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A légcsavar, idegen szóval propeller a repülőgépek körében általánosan használt erőátviteli megoldás, amely a motor teljesítményét közvetíti a hordozó közegre, a levegőre. A légcsavar megforgatására repülőbenzinnel hajtott dugattyús motort vagy kerozinnal üzemelő gázturbinát alkalmaznak. A légcsavaron a szárnyakhoz hasonló módon felhajtóerő keletkezik, ami a repülőeszközt előre mozgatja.

Története

A mai formában ismert – motorteljesítményhez és levegőáramláshoz optimalizált – légcsavar korai változata először a Wright fivéreknél jelent meg 1903-ban. Gépük, a Wright Flyer (1900-ban az észak-karolinai Kitty Hawkba költöztek) fából faragott légcsavarral és egy bicikliműhelyben épített motorral szállt fel. A légcsavar hatékonysági mutatója 80%-os volt. Ők ismerték fel először, hogy a légcsavarlapát szárnyként viselkedik, és a saját profilja körüli áramlásnak számítható aerodinamikája van, illetve már ebben a korai stádiumban is végeztek szélcsatorna-kísérleteket, ahol megfigyelhették a légcsavarok körüli áramlásokat. Ennek eredményeként még száz évvel munkásságuk után is ugyanazon elvek alapján számítják és alakítják ki a leghatékonyabb légcsavarformákat.

Természetesen már a tudományos megfigyeléseken és számításokon alapuló műszaki megoldások előtt is sokan tettek kísérletet kezdetleges légcsavarhajtás előállítására, ahogyan az alábbi képeken látható. Ezek a mai értelemben véve még nem légcsavarok, de létezésük szükséges volt a mai légcsavarig vezető hosszú úton.

Felépítése
Anyaga lehet fa (ez a régebbi repülőgépeknél volt elterjedt alapanyag), lehet fém, és lehet kompozit szénszálas műgyanta is. A légcsavarnak lapátjai vannak, de a légcsavartoll elnevezés is használatos. A lapátok elrendezésének a tömegközéppontja pontosan a légcsavartengelyre van szabályozva. A nagyon pontos beszabályozás rendkívül fontos, mert ha a légcsavar tömegközéppontja nem forgásszimmetrikus, a légcsavar "üt", és ezzel a motor, illetve az egész repülőgép biztonságát kockáztatja. A szabályozás mértékét érzékelteti, hogy a finombeállítást a légcsavartollakra felvitt festékrétegek vastagságának változtatásával végzik. A légcsavarlapát tulajdonképpen egy szárny a szó aerodinamikai értelmében: van profilja, belépő és kilépő éle, amelyek a forgási iránynak megfelelően vannak kialakítva, és van állásszöge, ami lehet állandó vagy változtatható. Ez utóbbi a "változtatható állásszögű légcsavar", röviden az "állítható légcsavar". Ezen túlmenően a korszerű légcsavarlapátnak nem állandó sem a húrhossza, sem az emelkedési szöge. Mindkét jellemző feltűnő, hiszen a lapátok végei kifelé elvékonyodnak, valamint a forgási síkkal nagyjából párhuzamosan, nulla emelkedési szögön állnak, és a lapát körül kialakuló áramlás minél csendesebb leválasztásában, kiegyenlítésében vesznek részt. A kisgépes repülésnél nagyon fontos, hogy a légcsavarlapátok kerületi sebessége nem lépheti át a hangsebességet, mert az ilyenkor kialakuló rezonanciák, áramlásleválások tönkretehetik a légcsavart, illetve a motort. Belátható, hogy a kerületi sebesség fogalma miatt nem az egész légcsavaron következne be a hanghatár átlépésével járó lökéshullám, hanem csak a lapátvégeken, ami komoly terhelést okozna a lapát azon részén, ahol a szubszonikus és a már szuperszonikus rész találkozik. Természetesen erre is lehet méretezni a légcsavart és annak anyagát, de ez a kisgépes (dugattyús-motoros) repülőgépeknél nem gyakorlat és nem is szükséges.

Átmérője, a lapátok száma
A légcsavar átmérőjétől függ az egyszerre megmozgatott levegő mennyisége és így a légcsavar vonóereje is. Minél nagyobb levegőtömeget kell egyszerre megmozgatni, annál nagyobb teljesítményű motorra van szükség a meghajtáshoz. Emellett, minél nagyobb a légcsavar átmérője, annál lassabb lehet a maximális fordulatszáma. Az optimális esetben a lapátvégek kerületi sebessége még a kb. 220 m/s értéket sem lépi túl. Ha az átmérőből, a forgatási sebességből, az állásszögből és a standard levegősűrűségből számított vonóerő nem lenne elegendő a repülőgép felszállásához, a következőket lehet tenni: Egy picit rövidebbre veszik az átmérőt és beiktatnak még egy lapátot. Ezáltal növelhető a maximum forgási sebesség, illetve még egy plusz "szárny" azaz légcsavarlapát vesz részt a forgatóerő levegőnek történő átadásában. Ennek természetesen "ára" van, mert minél több lapát van a légcsavaron, annál erősebb motor kell az azonos sebességű megforgatáshoz. Ez a folyamat addig ismételhető amíg végül elfogy a légcsavarkoszorún az újabb lapátok számára a hely, vagy elértük a használt hajtómű maximális erőleadási képességét. A légcsavarátmérő kiszámításánál figyelembe kell venni a lapátvégek repülőgéptörzstől és a talajtól való biztonságos távolságát.

