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February 13, 2021
Exciting times are coming for USA cyclocross fans - the cyclocross world championship is returning to USA soil in January 2022, with Fayetteville, Arkansas hosting.
Please bookmark, this page will be updated with additional information that emerges as the event date gets closer. Here's what we know so far:
January 29 and 30, 2022 are the race days. Course inspections and media events will be held in the days prior to the Elite races. For the "full experience" fans who are visiting in-person may wish to arrive several days earlier, but the actual races are on Saturday and Sunday, 3 on each day. (Elite Men, Elite Women, U23 Men, U23 Women, Junior Men, Junior Women)
This is an elite-only event for the world's best cyclocross athletes. Unlike some smaller races, there won't be any opportunities for amateurs to race this time.
Final selections won't be made until the weeks prior to the event and are based in large part on race results during the upcoming Fall, 2021 and Winter, 2022 cyclocross season. Here are some of the athletes likely to make the USA team based on prior years: Curtis White, Kerry Werner, Gage Hecht, Clara Honsinger, Rebecca Fahringer, Katie Compton, Madigan Munro, Kaitie Keough.
Compton, a legend of USA cyclocross, has already announced her retirement and the 2021/22 season will be her last, making Fayetteville possibly her last opportunity to shine on the world stage and say a proper goodbye.
This event is a whole road, MTB, and cyclocross season away, so it's too soon to make any predictions, but a few are obvious: Lucinda Brand will look to defend the rainbow jersey she won in Ostende, while 'cross superstars Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel were the class of 2020/21 and will likely feature heavily next season.
The 2022 cyclocross world championship takes place at Centennial Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas - USA. The course is being purpose-built for cyclocross racing under the direction of Brooks Watts and the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation department.
Fayetteville is a University town of about 75,000, with students making up about 1/3rd of that.
The final course map is already available, and will be the same course used for FayetteCross this Fall, part of the World Cup series, a final tune-up and test to suggest any final adjustments prior to the World Championships.
Experienced race director Brook Watts is in charge of course design. He's backed by Experience Fayetteville, the convention and visitors bureau for the city of Fayetteville, Arkansas.
For viewers in the USA who are unable to attend in person, the FloBikes service has the broadcast rights for streaming.
For viewers outside the USA who live in a country where the UCI has sold the broadcast rights, streaming and cable/satellite partners will be released closer to the event date.
For viewers who live in a country where no entity has purchased or licensed the broadcast rights, the races will be streamed live on the official UCI YouTube channel. These streams will be blocked in other regions.
Fayetteville, Arkansas is serviced by Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in nearby Bentonville and major airlines fly there from hubs across the United States.
Lodging options include hotels, motels, camping, RV parks, short-term rentals like airbnb. For fans who want to be close to the action, the official event hotel will be announced later this Spring.
It's possible to easily ride bicycles to the event venue from the surrounding community.
Ticket sales will be announced in Summer, 2021, well in advance of race day. The organizing committee expects between 10,000-20,000 fans to watch in person.
March 02, 2021
February 26, 2021


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Snake Island – or as it’s known by its official name, Ilha da Queimada Grande is a 430,000-square-metre island some 30 km off the coast of São Paulo, Brazil. It’s famous for (you’ve guessed it) snakes! But this is not your average snake population, this is off the charts – it’s estimated that there’s over one snake per square meter, though no one went there to make accurate measurements (heh). Some Brazilians even claim there are 5 snakes per square meter.
Hey, and it wouldn’t even be so bad, if there were some average, small snakes – but the island is inhabited by some of the world’s most venomous snakes, including the Golden Lancehead Viper (Bothrops insularis); there’s about 2000 of them. The golden lanceheads that occupy Snake Island grow to well over half a meter long, and the venom in their bites basically melts the flesh around it – yikes! As a matter of fact, the golden lancehead is so dangerous that aside from special scientific trips, the Brazilian Navy has forbidden anyone from actually going to the island; and even for scientists, it’s absolutely necessary that a doctor is present on the expedion at all times.
However, there’s another reason why the Navy forbade everyone from landing on the island – golden lanceheads are extremely valuable on the black market, with one specimen going to $30.000 – and believe it or not, some people actually took their chances with this. But the Navy keeps an eye out for this, and actually has people who come to maintain it (cut some vegetation) at regular time, also maintaining the lighthouse on the island.
Most snakes are in the trees, because that’s where the birds are – their main source of food. Marcelo Duarte is a biologist who has been studying Snake Island for quite a while and has visited the island for over 20 times. He says that the locals’ claim of one to five snakes per square meter is an exaggeration, though perhaps not by much, and believes that number to be 1 snake / square meter. I don’t know if there’s a record for this, but it’s likely the highest population of snakes / square kilometer. I think it’s safe to say that Indiana Jones would not be happy to visit this island.
But why are there so many snakes there? Well, some 11.000 years ago the sea levels rose and the island became isolated from the mainland – as were the species which were living on it. Since migratory birds were the only food available, the snakes started developing more and more powerful venom, to kill faster. Naturall, there are no people living on the island. As the legend has it, the last people to live there were the lighthouse man and his family – just as they were about to leave the island, they were attacked by snakes from the trees, in 1920. However, there is no historic evidence of that. The light house is now automated.
Hey, and is if that wasn’t enough, the island is also home to the most venomous spider in the world: The Brazilian Wandering Spider. Seriously, it’s like Nature is trying to write a big “Stay out” sign. I say we listen to it.

domain: geography


text:
$5.40 – $15.00
Cinder Tales is based upon Cinderella (with all the fairy tale characters); but in Cinder Tales, Ella does not go to the Prince's ball.
Instead, the Fairy Godmother gives Ella a recognition that the world, when seen accurately, already IS the ball: it is a sacred place.
Ella receives her magic slippers from the Fairy Godmother but the White Bird takes one and drops it at the ball; and so the search for the foot that will fit the shoe commences and Ella is crowned.
In an energetic coda, the Ugly Stepsisters murder Ella in her bath, whereupon Ella reincarnates four times before being restored to the Prince. The Ugly Sisters boil themselves alive - and end up as cows in the Araluen Valley.
The show ends with a "moo"!

domain: literature


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Loki and Tony are held in room room, Thor and Steve in another. One of the kidnappers takes Stark's Arc Reactor and Loki tries to keep him alive with magic, but the bad guys keep breaking them up so Loki realises that if he pretends to turn on Tony then he'll be able to stay close enough to keep him alive. So he pretends to rape Tony. Meanwhile in the other room Steve and Thor are shown on a TV Loki 'raping' Tony. Thor (I think, but it may be Steve) wants to smash the TV in anger but Steve tells him no, this is their only means of surveillance. They are furious and when they finally escape they are about to kill Loki, luckily Tony sets them straight just in time.
I really hope somebody knows this cause I really want to read it again. Thanks in advance :)

domain: entertainment


1957-62 GM Pontiac Olds Chevrolet Tri-Power NOS Fram Air Filter Perforated High Performance
1957-62 GM Chevrolet Cadillac Olds Pontiac Tripower Air Cleaner Air Filter. This is an NOS Fram CA182PL High Performance perforated air filter that fits most 1957-62 GM tri-power air cleaner assemblies. The housing is Fram's signature orange/red and adds a nice contrast to either the black or gold tri-power air cleaner assemblies of the era. The perforated stainless steel is clean and presents nicely as well.
This is a nice addition to any tri-power and remains an excellent choice to enhance your restoration.
This air filter fits the following models/engines:
Impala 348, 409
Safari, Chieftan, Bonneville, Catalina, GTO 316, 370, 389
1958 J-2 Models 371
1958-60 Eldorado, Biarritz, Seville 390
This assembly will fit factory tri-power air cleaners with or without A/C. If you have modified your air cleaner, please inquire first prior to purchase to ensure fitment is correct. Return requests for non-fitment will not be honored.
CUSTOMER SERVICE, WARRANTY, & RETURNS
The assembly will ship within one day (usually the day of payment) with shipping and tracking information provided
This assembly is guaranteed to match the item description - customers have up to 14 days from the date of delivery to return the assembly if it is not as described
Assemblies must be returned in the original packing- customers are responsible for return shipping charges. A refund will be issued upon receipt of the inspected assembly. Returns for non-fitment will not be honored-please aske questions first.
In the event of shipping damage, customers must save all packaging and send 5 digital pictures so Muscle Car Air Cleaners can initiate a shipping damage claim.


text:
The Cubs were trailing by five runs Saturday, Shawn Estes was getting booed and the wind was blowing out against the most feared lineup in the National League.
Just when there appeared to be a little more leg room on the bandwagon, the wind abruptly changed direction and the Cubs bounced off the mat for a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals before 38,953 at Wrigley Field.
Alex Gonzalez's RBI infield single with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth, his fourth game-winning hit in his team's last at-bat this season, gave the Cubs their biggest comeback since May 25, 2000, against Colorado.
Manager Dusty Baker spoke before Friday's game about the Cubs being "on the dark side of the moon," suggesting it was a sign of better days ahead.
After Saturday's win, Baker said a priest from San Francisco reminded him and his club to "never give up," a simple message with easy-to-follow directions.
"That's what baseball is," Baker said. "And that's what life is."
Sammy Sosa's two-run homer off Matt Morris in the fifth inning ignited the comeback. Sosa's 13th homer this season was the 512th of his career and tied him with Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 14th place on the career home run list.
After all the turmoil the Cubs have gone through recently, how important was Saturday's win?
"It's about as big a win as we've had all year," said Estes, who settled down to pitch four scoreless innings after giving up five runs in the first two.
Center fielder Tom Goodwin, who scored the tying run in the seventh on a wild pitch, was a little more restrained.
"You don't want to put too much emphasis on it because it's only one game and we have plenty left," Goodwin said.
"It's a difference of two games, being three games back [of St. Louis] or one game back. But you have to put it into perspective."
Corey Patterson started the ninth with a high-bouncing infield hit off Jeff Fassero, and after Goodwin struck out trying to bunt, Mark Grudzielanek doubled Patterson to third.
St. Louis manager Tony La Russa opted to bring in right-hander Esteban Yan to face Sosa rather than intentionally walking him to face red-hot Moises Alou, who had homered earlier for the fourth time in two games.
Yan struck out Sosa and intentionally walked Alou before Gonzalez laced a grounder between diving third baseman Scott Rolen and shortstop Edgar Renteria, who backhanded the ball, then bobbled it.
It's doubtful whether Renteria would have had a play even if he had fielded the ball cleanly, and Patterson scored the winning run.
"Once Rolen dives, it kind of takes the [shortstop's] vision off the ball," Gonzalez said.
"I've been in that situation defensively. I knew it was going to be a tough play once Rolen missed the ball and I probably was going to be safe. I heard the crowd go crazy. That's when I knew it was over."

