GMIS Connect highlights industrial lighthouses that are propelling digital transformation in China
01 November 2022
SHANGHAI, 1 November 2022 - Ahead of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) 2023, UNIDO ITPO Shanghai, in collaboration with the Chinese Federation of Industrial Economics (CFIE) and GMIS, hosted a webinar on “Lessons from the Lighthouses: How is China’s Digital Revolution Impacting Industrial Development?”.
The webinar highlighted the success of Chinese companies in deploying advanced manufacturing at scale, generating new value and customer experiences within the factory or across value chains. These industrial lighthouses are showing the way for the digital transformation in China.
Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, Director of the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade, opened the session, noting that while industrial lighthouses provide much needed productivity benefits and added value, “…the full benefit of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in manufacturing can only be realized if complete value chains and production ecosystems are transformed . He stressed, “SMEs in developing countries face distinct challenges related to low technological levels, a lack of skilled workforce, and weak access to modern technology and affordable ICT infrastructure, including the latest communication standards like 5G. The situation is even more complex for women-owned firms, as they often have limited access to financial resources and technical support for digital transformation.”
Xiong Meng, Executive Vice Chairman and Secretary General, CFIE noted that in China, advanced technology had “greatly enhanced the stability and modernity of [the] industrial supply chain”.
Namir Hourani, Managing Director, GMIS, observed that the adoption of digital innovations had “quickly transformed China into one of the largest digital economies and e-commerce markets”.
The panel discussion moderated by Xiaolei Zhao, Head, UNIDO ITPO Shanghai noted UNIDO’s commitment to assisting industry with digital transformation from the perspectives of sustainable development and international standards. UNIDO has the expertise to deliver the necessary tools to support this endeavour. With China contributing one-third of the 103 industrial lighthouses globally, the panel featured disruptive manufacturers, Hao Jingxian, General Manager of SAIC Maxus Automobile Company; Huang Luchuan, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, ROOTCLOUD Technology Company; and Zhou Xiaoxun, Executive Vice President, Siemens China.
Drawing on the experiences of the respective speakers in building lighthouse factories within the Chinese industrial ecosystem, the panel shared their solutions. Speakers stressed a number of important elements for a successful transition to lighthouse production. This included a systematized and standardized approach to construction and the need to focus on the entire value chain, going beyond the factory floor. Flexibility of digital tools used in the supply chain was also highlighted. The need for people-centric digitalization and the integration of sustainability goals in the system were also raised as important elements.
The webinar is the first of a series of digital and in-person expert roadshows, leading to the GMIS 2023 Summit. It can be viewed following registration at the following link: https://gmisummit.com/registration
For further information:


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Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook5 minutes or until softened. Add sweet potato and garlic; heat just until sweet potato is tender, about 2 minutes.
Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, thyme and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in cooked vegetables. Divide among 8 standard-sized greased muffin cups. Bake until frittatas are set, about 20 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes before unmoulding.
Meanwhile, place sour cream, roasted red pepper, lemon juice, paprika and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Serve frittatas with pepper sauce.
Nutrients per serving: 353 calories, 21 g protein, 21 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 14 g carbohydrates (6 g sugars), 1 g fibre, 453 mg cholesterol, 784 mg sodium.

domain: food


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Publications (2)0 Total impact
Article: [Effects of polymixin B on I-kappaB kinase mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide- induced pulmonary alveolar macrophages].[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To investigate effects of polymixin B (PMB) on I-kappaB kinase(IKK-beta), inhibitor protein(IkappaB-alpha) and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-kappaB) in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM), and explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of PMB. PAM from rats collected by bronchoalveolar lavage was cultured and divided into three groups. In the control group, PAM was not stimulated with LPS and not treated with PMB. In the LPS stimulated group, PAM was stimulated with LPS. In the PMB treated group, PAM was pretreated with PMB half an hour prior to LPS stimulation. The expression of IKK-beta mRNA, level of IkappaB-alpha and the activity of NF-kappaB in PAM were measured by in situ hybridization(ISH), enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA), respectively. In the LPS stimulated group, the expression of IKK-beta mRNA (0.147+/-0.015) and activity of NF-kappaB (0.828+/-0.019) in PAM significantly increased, whereas levels of IkappaB-alpha (0.228+/-0.021) decreased (all P<0.01) in PMB treated groups. The expression of IKK-beta mRNA (0.112+/-0.022) and activity of NF-kappaB (0.358+/-0.011) were down-regulated while level of IkappaB-alpha (0.477+/-0.016) was up-regulated(P<0.01). LPS might induce expression of IKK-beta mRNA, degradation of IkappaB-alpha and activation of NF-kappaB PMB could inhibit the expression of IKK-beta, degradation of IkappaB-alpha and activation of NF-kappaB, showing marked anti-inflammatory property.Zhongguo wei zhong bing ji jiu yi xue = Chinese critical care medicine = Zhongguo weizhongbing jijiuyixue 08/2003; 15(7):429-31.
Article: [Effects of polymyxin B on LPS-induced activation of NF-kappaB in pulmonary alveolar macrophages].[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To observe effects of polymyxin B (PMB) on LPS-induced activation of NF-kappaB of pulmonary alveolar macrophages(PAMs) and explore the possible anti-inflammation efficiency of PMB. Rat PAMs were isolated and cultured. The PAMs were divided into 3 groups, namely, normal control group (PAMs+normal solution), LPS stimulation group (PAMs+10 mg/L LPS) and PMB interference group(after PMB treatment for 30 min, using LPS stimulation). The PAMs were fixed respectively at 0,15,30,60,120 and 240 min after stimulation. Nucleoprotein was extracted from cultured PAMs and culture supernatant of the PAMs was collected. The expression of IKK-beta mRNA in the PAMs, NF-kappaB activity in PMB nucleoprotein extractive, TNF-alpha content in culture supernatant of the PAMs were detected by in situ hybridization (ISN), electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and ELISA, respectively. IKK-beta mRNA level in LPS group increased at 15 min, reached the peak at 30 min, while IkappaB-alpha level turned out contrary to IKK-beta mRNA level. The peak of NF-kappaB activity appeared at 60-120 min after stimulation was significantly higher than those of pre-stimulation and normal control group (P<0.01). In PMA interference group, NF-kappaB activity and TNF-alpha level were markedly lower than those in LPS stimulation group (P<0.01). The lowest level of IkappaB-alpha was notably higher than that in LPS stimulation group, while the peak of IKK-beta mRNA was obviously lower than that in LPS stimulation group (P<0.01). LPS can induce IKK-beta and NF-kappaB activation, IkappaB-alpha degradation, accelerate TNF-alpha release, but PMB can counteract those effects induced by LPS stimulation.Xi bao yu fen zi mian yi xue za zhi = Chinese journal of cellular and molecular immunology 06/2003; 19(3):235-8.

domain: biology


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Susanna Victoria Reid (born 10 December 1970) is an English television presenter and journalist. Reid was a co-presenter of BBC Breakfast from 2003 until 2014, along with Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt.
She has been a co-anchor of Good Morning Britain since 2014, and currently presents the programme alongside Piers Morgan and Ben Shephard.
She finished as a runner-up on the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. She also presented Sunday Morning Live on BBC and Save Money: Good Food on ITV.
Good Morning Britain star Susanna Reid has confirmed that Piers Morgan won’t be returning to the show.The 50-year-old presenter has had her say on how she felt when her co-host stormed off-set after an explosive row with weather presenter Alex Beresford.The row concerned Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle - and the show segment reached a record breaking number of complaints to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom for Piers’ disbelief over her mental health struggles.Piers later won the Ofcom battle - but not before he quit the show altogether.Now his former co-host has opened up to the Mail’s Weekend about the incident.Susanna admitted it felt "surreal" when Piers up and left."I went out to talk to him; we had an animated discussion.Read more on dailystar.co.uk

domain: celebrity


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Geography and Environmental Science
Our courses and research examine the interactions between people, places, and environments
National Student Survey 2019
Tackle challenging questions about human and physical environments, from global issues such as climate change to local issues such as urban regeneration.
Vacuum cleaners that unblock brain vessels, super normal design for extraordinary bodies, and the ways in which our medical data can aid the COVID-19 fight are just some of the topics to be explored at the University of Dundee next week.
Actively restored tropical forests recover above ground biomass faster than areas left to regenerate naturally after being logged, according to new research led by the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen and ETH Zürich.
Gene is from Singapore and discovered Dundee when she flew to Scotland for her brother’s graduation. She fell in love with the city and she describes why it is one of the best choices she has ever made.
PhD student Nandan Mukherjee has developed floating homes which allow families to survive natural disasters while producing food, water, and energy. This has led to the University receiving the UN RISK Award and the accompanying €100,000 prize.
Showcasing real-life evidence of tsunamis in the UK has earned a national award for two University of Dundee experts.
Sophie Sherriff, Postdoc Research Associate, spent time in India to research water use