Meghajtása
A légcsavar meghajtása lehet közvetlen, vagy áttételes. A közvetlen meghajtás esetében a légcsavar közvetlenül a motor főtengelyének kivezetésére van erősítve, így a motor fordulatszáma megegyezik a légcsavar fordulatszámával. A kisgépeknél ez az általánosan elterjedt megoldás, lévén, hogy a fogaskerekes áttételek, reduktorok jelentős plusz tömeget képviselnek. A nagyobb lapát-átmérők esetében már szükséges a reduktor alkalmazása, mert a kerületi sebességre érvényes korlátok miatt a légcsavar fordulatszáma alacsonyabb, ez esetben viszont a motorok forgatónyomatéka lehet kevés. Csillagmotorok esetében a bolygókerekes reduktor az általános, míg a soros vagy boxer elrendezésű repülőgépmotoroknál a fogaskerekes áttétel az elterjedt, ott ahol ez szükséges. A motor és a légcsavar viszonya egyfajta kompromisszum, mivel a légcsavar szempontjából a folyamatos nagy forgatónyomaték lenne az ideális minden fordulatszám-tartományban, de a motorok sajátosságaiból adódóan az alacsony fordulaton kívánt nagy nyomaték csakis az átlagosnál nagyobb űrméret alkalmazásával valósítható meg. Ez persze nagyobb fogyasztást és nagyobb súlyt is jelent. Ha a légcsavarátmérő nagy, abban az esetben hatalmas a megmozgatott levegő mennyisége is, de a légcsavar nem is foroghat túl gyorsan (kerületi sebesség!). Belátható, hogy 1000 lóerő leadásához, kb. 2200-as percenkénti fordulaton kb. 30 000 köbcentis motorra van szükség, miközben esetleg a négylapátos 3,6 méter átmérőjű légcsavar csak 1500-at foroghat maximum. Ez egy konkrét példa, további részletek az An–2 repülőgépről szóló szócikkben.

Állásszög
A légcsavarlapát is egy szárny, és mint ilyen, csak bizonyos állásszög-tartományokban fejti ki hatását. Nulla állásszögön a légcsavar nem fejt ki húzóerőt. Túl nagy állásszögön pedig – csakúgy mint a repülőgépszárny – átesik. Az optimális határok a légcsavar fizikai kialakításától (profil, húrhossz, lapáthossz, fordulatszám) függnek. Főként szállítógépeknél a lapátok negatív állásszögre is állíthatóak, így a leszállás után, kigurulásnál a légcsavart a repülőgép fékezésére, a kigurulási úthossz csökkentésére lehet használni. Felszálláskor a lehető legnagyobb teljesítményleadásra van szükség, ez a légcsavar kis állásszögén a leghatékonyabb, azaz így van a légcsavar az álló levegőhöz képest optimális pozícióban, az átesési kritikus állásszögtől távol. A földön álló gép esetében- amely ekkor még a levegőhöz képest nem mozog – valós állásszögről beszélünk, de amikor a légcsavar által felvett levegő már a repülés mindenkori sebességével "érkezik", a dinamikus állásszög kifejezés használatos. Ez relatív fogalom, amely a megfújás sebességével fordítottan arányos. Ebből következik, hogy minden valós állásszöghöz tartozik egy olyan repülési sebesség, ahol a dinamikus állásszög nullára csökken. Gyakorlatilag ez a nem változtatható állásszögű légcsavar sebességhatára. A légcsavar ekkor nem ad le vonóerőt (tolólégcsavar esetében tolóerőt), mert a gép repülési sebességvektorával egyenlő, de azzal ellentétes irányú megfújás pontosan akkora sebességgel érkezteti a levegőt a légcsavarlapátokhoz, amekkorát azok "kiharapnának" az álló levegőből. A dinamikus állásszög ebben a pillanatban nulla. A repülőgép sebességének további növelése a gravitáció irányába nyomással lehetséges, de ekkor már a légcsavar dinamikus állásszöge negatív lesz, ami erős visszahatást fejt ki és ezzel jelentős terhelést jelent a légcsavarlapátoknak és a motornak egyaránt. Az állítható szögű légcsavar pont ezen jelenségek kiküszöbölésére alkalmazható. Felszállás után, amikor már nem a nagy erőleadás a fő szempont, hanem a folyamatos utazósebesség, illetve a gyorsítás lényeges, egyre nagyobb szögre kell állítani a légcsavart, megtartva ezzel a dinamikus állásszöget az optimális erőkifejtő tartományban. Ezzel a módszerrel folyamatosan lehet gyorsítani a repülőgépet, amíg a légcsavar eléri a legnagyobb beállítási szögét. Általában úgy választják meg a lehetséges szögállítási tartomány legnagyobb szögű felső határát, hogy a légcsavar a földön álló repülőgép esetében se forogjon folyamatos átesésben.