domain: news


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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
It’s a go for the third season of National Geographic series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, after Nat Geo parent Fox concluded an investigation the company says “revealed no incidents of concern during any of our work with Mr. Freeman.” The status of the series was called into question in May after eight women accused Freeman of inappropriate behavior; Nat Geo halted preproduction at that time. New season is scheduled to premiere in 2019. Along with a season 3 renewal, Nat Geo also signed an exclusive first-look partnership deal with Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment to expand the series franchise by developing more nonfiction content.
The Jim Henson Co. optioned Susan Dennard’s book series The Witchlands, set in worlds where each member of the population is born with a magical skill set, to develop as a live-action series. Announcement came during a Dragon Con panel featuring Halle Stanford, Henson president of television and former Cynopsis Imagination Awards Luminary Award honoree.
Bohemia Group Originals optioned the seven novels in Susan M. Boyer’s Liz Talbot mystery series to develop for television. Set in South Carolina, the novels center on a 30-year-old mystery-solving, trend-setting woman.
Top 10 Weekend Domestic Box Office Estimates: August 31-September 3, 2018
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.) $22.1 million (week 3), cume $110.8 million
The Meg (Warner Bros.) $10.5 million (week 4), cume $120.5 million
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Paramount) $7.0 million (week 6), cume revenue $204.4 million
Searching (SGem) $6.1 million (week 2), cume $6.6 million
Operation Finale (MGM) $6.0 million opening weekend
Disney’s Christopher Robin (Buena Vista) $5.2 million (week 5), cume revenue $85.6 million
Alpha (Studio 8) $4.5 million (week 3), cume $27.5 million
The HappyTime Murders (STX) $4.4 million (week 2), cume
Blackkklansman (Focus Features) $4.2 million (week 4), cume $38.4
Mile 22 (STX) $3.6 million (week 3), cume $31.8 million
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Justice Network is debuting a new lineup tonight (September 4) Shows include Cold Case Files, airing Mondays 5-9p; I Survived, Tuesdays 5-9p; Intervention, Wednesdays from 9p-1a; and World’s Most Evil Killers, Thursdays from 9-11p.
EstrellaTV’s late-night talk show Noches Con Platanito will premiere its new season tonight. Taped live in Burbank and hosted by Mexican comedian Sergio Verduzco, also known as Platanito, and his sidekick, actor-comedian David Villalpando, the show has been a consistent hit for the network.
Brady welcomes a visitor from his past when the third episode of season 2 of AT&T Audience Network’s Mr. Mercedes airs Wednesday, September 5 at 10p.
October 16 will be the premiere date for ABC’s The Conners, the net’s quick-turnaround Roseanne revival minus the show’s former namesake. ABC released a teaser and first-look photo of the series as the show rolls into production on the Warner Bros. lot. Teaser is set to Carly Simon tune “Anticipation,” and features an empty couch in the TV family’s dining room, devoid of characters or dialog. While details about the new show largely have been under wraps, star John Goodman recently told the UK’s The Sunday Times disgraced former star Roseanne Barr’s lead character will be dead.
Starz dropped key art for the upcoming season 4 of Outlander, which includes the tagline, “Brave the New World.” New season will drop November 4 at 8p; Starz already has ordered seasons 5 and 6.
Tonight’s (September 4) premiere of BET’s The Bobby Brown Story follows the success of the net’s The New Edition Story last year. Two-night autobiographical miniseries follows Brown’s marriage to Whitney Houston and his musical career, with Woody McClain reprising his role as Brown from last season’s ratings hit.
History will remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 with new two-hour documentary 9/11: Escape From the Towers, premiering Tuesday, September 11 at 9p. Special interweaves stories of survivors from two floors of the World Trade Center. It’s produced by Arrow Media, with Sam Starbuck and Grace Chapman serving as exec producers and producer/director for Arrow Media, respectively.
Chinese regulators last Friday took steps to limit the number of online games and reduce screen time after the country’s leader Xi Jinping stated concern that game play was damaging children’s eyesight. The new regs throw a potential wrench in business in the world’s largest game market. Among the fallout: Chinese investment holdings firm Tencent, whose titles include the recent Monster Hunter: World, lost approximately $20 billion in market valuation on Friday.
Alan Tudyk (Suburgatory, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) has been cast as villain Eric Morden/Mr. Nobody in DC Universe’s upcoming live-action series Doom Patrol… Blake Jenner (Glee) scored a lead in Netflix thriller What If, also starring Renee Zellweger and Jane Levy.
Across the pond, Sophie Cookson (The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle) will star as Christine Keeler in a limited BBC drama about the Profumo Affair slated to air in 2019… Will Arnett (Arrested Development) and Poppy Delevingne (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) are in for the second season of Sky drama Riviera, which airs on Sundance Now in the US… Anna Friel (Marcella), Sinead Keenan (Little Boy Blue) and Rosalind Eleazar (Howard’s End) will star in six-part ITV drama Deep Water.
FremantleMedia parent RTL will not pursue its plan to acquire Endemol Shine. The German media group was touted as one of the suitors for the owner of content including Big Brother and Black Mirror owner; however, CEO Bert Habets told Reuters RTL has “stepped out of the process.”
Ariana Grande will be back on the BBC later this year, a little more than a year after she headlined the One Love concert that honored those who died in the UK’s Manchester Arena bombing. TV special Ariana Grande At the BBC, presented by The Jump host Davina McCall, will be recorded live before an audience and include an interview with the pop star.
Gwyneth Hughes, writer of the BBC and HBO series The Girl, is the creator of the new Doing Money, a feature-length BBC drama about slavery in modern Britain. Project will star Anca Dumitra (Las Fierbinti) and Allen Leech (Downton Abbey)… in other BBC news, in the wake of the loss of The Great British Bake Off to Channel 4, the broadcaster ordered baking series Celebration from Hungry Gap Productions.
Over in the kitchen at UK’s Channel 4, the team is developing a remake of cooking format Family Food Fight, which was originally produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine Network. The series already has a US pickup, with Ayesha Curry set to host an adaptation for ABC.
UK broadcaster Channel 5 will escort back The Bachelor for another season, after the Viacom-owned network halted the series in 2012 after an initial two seasons.


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InstantRail – A Universal Aluminum Railing System
InstantRail is a simple, cost-effective stair rail solution designed for Contractors and Do-It-Yourself Homeowners. With an adjustable pitch from 0 to 38 degrees, InstantRail is designed to fit the rise of almost any stair.
I Love This!
“We had to install a safety railing to our basement apartment and have a small specific space it has to fit in. What Home Depot and Lowes are selling is piece by piece (pricey) and bulky, ugly, and complicated (we bought it and ended up returning it because a key component was mislabeled, leaving us unable to set the thing up). Found InstantRail online, and it is simple to set up and kind of elegant. Oh, and it cost about $100 less than all those various pieces we had to buy to set up the ugly Home Depot railing. Buy this! You won’t regret it! (Oh, and they delivered it quickly, too.)”
InstantRail Is Available In 3 Different Sizes
InstantRail Easily Fastens To Cement Or Wood
- Color: Black Only
- Heavy Gauge Aluminum Railing
- Durable Powder Coat Finish
- Hardware Included
- American Made
- Tough / Maintenance Free
- Will NOT Rust!
- Simple Quick Installation
- Ships UPS To USA And Canada
Canada Shipments are subject to Canadian Tarrifs, Duty Rates, and Taxes. These are not included in the purchase price of InstantRail and will incur additional shipping charges.

domain: design


text: We analysed temporal variations of trace element concentrations in groundwater from a 101 m-deep borehole (HA01) in northern Iceland during 2010–2018 and compared them with seismic and volcanic events that occurred in the same period to identify potential hydrogeochemical precursors. An increase of B, Al, V, Li and Mo concentrations started from eight months to one month before the 2014 Bárðarbunga eruption (~115 km from HA01), a major rifting event in central Iceland, while Ga and V concentrations began to increase one day and one month after the onset of the event, respectively. We also found that concentrations of some trace elements (Li, B, Ga, Mo, Sr, Rb and Fe) significantly increased before an Mw 5.0 earthquake that occurred ~80 km from the borehole in 2018. However, other notable hydrogeochemical changes were detected during the monitoring period without apparent correlation with the seismic and volcanic events in the region. This study shows that the systematic long-term hydrogeochemical monitoring in seismic and volcanic areas is critical to advance the science of seismic and eruptive precursors. Furthermore, the use of statistical tools, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Change Point (CP) detection can help identify the most useful chemical elements and validate the trend variability of those elements in the time series, reducing arbitrary choices of pre-seismic and pre-volcanic hydrogeochemical anomalies as potential precursors.


