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Our nation was founded on the idea that the government's power must be checked. That's why the Framers wrote into the Constitution three branches of the federal government, all of which check and balance one another.
But, as Ben Shapiro explained on his show, that system was thrown out the window in the early 20th century.
When Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson came to power, they began instituting a system -- with the help of the Supreme Court -- in which the President holds near-unlimited power. In this system, the president embodies the will of the people and can act however he sees fit.
Ever since then, our country has been on a more tyrannical trajectory.
"We've been undermining our constitutional protections. We have turned the Constitution of the United States, instead of a charter of liberty and a document designed to limit the federal government, into a bill that allows the government to do anything except for a few specific areas," Ben explained.
Fortunately, there is hope. The Framers knew that powerful people would abuse their system, and they included in Article V a way for the people to shore up our original constitutional republic.
"That's why a Convention of States is so necessary," Ben said. "It's a big vision, but America has always been a people of great vision. So let's get busy, and get this done."
A Convention of States is called and controlled by the states and has the power to propose constitutional amendments. These amendments can limit the power, scope, and jurisdiction of the federal government. They can also force Congress to be fiscally responsible and limit the terms of office for federal officials.
The Framers of the Constitution instituted the greatest governmental system in the history of the world. It's time to get back to their original vision, and we can do it with a Convention of States.

domain: history


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This week we are so excited to announce the opening of the first ever Cornwall Virtual School Games sponsored by the University of Exeter!
This year Cornwall is celebrating ten years of it’s annual School Games. One of our CELT secondary schools, Poltair School, was due to host the Games this year. This has not been possible given that all schools remain in partial lockdown due to the continuing Covid-19 threat. However, Poltair School, along with our other CELT academies, are excited to be participating in Cornwall’s first ever Virtual Games.
Lee Adams, Curriculum Team Leader for PE at Poltair School said: “Poltair School is really looking forward to the Virtual School games and will be encouraging all students, staff and families to get involved over the coming weeks. What a great way to bring the spirit of the School Games back and put a smile on so many young people’s faces by representing their schools once again. Best of luck everyone and do your schools proud.”
The #CornwallVSG2020 started today with a virtual opening ceremony. Poltair’s Mr Adams and Year 10 sports leaders Reehan and Gwen appear in the video to wish everyone taking part the best of luck, with Gwen reading The School Games Oath.
Reehan Hussain, Year 10 Sports Leader from Poltair School, said: “I hope you are excited about the challenges released today. The Virtual School Games is a great opportunity to represent your school again and get involved in activities whilst scoring points for your school. I will definitely be taking part for Poltair and hope you do too for your school.”
During this week, children and young people from reception through to year 10 will be completing 14 different sport-based challenges. There will be one sport-based challenge per day with Athletics on Monday, Bowls & Boccia on Tuesday, Dance & Gymnastics on Wednesday, Volleyball on Thursday, Tennis on Friday and throughout the whole week ‘Making Up The Miles’. We have had an amazing number of CELT students take part – and we have seen them dressed up as birds, cats, and bears, as well as lots of families joining in. One young lady even took part with her 5-month-old brother!
By getting involved in this year’s Games, our CELT students will have the chance to learn something new, connect with their friends from school and their family, get physically active and give some of their time to gain points for their school.
Follow with the social media hashtag #CornwallVSG2020
Check out the Cornwall School Games Facebook page@CornwallSchoolGames

domain: news


I have to admit: my relationship with Bogota has not been love at first sight. It’s taken work, patience, and understanding. And as I’m sure most of my ex-boyfriends will tell you, I haven’t always been the most patient, or understanding, girlfriend.
My family shares the same sentiment. So when they came to visit a couple of weeks ago, I took them to my favorite place for a Saturday morning in Bogota: La Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao. Although not present in many of the guide books, nor listed as a top thing to do online, this bustling, chaotic flower and food market was the first thing to make me fall in love with the city.
“That’s it, you’re almost there!” shouted my climbing instructor, Hugo Rocha.
Almost there? Is he kidding?
“I think I’m fine to come down now!” I yelled. But Hugo ignored me. “Focus on your feet and push with your legs. You have this, Jennifer!”
Fake Christmas trees, life-sized reindeer, and ornate nativity scenes have stocked the aisles at Homecenter since October. The parks in Bogota have been decorated with giant snowflakes and disco balls for more than a month. There’s even a fake bunny slope in the mall where children can zip line to the bottom.
But, according to my Colombian friends, the past couple months have only been preparation for the real Christmas season, which didn’t officially start until this past Friday, on Día de las Velitas.
I have a variation of the same conversation every day with my doorman. We exchange hellos, then we say how we’re feeling. Given I usually see him at 6:25 am and then again when I return from work, my response is usually “Estoy muy cansada.” I am tired.
Depending on the day of the week, he replies with (in Spanish), “Yes, very tired, of course. It’s Monday.” Or, “Yes, very tired, but it’s almost Friday.”
Today, he responded, “It’s okay because it’s Juernes!”
Juernes is a combination of the words Thursday (Jueves) and Friday (Viernes). At first I thought it was a Colombian saying similar to our “TGIF,” but after living here for two months, I’ve realized it’s just another excuse to party.
It starts on Wednesday. Every hump day, my upstairs neighbor has her girlfriends over. At 8pm the salsa music begins. At 8:30, I hear the clacking of heels on my ceiling. And from about 9pm to one in the morning, I hear them “woooooing” out on the terrace.
Thursday, before class starts, I hear my students talking about all the parties that are happening over the weekend. The boys talk about who they want to make out with and how drunk they’re going to get, and the girls talk about how they’re going to get their hair done and what they’re going to wear. Teaching is difficult.
Then there’s Friday. Reggaeton music pounds through outdoor speakers at lunch time and kids from all grades swarm the cafeteria, shoveling food into their mouths as quickly as possible so they can go dance with friends. The music continues to blast until school lets out at 3:10. If you have class after lunch, you’re screwed.
When I get home at 3:45, my doorman already has the door open, and is salsa dancing with an imaginary woman. A smile takes over his face as he shouts, “Señorita Jennifer! Es Viernes! Que rumba?” He tells me he hopes I’m going out dancing and drinking lots of beer. He also tells me I’ll have a hangover on Saturday and Sunday.
This Friday (tomorrow) will be extra crazy—student council is throwing an “end of the summer picnic party,” complete with hotdogs and hamburgers for lunch. Students won’t have to wear uniforms, and there’s even a mango stand outside the cafeteria (think snow cones but with shredded mango instead of ice).
At the beginning of the school year, I would have fought the kids and tried to teach them something. But tomorrow I plan on showing funny YouTube videos.
I also plan on dancing with my doorman at 3:45, and living my weekend like the Colombians do.
Then Monday will come, and the dialogue with my portero will start all over again.
Unfortunately, in both situations, things are usually a bit gloomy. So it’s critical to always be prepared: lots of layers, an umbrella, and most importantly, a positive attitude.
When I woke up this morning, rays of sunshine peaked through the window. My usual nighttime uniform of flannel pajamas and thermal socks felt unnecessary. (Side note: apartments here don’t come with heat or air conditioning. The average temperature of 55 degrees doesn’t require either.)
Knowing I only had an hour or two to enjoy the balmy weather, I quickly changed into running clothes and headed for a park about a 20-minute walk from my apartment.
When I got to Parque El Virrey, I stopped into Juan Valdez, Colombia’s answer to Starbucks. The next hour was spent watching parents treat their kids to balloons, dogs playing fetch, and women, with full hair and makeup, rollerblading. I sipped my cappuccino and took in my surroundings.
When asked how I like Bogotá, sometimes it’s hard to answer. The language barrier has been difficult. The city is polluted and crowded with buses and taxis. The gap between rich and poor in painfully apparent. But on a day like today, when the sun in shining and I have nothing to do but drink coffee, it’s nice.
My pace quickened, but several blocks later I found myself at a traffic light, next to a woman selling fragrant tiger lilies. She held out a bouquet for me to smell and smiled. She was missing most of her teeth.
I bought the flowers and continued walking. The woman yelled after me in a strained, hoarse voice, and told me to have a wonderful day. I stopped and waved to her, telling her to do the same.
Her hair was already soaked and so were her clothes. But she was still wearing that beautiful, toothless smile.
I gasped for air and kept peddling, my head down so the spinning instructor wouldn’t see me laughing.
“Is it just me, or is he doing a sexy dance on top of the bike?” my friend Kari said on the bicycle next to me.
In the dark room, a spotlight highlighted the instructor’s deep-set eyes as he stared out into his audience. Beads of sweat rolled down his neck. He turned up the electronic salsa music and increased the resistance on his bike. His hips were thrusting back and forth as he shouted, “uno, dos, tres!”
Kari and I laughed about it the whole walk home.
This is just one example of the sexual nature of Colombian men—or the sexual undertone that envelops the city of Bogotá, my new home.
At restaurants, couples sit next to each other instead of across—kissing one another’s necks and lips in between bites of food. Young lovers can be found making out on stairwells outside department stores and on street corners. Everyone can dance salsa.
Just three days after landing in my new city I met a Colombian guy named Santiago. A casual meeting in the park turned into a hike to Monserrate, hot coco at a restaurant overlooking Bogotá, then a bottle of wine and tapas at an outdoor café. When he dropped me off at the hotel he asked to kiss me. “I don’t know if it’s your perfume, but I’m intoxicated by you,” he said as his lips touched mine. I almost spit in his mouth.
Santi and I have been out several times since then, and every time he says something that makes me bite the sides of my cheeks to keep from laughing.
“They’re not lines,” he tells me. “I’m just telling you what I’m thinking, and I’m thinking about you.”
I admit, it’s nice to hear. And I suspect in a few months the sight of my spinning instructor gyrating on top of his bike will be commonplace. But until then, I’m going to enjoy the unbridled laughter that Bogotá brings me. And I think I’ll take Santi up on salsa lessons.


