.
British blues/rock band. Formed in Stafford, England. Group is a two-hit wonder. Also charted with “I Love You” in 1981.
4. Go Your Own Way—Fleetwood Mac
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #10 Hot 100, 94th Biggest Song of 1977
Song written by Lindsey Buckingham about his relationship woes with fellow Fleetwood Mac member Stevie Nicks. First single from the “Rumours” album. Song is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone ranks “Go Your Own Way” as the #1 best Fleetwood Mac song of all-time.
3. Year of the Cat—Al Stewart
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #8 Hot 100, 92nd Biggest Song of 1977
Signature song for Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart. Melodic tune that features cello, violin, piano, guitar, synthesizer and saxophone. Recorded by engineer Alan Parsons at London’s Abbey Road Studios.
2. Sir Duke—Stevie Wonder
Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 18th Biggest Song of 1977
Stevie Wonder wrote his song as a tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington. Lyrics also mention Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. “Sir Duke” was produced, arranged and composed by Wonder.
This salute has outstanding saxophone and trumpet playing and is the second single from the acclaimed, “Songs in the Key of Life” album. My favorite Stevie Wonder song of all-time is “Sir Duke.”
1. Hotel California—Eagles
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts 1977: #1 Hot 100: 19th Biggest Song of Year
One of the most iconic rock songs from the 20th Century is “Hotel California.” Co-written by Don Felder, Glenn Frey and Don Henley, the words depict both literal and symbolic interpretations of Southern California lifestyles from the 70s.
Themes of good vs evil and light vs darkness are developed throughout the song. Eagles won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1977 with the band’s signature recording. Without a doubt, “Hotel California” is the number 1 song on my 1977 “Fantastic Top 40 Hits” countdown.
Now that I have submitted what I consider to be the most significant top 40 hits of 1977, I am curious to find out your opinions on this topic. What are your favorite songs on my countdown?
Obviously, I do not want to come across as authoritative with my critique of superb pop hits from 1977. The songs that you might feel are the best, may be completely different from my selections.
Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and comments below on what you consider to be the fantastic top 40 hits of 45 years ago. I look forward reading your responses. Rock on!
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domain: artistic


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Intermediate Boot Boogie Babes line dance lessons are taught by creator, coach and choreographer DeAnna Lee on a private Facebook page. Once you purchase your lessons, you will be added to the page where you can watch, rewatch, rewind, and dance, dance, DANCE!
At the Intermediate level, you will take the basics you’ve learned in our Beginner level of the Boot Boogie Babes style of line dancing and begin to add more technical skills, moves, flair, and sass. This level will introduce a more intricate style of line dancing that fuses salsa, swing, hip hop, two-step, polka, and other forms of dance into line dancing.
Featuring Five Fun Intermediate Boot Girls Lessons:
- Part 1 Classic Line Dance to Cam
- Part 2 Classic Line Dance to Cam
- Dust Line Dance to Eli Young Band
- Miranda Lambert Line Dance
- 1 Hour Technique Class – Foot placement including brushing ankles, performance etiquette, heel vs. ball lead spins, Latin motion, spins, Cha Chas, Hitches, and Hairography!
*We provide a safe space for women of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds to grow through dance and friendships and believe most strongly that empowered women, empower women*


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BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX) is a proapoptotic member of the BCL-2 protein family, which plays an essential role in triggering cell commitment to apoptosis. Depending on the physiological condition of the cell, BAX shuttles between soluble (inactive) and mitochondrial outer membrane-associated conformation(s). Upon activation by various apoptotic stimuli, BAX translocates to the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) and undergoes a set of conformational changes leading to protein oligomerization. Ultimately, oligomerization leads to assembly of pores through which apoptogenic factors, such as cytochrome C, are released from the mitochondrial inter- membrane space to the cytosol, thus initiating apoptosis. Despite extensive research in this field, the exact mechanism by which BAX mediates MOM permeabilization as well as the nature and structure of BAX-mediated pores remain elusive. Clarifying the structural transitions that drive BAX activation and pore formation may facilitate the development of therapeutic agents that can potentially be used to treat diseases with inadequate apoptosis, such as cancer, or excessive apoptosis such as neurodegenerative disorders.
In Aim 1, we will attempt to solve the 3D structure for membrane-engaged BAX using mainly NMR among other biophysical techniques. We will also structurally characterize the BAX-mediated pore. Several reports have suggested that BAX interacts with voltage dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC-1), however the significance of this interaction is not clear.
In Aim 2, we will pursue the structural characterization of the VDAC-1/BAX complex. Together these aims will help us better understand the mechanistic details of BAX-mediated apoptosis.
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, becomes dysregulated in many pathological conditions such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this proposal we aim to structurally characterize BAX, a protein which plays an essential role in the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Defining the molecular details of the activation and oligomerization of BAX is an important step for the development of therapeutic agents that target diseases with inappropriate apoptosis.
|Zhao, Zhao; Zhang, Meng; Hogle, James M et al. (2018) DNA-Corralled Nanodiscs for the Structural and Functional Characterization of Membrane Proteins and Viral Entry. J Am Chem Soc 140:10639-10643|
|Hagn, Franz; Nasr, Mahmoud L; Wagner, Gerhard (2018) Assembly of phospholipid nanodiscs of controlled size for structural studies of membrane proteins by NMR. Nat Protoc 13:79-98|
|Nasr, Mahmoud L; Wagner, Gerhard (2018) Covalently circularized nanodiscs; challenges and applications. Curr Opin Struct Biol 51:129-134|
|Nasr, Mahmoud L; Baptista, Diego; Strauss, Mike et al. (2017) Covalently circularized nanodiscs for studying membrane proteins and viral entry. Nat Methods 14:49-52|

domain: chemistry


Wes Liberty, KY. (April 5, 2021) – On April 3, 2021 Kentucky State Police, Post 8, Morehead received a call for assistance from the Morgan County Dispatch of an injury collision on US 460 in Morgan County. Through the investigation, it was determined James Mitchell, 63 years of age from Mize, KY was operating a 1987 Ford Ranger traveling west on US 460. Mr. Mitchell lost control of his vehicle crossing the east bound lane and struck a tree. Mr. Mitchell was pronounced deceased at the scene by Morgan County Coroner Raymond Vancleave. Kentucky State Police was assisted by Morgan County Coroner’s Office and Morgan County Fire and Rescue. This collision remains under investigation by Kentucky State Police, Morehead.
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- Additional €450,000 for Housing Voids Programme in Cavan
- Additional €340,000 for Monaghan – Brendan Smith TD
Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed the decision of the new Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien, T.D., to allocate an additional €451,290 to Cavan County Council and €342,749 to Monaghan County Council for this year’s Housing Voids Programme.
“Minister O’Brien had secured additional funding in the July Stimulus Package to refurbish social housing stock. I had raised with successive Ministers for Housing the need to have a comprehensive Voids Programme to bring vacant Council houses back to use. It is utterly frustrating to see houses vacant that need small scale improvement works/refurbishment.
Through Parliamentary Questions in Dáil Éireann last week I appealed to the Minister to allocate additional funding and I am glad that he has made this positive decision. This funding is also important in creating much needed work at local level for all our trades people and this work will get underway without delay.
Copy of recent Parliamentary Question attached.
For Oral Answer on : 23/07/2020
Question Number(s): 55 Question Reference(s): 17656/20
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Brendan Smith T.D.
To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government if he will allocate additional funding to local authorities such as Cavan and Monaghan for the voids programme in 2020 in view of the financial pressures on local authorities; if he will reduce the local contribution needed for local authorities to draw down this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department’s Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock. During 2019, expenditure of some €26.6 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme.
Cavan County Council has received €1.65 million in funding under the Voids Programme from 2014 to 2019, supporting 137 units being returned to use. Monaghan County Council received €1.97 million in funding over the same period supporting 184 units for re-let.
There is a two stage process for allocations under the Voids Programme for 2020. Firstly, on 26 May, there was an initial call for proposals for COVID-19 Voids funding for vacant units which were required for the emergency accommodation of qualified households arising from the need to prevent, limit, minimise or slow the spread of COVID-19. The majority of works approved under this element of the programme are complete. Cavan County Council submitted 8 properties for assessment under the Covid-19 Voids Programme and have received approval for all 8 properties. Monaghan received approval for 6 units. A second call for proposals, under the non-Covid specific voids programme, will issue shortly and any funding submission received from local authorities will be actively considered.
It is important to note that there is no minimum local contribution sought from LAs under the voids programme and capped funding can optimized to cover 100% of the costs incurred.
It is also important that local authorities increasingly move toward a preventative maintenance approach to the management of their housing stock and my Department is working with local authorities to this end.