Fordulatszám-szabályozás
Az előző szakaszban tárgyalt változtatható állásszög egy újabb problémát is felvet, amely szerint az egyre nagyobb állásszögön forgó légcsavar egyre nagyobb terhelést jelent a motor számára. Azaz például 20 fokos szögben álló lapátokkal egy 500 lóerős motor percenként 2000-es fordulattal tud megforgatni egy légcsavart, míg ugyanez az erőforrás már csak 1700-as percenkénti fordulatra lesz képes ha a lapátok szögét 40 fokosra állítjuk. Ez a példa természetesen leegyszerűsített formában, de érthetően mutatja, hogy szükség van a használt repülőgépmotor teljesítményét is valamilyen formában kezelni, hogy se túlterhelés, se kihasználatlan motorteljesítmény ne legyen jellemző a repülőgépre. A repülőgépmotor terhelését a megfelelően méretezett légcsavar jelenti, tehát a légcsavar mérete, állásszögei, fordulatszáma mindenkor arányban kell álljon a használt erőforrás teljesítményével. A gyakorlatban ez többnyire úgy néz ki, hogy a légcsavarszög-állító mechanizmus egyben a motor fordulatszám-szabályozását is vezérli, így az állítható szögű légcsavarokat gyakran állandó fordulatú légcsavarnak is nevezik. Úgy választják meg a beszabályozott fordulatszám felső határát, hogy azt a motor a maximálisra állított lapátszögek mellett is képes legyen teljesíteni. Ezzel megoldottá válik az optimális motorkihasználás, illetve a túlterhelés sem jelentkezik a nagyobb lapátszögek beállításakor. A nem állítható légcsavarral szerelt repülőgépekben a motor fordulatszámát jelző műszer egyben az aktuális motorteljesítményt mérő műszer is, mivel ezeknél a (kis)gépeknél a fordulatszám egyenes arányban áll a motorteljesítménnyel. A változtatható állásszögű légcsavaros gépek esetében, amikor a pilóta nagyobb szögre állítja a légcsavart és már működésbe lépett a fordulatszám-szabályozó, a fordulatszám mérő műszer kijelzése "megáll" az éppen beszabályozott fordulatszámnál és a továbbiakban az úgynevezett szívótérnyomásmérő műszerrel lehet figyelemmel kísérni a motor teljesítményét, ami a gázkar segítségével szabályozható. Ez természetesen csak a dugattyús motorral szerelt gépek esetében van így, ahol létezik a szívótér fogalma. Az egyes motorműszerek figyelése és kiszolgálása plusz feladat a pilóta számára, amely a motorok számának növelésével együtt sokszorozódik. Egy négymotoros gépen például az egyes fordulatszámok és szívótérnyomások egyszerre figyelése és vezérlése már komoly gyakorlatot és rutint igényel. Manapság már automatikus fordulatszám-szabályozás és légcsavarszög állítás jellemző a korszerű légcsavaros gépekre, de a kisebb sportrepülőgépek esetében még többnyire ez is a pilóta feladata. A régebbi cseh és orosz gyártású műrepülőgépek egy ötletes mechanikus légcsavarszabályozót kaptak, amely a repülési sebességből eredő légáramlás változásait használja fel, levéve ezzel a légcsavarszabályozás terhét a pilóta válláról, aki ezáltal fokozottabban koncentrálhat a műrepülés közbeni feladatokra.

