|Veröffentlichungsdatum||18. Febr. 2003|
|Eingetragen||3. Febr. 1998|
|Prioritätsdatum||4. Febr. 1997|
|Auch veröffentlicht unter||DE19703998A1, DE59814161D1, EP0891607A1, EP0891607B1, WO1998034201A1|
|Veröffentlichungsnummer||09155688, 155688, PCT/1998/295, PCT/DE/1998/000295, PCT/DE/1998/00295, PCT/DE/98/000295, PCT/DE/98/00295, PCT/DE1998/000295, PCT/DE1998/00295, PCT/DE1998000295, PCT/DE199800295, PCT/DE98/000295, PCT/DE98/00295, PCT/DE98000295, PCT/DE9800295, US 6522240 B1, US 6522240B1, US-B1-6522240, US6522240 B1, US6522240B1|
|Erfinder||Karl-Ernst Weiss, Heidrun Hacker, Stephan Schmitz|
|Ursprünglich Bevollmächtigter||Robert Bosch Gmbh|
|Zitat exportieren||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patentzitate (12), Referenziert von (10), Klassifizierungen (18), Juristische Ereignisse (6)|
|Externe Links: USPTO, USPTO-Zuordnung, Espacenet|
This application is a 371 of PCT/DE98/00295 filed Feb. 3, 1998.
A conventional device is described in European Patent Application No. 0 285 419 in the form of an access monitoring system. Through step-by-step query of the transponder code, the system described therein makes it possible for a query unit arranged in a device to unambiguously recognize an assigned transponder from a group of several transponders which are simultaneously located in the access range of the query unit. A change in the code present in the transponder using the query unit is not described.
A conventional method of this type is described in the German Patent Application No. 196 45 769.6, according to which a telecontrol device composed of a base station and an associated remote activating element allows the training of an additional control element by transferring code information from a main control element into the control element which is to be trained. Retraining is only possible if the main control element and the control element which is to be trained are brought into the range of the base station in a predetermined manner. Only the training of control elements which have not yet been assigned is presented. Influence on control elements which have already been assigned or on the manner of the assignment is not presented. The object of the present invention is to expand the assignment function in the above-described telecontrol device and to provide options for its configuration.
The method according to the present invention allows intervention in the assignment configuration between control element and base station depending solely on the presence of the main control element, independently of the state of assignment of a control element. In addition to reassignment of a control element, the base station advantageously allows the restriction of an assignment, conditional temporary override, agreement on an auxiliary code for easier influencing of the assignment, and selective or general erasing of assignments. The specific change that takes place is determined via a keyboard or preferably through the duration of the presence of the main control element in the range of the base station. An intervention in the assignment advantageously takes place only in one control element at a time. The control element is preferably suitable for being assigned to several base stations independently of each other.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a telecontrol device.
FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram illustrating an operation of the telecontrol device.
FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a training mode.
FIG. 4 shows a structure of a search signal.
FIG. 1 shows a base station 10 which is assigned to a piece of equipment and then controls its activation and/or access to it. A base station 10 can, for example, be a part of the access control system of an automobile or of a building, or it can belong to a computer, for example, or another appliance. A device which is here referred to as a control element 20 is functionally assigned to base station 10 and acts on it without physical contact. A control element 20 can, for example, be a transponder.
In base station 10 there is a transmit/receive device 11 for emitting and receiving signals which can be transmitted over a gap 30 without contact. Connected with its output is a decoder 12 which receives coded signals from the transmit/receive device for decoding. A memory 31 with the necessary information, in particular in the form of a cryptographic key code is assigned to decoder 12 for performing the decoding. The decoded signals are directed to a downstream microprocessor 13 which analyzes them and initiates subsequent actions depending on the results of the analysis. In particular, microprocessor is monitors the emission of signals through the transmit/receive device 11. A memory 15 is also assigned to microprocessor 13. Memory 15 contains, among other things, a serial number 16, a manufacturer code 17, and a register 18, 18H with the group numbers of the control elements 20 assigned to the base station and the manufacturer code 27 corresponding to these group numbers. Main actuation element 20H is registered at memory address 18H. Manufacturer code 17 is assigned by the manufacturer of the base station and identifies it uniquely. Serial number 16 is characteristic for base stations 10 and control elements 20 assigned to each other, while the group numbers serve to distinguish control elements 20 assigned to a common base station 10 with the same serial numbers. Memory 15 also has a location 32 for storing an auxiliary key code. As a rule, signals which are to be emitted through the transmit/receive device are coded. Between microprocessor 13 and transmit/receive device, an encoder 14 is connected for this purpose which is also connected with memory 31 for performing the coding. In addition, base station 10 has an input device 19 to make it possible for a user to access microprocessor 13. Input device 19 can, for example, be configured as a key pad, as shown in FIG. 1; any number of other configurations are equally possible.
Control element 20 has a transmit/receive device 21 corresponding to the transmit/receive device of the base station for the reception of signals emitted by base station 10 and/or emission of signals transmitted with no contact to base station 10. Like base station 10, a decoder 22 is connected downstream from transmit/receive device 21 for decoding coded signals. For performing the decoding, decoder 22 is connected to a memory 31, the contents of which correspond to that of the memory 31 of the base station and in which in particular the cryptographic key code is stored which is used for coding in base station 10. Also connected to decoder 22 is a microprocessor 24 which processes signals that enter through transmit/receive device 21 and decoder 22 and initiates subsequent actions depending on the results. Microprocessor 24 monitors in particular the signals transmitted to base station 10 through transmit/receive device 21. To exclude the possibility of being overheard or simulated, this as a rule takes place in coded form. For this purpose—as in the base station—an encoder 23 is connected between microprocessor 24 and transmit/receive device 21, the encoder also being connected with memory 31 for carrying out the coding function. Microprocessor 24 also has a memory device 25. The memory includes in particular a memory location 26 for storing a serial number, a memory location 25 for storing a group number, and a memory location 27 for storing a manufacturer code. The manufacturer code is issued by the manufacturer of control element 20 and identifies it uniquely. The serial number is a characteristic code for the overall device composed of base station 10 and control elements 20. It is advantageously set by the manufacturer or, if necessary, by the user of the overall device and is identical to the serial number 16 present in base station 10. The group number serves to distinguish several control elements 20 which have the same serial number. It is set by the user of base station 10 during use of the device. In memory 25, there is also use information 28 for definition of the scope of the function of the various control elements 20.
Included in particular are use restrictions with which the action radius for the validity of a control element 20, for example, is restricted to a certain value, the maximum velocity is limited, or the control element is temporarily blocked. Use information 28 can also alternatively be stored in memory 15 of the base station. Base station 10 calls it from there following assignment of control element 20. In addition, a reference signal 34 for a null-search signal is advantageously also stored in memory 25; control element 20 can be retrained using the null-search signal.
There is a gap 30 between base station 10 and control element 20 for transmission of signals, which are transmissible with no contact, between base-station and activation-element transmit/receive devices 11 and 21, respectively. Signals emanating from base-station transmit/receive device 11 reach all control elements 20 within its range simultaneously. Infrared signals or high-frequency signals are advantageously employed as signals.
Several control elements 20, each of which allow an authorized user to initiate and/or access the piece of equipment assigned to the base station, can be assigned to one base station 10.
One of control elements 20 is configured as main control element 20H and serves only for managing the other control elements 20. Its function as main control element 20H can, for example, be established via a special group number 16 which is issued by the manufacturer and is not available for the other control elements 20. The structural makeup of main control element 20H corresponds to that of control element 20 depicted in FIG. 2. However, it does not allow activation or access to the equipment assigned to base station 10, a use restriction being permanently stored in memory 25 of main control element 20H as use information 28. Like cryptographic key code 31, the information concerning the assignment which is stored in memory 25, i.e., manufacturer code 27 and serial number 16, it cannot be changed by the user. The main control element is further distinguished from the other control elements through a zone 33 in memory 25 in which information concerning the number of valid control elements 20 assigned to a base station 10 and their manufacturer codes 17 are stored.
Referring to the flow diagram shown in FIG. 2, the mode of operation of the device depicted in FIG. 1 is described below. The letters A, B, or C on each process step indicate whether the process takes place in base station 10: A, in control element 20: B, or in main control element 20H: C.
The assignment process is ordinarily initiated by the user through the activation of an electric or electro-optical trigger mechanism which is not depicted, Step 40. In the case of application in connection with the door of an automobile, the trigger mechanism, for example, can be the activation of the door handle. On the basis of a trigger signal which is then emitted, microprocessor 13 of base station 10 initiates the transmission of a search signal by the transmit/receive device 11, step 42. The search signal essentially contains, as shown in FIG. 4, a start sequence 35, preferably implemented as start bit, and the serial number 16 stored in memory 15. Advantageously the search signal is not encoded. The search signal is received by all control elements 20 located within the range of radio transmission 30 through transmit/receive devices 21. Following transfer by decoder 22, it is then checked by the microprocessor 24 of all control elements 20 which were reached to determine if the serial number transmitted with the search signal agrees with the serial number 16 which is stored in memory 25 and serves as reference signal, Step 43. Start bit 15, which is transmitted with it, serves for the synchronization of microprocessor 24 with the search signal received. If the check results in that reference serial number 16 in the memory 25 does not agree with the serial number transmitted with the search signal, control element 20 switches into a dormant condition, Step 41. In this condition, control element 20 no longer participates in the subsequent communication with base station 10.
If the check in Step 43 indicates agreement of the received and the stored serial numbers 16, microprocessor 24 causes an answer in the form of a contact signal, Step 44. The contact signal is a short, simple signal, advantageously group number 26 of the associated control element 20 in bit-coded form. Like the search signal, it is not encoded. There can be several assigned control elements in the range of the base station, which all respond to a search signal by sending back a contact signal. In order to always ensure unambiguous communication, base station 10 determines from the contact signals received which of the possible authorized control elements 20 are present and notes the ones present through corresponding entries in memory 15. A process for distinguishing among several control elements 20 present at the same time is described in German Patent Application No. 196 45 769.6, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. If no control element 20 is determined to be present, an abort signal is issued, Step 70.
After it is determined that the control element 20 is present, the operating mode is determined; in particular the following operating modes are possible: assignment, training, resetting, issuance of auxiliary code, erasing. To select, microprocessor 13 first examines whether the control element 20 configured as main control element 20H is present, Step 46. If not, a step to examine for correct assignment follows, Step 60, with the goal of enabling base station 10 for operation, Step 62.
If microprocessor 13 detects the presence of main control element 20H, it determines the duration of its presence and derives from that the operating mode which is then activated. In this process, it first examines, for example, whether the duration of presence corresponds to a period of time which is assigned to the operating mode “training,” Step 48. For example, the training operating mode can be assigned to a duration of presence of the control element from zero to 30 seconds. If applicable, the microprocessor executes the training operating mode, which will be explained later, Step 80. If main control element 20H has been present longer than the presence duration assigned to the training operating mode, microprocessor 13 then examines whether the presence duration corresponds to a period of time which is assigned to operating mode use conditions; for example, a presence duration of 30 to 120 seconds can be provided for this. If applicable, it proceeds with the operating mode use conditions, Step 64. If the check in Step 50 results in that the main control element was still not removed from the range of base station 10, microprocessor 13 checks whether the presence duration of the control element corresponds to a period of time which is assigned to operating mode “issuance of auxiliary code,” possibly by checking whether main control element 20H was present up to 240 seconds. If applicable, it continues with the execution of operating mode “issuance of auxiliary code,” Step 66. In the same manner, a check follows if necessary for the operating mode “erase,” Step 54.