Last week we got a sneak peek of one of the iconic advertising images of 2008. Of course I'm talking about that piece of art-cum-porn for Emporio Armani's underwear featuring David Beckham and his chiselled face and perfect pecs and oiled abs and lean thighs but mainly, and most prominently, his Armani-underpanted groin.
The focus on the groin represents an interesting moment for both Beckham and Armani. The two first met in the preparations for the last World Cup when Armani was chosen to compensate for England's lack of flair on the pitch by making them look good off it. Armani and Becks formed a stylish friendship there and then but it took nearly two years for that friendship to bear commercial fruit.
Why? Because back then, Armani, a man of impeccable taste and judgment, knew that Beckham's groin wasn't ready. That emotionally and intellectually, Beckham's groin had something to prove. To parade in Armani cotton, the groin had to be many things. It had to be a mature groin. Back in 1998, the groin belonged to a young man who petulantly kicked out against an Argie and knocked England out of the World Cup. It was a passionate groin, a red-carded groin, a groin that rose unnecessarily. But last year, during the World Cup, the groin counted to 10. When the German paper Bild wrote that Beckham's sister was "fat", said his mother had the smile of a "peasant" and that Posh had cellulite on her legs, the groin reacted calmly. "It's sad when someone drops to that level," was Beckham's measured response.
But perhaps most importantly of all, the groin had to prove itself to be a philosophical groin - and here I'm not talking about Socrates or Wittgenstein. Two years into its fourth decade, the groin knows that it's for some but not others - it's for many women, for some gay men, for very few intellectuals and even fewer snobs.
Two years ago Armani could not have picked Beckham but last week he told the press why things had changed. "He is considered as one of the world's most talented soccer players and a former captain of his national team, but his image (groin) has come to stand for more than this. He (it) represents a notion of modern masculinity." In other words, the groin has come of age.
And by employing it so boldly, so has Armani's advertising. Armani ads are normally content to show immaculate images of immaculate people resplendent in their wealth, hair gel and immaculate clothes, but now Armani dares to give us a social message too.
As Beckham thrusts his groin boldly but stylishly towards us, the ad tells us that as we move from a certain career to the uncertainty of new challenges, as we move from a simple lifestyle of hedonism to a more complex one of responsibility and fatherhood, we can make the transition as Beckham has made it, if we have the right support - Armani underpants. Make mine a three pack.


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The DSP-based fingerprint systems can be used for 1:1 and 1:n verifications. Each kit includes evaluation fingerprint software and image-capture drivers. ($245ï¿½available now.)
Product Information Center 972-644-5580


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Ashton Place came into being between 1898-1902. The short one-block segment was originally the continuation of Jackson Street, which turned to meet West Pettigrew Street perpendicularly. The street heading eastward from this intersection towards the Blackwell Factory was Dandy Street. In 1902, this "Dandy" segment was named Ashton Place; by 1907, the street heading east-west was entirely Jackson, and the segment turning northward to Pettigrew was Ashton Place.
The street was mostly residential, as was the neigborhood to the south, until the 1960s. Urban Renewal wiped out all of the houses, and construction of the Downtowner Motel cut off the street's connection with West Pettigrew; it remained a cul-de-sac off of Jackson Street until ~2008, when it was eliminated for the construction of the new Durham Bus Station.


| DESCRIPTION || ||The proposal for the Museum of the 20th Century in Berlin borrows its initial spatial strategy from the adjacent Mies van der Rohe New National Gallery and a constructional affinity to Mies’ investigations into steel construction. A series of stacked and initially planar surfaces are subsequently deformed in response to program, site, orientation and structure. The fold acts as a mediator between the harsh Cartesian rationality of Mies and the lyrical tectonism of Scharoun. The fold is further used as a device, as an operative strategy, that allows for the mixing of programs, (not just blurring the line between the public and private, but between programs themselves as one surface defines the surface of the other), and that produces light control, structure, landscape, circulation, roofing, etc. The changing orientation of each plate “collects” the architecture of city as part of the museum experience. Its crown-like roof allows soft northern light to illuminate the art within. |
The main museum entry faces the New National Gallery while the public plaza entry orients itself toward Potsdamer Platz, with the height of the overall proposal establishing itself as a visible landmark from this important transportation hub. The transformation of the urban landscape further expands this strategy of assimilation and transformation between these two icons as it undulates and stacks to initiate the sequence into the museum. A sequence of ramps and stairs leads to an elevated public plaza at the center of the museum which operates as an extension of the city’s urban fabric, locating art as central to the urban experience. This pedestal in turn elevates the special galleries for maximum views of the surrounding context.


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External Web sites
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Biography of John Blair
- Oyez - Biography of John Blair
- The Supreme Court Historical Society - Biography of John Blair, Jr.
- University of Groningen - Revolution to Reconstruction - Biography of John Blair
- Westminster Abbey - Biography of John Blair
Britannica Web sites
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- John Blair - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
(1732-1800). U.S. statesman John Blair was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1790 to 1796. He was a judicial conservative and served on the court until his retirement.

domain: library


On the show: #991 Sport Class snowmobile of Adam Gajeski and #D1RT INEX Legend driver, Tony Brockhouse. Legend drivers Brian and Brady Petermann and Mariah & Casey Henriksen will also be on the show. Driver’s Corner with #1 World Of Outlaws Late Model driver, Josh Richards and #43b Go-kart driver, Landon Backer. Kid’s Corner with Skylar Armstrong and #7s Hornet driver, Scott Lampton. Plus Local Racing History, Question Of The Week and Fan Pictures Of The Week!


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Info about P Coloring Pages For Kids. Full description coming soon.
Free printable coloring pages for children that you can print out and color.\r\nletter p coloring pages Here on ColoringPages4Kids.com you will get a hold of a great deal of letter p coloring pages and sheets that you will like. letter p\r\nSuper coloring - free printable coloring pages for kids, coloring sheets, free colouring book, illustrations, printable pictures, clipart, black and white pictures ...\r\nFree printable Coloring Pages for Kids! 🖍 Over 6000 great free printable color pages. Create your own coloring book for kids of all ages.\r\nPrincess Coloring Pages is a free app designed for little girls and boys from 2 to 8 years old to learn to draw and paint with different brushes and colors.\r\nFree printable coloring pages for kids. More 20000 coloring pages. Print and paint them.\r\nFind and save ideas about Coloring pages for kids on Pinterest. | See more ideas about Kids coloring sheets, Kids coloring and Coloring stuff.\r\nFree, printable coloring book pages, connect the dot pages and color by numbers pages for kids.\r\nMake your world more colorful with printable coloring pages from Crayola. Our free coloring pages for adults and kids, range from Star Wars to Mickey Mouse\r\nChristmas coloring book and painting game. Free app for all boys and girls which love santa claus, christmas trees, reindeer, gifts or elves. Color your own cards and ...\r\n

domain: entertainment


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The X Factor winner Alexandra Burke shared a rare picture of her newborn baby as she celebrated her 34th birthday. The gorgeous singer posted the picture on her Instagram - and it's adorable.
Holding the little tot in her arms, Alexandra smiled in awe at her baby during their holiday in Monaco.
Pregnant Alexandra Burke reveals first glimpse of baby bump
The Bad Boys singer also looked beautiful in a green mini dress, which flattered her figure and showed off her striking legs. She captioned the post: "This is 34. Thank you for all the lovely messages today."
The star was celebrated by other A-listers, including Amanda Holden. The Britain's Got Talent judge left a fire and heart emoji on her friend's post.
The singer uploaded this sweet snap
Followers of the stunner also celebrated the star with wishes. One user wrote: "Happy birthday beautiful!!! This is so wholesome", whilst another commented: "Happy birthday babes. So happy for you."
Last month, Alexandra and her footballer boyfriend Darren Randolph announced the arrival of their baby, by sharing a picture of the tot's feet. The Elephant singer captioned the adorable snap: "Welcome to the world our little grape. We already love you more than words can say."
The star celebrated her birthday in style
The star spoke to HELLO! last month in an exclusive interview and revealed how she is adjusting to motherhood. She said: "I'm simply taking every day as it comes and that seems to be working out pretty-well… Obviously, it hasn't been without its challenges… but for both Darren and I we are so full of love that nothing else matters."
Whilst Alexandra has yet to reveal the baby's name, the singer also revealed to us that her and Darren have been affectionately calling the baby 'Grape' - so sweet! You can read the full interview, here.
Like this story? Sign up to our HELLO! Mail newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

domain: celebrity


Trent Alexander-Arnold did not make the trip to face Porto in the Champions League due to an injury which is more serious than first thought; watch Liverpool vs Manchester City on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm; kick-off at 4:30pm
Thursday 30 September 2021 18:50, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp does not expect Trent Alexander-Arnold to be fit for Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City, live on Sky Sports.
Alexander-Arnold did not make the trip to Portugal as Liverpool played their second match of this season's Champions League campaign against Porto on Tuesday.
Klopp confirmed the right-back was absent due to an injury he suffered in Saturday's 3-3 draw at Brentford, and said he may also be unavailable for selection for England's upcoming internationals.
Speaking after Liverpool's 5-1 victory over Porto, Klopp said: "Trent felt his abductor - in that area he has a little injury.
"No muscle injury heals that quick (in time for Sunday) - after that I don't want to make the decision for him but I don't think it will be possible for him to be with the national team. Hopefully after that he will be ready again."
Prior to Liverpool's win in Portugal, Klopp told BT Sport: "It didn't look serious but we did further assessment and it was serious.
"He is out for today for sure, he didn't travel, and it doesn't look great for the City game as well.
"It's a muscle thing. We thought it was just tight from the [Brentford] game but it was more and now we have to deal with that."
Liverpool, the only Premier League club who remain unbeaten so far this season, welcome champions Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's City side moved to within a point of the Reds after beating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.


