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What is the National Estate?
The National Estate is the total sum of heritage resources in South Africa worthy of preservation. These include places and objects to which oral traditions are attached or which are associated with living heritage; objects of historical and cultural significance; objects associated with leaders; historical settlements; landscapes and natural features of cultural significance; archaeological and paleontological sites; graves and burial grounds, including ancestral and royal graves; graves of traditional leaders and graves of victims of conflict; as well as sites relating to the history of slavery in South Africa.
Protection of Heritage Objects
Heritage Objects are protected either as types of objects as described on the List of Types referred to earlier or these may be Specifically Declared.
1. Types of Objects:
- Objects recovered from the soil or waters of South Africa, including archaeological and paleontological objects, meteorites and rare geological specimens;
- Objects to which oral traditions are attached and which are associated with living heritage;
Cultural objects including those sometimes referred to as decorative or fine arts, ethnographic and cultural objects;
- Military objects;
- Objects associated with leaders and events in the history of South Africa;
- Objects of scientific or technological interest; and
- Books, records, documents, photographic positives and negatives, film or video material or sound recordings, excluding those that are public records as defined in section 1 (xiv) of the National Archives of South Africa Act, 1996 (Act No 43 of 1996).
Types of Objects in the custody of State institutions may not be alienated without SAHRA’s consent. SAHRA has systems and procedures in place and have good relations with the South African Police Service regarding the assessment of firearms intended for destruction. SAHRA also has good relations with Transnet in order to assess railway heritage intended to be alienated. SAHRA also ensures that interested and affected individuals and heritage bodies are consulted in the process. SAHRA has developed guidelines and procedures to ensure compliance
2. Specifically Declared Heritage Objects
Certain Types of Heritage Objects which are considered to be unique, special and/or under threat may be Specifically Declared. An example is the Broster Beadwork Collection, which was designated as a Specifically Declared Collection in 2014. Members of the public are welcome to nominate objects that they think are special in relation to the history and development of South Africa and submit these to SAHRA to be considered for declaration, and this nomination can also be done via SAHRIS. The ultimate decision to declare a Heritage Object/Collection as a Specifically Declared Heritage Object/Collection lies with the SAHRA Council.
Owners or Custodians of Specifically Declared Heritage Objects or Collections must apply for a permit from SAHRA if they intend to destroy, damage, disfigure or alter any Heritage Object or disperse any Collection. Apply for such a permit on SAHRIS.
The Export of Heritage Objects
Anyone who intends exporting an object described on the List of Types must apply for a permit from SAHRA and pay permit fees. Applications for permits to export a Heritage Objects are obtained via the South African Heritage Resources Information System (SAHRIS). Go to www.sahra.org.za/sahris to login and make use of the system.
SAHRA is mandated to issue a permit or refuse an export permit. See list of permits refused. If SAHRA refuses to grant an export permit, the applicant has the right to appeal against SAHRA’s decision.
No person may import any foreign cultural property of heritage value into South Africa other than through a Customs Port of Entry, and the export permit issued in the country of origin must be produced. A Customs Officer who has reason to believe that a person is attempting to import an object in contravention of the above, may attach the object concerned. The object will be kept in the custody of SAHRA until such time (not exceeding six months) as an investigation into the provenance of such object is completed.
Combatting Illicit Trafficking in Heritage Objects
Illicit trafficking refers to the illegal means by which heritage objects leave or enter South Africa. In order to combat illegal trafficking of South African heritage objects and to provide frameworks for appropriate action in the event of foreign heritage objects entering South Africa illegally:
• South Africa accepted the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in December 2003.
• South Africa is in the process of ratification of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Property.
The above Conventions are international instruments to combat illicit trafficking of movable cultural property. In addition, SAHRA is a participant in the International Committee on Museums (ICOM) International Observatory on Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods.
The SAPS and Interpol investigates heritage related crime which includes objects stolen from museums as well as illicit trafficking. Reports of thefts of objects in museums can be reported on SAHRIS. The public are urged to inform SAHRA, report crimes on SAHRIS and/or to report heritage related crime to the SAPS.

domain: history


On June 28, I gathered in Britain with about 40 other American and British church leaders at Lambeth Palace for the London Forum to call on the leaders of the G-8 to expand our nations’ commitment to overcoming global poverty, especially in Africa. Chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the London Forum called on the G-8 leaders meeting in early July in Scotland to increase aid, cancel more debt, and improve the opportunities for fair trade so that the poorest nations can make more rapid progress in overcoming poverty.
Every three seconds, a child in the developing world dies of poverty or diseases we know how to prevent. American, European and Japanese trade barriers, especially agricultural subsidies to wealthy farmers, lower the global prices of key African products and thus make it difficult for poor African countries to earn their way out of poverty. (For example, European farm subsidies produce a situation where every European cow receives a subsidy worth more than the annual income of each African worker!) “This means,” we concluded in our Church Leaders’ Statement at the London Forum, “that all of us in the prosperous world, governments, churches, the media, and populations, stand under judgment. We believe God judges nations by what they do to the poorest.”
Before the meeting at Lambeth Palace, the American delegation met with Chancellor Gordon Brown for an hour (the No. 2 person in British politics who will almost certainly become Prime Minister sometime in the next year or two). Both Brown and Prime Minister Tony Blair have been vigorous leaders in urging the rich nations to do more to overcome poverty in Africa. Brown was especially interested in what Richard Cizik (the NAE’s public policy person in Washington) and I said about the expanding commitment of American evangelicals to overcome poverty – Brown spent a couple minutes talking to the two of us after the meeting ended. Everyone recognizes that this key component of President Bush’s political base could have enormous influence in the task of urging President Bush to do more.
The day before we traveled to London, the U.S. delegation met in the White House with key policy people preparing for the G-8 summit. In that meeting we expressed our appreciation of the fact that President Bush has already done much to expand U.S. government foreign economic aid. He has tripled assistance to Africa and doubled overall U.S. foreign humanitarian aid since he became president. That is more than any President has done in decades. But we urged him to do more so that his record is not just good, but great.
Just before that meeting, I met in the White House with Tim Goeglein (the president’s liaison to the religious community) and urged the White House to dialogue more with a wider range of evangelicals, especially centrist and progressive evangelicals who largely agree with the president on life and family issues, but who want greater attention and resources focused on overcoming poverty and caring for creation.
At the London Forum, we sensed a kairos moment – a special historical time where God is moving in unusual ways to move our world toward greater justice. In spite of ongoing theological and other disagreements among Christians, the entire Christian community is uniting in an unprecedented way around overcoming global poverty, especially in Africa. Evangelicals and Pentecostals around the world are joining with Catholics and mainline Protestants to advocate for debt cancellation, increased aid and fair trade.
One of the striking new developments is the Micah Challenge. The Micah Challenge is organized by the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) to support and promote the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal to reduce global poverty by 50 percent by 2015. (The WEA is a network of 123 national evangelical church alliances in 123 countries representing about 3 million local churches and 385 million Christians.) More and more national Micah Challenge organizations are springing up around the world to work on this grand project for the next 10 years.
ESA is already at the center of this swelling tide of evangelical engagement on overcoming global poverty. And we can do more. Every ESA member could do the following:
- Go to the Micah Challenge website (www.micahchallenge.org) and sign up to join the campaign and get the regular updates (I am on the Steering Committee for the Micah Challenge USA);
- Consider coming to New York this September for a day or two to join Micah Challenge leaders and a vast range of others from around the world who will meet near the United Nations as scores of heads of State gather to evaluate the progress being made to meet the Millennium Development Goals (more information will be on the ESA website soon);
- Join the One Campaign (recently endorsed by Rick Warren) – a very broad movement of religious and secular organizations (Bono is a key mover!) to urge the U.S. government to increase economic foreign aid by 1 percent ($25 billion) of the federal budget (www.one.org);
- Write your Senators and members of the House urging them to restore (in the budget they will approve in early fall) the full request by President Bush for foreign economic aid. (The House cut the president’s request by a couple billion dollars!). In fact, tell them that the evangelical community wants Congress to authorize even more than the president requested.
We stand at an historic moment of unusual opportunity to dramatically reduce global poverty. Evangelicals are strategically placed to play an especially crucial role. As I look back on the almost 30 years since I first wrote Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger I am amazed at what God has already done, and very excited about what God wants to do through us in the next decade. Let’s seize this opportunity!