domain: geography


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Stella & Chewy's is committed to providing the highest quality natural pet food with an emphasis on nutrition, palatability, safety & convenience.
- Raw, cage-free poultry
- 98% poultry, nutrient-rich organs, & bone
- Pea-free, lentil-free, and potato-free
- Taurine added
- Fortified with added vitamins & minerals
- Probiotics for optimal digestion
- 100% complete & balanced diet
Duck with ground bone, turkey, turkey liver, goose, turkey gizzard, pumpkin seed, potassium chloride, sodium phosphate, choline chloride, dried Pediococcus acidilactici fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried Bacillus coagulans fermentation product, taurine, tocopherols (preservative), dandelion, dried kelp, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, copper proteinate, riboflavin supplement, sodium selenite, d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, manganese proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement.
Responsibly sourced and never any added hormones or antibiotics.
REAL RAW DIET
Formulated to mirror a cat’s ancestral diet with 98% meat, organs, and bone with zero grains.
COMPLETE & BALANCED
Fortified with appropriate levels of vitamins & minerals with added taurine.
Enhanced with added probiotics & antioxidants.
Morsels minimize the time needed to thaw before serving.
|Crude Protein (min.)||13.5%|
|Crude Fat (min.)||10.0%|
|Crude Fiber (max.)||2.0%|
|Calorie Content||2165 kcal/kg|
|(metabolizable energy, calculated):||423 kcal/cup|
RECOMMENDED FOR ADULT CATS
|Body Weight (lbs)||Adult # of Cups|
*based on the standard 8 oz. measuring cup
Our Dinner Morsels minimize the time needed to thaw before serving. Measure your pet’s meal portion when frozen according to feeding guidelines below; do not microwave. The product will thaw in minutes. Some liquid when completely thawed is normal. Always have clean, fresh water available at mealtime. Optimal feeding amounts may vary with age, size, breed, and activity level.

domain: pet


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The controversy over the so-called Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (which is also called the South China Sea) has driven calls for a boycott on Chinese-made products.
Asking our readers to answer this question, the Yahoo! Philippines online poll last month showed that about 70 percent (31,350) who voted agreed that there should be a boycott. Only 25 percent (11,225) said, "No."
Meanwhile, only 2 percent (1,027) was not sure what the issue was, and 3 percent said "they're not sure" if they understood the issue.
The call for boycott is an offshoot of the ongoing spat over the oil-rich group of islands, west of the Philippines.
Apart from China, Brueni, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam claim parts of the South China Sea.
The Palace has rejected calls to boycott China-made products last month, stressing it was not government's policy to call for such actions. A spokesperson said they would rather seek "peaceful settlement" of the issue.
Albay Representative Joey Salceda, an ally of President Benigno Aquino III, was among those who called for a boycott.
This week, Filipino officials banned a Chinese diplomat in a recent discussion over the feud on Spratlys.
For weeks, tensions over the disputed islands were at a high, as China conducted Naval drills in the area.
Both the Philippines and the United States are now pushing the Spratlys issue in the the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Bali, Indonesia this month.


Port expansion breaks ground Tuesday
Director: Steel imports down over FTC dispute
PANAMA CITY — Steel imports significantly declined at Port Panama City in fiscal year 2017, resulting in a loss of about $700,000 to the port’s coffers. But officials are optimistic about the port’s future, pointing to the planned concrete pour groundbreaking Tuesday for a major port expansion.
“There is space over there to keep growing,” port executive director Wayne Stubbs said. “We feel like we have the opportunity over time to handle another 1.5 million tons in cargo over there.”
The first phase of the Port Panama City East Auxiliary Terminal, to be located next to WestRock on South Everitt Avenue, will involve a fair amount of site work and railroad and road infrastructure. At the heart of the terminal will be a 150,000-foot warehouse.
The Port Authority on Thursday gave the thumbs up for the port to purchase a 1.4-acre vacant industrial property from Kraton Chemical for about $295,000 for the expansion of East Terminal, which will double its cargo space. The port bought 41 acres from the paper mill for the terminal but still needed this outparcel.
The first phase of the expansion will be done about 13 months from now, Stubbs said.
In the meantime, the port's number for the year are down, thanks in part to an international trade dispute. The number of ships using the port declined from 266 in fiscal year 2016 to 257 in 2017. The fiscal year ended in September, and the year-end numbers show that the amount of general cargo imported and exported out of the port for the year declined from 1 million tons last fiscal year to 886,220 tons this fiscal year. General cargo includes products such as steel pipe, lumber, copper, copper wire rods and container cargo.
The import of steel products into the port declined this fiscal year because of a dispute over illegal dumping, Stubbs said. Dumping, in reference to international trade, is the export by a country or company of a product at a price that is lower in the foreign market than the price charged in the domestic market.
“The Federal Trade Commission brought action against a number of companies, including (those in) Germany regarding import of plate,” Stubbs said. "It has really has frozen a lot of import of steel into the United States.”
Steel plate imports into the port were at 330,385 tons last fiscal year, steel pipe imports at 10,555 tons and steel coil imports at 5,222 tons — none of any category was imported here this year.
The drop in tonnage resulted in a loss of about $700,000, but the port’s revenues for the year are only down about 1.5 percent because of a diversity of products it imports and exports and its income producing sources such as leases, Stubbs said.
"Our bottom line is we didn’t suffer very much," Stubbs said. "That’s why it’s really important to keep a diverse cargo base.”
The amount of “bulk cargo” being imported and exported also slightly declined this fiscal year, from 878,182 tons last fiscal year to 862,229 tons this fiscal year. Bulk cargo, among other things, includes products such as molasses, wood pellets, stone, and miscellaneous cargo. Wood pellet exports were down this year from 815,990 tons last year to 783,566 tons this year. But molasses imports were up from 22,144 tons last year to 38,612 tons this year.