Yesterday was a great day for sneakers in the NBA. A few classic Air Jordan models hit the hardwood like the "Flint" Air Jordan XIII and "Last Shot" Air Jordan XIV. In addition to those heaters, players like the Milwaukee Bucks' O.J. Mayo laced up a Nike HyperRev PE, the Boston Celtics' Jared Sullinger rocked a Jordan Super.Fly 2 PE, and the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony broke out a Jordan Melo M10 PE. To see all the heat worn yesterday check out The 10 Best Sneakers Worn in the NBA Last Night.


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Extreme Holdings Inc. is buying snowboard company Mervin Manufacturing Inc. from Quiksilver Inc. (NYSE: ZQK).
Seattle-based Mervin designs and manufactures snowboarding products, including the Gnu and Lib Tech brands. The company will continue to manufacture snowboards for Quiksilver’s Roxy brand under a licensing agreement.
Extreme Holdings is a newly formed acquisition company controlled by San Francisco-based private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners. Altamont focuses on investing in financial services, industrial, health care, technology, consumer, retail, aerospace and defense companies. The Mervin deal is the second sporting goods transaction the firm has been involved with in 2013. Altamont, in July, made an agreement with Billabong International Ltd. for a $294 million bridge loan that allowed the surf wear retailer to repay a previous loan.
Proceeds from the Mervin sale will be used to pay down Quiksilver’s credit facility as well as an expansion effort in emerging markets, the company says in a statement. In May, Quiksilver announced plans to divest non-core businesses in order to focus on the company’s three flagship brands: Quiksilver, Roxy and DC.
Adam Filkin, Jim Bertram, Brent Smith, Sean Huss and Michael Doyle from William Blair provided financial advice to Quiksilver for the deal. Ropes & Gray LLP provided legal advice.

domain: news


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02 Mar 2008
Short on the sides and Full On Top
Perhaps the most beloved comic opera, Rossini’s Il barbière di Siviglia has never left the repertoire.
Best of the season so far! William Christie and Les Arts Florissants performed Rameau Grand Motets at late night Prom 17. Perfection, as one would expect from arguably the finest Rameau interpreters in the business, and that's saying a lot, given the exceptionally high quality of French baroque performance in the last 40 years.
Twelve years after Opera Holland Park's first production of Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, the opera made a welcome return.
The Italianate cloister setting at Iford chimes neatly with Monteverdi’s penultimate opera The Return of Ulysses, as the setting cannot but bring to mind those early days of the musical genre. The world of commercial public opera had only just dawned with the opening of the Teatro San Cassiano in Venice in 1637 and for the first time opera became open to all who could afford a ticket, rather than beholden to the patronage of generous princes. Monteverdi took full advantage of the new stage and at the age of 73 brought all his experience of more than 30 years of opera-writing since his ground-breaking L’Orfeo (what a pity we have lost all those works) to the creation of two of his greatest pieces, Ulysses and then his final masterpiece, Poppea.
Once again, we find ourselves thanking an unrepresentable being for Welsh National Opera’s commitment to its mission. It is a sad state of affairs when a season that includes both Boulevard Solitude and Moses und Aron is considered exceptional, but it is - and is all the more so when one contrasts such seriousness of purpose with the endless revivals of La traviata which, Die Frau ohne Schatten notwithstanding, seem to occupy so much of the Royal Opera’s effort. That said, if the Royal Opera has not undertaken what would be only its second ever staging of Schoenberg’s masterpiece - the first and last was in 1965, long before most of us were born! - then at least it has engaged in a very welcome ‘WNO at the Royal Opera House’ relationship, in which we in London shall have the opportunity to see some of the fruits of the more adventurous company’s endeavours.
If you don’t have the means to get to the Rossini festival in Pesaro, you would do just as well to come to Indianola, Iowa, where Des Moines Metro Opera festival has devised a heady production of Le Comte Ory that is as long on belly laughs as it is on musical fireworks.
Composed during just a few weeks of the summer of 1926, Janáček’s Slavonic-text Glagolitic Mass was first performed in Brno in December 1927. During the rehearsals for the premiere - just 3 for the orchestra and one 3-hour rehearsal for the whole ensemble - the composer made many changes, and such alterations continued so that by the time of the only other performance during Janáček’s lifetime, in Prague in April 1928, many of the instrumental (especially brass) lines had been doubled, complex rhythmic patterns had been ‘ironed-out’ (the Kyrie was originally in 5/4 time), a passage for 3 off-stage clarinets had been cut along with music for 3 sets of pedal timpani, and choral passages were also excised.
With the conclusion of the ROH 2013-14 season on Saturday evening - John Copley’s 40-year old production of La Bohème bringing down the summer curtain - the sun pouring through the gleaming windows of the Floral Hall was a welcome invitation to enjoy a final treat. The Jette Parker Young Artists Summer Showcase offered singers whom we have admired in minor and supporting roles during the past year the opportunity to step into the spotlight.
Many words have already been spent - not all of them on musical matters - on Richard Jones’s Glyndebourne production of Der Rosenkavalier, which last night was transported to the Royal Albert Hall. This was the first time at the Proms that Richard Strauss’s most popular opera had been heard in its entirety and, despite losing two of its principals in transit from Sussex to SW1, this semi-staged performance offered little to fault and much to admire.
Twenty years ago stage director Christopher Alden introduced Rossini’s then forgotten comedy to Southern California audiences in a production that is still remembered. In Aix Alden has revisited this complex work that many critics now consider Rossini’s greatest comedy.
The BBC Proms 2014 season began with Sir Edward Elgars The Kingdom (1903-6). It was a good start to the season,which commemorates the start of the First World War. From that perspective Sir Andrew Davis's The Kingdom moved me deeply.
One is unlikely to come across a cast of Figaro principals much better than this today, and the virtues of this performance indeed proved to be primarily vocal.
That’s A Winter’s Journey and A Night of Mourning for metteurs-en-scène William Kentridge (South Africa) and Katie Mitchell (Great Britain), completing the clean sweep of English language stage directors for the Aix Festival productions this year.
Assured elegance, care and thoughtfulness characterised tenor James Gilchrist’s performance of Schubert’s Schwanengesang at the Wigmore Hall, the cycles’ two poets framing a compelling interpretation of Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte.
‘Music for a while shall all your cares beguile.’ Dryden’s words have never seemed as apt as at the conclusion of this wonderful sequence of improvisations on Purcell’s songs and arias, interspersed with instrumental chaconnes and toccatas, by L’Arpeggiata.
The acoustic of the gigantic Théâtre Antique Romain at Orange cannot but astonish its nine thousand spectators, the nearly one hundred meter breadth of the its proscenium inspires awe. There was excited anticipation for this performance of Verdi’s first masterpiece.
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has once again staked claim to being the summer festival “of choice” in the US, not least of all for having mounted another superlative world premiere.
In past years the operas of the Aix Festival that took place in the Grand Théâtre de Provence began at 8 pm. The Magic Flute began at 7 pm, or would have had not the infamous intermittents (seasonal theatrical employees) demanded to speak to the audience.
High drama in Aix. Three scenarios in conflict — those of G.F. Handel, Richard Jones and the intermittents (disgruntled seasonal theatrical employees). Make that four — mother nature.
The programme declared that ‘music, water and night’ was the connecting thread running through this diverse collection of songs, performed by soprano Lucy Crowe and pianist Anna Tilbrook, but in fact there was little need to seek a unifying element for these eclectic works allowed Crowe to demonstrate her expressive range — and offered the audience the opportunity to hear some interesting rarities.
‘Only make the reader’s general vision of evil intense enough and his own experience, his own imagination, his own sympathy will supply him quite sufficiently with all the particulars.
Perhaps the most beloved comic opera, Rossini’s Il barbière di Siviglia has never left the repertoire.
With its struggle between love and greed, youth and age, its general joie de vivre, along with gem after gem of “hummable” musical numbers, it is an audience favorite. Myriad opportunities for sheer technical dazzle give connoisseurs an opportunity to savor the more refined vocal moments of the evening. Lyric Opera’s current run of Barbiere, seemingly like Opera itself at the turn of the Millennium strives to please all of the people all of the time, succeeding both as high art and as showpiece. The opera’s elements seem traditional enough, and yet, even a perfunctory glance beneath the surface yields deeper levels of meaning. John Conklin’s sets, which were inspired by the work of Magritte are representational, with surrealist elements. Likewise, Michael Stennets’ costumes were both traditional and whimsical.
A Barbiere resounds or thuds because of style, comic insight, and vocal ingenuity. Lyric’s Barbiere managed to sparkle mostly because of the immense talent of Joyce DiDonato, who, in her house debut as Rosina, was both vocally and dramatically a perfect fit for the role. It must be said that DiDonato is a revelation. Her cavatina, “Una voce poco fa” was a lesson in bel canto tradition. DiDonato’s ornaments were rapid-fire and athletic, inspired, appropriate. The voice was exciting in the top with warmth to spare in the lower and middle registers. It must also be said that DiDonato is an engaging actress; her Rosina was sympathetic and charming. During “Una voce poco fa”, when the text returns, “Io son docile”, in an inspired moment, DiDonato threw a mini-tantrum, juxtaposing Rosina’s outward subservience with her inward rebellion. “Contra un cor”, Rosina’s second act aria, was staged as a “voice lesson” and DiDonato was uproariously funny in her impersonation of an amateur singer, placing her hands on various parts of the body to simulate physicalized learning. When DiDonato’s Rosina looks to Bartolo for approval, Bartolo furthers the joke by making hand gestures that suggested voice placement and grace. DiDonato’s triumph was complete when, immediately before the cadenza, she mimed exaggeratedly deep breathing.
Opposite DiDonato is John Osborn, who replaced Juan Diego Florez, the scheduled Almaviva, at the 11th hour. Florez’s return had been much anticipated by Chicago operagoers, and so Osborn’s bravery in assuming the star mantle should be commended. Osborn does not suffer greatly by comparison to the singer he replaces. His leggero voice coasts easily through the score, which is notoriously difficult for singers who are less equipped for this specialty role. In fact, the finale “Cessa di più resitere” is often cut because of its fiendish difficulty. The tenor wins the audience with his agility and stratosphereic finale. If criticism must be given, it is that Osborn’s voice takes a moment to warm up; his “Ecco ridente in cielo” is perhaps a little heavier than the rest of his singing in the evening, but he sails through the cabaletta with only a little effort and by the second scene, sighs through the recit with a lyricism not often heard from singers in major houses.
Sung by American pin-up baritone Nathan Gunn, the production’s Figaro is a treat, not only for the sporty physique, which the actor proudly displays during his “Largo al factotum” (staged as a dressing scene), but also for his generous singing. Contrary to some critical opinion, this listener finds Gunn’s voice to be adequate of weight for such a large venue as the Civic Opera House. Gunn had no trouble projecting over full orchestra for his arias and duets, but, surprisingly, he drops several syllables of his recitatives, with only a harpsichord to balance. A little more careful detail to vocal energy may be in order, but the singer’s execution is enjoyable, and Gunn’s relaxed air on stage is very welcome.
Joyce DiDonato as Rosina and John Osborn as Count Almaviva
Baritone Philip Krauss gives a serviceable Doctor Bartolo. His reading paled in comparison to the lovers; however, his diction is crisp, and his aria “La calunnia è un venticello” was richer for it. Also of note is his lovely falsetto that we enjoyed in the opening bars of “Quando mi sei vicina”. In spite of his best efforts, Maestro Donato Renzetti fails in his attempt to encourage the orchestra to play so loud as to cover the singers during the quintet, and the overture, surprisingly slow, was out of tune.
Still, this Barbière is a must see for anyone who loves this comic work, and anyone who treasures the bel canto tradition is foolish to ignore the opportunity to hear Ms. DiDonato teach us how Rossini must be sung.
Gregory Peebles © 2008