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At the Blog
On Monday, Erin Hatton kicked off a symposium on her recent book, Coerced: Work Under Threat of Punishment. Hatton argues that, in a range of cases – including prison laborers, welfare workers, college athletes, and graduate students – employers wield power over workers not by virtue of their power over wages, but instead by control over workers’ “status” and all of the rights, privileges, and opportunities that such status confers. As she writes, “in each of these cases, supervisors have the capacity to revoke such rights and privileges, the consequences of which extend beyond the job and its wages to affect these workers’ lives, families, and futures in far-reaching ways.”
On Tuesday, Noah Zatz praised Hatton’s account for providing a “rich empirical grounding and generative theoretical framing for LPE analysis,” and wondered whether we should extend the status/economy distinction to what employers extract and produce. As he writes, “Is status at stake here only for the workers? Or do the complexities of status/economy also apply to what ’employers’ are extracting, producing, and circulating more widely? For instance, in her brilliant book on Black women in convict leasing, Sarah Haley argues that for the Jim Crow carceral regime, ‘[a]ssault and destruction of the body in specific contexts (riots, scaffolds, penal camps) were fundamental tools in the construction of white civil society, white human value, and white personhood more broadly.’ Race/gender status here are not simply resources that facilitate status coercion in the service of economic extraction but also part of what these labor structures produce.”
And on Thursday, workers from the Sustainable Economies Law Center concluded our symposium on decommodifying urban property by sharing some memorable moments with clients that have transformed how they approach radical real estate law. As they write, “Our clients often encourage us to lay down our legal tools, step into their world, and see what they see. Many of us, especially those of us from Black and brown, working class communities, are reminded of the figurative (and literal) fences we jumped as kids and young adults before we were force-fed the logic of the dominant culture that told us that these fences are not only real, but insurmountable. Like seeing a dear, old friend, we are reminded of parts of ourselves that have been lying dormant since we opted to develop our lawyer brains.”
In LPE Land
The Martin H. Malin Institute for Law and the Workplace at Chicago-Kent College of Law have put out a CFP for a symposium on The Effect of Dobbs on Work Law. Proposals due by Friday, August 12.
Last but not least, an interesting new article by Matthew Bodie on The Law of Employee Data.

domain: law


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Originally written on 3rd July 2019
Space. The final frontier. If you had the chance to join the voyages of the Star Trek Discovery, then which crew member would you be most like? If you were the Traveler, who could you shapeshift into and remain undetected? Or, if you don’t want to be that sinister, who could you replace on the team and the effect not be felt? Well let’s run through the contenders.
You think you’re the star of the show, even though you’re not in charge. You’re mentally strong and firmly set in your beliefs, having drive to carry out what you think is right, even when everyone is saying you’re wrong. This belief takes on many forms and has led to many rebellious acts, which you can revisit time and time again if you get your hands on the DVD or Blu-Ray of the series. Through sites such as Discount Promo Codes, you can make a great saving on a whole range of things from sites such as Amazon, My Geek Box and 365 Games.
You get scared of a lot of things, so much so you probably sleep with the light on. When all of your friends are having fun and taking risks, you’re the one who sits back and watches, not getting involved. You’re a massive hypochondriac, and can never rest until everything and everyone is safe. Ultimately though, you’re always looking out for your friends and want the best for them.
Cold and analytical. You over-analyse almost everything, and struggle to see the emotion in anything, only looking for the logic in it. This means you probably can’t enjoy many forms of entertainment, with chess being your only source of ‘fun’ – that’s if Spock ever has fun.
A little bit hyper and over-energetic, but ultimately you have a heart of pure gold. You care a lot about your friends, and will do anything for them. You wear your emotions on your sleeve and sometimes they can get the better of you, be it when you’re under intense pressure or you’re meeting your heroes. Just take a look at what she was like when she met Michael for the first time.
Like a gooey chocolate bar, hard on the outside, but soft inside. At work you’re a steely, confident but stand-offish person, like someone on the early shift that hasn’t had their morning coffee yet. However, when you get home you leave all that behind, as you have something, or someone, to appreciate.
Socially you feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, with every group of friends you have treating you with distrust and suspicion. You made a big mistake in the past, which you ultimately regret, and your friends pretend they’ve forgiven you, but you know deep down they have reservations. You’re trying your best to fix things though, and you’ve learnt from your mistakes.
Kind, calm, caring and considerate. You’re either a medic, want to be, or just a very caring person. You’re most likely to be that member of your friend group who is there to pick up the ones who are down or in dire straits.
Cool and composed under pressure, you’re deeply loyal and a conscientious leader. You’re not afraid to make the big, difficult decisions but you’re also mindful of the impact it will have on the rest of the team. The captain of the best Star Trek crew since the OGs of Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
You can’t help showing your face, even though you’re not invited. You’re also a bit more unpredictable and aggressive than you used to be. If feels like you’ve lived two different lives and you’re struggling to settle into a good rhythm. You feel like a fish out of water, everyone thinks they know you but you don’t know them.

domain: literature


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Australian Post, facing a massive decline in people using its services, wants to charge $1 to send a letter.
The consumer watchdog, the ACCC, is assessing a proposal lodged by Australia Post to increase the price of its ordinary letter services, including stamps.
Australia Post wants a basic postage rate of $1 for letters delivered at a new timetable, which allows up to an extra two business days for delivery.
Stamps for letters delivered at the current timetable cost 70 cents.
The federal government recently regulated to allow the introduction of a two-speed letter service by Australia Post, a priority and regular delivery.
Australia Post, facing rapid declines in letter delivery, plans to cut 1,900 jobs over the next three years, mainly from voluntary redundancies.
The ACCC says it will look at the impact of declining letter volumes and the extent to which price increases are needed.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said submissions are welcome on Australia Post’s proposal.
The ACCC intends to release a preliminary view on the proposal in November 2015 and a final decision in December.
Any new prices would take effect from January.
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domain: news


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Source: Cleveland, C.J. & O'Connor, P. A. (2011). Energy Return on Investment (EROI) of oil shale. Sustainability. 3; 2307-2322.
Theme(s): Climate change and energy
ZDROJ: Science Env Policy
Scientists' best estimates of the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) of oil shale suggest it is very inefficient compared to conventional fuel and emits up to 75% more greenhouse gases (GHGs. However, differences in the way energy efficiency is calculated can cause confusion over its potential use, according to the US study.
Shale is a sedimentary rock containing kerogen, which is heated to produce synthetic crude oil (oil shale). Liquid fuel derived from oil shale has been suggested as an alternative to conventional oil and gas. However, the energy inputs or 'costs' associated with oil shale are not always fully accounted for, leading to overestimates of its value relative to other fuel sources.
The study evaluated estimates of the energy efficiency of oil shale, using a method known as 'Energy Return on Investment' (EROI). In its most complete form, this is the ratio of the energy content of the fuel produced to the energy used over the full 'well to wheels' life-cycle of the product, including exploration, mining, processing, refining, transportation and combustion.
The most comprehensive study indicates an EROI of 2 to produce oil shale, meaning that 2 units of energy are produced for every unit consumed. This is very low compared to the EROI for conventional crude oil of around 20. Including the refining step, the EROI of producing gasoline from crude oil is around 4.7 compared to 1.4 for producing liquid fuel from oil shale.
Other studies have calculated an oil shale EROI of up to 8. However, this is largely because they only represent direct energy costs, such as energy to heat the shale, and under-represent indirect energy costs, such as energy used to produce drilling rigs and transportation. Studies that do include indirect energy inputs also vary in the methods used.
Shale can either be heated to produce oil shale while it is still underground (in-situ) or after transportation to the surface (surface retorting). In the in-situ method, hydrocarbon gases released during the reaction can be burned to generate electricity to 'self fuel' the extraction process.
In surface retorting, the same effect is produced by combusting coke or 'char' deposited on the shale during extraction. Some EROI estimates include this internal energy source as a cost since it is a direct expenditure of energy. Others do not, since the extra energy is not purchased externally from the grid and has no other economic use. If the internal energy is not included, the estimated EROI for oil shale can be as high as 16. However, there are currently very few operational facilities, which limits the reliability of these estimates.
Fully accounting for all energy used is also vital in assessing GHG emissions. Emissions from oil shale, which result from the direct energy input and as a product of the extraction reaction, are estimated to be 1.25 -1.75 times higher than for conventional crude oil. Oil shale production also requires large amounts of land and up to three barrels of water per barrel of oil produced. These environmental costs together with the low EROI lead the researchers to conclude that, although the energy accounting process needs rigourous review, there is little economic or environmental incentive to use oil shale as a fuel source.