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Suzette’s quirky, fun, fashion style, outgoing personality and her passion & knowledge in her art all reflect in her work and gives her a unique edge to all projects she’s involved in.
Stared in the BBC Three ‘South Side Story‘ as UK’s leading choreographer in a brand new structured reality TV show focusing on the real lives of South London entertainers.
Starting her career as a dancer, she travelled the Globe working with the best in the industry from Rihanna, Rita Ora, Usher, Lil’ Wayne, Robin Thicke, Fergie & Jessie J to performing in the Michael Jackson West End Musical Thriller Live, judging on the BBC TV Series ‘Alesha’s Street Dance Stars’ and carried on appearing in many music videos, commercials, tours and films such as Prometheus & Street Dance 3D. As the years went on her passion for Choreography & Creative Direction Blossomed into a successful career and she has gone on to choreograph stars, including: Jay Z, M.I.A, Sam Smith, Mick Jagger, Sean Paul, Diplo, Lily Allen, DJ Fresh, Major Lazer, Krept & Konan, Dua Lipa, Skepta, Jehemih, Jax Jones, Little Mix, Craig David as well as developing the new kids on the Block such as Little Nikki, Karen Harding, Neon Jungle and Becky Hill. Aside from working within the music industry as a Choreographer/Creative Director, she has created movement for Commercials and Sport Brands such as 2016 House Of Fraser Christmas Commercial, Virgin Active, Boohoo, NIKE & Pepsi. Suzette is a creative and passionate Choreographer/Creative Director with a unique imagination, outgoing and adventurous personality who is always excited to create something new and fresh.
A few of Suzette’s choreography are:
Sam Smith- One Last Song (Music Video)
Mick Jagger- Gotta Get A Grip (Music Video)
Sean Paul & Dua Lipa- Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball 2016
Rimmel- (Cara Delevingne & Rita Ora) Commercial
House Of Fraser – (Christmas Commercial) 2016
Little Mix– Shout Out to My Ex ( The X Factor) UK Live Performance & Promo
M.I.A – Bad Girls (Music Video)
Lily Allen – 2014 Opening US Tour for Miley Cyrus Bangerz Tour
Lily Allen – Sheezus (2014 World Tour)
CHOREOGRAPHER // CREATIVE DIRECTOR // MOVEMENT COACH
Music Videos | Commercials | Tour | TV Promo | Films | Castings | Corporate Events | Viral | Live Events | Sports


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Tackling alcohol misuse leads to President’s prize
Fuse Associate John Mooney has been awarded a prestigious President’s Medal by The Faculty of Public Health (FPH), an organisation of up to 4,000 public health professionals across the UK and around the world.
The FPH makes the award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to public health policy and practice by a registered public health specialist, faculty member or fellow.
John, a senior lecturer in Public Health at the University of Sunderland, was praised by a panel of judges who were “hugely impressed” with the breadth and scope of his research in alcohol harm reduction interventions and policies.
These have ranged from facilitating locally implemented policies around licensing in Sunderland to advocacy for national level measures such as alcohol minimum unit pricing and the prospects for incorporating health information in license decision making.
John also recently led a local evaluation of an early referral substance abuse service for young people in Sunderland, which was funded by Alcohol Change UK and he represents the Faculty’s Special Interest Group on Alcohol in the current Westminster consultation committee on UK alcohol strategy.
He said: "It is such a privilege to receive this recognition from the Faculty. It’s also testament to all those colleagues and partners who have supported me and this important area of work over the years."
The FPH award panel this year comprised of Professor Jonathan Shepherd, Professor Carol Brayne, Prof John Newton, and the current Faculty President, Professor Maggie Rae.
To receive the award from the current President has a special resonance for John, since Maggie was Training Programme Director in South West England, when he undertook his Faculty accreditation training. John has been a full Fellow of FPH since 2011.
He said: "Having gained my Fellowship through completing accredited training and membership exams, I combine my teaching and research interests with working part-time with the public health consultant team at Sunderland City Council. Having worked at the Universities of Edinburgh and Sheffield, my principle areas of interest have been in policy interventions to tackle chronic disease risk factors such as obesity and alcohol misuse."
The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is a registered charity, whose role is to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities and national populations.
Adapted with thanks to University of Sunderland
Last modified: Mon, 04 May 2020 14:03:30 BST

domain: medical


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After the COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous shutdowns and delays, U.K. film production is once again surging too high record levels according to the British Film Institute.
GazetteXtra reports from Los Angeles that spending on film and high-end television shoots reached a record 5.72 billion pounds ($6.73 billion) in the fiscal year ended in June,
Television production during the period reached 3.88 billion pounds ($4.56 billion), the highest level on record.
“It’s a really exciting time. And it’s incredibly busy,” Emily Stillman, senior vice president of Leavesden, said.
“We had some space become available in the second half of this year, and we filled that almost immediately. We could have sold that again, two or three times over.”
Hollywood film production companies from Warner Bros and Universal Pictures are more than ever busy filming at Sand studios Leavesden, a former World War II aircraft factory in Watford.
The New York Times published an article back in 2013 titled “Britain is Hollywood’s home away from home” to simply indicate the fruitful relationship between the UK and Hollywood.
Britain’s film production has been growing as a result of a byproduct of a decade’s worth of government policy promoting the industry and a robust infrastructure that grew around two of the most successful film franchises of all time, the Harry Potter and James Bond series.
Studios and streaming companies are taking advantage of some of the world’s most stable and lucrative film incentives, which were recently expanded to include TV, animation, and video games.
“There’s been a colossal, amount of film and television production happening in the U.K. We’ve broken all records in terms of inward investment,” said Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission. “We’re very much an agent of growth, an agent of recovery, for the U.K. economy.”
he boom has been driven by several factors, including pent-up demand caused by earlier shutdowns, favorable exchange rates, and a slew of high-end television productions from Netf,lix, Apple, Amazon, and other streaming giants reshaping the TV industry.
High-profile shows that are filming right now in Britain include the third season of “Ted Lasso” for Apple TV+, Netflix’s fifth season of “The Crown” and “Queen Charlotte” for Netflix and Shondaland.
Then there’s Amazon’s much anticipated “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” series, which announced earlier this year it was moving its second season from New Zealand to Shepperton, Surrey. The series debuts next month.
In February, Amazon signed a multimillion-pound long-term lease with Shepperton Studios as part of a plan to expand “its production footprint and investing in studio space across the U.K.,” the company investment statement.
“It’s just gone thermonuclear,” said Spencer MacDonald, the nation of Bectu, the union representing over 40,000 staff, contract, and freelance workers in the media and entertainment, industries. “The amount of content that [streaming companies] are trying to produce is just phenomenal.”
The soaring demand has gone on creating a shortage of stage space.
An American privately-held real estate investment company such as Hackman Capital Partners broke ground in June on what it describes as London’s largest film and TV production center.
With 12 stages over a total studio space of over 500,000 square feet, Eastbrook Studios in Dagenham promised to boost the East London area, creating 1,200 jobs and, contributing 35 million pounds ($41 million) per year to the local economy, Hackman said in its 2020 announcement. The new studio is expected to be open next year.