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Border Patrol agents in Arizona have confiscated the turbans of dozens of Sikh men seeking asylum in the United States, violating their civil rights and government policies, the ACLU says in a letter calling for an end to the practice.
Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union decried what they said were unlawful and “serious religious-freedom violations” and asked US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus to investigate.
The letter, sent August 1 and first reported by The Intercept and nonprofit newsroom Arizona Luminaria, alleges that 64 such instances have been reported in the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector so far this year – mostly in the past two months – by Sikh asylum seekers who were released from custody and sought help at a welcome center in Phoenix.
“This is reprehensible,” the ACLU of Arizona said in a tweet Wednesday. “The faith and dignity of Sikh migrants at the border must be respected.”
The turban is a symbol of faith and religious tradition considered sacred by Sikhs.
Sikhism is the fifth-largest world religion, according to the Sikh Coalition, and there are more than 500,000 Sikh Americans.
Devout Sikh men don’t cut their hair or shave because they believe you must maintain your body in the way that God created you. Turbans are worn as a way to keep heads covered out of respect when in public and in religious spaces.
“By confiscating and failing to return Sikh individuals’ turbans, CBP directly interferes with their religious practice and forces them to violate their religious beliefs,” the ACLU’s letter says, noting the importance of the agency’s policy requiring officers to “remain cognizant of an individual’s religious beliefs while accomplishing an enforcement action in a dignified and respectful manner.”
“We’re talking about Sikh migrants specifically who are fleeing their countries because of religious persecution…making a very traumatic journey to the United States, and upon entering are then forced to remove a sacred piece of their religion, a core tenet of their belief system,” says Vanessa Pineda, immigrants’ rights staff attorney for the ACLU of Arizona.
Partner organizations who are working directly with migrants reported the uptick in Sikh asylum-seekers’ turbans being taken, Pineda said. The practice is “dehumanizing and humiliating,” she told CNN.
CBP says it’s opened an internal investigation
The CBP commissioner told CNN in a statement that an investigation is underway.
“We take allegations of this nature very seriously,” Magnus said in a statement released to CNN. “This issue was raised in June and steps were immediately taken to address the situation. Our expectation is that CBP employees treat all migrants we encounter with respect. An internal investigation has been opened to address this matter.”
The agency says it’s provided additional guidance to field leadership “reiterating the expectation that personnel exercise particular care when handling property items of a religious nature.” It also says the agency’s procedures allow its personnel to discard items “that pose a clear health or safety hazard.”
In their letter, the ACLU representatives said they saw little evidence of concrete action after the issue was raised at meetings in June and July.
“We keep seeing it happen. … All the efforts locally that our partner organizations took, there’s been no change. And in fact, there was an increase these past couple months,” Pineda said.
It’s possible the actual number of people impacted is higher, Pineda said, noting that rights groups only know about self-reported incidents.
Migrants from many countries are showing up at the border
News of the alleged violations comes as an increasing number of migrants from around the world are crossing the US-Mexico border in the Yuma sector, which stretches 126 miles from the Imperial Sand Dunes in California to the Yuma-Pima County line in Arizona.
For years, the vast majority of migrants attempting to cross the border were from Mexico or Central America.
“The countries we’re receiving now – those nationalities are flying in, arriving to the border, and they’re having to be processed and there’s just so many of them that it is posing a challenge to the workforce,” Yuma Border Patrol Sector Chief Chris Clem told CNN last month, noting that up to 1,000 migrants are apprehended daily.
Last year Yuma’s mayor issued a local emergency order in response to an increasing number of migrants crossing there.
In 2019 advocates told CNN they were seeing more migrants from India, including Sikhs, coming to the US-Mexico border and seeking asylum.
CNN’s Manveena Suri, Huizhong Wu and Harmeet Kaur contributed to this report.

domain: sociology


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The magic of panto is being spread by Aladdin’s genie through free tickets for children and adults in Bracknell.
Youngsters with special needs, children suffering from illness, single parents and elderly people have been treated to a performance of the South Hill Park panto.
Ron McAllister, chief executive officer of the arts centre, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer tickets to Aladdin to those in our community who might not otherwise have been able to experience the magic of our Christmas production.
“The South Hill Park panto is a great Christmas tradition for so many local families, and for many children it is their first experience of live theatre.
“South Hill Park’s mission is to spread the joy of theatre and arts to our community, and what better way of doing it and what better time of year?”
More than 300 people enjoyed a free performance of Aladdin on Saturday, but the demand was so great South Hill Park released tickets for subsequent shows.
Among those benefiting from the donated tickets were Camp Mohawk, a support organisation for children with special needs and their families, Support Horizons, a group supporting vulnerable adults in the community, Single Parents Support, two local care homes for the elderly and the Salvation Army in Wokingham.
Tickets have also been allocated to a group of pupils from The Pines School in Bracknell, where one in four children is looked after by social services, the Children’s Oncology Ward at Frimley Park Hospital and St Sebastian’s School in Wokingham Without, which has few resources due its small size.
The school’s headteacher, Colin Rouse, said: “All of us at St Sebastian’s School would like to thank South Hill Park for their generous donation of tickets to see the Christmas pantomime.
“It is good for our children to have the experience of seeing and participating in live theatre. I would also like to thank our school’s PTA for their efforts in making this happen.”