domain: chemistry


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Week of January, 04 | Issue 1
Mark Christian Soo
Date: January 5, 2021
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Parties involved: Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games; National Institute of Information and Communications Technology; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU); unnamed ‘white hat’ hackers
The event: The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games announced that around 220 white hat hackers were being trained to ensure the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are protected from all cyber attacks. These hackers have participated in an extensive training program conducted under the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in preparation for the Olympic Games originally scheduled for 2020. Sector-dedicated task forces of cyber security experts have also been created to dispel cyber attacks on critical infrastructures. Concerns were raised by the UK regarding the GRU’s alleged hacking activities. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of limiting spectators, the Olympic committee would be forced to use live streaming to broadcast the event. Similarly, since most Olympic Games staff members are working remotely, there are concerns that they will be targeted by hacking into their computers and other electronic devices.
South Korea was targeted in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games with hackers messing up the opening ceremony and Wi-Fi services. This event prompted Japan to work and secure the games from a similar incident by recruiting white hat hackers from the private sector aside from putting up anti-hacking measures from law enforcement and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
The alleged presence of GRU-backed hackers in their previous attempt to target organizations and groups associated with the Tokyo Games would indicate that the move is at least tolerated by Russia. This would put a strain on Japanese-Russian bilateral relations as the two countries are trying to work out certain issues, such as the sovereignty over the Kuril Islands.
A potential hacking attack on the Tokyo Olympics-affiliated groups would likely consist of stealing user credentials and other sensitive information from devices that may not have their operating systems updated. This problem was highlighted by the National Police Agency (NPA) after it publicly reported that unknown hackers have breached its cybersecurity defenses from August 2019 to November 2020 to hack into a virtual private network (VPN) made by Fortinet. The NPA reported that the hacking was successful because the VPN did not have the necessary updates installed to better protect it from data breaches.
Date: January 7, 2021
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Parties involved: Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Takuya Hirai; Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
The event: Japan has no system that allows the central and local governments to share data on COVID-19 to the private sector and vice versa, including any data protection to ensure privacy. According to the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking by the Institute for Management Development (IMD), Japan is listed 27th out of 63 nations on the ranking. While Japan is known for its technological framework, it had the worst position in key areas such as big data use and overseas experience of IT engineers. In response, during the 2019 World Economic Forum (WEF) former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for the Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), a concept where countries implement data protection regulations without hampering the free flow of data. Abe then proposed the Osaka Track (OT) initiative at the G20 summit as a follow-up. It would allow countries and international bodies to create regulations on data flow and e-commerce within the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework. Takuya Hirai is tasked as Japan’s Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy to conduct reforms on data governance with the eventual creation of a Japanese digital agency that would be tasked to handle data from the public and private sector and enforce rules on data privacy to ensure that it is not misused.
The proposal to use the DFFT and the OT indicated Abe’s willingness to take the lead in the international area. Japan has a different data-handling approach from the US (where data are managed by big technology companies like Google and Apple) or the EU that heavily focuses on privacy protection. The Basic Act on the Advancement of Public and Private Sector Data Utilization was passed in the Diet in 2016, making Japan the fourth country belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to promote open data. However, Tokyo is hampered because all data is required to be sent via fax or typed manually before it can be sent to the relevant government agency. The proposed digital agency would be responsible for drafting rules on data privacy for individuals, but ensuring that free flow of data would be maintained when access is needed, based on Abe’s DFFT and OT ideas.
The creation of a digital agency would be beneficial to the public and private sector because it would get rid of sectionalism between government/administration entities and prevent misunderstandings or data monopolization in times of crisis to ensure they can easily make decisions based on collected information. The agency would use collected data to react during emergencies. Data ordinances enacted for prefectural and municipal governments would need to be updated to reflect the legality of submitting and sharing data with the central government.


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Climate Change in Shigar Valley
Changes in Local Climate – Precipitation and Temperature Analysis
The aspects of changes in local climate that were assessed included the following:
Change in winter temperatures
The climate of Shigar can be classified as dry continental Mediterranean. The general
perception of the community members was that the winter season has become milder and shorter, and summer is now considerably warmer. April and May were characterized by moderate temperatures, while summer season was identified as very hot, with temperatures
reaching about 400C in July.
The respondents reported a definite increase in winter temperatures over the past 5 years. A few villagers, including a village head, reported that minimum winter temperature has
increased from about -250C (5 years ago) to about -120C in the past 2 years. The village head also mentioned that in 1996 the minimum winter temperature fell to -360C. Respondents
further stated that till 5-10 years ago, winter lasted from November till February and now it
starts in December. They added that there is hardly any snowfall anymore, while 10-15 years ago snowfall was a continuous feature in winter. Earlier, pots would break, oil would freeze, and trees and birds would perish during the harsh winter season.
Discussions revealed that about 5 years ago people required several blankets (3–4) to keep them warm in winters, but since the past 2–3 years one blanket suffices the need. The complete
stock of quilts and blankets in each household is no longer required. Further, the community members said that there has been a drastic reduction in the use of woolen clothing and carpets in homes. Additionally, pedestal fans were never needed in summers before, but now they are in common use. Conversely, now few bukharis (heaters) are needed to warm houses.
6 Community Perceptions on Climate Change in Shigar Valley – A Case Study
Change in quantity of fuelwood required for heating in winters
Respondents reported a reduction of atleast 50% in the use of fuelwood by households during
winters, in the past 5 years. According to one village resident, his fuelwood consumption has drastically reduced, from 200 kg to 25 kg.
Change in flowering time of fruit trees
The main fruit tree species in Shigar are apple, apricot, cherry and pear. A shift in the
flowering time, by about 7–15 days, was reported to have taken place during the past 5-10
years. Previously, flowering took place in mid-April, but since 2007 fruit trees blossom
between the last week of March and the first week of April.
Change in location / altitude of pasture sites
The study revealed that there are 22 grazing sites for the 22 villages of Shigar Town. In other words, there is one site designated to one village. Permission is needed to use another
The respondents were asked to quantify the number of hours it took to travel to the pastures in 2003, as opposed to in 2007-08. The response to this question was divided. 53% of the persons that were interviewed reported that there has been a change in their travel time; some reported a lengthening of travel time by about 2-3 hours, denoting that they now had to travel to higher altitudes to reach good pastures. However, it needs to be mentioned here that thedisparity in response may be due to the varied locations of the pastures that are used by the respondent. The pastures which are already at a higher altitude may not have undergone any change, while those located at lower altitudes may have dried; hence forcing the communities
to go higher up the mountains.
All respondents reported that the quality and quantity of grass in pastures had deteriorated,
due to a decrease in precipitation since 2005-06. The grass that was waist high earlier was now only knee high. Moreover, 10-15 years ago, livestock grazing took 1-2 hours, but now it takes a whole day. However, one respondent notified that fodder is easily available now, due to early greening of trees.