An autonomous vehicle (AV) or self-driving car is a vehicle that can move safely without human input. Researchers of this emerging technology estimate a reduction of 90% of road fatalities.
Smart mobility is one of the key elements in the cities of the future, and when it comes to smart mobility, one of the main themes is automated cars. It is, therefore, foreseeable that AV’s will, at some point, replace conventional human-driven cars.
Self-driving cars will stimulate innovation in the fields of mobility, sustainability and efficiency, of which the reduction of pollution, saving of energy, optimizable traffic by AV’s intercommunication (eliminating bumper-to-bumper traffic), minimizing unproductive and stressful driving time are good examples.
Sustainability is an important element in AV’s, as they have the potential to reduce pollution and save energy, which relates to less injuries and death. Furthermore, it also opens opportunities for improvement in mobility for people with disabilities, elderly population, and others.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) created six levels of driving automation, which means there is a spectrum and not an opposing distinction between human-driven and autonomous vehicles. When discussing AV’s, it is usually referring to levels four and five of automation, where human interaction is optional or there is no human interaction at all, respectively. This paper focuses on these last two levels of automation.
Although the advantages are tremendous, other issues will arise when AV’s hit the road, especially in terms of ethics and liability. For instance, would we prefer to buy a car that would save the passengers at any costs, or to have a utilitarian car, that would minimize the risks, even if that meant killing its passengers? And who is liable for a self-driving car crash? Some point to the vehicle owner, others to the manufacturers or the software’s programmers. This article aims to consider and discuss the various alternatives expressed in the legal community and, ultimately, propose the fairest option.
The Trolley Problem and Autonomous Vehicles
The trolley problem involves an ethical dilemma in which there is a scenario with a runaway trolley that is about to collide with five people. But a bystander has the chance to intervene by changing the track of the trolley, which will result in the death of only one person.
There are many variants to the trolley problem, but the ethical question is always the same: is it better to do nothing (which will result in the death of five people), or to interfere in its course, and in that way, sacrifice one person that would otherwise be safe from this accident?
The trolley problem is often brought up when discussing autonomous vehicles since it is the programmer of the software who has to anticipate various scenarios in which there are inevitable deaths. Then, the AV needs to make a decision whether to protect the passengers, the passers-by or the bystanders.
If we were in the same situation with a human-driven car, we (the driver) would panic react by either staying on course or swerving, but it would be just a reaction and not a deliberate decision.
As for AV’s, the decision it makes will not be an instinctual one, but an instruction by a programmer, which could be seen as a discriminatory, given that the algorithm will systematically favour a certain object or type of person to crash into.
Civil Liability Issues
Nowadays, with conventional cars, liability is generally attributed to the driver, so current laws may not apply to AVs. As there is artificial intelligence involved, researchers identify, other than the AV’s owner, also the manufacturer, the programmer, the occupants, the supplier or even a hacker, as possible responsible actors.
Note that when it comes to the design of the program and how the AV will make decisions in a situation with unavoidable fatalities (as mentioned in The Trolley Problem), policymakers have not yet reached a conclusion on the standards to use – for instance, if the number of victims is most relevant, or the likelihood of severe injuries.
When it comes to AVs of levels three and four, where the driving experience is shared between AV and human driver, one solution is to have a “black box” similar to airplanes to monitor the driving, to make it easier for insurance companies to ascertain who is at fault. That means that, in the case of AVs, the driver can still be liable, but also that this liability can also be shifted to the design and manufacturing of AVs, in case it involves a matter of product defect and safety.
It is important to assign liability to the proper part, which will, in most cases, be the party in control of the vehicle when an accident occurs. Therefore, there is a need for products liability law to accommodate the emergence of AVs in our everyday reality. Since in most cases it is the manufacturer who should be liable for an accident, in case the vehicle was in autonomous mode, meaning it was the technology itself that was operating the vehicle, thus, making it responsible for the accident.
This type of product liability also ensures that manufacturers provide a safe product to consumers, by holding the manufacturers liable for any mistake or defect, which creates an incentive for programmers to deliver safety safeguards.
Moreover, some researchers point in the direction of comparative fault between programmer and driver, depending on the facts of a specific car crash and who was in control of the car.
In terms of enforcement of liability, one important difference to point out is the one between a product liability lawsuit and a car crash lawsuit, since the first one is more time-consuming and expensive than the last and, in that way, making it a more disadvantageous option for some victims. The 2016 RAND study suggested, due to this situation, to make the liability shift from driver to manufacturer without the need to prove malfunction, in other words, a no-fault automobile insurance that quickly compensates the victims without the need of proving fault of one party.
Nevertheless, having a system that always makes the manufacturer liable will reflect on the prices of AV’s, since their cost will have to contain the projected liability.
On the one hand, some researchers point in the direction of comparative fault between programmer and driver, depending on the facts of a specific car crash and who was in control of the car. On the other hand, it is also considered the possibility to have manufacturers be liable in all instances, with a no-fault insurance to automatically compensate the victims. One of the reasons why this last solution is proposed is to make the lawsuit available for everyone, since a product liability lawsuit is overall more expensive., On the whole, having a system where liability is analysed according to a specific situation might seem to be the fairest path for now.
Considering the shortcomings of each option, there is still a long way to go in terms of policies and legislation, although the clock is already ticking as AVs are expected to be deployed in the next couple of years.
 Viktória Ilková, Legal aspects of autonomous vehicles – an overview, 21st international conference on process control, 2017, p. 1
 The first levels (zero, one and two) always require human intervention, though they have some automated system, like cruise control or steering performance. The third level has environmental detection capability, but still requires human input, thus the driver must be alert to take over if the system isn’t able to perform a certain task.
 Alawadhi, Mohamed, Almazrouie, Jumah, Kamil, Mohammed and Khalil, Khalil Abdelrazek, Review and analysis of the importance of autonomous vehicles liability: a systematic literature review, International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, 2020
 Jeffrey Gurney, Sue my car not me: products liability and accidents involving autonomous vehicles, Journal of Law, Technology & Policy, vol. 2013, p. 25
 Lynne McChristian and Richard Corbett, Regulatory Issues Related to Autonomous Vehicles, Journal of Insurance Regulation, vol. 35, n.º 7, 2016, pp. 9-10


In the previous article, we talked about how agriculture has a detrimental effect on ecosystems, especially the last steppes in Europe. Let us now dwell in more detail on some of the harmful practices of agriculture. Oleksiy Vasyliuk, a zoologist and chairman of the UNCG NGO, helps us with this.
There is an eco-movements to ban pesticides.
Pesticides used to kill insects in fields or forests can be viral or chemical.
Viral ones are much more expensive and should only work on a specific species. It is complex; farmers can use them only when there is an outbreak of a particular species, and this drug will affect only this species and will not affect all others.
Insect chemicals are, in simple words, poison. And all living things on the field are poisoned. That is, we humans are also poisoned. A person just needs a larger dose of poison. Why are all people who spray pesticides always wearing masks? Because they can also die from them.
Pollution of the environment
This phenomenon isn’t necessarily about plastic bottles and plastic bags. There is also animal farms waste. The same chemicals used to cultivate agricultural land can also be called “pollution.” Also, there’s transport pollution.
Dust storms after the destruction of the soil
Dust storms are now occurring not only in the Persian Gulf and the United States but also in Eastern Europe. Such a storm occurs under a difficult coincidence. First comes a long period of drought. The soil becomes completely dry at some depth. When there was no dew, when the ground is open enough, and there is no continuous vegetation, the wind gradually blows the soil. Each grain of sand knocks out the next. For the same reason, the Egyptian Great Sphinx of Giza now has no face (except for cannonballs fired by the army of Napoleon Bonaparte, of course). His face was simply wiped with sand for centuries. As a result, the sand rises to a height of two to five kilometers. The solid wall of sand begins to move.
A dust storm in Europe consists of a displaced fertile layer of soil. This is not sand, as in the Middle East. The desert is where it has been, not where the wind carries the dust.
Why is this problem related to climate change? Because the more climatic zones move to the north, the longer the dry periods become. Conditions for the dust storm are created when there is just a long period of drought, and there is a chance that a good wind will start to take the soil. And desertification, by definition, is the loss of a fertile layer of soil. Dunes from Africa do not migrate to Europe, bypassing the sea, not at all. Desertification rushes and its fastest way are dust storms.
On a global scale, it is not a catastrophe. In David Attenborough’s film “Our Planet, One Planet” (2020), there is a whole section about dust storms.
When they settle in the world’s oceans, they fill them with organic matter. The ocean “lives”; life in it is reproduced due to dust storms.
But if Europe did not have such intensive agriculture, dust storms would not take away the latter. In the case of Eastern Europe, they remove just the remnants of the soil after years of cultivation.
The climate change clock knocked down
As we mentioned in this article, climate change causes some European trees to bloom and insects to wake up in winter. These trees will no longer bloom in the spring.
I liked the meme that “Birds have never made such a senseless flight to the South.” And this is really so! Many species that may or may not fly, such as the Great Egret, may fly from Eastern Europe very far to the south and may remain. In 2019-2020 the heron remained. Because it is a species that can modify its behavior depending on climatic conditions. For example, swans remain in autumn and winter in Eastern Europe until the ponds freeze.
Those species that may not change their behavior so much may not survive one year due to climate change. In autumn, they will still be alive, but in spring, humanity may find them dead. And we’ll get to can know about it only by the fact. We cannot predict it and somehow prevent it.
Do we need to plant a lot of trees?
The world community is trying to fight climate change. The forums of international organizations have recently started saying, “Let’s plant a lot of trees.” Facebook now offers the ad “You can buy climatic tree plantations in Georgia” (in case if you have a lot of money, of course).
But any business can be done wisely (and it will benefit) and senselessly (and it will harm). Unfortunately, this whole plan to plant trees poses a considerable threat.
It is necessary to ask the organizers of such events whether they will plant alien (introductory) species. After all, in Eastern Europe, you can plant acacia (a bad idea), and you can plant oak (a good idea, and then selectively), and these are significantly different effects.
What kind of trees we’ve got to plant? This question is essential. Today, alien species are often planted in our forests. These are trees that usually grow in other parts of the world and have never been part of our forests but have appeared here through human efforts.
One of the typical examples is red oak. In the post-Soviet space, foresters often plant it: it grows well and is almost not afraid of pests. However, it displaces native tree species, and this dramatically changes the entire ecosystem. Many species that lived here earlier disappear.
So if a billion new red oaks appear in Ukraine, we can be sure that the problems will only increase.
You can plant on a forest slope, where the last Red Book plants have survived, and you can plant where there was a landfill, and this way, you can restore the forest.
The best decision is to restore native plantations where nature has been destroyed. If this idea is implemented qualitatively, it will be a great practice.
Why the steppe should not be plowed, and ecosystems should be restored
The steppe is a grassy ecosystem that exists on every continent except Antarctica. It is very much related to climate. On every continent, there are mountains by the ocean. In the case of Eurasia, it is the Himalayas.
Warm moist air masses from the Indian Ocean cannot cross the Himalayas; they cause rain on their southern slopes. That is why India is so green and wet. But beyond the mountains the Gobi Desert, one of the driest places on the planet, lies. And then, in Russia near Lake Baikal – there’s the place of the highest atmospheric pressure on the continent. Thus, due to the imbalance between the wet atmospheric masses in front of the mountains and the dry atmospheric masses behind the mountains, the point of the highest atmospheric pressure on the continent is formed. Accordingly, the air needs to move somewhere.
For the last nine thousand years, the air has been moving from Baikal to the Danube Delta, and there are steppes in this area. There is a constant dry wind throughout the year in one direction. This causes dryness, and the trees need more water. That is why, historically, steppes were formed in Ukraine and Russia.
In them, herbaceous plants hide most of their living mass underground. This is very logical: in the spring, while wet after winter, they have time to bloom and then hid everything underground; and the steppe can, for example, burn at least until the end of the year. But they form a dense felt, tightly intertwined. In an arid steppe climate, it does not pass beyond this thin layer when it rarely rains. This is so that this rain, perhaps one per season, is absorbed completely. The plants have adapted to survive the dry season and make the most of moisture.
Therefore, while there is a steppe, the soil – dead plant particles – accumulates indefinitely. It is necessary to plow this soil once, the first rain will wet it, and it will start to decompose.
Therefore, there are international assessments of the impact on the agricultural atmosphere. Half a kilogram of carbon is released into the atmosphere from one square meter of cultivated land in one year. And this is logical – black soil is 50% pure carbon.
Unfortunately, no international climate document such as the Paris Agreement is related to the soil. And it is difficult to calculate how much carbon humanity has released into the atmosphere through arable farming from a historical perspective.
Thus, while in Eastern Europe, the steppe remains a steppe, and while in the northern regions, peat bogs remain wetlands, these ecosystems accumulate enormous amounts of carbon. As soon as they are occupied by agriculture, carbon returns to the atmosphere. We wrote about this in detail in this article.
Along with the idea of planting a trillion trees, there is a better idea suggested by the IUCN: we should not reforest landscapes but restore natural ecosystems. It can be forests too. That is, the first and second ideas can be competently combined.
But the emphasis must be proper: the landscape that was destroyed by agriculture must be made natural as it was before man came. This IUCN project has a website that has been joined by many countries, from developed to small islanders.
Why we need to consume local products
Let’s call to memory a simple example. There are world centers for growing bananas. A colossal resource is needed for their transportation. That is, we, humanity, are not just destroying nature by growing bananas. We also spend resources when we specialize part of the planet to produce something; we destroy everything there. And we also use fuel that is extracted elsewhere to move products from place to place.
I’m not saying Europeans and Americans shouldn’t eat bananas. But remember, by increasing the number of locally produced or even domestically produced products, we are supporting an economy that needs zero transportation resources. Everyone, growing something for themselves, takes the right step instead of the wrong one, and that’s great.