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- Addison-Wesley Longman 1995; US$ 9.95
A comprehensive description of the Pentium microprocessor and its relationship to the remainder of the system. Emphasis is placed on the interaction of the processor's execution units, internal caches, and the external cache and system memory. The different types of Pentium bus transfers are described in detail. more...
- Wiley 2011; US$ 25.00
Get the most from Apple's ultracool new MacBook Air Apple's newest MacBook Air is smaller, lighter, and more powerful than ever. And this convenient little book is loaded with tips and techniques for everything from getting started with your MacBook Air to maximizing power and battery life. Learn innovative ways to accomplish a task more efficiently,... more...
- Pearson Education 2011; US$ 11.99
Sams Teach Yourself Samsung Galaxy Tab" in 10 Minutes offers straightforward, practical answers for fast results. By working through the 10-minute lessons, you'll learn everything you need to know to quickly and easily get up to speed on the Samsung GALAXY Tab. Step-by-step instructions walk you through the most common questions, issues, and tasks...... more...
- Wiley 2010; US$ 18.99
Fill your iPad with cool apps with help from this full-color directory! The popularity of the iPad is growing at an unstoppable rate and users are looking for help sorting through the tens of thousands of apps available in the App Store. Packed with helpful reviews and valuable tips on how to make the most of each app, this book walks you through... more...
- Packt Publishing 2014; US$ 17.99
The book is an example based, hands-on guide where you will learn how to make a game from scratch, and learn how to develop games on the iOS platform.If you have great ideas for games and want to learn iOS game development, then this book is the right choice for you. Being familiar with iOS development is a plus, but is not mandatory. You will gradually... more...
- Pearson Education 2009; US$ 19.99
Step-by-step instructions with callouts to BlackBerry Curve photos that show you exactly what to do. Help when you run into BlackBerry Curve problems or limitations. Tips and Notes to help you get the most from your BlackBerry Curve. Full-color, step-by-step tasks walk you through getting and keeping your BlackBerry Curve... more...
- MC Press 2011; US$ 85.99
A comprehensive introduction to IBM i?the operating system that runs on IBM's midrange computer systems (System i, iSeries, AS/400)?and its facilities, this in-depth resource uses step-by-step exercises, review questions, and chapter labs to teach new programmers the latest system concepts and tools. Reflecting system changes that have occurred since... more...
- Wiley 2014; US$ 39.99
Get up to speed on Apple's visionary new redesign of the desktop computer It has the sleek lines of a starship, all-Flash memory, rock-solid architecture, and connection ports galore. Now you can take a deep dive through all the killer new features and functions of Apple's visionary new Mac Pro desktop computer with our equally impressive new guide,... more...
- Addison-Wesley Longman 1995; US$ 9.95
PowerPC System Architecture describes the hardware architecture of PowerPC systems, providing a clear, concise explanation of the PowerPC specification, the template upon which all PowerPC processors are designed. The author provides a complete description of the specification for both the 32- and 64-bit implementations. The second half of the... more...
- Wiley 2002; US$ 75.00
Discusses new features provided by zOS, such as improved security, support for Intelligent Resource Director, and support for a 64-bit real storage. Explains how the system configuration in zOS is made easier by a new interface that uses wizards to input desired settings. more...

domain: library


text:
Amazing decoration and storage box comes into one!
Introducing our Lucky Cat Storage Decor, a whimsical and eye-catching piece that can hold just about anything. Whether it's your keys, phone, snacks, or other small items, this adorable novelty tabletop piece will bring a fun new twist to your ordinary storage baskets.
- Made of resin material, durable, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, does not fade.
- Product dimensions: 18.5cm x 16.5cm x 27cm.
- Available in 4 stunning colours. (Pink, White, Green and Red)
(Item color / type: Pink)
(Item color / type: White)
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Actual product image:
Write us a review below of your purchase and attach your best photoshoot of the product to receive a 10% discount code!


text:
Bloodbath on Wall Street
The US equity markets saw nothing short of carnage on June 25 as concerns of trade war escalation took hold. Conflicting signals came from the Trump administration regarding plans to restrict foreign investment in US technology companies. This along with news that the recent tariffs have started to hit businesses’ supply chains sent the stocks spiraling down. The Dow Industrials Average Index (DIA) (DOW) and the S&P 500 Index (SPY) (SPX) closed down 1.3% and 1.4%, respectively. The tech-heavy NASDAQ composite (QQQ), on the other hand, fell harder by 2.1%.
US steel stocks and CLF plunge
Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) stock plunged 6.7% yesterday due to rising risks from trade war concerns. Other US steel stocks were not too far behind. AK Steel (AKS), US Steel (X), Nucor (NUE), and Steel Dynamics (STLD) fell 6.7%, 6.5%, 4.1%, and 2.9%, respectively. The plunge in US steel stocks and the largest iron ore pellet supplier might seem counterintuitive given the fact that these are the same tariffs that are supporting higher US steel prices, which are helping these companies’ earnings as well as stock prices in 2018.
Are interests of steel sector compromised?
The fact of the matter, however, is that to an extent, the imposition of restrictions would stop the inflow of subsidized imports from countries, which would help these companies. An escalation of trade tariffs and the tit-for-tat tariffs now announced by many countries including Canada, the European Union (or EU), and Canada might run counter to the interests of the domestic steel sector.

domain: finance


text:
Willow Cartwright's Profile
welcome to the world of willow!! I am a 40 something green, eco-friendly wannabe hippy type with a curiousity in all spiritual paths and a deep abiding love of our Mother Earth.
Many of my pieces are comprised of recycled bits and bobs from various vintage items and help provide the romantic feel of my unique eco-friendly jewelry.
Romance your every day with Simply Willow unique handmade jewelry
- Born on June 2
- Joined October 27, 2007


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This hostel offers free WiFi in public areas, a terrace, and a garden. Added amenities include laundry facilities, a microwave in a common area, and a refrigerator in a common area. There's also the convenience of free self parking.
With a stay at this Parramatta Park hostel, you'll be 1.7 km (1.1 mi) from Esplanade Lagoon and 1.9 km (1.2 mi) from Reef Hotel Casino.
2 Feb. 2018 by Management
Hello Anonymous, We are sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your stay. We are starting repairs soon and would like your feedback on what you think is most important to start with? What affected your stay the most? Kind Regards
As a guest of Cairns City Backpackers Hostel, you'll find an outdoor pool, a terrace, and tour/ticket assistance. Public spaces have free WiFi. Cairns City Backpackers Hostel also features multilingual staff, a garden, and laundry facilities. Free self parking is available. Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this Cairns hostel.
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking , Free parking nearby
Cairns City Backpackers Hostel offers 21 accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors. This Cairns hostel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Guests can make use of the shared/communal kitchen.
Recreational amenities at the hostel include an outdoor pool.
Special check-in instructions:
The front desk is open during the following times:
This property's front desk is open during the following times:
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A credit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession, within the meaning of article 155 of the French Tax Code. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, debit cards, and cash. Social distancing measures are in place.
Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:
We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.
The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.
This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

domain: travel


text:
Star Trek: Armada III - The Final Frontier begins with the first stirrings of the Dominion War and allows players to take command of five unique factions, the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union/Dominion Alliance, and the Borg Collective. Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no one has gone before.
"You're wondering who we are. Why we have done this. How it has come that I stand before you, the image of a being from so long ago. Life evolved on my planet before all others in this part of the galaxy. We left our world, explored the stars, and found none like ourselves. Our civilisation thrived for ages, but what is the life of one race, compared to the vast stretches of cosmic time? We knew that one day we would be gone, that nothing of us would survive. So, we left you. Our scientists seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds, where life was in its infancy. The seed codes directed your evolution toward a physical form resembling ours - this body you see before you, which is, of course, shaped as yours is shaped. For you are the end result. The seed codes also contained this message, which we scattered in fragments on many different worlds. It was our hope that you would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to hear this message. And if you can see and hear me, our hope has been fulfilled. You are a monument - not to our greatness, but to our existence. That was our wish - that you, too, would know life, and would keep alive our memory. There is something of us in each of you, and so something of you in each other. Remember us."
"That's all!? If she were not dead, I would kill her!"
"The very notion that a Cardassian could have anything in common with a Klingon! It turns my stomach!"
"Captain, my ships are leaving orbit for Romulan space. Until our next encounter."
"It would seem that we are not completely dissimilar after all, in our hopes, or in our fears."
"Well, then...perhaps, one day..."