domain: agronomy


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The emergency medicine residency program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, in collaboration with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Georgetown University School of Medicine, was established in July 2006 and is a three-year, ACGME-accredited training program emphasizing pediatrics, critical care and trauma management.
The program's vision is to produce exceptional and compassionate emergency physicians who are capable of responding to urgent needs for medical care with speed, skill, efficiency and confidence. Our goal is to train the next generation of leaders in academic and community emergency medicine.
Clinical training occurs in a variety of settings in the D.C. metropolitan area. The ability to treat a diverse patient population served by different types of institutions (urban, suburban, tertiary care, primary care, academic medical centers, community hospital) guarantees an exciting, challenging and rewarding training experience.
The majority of our residents' training takes place at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. MedSTAR (Medical Shock Trauma Acute Resuscitation) at Washington Hospital Center is a Level I Trauma Center and a regional resource for the transport and treatment of patients with a wide spectrum of critical illnesses and injuries. The Burn Center at MedStar Washington is the only adult burn treatment center in the Washington metropolitan area and features a multidisciplinary team specially trained to provide comprehensive care for burn victims.
Other training sites include:
- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
- Children's National Medical Center
- Inova Fairfax Hospital
- Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
- R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.
Learn more about MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program: georgetownemergencymedicine.org
Meet Our Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director
For more information, please contact:
Department of Emergency Medicine

domain: medical


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Stand out this summer with the newest range of artworks from Jeffrey. These unique and eclectic designs are known globally for being slightly eccentric, totally dramatic and oh so beautiful. With attention to detail and no boundaries or fear, Jeffrey Campbell gets it right every time with eye-catching style you have to have!
The Spring/Summer ‘17 collection brings us the most beautiful designs styles that you will fall head over heels for. From decorated styles adorned with metal trims, to minimalistic silhouettes, glistening metallics to blushing pinks, there is a whole range of haute styles that we want to share with you.
Here at Shoe Connection, we love using Facebook and Instagram to connect with our fashion loving community for style inspiration. We love a good shoe selfie and we love to see how you style your newest purchases. Check out some of our Instagram favourites so far:
Sleek, chic and contemporary to boot, Slingbacks are having their moment this summer season. These closed-toe, open-backed silhouettes are the style to have while being
super comfortable and awesomely versatile! From lovely lace-up looks to
sweetheart slip-ons, this season’s top picks are simply stunning.Read More »
Step into the new season and try out the best of trends with our October edition of the Style File. Fall in love with the hottest designs and get wrapped up in the happiness of Spring & Summer lust. Check out our top picks of the month below, or head over to our Instagram to keep up to date with new season arrivals.
The sun is shining and flowers are starting to bloom which brings the arrival of the Spring/Summer shoe season for 2017. Here at Shoe Connection, we’re previewing the latest collection from Miss Sofie, punctuating lighter looks and wowing the season. With styles already hitting the stores, prepare yourself for sumptuous summer sling-backs, decadent loafers and the haute couture heels that will have you feeling fine all the time.Read More »
Electrify your eyes with the shining styles of Spring/Summer 2017. The metallic dynasty continues to reign as a top trend of the season with sensational designs that are the epitome of glamourous. Shine bright in sparkling silver tones, glow in beautiful golden hues, pick pewter-perfect pairs or think pink with rose gold tints. With a […]

domain: artistic


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the selection process for picking Padma award winners has been transformed under his government, asserting that more significance has now been given to the nominee's work than name.
In his monthly and this year's first 'Mann ki Baat' address, Modi highlighted works of some winners whose names were announced on the eve of Republic Day, and said common people, who are not living in big cities and not seen in newspapers and TV, have received it.
In the last three years, he said, the selection process has been made online, which has led to transparency and anybody can now nominate people for the honours.
He called upon society to hear the stories of these winners so that they could enrich and inspire others.
Modi also spoke at length about the issue of women empowerment and said women are now moving ahead in all fields. The performance of an all-woman BSF team during the Republic Day parade surprised guests, he said.
Remembering astronaut Kalpana Chawla ahead of her death anniversary on February 1, Modi said she gave out a valuable message to all Indians, especially young girls.
"...Her message is, 'Nothing is impossible for women, if they have a strong will'," said Modi in the 40th edition of "Mann Ki Baat".
Emphasising that women in India are progressing in every field and have amazed the entire world, Modi said several verses of the Holy Vedas were composed by the women.
"Let me tell you that one daughter is equal to 10 sons... The punya (good) we get from 10 sons, we get that from one daughter...," said Modi.
He also praised the "human chain" formed in Bihar against social evils against dowry and child marriage and said flexibility and continuous efforts for self-correction are a hallmark of society.
With Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary falling on January 30, he said no tribute to him can be bigger than following the path shown by him.