By examining additional presence time periods, the following additional operating modes can be selected, Step 56. If in the example of FIG. 2 no additional operating mode is provided in addition to the depicted operating modes assign, train, use conditions, issuance of auxiliary code, and erase, Step 54 can be eliminated. The erase operating mode is set if the check in Step 52 results in a presence duration which exceeds the time period for the use conditions operating mode.
In each case, prior to the execution of the function determined by the selected operating mode, microprocessor 13 determines to which of the control elements 20 present the function applies, Step 58. The basis for the determination, for example, can be a predetermined order of priority of control elements 20 in which the control element 20 with the lowest group number is always selected first.
Microprocessor 13 informs the selected control element by sending out its group number. All other control elements with other group numbers which may be present no longer participate in the subsequent communication. For this purpose, it can be provided that microprocessor 13 issues a command to control elements 20 which are no longer participating through which they are brought into a dormant state.
At this point, base station 10 examines the selected control element 20 for correct assignment, Step 60. In the exemplary operation shown in FIG. 2 this is accomplished by the known challenge-response method.
In this method, base station 10 transmits a challenge signal via its transmit/receive device 11 which is intended only for the selected control element 20 and is executed only by it. At the same time, base-station microprocessor 13 determines a desired response signal. The calculation results from the challenge signal according to a preset algorithm using the cryptographic key stored in memory 31 as well as the manufacturer code 17 of assigned control element 20 which is present in memory 15. The challenge signal in the meantime is received by transmit/receive device 21 in control element 20, is decoded in decoder 22, and is supplied to microprocessor 24. The microprocessor derives a response signal from the challenge signal in the same manner as base-station microprocessor 13 with the aid of cryptographic key 31 and its manufacturer code 27 and sends it back to base station 10.
There the response signal is received by transmit/receive device 11, is decoded again in decoder 12, and is supplied to microprocessor 13. The microprocessor compares it with the previously defined expected response signal. If the two do not agree, base station 10 and control element 20 do not belong together.
Processor 13 then initiates appropriate subsequent action; for example, it blocks the use of base station 10. Alternatively a notice to the user advantageously follows informing the user that an assignment has not occurred, for example via an optical or acoustic signal. Additional subsequent measures can also be provided, for example a repetition of the assignment process. If the test results in agreement between the response signal returned by control element 20 and the previously defined expected response signal, confirmation that the assignment is correct is given. Advantageously it takes place in a form which can be perceived by the user optically or acoustically and results, for example, in base station 10 being enabled.
If operating mode “training” is selected, microprocessor 13 first examines main control element 20H for correct assignment, as in the case of the test for correct assignment when assigning a control element 20 according to Step 75. If correct assignment of main control element 20H and base station 10 is determined, microprocessor 13 checks, on the basis of register 18, whether free group numbers not yet assigned to a control element are still available and whether assignment of other control elements 20 to base station 10 is possible at all, Step 81. In the event of a negative result of the check, the training mode is terminated, Step 70. In the event of a positive result of the check, a check of whether there are still control elements 20 in the range of the base station which have not yet been trained follows. For this purpose, microprocessor 13 causes the emission of a null-search signal, Step 83, which, for example, has the form of a special serial number which is characteristic for factory-new control elements 20 and can be carried out be directly by a factory-new control element. It is advantageously present in the memory 25 of each control element as an unmodifiable reference signal 34. Upon reception of a null-search signal, the respective microprocessors 24 of those control elements cause the contact signal which is initially randomly generated to be output. Base station 10 examines receipt of such a signal, Step 84. If at least one contact signal has been received from a factory-new control element 20, the base station then performs a routine to ensure that the subsequent communication takes place only with a control element 20 which is to be retrained, Step 85. An isolating routine of this type is described in the abovedescribed German patent application no. 196 45 769.6, to which reference is made. If no contact signal is received, training is terminated, Step 70.
After a single active control element 20 which is to be trained has been separated in the effective range of gap 30, microprocessor 13 causes the transfer of serial number 16, cryptographic code key 31, as well as one of the characteristic group numbers which will be assigned in the future to the control element 20. Control element 20 receives the transferred code information 16, 26, 31 into the locations in memory 20 which were provided for them and to this point were unoccupied. After successful transfer and storage of code information 16, 26, 31, control element 20 transmits an acknowledgment signal to base station 10, Step 87. This advantageously is manufacturer code 27 which base-station microprocessor 13 stores in memory 15 with the previously assigned group number. Then microprocessor 13 transmits a lock-out command to the newly assigned control element 20, Step 88, which causes the serial number 16 previously written in memory 25 and the cryptographic code information stored in memory 31 to be protected against writing and reading. Following this, control element 20 is assigned to base station 10.
Main control element 20H also registers the training of a new control element 20, for example, on the basis of the lock-out command previously issued by the microprocessor, and requests transmission by base station 10 of manufacturer code 17 of new control element 20. After receipt, main control element 20H determines, with the aid of information 33 present in its memory 25 concerning the number of control elements 20 assigned to base station 10 and their manufacturer code, the total number of assigned control elements 20 present following training of the new control elements and communicates the number to base station 10, Step 90. Its microprocessor 13 then checks whether this number matches the number of control elements 20 registered in register 18, Step 92. In the event of the affirmative, it acknowledges to main control element 20H the new total number, advantageously by transmitting back the number recorded. Main control element 20H then accepts manufacturer code 27 of the newly added control element 20 as well as the new total number into its memory 25. If the number determined by main control element 20H and the number determined by the microprocessor 13 do not match, no recording takes place.
In Step 94 which follows, base station 10 transmits a wakeup command through which any additionally present, dormant control elements 20 are switched to be active again. Now the training of additional control elements 20 which are to be reassigned can follow by branching back to Step 83.
In the same manner as factory-new control elements, control elements which have already been trained can also be trained, i.e., control elements in whose memory 25 a serial number and a group number are already present. Upon receipt of a signal from a base station, they first test to determine whether the signal agrees with the serial number stored in memory 25. If that is not the case, they test to determine whether the received signal is a zero-search signal and if it agrees with the reference signal stored in memory location 34. If according to this a previously trained control element 20 is present, it answers as a factory-new control element with the transmission of a randomly set contact signal and is then trained analogously to the factory-new control elements according to Steps 85 through 88.
In the “use conditions” operating mode, base station 10, after selection of a control element 20, first performs a test for correct assignment for the main control element 20H, Step 60, and then a test for correct assignment for the selected control element 20 which is to be blocked. If both tests are successful, base station 10 transmits a supplemental assignment setting to selected control element 20 which accepts it into its memory 25 as use information 28. The supplemental assignment setting can, for example, be a restriction on use. For example, the effect of enabling a control element 20 for operation can be restricted to a specified area of action. Likewise, control element 20 can be disabled for a period of time or the presence of a certain additional control element 20 in the range of base station 10 can be made a condition for unrestricted enabling of base station 10 for operation. For each supplemental setting there is also a reversal function which, for example, enables again a control element which was restricted with respect to its area of action or for a period of time. Also handling conditions, such as the presence of certain additional control elements, can be canceled. Particular supplemental settings are established and/or withdrawn using input device 19, preferably through activation of keys.
Alternatively to depositing use information in memory 25 of control elements 20, this can also be done in memory 15 of base station 10, advantageously as an addition to the associated entry in register 18 from which it can be read out as needed.
In operating mode “issuance of auxiliary code,” a test for correct assignment according to Step 60 is also initially performed for main control element 20H and then for selected control element 20. Then the user sets an auxiliary code in the form of a secret code using input device 19. Auxiliary code 32 is stored in memory 15 of base station 10 and is transferred to control elements 20 present which likewise store it in their individual memories 25. Afterward the functionality of control elements equipped with auxiliary code 32 can be influenced by using the input device alone; simultaneous or prior presence of the main control element 20H is not necessary. To accomplish this, the user must input the auxiliary code through input device 19. It is forwarded by base station 10 to a control element 20 present which is then ready to receive additional agreements. For example, in the case of application in automobiles, it can be specified that a control element 20 may enable the starting of the motor but not the glove compartment, or that a change from the saved vehicle settings, such as the mirror or seat setting, is not possible. Control elements 20 store additional agreements in the same way in their memories 25. At each test for correct assignment, they provide the contents of the memory with additional agreements to base station 10 which then takes them into account.
In the operating mode “erase,” a test for correct assignment is carried out analogously with the operating mode “lock-out,” Step 60, first for the main control element 20H and then for the selected control element 20. Following this, base station 10 erases the entries in its memory 15 which belong to the selected control element 20 in register 18, i.e., in particular its group number and the associated manufacturer code.
The erase command is advantageously triggered using input device 19. It can be provided that in the operating mode erase, the register entries 18 of all control elements 20 within the range of base station 10 are erased in sequence or simultaneously. It is also advantageously possible to be able to erase the entire register 18 independently of the presence of the control elements 20 involved. All control elements are advantageously erased using a command entered via input device 19. In Step 60, the test for correct assignment takes place only for main control element 20H, not for a selected control element 20. Register entry 18 of main control element 20H cannot be erased.
In place of the duration of presence of the main control element 20H in the range of base station 10, the selection of operating mode can also be carried out using input device 19. After receiving a contact signal from a control element 20, Step 44, in this case a routine for establishing which operating mode is selected is carried out by the base station. In place of the test in Step 46 of whether main control element 20H is present, a test, for example, is then carried out as to whether the operating mode “assign” is selected, with subsequent branching as needed to Step 62 via Step 58. In Steps 48, 50, 52, 54, in place of the duration of presence, inputs are queried via input device 19.
The above-described method and/or the above described arrangement can be configured and modified in many ways while retaining the fundamental idea of being able to influence the assignment of control elements which are components of a telecontrol system, and modify them in many ways in the presence of a main control element 20H. This applies in particular to the internal structure of base station and control elements and for the configuration and sequence of the steps of the method, for example, with respect to the point in time of performing the test of proper access or the treatment of factory-new and/or pre-trained control elements in training.
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|GB2164825A||Titel nicht verfügbar|
|GB2192665A||Titel nicht verfügbar|
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|US-Klassifikation||340/5.25, 340/5.72, 340/5.64|
|Internationale Klassifikation||E05B49/00, G07C9/00, H04Q7/38|
|Unternehmensklassifikation||G07C2209/04, G07C2009/00888, G07C2009/00388, G07C9/00111, G07C9/00857, G07C2009/00793, G07C2009/00825, G07C2009/00412, G07C9/00817|
|Europäische Klassifikation||G07C9/00E18, G07C9/00E16, G07C9/00B10|
|1. März 1999||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH, GERMANY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WEISS, KARL-ERNST;HACKER, HEIDRUN;SCHMITZ, STEPHAN;REEL/FRAME:009886/0527;SIGNING DATES FROM 19981103 TO 19981105
|10. Febr. 2004||CC||Certificate of correction|
|7. Aug. 2006||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|27. Sept. 2010||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|18. Febr. 2011||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|12. Apr. 2011||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20110218