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|08-25-2009, 12:14 PM||#1|
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sanford, MeVehicle:
2015 Subaru WRX
The 240Zt is in Japan...
Motorsports Resources / Articles / Books
I have been able to find a few resources out there about different subjects like suspension geometry and setup or how to build a Civic for the Street Touring class in Solo.
I was wondering what books and other reference materials are out there that are considered to have really good information in them. Like Solo or road race driving theory, how to set up our Subarus for specific motorsports or or technical information on the theorys behind why cars do what they do.
I have seen some good stuff on Whiteline's website, in the articles section as well as in the FAQ's:
And the book by the MRT guys looks like it has some good info:
Barless suspension discusion for a Solo MR2:
Redshift setup for a Street Touring Civic:
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
|Thread||Thread Starter||Forum||Replies||Last Post|
|What Crisis? Kirkham Motorsports Creates Roadster, Book||AVANTI R5||Non-Subaru News & Rumors||0||10-12-2009 04:34 PM|
|Fuel Cell books/resources||Ryngenr||Off-Topic||4||12-16-2004 02:50 PM|
|FYI: 2.5RS Article in Grassroots Motorsports||pro-rock.com||New England Impreza Club Forum -- NESIC||0||01-19-2002 09:30 PM|
|Grassroots Motorsports 2.5RS Article!||subrew2||Motorsports||9||01-03-2002 10:10 AM|
|Grassroots Motorsports 2.5RS Article!||subrew2||North West Impreza Club Forum -- NWIC||1||01-02-2002 09:44 PM|

domain: library


Aerodrome InformationAll flights on all aprons should request clearance delivery with Luqa Ground prior to requesting start-up clearance. On first contact with Luqa Ground, pilots must state aircraft type, apron number, stand number the code letter of the latest ATIS information received and current QNH. Clearances will not be issued by ATC for international flights unless a flight plan has been received.
All aircraft should request start-up clearance from Luqa Ground. Requests for start-up clearance shall not be made earlier than 5 minutes before planned start-up. Any delays in start-up should be communicated to ATC as early as possible.
All aircraft must obtain taxi clearance prior to moving from the aircraft stand, this must be read back in full.
Malta Control ZoneThe Luqa CTR is a circle of 20 NM centered on the Luqa ARP. The Luqa CTR includes the Luqa ATZ which is as a circle of 4 NM centered on the Luqa ARP, an INNER zone (INNER CTR) and an OUTER zone (OUTER CTR). The INNER zone is a circle of 10NM centered on the Luqa ARP.
The Luqa CTR is further sub-divided into four sectors: NORTH, SOUTH, WEST AND EAST. ATC clearance is required for VFR flights operating in the INNER zone to transit from one sector to another unless otherwise instructed by ATC or if cleared on a standard VFR arrival/departure route. Unless otherwise instructed by ATC, clearance for VFR flights to transit from one sector to another is not required when operating in the OUTER zone.
VFR flights requesting to cross from one sector to the other when the visual patterns are active will be instructed by ATC to keep clear of the Luqa ATZ and traffic information given on the status of the circuit or specific position of the aircraft in the circuit. If required due to traffic in the circuit, aircraft requesting to transit the sectors may be instructed by ATC to proceed via alternative routes not to infringe the circuit pattern.
Domestic VFR departuresPilots of VFR domestic departures should advise their intentions on initial contact with Luqa GND order to operate in a VFR sector or within the visual pattern.
Luqa GND will clear departures to an altitude of 1500 FT or below on the assigned VFR departure route. Departing VFR flights should expect to be transferred to APP after exit from the INNER zone and ATC will subsequently clear the VFR departures to their Requested Flight Level depending on the traffic situation. For planning purposes pilots should expect to remain at an altitude of 1500 FT until exiting the Luqa CTR if the traffic situation does not permit clearance to higher levels after exit from the INNER zone
If circuit training is planned and approved by ATC, pilots will be advised to expect VFR patterns at the applicable circuit altitude.
Standard VFR clearances for circuit training will be assigned by ATC as follows:
EXPECT VFR CIRCUITS RWY
Standard circuit patterns are as follows:
RWY 31 - LEFT HAND circuit
RWY 13 - RIGHT-HAND circuit
RWY 23 - LEFT-HAND circuit
RWY 05 - RIGHT-HAND circuit
Visual circuits for LIGHT aircraft shall be conducted not above 1500 FT.
Due to international arrivals and departures and when required by ATC, circuit flights may expect to be transferred to Luqa APP for vectoring into a sequence of arrivals.
Visual Reporting PointsVisual Reporting Points (VRP) are used to by VFR aircraft in order to navigate by visual "waypoints".
All VRPs of Malta (as of 2020-12-08) are shown in the screenshots below:


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McArdle Sport Tec were elated to construct a prestigious 3-million-pound sports project at Bournbrook pitches, after partners, TigerTurf won a competitive tendering process.
The Bournbrook redevelopment has since been selected to host the hockey competition phase for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Costing nearly 2 million pounds, the water-based pitches will accomodate temporary seating for 5,000 visitors watching the live games being held from the 27 July – 7 August.
University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir David Eastwood said: “The University of Birmingham is honoured to have been part of this successful bid to bring such a prestigious sporting event to our home city. Birmingham is a global university and we have invested significantly in new sporting facilities that match the reputation we enjoy around the world.”
TigerTurf’s FIH Quality Wett Pro carpet was installed in reflex blue with red surrounds; these iconic colours were selected to reflect the University crest. The pitches took a total of 20 weeks to complete and were built to meet FIH Global standards, a specification by The Federation Internationale de Hockey; which classifies the facilities to hold international and top level national competitions. Currently there are only 19 other pitches in the United Kingdom which meet the same stringent criterion.
In addition to the two hockey pitches, a full size TigerTurf Rugby 360 3G football and rugby pitch meeting World Rugby Reg 22 and FIFA Quality standards was completed in October 2017, and work is on-going to complete ten tennis/netball courts with 106 new parking spaces.
Awarded the top university for sport within the UK, combined with the only university team in the woman’s hockey national league; Birmingham University pride themselves on producing and nurturing participation and personal achievements; including five students which have now been selected in the England Hockey Squad:
Amy Costello, Anna Toman, Erica Sanders, Olivia Paige and gold Rio Olympic champion Lily Owsley
University of Birmingham student, Lily Owsley MBE and Olympic champion from Rio 2016 commented: “Since becoming a student at Birmingham I’ve had the benefit of being able to study, train and play on this fantastic campus, with world class facilities and support.
“A home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 will certainly be an incentive for me to continue playing to make the England team for 2022, and play on home ground here on campus. I’m sure it will also inspire many other young players to live their dream of playing for England in a major Games on home turf.”
The University strategic plan for the new facilities aim to provide opportunities and increased participation for students and the local clubs and the community. Offering affordable access to sporting facilities for all demographics, particularly within younger age groups and encourage those with disabilities.


MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Scott Kazmir struck out 11 Minnesota batters through six innings Saturday and Cleveland moved to the verge of a post-season berth with a 5-1 win over the Twins.
Kazmir (10-9) allowed one run on six hits and walked two in a 104-pitch performance that gave the surging Indians a ninth straight win and a one-game lead in the race for the first American League wild-card spot.
The Indians could wrap up a post-season berth as well as clinch home-field advantage for Wednesday's one-game AL wild-card play-in with another win over Minnesota Sunday.
Carlos Santana broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the fourth inning and Cleveland added three more in the fifth.
The Tribe waited out a 2-hour, 41-minute rain delay at Target Field in Minneapolis before recording the clutch win.
The loss was tagged on Minnesota's Cole DeVries (0-2), who gave up five runs on six hits in five innings.
Eric Fryer supplied the only RBI for the Twins, who dropped a fifth straight.


text:
from The Swastika Clock
by Louis Daniel Brodsky
A Death-Camp Passion
Nearing Mount Nebo,
I realize that my way and my desire to survive fate
Have separated, gone astray.
My vagrant spirit shivers;
Fear over discovering that my destiny is death in disguise
Cancels logic, annihilates my will to continue.
I disobeyed God, struck the rock, with silence.
My soul, once a desert oasis, dehydrates.
Promethean flames consume me, in genocidal hallucinations.
Supple skin, which robed my skeleton,
Disintegrates into flakes of fish food
Drifting in the arid winds above the Sinai.
Malnutrition is a makeshift crucifix
Erected atop a dune not far from this stifling tent,
In which my putrescent corpse decays.
Soon, my shoulders, tattooed forearms, and bony wrists
Will assume the entire weight
Of Jewish hubris and oppression.

domain: artistic


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Jane Addams, Theodor Adorno, Gordon Allport, Sherwood Anderson, Raymond Bauer, Daniel Bell, Bernard Berelson, Edward Bernays, Herbert Blumer, Warren Breed, Ernest W. Burgess, Hadley Cantril, John Cheever, Charles Horton Cooley, Reuel Denny, John Dewey, George Gallup, George Gerbner, Nathan Glazer, Herta Herzog, Max Horkheimer, Donald Horton, Helen MacGill Hughes, Julian Sorrell Huxley, Harold Innis, Elihu Katz, Ernst Kris, Galdys Engel Lang, Kurt Lang, Harold Dwight Lasswell, Paul F. Lazarsfeld, Alfred McLung Lee, Elizabeth Briant Lee, Daniel Lerner, Walter Lippman, Alain Locke, Leo Lowenthal, Helen M. Lynd, Robert S. Lynd, Dwight Macdonald, Duncan MacDougald, Herbert Marcuse, Thelma McCormack, Marshall McLuhan, Robert K. Merton, Rolf Meyersohn, C Wright Mills, Newton Minow, Lewis Mumford, Gunnar Myrdal, Robert E. Park, Hortense Powdermaker, Saul Rae, Stuart Rice, David Riesman, John W. Riley, James Rorty, Edward Sapir, David Sarnoff, Herbert Schiller, Wilbur Schramm, Dallas Smythe, Hans Speier, Leila A. Sussmann, Sidney Verba, Norbert Wiener, Malcolm Willey, Louis Wirth, ichard Richard Wohl, Charles Wright Edited by
John Durham Peters, Peter Simonson
This compact book reproduces fifty-two memorials in Latin taken from churches situated largely in the West Country. Each memorial is accompanied by a translation and by notes on the grammar. The book is aimed at all who would like to be able to read Latin epitaphs in churches, and whose knowledge of the language may be sketchy.