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Njan Prakashan Movie ReviewModified On: 26 December 2018 | Reviewed By: Team Moviekoop
Njan Prakashan Movie Review: It is a treat to watch Fahadh Fasil play a typical role of a Malayali.
Njan Prakashan is a Malayali Drama starring Fahadh Fassil in the lead. The famous director-writer combination Sathyan Anthikad - Sreenivasan comes back on screen after a long time.
The Plot: Prakashan aka PR Aakashan played by Fahadh Faasil, is a Malayali who is irresponsible but aspires to lead a luxurious life without much effort. He is jobless in spite of pursuing nursing. He some how finds a way to earn a living by engaging in fraudulent activities.
His life’s course changes when he learns that his love interest, Salomi played by Nikhita, gets a job in Germany. She happens to be his junior in college. Once he learns that, he will start pleasing her so that even he can travel to Germany.
Prakashan changes his name to PR Aakash as he feels that it will sound modern. What are the challenges that he will face and how she will change his life forms the crux of the story?
The first half of the movie totally portrays his character as PR Aakash. The second half of the movie is all about how PR Aakash changes back to Prakashan.
Faahadh Fassil as Prakashan aka PR Aakashan has done a tremendous job and given full justice to his role. He is versatile. Him playing a role of a typical Malayali gelled well with all the situations in the film. The film also has traits of his previous movie Oru Indian Pranayakatha.
Mollywood gets to see the combination of Sathyan Anthikad, the director of the film and Sreenivasan, writer after 16 years. They have once again proved that they are one of the best director-writer combo who can portray a tale of a Malayali youth who we see in our day to day life.
Also Read: Playing by the cards: Fahadh Faasil
Songs of the movie are already a hit. Music by Shaan Rahman is very soothing and cinematography by S Kumar is also a treat to watch.
Rest of the actors Sreenivasan, Nikhila Vimal, Devika Sanjay and KPAC Lalitha have all done a good job.
Overall, Njan Prakashan is a very good movie to watch this Christmas weekend. It will surely be a time well spent in the theater to see Fahadh Fassil conquer our heart as a typical Malayali guy next door whom we all hate. Go watch this refreshing movie with your friends and family.
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domain: artistic


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Brinner, anyone? Yeasted Waffles for Dinner
Brinner, maybe dinfast? I’m not really sure what to call our family’s breakfast for dinner habit. But having some hearty scrambled eggs and crisp waffles for dinner is not only easy—it’s very satisfying.
So the next time your scrambling (forgive the pun) to come up with a dinner idea, grab some eggs and flour and make this tasty meal.
First, a word on waffles. Waffles can be flat and tasteless if you use a mix or throw together a quick batch. I’m not saying quick waffles can’t be good. In fact, I have a great recipe here for making a fast batch. If you plan just a little bit ahead—in the morning—you can make these super-crisp, oohs and ahhs-inspiring variety. The secret is yeast. By adding a little yeast to the batter and letting it sit out for a few hours, the waffles have a more complex flavor—and a flakier texture. The first time I made these I thought their closest comparison was the funnel cakes you get at the carnival—they’re that good (but not as sweet or greasy). You can definitely play around with the flavor of the waffles. Add a little whole wheat flour to the batter, orange zest or even almond extract. And of course, you shouldn’t forget to top off your waffles with some good, high-quality Michigan-made maple syrup. One additional tip: keep the cooked waffles warm by heating the oven to about 200 degrees and storing finished waffles on a baking sheet until all the waffles are ready.
While your waffles are cooking, whip up some scrambled eggs to complete your meal. Bag the whisk and use a hand mixer for fluffier eggs. Thoroughly blend the eggs first and then add some fixins’. I make my eggs more filling by adding grated sharp cheddar cheese and smoked ham during the last moments of blending. If I’ve got some handy, I also add just a little bit of minced onion (no more than a tablespoon). The kids never notice the onion but it gives the eggs a little bit of zing. The other key for really good scrambled eggs is to make sure that you add at least a tablespoon of butter or margarine to your skillet and bring it up to a medium-high heat before you add your egg batter. After you’ve added the eggs, go ahead and let them cook for a couple minutes before you start stirring them. Cook only until just barely cooked then turn off the heat and let the eggs finish cooking off heat. By using a few tweaks and tips, your eggs will be extra fluffy—and tasty.
Ready for some dinner-breakfast? Me too!
Quick, Hearty Waffles
This recipe is my version of a favorite from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The original recipe calls for buttermilk, which I never seem to have on hand. As a substitute, I add a tablespoon of white, distilled vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for at least ten minutes or until it starts to look slightly chunky. If I have a lemon on hand, I’ll use a tablespoon of fresh squeezed juice to sour the milk instead of vinegar. Either way, the soured milk makes for a tangier waffle.
2 cups all-purpose flour (I usually use 1 ½ flour, ½ whole wheat flour)
2 tablespoons cornmeal (fine ground or masa if you have it)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 ¾ cups soured milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
You’ll need three bowls to make these waffles—but don’t worry, they’re easy to clean up afterwards. In one small bowl, mix all of your dry ingredients. In the large bowl crack your eggs, being careful to separate the yolks from the whites. The yolks go into the larger bowl, while the whites should go into a smaller bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until they become just barely stiff. You can add a pinch of cream of tartar to help this process along, but I’m usually just fine without it.
Add the wet ingredients to your yolk bowl. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix the dry ingredients into the yolk batter. Warm the waffle iron. Finally, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. Cook the waffles.
Crisp, Yeasted Waffles
This recipe comes from one of my all-time favorite recipe books, How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. If you don’t have a copy, I highly recommend it. I’ve even been known to give a copy—along with a baking dish—as wedding gifts. This recipe requires you to plan ahead, but just a little. And the results are well worth it!
½ teaspoon instant yeast
2 cups flour (I often use 1 ½ cups all-purpose, ½ cup whole wheat)
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
8 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla (optional)
2 eggs, separated
In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients then add in the milk, along with the butter and vanilla, if you’re using it. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for at least six hours. You could mix this before you head to work or at the same time as you’re putting together your kids’ school lunches.
When you’re ready for dinner, heat the waffle iron. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. In another bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft, stiff peaks form. Gently stir the whipped egg whites into the yolk/milk batter. Bake the waffles and serve warm.