Autorotálás

Ha repülés közben a hajtómű felőli meghajtás lecsökken vagy megszűnik, a légcsavart az érkező megfújó levegő forogni kényszeríti, ezt hívjuk autorotálásnak. Ha eközben a hajtómű kis teljesítményen jár, annak fékező hatása (motorfék) nem engedi túlpörögni a légcsavart. Gond akkor lehet, ha teljes teljesítményen járó motorral ereszkedik gyorsan a repülőgép, mert ebben az esetben – a negatív dinamikus állásszögből eredően – az autorotáció túlforgatja a légcsavart és a hajtóművet is. Álló motor esetében az autorotáláshoz szükséges energia erős fékezőhatásként érvényesül, lassítva ezzel a gép repülését. Ez súlyos gond lehet többmotoros repülőgépek esetében, ahol a légcsavarok által kifejtett vonó(toló)erővektor nem esik egybe a gép hossztengelyével. A szárnyon elhelyezett motorok esetében komoly problémát jelent a csak az egyik oldalon jelentkező fékhatás. Kifejezetten erre az esetre találták ki a vitorlába állítás lehetőségét. Ekkor a megfújásra merőleges helyzetbe lehet állítani a légcsavarlapátokat, megakadályozva ezzel az autorotálást és a féloldalas fékezőhatást. Létezik automata vitorlába állító rendszer is, amely a hajtómű repülés közbeni leállása esetén automatikusan vitorlába állítja a légcsavart. Az autorotálás a helikopterek esetében a kényszerleszállás egyetlen túlélhető módja. A helikopter hajtóművének leállásakor a rotorlapátokat gyorsan negatívba állítva kell zuhanni a géppel, ekkor a megfújás alulról érkezik és a negatívban (nem emelő hanem süllyesztő pozícióban) álló rotorlapátokat pontosan a jó irányba forgatja tovább a levegő. A talaj fölött – a kellő pillanatban – a pilóta gyorsan pozitívba állítja a lapátok állásszögét, és a lapátok tehetetlensége miatt kis ideig tovább forgó rotor termel még annyi felhajtóerőt, hogy a helikoptert biztonságosan a talajra lehessen tenni.

Reakciónyomaték és precesszió

A hatás-ellenhatás törvénye miatt a forgási iránnyal ellentétes irányú reakciónyomaték keletkezik a repülőgépen a légcsavar megforgatásával. A gyakorlatban a pilóta felől nézve a légcsavar forgási irányával ellentétes irányú elfordulás érzékelhető, amely hatás a legnagyobb teljesítményen – felszálláskor – érezhető a legkifejezettebben. Az egymotoros elrendezésű – a gép hossztengelyével egybeeső pozícióban elhelyezett – légcsavar egyirányú forgásából adódó légcsavarszél, aszimmetrikus megfújást eredményez a mögötte elhelyezkedő függőleges vezérsíkon. Ezek együttes hatásai a még talajon haladó repülőgép felszállóegyenesről való kitörését idézhetik elő. Ezért ezt az oldalkormány segítségével ellen kell tartani, hogy a felszálló gép megtartsa a helyes pályairányt. Egyes többmotoros szállító-repülőgép típusokon olyan hatalmas lenne a reakciónyomaték ereje, hogy a tervezők úgy küszöbölték ki annak hatását, hogy a hajtóművek kihajtásán két-két egymással ellentétes irányban forgó légcsavarkoszorút ún. koaxiális légcsavart helyeztek el. Erre a legkiválóbb példa az Antonov tervezőiroda mérnökei által megalkotott An–70-es szállító repülőgép. A négymotoros gépeknél a nagy visszaható forgatónyomaték a szárnyvégek közelében elhelyezett külső motorok esetében már tekintélyes mértékű, ezért a hosszú erőkaron jelentkező durva csavaró irányú erőre mindenképp méretezni kell a gép szárnyának tartórendszerét. Sajnos a repülésben tévesen terjedt el, hogy az előbbiekben tárgyalt reakciónyomatékot összetévesztik a precesszióval. A precessziós hatás akkor alakul ki, amikor egy megforgatott testet kitérítünk a forgási síkjából. Ennek hatására a kitérítő erő irányával ellentétes precessziós nyomaték keletkezik, amely törekszik a test eredeti forgási síkját megtartani. Egy egymotoros gép orrán elhelyezett légcsavart két kormány segítségével lehet kimozdítani a forgási síkjából, ezek az oldalkormány és a magassági kormány. Működésük egymásra és a légcsavar fogási síkjára is merőleges elmozdulást okoz, így precessziós ellen-nyomatékot idéznek elő. Ezzel szemben a gép hossztengelyével párhuzamos forgómozgást előidéző csűrőkormány nem téríti ki a légcsavart a síkjából, így precessziós nyomatékot a légcsavarra nézve nem okoz, ám a légcsavar forgásából adódó reakciónyomaték miatt könnyebb orsózni a légcsavar forgási irányával szembe, mint vele egyező irányba. Más szavakkal kifejezve: a repülőgép fel-le, illetve jobbra-balra irányú mozgásainál a légcsavar precessziós nyomatékát, míg a hossztengely körüli forgásnál illetve le- és felszállásnál a visszaható forgatónyomatékot, azaz a reakciónyomatékot kell figyelembe venni.