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Zephany Nurse case: NPA to push for jail time
The woman faces kidnapping, fraud and contravening sections of the Children’s Act.
CAPE TOWN - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Western Cape says it will be pushing for jail time for the woman accused of kidnapping Zephany Nurse.
The State has concluded its cross examination of the Lavender Hill woman accused of kidnapping Zephany from Groote Schuur Hospital in 1997.
The woman faces kidnapping, fraud and contravening sections of the Children's Act.
Dressed in white, the accused appeared unmoved in the dock when Zephany's family supporters heckled from the public gallery.
But the NPA's Eric Ntabazalila says the State will be pushing for a custodial sentence, which means time behind bars for the accused kidnapper.
"I haven't spoken to the prosecutor on what sentence we'll be looking at but we'll ask for a custodian sentence."
Ntabazalila adds this case may set a precedent as the world has honed in on the story of the girl who was reunited with her biological parents after almost 18 years.
WATCH: Morne Nurse: Accused's husband 'an idiot'


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Self Promotion or Sharing Knowledge?
by Dr. Sharon Short
Most people would agree that individuals who brag about themselves are obnoxious. “Showing off,” “tooting your own horn,” even “calling undue attention to yourself” are generally deemed unacceptable social behaviors. Descriptors such as “blowhard,” “loudmouth,” and “windbag” come to mind, and none of them are complimentary. This negative sentiment about “putting oneself forward” can create considerable dissonance for someone who is seeking employment and is suddenly expected to become an aggressive self-promoter.
In his book Become a Recognized Authority in your Field in 60 Days or Less, author Robert Bly (2002) describes the marketing of oneself as establishing one’s “guru status,” and in his book he outlines a strategy for positioning oneself as a “guru” in a particular field. In Bly’s words, “Gurus are not born, they are ‘manufactured’ through self-marketing and promotion.” (p. 21).
Many job seekers might find such strategies odious. We do not want to be the kind of people who boast about themselves! Fortunately, in this situation a subtle shift in perspective can make a world of difference. Bly explains that what he means by a “guru” is someone who has gained significant mastery over a specific discipline, and is able to communicate this knowledge “in a clear, understandable, and useful manner to a well-defined target audience” (p. 9). Bly goes on, “You build your reputation as an expert in your field by giving your knowledge away [emphasis added] in a variety of forums—articles, books, seminars, speeches, newsletters, e-zines, Web sites, and information products” (p. 41). If building a professional reputation in order to gain a desirable position can be redefined as sharing one’s useful knowledge with others, then the odium of “marketing oneself” is greatly diminished.
I can enthusiastically endorse the premise of becoming an expert in a well-defined niche and then sharing that knowledge in many different ways. If that is what a guru is, then bring it on! What I can not get excited about “selling,” “marketing,” or “promoting” myself. I am not a commodity to be bought and sold, nor do I want to be regarded and treated as such. Sharing my knowledge, though, is an altogether different and more positive mission. That sounds like something I would be glad to do.

domain: psychology


Engineering faculty member wins Air Force Research grant for work in improvements to neuromorphic computing systems
Work could advance security of both hardware and software in computing systems through collaborations with engineers and social scientists
Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are discovering ways to improve artificial intelligence (AI) by reducing security vulnerabilities within the hardware and software being used in this growing technical environment.
Faculty-researcher Cory Merkel recently received a grant from the Air Force Research Lab for developing more secure AI functionality including how it defends against system attacks, and, through training the system, how it could learn to anticipate triggers for possible system attacks.
Artificial intelligence is being incorporated into applications such as wearables, mobile phones, robots, unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites. Some of the companies producing these devices are developing custom AI hardware (neuromorphic computing systems) to enable the devices. Questions related to these systems’ security and safety vulnerabilities still need to be addressed. A number of defense strategies are being created to improve AI algorithm robustness, but there has been very little work related to the impact of hardware-specific characteristics on the adversarial robustness of neuromorphic computing platforms, said Merkel.
“There are all these complicated characteristics of hardware that become part of an AI algorithm as soon as it runs on a physical device like a computer chip. What we want to do is understand how those hardware characteristics are going to affect the AI’s safety, security and vulnerability to adversarial attacks,” said Merkel, an assistant professor of computer engineering in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering.
Merkel and the project team will leverage experts in mathematics and in machine learning modeling to develop the algorithms, and will work with faculty in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts to understand how humans perceive visual stimuli and make sense of this information. The three-year, $400,000 project, “Towards adversarially robust neuromorphic computing,” which began in October, will entail building mathematical models of how the neuromorphic hardware characteristics affect the robustness—the ability to adapt and anticipate changes—of artificial intelligence functions running on that hardware.
“We are going to see an increase in the prevalence of AI in different areas of our lives, especially in safety or mission critical areas like transportation, health care and national security—basically places where we don’t want AI to fail or to be vulnerable to certain types of attacks,” said Merkel whose research focuses on the development of neuromorphic technologies.
Neuromorphic computing is an interdisciplinary approach to developing computing infrastructure based on how the human brain performs its complex functions. It combines elements of neuroscience, nanotechnology and machine learning with a broad goal to re-design today’s computing systems by emulating the brain’s biological processing capabilities to be able to assess and integrate ever-larger quantities of data.
This type of processing could improve applications such as real-time environmental sensing, load forecasting for smart grids, speech recognition, anomaly detection and object classification. Humans can understand and interpret different road signs, for example, from stop signs to traffic signal colors. Computers must be trained to distinguish the differences, and the underlying systems need to be secured from external attacks that could impact how autonomous vehicles, for example, act on the signals.
Merkel sees the differences between human perception and AI, but also understands that the human process can influence the computing processes: “If we can understand how biological intelligence is so robust and how it can easily generalize from just a few different examples, then we can make orders of magnitude improvements by basically copying some of those principles that are in biological systems into AI systems, which would have a huge impact on society, human life. To me that’s a really cool prospect.”
Although these capabilities continue to improve, the need to ensure system safeguards remains a challenge.
“We really don’t know much about the safety or the security of running AI on neuromorphic custom hardware. Until we do, understand that, there's one of two things that are going to happen,” Merkel said. “Either we’ll be cautious and only adopt neuromorphic hardware after careful consideration of all of these issues—which could impede the progress of AI—or we may adopt these systems prematurely, and we’ll be left with significant vulnerabilities which could affect national security, privacy, and even human life. That’s why I think this is a critical research area.”


text:
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domain: finance


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Sensitive, ageing skin
Eucerin Q10 ACTIVE Day Cream for dry skin is specifically formulated with cell-energising Coenzyme Q10, a naturally occurring substance in skin that depletes over time, to counteract the signs of ageing such as wrinkles on sensitive skin*.
Added antioxidants Vitamins C, E and H (Biotin) nourish dry skin and reduce inflammation, so skin is better protected against free-radical attack.
Formulated without fragrance, artificial colour or alcohol for dry, sensitive skin that’s easily irritated. With regular use skin appears smoother and firmer.
Without parabens and artificial colourants to provide good skin tolerability.
*in vitro studies

domain: chemistry


Jimi Hendrix’s last performance was a London club gig with WAR, and the band that adopted its name to wage battle against “racism, hunger, gangs, crimes and turf wars” is just as relevant as ever in today’s .
A San José favorite who has played Music in the Park before, WAR brings a message that embraces “all people with hope and the spirit of brotherhood” to Plaza de César Chávez on July 15. Their hits include “Spill the Wine,” “The World Is a Ghetto,” “The Cisco Kid,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends?,” “Low Rider” and “Summer”
Opening will be Los Rakas, who are pioneers in a new Latin urban sound fusing hip-hop, plena, reggaetón and dancehall music. Bay Area cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun represent the cutting edge of Pan-American music. The Grammy-nominated Panamanians took their name from the word “rakataka,” a slur for someone from the ghetto. Los Rakas set out to inspire fellow “rakas” by empowering them to become successful.
In 2012, Los Rakas released their EP, Raka Love, touring nationally and internationally. Their debut album on Universal Music Latino, El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo, released in 2014. In 2016, Los Rakas released their self-titled, second album earning them a Grammy nomination for “Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album.”
Bay Area DJ Chuy Gomez will host.
Plaza de Cesar Chavez 1 Paseo de San Antonio San Jose, CA 95113