domain: food


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Here's some background information about the Writers Guild of America which represents more than 12,000 film and TV writers. It is made up of two unions, the WGA West and the WGA East.
Timeline: 1933 - The Screen Writers Guild opens its first headquarters in Hollywood.
October 10, 1940 - The date of the first producers-screenwriters agreement. It recognizes the Guild as the collective bargaining agent for all writers in the motion picture industry.
1948 - The first annual awards are given out at the Hotel Bel-Air.
1951 - All West Coast writers in the television industry are represented by the Guild.
1954 - The Writers Guild of America East and Writers Guild of America West are formed when the five different groups on both coasts merge.
1960 - The Guild goes on a five-month strike over motion picture residuals and royalties pertaining to television reruns.
March 6, 1973 - June 24, 1973 - The Guild goes on strike for increased wages and better health benefits.
March 7, 1988 - August 8, 1988 - A 22-week strike creates a half a billion dollars in lost revenue before being resolved with a new contract. Basic pay increases and residuals from foreign and domestic reruns were the cause of the strike.
May 21, 2007 - The Guild makes its position known to networks and studios that it wants a bigger cut of new media revenues, including Internet, cell phones and other digital platforms. It issues a 25-item "pattern of demands" as part of upcoming contract negotiations.
July 16 - November 1, 2007 - Negotiations between the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers take place, until the contracts expire on November 1 and talks stall.
November 5 , 2007 - The strike begins at 12:01AM.
November 26, 2007 - Talks resume, only to break down on December 7.
December 17, 2007 - WGA West announces that its members are not allowed to write for the Golden Globes (January 13) or the Academy Awards (February 24). On December 20, they announce WGA writers are allowed to participate in the Spirit Awards (February 23).
December 28, 2007 - An agreement is reached with Worldwide Pants allowing the David Letterman and Craig Ferguson late night programs to return to the air with full writing staffs.
January 2, 2008 - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien return to air with new episodes without WGA content.
January 7, 2008 - Announces that an independent agreement with United Artists has been reached. Writers are allowed to return to work on the companies' productions.
January 14, 2008 - Announces that another interim agreement has been reached. MRC, an independent film, television and digital studio and the WGA have worked out a deal similar those with Worldwide Pants and United Artists.
February 9, 2008 - Union representatives from the East and West coast Writers Guild announce a tentative agreement with studios.
February 12, 2008 - During a news conference, WGA President Patric Verrone announces that 92.5 percent of the membership had voted to end the writers strike. The writers achieved two out of three of their goals in the new agreement which include: - Any content written by guild members specifically for new media, such as the Internet or cell phones, will be covered by their contract. - The second goal relates to reuse of content in new media. The agreement bases payment for reuses on a distributor's gross formula for residuals.
February 26, 2008 - The Writers Guild of America approves a new contract with film and television producers, formally ending the strike.
2007 WGA Strike: The 2007 strike was over royalties from DVD sales, which were last negotiated in 1988, and royalties from the so-called new media - all the various places their works are distributed, including Internet downloads.
Late-night talk shows, soap operas, TV series, and movies were affected.
Reality shows, documentaries, game shows, news broadcasts, celebrity news shows, animation, sports, and commercials will not be affected.


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I listened DeepMix Moscow Radio for several years, but I met Andrey Pushkarev for the first time at this private party in Turin. We became friends and we meet every year in different locations around the world.
Andrey is a great DJ and producer, as well as being a nice person and good companion for profound speeches about life & happiness. He’s also a strong sense of humor. I love to listen his new mixes on SoundCloud, sometimes even in preview :)


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Good-value, tasty Vietnamese food
16 Nguyen Sieu, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
T: (04) 2216 4028
If you’re looking for good-value, tasty Vietnamese food but the street scene leaves you a bit nervous, air-con Com Pho Co is worth seeking out with its great range of standard Vietnamese dishes, such as light and crispy nem Hue, crunchy papaya salad or heartier aubergine and pork claypot. Although located on non-touristy Nguyen Sieu, Com Pho Co is still central for Old Quarter.
Inside is split into three sections: an inside area at the front, a courtyard and a rear area by the kitchens. The main benefit of the front area is that it’s cool: air-con and fans work hard to keep the temperature down, which will be very welcome if you’re taking a break from a stroll around Old Quarter. The courtyard’s a prettier and more interesting place to sit — you can occupy your time wondering why they chose vintage bikes to decorate the place — and is also fan-cooled, but don’t venture into the rear area unless you need to visit the rest rooms, as it’s soulless. Overall the place feels light, airy and clean.
The restaurant describes itself as “Old Quarter Vietnamese cuisine“, and refreshingly, that’s what you’ll get: they’ve made no attempt to be all things to all people by introducing Western dishes. The menu is still quite extensive however and includes fresh and fried spring rolls, salads (for those lacking in essential vitamins), rice, noodles, tofu, fish and seafood, meat and vegetables. Everything we’ve tried has been well-cooked, tasty and a good portion size.
Staff wear branded company T-shirts and are friendly and efficient. Some speak English, and will probably greet you on arrival, but pointing at the menu items you want works pretty well anyway — and you can always try out your Vietnamese.
Prices are very reasonable and on a par with similar Old Quarter places such as Ladybird. Spring rolls, salads, noodles, rice and vegetable dishes range from about 30,000 to 50,000 VND and meat dishes start at 65,000 VND for pork and go up to 115,000 VND for duck and seafood. Set menus start at 119,000 VND for soup, spring rolls, a main with rice and dessert.
For the comfort, service and quality of food, Com Pho Co is really good value and will suit anyone looking for a Vietnamese food pit stop. Tables in the main dining area seat eight, so it’s good for a group or people who like their space, and the courtyard area is a relaxing spot where you’ll be tempted to extend your visit with coffee and a caramel dessert.
By Sarah Turner
Last updated on 21st August, 2014.


Name Course Instructor Date City of God analysis Planning is fundamental for the development of any city or region. Planning plays an important role in the social and economic development within a region. Movies and films offer a clear reflection of the structure and planning of the regions in the film setting. One outstanding example of the structure and planning is the film “City of God.” This movie reveals the social network within a planned community established to restructure itself after a natural disaster. The movie highlights the consequences of poor organization and planning within a city.
Some of the planning issues in the movie include; education, social network, public housing, urban crime, lack of social and economic mobility, urban slums and the global city. These issues are reflected in the characters, lifestyles and the setting of the movie. Education is instrumental for individual development. Education is also a driving force for the development of any nation. Rio de Janeiro represents cities in developing nations. Education in the film “City of God” is accessible but many people are ignorant. The main character Rocket, attempts to establish his life by attending school to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional journalist.
Though he does not get formal education, he practices with his camera. However, L’il Zee disregards school to engage into a life of crime. The whole movie signifies the level of ignorance of the characters that lack basic education. Most of these children have thronged the streets to engage in criminal activities (Gottdiener, 281). Global cities are described as those cities that have an invaluable impact in the global economy.
The film “City of God” is set in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This was a period when the city was undergoing economic development. The city has numerous economic activities. These activities are mainly attributed to the beautiful scenery, culture of the people, various landmarks, exemplary beaches and Carnaval celebration. Therefore, the city is a major tourist attraction that contributes to the world market.
However, similar to other global cities, Rio commonly referred to as “The city of God” in the movie faces numerous challenges. These challenges include crime, insecurity, gangs and economic disparities. Ultimately, planning and management of such global cities is made difficult. The disruption of social order within a social system can cause social changes and challenges.
In the film, the social context in Rio has changed and diverted from the traditional structure. Deviant behavior among gangs is considered the norm in the anarchic society. In addition, this society is marred by murders, theft, burglary, conflicts, drug, and substance abuse. The high levels of poverty and lawlessness foster such social activities. Lil Z has taken the role of owning the “city of God.
” He therefore executes this role by inflicting violence and fear on the people and other vulnerable gang members. There are social inequalities that exist in the city. Social inequalities are common in social context that have poverty and lawlessness (Mennel, 154). These disparities negatively affect the planning and development of the city.
The film portrays Rio as a city that is highly populated. The population according to the film is also increasing. Massive rural urban migration is a common phenomenon in cities like Rio de Janeiro. Government housing in “The city of God” was established in a Brazilian project Cidade de Deus on the outskirts of the city. This project was aimed at curbing the housing problem that was faced by the influx of people from the rural areas. However, the Favela in the movie shows a different outcome of the project.
Majority of the characters in the movie lack proper housing provided by the government. Housing according to the movie is seen as a luxury. These problems in housing led to the establishment of slums such as Favela. The film is set in a slum in Rio called the Favela. Urban cities in developing nations are characterized by slums and informal settlements.
Some of these settlements are attributed to poor government planning and lack of proper housing. The environment within these slums is usually that of poor sanitation. People in these slums therefore live in deplorable conditions.
People in these slums also lack proper facilities for health and sanitation. Where the facilities are available, they are inadequate. Favela is a zone that gives a vivid description of the deplorable conditions in slums. Informal settlements cause congestion within the city leading to poor distribution of social amenities and resources. Gang and criminal activity are dominant in most cities across the globe. “The city of God” is not exempted from gangs and criminal activities. In the area where Rocket lives, criminals and gangs walk free. The people in the city protect these criminal and in return, they are guaranteed their security.
People in the movie have to resort to crime in order to meet their daily requirements. People use violence as a means of meeting their needs. Earning a decent living in the Favela is not easy and many people end up engaging in crime.
Criminal activities are carried out by L’il Zee and other characters. These criminal activities cause insecurity within the city. The Favela has gangs that control the criminal activity.
Rocket and L’il Zee join opposing gangs to further their agenda. These gangs are used in controlling the drug trade and instill fear among people in the community. L’il Zee has established himself as a leader that rules over the people in Favela. He is also the leader of his gang, oversees, and mandates all their procedures in conducting crime. People are therefore of these criminals and cannot report them to security organs.
These gangs are violent and posses dangerous weapons. People have been killed by these gang members and criminals who posses guns. Generally, criminal activities cause insecurity (Cavin, 152).
High levels of insecurity lead to low levels of investment and poor planning development. Societies with similar features with the community in the movie record low rates of social and economic mobility. The people living in these poor conditions are unable to progress towards development.
Therefore, the status quo is maintained. The poor people living in circumstances such as insecurity, crime, lack of proper facilities and low education do not experience significant progress in development. These conditions do provide a suitable environment for poor communities to escape poverty. However, Rocket is able to grow his photography talent in order to reestablish his life away from poverty.
Clearly, anyone attempting to leave the life in the Favela, seeking a better lifestyle has been killed or they die in the process. This aspect of symbolism of the movie shows that escaping the poverty in Favela is impossible. In conclusion, the film “City of God” is a clear definition of most cities in the world. These cities face similar challenges and the characters are a representation of average people living in such settings. The incorporation of film in understanding planning of cities and regions is important in explaining the development of such areas.
Therefore, the film is an essential resource in planning and identifying the problems and issues that are involved in the development process. Work cited Cavin, Andrew. Urban Planning.
New York: H.W. Wilson, 2003. Print. Gottdiener, Mark, and Ray Hutchison. The New Urban Sociology. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 2006.
Print. Mennel, Barbara. Cities and Cinema. London: Routledge, 2008. Print.