Koaxiális légcsavar

Mindamellett, hogy az előzőekben tárgyalt reakciónyomatékot ki lehet küszöbölni az egy közös tengelyen egymás mögött ellentétes irányban forgó koaxiális légcsavarokkal, ennek az elrendezésnek több más előnye is van. Természetesen csak ott alkalmazható, ahol a különlegesen erős mechanikai áttételek és a kettőzött légcsavarkoszorúk többletsúlya arányban állnak a géptől elvárt teljesítménnyel. Ez kisebb gépeken nem jellemző, és nem is szükséges, de az egyes katonai gépek, illetve a nagyobb szállítógépek esetében bevált megoldásnak számít. A koaxiális légcsavar nem tévesztendő össze a hajtóművenkénti egylégcsavaros, de oldalanként egymással szembeforgó megoldásokkal. Ez utóbbinál a gép két oldalán a motorok és a légcsavarok egymásnak szembe forognak, csökkentve a hátsó vezérsíkok körüli aszimmetrikus légáramlást, amely az egyirányú forgásból adódna. Az egylégcsavaros hajtóműveknél a légcsavar körül kialakuló áramlás energiájának egy jelentős része elvész az egyirányban forgó légörvénnyel együtt. Ezt képes megakadályozni a koaxiális elrendezés, ahol a második légcsavar az első által keltett légörvény energiáját felvéve hasznosítja azt, miközben gyengíti is annak aszimmetrikus hatását. A koaxiális elrendezésű helikopterek a szembeforgás által kiegyenlített reakciónyomatékok miatt képesek farokrotor nélkül repülni, a vízszintes elfordulást az egymáshoz képest külön szabályozható rotorok kismértékű eltérésével oldják meg. A lassabb rotor kisebb reakciónyomatékot gerjeszt, így a gyorsabban forgó nagyobb ellennyomatéka felé (gyakorlatilag a lassabb irányába) fordul az ilyen felépítésű helikopter. A koaxiális elrendezés minden esetben precíz mechanikai megoldásokat és bonyolult fordulatszámvezérlést kíván, de hosszú évek tapasztalata bizonyítja a koaxiális légcsavarok létjogosultságát.

Köpenyes (gyűrűházas) légcsavar
A hatásfokjavítás másik módja a szárnyvégeken leváló áramlások veszteségének csökkentése. Ezt a propeller köré helyezett lemezgyűrűvel (gyűrűházzal) érik el. Ilyen alkalmazást találunk a magyar légimentők Eurocopter EC-135 típusú helikoptereinek hátsó propellerénél.

Légcsavaros gázturbinás hajtómű
Repülőgépek hajtására elterjedten alkalmazzák a turbólégcsavaros meghajtást, amikor a légcsavar forgatását egy gázturbina végzi. A turbólégcsavaros hajtómű legelőnyösebb tulajdonsága a magas hatásfoka, míg hátrányai közé az alacsonyabb elérhető maximális sebesség, és főként az utasszállító repülőgépek esetén fontos szempontként szereplő magas zajszint tartozik. Turbólégcsavaros meghajtásnál a légcsavar forgatására leggyakrabban légcsavaros gázturbinát alkalmaznak, amelynél a gázturbina égésteréből kilépő gáz mozgási energiáját a gázturbina tengelyének forgatására használják. A légcsavaros gázturbinában a turbina, a kompresszor és a reduktor egy tengelyre van szerelve. Főként helikoptereknél, de ritkábban repülőgépeknél is alkalmazzák a szabadturbinákat (más néven: tengelyteljesítményt szolgáltató gázturbinás hajtómű), amelyeknél a kompresszort és a reduktort hajtó turbinafokozatok külön tengelyen találhatók.
A világ első működő légcsavaros gázturbinájának megalkotása Jendrassik György nevéhez fűződik. Az 1938-ban megtervezett és a Ganznál 1940-ben elkészített Cs 1 típusú légcsavaros gázturbinát a Varga László tervei alapján kifejlesztett X/H és X/G kéthajtóműves felderítő repülőgéphez szánták.

Források
 [ Dr. Galántai Zoltán: A csapkodószárnyas repülőgépek története]
 Dr. Gausz Tamás: Szárnyprofil, szárny és légcsavar vizsgálata

További információk

 Development of the Propeller
 Japanese aviator could have beaten Wright bros
 Repülőszerkezetek - A repülés úttörői
 Légcsavar Statikus Vonóerő Kalkulátor