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Summer means fresh, local strawberries and old fashioned strawberry shortcake. We made some this past weekend and it was gone by the end of Day One.
Rating: Truly 1/2 assed (Simple, but not ridiculously so)
Here's what you need and how you do it
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter or margarine, chilled
2/3 cup half and half, milk or soy creamer
1 quart strawberries, washed and cut into halves or quarters
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups whipping cream or non-dairy whipped topping
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl, sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar over berries and let sit.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Slice butter into 8 pieces and, with a pastry blender, mix into dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in milk or cream and work with your hands until just moistened. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times.
Pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick and, with a circular cookie cutter, cut out biscuits.
Transfer to buttered cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake or you will have rocks).
Let biscuits cool some, then slice in half, top first layer with berries, replace top, Drizzle on more berries and finish with whipped cream.
For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

domain: food


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Yes it’s May and that time of the month again! Time for a Creative challenge at Lavinia stamps. Congratulations to last month’s winner . Up for grabs this month is £40 of LS vouchers. The new theme is ‘flora and fauna’ love this theme!
For today’s inspiration I’m sharing a picture that I created for my lovely daughter’s birthday. She lives in Berlin and I miss her !!
Here are the stamps used:
For a change and taking inspiration from one of Tracey’s recent videos I decided to use brusho powders, firstly sprinkled and spritzed to create a base and then later diluted with water and flicked on using a fan brush.
First I blotted out a circle using water and a paper towel.
Then came the flicking!
I added white soft pastel to the sun circle to create more light and a halo then I began the stamping.
I added shadows under the hares using pastel pencils.
I added colour to the overhanging foliage with some highlighting in gold and white.
I continued stamping.
I added more shadows.
I then decided to add some gold splatters.
Finally I mounted the picture on to some card that I had created using ink sprays and added the obligatory glitter.
Happy birthday Emma!
Don’t forget to check out the fabulous samples from the rest of the team for more inspiration and of course our friendly Facebook group
Good luck in the challenge!

domain: hobby


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Three new spodumene operations were commissioned in Western Australia in Q2, with lithium converters in China eagerly anticipating the introduction of new feedstock supplies.
In addition to Australia’s three new producers —Tawana Resources, Altura Mining and Pilbara Resources — specialty mineral company, AMG NV also began spodumene production from tantalum tailings at its Mibra mine in Brazil.
With all of this material destined for the Chinese conversion market, and all of the initial production tied into offtake agreements, China is expected to see a flood of new feedstock material as the projects ramp-up approaching 2019.
Questions do, however, remain . . .


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AS INDIGENOUS teenagers from the Northern Territory, Dominic Barry and Shane McAuliffe have seen, first-hand, the good and bad sides of Aboriginal communities.
Alcohol abuse, unemployment and poor education were part of everyday life in their communities as they grew up.
Throughout their lives, they have played witness to an often misunderstood side of Australia — that of outback Aboriginal communities.
Now, as teenagers, they can see the troubles that cripple their communities and those close to them.
However, also entrenched firmly in their blood is binding family values, which are often far stronger than those of average Australian families.
They are on a mission to make a difference, not just in their own lives to break free of common perceptions, but in the areas in which they grew up.
Both play representative Australian Rules Football for the Northern Territory and both have a dream of one day breaking the sterotype that surrounds many indigenous community members.
The duo is part of a 30-strong contingent of Aboriginal students currently at St Patrick's College.
With students ranging from year 7 to year 12, the college's Indigenous Education Program has been running in its full capacity since 2008 and has provided a number of Aboriginal boys with opportunities they would otherwise have not imagined.
Some boys are relative city slickers in outback terms, such as Dominic from Alice Springs, while others come from the most remote of communities, where barely a word of English is spoken.
In Ballarat, they can be years behind their fellow students in terms of academic skills and most have had little exposure to a typical westernised world.
One of the boys, who is desperate to make the most of such an invaluable opportunity and help those back home, is Shane McAuliffe.
Shane, 15, had lived in Darwin and most recently Tennant Creek, a place he said he would not want to live again.
Tennant Creek is about 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs and has been plagued by an alcohol problem for decades.
The town of 3000 has become well known for its "Thirsty Thursday" law, which at one time, banned the sale of take-away alcohol every second Thursday — the day welfare payments were received.
The law was scrapped in 2006 and there have since been new calls for it to be reinstated.
"It's, um, its not a good place to live," says Shane.
"There's really nothing there, no sports, education isn't good there, everyone drinking every day."
The St Patrick's year 10 student is relishing the opportunities outside of Tennant Creek that St Patrick's has given him.
Although he has no desire to return home permanently, he hopes to help reverse the disturbing social trend.
"I'd love to go back there to see my family, but I couldn't live there, because like I said, there is nothing there," he said.
"(I want to) become a leader of the community and talk to them and let them know that drinking is not going to get you anywhere."
Statistics relating to indigenous education in Australia, particularly the Northern Territory, are alarming.
Less than one third (31 per cent) of Aborigines aged between 20 and 24 have completed year 12, compared to 76 per cent of non-indigenous Australians, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In 2004, 83 per cent of Aboriginal students across Australia reached grade 3 numeracy benchmarks, but in Northern Territory, just one in five reached that level.
And just 13 per cent of Aborigines who did not advance past year 10 at school are currently working full-time.
But St Patrick's takes them in to try and help them "reach the stars", says indigenous education manager Rick Balchin.
"A lot of the boys come down here and they're very shy and timid and they are only used to their own areas, only used to being around family members and community members," Mr Balchin said.
"A lot of the community boys, the ones that live in outback communities, are really low in terms of their literacy and numeracy and also their comprehension of the English language."
At St Patrick's the Aboriginal boys attend their own specialist classes, but also participate with the other students in normal classes.
The program was originally spearheaded by Mark Waddington, who is no longer with the school.
The importance of education is not lost on Dominic Barry, who is currently completing year 12 at St Patrick's.
Compared to a number of indigenous youth in the Northern Territory, Dominic has had a reasonably structured life.
He has been through the Alice Springs school system, but also spent times living a traditional Aboriginal life as a youth.
His mother does not speak English and Dominic speaks the native Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara languages, as well as English.
At times as a child, he would miss school for weeks on end, as he went "out bush" to spend time with his family.
However, he managed to balance his time, between education and family tradition.
"Because my cousins and all that have only ever done up to grade 7 or 8, then they kind of don't really do much with their lives," he said.
"You see how far education can take you, they've been restricted without education. It's got my cousins, who are 19, 20 or 21 and in white terms, they haven't been successful.
"They think getting a pay cheque of $250 is massive in the terms they are coming from. That thought drives me to keep going further and further."
Dominic said many people back home dreamed of luxuries that existed in the "white world", although many were unwilling to work for it.
He and Shane are two shining examples of the positive impact the Indigenous Education Program has on the lives of many young indigenous boys.
However, as college headmaster Dr Peter Casey admits, there are cases when it simply does not work.
Among the hurdles that have to be jumped is a reluctance from Aboriginal communities to hand over their sons to a Catholic school.
"There seems to have been a bit of bio-resistance or reluctance on the part of local (indigenous) communities to come back to church-based schools because of stolen generations," said Dr Casey.
"It's a matter of sensitivity too, because we don't want to be seen as a big brother or welfare institution."
Unlike other schools that run similar programs throughout Australia, St Patrick's does not put its incoming students through rigorous testing before they arrive.
Instead, it evaluates the needs of the student and the community from which they come, while not charging them tuition fees.
"We don't filter the boys, we accept them on the request of their community. Other schools put them through rigorous screening, because they don't want them to fail," said Dr Casey.
Mr Balchin agreed.
"We target boys from areas that really need it, whereas other schools might want boys that are going to help the school," he said.
There is no doubt there have been cases where things have fallen apart.
Dr Casey spoke of a group of four boys from Wadeye who were simply unable to adapt to the structures and lifestyle at the college.
They returned back to their communities after a brief stay.
There was also the instance of another student who spent more than four years at the college, only to depart just shy of completing his VCE.
"What do you call success? He had four-and-a-half years with us, has that been a good thing? Has it taught him a few things? Is he set for life? Time will tell," said Dr Casey.
"The best part of it is when you see somebody like Dom, who has come along in leaps and bounds. I would put him down as a streetwise kid when he arrived, but he has just developed in terms of his self- confidence and it's heart-warming to see."
From all indications, poor indigenous education and employment results are going to exist for a long time to come.
There is a mountain of work being done to rectify the shortfall across Australia and the results are starting to become apparent.
And, as small as St Patrick's College's impact is in the grand scheme of things, there is little doubt it is transforming the lives of indigenous boys now and will continue to do so into the future.

domain: sociology


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Pearl Jam – Based out of Seattle, Washington, Pearl Jam is one of the last remaining rock bands from the 90s grunge era that still has all of its original members. Lead vocalist, Eddie Vedder – best known for his unique voice, long hair, and stage antics – will take to the stage at VooDoo Fest and give the crowd a performance they will never forget. Celebrating 23 years as a band, Pearl Jam prides themselves on never having played the same set at one of their concerts, which is one of the many reasons fans love seeing them live. VooDoo festers should expect to hear some of the classics, like “Jeremy,” “Daughter,” and “Better Man,” but also some songs from their newest album “Lighting Bolt,” which releases internationally on October 14.
The Cure – This English rock band formed back in 1976 when punk culture and music were trending in Britain. By the 1980s, the band’s look and sound were so dark that frontman and songwriter Robert Smith began writing music that had more of a “pop” sound to it, hence the hits “Just Like Heaven,” “Friday, I’m in Love,” and “Lovesong,” which are hugely popular in the United States. Listening to those songs, you’d never imagine that the male vocalist wears red lipstick, eyeliner, and dons some very “Edward Scissorhands-like” black hair. I think the dichotomy between The Cure’s deceptively dark “look” and their lyrical, dance-worthy tunes is what makes this band so interesting and fun.
Alkaline Trio – Founded in late 1996, Alkaline Trio is a three-member punk rock band from McHenry, Illinois consisting of guitarist-vocalist Matt Skiba, bassist Dan Andriano, and drummer Derek Grant. “Radio,” a break-up ballad dripping with sentiment, is arguably one of the band’s best songs. I can imagine how much fun it is to join the crowd in singing long with Matt to the lyrics “I’ve got a big, fat expletive bone to pick/With you, my darling” and “If Columbus was wrong I’d drive straight off the edge.” Alkaline Trio will celebrate 20 years in 2016.