domain: sociology


What category is a Cessna 182?
A Cessna 182 is in the category of “airplane,” and the class of “single-engine, land.”
Is a Cessna 182 a complex aircraft?
A high performance, complex airplane certified IFR capable of useful loads in excess of 1100 lbs. and a cruise speed of 150 kts.
What type of aircraft is a Cessna 182?
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engined light airplane built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats in the baggage area.
Can you put a Cessna 182 on floats?
When you add the versatility of Wipline 3000 floats to your Cessna 182 you will gain more than just the freedom to explore! Developed by Wipaire’s experienced team of engineers, you are getting the best float and rigging kit available for the 182.
What are the 4 categories of aircraft?
Classifications also correspond closer to the airman certificate categories than they do the aircraft categories.
- Airplane – Single-engine land or sea or multi-engine land or sea.
- Rotorcraft – helicopter or gyroplane.
- Lighter-Than-Air – balloons or airships.
- Powered Parachutes – land or sea.
What is a Category 3 aircraft?
CAT IIIa means the airplane can auto land and have auto throttles. CAT IIIa minimums are normally RVR 700. CAT IIIb mans that the airplane can do everything a CAT IIIa airplane can do plus it has the ability to stop itself after landing on the centerline of the runway.
What defines a complex aircraft?
A complex airplane is an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller. In lieu of a controllable pitch propeller, the aircraft could also have an engine control system consisting of a digital computer and associated accessories for controlling the engine and the propeller.
What makes an aircraft TAA?
TAAs are aircraft with a minimum of an IFR-certified GPS navigation system with a moving map display, and an integrated autopilot. Some TAAs also have a multi-function display that shows weather, traffic and terrain graphics.
What are the different Cessna 182 models?
Cessna 182 Engine
- Continental O-470-L (182 – 182D) 230 HP, 1500/2000 TBO.
- Continental O-470-R (182E – 1974 182P ) 230 HP, 1500/2000 TBO.
- Continental O-470-S (1975-1976 182P) 230 HP, 1500/2000 TBO.
- Continental O-470-U (182Q – 182R) 230 HP, 2000 TBO.
- Continental O-470-U (182Q – 182R) 230 HP, 2000 TBO.
Is a Cessna 182 A good first plane?
The trusty 182 is an airplane a pilot can start and complete his career of flying in. Whenever new pilots ask me to suggest a first airplane to learn to travel in, the Cessna 182 Skylane is always at the top of my list. My recommendation of the Skylane is especially strong for a pilot new to IFR flying.
How much do amphibious floats cost?
New sets of amphibious floats have a retail price of $60,000 to $100,000, and PK has a year-long backlog.
What is the cruise speed of a Cessna 182?
167 mphCessna 182 Skylane / Cruise speed
The Turbo 182 has a top speed of 168 knots and cruises at 158 knots at 75% power and 20,000 feet and 145 knots (167 mph) at 75% power and 10,000 feet.
How do you classify aircraft types?
Airplanes are classified based on the number of wings as, Monoplanes • Biplanes etc. Aircraft can also be classified based on the mode of takeoff and landing as follows, Normal • VTOL • STOL • STOVL etc.
What is a type code for aircraft?
An aircraft type designator is a two-, three- or four-character alphanumeric code designating every aircraft type (and some sub-types) that may appear in flight planning. These codes are defined by both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association.
What is Cat 1 Cat 2 Cat 3 aviation?
CAT I relies only on altimeter indications for decision height, whereas CAT II and CAT III approaches use radio altimeter (RA) to determine decision height. An ILS must shut down upon internal detection of a fault condition.
Can a private pilot fly a complex aircraft?
It may or may not be equipped with flaps. Before or after earning the private pilot certificate (PPL) (usually after), a pilot can be trained in complex aircraft operation by a flight instructor.
What classifies as a TAA?
The term Technologically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) is a modern term used to describe light aircraft with advanced equipment on board—specifically advanced avionics like GPS and glass panel displays.
What is the difference between TAA and MSA?
MSAs are published for emergency use on IAP charts. MSAs appear in the planview of all IAPs except on approaches for which a Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) is used. The MSA is based on the primary NAVAID, waypoint, or airport reference point on which the IAP is predicated.
How much HP does a Cessna 182 have?
The 182T Skylane model is a four-seat light aircraft with fixed landing gear, powered by a fuel-injected 230 hp (172 kW) Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 piston engine, gross weight of 3,100 lb (1,406 kg) for take-off and 2,950 lb (1,338 kg) for landing.
What is the best single engine airplane to buy?
Best Single Engine Aircraft To Buy In 2022
- Cessna Skylane 182 A-R. This tricycle-style aircraft made its debut in 1956.
- Beechcraft Bonanza A36.
- Piper Cherokee PA-28-180.
- Cessna Skyhawk 172.
- Cirrus SR22.
- Piper Arrow II/III PA-28R-200/201.
- Piper Cherokee PA-28-140.
- Mooney M20E Super 21 & M20E Executive 21.
What is the best private aircraft to own?
Whether you are looking for speed or luxury, here is a list of the best private jets in 2021:
- Cessna Citation Longitude.
- Bombardier Global 7500.
- Bombardier Global 6000.
- Dassault Falcon 8X.
- Embraer Phenom 300E.
- Gulfstream G650ER.
- Boeing BBJ MAX 7.
Can float planes land on ground?
Some floatplanes only have floats, and are only able to land in the water. However, some have floats as well as other landing gear, either built-in or available as an additional option, that allows them to land on a runway. An aircraft that can land on both water and ground is called an amphibious aircraft.
How much distance does a float plane need to take off?
In this instance, the takeoff run on water with the Caravan’s small engine is 2341 feet, takeoff over a 50 foot obstacle 3660 feet. The same manufacturer’s figures for a Cessna 206 on their amphibious floats is 1770 feet takeoff run, 2850 feet over a 50 foot obstacle.
Which is faster Cessna 172 or 182?
The 182 has a much more powerful engine than the 172 (230HP vs 145-180HP). This, of course, not only makes the 182 the faster plane, but also means that it can climb approximately 200 feet per minute faster, and can lift more weight too.
How much faster is a Cessna 182 than a 172?
|Specification||Cessna 172||Cessna 182|
|Cruise speed||124 KTS||145 KTS (167 mph, 269 km/h)|
|Never exceed speed||158 KTS||175 KTS (201 mph, 324 km/h)|
|Range||639 nm||930 nmi (1,070 mi, 1,720 km)|
|Service ceiling||13,500 ft||18,100 ft (5,500 m)|


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Where the lives of the cats you followed in the books become the real thing; and so much more! Everyone is welcome here, so join in the roleplay fun today!
Convo's R Here
Avalon is an Old World Of Darkness Vampire: The Masquerade Play by Post Role Playing experience of gothic horror set in the fictional city of Avalon.
Join Kursaga to role play with the other members! Don't be shy, make an RP!
The official home for the wrestling e-federation Ring of Chaos.
Free forum : Here you can role play as your favorite characters as well as your own from the Assassin's Creed series! All games and time periods are included in this forum, it is not secluded to a sin
The official website for the game Project Contingency
A role play community for a variety of different area's of role play, what is limited is within your imagination.
We are a friendly community that is clan based. We play America's Army Proving Grounds.
RP as a warrior cat on this blooming site! We're a fun group of people looking to role play
A Play-by-Post RPG forum set in the fantasy realm of Enferia. Be advised: Adult themes within.
Free forum : Xenosaga, Xenogears and Xenoblade fannage!
A Role Play and small forum related to the show Winx Club
Ace Combat: Legends is dedicated to all things Ace Combat, with an emphasis on Play-by-Post RPGs centered on the arcade flight combat video game series.
A 3d role playing game using the open source code from the previously hit game Impressive Title. With more customization, better map system, but no items or hunting.
An intermediate to advanced play-by-post roleplaying website set in the modern era where the world has been exposed to magical creatures, vampires play a part in human life, and the magical world has their own government.
A play by post 5E DnD campaign started by fans of The Adventure Zone.
Free forum : Story ideas. Free forum : E-Play Anime
The place to go when discussing everything about 800BC.
Escaping reality in the form of role-play!
Fantasy meets realism in this multi-animal play-by-post RPG where differing Red and Whites fight for control in the name of their Gods.
Mystic Shadows is a modern dark fantasy role play. Were magic and monsters are common and nightmares lurk.
An online forum to host play-by-forum roleplaying games for (Dutch) critters.
We are are Minecraft pocket edition server giving you the best mini games, factions, and role playing experiences.
Tempestuous Typers is for passionate writers to get together to work on challenges, play games and write together!
Carorum. A realm of beauty and individuality. Rich in history and magic, the realm is yours to shape. What role do you play in the shaping of Carorum?
Free forum : To help make video game play easier on all players and to express different ways to communicate and find that your achievement score grows higher from this site!

domain: game


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The outgoing Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court reflects on the last three years.
- U.S. Senate leaders postponed a vote on their health care reform bill, but Alaskans opposed to the bill aren’t letting up. One Alaskan, a three-time cancer survivor, went to Washington to make his pitch directly.
- Oprah Winfrey and some of her friends will be cruising through Alaska next month. Forbes reports that the seven-day Holland America cruise "Share the Adventure" departs from Seattle on July 15 on July 15. The 104-passenger ship will visit Glacier Bay National Park, Juneau, Sitka and other Alaskan sites.
- In a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 55 percent of Americans say they disapprove of the Senate GOP bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
University of Alaska Southeast tightens belt, gets creative after about a half-million dollar budget cutUniversity of Alaska Southeast Chancellor Rick Caulfield said University of Alaska Southeast will lose $400,000 - $600,000 under the current plan.