domain: literature


text:
Nissan Sunny Review 2018
Nissan sunny from Nissan India is a special car with luxurious features in an affordable price range. The car look stylish and sporty with alloys and wonderful exterior design. The car made by the company with the inspiration from the Nissan Micra which was a notable success. Touch screen entertainment system, rear spoiler, leather seats and rear parking camera giving a feeling of high class facilities.
The Nissan sunny first launched to the Indian automobile market on 2011 with only petrol engine option and later the company introduced the diesel variants too. The car need to face the tough competition with the Hyundai Verna, Honda city, maruti swift Dzire etc.
Hot features of Nissan sunny petrol version
- Displacement of 1498cc
- Power is 97 bhp at 6000 rpm
- 134 nm at 4000 rpm
Top features of Nissan sunny diesel version
- Displacement of 1461cc
- Power of 84.8 bhp at 3750 rpm
- Torque of 200 nm at 2000 rpm
Engine, Power and Performance
Nissan sunny petrol version is powered by a 1.5 liter 4 cylinders petrol engine capable to produce power of 100PS and torque of 134 Nm . 1.5 liter 4 cylinder K9k engine in the diesel model of Nissan sunny is effective to produce power of 86 PS and a torque of 200Nm. It features 5 manual gear box.
Features and Options
The sedan got attractive features in its interior and exterior. There are front disc and rear drum brakes, 165 mm ground clearance and power steering. Active and passive safety of passengers ensured via its ABS+EBD , 2 air bags, fog lamps etc.
Nissan offers world class comfort features inside the car includes AC, power windows, remote control assisted facilities, rear defogger, dash integrated music system, electric mirrors and button controls on steering etc. Nissan sunny is really spacious with impressive rich features. You will never going to be disappointed about the money, because of its fuel efficient engine and other quality features.
Nissan sunny All Models and Price List 2018
- XE Petrol, Manual – 6.99 Lakhs
- XE D Diesel, Manual – 7.83 Lakhs
- XL Petrol, Manual – 7.92 Lakhs
- XL D Diesel, Manual – 8.3 Lakhs
- XV CVT Petrol, Automatic (CVT) – 9.44 Lakhs
- XV D Diesel, Manual – 9.51 Lakhs
Full Technical Specifications
|Features of the model of car||Nissan sunny XV|
|Engine||1461cc, 4 cylinder engine|
|Max power||84.8 Bhp @ 3750 rpm|
|Max torque||200 Nm @ 2000 rpm|
|Fuel consumption(highway)||21.00 kmpl|
|Fuel consumption(city)||16.00 kmpl|
|Dimensions(length x width x height)||4425 mm x 1695 mm x 1505 mm|
|Boot space||490.00 ltrs.|
|Ground clearance||165.00 mm|
|Fuel tank||41.00 litres|
|Suspension||McPherson Strut, Torsion Beam|
|Breaks (rear)||Rear Drum|
|Tyre size||185/65 R15|
|Kerb weight||1097.00 kgs.|
|Body color bumper||yes|
|Music system||Dash integrated system|

domain: design


Veterans and service members celebrated Armed Forces Day at Battleship Park this morning. The National Guard band played the hymn of each branch. A reenactment of the flag raising at Iwo Jima and a wreath drop took place on the USS Alabama. The ceremony was enjoyed by veterans and provided a chance for them to get together.
“Particularly for those of us that were in Vietnam, we refer to each other as brothers,” Col. Patrick Downing, Battleship Park Chairman. “As you may know, when we came back to the homeland, we did not receive the respect nor support from many of our citizens. So we lean on each other and we still continue to lean on each other.”
But for the rest of the public, it served as a reminder of next week.
“I know Memorial Day is a very important day for families,” said Col. Downing. “You know, they can do a barbeque. They can go to the beach. But I would ask all people, whoever is hearing my voice, whatever you do on Memorial Day, take a minute to think about the many service men and women who have died in the service of our country.”
News Five’s own Bill Riales emceed the ceremony put on by the Blue Star Salute Foundation. Among the many things at the park was the Wall that Heals which spent the past week in Mobile.


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Adopting the structure and themes of Arthurian legend, John Steinbeck creates a “Camelot” on a shabby hillside above Monterey on the California coast and peoples it with a colorful band of knights. As he chronicles the thoughts and emotions, temptations and lusts of the “knights”, Steinbeck spins a tale as compelling as the famous legends of the Round Table
The story surrounds a group of young jobless men of Mexican descent living on a hilltop in Monterey, California. Kind natured and loyal to one another, they disregard convention, revelling in their idyllic world of poverty. With the advent of World War I, they enlist in a fevor of drunken patriotism, though none of them find their way into combat. They return to Monterey to learn that Danny has been left two houses by his grandfather, which he shares with the group. Thus begin the “adventures,” most of which center around acquiring money.


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McMaster and Toyota Tsusho Canada collaborate to move pathogen-detecting food wrap from lab to market
Toyota Tsusho Canada, Inc will team up with McMaster engineers and biochemists to move a promising new food-safety technology from the lab to the marketplace. The patch was created in 2018 by Tohid Didar, at right, Hanie Yousefi, left, along with biochemist Yingfu Li and engineer Carlos Felipe.
BY Wade Hemsworth
July 13, 2020
Toyota Tsusho Canada, Inc. (TTCI) will team up with McMaster engineers and biochemists to move a promising new food-safety technology from the lab to the marketplace.
TTCI will contribute up to US$300,000 over two years to commercialize a bacteria-detecting patch that can signal when food has been spoiled by E. coli or other common food pathogens.
The patch, created in 2018 by a McMaster team led by engineers Tohid Didar, Carlos Filipe and Hanie Yousefi and biochemist Yingfu Li, would be incorporated into food wrap and other packaging, with the potential to replace the estimated “best before” date with a more definitive signal that food has spoiled.
TTCI’s monetary contribution will fund continuing work to adapt the innovation to target multiple food-borne pathogens, including E. coli O157, which is responsible for numerous and sometimes deadly outbreaks around the world. The goal is to have a working prototype within two years.
The primary biochemical challenge, Li says, will be to adapt the highly sensitive and specific molecular probes designed for detecting model bacteria in the initial experiments to detect the presence of small concentrations of specific target bacterial pathogens such as E. coli O157.
“Bacteria are everywhere. Many are innocuous but a few are deadly. We need to develop a probe that can clearly signal when specific deadly pathogens are present. It is very challenging, but as a scientist, I really want to get this into the market where it can help save people from getting sick,” says Li, a professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences and a member of McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research.
The main engineering challenge will be in incorporating those probes into durable plastic patches that can detect and signal pathogens effectively and easily be incorporated into packaging materials, Didar says.
“For the past two years, we have worked to create a multidisciplinary team of engineers, biochemists and industry partners for this project. It’s exciting to have the chance to start moving this work from the lab to the marketplace,” says Didar, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering specializing in biomedical devices.
“We are eager to see how this technology can be applied to improve the safety of the food chain,” says Hidetoshi Tada, President of TTCI. “We were intrigued by the initial findings, and we are proud to have the opportunity to help bring this research into public use.”