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Krumping is an urban art signifier, reflecting the African American expressive civilization and the street civilization. The regional location and its history of force has propelled the manner into the mainstream. Born in 1990s from the slacks of Los Angeles, it blends elements of religious and physical energy. Krumping is an emerging motion that is rather fresh on the dance scene, detonating with positive energy it comes from a lacerate universe of poorness and subjugation. As a religious art signifier it encompasses core elements of its history and faith through its powerful motions and sounds. Through its spiritually Krump transforms its African American dance signifier to a communal public art signifier while integrating its street civilization through its music as a originative mercantile establishment for the adversities of urban life. Each component in Krump excretes pure energy in a alone manner that releases the pent up defeat of each performing artist, from its extremely energetic motions, expressiveness and the physical toll on the performing artist ‘s organic structure, the art signifier has yet to hit its extremum.
The history of Krump and its religious energy originates from the difficult streets of South Central Los Angeles, California, but can besides be traced back to its African tribal civilization. Born amongst the 1965 Watts public violences, a large-scale public violence which lasted 6 yearss in protest to the American Civil Rights Act go forthing the African American community a feeling of unfairness and desperation, and the 1992 Rodney King public violences, were the acquittal of LAPD officers in the test of the whipping of Rodney King sparked a farther 6 yearss offense fling, the dance created an flight for the young person. Bing brought up in a community upheaved by of force and subjugation blighted by racism, left the young persons prosecuting a sense of belonging and nurturance from at that place hard-pressed households of substance maltreatment and force. Turning to packs for a sense of compassion, the on-going torment and enlisting of packs left a sense of hopelessness, were within a dance motion emerge, from the dissatisfaction of their day-to-day battles, classified as an urban hip-hop fluctuation, Krump like Capoeira started as a manner for problem young persons to show themselves, and get away their pack filled lives. Krump terpsichoreans would organize structured and organised crews or households, a tightly knit group of persons whose truenesss and committedness extends beyond dance. These dance circles of fellow Krumpers provide the support and stableness many in their community do n’t have from their ain households at place. Therefore through their laden urban civilization a sub-culture of Krumping immerged, supplying an alternate to the pack life manner.
Seen as an aggressive competitory dance due to its release of the performing artist ‘s personal choler, concealing beneath the rebellious outside, lays a spiritual imagination of captivity naming out for protest. “ There is a spirit in the thick of krump-ness. There is a spirit thereaˆ¦most people think, they ‘re merely a clump of bully, ghetto, pagan hoods. No, what we are is oppressed. ” ( Julie Malnig, 2009 ) Krumping at its roots are connected by its history but besides at its nucleus there are hints of the African tribal civilization, Dancer ‘s would execute in a circle, as a manner for them to asseverate their integrity. The circle is an sphere of a warrior, the pealing cry of slave times, in which slaves would travel in a unit of ammunition circle while stamping and clapping.
“ The circle of the dance is a permissive circle: it protects and licenses. At certain times on certain yearss, work forces and adult females come together at a given topographic point, and at that place, under the solemn oculus of the folk, fling themselves into a apparently unorganised dumb show, which is in world highly systematic, in which by assorted agencies — shingles of the caput, bending of the spinal column, throwing of the whole organic structure backward -may be deciphered as in an unfastened book the immense attempt of a community to exorcize itself, to emancipate itself, to explicate itself. There are no bounds — inside the circle. ” Frantz Fanon ( 1961 )
But besides a religious rite ; combat, competition and prowess build a universe within and the circle contains elements of a religious energy, a holy dance and spiritual enchantments. Even as their waies in lives may look disturbance and unbound Dancer ‘s achievements in krumping derive them street credibleness, gaining regard and soaking up from a life of force. Furthermore embodied with fight and religious facet krumping provides sanctuary of the urban metropolis, a province of head with no boundaries, lines or restrictions, merely a sense of freedom.
“ Rize ” follows the practicians of krumping from its beginnings at kids ‘s buffoon parties to the popular dance signifier that has reached mainstream audiences. LaChapelle ne’er explores krumping beyond its inner-city scene, implementing the krumping as an reliable art signifier in the metropolis of Los Angeles in direct resistance of the mercenary, commerce of mainstream. Get downing with Tommy the Clown, an American terpsichorean and the discoverer of “ anticing ” manner, it rapidly spread and evolved in to dance-battles functioning as an option to packs. Tommy ‘s public presentations developed loyal followings, turning throughout Los Angeles. Taking it upon himself he used this chance to give the young person a opportunity by being a theoretical account populating positive at all times. As terpsichoreans got older the manner continued to morph into even more hideous manners. The scratchy nature of Krump makes it hard to turn up its sacred intensions ; the religious energy brewing within its motions frequently convey gender, force and agony, but within the circle of Krumping “ this is the lone manner of doing ourselves feel like we belong. ” ( Julie Malnig, 2009 )
During these minutes of belonging, the terpsichoreans become a competition of physical and religious energy, uncovering their spirit and natural emotion that Krump demands. The energy and energy of Krumping in a religious sense exorcises the devils and conjure liquors, but thought Krumping look wild and out of control to the unaware, it is really autonomous and defies claims that young persons are inherently violent and riotous. The music in Krumping is danced to hardcore, beat-heavy hip-hop paths, sometimes with no vocals. These formless circles and insistent rhythmic cringles entrances terpsichoreans to a religious province. During “ Rize ” a terpsichorean falls under a enchantment which so she loses religious control and consciousness, fall ining into the weaponries of a fellow Krumper, when she is asked what has happened, she answers, “ I do n’t knowaˆ¦ I merely allow travel. ” ( Rize, 2005 ) The circle of religious energy is besides used as organized healing and psychotherapeutic release, Krumpers channel their choler into a positive signifier, doing Krumping more than a dance art signifier ; it ‘s a header mechanism that reveals this sub-culture to be something another than young persons prosecuting in condemnable behaviors and outlooks.
Derived from Hip-Hop and Breaking, Krumping fires up people with its energetic enthusiasm of its powerful emotional expressiveness in certain Krump motions, it may stand for elements joyful and painful emotions ; in which can assist the performing artist in relieving anxiousness and depression while besides sharing emotions artistically. The motion exhibits an electric organic structure daze which molds and deformations in the organic structure of the caput, weaponries, face, legs and pelvic girdle. Krump is intended as an mercantile establishment for choler or to let go of repressed energy, the dance motions reflect this type of physical release, both males and females display combinations of motions similar to a blend of street combat, moshing, religious ownership and aerophilic stripper. It is described as a volatile, warrior-like, spastic and quivering dance that involves the vigorous stria of the spinal column, the jab and popping of the chest. While the overall visual aspect of Krumping may look violent with conflicts between terpsichoreans a cardinal constituent, Krumpers hit each other to acquire energised to dance in the extremist expressive and explosive ways the dance is known for. The Physical Energy is used as an mercantile establishment for defeat this passionate dance is adapted to each performing artist ‘s alone manner, with the degree of strength differing by the emotions felt in that minute, giving the dance its ain personality.
When executing these actions I noticed the energy involve, ab initio it was about the ocular actions of throwing, fliping, catching shattering, interrupting and cut downing but the more I performed these motions the more I noticed the actions that require a batch of energy, impulse and physical power to put to death. In power moves, the terpsichoreans relies more on upper organic structure strength and is normally on his or her custodies during moves. An arm swing entails the arm to be tense up ; as they tighten into a stiff board, and the manus is crunched into a fist. The basic arm swing gesture, the arm tended to lift and fall into the organic structure, the motion is rhythmic with each swing. There is lift upwards and outwards where the swing is hold oning for contact, each swing is flung with a strong and ferocious force, while rupturing at the weaponries socket. As the arm falls it loosens and decompression sicknesss, undertaking into the organic structure. The custodies and weaponries in each one of these motions begin a concatenation reaction that spreads through the organic structure, ensuing in being covered with a cloak of pure powerful energy. Wavelike motions in the trunk, weaponries and hips are descendant from the African beginning. There ‘s a sense of being, and a connexion to your organic structure but besides a sense of power and strength. Each motion is skillfully controlled to the round of the music. Form the Arm swing to the power moves the motions in Krump give you a sense of being untouchable while being authorising.
Krumpers face off one-on-one and seek to out-Krump one another, this merger of athletics, dancing and contending
With a gloss of physical combat and African tribal civilization in their dance motions, Krumping allows terpsichoreans to “ start their limbs, gyrate their trunk and stomp their pess to hip hop music ” ( Rize, 2005 ) The gait and strength of the music is so frenetic that it suggests a sort of religious ownership, terpsichoreans apparently and frequently are instructed to lose control, this loss of control has been lyrically manifested leting the terpsichoreans to steal out of their restraints and boxes and merely allow travel. After losing control in the beats, they recognise that there are both bounds and no bounds within the circle. This look of their true ego tallies on their staying energy before go throughing out.
The Krumping dance manner makes explicit claims to the importance of its regional location and history of force as a major propellent of the manner.
Journal ( in organic structure experience )

domain: artistic


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How to select the perfect barrio in Medellin for a perfect stay in the city.
Medellin’s got some fascinating neighborhoods to explore and one the biggest attractions of Colombia’s second largest city is the variety of vibes unfolding in the different barrios of this fast-moving mountain metropolis. The river Medellin divides the city in two along a north-south axis with the metropolitan area split into 16 comunas, or administrative districts, for the purpose of local government. Each comuna hosts a selection of smaller neighborhoods that all have a very distinctive atmosphere depending on the socio-cultural mix in the area.
Most foreign visitors to Medellin tend to end up staying in two of the largest comunas: Poblado to the south-east and Laureles, to the north-west, both of which have an extensive collection of neighborhoods to choose from.
Poblado and Laureles have become the go-to places to stay for their superior selection of Airbnb vacation rentals, something closely correlated to their proximity to the best bars, coffee restaurants and shopping options in Medellin. For New Yorkers, Poblado would be something akin to Manhattan while Laureles might be considered Brooklyn and Rionegro, Llanogrande and El Retiro would be the Hamptons.
Also like New York, most of Medellin’s most exclusive apartment blocks have tight restrictions on owners being able to rent out to short-term visitors on Airbnb. If an influential local resident lives in the apartment block there are very likely to be restrictions on rentals of less than 30 days in line with Colombian law. The demand for Airbnb vacation rentals in the city, however, has resulted in a spate of high-end properties being built for investors, foreign nationals and digital nomads that want to own a pad in Medellin and be able to rent them out when they are not in the city. All of Casacol’s properties are in buildings that are 100% Airbnb friendly and built to avoid any restrictions on rentals to short-term visitors including a friendly receptionist ready to meet you on arrival and help you get settled into your short-term or long-term stay.
The top two neighborhoods in Medellin – Poblado vs Laureles
Poblado’s where the city’s affluent and powerful families used to have their traditional family homes and even castles, a quaint little village on the eastern side of the valley looking down on the rest of Medellin from a privileged perch. In the 1980s, there were none of the luxury residential tower blocks, hotels and shopping centers that have transformed Poblado into Miami in the mountains. Although most of Medellin’s influential families still have an apartment in one of the more luxurious apartment blocks built on top of their former fincas, in the San Lucas, Alejandria, Provenza Arriba, Aviñon or Los Balsos neighborhoods, some of Medellin’s movers and shakers have moved out to more expansive mountain retreats in Rionegro, El Retiro or Llanogrande. The exodus of reggaeton stars and top executives has left Poblado to become an Airbnb paradise for foreigners seeking a convenient corner of the city to enjoy the best nightlife, bars, fine-dining restaurants and high-end shopping in Medellin.
Blessed with a series of streams running through the mountain into the Medellin River, Poblado remains one of the most lush, verdant places to stay in Medellin and soak up Colombia’s remarkable biodiversity. The construction boom has created some seriously sophisticated urban allure in the midst of this lush foliage, including three of the largest shopping centers in Colombia – Oviedo, El Tesoro and Santa Fe.
Money talks in Poblado and you’ll pay more to stay here and enjoy the convenience of being within walking distance of the city’s most exclusive places to eat, drink and party, although the steep incline of the mountains might mean you’ll end up getting a taxi home after venturing down the hill to enjoy Poblados considerable charms.
It was the nightlife of Parque Lleras that first put this neighborhood on the map for foreign visitors, but the original ground zero for visiting hedonists feels a little tired these days and most of the best new bars and restaurants are opening three blocks further up the hill from Parque Lleras in leafy Provenza or in the trendy neighborhoods of Astorga and Manila located in the area below Avenida Poblado.
The Best Bars in Poblado
When it comes to bars, you’re in the right place for some elevated cocktails and nocturnal fun and frolics. Most of the best rooftop bars can be found in Provenza, Parque Lleras and Manila and Medellin’s top nightclubs and best bars for meeting people tend to concentrate in the three blocks of bars and restaurants in Provenza.
The Best Restaurants in Poblado
Medellin’s upscale restaurants are almost exclusively concentrated in Poblado in either Provenza, Lalinde (a small neighborhood on the north side of Calle 10) and Astorga. Carmen, El Cielo, Oci.Mde and La Provincia, are the pick of the bunch. The top brunch joints also happen in some of the rarefied real estate of Poblado.
While Poblado has undisputedly been the home for Medellin’s most influential families throughout the ages and is home to the most spectacular Airbnb apartments today, Laureles, has been one of the city’s most intellectual and creative neighborhoods.
Laureles may have always been a popular second best to Poblado for out-of-town visitors but you get more bang for your buck in this pretty barrio. With its charming mid-century modern architecture and leafy boulevards connecting a couple of pretty parks and the stadium complex, it’s become a popular place for Airbnb with local and foreign owners. You can find some attractive deals staying in this well located district. The Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana found on the border of Laureles and Belen (another well-rounded neighborhood with plenty going for it) gives Laureles a studious vibe and there’s an impressive selection of student friendly bars in the vicinity with prices that won’t leave a Poblado-shaped dent in your wallet. With an interesting socio-economic mix of working class neighborhoods like Estadio and laid-back, residential middle class neighborhoods like Conquistadores you have a far more authentic Medellin vibe.
Most of the best nightlife and restaurants in Laureles can be found nestled between Primera Parque de Laureles and Segundo Parque de Laureles close to the University and Belen.
The historic artery, Calle San Juan, connects the city from west to east, with every type of commercial venture you could imagine en route and Calle 70 is a bristling thoroughfare thrown over to the city’s heavy-drinking football fans at weekends. To the north, Velodromo is a wonderful neighborhood that’s slowly being gentrified but has plenty of affordable Airbnb options.
In general, the hotels in Laureles are more tailored towards Latin American visitors on a budget but there are plenty of foreigners that have set up shop in Laureles and started renting some beautiful apartments on Airbnb. One of the charms of this neighborhood is being able to explore it on foot or by bike. There’s an impressive network of cycle lanes connecting Laureles to Belen to the south and Suramericana and the Universidad de Antioquia to the north. Both neighborhoods are also interesting to visit to see the city in a more authentic light, which is what you want when you book with Airbnb right?
The Best Bars in Laureles
There’s a host of lively bars on Calle 70, La Charcu is one of the highlights for people watching. Panorama Rooftop Bar is excellent for an evening with friends or to meet some new friends and the rooftop bar of Indie Studio attracts a creative crowd for its evening shindigs. Salsa fans shouldn’t miss the live band and bottomless bottles of rum at Son Havana, one of the best places to get a sweat on in Medellin.
The Best Restaurants in Laureles
You can eat well and affordably in Laureles. Most of the city’s most successful restaurants have opened up a second version in Laureles. Whether that’s a meat fest at Voraz , La Pampa or Barbaro Cocina Primitiva or the vegetarian delights on offer at the tasty coworking restaurant hybrid Semilla on Primera Parque de Laureles.
CTA: If you know where you want to stay and are looking for a luxury vacation rental, hotel or long-stay apartment check out Casacol’s superior selection of properties in Medellin. If you need some help choosing the perfect property for you, reach out to one of Casacol’s team of talented concierges.
If you need help deciding contact one of Casacol’s concierges.