text:
Adam Blanshay Productions and The Theatre Café are delighted to present a brand-new musical theatre-based web series, The Theatre Channel. Bringing together talents from the theatre world, both on and off stage, the series will showcase well-known musical theatre classics; performed by some of the industry’s most beloved performers, many of whom hold a close connection to The Theatre Café.
Producers Adam Blanshay of Adam Blanshay Productions and Ryan Woods of The Theatre Café – legendary for celebrating all things stagey in the West End and Broadway – have teamed up to produce this unique web series; bringing together the extortionary talents of some of the UK’s most sensational performers and West End stars to sing a selection of musical theatre favourites in a manner not seen before.
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Writer Rachel De-Lahay and director Milli Bhatia have commissioned ten writers to pen letters that say the unsaid, for a new, online version of their festival My White Best Friend (and Other Letters Left Unsaid).
Produced by Tobi Kyeremateng with support by the Royal Court Theatre, the online festival will run over a week with a pre-recorded letter by Rachel De-Lahay read each night alongside two letters by some of the most exciting voices in the UK read live. Continue reading “News: My White Best Friend goes online via the Royal Court”
Ruthie Henshall, Darren Day, Sam Tutty and more star in Godspell 50th Anniversary concert
Prepare ye the way of Godspell in concert! Theatrical legends will come together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Godspell in an exciting online concert experience. Ruthie Henshall (Chicago; Billy Elliot), and Darren Day (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) will return to reprise their roles from the 1993 cast recording; they will be joined by Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen), Ria Jones (Sunset Boulevard; High Society), and Jenna Russell (The Bridges of Madison County; Fun Home). Continue reading “News: Godspell to receive the 50th Anniversary concert treatment”
I wasn’t going to write up Turn Up London but in the end, it was just too darn good to leave unremarked. I’m just going to whip through my highlights though, and urge you to stay tuned for any future for this excellent and essential project. Continue reading “Review: thoughts on Turn Up London”
The Barn Theatre has announced an all-star West End line up for their fifth virtual concert, The Barn Theatre Presents: The Music of Annabel Mutale Reed, which will celebrate the work of musical theatre playwright, lyricist and director Annabel Mutale Reed.
The concert, which will be hosted by Barn Theatre producer Jamie Chapman Dixon, is the fifth edition of the Barn Theatre in Cirencester’s virtual concert series, The Barn Presents:, which celebrates the work of British musical theatre writers. Continue reading “News: The Barn Theatre Presents – The Music of Annabel Mutale Reed”