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Sauter emerges from wild finish to score Chevy's first Daytona truck win
DAYTONA BEACH — NASCAR didn’t get a chance to use its new 20-minute caution clock rule Friday night, because the competitors in the NextEra Energy 250 produced enough of the old-fashioned yellow flags to silence the alarm.
The drama concluded with Christopher Bell barrel-rolling his No. 4 Toyota 13 times on the last lap and Johnny Sauter claiming the victory under the yellow and checkered flags, before 40,000 spectators at Daytona International Speedway.
When Bell’s machine stopped, the driver crawled out and walked away from the hunk of smoldering metal. Bell was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation and released close to midnight.
The violent crash was preceded by “Big One” melee in Turn 3 on Lap 93, which involved 18 trucks that required a 27-minute, 54-second red flag to clean up the colossal mess.
“I knew there were like seven laps to go,” said Sauter, who scored Chevrolet’s first win in this race. “I figured it would be a 2- or 3-lap shootout. The No. 4 truck (Bell) gave me a push. It all worked out.”
It was Sauter’s second win in this race. His late father, Jim Sauter, won an ARCA race in the 1970s.
Among those caught in the big crash was Daytona Beach driver Ben Kennedy, who was driving the No. 11 Toyota. At one point in the race, Kennedy was running a strong third in the lead pack.
Ryan Truex, who led 14 laps in the No. 81 Toyota, finished second after starting 20th in the 32-truck field.
“If that wreck didn’t happen, I think we would have had it,” said Truex, who is the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. “You just had to make the right moves and be there at the end, but we just couldn’t get there.”
Parker Kligerman, driving the No. 92 Ford, finished third, followed by Brandon Brown and Travis Kvapil in Chevrolets.
This was the first truck race where the 20-minute caution rule was in play. If the race went 20 minutes without a caution, NASCAR would have called a caution period.
The 20-minute rule may have contributed to the second yellow flag when several trucks collided trying to dart onto pit road before that expected yellow.
Cody Coughlin and Spencer Gallagher tangled up, causing havoc for the other cars.
“Everybody is all tight going wide open and they stopped in front of me,” said Coughlin, who exited the race. “I’m not saying it’s anybody’s fault. It sucks.”
There were 29 laps of caution in the 100-lap run over the Speedway’s 2.5-mile tri-oval.
Earlier in the day, Grant Enfinger won the pole position for the truck race with a second-round lap of 180.752 mph aboard the No. 33 Chevrolet.
He was followed by Sauter at 180.086 mph.
Kennedy didn’t get a qualifying lap because the motor in his No. 11 Toyota blew up before he got up to speed. He started on the back row of the grid, based on a provisional.
Eleven drivers failed to qualify for the 32-truck field.


Wood is a renewable energy resource and contrary to general belief wood burning does not contribute to the catastrophic climate changes we are starting to witness around the planet. Fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal which are extracted from deep beneath the earth surface are the main source of greenhouse gases that destroys the environment. Trees recycle CO2 from the air to grow, using the carbon to build its structure to about half the weight of wood. When the tree dies, it rots on the forest floor and slowly releases the carbon back in the air completing the natural carbon cycle. When wood is burned, it quickly releases similar amount of carbon in the form of CO2 thus completing the same carbon cycle.
Wood is known as a carbon neutral source of energy.
For example, using wood from responsibly managed forests to build our homes actually stores carbon for many decades which positively offset greenhouse gas emission by delaying the carbon cycle.
Thermodynamics tells us that heat always flows towards colder than itself.
There are three means of heat transfer.
By conduction… direct contact to a heat source
By convection… heat is transferred thru the motion of air or water for example
By radiation… heat is transferred without direct contact by infrared electromagnetic waves just like the sun warms our earth by radiation. Radiant heat makes us feel warm even though the air around us may be cold.
Conventional open pit fireplaces are still used for visual enjoyment. However they are so inefficient due to lack of tight fitting casketed door, lack of properly designed heat exchanger and combustion chamber, they are close to or below zero efficiency. They only partially burn wood, creating much pollution outside and inside the home which is nowadays unacceptable to most of us.
Fireplace metal inserts are wood stove fitted in an existing masonry firebox or within a wood framed enclosure. Certified inserts using a properly sized stainless steel liner can be close to as efficient as wood stoves.
Wood stoves are the most popular space heaters in North America. It is best to locate the stove in the center of the main living area (open floor plan design) with flue pipe going straight into chimney close to roof ridge.
Since early 1990 wood stoves have been redesigned to be more efficient and meet mandatory smoke emission limits dictated by EPA in the US and CSA in Canada.
Catalytic stoves are the most efficient on the market but they require more maintenance to run at peak performance. They can burn wood cleanly at a low heat setting. Restriction of the gas flow thru the catalyst can cause some draft issues. They do need regular cleaning and replacing catalyst every few years.
None catalytic stoves are by far the most common stove on the market. They are about one third more efficient than the old pot belly stoves of the past and produce up to 90% less pollution.
However they can not match the even heat output from catalytic stoves. Once fired, those stoves will quickly take the chill out of room. But they need to be restocked quite frequently and once the fire dies, the stove and the room cool off rather fast.
Masonry stoves are made of masonry rather than steel.
They were invented in Europe during the first energy crisis in the early 1800 as close wood supplies disappeared from over harvesting.
They are fired once or twice a day for an hour. The heat is stored within the high thermal mass of the heater before being slowly radiated back in the room during the next 12 to 24 hours.
Consequently the first burn of the heating season will take a couple of days to start warming a cold home. No instant heat but instead constant, even heat with only one daily firing defines this type of stove heating performance.
The efficiency of masonry stoves is comparable to catalytic stoves as they burn wood quickly at high temperatures (over 1500 degrees Fahrenheit). Soot and creosote do not survive those temperatures.
The exhaust from the fire is channeled thru a maze of flue passages thus trapping the hot gases long enough to allow the heat to be soaked in the masonry. The exhaust being finally released from the house is depleted of most of its heat. Therefore almost all the energy contained in the wood is used for heating your home.
Iron stoves will burn at the touch when lit.
Masonry heaters are much safer as the surface temperature is much lower allowing installation of warm seats and beds into or above the stove mass.


text:
I'm new to GNUCash and creating a new GNUCash file to track my rental. I have a security deposit account with my bank, and am trying to make sure I get this all setup correctly.
In quicken, I had an account for the deposit account and a liability account for amount due back the renters (so it didn't appear I had extra money). I expect that's what I'd want as well, a liability for the deposit and an asset account for the money. However, I also need to "receive" the deposit from the renters as an income? I'm not quite sure how to set this up correctly using GNUCash's double entry bookkeeping. Any help/recommendations are appreciated.


text:
Dr. Spandana – General Dentist in Madhapur, Hyderabad. Specializes in General Dentistry, Dentures, Braces, & Crowns
Dr. Spandana is a General Dentist and practices in Apollo White Dental clinic located in Madhapur, Hyderabad. She specializes in General Dentistry and Cosmetic Dentistry. She provides treatments for various dental diseases including gum diseases, tooth decay, sensitive teeth, discolored teeth, and many other conditions.
General Dentistry is a branch of dentistry that deals with diagnosis, treatment, and management of dental diseases. Conditions like root canal treatments, preventive dental procedures, and treating dental complications related to other diseases.
Cosmetic Dentistry is a branch of dentistry that deals with improving the appearance of teeth, smile, and oral structures. Procedures like teeth whitening, gum depigmentation, smile makeover, veneers, and crowns are done in Cosmetic Dentistry.
Scaling & Root Planing
BDS, SVS Institute of Dental Sciences, Mahbubnagar