Repülőgépek szerkezeti elemei

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Sinikiwe Mpofu Death Reason? Zimbabwe Women's Assistant Coach, Passed Away at 37
Deeply saddened to announce the passing of the talented and beloved Zimbabwe women's team assistant coach Sinikiwe Mpofu. Yes, Sinikiwe Mpofu passed away at the age of 37. According to the latest updates, the news of her death was confirmed by the Zimbabwe cricket association on Twitter. It is hard to believe that she has gone from this world too soon as she was just 37 years old at the time of her death. She was young and talented and worked as an assistant coach of the Zimbabwe women's team. The news of her passing was confirmed on Monday, January 9, 2023, through Tweet.
A Tweet by Zimbabwe Women's Team Association reads," It is with great sadness and shock that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announces the sudden death of Zimbabwe Senior Women's National Team Assistant Coach Sinikiwe Mpofu, less than a month after her husband, Shepherd Makunura, was laid to rest". Being an assistant coach of the team, Sinikiwe Mpofu was also the former Zimbabwe International Cricket Player known as Sneeze. Many fans and her loved ones are trying to know what was the reason behind her sudden death. Well, here are some latest details that come out exactly after few hours of her death.
How Did Sinikiwe Mpofu Die?
As per the reports, the cause of her death has not been officially released. The post-mortem of Sinikiwe Mpofu is yet to be carried out. At the time of Sinikiwe Mpofu's passing, he was in the condition where trying to come out of her husband's death, Makunura, who was the Zimbabwe Senior Men's National Team Fielding Coach and Southern Rocks Head Coach. The sources says that Makunura passed away on December 15, 2022. Now, Sinikiwe Mpofu also has gone from this world leaving everyone devastated.
Born as Sinikiwe Mpofu on February 21, 1985, in Bulawayo. She was a talented all-rounder player who was part of the Zimbabwe Women's Team. She played her first match in December 2006. When she was just a student at Mpopoma High School, Sinikiwe Mpofu started to play cricket. She had also joined Takashinga Cricket Club and made it into the Northerns team after moving to Harare for her further education.
After finishing her cricket career, she moved on to become a coach and got a chance in Zimbabwe Women's Cricket Team at the national level. Since the news of her death, many people are paying condolence to her on social media. Sinikiwe Mpofu will be always remembered as a loving coach.
Rehman Rahi Cause of Death? Kashmiri Poet Rehman Rahi Passed Away, Family, Wiki-Bio
Russell Banks Death Reason? Award-Winning Fiction Writer Praised for 'Cloudsplitter,' Dead at 82

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It seemed like we'd been planning to run the trails just north of Fairplay for such a long time. It had been years, and we were finally going to see the area. It turned out that we planned the perfect weekend for it, too, because we were surrounded in aspen trees with their leaves turning yellow and orange. It was a gorgeous morning as we met at the Sinclair gas station in Fairplay to air down.
Finding the trail was very easy, and we were quickly on our way. We saw a few people out, but it wasn't too busy. The first part of the trail was easy, but then we found ourselves in a trail marked with huge potholes. It was slow going for that section.
At the "Y" intersection we turned left first. That half ended up being a nice start to the day, with nice scenery and a fun hill climb. The climb was short but it was rocky, and it was a good way to wake up after the drive to Fairplay.
We were in the trees after too long, and most of them were big, green pine trees. It was shady and relaxing. Then the trail just ended abruptly. There was room to turn around, so everyone parked and we got out to stretch our legs. It seemed like no one wanted to get back in the Jeeps to get rolling again, and we stayed there a while just visiting.
But we did head back to the intersection eventually. We turned to head up the other half, and that part of the trail was really nice. It was cool to drive in the creek for a bit, too, which was a nice surprise. That's when the views got really big.
We spotted the perfect lunch spot, but it was early so we'd come back to it. The last bit was really bumpy so we had to go pretty slow. Once it ended we found ourselves surrounded by old cabins. We got out to enjoy the views of the mountains around us. Two people on horseback were out exploring the area, and we got to chat with them for a bit. It was the perfect morning.
We headed back down to stop at the big campsite with big views. We broke out our lunches and just took it all in. It felt like the 2012 wheeling season was coming to an end, and we just wanted to hang out there all day. But we had big plans for the rest of it, so we packed up to head back down. We were soon back out and Bill had to take off because he wasn't feeling well. The rest of us headed to the next trail.