domain: artistic


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Last week, Reuters reported that Germany was set to continue with a moratorium on the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. This decision will undoubtedly meet a well-planned barrage of criticism.
When the Scottish government made a similar call last month, its decision was condemned by scientific leaders such as Anne Glover, a plant biologist and former chief scientific adviser to the president of the European Commission. Critics characterized the ban as an insult to science and the idea that regulation should be based on evidence.
I am a big fan of the scientific method. You won’t find me thanking God for putting the plane up in an Airbus 320. I happily attribute its successful flight to the scientists and engineers who mastered fluid dynamics. I also support the general principle of evidence-based policy.
Yet I remain confident about facing corporate pressure from Scotland, Germany, France, Italy and others and pending decisions to keep GM crop technology out of the European countryside. I await with interest England’s response to a deal signed last December by the European Union, which allows its member states to make their own choices on licensing GM crops.
Whatever these nations decide, the stakes are not as high as they were before. When the United States began licensing GM soybeans and maize (corn) 20 years ago, many crop producers thought that global acceptance of the technology would depend heavily on European acceptance. This is probably no longer true.
The global acreage of GM crops has steadily increased without widespread acceptance from Europe. It is topping out now. Last year, according to industry data, it grew by just 3% to reach 181 million hectares – a little more than a tenth of the 1.5 billion hectares of land under the UN’s estimate of crop cultivation.
Five-sixths of that GM acreage is in the US. The rest consists mostly of non-food crops (mainly cotton) grown in India and China.
There is little crop in countries that need better yields to feed themselves. Twenty years on, the GM strains currently under cultivation are still best suited to the needs of large-scale industrial farmers who can afford the seeds and inputs that come with them. Whatever Europe decides, the rest of the world is not waiting to follow.
And this time, Europe’s debate about GM crop cultivation isn’t really on GM crops itself, but on how countries should assess and manage risk. When Europe turned its back on GM crops 15 years ago, the pro-GM lobby warned it signaled a continent in crisis, unprepared to embrace the future.
But since then there has been little sign that Europe is far from technology. It hasn’t slowed or bound itself by rejecting nanotechnology-based wound-dressing or mobile phones, of which it was the world’s fastest adopter.
Despite the GM episode, evidence-based policy is alive and kicking in Europe. But good risk management includes early communication with the public and careful weighing of many factors, not just scientific risk assessment. In general, however, industry – which typically holds most of the relevant data – favors scientific risk assessment as the be-all and end-all regulation (see Nature 508, 289; 2014).
Environmentalists – even civilized ones, such as the European Commission and former US Vice President Al Gore – prefer the precautionary principle, which places the burden of proof on the innovator.
In practice, all governments have to walk a line between the two. But where to draw that line? In Europe, especially in countries that value the origin of food, the general public does not want GM foods.
The jury also stays away from its ecological impacts (see Nature 497, 24–26; 2013). Should they still be grown because the data says they are safe to eat? Call me naive, but given the microscopic state of our democracy, it doesn’t tend to quell public concern like that.
In the United States, major regulatory decisions were made in 1995, with little public input. They clicked on the basis of ‘substantial equivalence’, which assumes that GM foods are the same as their constituent parts.
Substantial equality was the original sin that undermined public confidence in GM technology, and advocates have been over-compensating for it ever since.
Genetic modification is a blockbuster technology that has a huge potential to mix and match genes; Its use or abuse has a profound impact on the global ecology and food supply. It is by no means ‘substantially equivalent’ to plant breeding.
That sin may end soon. On July 2, John Holderen, science adviser to US President Barack Obama, instructed regulators to reconsider the US framework for regulating agricultural biotechnology. Holderen is promising simpler rules for small producers, but also more transparency.

domain: news


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Plant-based Meat Market Trends, COVID-19 Impact, Growth Drivers, and Forecast-2027
According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “ Plant-based Meat Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027,” Plant-based meat refers to products made from plant materials that are designed to mimic meat in every way, from taste, texture, smell, and appearance. Plant-based meat can come in the form of burgers, sausages, ground meat, crumbles, nuggets, even faux-seafood such as shrimp and fish, and use one, or a combination, of alternative protein ingredients.
𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐏𝐃𝐅 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/10909
The major factor affecting the industry includes the surge in the number of individuals who have adapted vegan diet. In addition, increase in consumer demand for the vegetarian food products that are having higher content of fiber, vitamin C, and iron boosts the growth of the industry. These are processed in the lower saturated fats and calories, and hence are anticipated to bolster market growth in the next few years. Furthermore, advancements in the products that are developed such that they have longer shelf life, better texture, attractive aroma, and higher nutritious profile are expected to propel the industry growth in the next coming years. However, low awareness regarding the plant-based meat products hinders the growth of the industry.
𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/10909
COVID-19 scenario analysis
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created an economic crisis along with a healthcare crisis. COVID-19 pandemic has stretched healthcare system worldwide, developed countries are expected to cause economic recession. The COVID-19 pandemic has an adverse impact on the healthcare system, resulting in 50% to 70% drop in revenue from March. Many small hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, have been forced to shut their operations. There has been increase in demand for the replacements of the meat, however, in the current scenario, due to the growth in the awareness regarding the need to have protein-rich diet. In addition, visa cancellations have led to a hiatus in medical tourism and can negatively impact the healthcare services market growth.
- This study presents the analytical depiction of the global plant-based meat industry along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets.
- The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed analysis of the global plant-based meat market share.
- The current market is quantitatively analyzed from 2020 to 2027 to highlight the global plant-based meat market growth scenario.
- Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers & suppliers in the market.
- The report provides a detailed global plant-based meat market analysis based on competitive intensity and how the competition will take shape in coming years.
𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/10909
The key players operating are Beyond Meat, Impossible Food Inc., Maple Leaf Foods, The Vegetarian Butcher, Gardein Protein International, Morningstar Farms, Quorn Foods, Amy’s Kitchen, Tofurky, Gold&Green Foods Ltd., and Alpha Foods
𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬:
Centrifuge Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/centrifuge-market-A08418
Biopharmaceutical Excipients Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/biopharmaceutical-excipients-market-A07450
Sleep Apnea Diagnostics Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/sleep-apnea-diagnostics-market
Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP, based in Portland, Oregon. AMR provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of “Market Research Reports” and “Business Intelligence Solutions.” AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.
AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports.
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Published Thu, 17 Mar 2022 01:01:44 -0500