domain: medical


text:
PAST AND PRESENT IN HUNGARIAN BOOK PUBLISHING
1. From the beginnings to the Communist take-over in 1948
The first books came to Hungary via travelling monks and clergymen from areas along the Rhine and the French Marches not long after the Magyar tribes had conquered and settled the Carpathian Basin. Most of these early books have been lost in the Mongol invasion of 1241 and other wars, or, due to the fact that they were mostly liturgical, have been worn away from constant use. At present there are approximately 1200 medieval codices in Hungary but only 190 of them are of Hungarian origin as most of them were collected during the 18th and 19th centuries. Of the illuminated manuscripts extant before 1526 (when the Ottoman armies overran a great part of the country) only half of a per cent survives. Nevertheless, a medieval book culture did exist here, predominantly in the royal court, in monasteries and the Episcopal sees, and by the 14th and 15th centuries it equalled that of contemporary Europe.
The Renaissance gave a big boost to intellectual pursuits that reached their zenith during the reign of King Mátyás (Mathias), one of the great book collectors of his time. His library Bibliotheca Corviniana -- in size second only to the Bibliotheca Vaticana -- was known and admired throughout Europe. The Royal Palace in Buda is estimated to have held 3000 wonderfully designed and richly illuminated manuscripts and codices, including those made expressly for the King (the Corvinas) and those in the private collection of his Queen Beatrix.
Tragically, this library was scattered right after the death of Mátyás. His successors Ulászló II and Lajos II gave away the most valuable pieces to emissaries from foreign courts as well as to humanists and scientists from all over Europe -- but this way at least many of them survived. What ultimately destroyed the Bibliotheca Corviniana was the Turkish invasion under Suleiman the Magnificent. The Ottoman ruler looted the collection to such an extent that only 22 codices are known to have remained in existence from that period. Today there are 215 Corvinas extant in 49 libraries, 43 cities of 16 countries around the world.
Two decades after the invention of the printing press, Hungary was the 6th country in the world to start its own printing establishment. In the year 1472 the German monk Andreas Hess (Hess András) came to Buda and under the sponsorship of the Primate of All Hungary printed the first book in the land entitled Chronica Hungarorum with its fine Latin characters brought from Rome. The trade of printing and publishing has been continuous ever since, and only half a century after Hess there were several shops active throughout the country, mostly under the protection of noble houses. The printed book was no longer a rarity in Hungary.
1590 is the next stepping-stone: in that year the first full translation of the Holy Bible was printed in three bulky volumes on the initiative of the translator himself. A Lutheran minister, Gáspár Károli thus became the first publisher in the Hungarian language and undoubtedly the first to bring out a best-seller. The rapid spread of the Reformation created a large demand for widely affordable books, and that in turn meant a livelihood for a number of itinerant printer-publisher entrepreneurs during the century. Between 1571 and 1600 a total of 605 titles were published, either in Latin or in Hungarian.
By the beginning of the 17th century locally printed books -- though of rather poor quality, however closely emulating in design Italian and German books imported by merchants -- had become frequent and inexpensive. Popular calendars, i. e. compendiums of useful knowledge concerning weather and agriculture, of household advice, of simple stories and descriptions of contemporary events (best-sellers for the next two and a half centuries), could be purchased for less than the price of two pounds of beef at any village fair.
Apart from such popular publications, Hungarian publishing until the close of the 18th century was dominated by various Bible editions, textbooks, esoteric religious works in Hungarian, Latin classics, legal books both in Latin and in Hungarian.
With the Turkish wars after one and a half centuries of continuous warfare coming to an end, and new, public (i. e. not ecclesiastic) schools proliferating, the first "real" booksellers appeared during the late 18th century. Their stocks, however, apart from locally printed Latin and Hungarian language books, consisted mainly of imported French and German publications as German was widely spoken among educated people. These booksellers initially operated outside of the traditional framework of commerce defined by established guilds, but in 1795 they set up the first booksellers' association in Europe, calling themselves The Commonalty of the Booksellers of the City of Pest, first chaired by István Kiss. (Thirty years later it was a Hungarian bookseller, Károly Keresztély Horváth, who at the Leipzig Fair initiated what was to become the Börsenverein.)
Towards the end of the 18th century, with the spread of literacy among the lower classes and the upsurge of the national revival, the demand for books in Hungarian was growing so rapidly that the booksellers of the City of Pest started publishing, too, thus sponsoring a whole new era of Hungarian literature that was to produce the great national classics of the 19th century. Many of the firms of this first generation of booksellers turned publishers survived until the 1870's. Messrs Lampel, Emich, Wodianer, Trattner, Hartleben et al became the publishers not only of the Hungarian romantic movement but also of the first dictionaries, encyclopaedias, and scholarly and technical works.
During the late 19th century the spectacular growth of capitalism gave rise to a new breed of tough commercial companies catering for a new public: the town-dwelling bourgeoisie and the literate urban masses. The new age was characterised by large editions of popular fiction and cheap paperbacks, by decorative series of "complete works", and, most significantly, by the influx of translations which made contemporary world literature available to a public eager for models of life-style and ideas for the spiritual and political modernisation of the country. The exceptionally high number of translated titles has been characteristic of Hungarian publishing ever since. By the turn of the century Hungary became one of the leading "book countries" of Europe and was one of the first countries of the continent to be admitted into the International Publishers' Association. In 1913 Budapest hosted an international conference of publishers.
During the interwar period the scene did not change significantly, except for the appearance of pulp fiction -- "yellow novels" as they were called. The trade was dominated by a relatively small number of prestigious large publishers, Athenaeum, Révai Brothers, Pallas, Singer & Wolfner etc., all of them established in the last decades of the 19th century. Around them operated a few medium-sized companies (Cserépfalvy, Dante) and a lot of small publishers, some of them still booksellers, producing the great majority of titles in small editions. On the whole, apart from fiction, reference and the social sciences, publishing was still a small industry, with practically no art publishing and little music publishing, and not much professional and technical publishing to speak of.
2. The Communist Era, 1948--1989
The ravages of World War II and the Communist take-over changed the picture beyond recognition practically overnight. In 1948 all publishing houses, booksellers and printers were nationalised and "reliable" communist managers appointed, with no knowledge of books or experience in publishing in most cases. A new copyright law was introduced which stripped the publishers of their rights (all rights reverting to the author after each edition). While smaller publishers were closed down, the larger firms were amalgamated into yet larger "socialist" companies, each of them with a rigidly defined field: one for children’s' and juvenile books, one for technical books, one for academic publications, one for legal and economic subjects, one for contemporary Hungarian fiction and poetry, one for Marxist literature, one for textbooks, one for Soviet authors etc. An "ideal" world was created in which there was no competition, books were subsidised to make them affordable for the masses, and, if "desirable" for political or educational reasons, issued in hitherto unheard-of print runs. Over this "socialist" trade the Ministry of Culture's book department (called the General Directorate of Publishing) ruled as censor and lord of printing and paper supply -- both of which were always inadequate, partly because of the huge increase in production. Supreme power, however, was in the hands of the Communist Party and its almighty controlling body The Book Commission. Not only were the long lists of banned authors and books prepared there (and brought up to date from time to time in true Orwellian fashion) but The Commission also put together equally long lists of desirable (read obligatory) authors and subjects which were then "sent down" to the publishing houses, together with annual plans detailing the required subject matters and production figures.
Publishing was not a business in any sense of the word but rather a kind of service paid for by the government with the aim of "educating the masses". Under such conditions book production soared, huge distribution networks sprang into existence, and more people were employed in the trade than ever before. Yet through the decades the regime slowly mellowed and also needed to placate the intelligentsia by giving more intellectual freedom. After a time it was not only ideologically biased books that benefited from the system. Almost unlimited capital resources made possible the development of hitherto insignificant academic publishing, the production of comprehensive reference works, the costly textological editions of the classics, a refinement in literary translation -- practised by some of the best novelists and poets who were banned from publishing their own work and had no other livelihood -- the growth of science, medical, art and foreign language publishing. Sharpened by close censorship, a new editorial professionalism emerged, the editors themselves often being distinguished intellectuals in their own right, finding shelter in publishing houses.
On the whole, as an ideologically sensitive sector publishing "enjoyed" special attention which also meant that all changes in the higher spheres of politics were immediately reflected in publishing policies, too. And the regime, though the system itself remained unchanged, did undergo important modifications during its forty years: ideological control was gradually eased, censorship became more and more lax, economic difficulties led to dwindling subsidies, and by the mid-70's this forced publishers to start thinking in terms of market and profit. The 1980's saw a publishing industry that was technically well developed, intellectually strong, prestigious and perfectly able to satisfy all requirements of the reading public of a country by now quite confident of the impending demise of Communism.
The overall performance of Hungarian publishing from the late 70's also serves to explain the fact that samizdat books (as opposed to journals and periodicals) were never numerous and that by the time they did appear in large numbers and editions there was very little to distinguish them from "official" publications.
For the protection of authors' rights a semi-official agency was set up in 1955. Now called Artisjus, it is a legal bureau, a "collecting society" and a rights agency active mainly in the fields of music, literature, the theatre and computer programs. It used to represent Hungarian authors at home and abroad and also mediated between foreign literary agencies/publishers and Hungarian publishing houses by force of law and had censorship functions as well.