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San Franciscan Spring
SF is one of those cities where you can be in shorts getting a nice tan along the shore one day, and wearing a parka getting drenched on your way to work the next. But this past week was absolutely beautiful. And I was lucky enough to be there for it.
- •Sunsets (and dirty windows)

domain: geography


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Nearly 500 acres of land in the Sheep and Dixie fire area in the Eagle Lake Ranger District will be undergoing the Willard Creek Hazard Mitigation and Rehabilitation Project. The district is looking to you for help in the planning process. The project will include removal of hazardous trees as well as planting new ones. Some portions of the land have had significant burn and will depend on that accelerated reforestation efforts as natural regrowth is not possible due to the severity. The Ranger district would like to hear your comments by March 3rd. Those can be made in person or written to Carol Thornton at the Eagle lake Ranger Districts Main office .
Map curtosey LNF


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Following thriving clearing the Examination, you may pick the training course and specialised legislation branch of your respective selection.
Following finishing the system in corporate regulation, it is possible to be hired by a business firm or a large MNC at a good salary package. The starting income relies on your competencies and from which college or university you have got concluded your study course.
Post 44. The term of criminal detention is counted as commencing over the day the judgment begins being executed; wherever custody has actually been used ahead of the judgment, the time period is usually to be shortened by one day for every single day expended in custody.
Report 142. Whoever produces, sells inferior medicines, thus triggering severe damage to human well being should be to be sentenced to not fewer than 3 years rather than more than 10 years of fastened-term imprisonment and could Furthermore be sentenced to the fantastic of not fewer than 50 p.c and never much more than 200 p.c of your sale amount; when the results are particularly really serious, the sentence is usually to be not lower than ten decades of fastened-phrase imprisonment and could Furthermore be sentenced to the fine of not fewer than 50 p.c and not a lot more than 200 p.c on the sale quantity or confiscation of property.
Any units committing these kinds of crimes as said in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph, are being fined and staff who are in charge and instantly dependable are to get punished in accordance With all the regulation of the primary paragraph.
Through the duration of execution, a criminal component sentenced to criminal detention may possibly go dwelling for one or two days on a monthly basis; consideration could be supplied according to the situations to granting payment to people who participate in labor.
but graduates aren't allowed to sit for CLAT. just after your b.com you need to do ur l.l.b which is A 3 many years class for graduates. Once you are carried out with the l.l.b.. den you've got solutions to perform a specialisation course on corporate legislation.
Restricted liability with the shareholders (a shareholder's private liability is restricted to the worth of their shares in the Company)
Posting 134. The team and workers of factories, mines, forestry centers, construction enterprises or other enterprises and institutions who don't submit to management and violate The principles and rules or power staff to operate in the dangerous way in violation of The principles, therefore offering increase to big incidents involving harm or Dying and producing other major consequences, are to be sentenced to not a lot more than 3 several years of fastened-time period imprisonment or criminal detention; in the event the instances are significantly odious, not to fewer than three decades instead of in excess of seven a long time of mounted-expression imprisonment.
Generally this extends to prohibiting a business from offering financial guidance for the purchase of its own shares. Issues effecting the continuation from the Corporate variety
Report 162. Personnel right in charge and other directly dependable personnel of a firm or an enterprise that, through its liquidation procedure, conceal property or make Wrong entries in its balance sheet or asset listing, or distribute company or company assets ahead of repaying debts that seriously harm the pursuits of creditors and Others, shall be punished with imprisonment or criminal detention of a lot less than five years, that has a good or maybe a separately imposed high-quality of more than 20,000 yuan but fewer than 200,000 yuan.
The provisions of the main paragraph with respect to avoiding Risk to oneself don't implement to the one who bears unique responsibility in his put up or job.
Adolf Berle in The Modern Company and Private Property argued the separation of control of corporations through the buyers who ended up meant to have them endangered the American financial system and led to a mal-distribution of prosperity.
Report 47. The phrase of fastened-term imprisonment is counted as commencing over the date the judgment commences for being executed; where custody continues to be used prior to the judgment begins to generally be executed, the phrase will be to be shortened by at some point for every single day used in custody.