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As companies across the globe become more conscious of their environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibilities, there has been an increasing focus on ESG report or ESG reporting. In Australia, there are several regulations and frameworks that govern ESG reporting, making it essential for business owners and decision-makers to understand these requirements and how to comply with them.
This article will give you an overview of ESG reporting in Australia, including the key regulations and frameworks, types of ESG reports and the benefits of ESG reporting.
What Is ESG Reporting?
ESG reporting involves disclosing information on a company’s performance in relation to environmental, social and governance issues. This can include data on a company’s carbon footprint, its policies on diversity and inclusion, and its governance practices, among other things.
Several regulations that govern ESG reporting include:
- The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Corporate Governance Council’s Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations: This framework provides guidelines for good corporate governance practices, including recommendations for companies to disclose their ESG policies and performance.
- The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) Listing Rules: These rules require listed companies to disclose material information on ESG risks and opportunities that could affect their business.
- The Modern Slavery Act 2018: This Act requires companies with an annual turnover of more than $100 million to report on the risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.
The Benefits of ESG Reporting
Among the benefits of ESG reporting for companies are:
- Enhanced reputation: ESG reporting can help to build a company’s reputation by demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.
- Improved risk management: With an ESG report, companies can identify and mitigate risks related to environmental, social and governance issues.
- Access to capital: Investors are increasingly looking for companies with strong ESG performance. This makes an ESG report an important tool for accessing capital.
- Improved decision-making: ESG reporting can provide companies with valuable insights into their operations, enabling them to make more informed decisions.
Standards and Frameworks for ESG Reporting
As companies recognise the importance of ESG factors in shaping long-term performance and reputation, many are adopting ESG reporting standards and frameworks to guide their reporting efforts. These standards and frameworks provide a common language and structure for ESG reporting. They also make it easier for companies to disclose their sustainability efforts and for stakeholders to compare performance across industries and geographies.
If you are planning to work on your ESG report, here’s an overview of some of the most commonly used standards and frameworks for ESG reporting:
- Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards
GRI is one of the most widely recognised and widely used frameworks for sustainability reporting. It provides a comprehensive set of standards that companies can use to report on their ESG performance.
GRI Standards are organised around a set of sustainability topics, including environmental, social and governance issues. The GRI Standards are designed to be flexible, so companies can choose the topics and indicators that are most suitable to their business.
- Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards
SASB is a not-for-profit organisation that provides standards for ESG reporting across 77 different industries. The SASB Standards are organised around 26 sustainability topics that are relevant to most industries, including topics, such as labour practices, greenhouse gas emissions and board composition. These Standards are industry-specific, which allows companies to report on issues that are relevant to them.
- Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations
The TCFD is a global task force established by the Financial Stability Board to develop voluntary, consistent climate-related financial risk disclosures for companies. The TCFD Recommendations provide a framework for companies to disclose their climate-related risks and opportunities in their mainstream financial filings. This helps companies understand and communicate the financial implications of climate change to their investors.
- Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Framework
The CDP is a non-profit organisation that provides a framework for companies to disclose their environmental impact and performance. The CDP Framework covers a wide range of environmental issues, including climate change, water scarcity and deforestation.
The CDP Framework helps companies measure and manage their environmental impact and performance. This also provides investors with consistent and comparable data on environmental performance.
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, aimed at addressing poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030. Many companies use the SDGs as a framework for their ESG reporting, as they provide a common language and a set of measurable targets for sustainable development. The SDGs include a range of ESG issues, such as poverty, health, education, climate change and gender equality.
These standards and frameworks can help companies prepare more comprehensive and consistent ESG reports, as well as identify areas for improvement in their ESG performance. A standardised framework for ESG reporting also improves transparency and comparability across their industry and the wider market. This can help attract investors and other stakeholders who are interested in sustainable and responsible business practices.
Types of ESG Reports
ESG reports are a way for companies to communicate their performance and progress on sustainability and other ESG-related issues to their stakeholders. In addition to the specific CDP, GRI, SASB and TCFD reports, the different types of ESG reports that companies can prepare will generally fall into the following types:
- Sustainability Report
This ESG report focuses on the environmental and social impacts of a company’s operations. It typically covers issues, such as climate change, energy and resource use, waste management, product safety and quality, labour practices, human rights, community engagement and stakeholder engagement.
- Integrated Report
An integrated report offers a more holistic view of a company’s performance by integrating financial and non-financial information. It often includes issues about financial performance, governance, strategy, risks and opportunities and sustainability.
An integrated ESG report can help to demonstrate the links between a company’s financial performance and its sustainability performance. It also provides a more balanced view of the company’s performance to its stakeholders.
- ESG-Specific Report
This ESG report focuses on ESG issues and demonstrates a company’s commitment to sustainability and its progress on specific ESG issues. Among the issues covered in this report are climate change, biodiversity, human rights, labour practices and governance.
Companies can choose from a range of different types of ESG reports depending on their specific needs and objectives. Whilst each type of ESG report has its own advantages and disadvantages, the key is to choose a report that provides a comprehensive and balanced view of the company’s ESG performance and progress, and that effectively communicates the company’s commitment to sustainability to its stakeholders.
Getting Started with ESG Reporting
If you’re interested in getting started with ESG reporting, here are some tips to help you get started:
- Understand the regulations and frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the regulations and frameworks that govern ESG reporting in Australia and ensure that your reporting is compliant with these requirements.
- Identify your ESG issues.
You need to know the ESG issues that are significant to your business and focus your reporting on these areas.
- Develop a reporting strategy
A reporting strategy should outline your goals, stakeholders, reporting scope and data collection and analysis methods.
- Collect and analyse data
This means gathering and analysing data on your ESG performance, using both quantitative and qualitative data sources.
- Report and disclose
Prepare your ESG report and disclose your performance to your stakeholders using a range of reporting channels, such as your website, annual report and sustainability report.
How Madison Marcus Can Help You
As investors, customers and regulators demand greater transparency and accountability on environmental, social and governance issues, ESG reporting is crucial for companies in Australia. By understanding the regulations and frameworks, identifying material ESG issues and developing a reporting strategy, you can unlock the benefits of ESG reporting, including enhanced reputation, improved risk management, access to capital and improved decision-making.
Looking to prepare your company’s ESG report and comply with the relevant standards and frameworks? At Madison Marcus, our experienced legal team can provide guidance and support on navigating the complex ESG reporting landscape in Australia. We can help your business prioritise ESG practices and prepare comprehensive ESG reports that meet the needs of your stakeholders.
For all enquiries, contact us here.


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Discover Spectrum Miami—a juried, contemporary art show in the heart of Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District, November 30 – December 4, featuring an international slate of artists and galleries. It’s where contemporary meets extraordinary. Join us for a 5-day fine art experience, featuring Art Labs, Art Talks, Meet the Artist sessions, music, entertainment, and other special events.
A CULTURAL HAVEN
Art Santa Fe, a gathering of exceptional artists and galleries from around the world, celebrates 17 successful years this summer. Join us from July 13–16, 2017 for an exploration of world-class modern and contemporary art in a locale that overflows with natural beauty, cultural history, and a deep appreciation for the arts.
For 39 years and counting, Artexpo has been changing the way people buy and sell art. Our annual, juried show brings the biggest industry buyers and collectors face to face with more than 1,000 established and emerging artists, galleries, and art publishers. In short, we’re the world’s largest fine art marketplace. And for the 30,000+ attendees who line up for the show every year? It’s a chance to see the newest, brightest faces of the art world, and to purchase works from exhibitors in person.


Gorodenkoff - stock.adobe.com
German law enforcers claim it could take years to sift through the data stored on servers seized by local police during a raid on a datacentre housed within an ex-NATO bunker, amid claims the site was being used to host dealing and child abuse sites.
According to an Associated Press report, the facility was shut down late last week following a long-running investigation that is understood to have been underway since May 2019.
More than 600 law enforcers are known to have taken part in the raid resulting in seven arrests being made, although 13 people are understood to be under investigation overall, ranging from 20 to 59 years age.
It is understood the site, located in Western Germany, was acquired in 2013 by a 59-year-old man who is thought to be the mastermind behind its transformation into an illegal activity-enabling datacentre.
The facility is reported to have housed a range market places, specialising in the sale illicit goods, including the Wall Street Market, Orange Chemicals, and Cannabis Road -dealing platforms, as well as sites enabling the sale counterfeit goods and child abuse imagery.
The site has also been linked to a botnet attack on German telco Deutsche Telekom in 2016 that disconnected one million its customers’ routers.
Investigators have described the site as a “bulletproof hoster” in acknowledgement of the fact that it was built and operated so that the activities it housed could continue without alerting the authorities.
Johannes Kunz, a regional criminal police chief, hailed the raid as a “huge success”, especially given the effort involved with gaining physical access to the site.
A report by German news site, DW, claims the facility covers 5,000m2, and spans five floors underground, and is protected by fencing and surveillance cameras.
“That we were able to get police forces into the bunker complex, which is secured at the highest military level…we had to overcome not only real, or analogue protections, we also cracked the digital protections of the datacentre,” said Kunz.
Another German press report from SWR suggests 200 servers have been secured so far as a result of the raid, along with paper documents, mobile phones and large quantities of cash.
Kunz described the size of the haul as “gigantic”. He added: “This will keep us busy for several months or years.”
Read more about datacentre security
- Hundreds of Google employees have signed a petition urging the company to publicly commit to denying several US government entities access to its cloud infrastructure over their alleged involvement in human rights abuses.
- Cryptocurrency-mining servers valued at $2m are still missing in action, following a spate of datacentre burglaries in Iceland, local police have confirmed.
Read more on Datacentre disaster recovery and security
German court unclear whether intercepted EncroChat cryptophone messages are legally admissible
Police raids target 'core' DoppelPaymer ransomware members
Cops make arrests and seize drugs after hacking Exclu encrypted messaging app
Germany: European Court of Justice asked to rule on legality of hacked EncroChat phone evidence