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TYRONE senior manager boss Mickey Harte believes that the long-awaited return of intercounty football will have a positive knock-on effect on the mental health of our communities amid the uncertainty and fear surrounding Covid-19.
The GAA suspended all club activity with immediate effect ten days ago, but the conclusion of the national leagues and subsequent All-Ireland championship can proceed under current Irish Government regulations as it is categorised as an “elite sport”.
The Stormont Executive also exempted the GAA from new measures forbidding contact games when it tightened restrictions on Wednesday morning, but fears remain that the All-Ireland Championship will be waylaid if Covid-19 continues to spread.
Intercounty games are set to be played behind closed doors, but every championship match will be broadcast live and Harte believes the return of intercounty action this weekend is a chink of light in these turbulent times.
“I would say that’s the case, it was a great lift for the people when the club football was on particularly when there were televised games.
“People felt that it was a good thing and if that had been the end of it, it’d be a big anti-climax. I think people would like to watch games from now until Christmas. People are happier when football is on, people missed it when it wasn’t happening.”
The long-standing Tyrone senior manager has also revealed that none of his players have at any stage returned a positive test for Covid-19 as they finalise preparations for Sunday’s
Division One clash against Donegal.
The intercounty season was suspended in mid-March in response to government advice aimed at combating the coronavirus, but the return to playing action has coincided with a surge in cases the length and breadth of Ireland.
Fermanagh GAA have requested a postponement of their upcoming league game against Clare after ten members of their panel tested positive, with a further seven players in self-isolation, but Tyrone have been rather more fortunate on that front.
Harte says they followed all the precautions to the letter before and after they returned to collective training on September 14, and as things stand none of the intercounty panel have been struck by the virus.
He said, “We didn’t return to the due date and we were just doing everything outside, not doing anything inside.
“When you do everything outside in the open that means you’re taking less risk of spreading the virus, and if anything happens to anybody, it’s just them alone.
“Thankfully we’ve had no positive tests to date, we’ve had people who’ve had to isolate because they might have been in contact with someone in ordinary life, but nobody in our squad has tested positive and hopefully we can keep it that way.”

domain: sports


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The crew of the USCSS Covenant, on a colonisation mission, are woken early from their hyper sleep and divert from their course to investigate a rogue signal which appears to be human, and encounter David, the synthetic survivor from the Prometheus.
Ridley Scott’s second film in a proposed trilogy of prequels to the Alien series comes five years after Prometheus, a film which divided audiences due to an abundance of philosophising and “Where do we come from?” questions, and a lack of .. well.. Aliens. Having revisited Prometheus prior to seeing Covenant, it’s not actually as bad as I remembered. As a self-contained story, it works fairly well. As a prequel to Alien, it works less well.
Covenant goes some way to redress that balance by still having a fair amount of discussion about the nature of man and machine, and man and creator, before Neomorphs and Xenomorphs are (eventually) unleashed on the crew.
Alien: Covenant, like Alien, takes a long while to get going. It takes its time setting the scene and introducing us to the crew of the Covenant, who, unlike the crew of the Nostromo, are almost entirely interchangeable with one another, with a few notable exceptions: Billy Crudup’s Captain Oram, (newly elevated to the position following a tragedy and unsure of himself), Danny McBride’s Tennessee (seems like he might be the comic relief to begin with but proves himself otherwise) and Katherine Waterston’s Daniels (proto-Ripley).
Barring a couple of insane decisions by Captain Oram (not sure if these are a failing of the character or the screenplay..) all these characters and the actors playing them acquit themselves well, but the film really belongs to Michael Fassbender in his dual role as the unhinged David and his less emotional upgrade Walter. He manages to give both characters distinctly separate personalities, and the scene in which David attempts to seduce Walter to the dark side over a recorder lesson is a masterclass not only in direction, but also acting opposite yourself.
As expected from a Ridley Scott film the visuals are stunning, and when the Xenomorphs do finally appear there are some genuinely tense moments, including a gruesome shower scene that puts Psycho to shame.
Again, as a prequel to Alien, I’m not convinced it works (the third instalment has some work to do to bridge the gap between new and old) but taken as a followup to Prometheus, it is a good accompaniment, even if the final twist can be seen coming from a mile off.

domain: entertainment


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ST. LOUIS – Hundreds of flood victims lined up Saturday at the Friendly Temple Chuch in north St. Louis to get some much-needed help.
Some multi-agency resource centers have closed or moved around St. Louis in recent days. On Saturday, things were running smoothly at the Friendly Temple Church.
Flood victims seeking help took a number to be called into the center. Many talked to officials with the Red Cross to describe their situations. Those who came to the church to meet with several different nonprofits, they have access to different types of help and assistance.
Around 800 people sought help each day at three different flood relief events supported by the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency.
“We’re going to be more,” said Terry Cassil, Response Division Manager at Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. “We want to be here to help everyone who needs to come through.”
While Saturday was supposed to be the last day for a resource center, many families still need help. Some have been unable to meet with emergency management officials yet. Friendly Temple Church is planning to host several more flood relief events from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

domain: news


text:
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domain: game


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Stocked with modern amenities, including useable internet, the lodge is a great place to rest and relax after a long day fishing. Bree can prepare you a fantastic meal that is on par with the restraunts in my hometown. The boats, guides, and fishing equipment are by far the best in the area and the fishing was some of the best I have ever experienced. Truly fantastic in every respect, this lodge and guide service is my first choice any time I visit Alaska.
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Tips, tactics, gear reviews for everything from bass and bluegills to stripers and bluefish - if it's fishing related, we cover it.

domain: travel


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Meatco reinstates 15% VAT on cattle procured at the Windhoek abattoir
15 Jun 2018
Due to the current confusion and room for various interpretations regarding the directive on VAT, Meatco has decided to reinstate the payment of 15% VAT on all cattle transactions at the abattoir until an industry-led process of clarifying the intention of the directive has been finalized.
All cattle delivered to the abattoir from 15 April onwards and invoices that were subsequently zero-rated will thus be recalculated and send out to producers within the month and all monies due will be paid at the end of June.
Cattle delivered to Meatco from 10 June 2018 will be invoiced including 15% VAT going forward.
The practice of self-invoicing cattle transactions will be continued by Meatco, but a formal request to continue the practice will be motivated to the Commissioner for approval.
Meatco implemented zero-rated Vat on all cattle transactions with the Windhoek abattoir from 15 April following a directive received from the Commissioner: Inland Revenue Department.
But Meatco received many different reactions and interpretations following the implementation of the directive, which prompted management to set up a meeting with the Commissioner for him to shed more light on the interpretation of the Act and directive issued in regard of zero-rated VAT and the practice of self-invoicing.
During the meeting, the Commissioner informed Meatco that he has received similar requests from the industry to shed more light on the directive issued.