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|Minimum Stay||4 - 7 nights|
Enter the world of Casa Dos Cisnes – and experience 10,000 square feet of unparalleled luxury living. This distinguished private residence is without equal in Puerto Vallarta and easily ranks among the finest homes in Mexico. Located within the exclusive Conchas Chinas neighborhood, the villa is just 5 minutes from the Romantic Zone of Old Town Puerto Vallarta. Quiet, gated and extremely secure, Casa Dos Cisnes provides the perfect backdrop for the vacation of a lifetime.
Within the beautiful colonial style architecture lies every modern amenity imaginable. The home includes five bedrooms, five full and two half baths, interior courtyard, multiple terraces, infinity pool and elegant public and private spaces. Sweeping vistas of the Bay of Banderas are showcased from every level.
The warm and welcoming full-time staff of three – including a 5-star gourmet chef, maid and houseman – work seven days a week to ensure your every comfort is attended to. A full-service concierge also personally coordinates with you to make arrangements prior to your trip and ensure no detail of your stay is overlooked.
A Gourmet Dream Come True
Chef Martin will prepare three exquisite meals per day, seven days per week. Guests may select from the extensive menus available, create custom menus or choose to be surprised and delighted by the chef’s creations based on the day’s market bounty. Although many outstanding restaurants are just minutes away, most guests prefer to bask in the luxury of the villa and enjoy cuisine that is equal to Puerto Vallarta’s most distinguished establishments.
For guests with an interest in the cuisine of Mexico, Chef Martin is happy to guide shopping trips to local markets where he selects the finest ingredients for his dishes. Cooking classes, demonstrations and wine and food pairings are all available to Casa Dos Cisnes’ guests upon request.
Seamless Indoor and Outdoor Living
Built around a central courtyard, and encompassing four levels, Casa Dos Cisnes boasts thirteen rooms, including five unique and beautiful bedrooms.
The master retreat has its own level, with en suite bathroom with rain shower and Jacuzzi bath, private terrace with gas fireplace, and retreat room with Bose home theatre and 47” TV. Four other bedrooms on two levels include three king bedrooms and one with two queen-sized beds. All bedrooms are air-conditioned and feature ceiling fans.
The home also features an elegant dining room which accommodates stylish service for twelve, a magnificent living room with fireplace, a terrace sitting and dining area, an informal library, an exercise room and a large media/entertainment room.
The casa’s thoughtful design not only guarantees breathtaking views from every room, it also ensures an ideal mix of public and private space. Intimate spaces abound within the grandeur of the house that make it ideal for both large and small parties. The open layout and multiple terraces beautifully accommodate wedding parties or business events.
The gracious interior spaces are furnished in the colonial style with one-of-a-kind pieces designed and commissioned by the owners specifically for Casa Dos Cisnes. Wrought iron chandeliers, antique furniture and art, and a dramatic winding staircase are among the many interior design details guests will enjoy.
Brick domes, high-beamed ceilings, and stone columns epitomize the tasteful architectural features found throughout the home. Four fountains and two weeping walls add colonial charm and the soothing sound of water.
The heated infinity pool with cantera stone sunbathing terrace is one of Casa Dos Cisnes’ many highlights. A spectacular cabana adjacent to the infinity pool is the newest addition to the villa, and includes a poolside bar/lounge with refrigerator, ice machine, grill, and 52” TV.
No detail has been overlooked when it comes to the comfort and convenience of Casa Dos Cisnes’ guests. The villa’s numerous amenities include:
• VIP access to the private La Palapa Beach Club with exclusive privileges for the villa’s guests
• Full time staff of three, 7-days a week
• Gourmet chef preparing three meals per day
• Gas fireplaces in living room and master terrace
• High speed wireless internet on every level
• Professionally equipped work-out room with flat screen television
• Two Bose Lifestyle Home Theatre systems
• Two car attached garage
• 300 thread count Egyptian cotton linens and down featherbeds
• Multiple flat screen TVs, including 60” TV in media room
• U.S. Dish Network satellite television programming
• Vonage phone for free calls to US and Canada
• In-Villa manicure, pedicure and masseuse services available
• Ultraviolet water purification system
• Taxi service available within five minutes by phone call
• DVD library and board games
A Villa and a Vacation Unlike Any Other
Casa Dos Cisnes is not your typical vacation rental. Almost a decade in its design and construction, this private home represents the passion and taste of its sophisticated owners. Secluded, yet close to all the charms of Puerto Vallarta, it is the ideal environment in which to relax, rejuvenate and refresh.
You too will fall under the same spell as the two legendary swans, or Dos Cisnes, who were entranced by the luminous blue sky above and sparkling ocean below. For additional photos and a virtual tour please visit www.puertovallartaluxuryvilla.com
Traveling and working extensively throughout the world, the owners of Casa Dos Cisnes visited Puerto Vallarta multiple times and fell in love with its climate, cuisine, culture, and charm. Dreaming of owning a traditional Colonial Mexican home, they soon realized that few if any had been built in the area that matched their desire for both ocean views and hacienda style living. Searching for property upon which to build, they immediately knew they had found their future home when they discovered upper Conchas Chinas and its spectacular vistas.
Designing the house over the course of four years, the owners meticulously studied Colonial Mexican architecture and revised the house plans to accommodate the modern needs of their expanded family. Building and furnishing the villa took an additional four years during which time the owners traveled throughout Mexico to obtain pottery, artwork, and artifacts to enhance the authentic, historic ambiance of the home. Designing much of the furniture, lighting, and features of the home, the owners created the villa with the needs of the discriminating traveler in mind, based upon their own travels globally over the course of their business careers.
The owners chose upper Conchas Chinas not only for its stunning views, but also for its proximity to town and the local beaches. Contrary to developments to the north of Puerto Vallarta, Conchas Chinas is but a short distance to the many gourmet restaurants, art galleries, shopping experiences, sporting activities, and entertainment venues offered downtown. At the same time, the neighborhood’s southwestern facing orientation provides it with an exclusive, peaceful ambiance.
Aside from Casa Dos Cisnes, the owners maintain homes in the United States and Western Europe. They hope to welcome you to Casa Dos Cisnes and that you, too, may fall under the spell of the Two Swans!
Casa Dos Cisnes purchased this villa in 2010
Minutes from the beach and located in the hills of the Sierra Madre overlooking the Bay of Banderas, Conchas Chinas is the 'Beverly Hills' of Puerto Vallarta and just south of the restaurants, art galleries, shopping, entertainment venues and conveniences of central Puerto Vallarta and the Romantic Zone. With stunning ocean views and oriented towards the iconic 'Los Arcos' rock formation, you are surrounded by the peaceful sights and sounds of tropical birds and jungle foliage while being visually protected from the many high-rise developments that have occurred on the north side of Puerto Vallarta.
There are many houses and condos available for rent in Puerto Vallarta with varying levels of service. No villa other than Casa Dos Cisnes has so exquisitely captured the essence of Mexico's deep cultrual architectural tradition and combined it with first rate service that the experienced luxury traveler requires. Your gourmet chef will elevate your Mexico experience to a new level by immersing you in a culinary journey of Mexico taking you far beyond the servings of guacamole and enchiladas typically encountered at other houses available for rent by preparing fresh-from-the-market, haute-cuisine dishes with traditional Mexican flavors.
A million thanks to Chef Martin, Pepe, and Elvira for helping to make our family dreams come true. We came to celebrate several family events and you all helped make this perfect. The food was awesome, your kindness pleasant always knowing the right people to call for all our various needs, wishes and pleasures. The house is a dream, allowing for a wonderful family togetherness along with lots of space so all of us could have wonderful alone time. The spectacular waters, sunsets and warmth were just perfect. You could not ask for more. We look forward to our return visit.
This villa and it's staff was the best decision we could have made for our vacation. The food was incredible, the staff spoiled us with margaritas and snacks- I would (and am planning to) go back in a heartbeat. Thank you so much for the best vacation we could have asked for!
Everything was fabulous! Would highly recommend this villa to any one - it was everything we anticipated and more!
This is a beautiful home and the staff is awesome. It exceeded our expectations and was better than advertised. The pool is actually smaller than the picture would lead you to believe (about 15' X 20') but perfect for cooling off and enjoying the ocean views. Martin the chef prepared wonderful meals, Pepe took care of absolutely everything and Elvira kept the entire 10,000 square feet immaculate. This was truly a very special vacation and we will do it again.
We took cabs into town frequently and they are very reasonable (about $6 US for four people) and it's only about a 5 - 10 minute ride. Our house prepared food was a good or better than some of the very nice restaurants we went to. We also did the Outdoor Adventure Tour (zip line, repelling and water slide aft a boat ride, truck ride and mules into the mountains. REALLY FUN! See you in the fall.
It was such an incredible experience from start to finish. The villa is so beautiful with epic views and a peaceful feel. I highly recommend anyone looking for luxury, peace, and convenience to downtown, to stay here. Thank you thank you thank you
Everything at Casa Dos Cisnes exceeded our expectations. This is not your average cookie cutter Puerto Vallarta vacation home, the finishes are exceptional, the hand-crafted furniture is exquisite, and high-tech amenities at every turn provide a glorious backdrop for views that are out of this world. The staff go out of their way to make you feel pampered and to ensure a relaxing stay. Large, immaculate bedrooms, bathrooms, and expansive living spaces throughout the villa (which feels more like a grand estate) lend themselves to multiple families. The location, just outside Puerto Vallarta, is peaceful but allows for easy access to the town (we walked there in around 30 minutes) and it's a short drive to the area's castaway beaches - Yelapa, Las Caletas, etc.
I own property in central Mexico and have visited the country many times. Casa Dos Cisnes is among the grandest colonial style homes I've ever seen. The house itself is spectacular and the views are incredible. The staff are exceptional, with special kudos to Martin who is indeed a 5 star chef. I will happily return!
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican paradise that lies along Banderas Bay, the second largest bay in the Western Hemisphere. Located on the same latitude as Hawaii, it is located 219 miles from Guadalajara, the state capital of Jalisco, and it is nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range. The downtown area has preserved a taste of old Mexico with its cobblestone streets, cathedrals, and quaint white-washed houses with red terra cotta tiled roofs and the surrounding region has many forests, rivers and waterfalls, and an average temperature of 80°F. The landmark for the area is the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe with its unique glass dome. The area offers a cultured grace with some the most talented artists, architects, and chefs in North America. Approximately 120 restaurants and entertainment facilities are available throughout the region---including many of 5 star quality. Art galleries dot the city and include the work of local legend Manuele Lupe.
|Rate Period||Nightly||Weekend Night||Weekly||Monthly||Event|
Value 5 BR (See 3 & 4 BR below
Apr 26 2015 - Dec 18 2015
4 night minimum stay
Dec 19 2015 - Jan 2 2016
7 night minimum stay
High 5 BR (See 3 & 4 BR below)
Jan 3 2016 - Apr 22 2016
4 night minimum stay
My Standard Rate
4 night minimum stay
|Refundable damage deposit||$1,500|
RATES FOR 3 AND 4 BEDROOM OCCUPANCY:
HIGH SEASON (Jan 4, 2015 - Apr 25, 2015):
HIGH SEASON (Jan 3, 2016 - Apr 22, 2016):
4 Bedroom - $1349/night
3 Bedroom - $1199/night
VALUE SEASON (Apr 27, 2014 - Dec 19, 2014):
VALUE SEASON (Apr 25, 2015 - Dec 18, 2015):
4 Bedroom - $899/night
3 Bedroom - $749/night
Payment is usually accepted in the quoted currency (USD) unless the currency and the amount is specifically agreed in advance with the owner / advertiser.
Learn more about this vacation rental at the manager's website:

domain: travel


text:
GameStop Leverages Technology to Transform the In-Store Experience
One of the trends to emerge from 2014 is that retailers are increasingly reliant on innovation and technology as they seek to build stronger relationships with their customers. Innovation labs have been opened by leading retailers — e.g., Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, Staples, Home Deopt — to serve as a breeding ground for fresh ideas that will help brands better connect with today's tech-savvy consumers.
GameStop is no exception. Last March, the video game, consumer electronics and wireless services retailer opened the GameStop Technology Institute (GTI), in an effort to discover and deliver business innovation and technology solutions to better address the needs of today's empowered consumer.
In an interview with Retail Online Integration yesterday at the National Retail Federation's Big Show in New York City, Charlie Larkin, senior director of GTI, discussed why the retailer believes technology and innovation are critical to its future, as well as some of the cool new things GameStop is doing to connect the digital and physical worlds in its stores.