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Mini Edgy Chipboard With Die-Cut Acrylic Cover 6.25"X8.75" - Chiffon Arrow
BO BUNNY-Mini Edgy Chipboard Album. These creative chipboard albums Include one clear acrylic cover and six die-cut chipboard pages with three holes for rings or ribbons. Each album measures approximately 6x6-1/2 inches. Imported.
Out of Stock
Regular Price:$8.49 per EA


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Arcuz Behind The Dark Composition Guide Games
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Help Batman defuse every one of the the joker's bombs in just about every guide level of the power plant to save the Gotham City. Select your dog and additionally competition through the Antarctic, picking up things you will want across the way. Trip Batman to reach the target and you want to face the many obstacles at just different amounts. Guide the ship through the trenches and additionally wreck the unfamiliar vessels. The online game meant to improve the movie.
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Teenage cancer campaigner Stephen Sutton will be honoured for his fundraising work with a posthumous Pride of Britain award.Read the full story ›
A woman from Birmingham claims she has seen the face of Christ - in a picture she took of her newly-laid toilet floor. Can you see it?Read the full story ›
A Grenadier Guard outside Buckingham Palace captured on camera busting some moves is reportedly from Derby.Read the full story ›
An eBay user has attempted to auction off advertising space on his arm as an unusual way of raising money for charity.Read the full story ›
A selection of bras have appeared hanging from bushes on a roundabout in Lincoln.
It is a mystery as to how or why they have been put on the Carholme Roundabout.
The country's most famous address, number 10 Downing Street has sold at auction for £43,000.
But the Prime Minster isn't moving house, it is in fact a property in Nottingham.
It’s not even got the famous black door, instead it’s a traditional three storey two bedroomed end-terraced house in Sutton in Ashfield.
Twenty-week-old snow leopard Makalu has experienced the outdoors for the first time since he was born at Dudley Zoo.
Makalu, who was born in May, was joined by his mum Nanga as they began exploring the rocks, cave and pool in the outdoor enclosure.
He made his public debut in June but has only just been able to step into the great outdoors.
A 92-year-old ex-pilot said his first ever sky dive was a 'wonderful sensation'.
Peter Proctor was a Spitfire pilot during the Second World War, and never had to use a parachute before today - but he added he would like to do another sky dive in the future.
A former Spitfire pilot has completed his very first sky dive in Peterborough.
92-year-old Peter Proctor never had to use his parachute during the Second World War.
He successfully completed his charity charity jump at Sibson airfield this afternoon.


A CDE Definition
(1) (Java Cryptography Architecture) The security functions for the Java platform. It includes the Java Security API as well as the Java Cryptography Extension (JCE), which adds more programming interfaces for encryption and key exchange. It also provides a mechanism for adding third-party security packages such as algorithms and digital signatures into Java applications.
(2) (Java Connector Architecture) See Java Connector.
A programming interface (API) that provides an interface between a Java program and a legacy application such as CICS and R/3. Java Connectors, which are part of the Java EE platform, make legacy applications look like an Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) to the Java program. See Java EE.
Before/After Your Search Term
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Click any of the following categories for a list of fundamental terms.


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2013-01-25T11:00:00Z 2013-01-25T11:21:27Z Razor Pro Model Scooter just $34.99 SHIPPED! savvyshopperdeals.com
Becky M. is a Savvy Shopper Specialist, specializing in online deals.
Copyright 2014 savvyshopperdeals.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday clarified that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal “does not speak” for the Indian government, a day after the Aam Aadmi Party chief called for a ban on flight services between India and Singapore over new Covid-19 variants.
A controversy emerged after Kejriwal on Tuesday said that Singapore had flagged new strains of the coronavirus that could affect children in India in a possible “third wave” of the pandemic. The Delhi chief minister also said that the Centre should prioritise vaccination options for them.
Singapore on Sunday had warned its citizens of new strains of the coronavirus that were affecting more children. Flagging new variants, including the B.1.167 strain that was first detected in India, authorities in Singapore announced a shutdown of all primary, secondary and junior colleges from May 28. The city-state was also drawing up plans to vaccinate children.
Following Kejriwal’s comments, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said that “politicians should stick to facts” and asserted that there was “no Singapore variant”.
The Singapore government summoned India’s High Commissioner on Wednesday morning to “convey strong objection” to Kejriwal’s tweet on the “Singapore variant”. “High Commissioner clarified that [the] Delhi chief minister had no competence to pronounce on Covid variants or civil aviation policy,” tweeted Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
The Indian external affairs minister also reacted to the Singapore government’s objection, saying that the country and India had been “solid partners” in tackling Covid-19.
“Appreciate Singapore’s role as a logistics hub and oxygen supplier,” S Jaishankar tweeted. “Their gesture of deploying military aircraft to help us speaks of our exceptional relationship. However, irresponsible comments from those who should know better can damage long-standing partnerships.”
Following the Indian government’s clarification, the Singapore foreign minister thanked Jaishankar and said that the two countries should focus on resolving the crisis and helping each other. “Nobody is safe until everyone is safe,” Balakrishnan tweeted.
Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was playing cheap politics in the situation, PTI reported. “BJP is worried about its image in Singapore but not about children under threat from Covid strain,” he added.
Sisodia added: “Had the foreign ministry been as active in procuring vaccines from abroad as it was in reacting to Arvind Kejriwal’s comment, today doses would have been available for children in India also along with adults.”
On May 12, the Indian government had strongly objected against the use of “Indian variant” to refer to the B.1.617 coronavirus strain in media reports. The Union health ministry had pointed out that even the World Health Organization had not used the term in its guidelines.
The world health body also said that it did not identify viruses or variants with names of countries where they were first reported. “We refer to them by their scientific names and request all to do the same for consistency,” the global health body tweeted, tagging some leading English dailies and news agencies in India.
The B.1.617 variant contains two key mutations to the outer “spike” portion of the virus that attaches to human cells. The WHO said the predominant lineage of B.1.617 was first identified in India last December, although an earlier version was spotted in October 2020.
On May 10, the WHO classified it as a “variant of concern,” which also includes mutations first detected in Britain, Brazil and South Africa. “There is increased transmissibility demonstrated by some preliminary studies,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on Covid, said.


A survey on youth wellbeing in Christchurch shows understanding young people will be crucial for the earthquake-hit city's rebuild.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority led the Youth Wellbeing Survey, gathering the views of more than 3000 people aged 12 to 24 in the greater Christchurch region.
The survey was released on Thursday and shows the biggest issues for youth since the region's earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 have been the loss of places to relax with friends or play sport.
CERA chief executive Roger Sutton said the amount stress young people are under has been highlighted and the biggest issues for them have been the loss of places to relax with friends or play sport.
Mr Sutton said 70 percent of those surveyed said they have lost access to these places.
Youth Affairs Minister Nikki Kaye said the Canterbury Youth Initiative Fund, announced on Thursday, would contribute $100,000 towards initiatives for young Cantabrians.
Ms Kaye said the fund would address issues such as the development of spaces and places, emotional well-being, and future plans and prospects.
The minister hoped the fund would get young people more involved in city life.


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The EU has a common visa policy for short stays (up to 3 months), which is applied through the Schengen visa scheme.
Generally, a short-stay visa issued by one of the Schengen countries entitles its holder to travel throughout the 26 Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Turkey is among the countries for which that visa is required.
Turkish visa policy is largely aligned with the EU policy. However, Turkey’s policy includes third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders (see European Parliament legislative resolution of 2 October 2018). This puts an additional layer of complexity on EU-Turkey relations for harmonisati on of the visa lists. The EU launched the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue with Turkey in December 2013.
Information about visas for travelling into Turkey is available through this Turkish government webpage.

domain: law


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The Berlin Secession, 1899–1937. Chronicle, Context, Fate
The history of the Berlin Secession is a mirror of its epoch: It represented the proverbial red cloth for the emperor, a brilliant societal hub for Berlin’s bourgeoisie, and for modern artists the eye of a needle to fame as well as a battleground for bitter rivalries. Nevertheless, until now, focus has been placed squarely on its “heyday” until 1913. Representing 15 years of work, Anke Matelowski has re-examined the history of the Secession, which continued until 1937. Cooperation with the publisher Nimbus. Kunst und Bücher.