domain: food


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Schools will face “no notice” inspections of their pupils’ behaviour as from Monday.
The new-style inspections, lasting just one day with inspectors arriving unannounced, can be triggered either by parents’ complaints about behaviour or criticism of standards in previous inspections.
Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of education standards watchdog Ofsted, vowed to tackle what he called “a culture of casual acceptance” of low level disruption in schools in introducing the organisation’s annual report in December.
He estimated around 700,000 pupils were attending schools where behaviour needed to improve.
The behaviour inspection reports will be in addition to the normal cycle of inspections of schools throughout the country.
Inspectors will look at the school’s culture and how pupils interact with each other and teachers. They will observe behaviour in the classroom, between lessons, at lunchtime and after schools. Their findings will be posted on the Ofsted website.
A poor report could bring forward the date for a full school inspection.
“Parents want to send their children to schools where they can be confident in the knowledge that behaviour is good,” said Sir Michael. ”Ofsted is there to champion that cause.
“Ofsted is determined to ensure that those who are failing to get a grip on poor behaviour take action to create the right conditions for children to learn.”
At present, schools are usually given notice the previous day of inspections carried out under the normal cycle.
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“Rhythm is a Dancer”.
Author, on stage: Henri Hütt, sound design by Algorütmid, light design by Villu Konrad, stylistics Kaie Olmre, photo: Hannes Aasamets.
Premiere 27.11 at Kanuti Gildi SAAL.
It is often difficult to remain calm about dance performances. The anxiety mainly stems from a prejudice about one’s own abilities of interpretation and understanding. Viewers often hesitate whether the movement on the stage is narrative and if the viewers should have a clear understanding of what is going on. This creates a feeling of protest towards the performer – you start to think he is not sure what he is doing there himself. Of course it isn’t true, probably the person on the stage is the only one who really knows what it’s all about. And people close to him – his colleagues – come quite close to understanding his intentions. The viewer, however, is left with a feeling of dissatisfaction in his or her efforts to “really understand” the performance.
Hütt’s “Rhythm is a Dancer” doesn’t demand much in terms of explanation: his premise is clear, the show is divided into distinguishable parts, each of which is polished, precise and minimalist. Through his own experiences Hütt talks about the sense of rhythm that touches all human beings, starting with the pattern of repetition in the world around us and ending with a rhythm that is central and individual – the heartbeat. The show is not encumbered by symbols, which would create a mess where the viewer might feel overwhelmed. Hütt asks in his show: is it possible to make the whole audience breathe together, make their hearts beat to the same rhythm? An interesting question and worth a search for an answer. However, if it is the dance performance’s (as well as every other performance’s) mission to make the viewer think, feel, respond, then wouldn’t a more important question first be: is it possible for a performer to make the audience’s heart beat at all?
In the show Hütt has decided not to just use a rhythm and a catchy visual, which would probably be the easiest way to “buy off” the audience. He has created a visually neutral zero space, where he analyses the essence of rhythm. It sounds profound, but inevitably you get the feeling as if you were reading the entry “rhythm” in the dictionary and examples of the contexts it can be used in. Understandably Hütt has spent a lot of time deliberating on the subject, so perhaps this is why the performance tastes more like a meatless bone? The analogy may seem harsh, but what I mean is that the show is like a skeleton, which is interesting to look at, but which doesn’t make my heart beat in a special way. The ideas and information are processed, separated from the context and appear before us in a too refined way. It seems like the best and most exciting part of the research and the process of the production is the one the viewer doesn’t get to see.
A person’s heartbeat is probably the most intimate and personal sound in the world. It is not directly regulated, for it can act in a way unexpected even to ourselves. In the last part of the show Hütt has reached the stage where he shares his heartbeats with the audience and has arrived at the core of the question he is intrigued by – how to move according to one’s own heartbeat? It is a beautiful and profound idea and feels like a question without a beginning and an end. There is the body, which moves listening to its inner rhythm, which in turn changes due to physical movements.
Everything is subject to interpretation and analysis. Even the kind of (dance) performances that really screw you up. Sometimes it is even possible to understand the performance. But it is inevitable that only certain situations and people make our hearts change their rhythm involuntarily. It doesn’t depend on our wishes or will. In a way “Rhythm is a Dancer” managed to prove this point.
Maret Tamme "Uncontrollable rhythm"
“Rhythm is a Dancer”.


(Berlin, Germany)—November 20, 2015
Three Nobel peace laureates and a group of human rights leaders are calling for a rational response to the November 13 attack on Paris, and are asking Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders to stand firm in their support for refugees escaping war in Syria and other parts of the Middle East.
“The refugees are not to blame for what happened in Paris,” says Jody Williams, Nobel peace laureate. “The international community must ensure that the killings in Paris will not further fan the flames of hatred, Islamophobia, and distrust in the world. This is the time for visionary and courageous leadership.”
Earlier this week, Williams visited Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia—along with Nobel peace Laureates Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, Shirin Ebadi of Iran and human rights leaders from international organizations—to assess the impact of the refugee crisis on Syrian women refugees and support humanitarian and citizen-led groups responding to the urgent needs of refugees.
In recent weeks, the UNHCR and governments in the region have reported a proportionally increasing number of women and children on the refugee route across Europe. Health workers there report a high number of pregnant women and children dealing with health conditions that include hypothermia and pneumonia and families that are struggling with fatigue and trauma.
“The people we saw this week are fleeing bombings and a complete lack of security,” says Tawakkol Karman. “They come to Europe to find a measure of security. The majority of Syrians say they will go home if the bombings stop, and security is restored.”
Approximately 70% of all the refugees traveling through the Balkans are from Syria, where the war has overwhelmingly killed and displaced civilians.
The Nobel peace laureate-led delegation is calling for an immediate end to all aerial bombardments and a holistic plan for peace that will include civil society and will put the priority on the protection of civilians and international support for rebuilding Syria’s infrastructure and economy. As well, the delegation is asking European leaders to focus on the creation of legal pathways to Europe to reduce the refugees’ vulnerability to smugglers and drowning at sea – as well as reduce the incidence of war profiteering as the refugees move along the route through Europe.
The delegation—which also includes Lena Ag of Kvinna till Kvinna (Sweden), Dr. Rola Hallam of Hand in Hand for Syria (UK) Donna McKay of Physicians for Human Rights (US), Madeleine Rees of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and Giovanna Negretti of the American Friends Service Committee—is in Berlin to meet with officials in the German government and also with Syrian refugees now settled in Germany as well as organizations supporting refugee resettlement.
For more information, please contact:
Director, Media & Communications, Nobel Women’s Initiative
Mobile: 613-276-9030 (Canada)
Balkans: +381 637687703 Germany: + +49 152 220 86368
Berlin On-site Media Coordinator
Germany: +49 221 511657
Mobile: +49 177 2423769
To follow the delegation on social media:
On Our Blog: http://bit.ly/WomenRefugeesWelcome
On Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube: @NobelWomen #WomenRefugeesWelcome
The Nobel Women’s Initiative was established in 2006, and is led by Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Leymah Gbowee, Tawakkol Karman and Mairead Maguire. The Nobel Women’s Initiative uses the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize and of courageous women peace laureates to magnify the power and visibility of women working in countries around the world for peace, justice and equality.


Upcoming Marriage Equality Test in New Hampshire
In a reminder that the Democratic Party has a long way to go, New Hampshire is preparing for a repeat of last week’s events in Vermont. An anti-gay governor may well veto legislation legalizing same-sex marriage that the New Hampshire Senate is set to pass, perhaps this week.
The difference: This anti-gay governor is a Democrat.
Governor John Lynch has said that he opposes same-sex marriage, although he has not explicitly stated that he intends to veto the bill currently moving through the New Hampshire state legislature. One sliver of hope for the marriage equality bill is that Lynch may conclude that although he personally opposes gay marriage, the Constitution of the United States requires him as governor to act in a manner ensuring the equal treatment of all New Hampshire residents under both federal and state law.