Here is our guide to understand Real Estate marketing in China.
I'm Benji, the Real Estate & Investment Director at GMA with experience managing a host of successful Real Estate Lead Generation projects in China. A number of clients have requested a more in-depth analysis of marketing strategy, I hope the following article fullfils this request.
In China you have to think big, it's a very different market-place that rewards vision and initial investment. From my experience acting fast and capitalising on limited competition due to barriers for entry pays dividends. If you have a serious project let's talk.
In terms of international Real Estate investment, the capital investment into residential & commercial projects from Mainland China is at an all-time high with total Chinese global offshore assess tripling from $6.4 trillion in 2015 to an expected $20 tn by 2020.
While much of the total comes in the form of foreign exchange reserves and portfolio investment, a growing share will come from direct Chinese investment in developed western countries.. Enter the Overseas Residential Real Estate Boom.
The US has emerged on top in terms of Chinese re-location and investment for the third year running. OFDI (Outbound Foreign Direct Investment) has sky rocketed, in barely a decade Chinese OFDI went from virtually nothing to over $100 bn per year which has fuelled this dramatic growth.
2.6 WeChat – A tool for Sales & Communication rather than Lead Gen.
Today we see a significant rise in outbound investment into Real Estate. Overseas Property is seen by the Chinese as more reliable. It is really the time for real estate companies to position themselves to satisfy this demand.
OFDI was typically concentrated in developing nations, now however we witness a huge shift to residential investment in developed nations such as the US, Canada, UK & Australia.
Investment into overseas residential/commercial real estate has hit a record $33 bn, rising by more than half last year. Most notably this accounts for a third of the total OFDI, the highest percentage to date. The discerning Chinese realize investment into bricks and mortar is the safest way for the preservation of assets, particularly in the lucrative Real Estate markets of North America & urban centres in Europe as well as Australia.
When it comes to residential developments this is not surprising, with rising standards of living, priorities around education and lifestyle shifting to the forefront of investors' minds, as well as a depreciating Yuan.
There is no doubt that China will be major movers of capital into Real Estate for many years to come but how do you attract investment to score a slice of this pie?
China now boasts a 65% internet penetration rate with over 900 million Chinese users connected online. There are approximately 350 million 'middle-upper class' individuals active online in China daily. To generate qualified investment prospects from the top wealth bracket (for example the upper 25 million) you need to develop a comprehensive digital strategy. Why? Because the Chinese Market is unique & developed under its own set of conditions. The development of global, digital technology coincided with the accumulation of levels of wealth in China. Online research became more deeply entrenched in the investors mind, regardless of the traditional commission focused, sales network of agents.
In China the answer for lead generation is digital, this is one of the most online centric environments in the globe & Investment is no exception, there is strong culture of online research with the average user spending 1.5 hours per day browsing for information.
The traditional, commissioned focus sales network of agents is not redundant in China. Indeed an online strategy supports their sales efforts BUT relying solely on third party sales certainly has its issues.
Firstly sales agents do not do digital marketing, they build offline networks which severely limits exposure without an online presence. It is difficult for an agent to sell a project in such an online focused society without online exposure, even after a personal recommendation Chinese investors will typically research online via Baidu.
Secondly I have heard countless complaints first-hand of a 'race to the bottom', that is poorer quality service, price cutting and ruthless sales tactics at any cost. Outsourcing to third parties in this way does not allow serious Real Estate professionals control over customer service, their brand image or management over further prospective buyer references.
In China the best approach is to use sales agents to compliment & support direct online lead generation. The figures speak for themselves, a comprehensive campaign can drive 100 leads per month, a sales agent typically provides between 1-3. You also then have control of customer service and the sales conversion process, many firms such DAMAC, RS Properties and Douglas & Elliman all built Chinese customer service teams to handle conversion directly. Higher lead figures & direct, in-house sales increases the likelihood of conversion.
The discerning investor buys into the reputation of your brand. You need to be reputable and visible on the right platforms, direct lead generation via your own website and accounts allows you to control that first impression (you are not just a page in a portfolio), rather you have a strong identity in your own right.
Over-reliance on sales networks can be dangerous for any serious Real Estate firm seeking to seriously penetrate this market. Building a Chinese customer service team in-house allows you to control communications, importantly you can also benefit from investor referrals and re-direct interested parties for your own listed projects.
A third party, sales agent has no loyalty to provide referrals to you, rather they remain a gatekeeper with the power to push sales in one direction or another, most typically just based on commission. To take the most referrals you must increase commission rates.
With direct lead generation, what you save on commission you invest into marketing strategy to dramatically increase lead numbers.
You need a quality site that is built as a 'vehicle for visibility' on Baidu (China's Google).
How is this achieved? The site needs to be optimized & audited on the 'back end' (meta tags/descriptions/titles etc) for the most effective Mandarin Chinese searches.
All Lead Gen in China starts with Chinese character searches.
Content Rich.. I prefer a Wiki style content presentation.
See below for two examples of sites developed.
A more simple presentation is far better for search engine visibility in China.
Ronald Serry Australian Property feature a Baidu 'Live Chat' tool for engaging in live web communications, an effective lead generation tool.
A sample landing page developed for Damac, note the simple, static layout, search bar for property enquires & pop up live chat tool.
The two main ways to make contact via the site should be a traditional 'lead generation form', in China it is also advisable to embed QR code links to drive traffic directly to your WeChat account as an additional method of contact.
You can also note the benefit of the 'Baidu Live Chat' Tool. This allows you to make contact while investors browse your content, portfolio etc. Rich in content equals longer time spent browsing and the greater the likelihood of contact via liva chat tools.
Why such an emphasis on Baidu? Because it's a powerful portal to investors. Consider that 75% of all property and investment research is carried out via Baidu. This is China's largest search engine and you must be highly visible and reputable here.
In Real Estate PPC (Pay Per Click) is actually very effective from my experience. In drives highly qualified, knowledgeable and specific enquiries.
Think middle to bottom of the lead funnel.
PPC will place you at the top of search feeds based on a pre-determined selection of Chinese keywords.
There have been fears in China of 'click fraud' (i.e. competitors falsely clicking on web pages to drive up numbers). A quality agency needs to monitor click through rates to ensure they do not suddenly 'spike' or dramatically alter.
Search Engines are the heart of Chinese Real Estate Researching. Baidu rankings are as important as your google ranking. Search on Google and you will find only the most reputable players in the industry in the natural results, in China it is no different.
How do you rank highly in the natural results on Baidu?
Natural results are where the most serious prospects are generated. Discerning investors will research via Baidu extensively before coming to any decision.
A sample News App Add (centre article). The Advertorial is inserted into the news feed of targeted readers. Appearing as news legitimizes your project and brand name.
WeChat – A tool for Sales & Communication rather than Lead Gen.
WeChat certainly enjoys a powerful international reputation, it is primarily a branding & sales tool when it comes to Real Estate. For the sales process it is indispensable but for lead generation far less effective.
Why is this? WeChat is a closed network, this means users can only see content posted if they are already connected with you. The search function on WeChat is very basic so currently one cannot appear from keyword searches (remember this is the primary strategy in China for Real Estate).
For communications set up some WeChat customer service accounts (if budget more limited), if budget stretches it is worth setting up an official account that can be used to push content to followers, this is a long-term process as you have to increase your following over time but it does allow for users to re-share content on their feeds which can lead to referrals.
Some agents swear by WeChat for refferals but they have a large network already, you have to invest in social media to build this before WeChat can be a successful lead generation tool.
When it comes to seeking investment opportunities there are a many forums popular with the Chinese. These forums often take the form of a Q&A format with users posting questions for others to answer.
In forums such as Baidu Tieba, Baidu Zhidao, Zhihu & Tianya you can create a positive reputation through user to user discussions.
Baidu Zhidao(Q&A): Is real estate investment profitable nowadays? Any advice on locations?
Zhihu (Q&A): How do I find the most valuable property?
There a many specific threads for buying property in specific price ranges and regions with many targeted buyers both browsing and interacting here.
Positive comments about your business come from Chinese users themselves, this helps instil trust & reputation.
Forums rank highly on the Baidu search feed so comments and topics are highly visible.
Forum reputation is one of the most cost effective ways for Real Estate projects to improve their standing & reputation online.
The most important element of a good PR campaign is to localize your project with trending news in China, this increases the relevancy of your message in relation to the reader & dramatically increases the share rate and levels of readership.
PR is an essential element of a campaign but you need quality bi-lingual copywriters to ensure your message is communicated most effectively.
This market is undeniably lucrative for savy firms but also fiercely competitive. Simply relying on sales agents is not enough for long term growth, particularly when it comes to brand reputation. Serious players need to invest in their own online growth in such a digitally orientated market place.
We are a specialist Real Estate team with 5 years experience in the Chinese market, we understand this target demographic and how to reach them. Please contact myself and the team for an in-depth discussion on how to further your interests in China.