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Dandy Dungeon - Legend of Brave Yamada - All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos News Guides Reviews 1 in Group Chat View Stats. Yamada-kun (Age 36) is a game programmer who hates his job. Alone in his apartment, he toils to create his own game: an RPG, where he is the hero, Brave Yamada!
Presenting me with a character that looks like a pixelated Mario in his underpants, I really did not know what to make of Dandy Dungeon when I first started.It grabbed me right from the get-go all the same; its obscurity as charming as its rough pixel art style. A simple RPG infused with a hilarious reality-twisting story, I can guarantee that you won’t have played anything else quite like Dandy Dungeon – and it’s all the better for it.Playing as underpants-wearing Mario-lookalike Yamada, the game starts as our protagonist loses his job as a video game developer. But it’s okay: now he can stay at home all day working on his indie game project – Dandy Dungeon. The gameplay takes the form of you beta-testing Yamada’s game, moving through dungeons, unlocking new items, and gaining EXP for Yamada, which in turn allows him to add new features to the game. Dandy Dungeon itself is incredibly simplistic yet brilliant. Each dungeon is nothing more than one grid made up of squares with a few obstacles and enemies filling some of them.
Your task is to draw a path through each of the squares, starting at the entrance and ending at the exit. You’ll get a bonus if you can pass through each square, killing enemies and collecting loot along the way.
Once you’ve set your path there’s nothing else you can do besides use a limited number of items in your inventory, or fast-forward the action.Like any good RPG though, the true meat of Dandy Dungeon comes through collecting new items and upgrading what you’ve got. You only have four pieces of equipment: a weapon, a helmet, body armour and a shield.
But finding higher-level equipment, ones that offer better skills, and levelling them up to improve them further, is the real joy of the game. You’ll forever be chasing a new piece of armour, or a particular item that you’ll need to upgrade your current weapon.Certain pieces of equipment are part of a ‘set’ – i.e. A samurai helmet and body armour that, when worn together, will offer a special bonus. Those bonuses will increase one or more of your stats in some way, be it more health or damage, or a boost to your critical hit damage or luck. Higher level items might also have their own unique skills – for example, there’s a shield that, when levelled up, will make you resistant to sleep attacks. Finding pieces of equipment that offer you these bonuses is key to success.Progression through the game depends wholly on your equipment.
Aside from Yamada’s level as a developer, you have no permanent levelling system as the hero. You do gain XP as you progress through each dungeon, but you’ll always start at level one each time. That means the only upgrades to your damage, defence and health come from your equipped items.Upgrading equipment is a core area of Dandy Dungeon.
Upgrades cost money, but they also require other items to be absorbed. Pretty much any item in your inventory can be used to upgrade; some items exist purely as upgrade material, but other pieces of armour or weapons can be used up to upgrade another, too.
Every one has a rating out of five stars; the higher the rating, the more upgrade experience it’ll pass on. The higher level your item already is, however, the more money it’ll cost to upgrade. High level items can cost thousands to upgrade, so some strategy is required in being as efficient as possible with an upgrade. One five-star diamond, for example, can fully upgrade an item in just one go, costing you the minimum 60 coins for upgrading a level one item.
But if you use five common items to upgrade, which may only take you from level one to two, it’ll cost you 60 coins per item. That 60 coin cost massively increases with each level, so if you aren’t savvy, you’ll end up spending tens of thousands on fully upgrading just one item.Once items reach their max level, some can be evolved into a more powerful version of that item. To evolve, you’ll need a specific series of items, some of which will be unique – and that means farming particular dungeons to find what you need. Once you’ve evolved an item, it’ll start again at level 1, and will have a higher level cap to upgrade to.Dandy Dungeon‘s upgrade system, then, is both a blessing and a curse. Finding high level upgrade materials, or the specific items you need to evolve an item, means repeating the same dungeons multiple times. Playing through the game, I reached a couple of walls that meant farming for gold and upgrade materials in order to be able to get any further.
It can be a little frustrating to have to keep going back and repeating the same actions, but each dungeon only takes a couple of minutes to complete. Finding rare items is always a boon, and when you are finally able to upgrade your items enough to progress, it’s a real feeling of achievement.I’ve briefly mentioned it, but Dandy Dungeon‘s quirky presentation is (almost) enough by itself to make this a must-play game. Packed full of humour, hilariously over the top characters and a delightful story that covers both Yamada’s “real world” and his in-progress game world, it’ll have you chuckling throughout. The characters that Yamada meets in the real world end up fused into the game – his old work boss, for example, becomes a dungeon boss; and his love interest is the princess that needs to be saved. Sea hero quest for mac. Even the quaint “great-o!” and “amazing-u!” proclamations that are sounded out when you complete a level are hard not to smile at.For £20/$25, Dandy Dungeon: The Legend of Brave Yamada packs in plenty of content.
It’s taken me about 15 hours to see the credits roll, but even now there’s better equipment for me to aim for and higher scores to aspire to. It’s not your usual dungeon-crawling RPG, and it might not be much of a looker, but Dandy Dungeon is a hell of a lot of fun. It’ll get its quirky little claws in you and refuse to let go.Dandy Dungeon: The Legend of Brave Yamada is available on Nintendo Switch.
*** A tale of naked bravery, complete at last! ***
Only the dark lord stands between one middle aged-man and his quest for true love!
Become Yamada-kun, a 36 year old programmer at a major games company who hates his job, as he transforms himself into the star of his own delusional dungeon-delving video game!
And don’t forget your quest for the love of your charming neighbour, Maria! Will love conquer all?
Spring 2020 will see a gigantic update for Dandy Dungeon, originally released in June 2019!
The update will see ‘Dandy Dungeon II: The Phantom Bride’ added to the base game, completing our brave hero’s tale at last!
[What is Dandy Dungeon?]
*A rogue-like with simple mechanics and hard-core depth!
*Oodles of content: more than 90 dungeon types, over 560 weapons & armour and 260+ monsters
*Experience a unique harmony of chip-tunes and humming?! Over 130 tracks!
*Heaven’s Door: a 99 floor, post-game challenge dungeon!
*Collaborations galore! Meet RPG composer Nobuo Uematsu and Touhou Project’s Zun too!
Truth be told, Dandy Dungeon’s simplistic exterior belies a game with many hidden depths. Winning or losing is all down to the player. Kudos reserve pinot 2017. You’ll need to know all about the magic-reflecting Magic Barrier, the inescapable wrath of Thunderall, the all-powerful draw of the Magnet, the penetrating attack of the spear, the all-powerful blow of the axe and the like in order to conquer the game’s dungeons.
Dungeon crawling is simply a matter of tracing a single path through each floor, but it’s not as simple as all that! We crammed every inch of the game’s 5x5 grid-based roguelike dungeons with variety!
Middle-aged man music..? Middle-aged jingles?!
Yamada’s world is full of weird and wonderful sounds, from the start of a dungeon, the discovery of a danger zone, levelling up and Yamada’s mysterious shouts of ‘Arabesque!’.
Wundabaraba baba scat tunes for the boss monsters, the Indian programming genius’ tune, and let’s not forget that song from the Mysterious Hard Labor Zone… Who on earth greenlit all these oddball tunes?
The comic-prince of chiptunes, Keichi Sugiyama joins forces with Enka BOSSA’s founder and singer, Caorinho Fujiwara to create an audio experience you won’t find elsewhere! And mystery singer Nagasa Bonus, whose smooth voice flows over the chiptunes of the English version’s theme song: ”Retrograde life”.
36 year old Yamada-kun is a programmer at a major games company who hates his job. Deep into every night, alone in his apartment, he works on his own game: a delusional dungeon delving RPG where he is the hero; Brave Yamada!
Then,oOne day, he falls in love at first sight with his new neighbor Maria-chan and in an effort to nurture these feelings, adds Princess Maria into his delusional dungeon game!
Will Yamada-kun and Maria-chan find love?
Is destiny pre-programmed, or randomly generated? Is love a bug or a feature?