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A quick guide to help you on your merry way around music city – Nashville, Tennessee. There are so many reasons to visit this fantastic (and pretty sunny) American city and here are some of them!
Oh, and be sure to try the hot chicken when you’re here – it’s sooooo good!
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15 Free and Cheap Things To Do In Nashville, Tennessee
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20 Best Things to Do in Nashville, TN - vacationidea.com
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25 Best Things to Do in Nashville (TN) Nashville is the capital of the state of Tennessee and it sits along the banks of the Cumberland River. Nashville picked up the nickname ‘Music City’ due to its long and exciting musical history, as you go around the city you will notice the great music venues that are situated here.
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domain: entertainment


Xinyue Selina Xu is a freshman at Harvard College interested in studying History and Literature, Philosophy, or English. She is Chinese by heritage, New Zealander by birth, but grew up in a multicultural metropolis as a true-blue Singaporean. She loves globetrotting, stories in all mediums, and writing about the many diverse voices in the world. In particular, she hopes that more content about Asia can be created by Asians in the global cultural matrix. She runs her own opinion and college lifestyle blog at www.selinaxu.com.


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The jute farmers have become helpless to the jute merchant syndicate in Barisal’s Muladi. They complain that the production cost is not being raised by selling jute. Jute traders have to sell jute at a low price as they set the price as they wish. Farmers are losing interest in cultivating golden crops as they are not getting fair price.
Jute traders claim that they have to buy from the farmers at a lower price as the mill owners have reduced the prices.
At the beginning of this season, jute traders buy jute at the rate of 2,500 to 2,800 taka per maund. He decided the price of jute at the rate of 1 thousand 800 to 2 thousand 200 taka by suddenly reducing the price. They reduced the price due to rain or adverse weather conditions, including jute being slightly wet.
It is known that this year the farmers have cultivated jute on six thousand 450 hectares of land in the upazila. The yield in these lands has also been fairly good. Farmers were already worried about the desired price of jute. However, many farmers are forced to grow jute on two-crop land.
Shah Alam Sardar, a farmer of Bhangarmona village of Muladi Sadar Union, said that Aman cultivates jute on about one acre of land after paddy. Out of that, 20 percent of the land is jute and it is seen that about 4 thousand 600 rupees have been spent on buying seeds, tilling the land, applying fertilizers, cutting and cleaning the jute. He got 3 thousand 750 by selling jute of that 20 percent land and 480 taka by selling jute.
Babul Bepari, another farmer of Charlipur village, said that the traders cheated the farmers by buying jute at a low price and made extra profit. Farmers are very helpless to them.
Shah Alam, a small businessman of Chardikri village of Muladi municipality said, “Last year, I bought jute from farmers at a price of Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500 as we got a good price from the wholesalers. But at the last minute, they reduced the price of jute to Tk 2,500. As a result, I could not sell a lot of jute last year. I am in danger with that jute because I did not get the price this year too.’
Khaserhat port jute trader Sohel Fakir said the price of jute depends on the mill owners. If they reduce the price, they are forced to buy jute from the farmers at a lower price. Wholesale traders will not buy jute from farmers or small traders at higher prices at a loss.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Monirul Islam said that last year the farmers cultivated jute on 5 thousand 900 hectares of land. This year, jute cultivation area has increased to 6,450 hectares. However, the issue of determining the price of jute depends on the traders and mill owners.
He also said that no government support or subsidy is given in the jute sector. The agriculture office advises the farmers to cultivate and get good yield. If the government decides to support the jute farmers and allocate money, then arrangements will be made to give the list to the farmers.

domain: finance


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My mom woke up one day to all of a sudden find that a lot of foods were her enemy. Doctors can not find medical reasoning for this but she has found that cutting gluten, wheat, peanuts, and dairy out of her life works best.
I love making new recipes for her. I love researching about foods. I love chips and dip. And I love when she enjoys new foods. So I’m giving you the opportunity to do the same.
First I took 1.5 avocados (because I ate the other half yesterday with lunch) and smashed them all up. Next I made some homemade mayo. (Recipe below.) If you’ve never done this before, you’re missing out! I haven’t bought mayo in almost two years since discovering this! I added lots of dill, garlic powder, salt, parsley, chives and lime juice to my avocado bowl. Last step, I mixed half a cup of mayo with the avocado mixture! Let this sit for an hour or so in the fridge then test it to see if you need more salt, dill, lime juice, ect. If you add more let it sit a little longer then pull out the chips and dig in!!
avocado dill paleo chip dip ingredient list
1 & 1/2 avocados
1/2 cup homemade mayo
3-4 tablespoons dill
3-4 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon chives
1 teaspoon salt
simple 30 second homemade mayo
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup. Use an immersion blender for 30 seconds. If the mayo is too thin, add a small amount of oil and blend again. Keep adding until your desired consistency.

domain: hobby


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Planetary Dustoff is a moddable roguelite shooter. Go on a death riddled journey to sprawling alien environments and fight your way through hordes of enemies and epic boss battles. Unearth the many secrets of THE SPACE FACTION and find a new home for humanity.
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The security company has taken down its support forum following a hack that compromised usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.
Several Jewish groups in Spain file a complaint with prosecutors to investigate a flood of racist tweets posted after Real Madrid lost a basketball game to Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv team.
Images allegedly of two Galaxy S6 phones show one with the traditional front-facing display and a second with a curved edge.
After updating a Moto X to Android 5.0 Lollipop, I tried to enable my favorite feature only to realize it was no where to be found.
One restaurant in downtown Singapore is spicing up its dining experience by employing flying drones as wait staff.
Even though Flickr's Camera Roll tool is currently in beta, it is fully functional and offers easier photo editing than before.
The up-and-coming Chinese smartphone manufacturer has gone from obscurity to China's number-one vendor in just four years. Xiaomi owes a large part of that to its attitude toward customers.
Just days after its TV voice recognition software came under fire for invading privacy, Samsung users are reporting unwanted Pepsi ads appearing while they watch their Smart TVs.
The microblogging service's chief is taking personal responsibility for the platform's slow response to user abuse and harassment, according to memos obtained by The Verge.
Technically Incorrect: Speaking at Davos, Google's executive chairman explains that we'll all be experiencing our digital connections as a seamless part of our everyday world.


Experienced midfielder Keagan Buchanan is reportedly locked in contract talks with Swallows FC following his recent departure from..
Maritzburg United F.C.
Association football club
Maritzburg United is a South African football club based in the city of Pietermaritzburg that currently plays in the Premier Soccer League.
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An animated film designed as a lesson in “racial discourse” for students at a Virginia high school will not be shown after it made students uncomfortable and drew criticism from parents who called it “white guilt.”
The video was shown at Glen Allen High School in Henrico during two assemblies for Black History Month and depicts several runners on a track, with black runners facing insurmountable obstacles while white runners are unimpeded.
Officials said in a statement Tuesday that the video, “The Unequal Opportunity Race,” was a presentation involving “American history and racial discourse.” They added, “A segment of the video was one component of a thoughtful discussion in which all viewpoints were encouraged. As always, we are welcoming of feedback from students and their families, and we address concerns directly as they come forward.”
Henrico County Superintendent Patrick C. Kinlaw acknowledged Wednesday that the video may not have been the best way to deliver a lesson in “racial discourse.”
"While we as educators do not object to difficult and constructive conversations about American history and racial discourse past and present, we understand why many people feel this video in particular was not the best way to deliver such an important lesson," Kinlsaw said in the statement.
Don Blake, whose daughter attended the assembly where the video was shown, said Wednesday that someone should be held accountable for the way the video was presented.
“They are sitting there watching a video that is dividing them up from a racial standpoint. It’s a white guilt kind of video,” Blake told WWBT.
Luke Harris, co-founder of the African-American Policy Forum, which created the video, told The Washington Post that the video was produced for "elementary and secondary schools or in college studies courses."
"We found that the video has a huge impact on the people that we're showing it to," said Harris, who is also an associate professor of political science at Vassar College. "Most of us know very little about the social history of the United States and its contemporary impact. It was designed as a tool to throw light on American history."
Administrators across the district have been instructed not to use the video, said school board chairwoman Michelle Ogburn in a statement. She apologized to those who were offended.
"In addition, steps are being taken to prevent the use of racially divisive materials in the future," Ogburn said.
The video comes four months after a student mistakenly played a song over the public address system before a football game that was a racist parody of the "DuckTales" theme song.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