In recent years, there has been a huge upheaval in the way services are delivered to customers – heralding the so-called ‘Uber effect’. But for those who aren’t customers, working for an enterprise can feel a long way removed from the slick, on-demand, automatic systems that are used away from the office. Arguably, everyone is becoming accustomed to a range of streamlined user experiences: online shopping, ordering a taxi or a pizza in two clicks, or checking our bank balance on our mobile phones, to name just a few examples
This begs the questions as to why the experience of internal services feels so clunky within many organisations? Internal support needs generally fall into one of three categories: wanting something fixed, wanting another kind of help, or wanting something new. A staff member is justified in asking “If I can do this online via self-service in my personal life, why can’t I do this at work?” What staff experience when they are at home ordering from Amazon, paying their mobile bill, or downloading films, they increasingly expect at work from a more ‘consumerised’ IT environment.
Yet in far too many organisations, coming into work feels like re-entering the information dark ages. Email is still clinging on as the primary tool of communication between internal service providers and customers (both internal and external), followed closely by costly and often-frustrating telephone support lines. Not only is this annoying for employees, it is also a drain on productivity.
Time for automation
Organisations are now starting to recognise that the same self-service concepts that they use to meet external customers’ demands can be translated into better service delivery internally. IT departments have led the way in this respect, through automated service management which might provide things like the ability to order a new piece of equipment in a self-service portal or log a support request and get notifications about its progress.
Other departments are now starting to catch up in the automation of internal service provision. Everything from new employees being onboarded with access cards, desks, and parking spaces, to HR managers managing salary deductions or holidays.
Whatever the request, the same principles apply to the provision of service whether it’s the responsibility of HR, Facilities, Marketing, or Finance. The unfortunate truth is that email has become the universal go-to tool to manage all sort of processes with a resulting lack of structure, where requests are decentralised and, from the requester point of view, they fall into some sort of black hole. There is no common process to evaluate, process and track the demands. As the ‘Uber effect’ takes shape in the corporate workplace, businesses are beginning to adopt established service management principles, moving towards structured workflow approaches which make everybody look at the same data in a very transparent way.
The technology to do this is robust and there are some pioneering organisations who are already reaping the rewards. For example, using online self-service portals staff can find information, log and track requests, order equipment, and receive support across a range of internal functions. Users find they get a better service and internal support staff are freed up to focus on other issues. This is what we call a Single System of Record/Truth and, in addition to providing much better levels of employee service and satisfaction, it also offers significant savings of time and costs.
The not so daunting task
Of course, it’s one thing talking about how great these services are, but many businesses and associated departments that do not already use service management internally might think it a daunting task, but this is not the reality. ‘Time to use’ can be one of the key factors putting businesses off, but service management can be implemented quickly through cloud platforms and show rapid returns in saved time and money.
Of course, once the business has decided it wants to go down the service management route, choosing the right solutions might again appear challenging. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, many companies might want to go for what they perceive to be ‘best of breed’ such as, for example, the best Gartner Magic Quadrant tool in the targeted area. Others will go through a complex research and analysis process. Still others will ask their peers or tap into previous experience in other businesses to identify the ‘best’ solution. In all these cases, this may lead to the optimal outcome...on paper. But it’s also helpful to ask the questions, "How many of the features will really be used?" and “What is the impact likely to be in terms of implementation?”
When going for a new tool or platform, project leads should consider factors such as:
- How easy it will be to integrate into the existing IT ecosystem (Master data, User Directory, Single Sign-on, etc.)
- The impact of a new interface, user features, and required behaviours for end-users, back office and IT admin
- The training requirements involved
- The support requirements for the new tool
- The fact that it comes with a new provider and licensing model to manage
- Whether it might impair the IT infrastructure’s scalability.
Making use of what you already have
Rather than acquiring a completely new solution, organisations might first check if one that already exists in their IT ecosystems will fit their needs. This can significantly reduce ‘time to use’, as well as costs. Experience suggests most larger organisations will already have a service management application in place. In many cases this will have been initiated by the IT function; however there are also plenty of other pioneering applications created, for example, by HR, facilities, or finance, which other functions may be able to use as starting point. Most advanced service management solutions are designed to work across multiple functional areas and, being cloud-based, are easily scaled.
If this is an option, there are plenty of advantages to be had as the platform is already integrated within the company – meaning behaviours, capacities, and interfaces are known, and the master data exists. There are also likely to be existing relationships with trusted suppliers which will help decrease the ‘time to use’. Tapping the trend towards the standardisation of solutions within organisations will offer the opportunity to decrease the complexity of the IT ecosystem, the number of integrations, and the training required for people interacting with the solutions.
There are some great benefits available for businesses that choose to provide employees with the same level of service they get outside of the organisation. From time savings to happier employees, service management has a big role to play in the modern enterprise. Many businesses also might find the implementation of these new technologies might be easier than they expect – especially if they are able to identify similar systems already being used by IT which can be adapted.
Mark Flexman, General Manager (UKI), DXC Fruition
Image Credit: Bbernard / Shutterstock


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This outstanding pressing boasts solid Double Plus (A++) sound from start to finish – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
An extremely tough album to find with the kind of big, spacious, Tubey Magical sound this pressing offers
Clean, clear and open are nice qualities to have, but the richer, smoother, more natural sounding copies are the ones that win our shootouts
4 1/2 stars: “…he was never more in tune with his audience: Still Crazy topped the charts, spawned four Top 40 hits, and won Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance.”
If you’re a Paul Simon fan, this has to be considered a Must Own Title of his from 1975.
The complete list of titles from 1975 that we’ve reviewed to date can be found here.
The overall sound here is big and rich. You get texture to the instruments (check the strings in the title track) but a smooth quality to the vocals instead of the grit and strain you hear on most copies. There’s extension up top and weight down low. (more…)
You’ll find Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound on side two of this killer copy, the best sounding album Billy Joel ever made
Side two is especially clean, clear and present, yet still rich and full-bodied — you’ll have a hard time finding a better sounding pressing on the planet
We guarantee there is dramatically more space, richness, vocal presence, and performance energy on this copy than others you’ve heard, and that’s especially true if you made the mistake of buying whatever Heavy Vinyl pressing is currently on the market
4 stars on Allmusic, Grammy award for Album of the Year, and Billy Joel’s best batch of songs, even better than The Stranger
“…he dazzles with his melodic skills and his enthusiastic performances… not only… one of the biggest-selling artists of his era, but one of the most enjoyable mainstream hitmakers”
In our opinion this is the Best Sounding album Billy Joel ever made, and when you hear this pressing you’ll understand why.
We heard some amazing sound coming from the grooves of 52nd Street, but let’s give credit where credit is due — the recording and mastering engineers involved with this album. Jim Boyer and Ted Jensen can both take great pride in the SUPERB work they have done here. (more…)
You’ll find outstanding Double Plus (A++) sound from first note to last on this copy of Joel’s ninth studio album
Dynamic and open, with driving rhythmic energy – this early pressing brings this great batch of songs to life
Jam packed with hits: An Innocent Man, The Longest Time, Tell Her About It, Uptown Girl, Leave a Tender Moment Alone, and more – seven singles in all
4 stars: “[H]e’s effortlessly spinning out infectious, memorable melodies in a variety of styles, from the Four Seasons send-up “Uptown Girl” and the soulful “Tell Her About It” to a pair of doo wop tributes, “The Longest Time” and “Careless Talk.” Joel has rarely sounded so carefree either in performance or writing, possibly due to “Christie Lee” Brinkley, a supermodel who became his new love prior to An Innocent Man.”
Both of these sides have the huge soundstage and startling clarity and immediacy that characterizes this album, but they also add an ingredient missing from most we heard — a full, rich, musical midrange!
On many pressings, the vocals can get hard and harsh on the uptempo tracks (“Uptown Girl” is a notable offender, and never sounds quite as good as the rest of the album), but this copy manages to fix that problem (mostly) without sacrificing transparency or top end.
This was a monster in its day, generating a Number One hit and seven total single releases out of the ten songs that comprise it. Seven out of ten, not a bad track record. We couldn’t find a weak song on the album either, which is surely one of the reasons it sold seven million copies in the states alone. (more…)
We heard some amazing sound coming from the grooves of 52nd Street, but let’s give credit where credit is due — the recording and mastering engineers involved with this album. Jim Boyer and Ted Jensen can both take great pride in the SUPERB work they have done here.
The first two tracks on side one really tell you everything you need to know about the sound of the side. It’s all about balance.
Big Shot is a big, balls-out rock song that packs a lot of punch. Typically the problem you run into is compression. When you get too much compression, the top end becomes pinched and shrill. You can hear this on Billy Joel’s vocals in the verses and in the guitar solo during the outro. Most copies make those squealing guitar notes rip your head off. The best copies give you a full-bodied Billy Joel; if he doesn’t sound right, what’s the point? Next!
Also, listen to the cymbal crashes throughout the song. They should really sound like cymbals and not like someone making explosion noises through a walkie-talkie. (Believe me, this analogy hurts me too, but they can really sound god-awful on some pressings.)(more…)
Records with too much bass and especially too much top end can’t be played loud. The louder you play them the worse they sound. Try playing the average MoFi at a loud volume. All that extra 10k starts to make your brain hurt. The CBS half-speed of this album is like that. It’s frustrating — the music makes you want to turn it up but the sound says forget it. Not the good pressings. They sounds BETTER when you play them loud.
You know how you can tell when you have a Hot Stamper? It’s the side you play through to the end. When the sound is right you want to hear more. Since the opening track of this record is one of the keys to knowing whether it’s mastered and pressed properly, once you get past the sibilance hurdle on track one, the next step is to find out how the challenges presented by the rest of the tracks are handled on any given LP. Some advice follows. (more…)
DEMO DISC LIVE ROCK CONCERT SOUND, Baby! This one has it ALL. The sound has so many wonderful ANALOG qualities when you get a good copy — the hash and hardness of the typical pressing just disappears, leaving surprisingly transparent and sweet sound on virtually every track. The WHOMP FACTOR here is off the scale. There are few studio recordings that have these kinds of dynamics. We forget how compressed most of them are. It takes a record like this to show you how much LIFE there is in LIVE MUSIC.(more…)