Rise in people living in temporary accommodation due to '˜systematic erosion of funding'
The number of people living in temporary accommodation in Hastings has increased by almost 25 per cent in the past 12 months, according to figures released by homeless charity Crisis.
The figures showed a total of 92 people in the town were living in temporary accommodation in 2018, up by 18 since the end of 2017.
This figure has increased by more than 600 per cent since 2010 when 13 people were living in temporary accommodation, according to Crisis figures.
Councillor Andy Batsford, Hastings Borough Council’s portfolio holder for housing, said the increase was ‘well predicted’ due to the ‘systematic erosion of funding by this government’.
He said: “The sad increase in those Hastings residents needing to access temporary accommodation was well predicted in advance of these figures being published. The systematic erosion of funding to the support agencies and networks by this government coupled with the introduction of the ill thought out universal credits has brewed a perfect storm leaving families and individuals vulnerable and exposed to the threat of homelessness.
“I’m proud of the proactive and multi-agency approach the housing officers at Hastings council have always taken, in some respect trail blazing well before the Homelessness Act was introduced, but there is always more to be done and we are determined within the new homelessness strategy we will continue to provide a service that is not only reactive in times of crisis but actively address those issues for residents that threaten their secure homes.”
Councillor Batsford referred to the Homelessness Reduction Act which was implemented by the Government in April.
The act was designed to place additional duties on housing authorities to provide more support in the form of personalised plans earlier in the eviction process. The Government provided local authorities across England with £61 million over 2017/18 and 2018/19 to support the implementation of the act.
However, Hastings Borough Council said there was ‘widespread concern’ the proposed funding would be insufficient to meet the new responsibilities.
In July 2017, a new Flexible Homelessness Support Grant (FHSG) was awarded to Hastings Borough Council by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to help cover the additional costs associated with temporary housing costs for homeless households, according to documents seen by this newspaper.
The ring-fenced grant was fixed for a period of two years to 2019 to ‘help minimise the impact of additional accommodation costs on authorities’.
Council figures showed homeless applications in Hastings had risen by 120 per cent to 579 since 2013/2014, while the number of people rough sleeping had climbed 73 per cent to 26 in the same period.
Since 2014, the average cost of a one-bed property in the town had risen by 37 per cent, while the average rent for a one-bed property had increased by 42 per cent, council figures showed.
Hastings Borough Council put the main reason for homelessness in the town down to the ‘loss of rented or tied accommodation due to termination of assured short hold tenancy’ which accounted for 115 of the 579 homeless applications.


In response to the April 19 letter "NRA Didn't Sway Votes": Writer Peter Spinner has missed the point. He acknowledges the NRA's lies, rhetorically asks whether senators receive copies of the bills, and wants to know if they are "really so stupid or illiterate that they had to rely on lobbyists to tell them what they were voting for."
Here's the missed point: the lies were meant to deceive constituents, not their elected legislators. Those who are lied to are encouraged to contact their senators and representatives, and many do. This is how the NRA gets its leverage; many of the senators worry that voters who believe the propaganda will vote against them in the next election if they vote yes on any gun control bill, even a benign one.
Gary T. McMahon, Newington


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Drawing more than 500 attendees from across the country, the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association annual meeting and expo that took place this week in Boston presented timely topics, access to policymakers and an important decision: the industry trade group has advised its members of recommended guidance on light underwriting for tax and insurance on Home Equity Conversion Mortgage loans.
The decision was announced Monday after NRMLA board members met on the topic.
“The announcement was the least of it,” said Peter Bell, NRMLA president and CEO. “It’s the coming to understand exactly what’s going on and the importance of updating the way we do the reverse mortgage busness to recognize we need to have some basis for qualifying applicants. I think it was the responsible decision.”
Other conference sessions covered topics from online marketing to a face-to-face counseling mandate for certain HECM borrowers in Massachusetts. Attendees heard from Department of Housing and Urban Development representatives including Federal Housing Administration Acting Commissioner Carol Galante as well as HUD’s Karin Hill, Office of Single Family Program Development director; Colin Cushman, director of portfolio analysis; and several representatives from HUD’s servicing team.
In her address of the industry, Galante stated strong support for the HECM program as well as for the restoration of housing counseling funds that were slashed by Congress earlier this year.
“Carol is someone who has been a user of HUD programs and actively engaged in a company involved in HUD programs,” Bell said, noting Galante’s former roles in the private sector. “Even though she’s only been in the job three months, she comes in with a lot more upfront knowledge than others who have been in that job,” he said.
Also discussed at the conference was the status of housing counseling funding, currently under discussion by Congress. Galante stressed the importance of regaining the funds and noted her strong efforts on Capitol Hill toward that end.
Overall, the conference was well received, Bell said, with attendance exceeding expectations, especially in light of the economic time.
“As staff, we felt it was a good meeting,” he said. “A lot of [attendees] said the sessions were the best they’ve ever been.”
Written by Elizabeth Ecker

domain: economics


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We're delighted to share that Jim Crace's beautiful novel, HARVEST has been longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
142 books have been nominated by libraries worldwide for the €100,000 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award, the world’s most valuable annual literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English. Nominations for the 2015 Award include 49 novels in translation with works by 37 American, 19 British, 9 Canadian, 9 Australian and 7 Italian authors. Organised by Dublin City Council, the 2015 Award was launched today by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke, Patron of the Award, at a ceremony in The Dublin City Library & Archive.
The Award is managed by Dublin City Council’s library service. Margaret Hayes, Dublin City Librarian, announced that the 142 books eligible for the 2015 award were nominated by libraries in 114 cities and 39 countries worldwide; noting that ‘49 are titles in translation, spanning 16 languages and 29 are first novels. Readers at home and abroad will find new books and new authors on the longlist, and they can pit themselves against the international panel of judges and pick their own favourite, before the Lord Mayor announces the twentieth winner on 17th June next year’.
As late summer steals in and the final pearls of barley are gleaned, a village comes under threat. A trio of outsiders – two men and a dangerously magnetic woman – arrives on the woodland borders and puts up a make-shift camp. That same night, the local manor house is set on fire.
Over the course of seven days, Walter Thirsk sees his hamlet unmade: the harvest blackened by smoke and fear, the new arrivals cruelly punished, and his neighbours held captive on suspicion of witchcraft. But something even darker is at the heart of his story, and he will be the only man left to tell it . . .
Told in Jim Crace’s hypnotic prose, Harvest evokes the tragedy of land pillaged and communities scattered, as England’s fields are irrevocably enclosed. Timeless yet singular, mythical yet deeply personal, this beautiful novel of one man and his unnamed village speaks for a way of life lost for ever.

domain: library


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We recently launched our Positive Dog Trainer Academy, with our first trainers in training attending our induction evening. Working with our day care dogs, you will gain practical experience alongside learning the latest training methods via an easy to follow syllabus of written learning material. Working at your own pace you will learn more about dogs from handling, to obedience training to learning behaviours.
If you would like to join us your will need to be able to commit to around three hours per week Mon-Sat between 9am and 6pm. email firstname.lastname@example.org to register your interest.
Below is a small sample of what we discussed on our induction evening.
When handling and training dogs we only use force free/aversive free methods.
We do not use any form of physical punishment or corrections.
We do not uphold the dominance theory.
We do not use balanced training techniques.
We use modern scientific evidenced based training and behaviour modification.
We do not put dogs into situations unsuitable for them.
Aversive : Causing avoidance of a thing, situation, or behaviour by using an unpleasant or punishing stimulus, as in techniques of behaviour modification.
When training or handling dogs we do not add an outside influence to stop a behaviour. If an outside influence stops a behaviour it is highly likely that that influence is aversive to that individual dog. Example: Using a water spray bottle to stop a dog jumping up – if the dog stops jumping up and avoids the situation and spray bottle this would be aversive to that individual dog.
We do not train with fear and intimidation. We teach a dog what to do not tell it what not to do.
Positive reinforcement is a training method where we add a reward to a situation to reinforce a behaviour we like.
Positive = add something +
Negative = take away something -
Positive reinforcement works alongside negative punishment. We add (+) our affection when a jumping up dog sits. We take away (-) our affection and ignore the dog when it jumps.
This reinforces the right behaviour we want, but does not give any reinforcement to the wrong behaviour.
Dogs behave out of habit and emotional responses. Behaviours repeat themselves due to reinforcement. Behaviours stop because of no reinforcement or are supressed through aversive punishments. When a dog behaves out of an emotional response to a stimulus this is called classic conditioning. When a dog behaves through a learnt behaviour using its brain to a stimulus this is called operant conditioning. When a behaviourist changes a dogs emotional response to a stimulus to a new response this is called counter conditioning.
Going for a walk:
A dog sees it’s owner take out it’s lead for a walk. The dog’s natural emotional response to this is excitement and is displayed through jumping up and running around. This is a classically conditioned response. We now train the dog to sit and wait patiently for it’s lead to come out and be put on. The dog is still excited however, is now choosing to sit and wait for the reinforcement (the walk). This is an operant conditioned response.
A dog reactive dog:
The initial emotional response is fear and this is shown by the dog reacting with growling, barking and lunging. A classically conditioned response. We work with the dog and produce food when other dogs enter the vicinity. The dog now associates the arrival of other dogs with the food being produced. This changes the emotional response to the arrival of other dogs from scary to tasty. This is counter conditioning – modifying a new emotional response.
Clicker training is a method of dog training using a small device to make a short distinctive click to mark a desired behaviour, the click marks the exact behaviour and the dog associates this with the reward that is given. Clicker training has been proven to be one, if not the best way to train many intelligent animals especially in the early stages of learning something new.
Click DURING the desired behaviour – timing is everything during clicker training!
Dogs who are clicker trained are acting out of purpose to earn a reward not out of habit. Meaning that as a dog is learning or has learnt something new they are actively thinking and choosing to display the behaviour, which is much more effective, than doing something out of habit.
Dogs who are trained with the use of a clicker are enthusiastic and want to learn new behaviours, they even remember behaviours years later as they were aware of them as they leaned them. They become more confident as they have some control over the outcome of their actions. Leaving you with a happier, healthier, better trained dog.
When rewarding your dog your reward must match your environment. In certain circumstances your reward must be better than the distractions around you. When training a dog it is important that we advance our environments slowly. This can be as simple as perfecting a behaviour inside the house then moving to learn the same behaviour in the garden. You would not teach a behaviour at home and then expect your dog to be able to perform the behaviour in the middle of a park with multiple distractions.
Most dogs like food and good quality dog treats, make sure to use a higher value treat in new environments with multiple distractions. For example in the home you may use a standard kibble, but training out on the street you would want to use something more tasty that your dog would rarely get the chance to eat. The more demanding the situation the higher value treat you would use. Rewards don't always have to be food based, we use affection, toys, balls etc... We can can use whatever works on a particular dog. We would also phase the use of treats out as the dog progresses through their training.
Want to learn more? Email your interest at email@example.com


text:
Seemed longer than that…
Hearing of the shootings hundreds of miles away, UW-Madison students responded with rallies calling for an end to the Vietnam War. For days in early May 1970, they torched buildings, broke windows and threw rocks at police. Police used tear gas liberally and the governor called for the National Guard to occupy campus.
You knew it, too, right.
No doubt this will be changed soon.
[UPDATE: Yep, they did! Heh. Here’s the tweet that referred to the original headline.]