domain: sociology


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Updated by JQ Lee
In addition to providing SMS services, MessageBird is also an API provider that works directly with WhatsApp as an official partner. MessageBird also provides other services such as phone number purchases and WhatsApp Official API account management.
By integrating MessageBird WhatsApp API, the platform can enable you to respond to WhatsApp messages directly.
Step 1: Navigate to Workspace Settings > Click Channels.
Step 2: Locate the MessageBird WhatsApp Channel > Click Manage > Configuration.
Step 3: Configure the Channel name, which is used internally to identify the account.
Step 4: Click Save Changes to update the Channel configuration.
Metadata Received by Channel
Different channels provide different set of Contact’s metadata to respond.io platform. Here’s the list of Contact’s data you’ll be able to obtain from this channel:
- Display name
- Phone number
- Status of the contact
- Unique random ID of the contact created on this channel platform
Managing WhatsApp Message Templates
- Submitted the message template for approval
- Added the approved message template to the Space
Submitting Message Template for Approval
Step 1: Navigate to the WhatsApp Template Manager in the WhatsApp Section on the left side of your Message Dashboard on MessageBird
Step 2: Click Create Template and a dialog containing the fields to create a message template will appear.
Step 3: Fill in the required information
The identifier of the message template in small letters only and spaces need to be replaced with an underscore.
The category to which the message template belongs to.
The language of which the message template.
The full body of the message, with the option to add unique parameters represented as placeholders.
Step 4: Review the information and submit it for approval when ready.
Adding the Approved WhatsApp Message Template to the Space
Once your Message Template has been approved on MessageBird, you may proceed to add the message template on the respond.io platform.
Step 1: Navigate to Workspace Settings > Click Channels
Step 2: Locate the MessageBird WhatsApp Channel > click Manage > Templates
Step 3: Fill in the required information
A name used to identify the template.
The message template approved by WhatsApp and to be sent to the contact.
The unique identifier provided by the WhatsApp Partner API. Your namespace can be found in the WhatsApp Channel dashboard.
In which category does this template belong to. Refer here for a list of categories.
In which language this template is written.
Step 4: Review the information and click Save.
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This is the text block that will appear when the button is clicked.


text:
Thanks NBC 13 for the free trip to the Smokies! We finally decided to take the trip I won to the Wilderness at the Smokies this weekend. We had a blast!
We spent all day at the indoor water park on Saturday. Then for dinner headed to the Black Bear Jamboree Christmas Spectacular Dinner and a Show. I loved the show! Everything was decorated with lights and decorations for Christmas with Christmas music playing everywhere you go. After the show we headed into Gatlinburg to look at the lights and decorations. It was beautiful!
The only bad part about the trip is departing. I am ready to go back. Hope you enjoy the pictures.


text:
Spence Vineyards2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Howell Mountain ~ Napa Valley)
After just two vintages producing a Howell Mountain Cabernet, the folks at this tiny property have produced the best and most terroir-specific Cab in its short history. Winemaker Marco DiGiulio has blended the grapes from the Spence’s miniscule (one acre) vineyard and added some fruit from Dennis John’s White Cottage Vineyard next door. He manged to express the specific aromas and flavors that are inherent to Howell Mountain.
Thus, we have a Spence Cabernet Sauvignon that exhibits minerality and slate from the soils and aromas of deliciously warm black fruit from the vines. Right now, that fruit is very sweet upfront but it opens to reveal a good structural backbone of fine-grained tannins and acidity. There’s some power here, as well as finesse. This is decidedly a mountain wine, so hold it for a couple of years and then drink it over the ensuing decade.
The Spence vineyard, with its red volcanic soil at nearly 1,900 feet above the Napa Valley floor, has deeper soils than most other vineyards in the region. It has since been expanded to three acres. It’s situated on the knoll of a hill above a canyon that opens to the valley floor. Warm breezes create a convection effect that bathes the grapes in circulating air which is not felt a few hundred yards to either side of the vineyard.
The wine was aged for 22 months in French barrels. The stated alcohol is 14.5 percent, and there were less than 200 cases produced.
Reviewed December 7, 2007 by Alan Goldfarb.
Other reviewed wines from Spence Vineyards
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Howell Mountain ~ Napa Valley)Catherine Fallis 6/13/2007
Alan Goldfarb has been writing about and reviewing wine for 17 years. His reviews have been published in the St. Helena Star, San Jose Mercury, San Francisco Examiner, Decanter, and Wine Enthusiast, among others. Not once has he used a point system, star system, or an iconic symbol to quantify a wine. What counts in Mr. Goldfarb’s criteria when judging a wine is: how it tastes in the glass; is it well-constructed; its food compatibility; and presence of redeeming regional attributes.

domain: geography


text:
springlabs.comFinTechFounded: 2017Funding to Date: $68.75MM
Spring Labs enables network participants to exchange valuable information without sharing underlying source data.
For more details on financing and valuation for Spring, register or login.
View Enterprise Value for Spring.
To read this article and more news on Spring, register or login.

domain: economics


(AP Photo/Courtesy of McMath Family and Omari Sealey, File)
Jahi McMath: Suit filed against Children's Hospital Oakland
The family of Jahi McMath officially filed its lawsuit Tuesday against UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, claiming doctors and nurses ignored the family's cries for help as the 13-year-old bled following surgery in 2013, leaving her brain-dead after she suffered a heart attack.
Jahi McMath: Oakland girl's family sues hospital, surgeon
Jahi McMath's family plans to file a lawsuit Tuesday seeking unspecified damages and alleging that UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland doctors and nurses mishandled the 13-year-old's care after surgery in a case that continues to challenge the medical establishment's thinking on brain death.
Jahi McMath: Landlord sues family alleging unpaid rent at New Jersey apartment
A New Jersey landlord has filed a lawsuit against the family of Jahi McMath, a brain-dead Oakland teen, alleging they have not paid rent at an apartment there for two months, according to court records obtained Tuesday.
TV Tonight: 'Flash' and 'Arrow' crossover sets up spinoff
'The Flash' lays groundwork for 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' in tonight's first part of special crossover with 'The Arrow.' Plus, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' returns for the holidays.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for SLS Las Vegas)
Erykah Badu slams Iggy Azalea at Soul Train Awards.
Iggy Azalea’s credentials questioned by Erykah Badu at Soul Train Awards.


text:
I processed the film few months after returning from Mongolia. It was the first time one of my photographs surprised me — something abstract to it that I did not control. I tried to get it back, that did not work out. But other things happened. After her morning session milking the yaks, Chimi looks at me, her sister twirls in the back. Near the Zagastain Davaa, or Fish Tail Pass. I used an old Nikon camera with a waist viewer.
In 1998, fresh out of school, I needed to test myself as a photographer and build up my portfolio. My girlfriend and I decided we would cross Mongolia on foot, east to west. For 3 months we hitchhiked and trekked, getting familiar with these vast expanses.
Format: Archival print, printed with pigment ink on acid free Hahnemühle paper.
Sorry to disturb your virtual travels. If you would like to stay informed about Matthieu Paley’s work, upcoming exhibitions and new projects, please take a moment to sign up for our newsletter. Thanks.


text:
While the Republican Party is “flabbergasted” over President Obama’s proposal to let the Bush tax cuts expire so the wealthy can pay their fair share of taxes as they did during the Clinton presidency — AND FAR LESS THAN DURING FDR’S LEADERSHIP — which created jobs and balanced the books, these greedy specimen called humans are fighting tooth and nail to avoid paying up.
If you knew what they do with their money that is untaxed — AND THE OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS WHERE THEY HIDE IT — you would be outraged and in the streets ready to throw these crooks out of office.
Take a good, long hard look at this toy. Consider the person who will buy and receive this. Consider their mentality and morality and concern over people like me and you who have worked hard all our lives and still struggle to pay the bills and survive. Think about those who live at the poverty level and how these wealthy people think of them.
While the Republicans are fighting over paying higher taxes, this battle could mean you pay $2000 more next year if they get their way. What does $2000 mean to you?
* Happy Holidays *