text: We have recently shown that glucose and glucosamine regulate the transcription of transforming growth factor-α (TGFα) in rat aortic smooth muscle (RASM) cells. Based on the increased potency of glucosamine compared to glucose, we hypothesized that stimulation of TGFα transcription by glucose is mediated through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway. The yeast cDNA for the rate-limiting enzyme of this pathway, glutamine:fructose-6- phosphate amidotransferase (GFA), was therefore expressed in RASM cells. GFA- transfected cells showed an increase in GFA activity, exhibiting a 2.2-fold increase in the synthesis of glucosamine-6-phosphate, the first product of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. To test the effect of GFA overexpression on TGFα transcriptional activity, cells were transiently cotransfected with GFA along with a reporter plasmid containing the firefly luciferase gene under control of the TGFα promoter. GFA-transfected cells exhibited a glucose-dependent 2-fold increase in TGFα activity compared to control cells. Maximal stimulation of TGFα-luciferase activity by glucosamine, however, was equivalent in GFA- and control-transfected cells, confirming that the stimulation observed by both agents operated through the same pathway. This increase in TGFα activity was inhibited (85% at 0.5 mM glucose and 69% at 30 mM glucose) by the glutamine analog and inhibitor of GFA, 6- diazo-5-oxonorleucine (10 μM). Control studies confirmed that the increased TGFα-luciferase activity in the GFA-expressing cells was not an artifact of altered growth, survival, or transfection efficiency. Experiments using pharmacological agents to stimulate or inhibit protein kinase C and cAMP- dependent kinase do not support a role for these second messengers in the signaling pathway. Tunicamycin inhibited the ability of glucose to stimulate TGFα activity, suggesting that protein glycosylation does play a role. We conclude that products of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway mediate the stimulation by glucose of TGFα in aortic smooth muscle cells.


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House Strickland was a noble house. The House is now in exile.
Lord Strickland rose in rebellion with Daemon Blackfyre during the First Blackfyre Rebellion. After the defeat of the rebels at the Battle of the Redgrass Field, he fled across the narrow sea with Bittersteel and the other exiles. Four generations of Stricklands have served in the Golden Company.
A Dance with Dragons


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Tunisia’s President Mohamed Beji Caid Essebsi has died at the Tunis military hospital after he was admitted on Wednesday, announced the office of the presidency on Thursday.
Essebsi has been suffering from ill-health in the past month and this was his second health crisis since June that also confined him at the intensive care unit of the hospital.
The 92-year-old statesman was the fifth President of Tunisia from December 2014 until his death and he has served as Prime Minister from February 2011 to December 2011 after the overthrow of autocratic leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali which sparked the Arab Spring.
The oldest head of state after Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Beji Caid Essebsi has served under Tunisia’s independence leader Habib Bourguiba as an adviser. He also held many key positions under other governments including director-general of the national police, interior minister and ambassador to France among others.
Tunisia’s presidential elections are scheduled for November 17 following the parliamentary elections set for October 6. Prior to his death in April, Essebsi had stated clearly that he will not contest the polls in order to make way for a younger leader.
He is survived by his wife, Chadlia Saïda Farhat, and four children Mohamed Hafedh Caid Essebsi, Salwa Caid Essebsi, Amel Caid Essebsi, Khélil Caid Essebsi.


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Twenty years ago today, Ellen DeGeneres revealed her sexual identity on network TV. In 1997, the media climate was not nearly as welcoming to LGBT people as it is now; however, as proven by the countless articles published commemorating her bravery, times have clearly changed. Today, LGBT content is not only accepted, but celebrated.
Playing the character Ellen Morgan on the ABC sitcom Ellen, DeGeneres came to the point where coming out had become more important to her than career success. Although she risked much with her revelation, the show host has arguably become the most beloved gay figure in the current media landscape, with Hollywood stars even crediting her for their own successes.
In the caption of its video commemorating DeGeneres’ anniversary, CNN commented that she “changed the world” with “two words.” Those two words, uttered at the conclusion of a rambling monologue, were “I’m gay.”
Entertainment Weekly contributor Dan Snierson expanded on DeGeneres’ influence. “What that admission lacked in brevity,” he noted, “it more than made up for impact.”
Indeed, through her likable personality and humor, the Ellen host normalized gay personalities on TV and paved the way for mainstream LGBT content like NBC comedy Will & Grace. As Joe Biden commented on Meet the Press, that show “probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody’s ever done so far.”
DeGeneres opened the door to LGBT content in people’s living rooms and subsequently “made gay okay for everyday people,” gay podcast host Eric Marcus noted.
Huffington Post senior editor Maxwell Strachan went further, commenting that the TV personality “didn’t just change lives… she saved them.”
GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis credited Ellen with directing her life’s path. “I witnessed the power of entertainment and news media in changing hearts and minds,” Ellis reflected, “and it started me on a career in media where today I serve as president and CEO of GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization.”
“As LGBTQ visibility begins to slip under the new administration,” Ellis continued, “we all need to be Ellens: boldly sharing our stories and speaking our truth.”
In fact, Ellis is not satisfied that 4.8 percent of regular characters on shows this TV season are LGBT. As she is surely aware that less than 5 percent of the American population actually falls in this demographic, her desire to see higher representation can mean only one thing. More LGBT characters lead to greater awareness, and thus more acceptance.
On April 27, GLAAD's campaign to lower the rating on transgender-themed film 3 Generations was successful. Instead of an "R," the film now features a "PG-13" classification.
Reflecting on her victory, Ellis told The Hollywood Reporter: "Just like 20 years ago, LGBTQ issues were deemed 'inappropriate' and, just like 20 years ago, GLAAD was there to make sure these culture-changing stories reached the widest audience possible."


Who would have imagined that Suzuki SV650 would one day attract a multitude of enthusiastic fans when it was incepted in 1999? It’s almost 15 years now, and the SV is enjoying a close cut-like status. The favorite among club racers is the SV650 powered by grunt V-Twin; it’s friendly enough for beginner riders to earn stripes but aggressive and powerful enough to amuse experienced riders as well.
With that already said, SV650 enthusiasts will be ecstatic to hear of the new model 2017 Suzuki SV650S. It will be trendy, more powerful and lighter. The 645cc V-Twin has been revamped with additional 60 new parts. Suzuki employed the Finite Element Method in designing the new piston in order to obtain peak rigidity without adding extra weight.
The new piston skirts coated with resin aim to reduce friction. Each cylinder has twin spark plugs meant for ignition, 10-hole fuel injectors, and fuel injection system having Suzuki-bound Dual Throttle Valve.
The new two-in-one is lighter and uses a catalyzer to reduce emissions. All these new packages are meant to give it more low-midrange torque and more horsepower.
2017 Suzuki SV650S chassis have been revamped as well with an additional of 70 components into it. The trellis-style frame and lightweight steel helped this new model to shed 15 pounds from its predecessor SFV650. It has a narrower fuel tank than the 2015 SFV650 but the amount of gas retained is the same. The slimmer design will help riders get their feet planted well on the ground.
The front brakes have a 290mm dual floating disk coupled with two-piston Tokiko calipers while the rear brakes have 240mm disc. The 2017 Suzuki SV650S also has a new Nissin ABS that is more compact and lighter than the prior unit.
The latest SV650 is fitted with multifunctional LCD that is loaded with features including a digital speedometer, an odometer, gear position indicator, tachometer, trip meter, water temperature and fuel gauge, driving gauge and average fuel consumption.
The 2017 Suzuki SV650S is expected to hit dealerships in the early summer, but the price is still not well known.