domain: sociology


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Bachelorette Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron had tongues wagging after he reportedly spent the night at her place in L.A. last week. Fans were even more surprised, however, when Tyler was spotted with model Gigi Hadid in NYC just days later!
“Extra” caught up with Hannah, who would only say this about the night she spent with Tyler and the photos of them outside her place the next day: “We had some drinks… there were pictures, yeah.”
As for whether they have a future together, she gave the perfect response: “I’m keeping my options open.”
Brown insisted, “I don’t know… I am more concerned about my future and the opportunities I have as a single woman.”
Hannah also reacted to news of Jed’s ex-girlfriend praising her for the way she has handled their relationship. Brown said, “I want to move on from that, and I want him to be able to move on and his ex to be able to move on from this… He made some bad decisions. I wish him well moving forward.”
She wants to use her pain for good, saying, “Using this platform that I have been given and the conversation I have started continues to fill my cup and fill other women’s cups as well.”
Hannah also wants other women to feel “empowered to be worthy and not settle.”
Getting ready for the new season of “Bachelor in Paradise,” she said, “I expect for there to be a lot of drama and John Paul Jones to be a star. I can’t wait to watch.” She teased, “You might see me there.”
“Bachelor in Paradise” starts tonight at 8 p.m.
For more, visit BachelorNation.com.


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Aviva PLC cut its position in shares of Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM) by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 80,360 shares of the technology infrastructure company’s stock after selling 2,663 shares during the quarter. Aviva PLC’s holdings in Akamai Technologies were worth $5,878,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Gideon Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in Akamai Technologies by 95.8% during the 3rd quarter. Gideon Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 9,187 shares of the technology infrastructure company’s stock worth $672,000 after acquiring an additional 4,494 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Ltd. grew its position in Akamai Technologies by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pictet Asset Management Ltd. now owns 86,036 shares of the technology infrastructure company’s stock worth $6,294,000 after acquiring an additional 1,300 shares during the last quarter. Korea Investment CORP grew its position in Akamai Technologies by 69.1% during the 3rd quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 261,758 shares of the technology infrastructure company’s stock worth $19,148,000 after acquiring an additional 106,927 shares during the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp grew its position in shares of Akamai Technologies by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 12,783 shares of the technology infrastructure company’s stock worth $935,000 after buying an additional 724 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Capital Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Akamai Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $365,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.47% of the company’s stock.
A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AKAM. TheStreet upgraded Akamai Technologies from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Friday, November 16th. Zacks Investment Research reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $83.00 price objective on shares of Akamai Technologies in a research report on Monday, November 12th. BidaskClub lowered Akamai Technologies from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 8th. ValuEngine lowered Akamai Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 6th. Finally, Piper Jaffray Companies set a $94.00 price objective on Akamai Technologies and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Akamai Technologies currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.44.
AKAM opened at $66.65 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.19 billion, a PE ratio of 35.08, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.03 and a quick ratio of 2.03. Akamai Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $56.31 and a 52 week high of $83.08.
Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ:AKAM) last released its earnings results on Monday, October 29th. The technology infrastructure company reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $669.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $664.17 million. Akamai Technologies had a return on equity of 12.06% and a net margin of 8.39%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.62 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Akamai Technologies, Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Akamai Technologies declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Monday, October 29th that permits the company to repurchase $1.10 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the technology infrastructure company to buy up to 10.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.
In other news, SVP Aaron Ahola sold 1,122 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.81, for a total value of $76,082.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 4,035 shares in the company, valued at approximately $273,613.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert Blumofe sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.34, for a total value of $293,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 15,951 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,169,846.34. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 64,544 shares of company stock valued at $4,561,298. 3.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
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About Akamai Technologies
Akamai Technologies, Inc provides cloud services for delivering, optimizing, and securing content and business applications over the Internet in the United States and internationally. The company offers Web and mobile performance solutions, such as Ion, a situational performance solution; Dynamic Site Accelerator that helps in consistent Website performance; Image Manager that automatically optimizes online images; CloudTest to conduct load testing and other analysis of Websites in a pre-production environment; mPulse that provides real-time Website performance data to provide insight about end-user experiences on a Website; and Global Traffic Management, a fault-tolerant solution.
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Stagecoach to bid for Connex routes
A RAIL company sacked for failing commuters may be replaced by one with an even worse time-keeping record. Stagecoach - owner of South West Trains - wants to take over the Connex routes when the French-owned company's franchise expires in six months.
Connex was sacked by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) on the grounds that it 'failed to deliver on financial management issues'.
Stagecoach is understood to be 'seriously' considering the bid. It is the poor performance of SWT which will most concern the 500,000 commuters who use the Connex routes each day.
SWT had one of the worst records of all 10 operators serving London with only 71.3% of peak-time trains on time compared with Connex which ran 77.5% on schedule. When all-day figures are compared, SWT could manage only 72% on time compared with the 81.2% for Connex.
There was jubilation among commuters when the SRA announced it had axed Connex - joy that will now be drastically tempered.
David Cook, who commutes from Dartford to his office near Bond Street, said: 'This is the last thing we wanted to hear. We need someone to improve time-keeping, not let it get even worse.'
A spokesman for the SRA said it was not yet known who would bid. He said: 'We want some strong bidders.'
SWT may face a fight for the franchise from another major industry player, First Group, which operates the Great Western and Great Eastern rail franchises.
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Tacos al Pastor are one of Mexico’s culinary gems, and their history is as rich and varied as their flavor. While many immediately associate them with Mexican cuisine, few know that their origin lies in the Eastern Arabic influence, adapted with native Mexican ingredients.
Despite being an iconic dish in Mexico City and many other parts of the country, Tacos al Pastor are not an ancestral food. Their history dates back to the arrival of Lebanese immigrants to Mexico in the 20th century.
These immigrants brought with them the tradition of cooking meat on a vertical spit, similar to shawarma. Over time, Mexicans adapted this technique and began using pork instead of lamb, marinating it with local spices and chilies, giving birth to what we know today as Tacos al Pastor.
Tacos al pastor recipe: Ingredients and Preparation
For the marinade:
- 2/3 cup of natural orange juice (preferably from sour oranges)
- 1/3 cup of vinegar (ideally mild like cane, apple, or diluted wine)
- 1 onion (use only half if it’s very large)
- 2 garlic cloves
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of pepper (white or black)
- 20 achiote grains
- 1 clove
- 7 small red chilies (spicy or not, as preferred)
For the taco:
- Corn tortillas (quantity as preferred)
- 2 onions
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- Taco sauce to taste (green or red, spicy or not)
- 1 pineapple
- 1 lb of pork loin (alternatively, leg or head meat)
- 1 plate of lemons, halved
- Slice the pork into small strips or thin sheets.
- Open the chilies with a knife to remove seeds and veins. Soak in hot water for several minutes to soften.
- Wash and chop the onion. Peel the garlic.
- Blend all the marinade ingredients.
- Mix the marinade with the meat in a container. If necessary, add water to cover the meat. Let marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.
- Before cooking, wash and chop the cilantro. Peel and chop the onion and pineapple.
- Cook the meat on a hot griddle over high heat for a quick cook. Move the pieces to cook both sides.
- Warm the tortillas on the griddle using the meat’s fat.
- Serve the meat on the tortillas, add onion, cilantro, and pineapple slices. Accompany with lemons and sauce to taste.
Nutritional Information (per taco):
- Calories: 95 kcal
- Proteins: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fats: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugars: 3 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
Note: The nutritional information is an estimate based on the provided ingredients and may vary depending on the exact amounts and brands of products used.
You may also like: How to prepare Mexican pico de gallo sauce recipe
With information from keviniscooking.com


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The Joker director was recently shown the exit door and is no longer the editor of KJo’s upcoming film
Looks like Shirish Kunder’s professional career has hit rock bottom. First his Akshay Kumar- Sonakshi Sinha starrer Joker tanked at the box office. Then Shirish was kicked out from Salman Khan’s Kick. And now Farah Khan’s hubby has lost one more plum project. Our khabroo tells us that there were creative differences between Kunder and Karan Johar. Apparently, Shirish was also taking too long to edit the film which didn’t go too well with the makers of Emraan Hashmi starrer. Finally, KJo and director Rensil D’Silva decided to look for a replacement as problems kept growing between them and the Tees Maar Khan producer-writer.
Reportedly, Karan has now roped in director Amol Gupte’s wife Deepa Bhatia as the editor for his film. The duo earlier worked together on My Name Is Khan and Student of the Year. In fact, buzz is that Deepa has already started working on Ungli. As for Mr Kunder, he is focusing on his next directorial project, we hear.
We wish all the luck to Shirish for his next venture, after all he needs it the most, right?