Don't-Miss Phone Stories
The smartphone will be available through AT&T and arrive July 25. A version with 32GB of memory will cost $199 and a 64GB version will cost $299 with a two-year contract.
OTA update set to begin its roll out today.
The long-anticipated Amazon smartphone is finally here: Jeff Bezos showed off the Fire Phone at an Amazon press event Wednesday.
Like Amazon, T-Mobile will hold a press event in Seattle Wednesday night. But it seems unlikely that T-Mobile's event has anything to do with Amazon's rumored smartphone.
Will it be a 3D gimmick, a shopping ninja, the family jewel, or just another smartphone? We'll find out soon enough.
The oft-rumored smartphone could be announced for Korean markets and never make it to US shores.
Starbucks is taking incremental steps, yet again, as it plans a national rollout of Duracell Powermat wireless charging stations.
Carriers in Europe and the Americas have committed to selling the secure handset, Silent Circle and Geeksphone say
NTT DoCoMo's Portable SIM prototype can wirelessly activate any tablet or smartphone for network access. It could be shrunk and worn as a bracelet or other wearable device.
T-Mobile representatives confirmed issues with the company's network, but not the scope or duration.
After years of rumors, Amazon finally looks set to launch its first smartphone that includes a futuristic 3D display.
New partners could have handsets out by the end of the year, according to Nick Parker, who handles Microsoft's partnerships with device makers.
Some kind of 3-D device -- perhaps the long-rumored smartphone -- may launch later this month


text:
Undici serves authentic Italian dishes with high quality ingredients. Their wine list is the size of a phone book; awesome selection of world wines and a focus on Italian wines from all regions of the country. Their homemade pizza is amazing but this is no pizzeria. This is the place to go for great Italian food, wine, and service. There is a meeting room upstairs that can host private events and dinners.
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.


text:
Photo Source: South Asian News Potral/Rishi Ram Baral
25 June, Kathmandu:
On Thursday, Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, has closed all services except emergency.
All services except emergency have been closed today for the management of the dead body after a coronavirus infected person, 55, of Adhikhola rural municipality of Syangja district, died in course of treatment at the hospital, said Hospital Director, Arjun Acharya.
Acharya informed that all the services of the hospital would be regular from Friday once the dead body is managed today.

domain: medical


text:
This useful and beautiful item is handmade with finely crushed real gemstones on a glass base by the master artisans of Jaipur. The beauty of the unique item is the flawless painting which is a traditional art and the neatly carved wooden border.
A unique two in one handcrafted keychain and magazine holder is an endearing way to keep your keys and magazines at one place. Find them easily whenever you need one. Designed to meet your daily usage. It can also be an ideal gift for your friends and relatives.
Item Type: Handicraft
Product Dimensions: LxBxH: 4.5x2x8.5 inches
Specialty: Hand painted with semi-precious Gemstone powder
The item being handmade; the fine design, pattern and color tone of the product may vary slightly from that shown in the image. However, there would not be any compromise in quality.
No Questions Asked 7 days Return/ Replacement, if you are not satisfied with the product.


text:
Column: Saudi Arabia is threatening to sell $750 billion in U.S. assets. Talk about an empty threat.
The latest shudder in the long-running international drama known as U.S.-Saudi Arabian relations occurred late last week, with a report that the Saudi government had threatened economic retaliation over a bill in Congress that could make it liable for damages from the 9/11 attacks.
Specifically, the report in the New York Times said the Saudis had said they might sell "up to $750 billion in treasury securities and other assets in the United States" if the bill passes.
The report sparked instantaneous hand-wringing and blustering across the social media fever-scape. A sudden sale of $750 billion in Treasury securities, it was said, could crater the bond market, leading to price declines of 50%-60%. The Saudis were out of line in interfering with the U.S. legislative process, it was said. And aren't they just trying to hide their complicity in the attacks.
"Few Americans would take the threat as anything short of a slap in the face of the victims of 9/11 and the country as a whole," declared George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, whose number is in the Rolodexes of cable TV bookers Washington, D.C.-wide; expect to see him on the air shortly.
Can we all take a deep breath? This isn't much of a threat. If the Saudis followed through, they would most likely be the losers.
Few Americans would take the threat as anything short of a slap in the face of the victims of 9/11 and the country as a whole.
— --Law professor Jonathan Turley
A few things need to be cleared up about this bill and the so-called Saudi threat. First, the bill doesn't hold Saudi Arabia responsible for 9/11 or declare it liable for damages from the attacks. It deals with the immunity enjoyed by foreign sovereign governments in U.S. courts, removing it in cases where foreign governments are found responsible for attacks that kill Americans on American soil. The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in January with a bipartisan vote. But since the Obama administration has been lobbying against it, the bill is likely to be vetoed even if it is passed.
Since the Saudis long have been suspected of complicity in the attacks, it's fair to say they're the prime target of the legislation. But the Saudis' immediate concern is that their U.S.-based assets could be frozen by a court for the lengthy period it would take for lawsuits for damages to make their way through the judicial system. That makes their representation about U.S. assets look a bit less like a threat than an expression of defensive strategy.
Even so, it raises two questions: Would such a sell-off be practical, and what would it do to the markets?
Let's examine the second question first.
In the game of telephone invariably played by social media, the original report's careful phrasing of "up to $750 billion in treasury securities and other assets in the United States" quickly morphed into $750 billion in Treasury securities. That would be a sizable chunk of the roughly $6.2 trillion of Treasuries held in foreign hands (by the Treasury's estimate) and even of the $12.6 trillion in U.S. government debt estimated to be in public hands (that is, not held by government agencies).
But it doesn't appear that the Saudis hold anywhere near that sum in U.S. Treasuries. Although the government reports a good deal of foreign holdings of Treasuries by country, it folds Saudi holdings into a bulk category of 15 oil-exporting countries. This controversial concealment, an artifact of the 1970s oil shocks, is manifestly designed as a big diplomatic favor to the Saudi government. It's long overdue for revision, but successive administrations have chosen to let it be.
In any case, the oil-exporter category amounts to only $281 billion, according to the Treasury. It's swamped by the largest holdings, China ($1.25 trillion) and Japan ($1.13 trillion). Obviously, Saudi Arabia's holdings must be less than $281 billion, though how much less is almost impossible to gauge. Suffice to say that Saudi oil production amounts to roughly a third of all OPEC production, so its holdings of U.S. Treasuries are likely to represent at least a large plurality the oil-exporters category, if not a majority.
It's proper to note that the figure of $750 billion in U.S. assets may itself be a gross overstatement. Saudi government investments are managed through its SAMA sovereign wealth fund, which was worth about $750 billion in 2014, but has declined to less than $685 billion since then, in part because the oil-price slump has forced the Saudis to liquidate some of their holdings for cash. Of that, about $423 billion were in overseas securities, including U.S. Treasuries, as of November.
Not all those investments are in the U.S. or in dollar-denominated assets. SAMA's holdings include much more than government securities, U.S. or otherwise. About 20% of its portfolio is estimated to be in global equities. The fund also holds real estate, including refineries.
Whatever the Saudis' holdings, how much could they liquidate and how fast? The answers probably are not so much and not very quickly. Liquidating their entire holdings of U.S. Treasuries would have to be done over time, and if the sales began to move market prices--not necessarily the case--that would have an effect on the Saudis' own portfolio. As Tim Worstall observes at Forbes.com, sales on this scale could be easily absorbed by the bond market; even if they appeared to have a price effect, the Federal Reserve could step in and compensate with purchases of its own.
Another question is what would Saudi Arabia do with the money? If the government really is fearful of dollar-denominated assets becoming subject to a freeze, they would have to be moved into another currency. That entails a whole new category of risk, for the dollar is still regarded as the most stable currency in the world.
The bottom line is that selling assets on the scale that the Saudis have reportedly talked about would be extremely costly, possibly more for the Saudis than for anyone else. The talk about dumping U.S. investments begins to look less like a threat than a plea born of desperation. The message is, please, please don't make us do this.
MORE FROM MICHAEL HILTZIK
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