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Project Title: Process and Production of Novel “All Natural” Sunscreen Agents
Researchers: O.M. Lai, C. Kong, C.T. Low, S.K. Lo, Rosfarizan Mohd., K. Long and Rosnah Ismail
There has been growing interest in fat and oil modification to form structured lipids, which confers desirable properties for cosmetic, nutritional and pharmaceutical purposes. Structured lipids synthesized can have sun-screening capability and also act as a solvent for dissolving fat-soluble aromatics, steroids or dyes, such as gamma oryzanol, vitamins and phospholipids in respective fields.
The exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation originating from sunlight can cause harmful effects on human health, such as erythema (sunburn), melanoma (skin cancer), and premature skin aging. These effects are caused by UVA (320nm to 400nm) and UVB (290nm to 320nm) radiations. Despite the availability of diverse choices of sunscreens, the search for new and improved sunscreens still continues.
This is because limitations of current products such as water solubility of sunscreen, irritation and allergic reaction caused by chemical based sunscreens and oiliness skin feel of the sunscreen itself.
This research provides two alternatives in producing structured lipids that has sun-screening effect. The first method involves the enzymatic esterification reaction between an active compound known as ethyl ferulate with an oil deodorizer distillate to produce a novel sunscreen agent. Ethyl ferulate is a scavenger and is able to neutralize any free radicals generated through long exposure to the UVA and UVB radiations.
The second method requires the production of a carrier phase in sunscreen formulation that contains high purity medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) with gamma-oryzanol as sunscreen agent. This novel method is considerably less expensive than currently known methods as it utilizes relatively inexpensive oil byproducts from the refining process of palm kernel and rice bran oil as starting materials, respectively.
The oil byproducts chosen contain both medium-chain free fatty acids and sunscreen agent. This work involves optimization of parameters for the esterification reaction, formulation of sunscreen and final evaluation of the end product to determine the stability and its effectiveness as a natural sunscreen.
This project has two Malaysian patents pending.
For more information, please contactDr. Nayan KANWAL
Dr Nayan KANWAL, FRSA, ABIM | ResearchSEA
Inflammation Triggers Unsustainable Immune Response to Chronic Viral Infection
24.10.2016 | Universität Basel
Resolving the mystery of preeclampsia
21.10.2016 | Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg
Ultrafast lasers have introduced new possibilities in engraving ultrafine structures, and scientists are now also investigating how to use them to etch microstructures into thin glass. There are possible applications in analytics (lab on a chip) and especially in electronics and the consumer sector, where great interest has been shown.
This new method was born of a surprising phenomenon: irradiating glass in a particular way with an ultrafast laser has the effect of making the glass up to a...
Terahertz excitation of selected crystal vibrations leads to an effective magnetic field that drives coherent spin motion
Controlling functional properties by light is one of the grand goals in modern condensed matter physics and materials science. A new study now demonstrates how...
Researchers from the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo led the development of a new extensible wiring technique capable of controlling superconducting quantum bits, representing a significant step towards to the realization of a scalable quantum computer.
"The quantum socket is a wiring method that uses three-dimensional wires based on spring-loaded pins to address individual qubits," said Jeremy Béjanin, a PhD...
In a paper in Scientific Reports, a research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute describes a novel light-activated phenomenon that could become the basis for applications as diverse as microscopic robotic grippers and more efficient solar cells.
A research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has developed a revolutionary, light-activated semiconductor nanocomposite material that can be used...
By forcefully embedding two silicon atoms in a diamond matrix, Sandia researchers have demonstrated for the first time on a single chip all the components needed to create a quantum bridge to link quantum computers together.
"People have already built small quantum computers," says Sandia researcher Ryan Camacho. "Maybe the first useful one won't be a single giant quantum computer...
14.10.2016 | Event News
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25.10.2016 | Earth Sciences
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25.10.2016 | Process Engineering

domain: chemistry


Looking to clean up the tail of your Triumph? The British Customs Lucas Fender Eliminator Kit is designed to create a cleaner, custom look to the tail end of your bike. This completely bolt on solution for your Triumph Motorcycle includes an OEM style sub harness that plugs directly into the factory wiring harness. Just unbolt your fender and unplug the electrical connectors or harness, then bolt up and plug in the new taillight using the British Customs exclusive plug and play harness. The kit comes with a new fender under plate to protect against rocks and other road debris.
The license plate mount holds a Lucas LED Taillight with built-in license plate light. Stainless steel mounting hardware is included.
Please be aware that taillights will shine RED regardless of what lens color you choose.
- Quick and Easy bolt on installation
- Manufactured from T6 aluminum
- Plug and Play LED brake light/harness
- No cutting of main factory harness required
- Stainless steel mounting hardware included
- Fender under plate to protect under your seat
|THIS PART FITS THE FOLLOWING MODELS|
|TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T100 EFI - 2009-2016|
|TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T100 CARB - 2002-2008|
|TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE MAG - 2009-2015|
|TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 900 EFI - 2009-2016|
|TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER CARB - 2006-2008|
|TRIUMPH THRUXTON 900 EFI - 2009-2016|
|TRIUMPH THRUXTON 900 CARB - 2004-2008|


SHOWING RESULTS FOR:
A day after Delhi HC slammed Arvind Kejriwal govt for failure to tackle pollution, Congress accuses AAP of corruption in pollution mask purchase
The Congress party accused AAP of involving in corruption in purchasing and distribution of masks
Nabam Tuki's brother Nabam Tagam, N N Osik, the then director civil supplies, and Sohrab Ali Hazarika, the then chief manager of the United Commercial Bank have also been booked by the CBI.
Ahmed Patel is blatantly lying. At the time of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Chandrasekhar, not VP Singh was the PM of India, a government that was in power due to Congress' support. India was facing another general election because Rajiv's Congress had decided to withdraw that support.
Stung by Rajiv Gandhi’s corruption and incompetence being debated, Congress resorts to spreading abhorrent fake news on PM Modi
Since PM Modi brought up Rajiv Gandhi's name into play, a pandora's box has been opened, and many skeletons that were buried deep in Congress' closet are out in the open to haunt the party.
Watch: Rahul Gandhi admits that Congress rule produced unemployment, corruption, problems for farmers, etc
Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, who has somehow got into the habit of putting his foot into his mouth every time he makes a public appearance, this time too lives up to his reputation
Like Congress party itself, their ‘Dhakosla Patra’ is full of corruption and hollow promises: PM Modi in Arunachal Pradesh
PM Modi reminded the people of the state that to continue the stride of the state on the tracks of development, they have to make sure that they vote the NDA to power again.
As we say goodbye to 2018, we take a walk down memory lane: A time when Kejriwal raised his voice against Congress’ corruption
The radio silence from the anti-corruption crusader is quite deafening, to say the least.
Congress tweets about ‘International Anti-Corruption Day’, Twitter users remind them of their own legacy
Amusingly, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi's birthday falls on 'International Anti-Corruption Day'
Congress was in Dhritrashtra mode for 10 years against corruption: BJP on Rahul Gandhi’s demonetisation jibe
Rahul Gandhi was addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh which goes to vote for first phase on 12th November
Geeta Koda is the wife of Madhu Koda, the former chief minister of Jharkhand who is now in jail for corruption
If 'Brahmin Bashing' was ever a sport, perhaps the 'liberal-secular' Shekhar Gupta and his ilks in the media would have won a medal
FIR registered against Ekta Kapoor and others on charges of hurting religious sentiments and insulting army personnel in erotic web series XXX
The complainant Neeraj Yagnik said that he registered a complaint after he noted that there has been objectionable use of national emblem and army uniform in the web series.
Netizens flag inflammatory posts inciting violence by a man named Afsaar Bhai, demand intervention from UP CM Yogi Adityanath and UP Police
Citing chaotic protests in the US, the man incited violence by calling for a fresh wave of violent protests, more gory than the previous ones
NIA arrests key terror-funding plotter Abdul Jabbar Sheikh in 2019 Vishakhapatnam espionage case from Mumbai
Abdul Rehman Abdul Jabbar Sheikh is the 15th person to be arrested in the Vishakhapatnam Indian Navy espionage case
‘American filmmaker Cynthia Ritchie told me that Pakistan PM Imran Khan wanted to have sex with her’: Pakistani TV host
Cynthia alleged that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is spreading fake news against her and called Ali Saleem a nice guy but misguided
Himachal Pradesh: After Kerala pregnant elephant death case, video of a pregnant cow injured due to cracker explosion in mouth surfaces online
In the video shared online, it can be seen that the mouth of the pregnant cow has been injured very badly with a lot of blood oozing out of her mouth
US filmmaker says former Pakistan minister Rehman Malik raped her, former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani manhandled her: Watch
Cynthia D. Ritchie said that sexual assault against her by Senator Rehman Malik had happened occurred at Interior Minister's residence in 2011
After trying to rope in 2nd, 3rd-year MBBS students to manage Coronavirus patients, Maharashtra govt to punish medical interns if they get coronavirus
Medical interns in Maharashtra will be liable to repeat the internship for the quarantine period if they are infected with Coronavirus
Woman ‘protestor’ poops on an overturned police car in middle of riots in America. Watch the video (or maybe not)
A woman was seen defecating on a damaged police car in USA, an act video recorded and photographed by onlookers
FIR registered in Delhi against journalist Vinod Dua for spreading fake news and creating public nuisance: Read the details
FIR registered by Delhi police against Vinod Dua on the complaint of Delhi BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar for reporting fake news


text:
Free Fauna Care Spray for pet wounds
Free Fauna Care Spray for wounded pets...
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WHAT YOU GET
A free sample of Fauna Care Silver Spray plus money off coupons to save on future orders (only whilst stocks last). You will receive your Spray within a week of applying.
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- Pets Kitchen Free Cat/Dog Food Sample
Get free sample of pet food for your dog or cat from Pets' Kitchen. Pets' Kitchen are a small independent pet food company specialising in healthy pet food. Your free 75g sample pack will contain the finest natural ingredients such as British chicken, pork, salmon or lamb formulated by Vets' Kitchen.
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Monster Pet Supplies who are one of the biggest online pet suppliers are giving away five pounds in free pet food to spend online or instore - just download their app. Hurry, before they change their minds about giving away five pounds free pet spending money!
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DogTrac is a brilliant new lost dog finder service that you can use to find your dog fast. They offer a free National recovery database. Don't wait until it's too later, join the DogTrac National Recovery Database for FREE.