Today there are several literary agencies but it is mainly due to the activities of the Artisjus agency (a member of WIPO) that piracy is not a major problem. Hungary has for decades been signatory to the Bern Convention.
Export and import of books, equally centralised, closely controlled and, whenever it was deemed politically necessary, subsidised, used to be handled by one giant company called Kultúra. Stripped of its monopoly, the overstaffed, clumsy organisation soon went bankrupt under the new conditions and its role was taken over by numerous small ventures. Reliable statistics are not available but, since the currency became virtually convertible, the import of Western books has vastly increased -- growth was especially dynamic in English language teaching materials now used in the state school system -- while the export of books by Hungarian publishers, with the loss of the "Socialist markets" and without the subsidies, has lamentably dropped.
The Hungarian Writers' Association, once the only, and grimly official, organisation to control authors, had by the beginning of the 80's become not only a stronghold of dissent and protest but also one of the centres of the nascent political opposition and developed into a kind of unofficial parliament whose leaders played a prominent role in the movement that led to the end of dictatorship, among them Árpád Göncz, a playwright and novelist, and also a very fine translator from English, the first freely elected President of the Republic. Under the conditions of parliamentary democracy, however, the Association has quickly lost its outright political importance, most writers having withdrawn from politics, but it is still the largest and most important organisation of authors with a membership that covers the whole literary scene and is now seeking a new role as a kind of trade union. Some of the more internationally known members of the literary community though, notably the novelist and essayist George Konrád, the poet Sándor Csoóri, and the playwright István Csurka continue to make their voices heard in the political arena.
3. Publishing Today, From 1989 to 1996
The collapse of Communism swept away most of the old rules of control and support. Censorship ended and it was possible to publish and read everything, although the exact date of a new beginning is almost impossible to pinpoint now. The Party did relinquish its exclusive power in 1989 when it reluctantly allowed free elections to be held in 1990 but some publishers were already breaking out of the confines well before that: Szabad Tér in 1987 and 1988 brought out two now-famous anthologies of Russian dissident writing, while Európa published Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler and Dr Zhivago by Boris Pasternak in 1988 and Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell in 1989, all in excellent translations, which meant that preliminary work on them had to have begun much sooner.
In early 1989, a short official notice in the press announced that any legally registered company or organisation was now permitted to engage in publishing without prior consent or charter from the authorities. After half a century, the freedom of the press was restored. In the romantic and feverish months and years to follow everything that could not be published since 1948 was printed and sold in huge editions. Neither the "official" publishing houses nor the "official" distribution system could cope with the demand. Hundreds of new publishers appeared and books were sold by street vendors instead of bookstores. The flood, of course, receded soon. Most of the new publishers and booksellers, enthusiastic intellectuals mainly, disappeared. Previously banned literature gave way to popular fiction.
One of the most significant factors of the post-Communist crisis of the book industry was the collapse of the distribution system. Under Communism both wholesaling and retailing was operated by three enormous state-controlled companies which went bankrupt during 1990-1992 due to debts, huge stocks of unmarketable and unsold books and competition from private distributors and street traders. This left distribution in disarray. The traditional division between wholesalers and retailers has disappeared and they have merged into one chaotic system. The familiar channel between publishers, wholesalers and readers disappeared. Both wholesalers and retailers began to reject titles with low sales potential or took only minuscule parts of the print run and pushed profit margins up. This new situation put severe cash flow pressure on publishers since small distributors tended to be late in paying which in an economy of high inflation was a substantial financial burden.
The severest blow to the book trade came from the Pre-privatisation Act of 1990 under the provisions of which nearly two-thirds of all bookshops were offered for privatisation without discrimination. The majority of the shops sold in open bidding were lost to the trade for ever. Villages and sometimes whole towns were left without a single bookshop. Those that remained had to compete with street stalls suddenly mushrooming all over the country, stalls that were situated in public areas, in underground stations and underpasses, stocked largely with best-sellers, operating semi-legally, more often than not refusing to pay taxes or even public area rental fees. Likewise, what remained and regrouped of the old wholesalers had to compete with new, regionally based, usually medium or small-scale "demigros" networks of dubious origin focusing almost entirely on best-selling books.
Privatisation of the big state-owned publishing houses also became a serious issue after 1990. The managers and staff of these firms saw their nominal ownership as a burden and thought that rapid privatisation would be best for the companies and the market. However, the first post-Communist government did not have a clear policy on the issue. By the time the first privatisation took place in 1993 the situation of the publishers worsened, their financial problems deepened, and potential investors were discouraged. The biggest single question of the privatisation process was the valuation of these companies. The existing copyright law has long favoured the author over the publisher. The author could impose a number of restrictions on the publisher which greatly reduced the publisher's possibilities for commercial exploitation of the work. With copyrights reverting to the authors after each edition the backlists of the state-owned publishing houses were virtually valueless and could not be counted as assets in the privatisation. This also greatly discouraged potential investors. In the end, a few of these companies were acquired by foreign ventures, one or two by Hungarian buyers, several of them had to be shut down and those left took advantage of a government initiative for management-and-staff buy-outs financed through preferential bank loans. These buy-outs meant, of course, that there was no capital injection, though sorely needed, at a time of sudden economic change.
Another factor which contributed to the post-Communist crisis of the book industry was the system of taxation. In 1990 the 80 per cent tax relief on the profits of publishers and distributors which helped to cause the boom of 1989 and 1990 was abolished. Moreover, the 1993 introduction of VAT on books placed further financial pressure on publishers. 6 per cent VAT was levied on books which was then increased to 10 per cent in 1994 and to 12 per cent in 1995. In addition, the general level of company taxation and social security contributions is very high in Hungary, approximating that of the Scandinavian countries.
The only way the post-Communist governments have helped the book industry long accustomed to state subsidies was to establish funds for the publication of culturally valuable books. One of them, The Hungarian Book Foundation is allocated yearly sums from the budget, while the National Cultural Fund draws its capital from a charge levied on all cultural products. This levy was introduced in 1993 as an average 1 per cent tax on the price of books, theatre and cinema tickets, rented videos, museum entrance fees etc. Private foundations have also helped the industry, the most important being the Soros Foundation.
4. Publishing Today, From 1996 On
The ambiguous situation of the industry in the first 6 to 8 years after the "changing of the regime" (as the Velvet Revolution is usually referred to in Hungary) has undergone a dramatic change since 1996. Not unconnected with a shift in government policy as to the funding of different segments of book production and consumption, publishing in general seems to have recuperated. Indeed, it has become the leading branch of Hungarian cultural life. Two of what remained of the previously state-owned big distributors were privatised at last, i. e. restructured and streamlined to meet modern needs. As a consequence, new, large and well-appointed bookshops began to be opened again, their number (sadly depleted in 1990) reaching 500 in 1997. In the same year, turnover increased by 25 per cent, far exceeding the rate of inflation. There were (and continue to be) about 10 000 titles published per year and the number of copies sold approximates 50 million. Although this latter figure is far lower than that of 1989, it proves that Hungarians are still prolific readers -- indeed, only in two of the Scandinavian countries do people buy more books per capita in the whole of Europe.
After years of uncertainty and confusion, the market seems finally to have settled into shape. Fifteen large publishers control the lion's share while about 60 others divide up the rest between them. There are also 200 to 300 very small companies that usually publish four or five titles annually. Initial fear of the big international "multis", too, has proved unfounded. Bertelsmann, Readers' Digest, Julius Springer, Axel Springer, Wolters Kluwer have gained ground and are here to stay but their combined share of the market is below 30 per cent. Moreover, they have helped establish the rules of fair trade in an industry that has seen much foul play in its free-for-all beginnings in the new era.
The future of Hungarian publishing and bookselling is looking up and their achievements are starting to receive international acknowledgement. In Spring 1998 the Hungarian Publishers' and Booksellers' Association (MKKE) was the first in Eastern Europe to be admitted into two top trade organisations, The European Publishers' Federation and The European Booksellers' Federation. This venerable body with its 200-year past has since 1929 been the organiser of the Festive Book Week, the major annual book event in Hungary, and, since 1994, together with the Board of Directors of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the organiser of the nationally and regionally important Budapest International Book Festival.
Hungary is the first country from Eastern Europe to have been chosen as Focus at the Frankfurt Book Fair -- owing, undoubtedly, besides the more obvious reasons, to the close historical ties between Hungarian and German publishing. One of the founders of the Börsenverein was a Hungarian, while organised book-selling in Hungary was introduced by German traders. Also, at the beginning of the 1980s the Hungarian trade offered two separate opportunities for German publishing to show-case its production and display several thousand titles for a very interested Hungarian public.
Frankfurt '99 is a great opportunity for Hungarian publishers, booksellers, and belles-lettres in general, to display the state and quality of our book industry in one of the leading countries of the European Union. We wish you a happy and informative visit to the Focus Theme Pavilion of Hungary.