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Finally!!! A nice, clean, new motel in Lamar. Rooms are the standard Holiday Inn Express with nice clean bathrooms and fluffy towels, clean bedspreads, etc.. The breakfast is fine, could use some fresh fruit but the hot items are adequate. Our only complaint, and a small one at that, is the second morning at breakfast, the lady in charge seemed a bit overwhelmed although the motel was not near full and the eating area had only three tables being used when we were there. She did a lot of scurrying back and forth and unable to find forks, spoons, etc. that others had requested. When another table asked if there was any yogurt left, she sort of snapped at them. As I say, this is a very minor complaint and we were very satisfied with our stay.
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with IHG, Expedia, Travel Republic (UK), Hotels.com, TripOnline SA, getaroom.com, Ebookers, HotelQuickly and Evoline ltd so you can book your Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Lamar reservations with confidence. We help millions of travellers each month to find the perfect hotel for both holiday and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Holiday Inn Express Hotel And Suites Lamar


text: Siem Reap airport arrival taxi. Private arrival transfer from Siem Reaps airport to town or departure shuttle from hotels Siem Reap international airport. We're providing the safety mode ground taxi between Siem Reap airport and hotels of provincial in Siem Reap. Please book your arrival taxi and departure driver for safe and secure advance online and pay on arrival in cash. Do you need ground transfer between?. I AM Cambodia Taxi is your private safe taxi. We'll be able to arrange to suit your needs. provide offer all type Vehicles from Sedan, SUV Lexus, Highlander, Minivan passengers request.


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Cyberpunk 2077's Install Size Might Be Larger Than You Think
Cyberpunk 2077's install size allegedly hovers around 80 GB.
With the upcoming PAX gameplay reveal, the excitement for Cyberpunk 2077 isn't ending anytime soon, especially as we learn more new details, such as how the map is smaller but more tightly packed than The Witcher 3 and how the character creator allows non-binary gender options. While the game won't arrive until April 2020, players may need to start making preparations for the massive first-person shooter. Quite literally, as the game's install size allegedly hovers around 80 GB.
The European PlayStation Store reveals the 80 GB minimum required to install the game. It's possible the install size is an inaccurate placeholder, as Reddit user PhoOhThree allegedly confirmed in the Cyberpunk Discord that CD Projekt Red isn't "done with the game" and that the install size "can be more or less at the end."
CD Projekt Red's 2015 action-RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with all its free and paid DLC, requires at least 50 GB minimum to install. The Polish developer has made no official announcement on the size of the game.
Prolific action star Keanu Reeves, who plays "legendary rockerboy" Johnny Silverhand, appeared on Microsoft's Xbox stage during E3 2019 to reveal the game's release date. In the meantime, a free Cyberpunk 2077 theme is available now on PSN.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.


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Envelope Cookies and Other Desserts
I have some really cool cookies for Valentines Day! I made these last year and everyone that ordered was very creative with their messages! I loved every minute of it. I even had two proposals where men added their engagement rings inside. Very creative way to propose I thought!
They are $8 each. Please fill out the contact form for your Valentines Day orders!
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This post will be a little different than the majority of what can be found here, but this was just so delicious I had to share. And I don't discriminate, so boom. One thing many people know about me is that I love to cook. And you will find this out within the first five seconds of meeting because I am either trying to feed you something I made, show you a picture of something I made, or give you a recipe of something I have made...or all of the above. And if you don't love my food...run. Fast.
I have been seeing a lot of posts lately (this isn't necessarily a new trend, but for whatever reason, I have been seeing it pop it more recently...probably because I have some more free time to browse the world wide web of DIYs and new recipes to try) of quick recipes to make in a mug. I have seen cakes in a mug, muffins in a mug, brownies in a mug...but the one thing that I needed in my life at the very moment I had seen it was...mac and cheese in a mug. Amen.
::Cue the drool::
MMMMHHHHHHHHM, YEP. I DID THAT.
Okay, so I had to *try* to make it ~healthy~ so I used whole wheat elbows in place of regular pasta. Another thing to know about me is that when it comes to cooking, I am impatient and do not follow directions. I think that applies to many things in my life, but let's just stick to one thing at a time here ....for now. The original recipe called for x amount of pasta, x amount of water, and blah blah, you know what is in macaroni and cheese.
And...I didn't make this in a mug because I was friggin' starving so I made it in a bowl. Really, you can just throw a handful of pasta in a bowl, cover it with water, microwave it and stir it around, microwave it some more until it is tender. This amount took about 5 minutes for the pasta to cook. I didn't have skim milk on hand, but I used fat free half and half poured just a splash(ish) in with *ahem* some cheese and microwaved it for a little longer, maybe 35-45 seconds, stirred it up until it was melty enough for me and BOOM. Instant mac and cheese...made with real food. Not powdered junk.
Also, I threw on some crispy onion salad toppers because why not? I am an adult, I do what I want. No rules.
This was so tasty and so quick and so accessible that I had it a second night that same week. Something that good has to be good for me, right? Right.


The official art book for the animated movie The Amazing Maurice, based on the Carnegie Medal-winning Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett
Maurice is a streetwise talking tomcat who comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of talking rats and finding a dumb-looking kid who plays a pipe. When Maurice and company reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, they meet a bookworm called Malicia and their scheme soon goes down the drain.
The Art of the Film is a coffee table hardback celebration of the creative process of bringing The Amazing Maurice to life, including exclusive concept designs, character sketches, storyboards and production art, alongside insight from the artists, filmmakers and directors.
About the Author
Ramin Zahed is an LA-based author and journalist who specializes in animation, VFX, pop culture, and indie films. The Editor in Chief of Animation Magazine, he has written for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Sight and Sound, and others. Among his recent books are Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse The Art of the Movie, The Art of Captain Underpants, The Art of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, The Art of Boss Baby, and J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World: Movie Magic Vol. 2.


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Home / India News / Reuters’ claim of India calling Army to run Covid facilities is ‘far from reality’: Government
The union government has issued a denial to a Reuters news report, carried two days ago on Wednesday, claiming the Centre had called in the Indian Army to run covid-19 treatment and management facilities in Delhi as the number of positive cases were on a rise. The home ministry denial has termed the Reuters report as “far away from reality” and clarified that only medical personnel belonging to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been summoned to assist at some medical facilities in Delhi.
“Reuters headline says “India calls in Army to run facilities in Delhi as cases surge”. This news is far away from reality. Note: Army has not been called in, only medical personnel of Armed Forces & CAPF have been asked to assist at some medical facilities in Delhi,” an official statement from the home ministry said on Friday.
The Reuters news story published on Wednesday referred to the temporary Covid care treatment centre erected at the Radha Soami Beas premises in south Delhi and the railway coaches converted into Covid wards, to say they were among the facilities designated to be handled by the armed forces.
“These include a 10,000 bed facility hosted at a religious centre and railway coaches turned into wards,” the report said.
For Coronavirus Live Updates
It also quoted home minister Amit Shah to substantiate its misleading headline.
‘“Armed forces personnel have been detailed for providing medical care and attention to Covid-19 patients housed in the railway coaches in Delhi,” Home Minister Amit Shah said,’ said the Reuters story.
On Wednesday, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) had taken over the charge of managing the temporary treatment centre created on the premises of Radha Soami Beas establishment in Chhatarpur area in Delhi on the request of the home ministry.
ITBP chief visits India’s largest Covid 19 care centre with 10,000 beds, says force will deal with any challenge
ITBP has deployed around 1,000 of its medical professionals including doctors, nurses and paramedic staff to work at the facility, created to meet the challenges of the rising number of infections in Delhi.
“India reported 16,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday (Jun 24), its highest daily increase since the outbreak began, and the government called in the army to manage new treatment centres with thousands of additional hospital beds in New Delhi,” said the Reuters story, published as it is by several international media organizations, such as Channel News Asia based in Singapore and The Dawn of Pakistan.
This is not the first such assignment handled by ITBP, which also created and ran the Chhawla quarantine centre in the national capital, which was created more than two months ago for Indians evacuated from China and Italy.
Indian Army has also been helping the civil administration in Covid containment efforts with its medical facilities and staff.


Older women who take vitamin D3 supplements may benefit from increased survival, a new review in the Cochrane Library suggests.
Scientists at the University of Nis in Serbia and the Copenhagen Trial Unit in Denmark analysed the findings of 50 clinical trials, involving more than 94,000 people.
Participants were typically around 74 years of age and 79 per cent were female.
The researchers found that, overall, supplementation with vitamin D3 was associated with improved survival, particularly among older women in institutional care.
Dr Goran Bjelakovic, who conducted the review, revealed that a recent Cochrane review had been unable to find an effect of taking vitamin D on mortality.
'Our analyses suggest that vitamin D3 reduces mortality by about six per cent,' he confirmed.
'This means that you need to give about 200 people vitamin D3 for around two years to save one additional life.'
Vitamin D is found in some foods, including oily fish, eggs and fortified products.
However, the majority of our vitamin D is formed by the body when the skin comes into contact with sunlight.
Older people and those who cover up their skin for cultural reasons often have low levels of vitamin D, prompting the UK government to recommend supplementation in these groups.