domain: pet


College basketball has an intense slate of games, and for some programs, the regular season ends today. Conference titles are on the line. Undefeated seasons are on the line. Even potential top seeds in the NCAA tournament are up for grabs during this college basketball weekend. Many teams have made a name for themselves in the college basketball power poll.
No.10 Northern Iowa Panthers (27-2, 16-1) vs. No.11 Wichita State Shockers (26-3, 16-1)
In the first meeting, Northern Iowa schooled the Shockers for a full 40 minutes. It was a perfect display of basketball, led by Seth Tuttle. Wichita State suffered their only conference loss to Northern Iowa in two seasons. The 16 point defeat was as thorough as any Panthers’ player and coach could have hoped for.
In this winner take all game, Wichita State has a lot to prove. Neither team has lost since then, so there’s a great chance that Saturday’s contest is only the second of three games this season.
The Panthers play a consistent, and fruitful brand of basketball that has balance across the board. Northern Iowa has so much balance, Tuttle is the only player averaging double figure points. Currently, Tuttle is at 15.6 points per game, and leads the team with 6.6 rebounds. He also shoots 62 percent from the field. However, Northern Iowa has seven other players that score between 5-8 points per game, and they all shoot over 40 percent from the field. It’s just hard to prepare for that type of balance.
Wichita State is paced by their guard rotation. Ron Baker leads the Shockers with 15.2 points per game, while Fred Van Vleet scores 12.4 points per game. Along with defensive demon, Tekele Cotton, the trio has been a mainstay for the Shockers over the last three seasons. Darius Carter also gives Wichita State 11.5 points per game in the post.
It’s imperative that Wichita State’s best players come to play well. The Shockers shot 35 percent in the first meeting, while Northern Iowa hit 60 percent of their shots. The biggest display of the mismatch came from the 3-point line. Wichita State made 5/24 shots from long range. They took too many, and the reason was due to Northern Iowa’s suffocating defense. Meanwhile, Northern Iowa made 5/7 3-pointers, and completely decimated Wichita State’s defense.
If the Shockers are unable to penetrate the defense this time around, they’ll have to find a way to make tough shots. On the season, two teams have scored more than 60 points in conference play against Northern Iowa. Both of those teams lost.


Type 052 Luhu-class Multirole Destroyer
The Luhu-class missile destroyers were the most sophisticated Chinese-built surface combatants in the PLA Navy, but were obsolete by Western standards. The first truely multi-role Chinese ships, they were designed by the China Warship Design Institute (formerly known as the Seventh Academy of the Ministry of National Defense). They were built at the Jiangnan Shipyard, which had previously built ten other types of warships, including its first gunboat, first submarine, first frigate, and first marine survey ship. The Luhu-class are armed with C-802 ship-to ship missiles, along with "Sea Rattlesnake" air defense missiles and one helicopter.
The 052 guided missile destroyer is very similar to the 79-type tank and the J-7M fighter. It is basically a hodgepodge of Western weapons and equipment. The 052-type destroyer's ship-to-air missile, radar, electronic warfare system, helicopter, and anti-submarine system are all Western original goods, even diesel engines. And the gearbox is the German MTU. The difference between the shape of the 112 ship and the 113 ship chimney is due to the fact that the 112 ship has problems in the design of the intake fence and the exhaust passage, and the maximum speed cannot be reached for a long time, so the 113 ship was changed.
While improving the existing destroyer fleet, the Seventh Academy began work on new class of guided missile destroyer. Initially it involved a joint partnership with another country. Such a relationship could not be established, and instead research was concentrated in China's own research bodies. The new generation of destroyers emphasized an advanced combat-intelligence system that was superior to the ones already installed in the first-generation destroyers. It also had better real-time information capabilities and improved long-range surveillance. The anti-submarine, air-defense, and electronic counter measure capabilities were also enhanced.
Compared to the old Luda class DDG, this class represents a significant step forward in terms of weapon and electronic systems. The Luhu destroyer is the first Chinese naval system of indigenous design even approaching modern standards. But the decision to buy Sovremenny-class destroyers from Russia to accomplish the same functions is indicative of the problems confronting Chinese weapons designers. The Luhu-class air-defence systems lack a fleet defence capability beyond visual range.
The first of the new class was ordered in 1985, but delayed by priority being given to export orders for Thailand. Although these ships were intended to accomodate the American LM2500 gas turbine engines, the Chinese naval architects responsible for designing the Luhu's hull and engine space seem to have disregarded the engines' size specifications. The hull had to be returned to the shipyard for redesign after at least one ship had already been built.
These ships make use of over 40 advanced foreign technologies, providing the Chinese military with an opportunity to cooperate with foreign manufacturers on an extensive scale. Since most of the equipment on board is imported, the crew has to study English to learn over 1,000 English words so they can operate the imported equipment. Among the western equipments on the Luhu class is the Thomson-CSF TSR 3004 Sea Tiger Air/Surface search radars, and French-made guns.
The PLA Navy's missile-equipped warships -- the Jiangwei-class frigates, the later versions of the Luda-class destroyers, and the Luhu-class destroyers -- were probably the first Chinese warships to have combat direction systems that provide tactical integration of shipboard sensors and weapons. The Thomson-CSF TAVITAC 2000 combat data system compiles a picture of the tactical situation using inputs from radars and other sensors both on the ship and from remote sources. Connectivity with off-board sensors is provided through the Link-W6 data link, which is reportedly similar to the Link 11 of Western navies. Capable of tracking several hundred targets simultaneously, the system designates targets to weapon systems and may provide some assistance in tactical situation assessment.
Historically the biggest weakness of Chinese destroyers and frigates has been their inadequate of ship-to-air missiles. Because they have small displacements, most of the destroyers and frigates are not equipped with short-range and intermediate-range missiles, but use artillery with a limited firing range, one-man air defense missiles, and a small number of PL-8H short-range ship-to-air missiles for air defense. The weakness in air defense capabilities has confined the activity of China's destroyers and frigates to the Chinese coastal waters, within the area covered by the fighters of the Chinese Navy. The new Luhu class destroyers and Jiangwei class frigates are equipped with ship-to-air missiles, including the HQ-61B with a firing range of 10 km and Sea Sidewinders with a firing range of 14 km. However, the PLAN's HQ-61 and HQ-7 systems [based on the French Crotale land-based surface-to-air missile system] do not provide surface units with an effective area-defense capability. Although the long-range Sea Eagle air-search radar is of Chinese origin (although probably derived radars developed in other countries), the Luhu has no means of engaging air and missile targets at the ranges (over 150 kilometers) at which this radar could gain contact. This deficiency makes PLAN surface units extremely vulnerable to air attack. Another weakness of this type destroyer is its poor electronic surveillance system, which renders it vulnerable to being located and attacked.
Much of the Western technology on this design was obtained before the Tiananmen incident (in 1989) when Western countries were still helping China with its military modernization programs. Reportedly China has introduced improved electronics systems, including technology acquired from the US and France, leading to the introduction of an improved and enlarged version of the Luhu as the Luhai-class of guided missile destroyers, which are apparently intended to have enhanced air defense capabilities. While the two Luhu units are equipped with two US-made GE LM2500 gas turbine engines, the Luhai warships use the Ukrainian GT25000M gas turbine as their main engine.
The first of the class started sea trial in late 1992 with the second in mid-1995. The third and fourth were delayed/cancelled because of problems obtaining more LM2500 gas-turbines and other key Western systems. According to some reports, work on the third unit restarted in 1999. The introduction of Luhai-class suggests that the 052 Luhu building project has been terminated with two units, though at least four and perhaps as many as six had originally been planned.
The Harbin is the first Luhu-class 052 missile- destroyer of the Chinese Navy. The Harbin (DD 112) and two other Chinese ships visited San Diego CA on 21 March 1997 in the first-ever visit by People's Republic of China Navy ships to the mainland US. The ships visited Hawaii on their way to Southern California for the second part of a goodwill visit between the US and Chinese navies. As of this 1997 port call, none of the ships could desalinate water, so the crew drank rationed bottled water. Americans boarding the ship discovered that many of the interiors were made of plywood, and highly vulnerable to shipboard fires.
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text:
May 22, 2013
May 15, 2013
May 8, 2013
May 1, 2013
Citizens Bank robbed in downtown Manchester
Police who responded to the bank at about 1:50 p.m. learned a man wearing a surgical mask had just robbed the bank, leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Reportedly, the man entered the bank and approached the teller with his hands in his pockets demanding cash, although no weapon was displayed. The suspect left the bank on foot and was last seen headed west on West Brook Street.
He is described as a white male, about 5-foot-8 with a very thin build. He was last seen wearing a very dark, hooded sweatshirt with writing or a logo on the left chest area and lighter-colored pants. A white surgical or painter's mask covered his face, and he wore gloves.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Manchester Police Department at 668-8711. Anonymous tips for cash rewards may be made though Manchester Crimeline at 624-4040 or online at manchestercrimeline.org.
READER COMMENTS: 0
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