What is the mission of the present Web-magazine?
Home » FAQs » What is the mission of the present Web-magazine?
The mission of this website is to portray modern Italian culture and society just as it is.
Given that in nowadays globalized world, traveling and collaborating with people from all over the world has become an ordinary practice. On the other hand, we are yet ever more aware of cultural differences which acquire ever increasing importance. Hence to deal with people you must understand their culture, their life style and national mentality, as well as recent social and mental trends. Whilst it is easy to gain general, or better, generalized, information about Italian culture and current events watching TV, from newspapers and on the Internet… Yet, this useful information is barely enough to understand Italian in-depth mentality and Italian people! Just as Beppe Severgnini said: "Your Italy and our Italia are not the same thing".
Seventh, to see and find similarities and differences, i.e. to compare modern Italian society and its trends to that of your own.
Enjoy Staying with In Ialy in Love!


text:
Hand-held internet tablets for school-based data collection
Authors: Simon J Denny , 1 , Taciano L Milfont 4 , Jennifer Utter 2 , Elizabeth M Robinson 2 , Shanthi N Ameratunga 2 , Sally N Merry 3 , Theresa M Fleming 1 , Peter D Watson 1
Publication date (Electronic): 26 July 2008
Journal: BMC Research Notes
Publisher: BioMed Central
Further versions
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BackgroundIn the last 20 years, researchers have been using computer self-administered questionnaires to gather data on a wide range of adolescent health related behaviours. More recently, researchers collecting data in schools have started to use smaller hand-held computers for their ease of use and portability. The aim of this study is to describe a new technology with wi-fi enabled hand-held internet tablets and to compare adolescent preferences of laptop computers or hand-held internet tablets in administering a youth health and well-being questionnaire in a school setting.MethodsA total of 177 students took part in a pilot study of a national youth health and wellbeing survey. Students were randomly assigned to internet tablets or laptops at the start of the survey and were changed to the alternate mode of administration about half-way through the questionnaire. Students at the end of the questionnaire were asked which of the two modes of administration (1) they preferred, (2) was easier to use, (3) was more private and confidential, and (4) was easier to answer truthfully.ResultsMany students expressed no preference between laptop computers or internet tablets. However, among the students who expressed a preference between laptop computers or internet tablets, the majority of students found the internet tablets more private and confidential (p < 0.001) and easier to answer questions truthfully (p < 0.001) compared to laptop computers.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that using wi-fi enabled hand-held internet tablets is a feasible methodology for school-based surveys especially when asking about sensitive information.
Asking Sensitive Questions: The Impact of Data Collection Mode, Question Format, and Question Context
Roger Tourangeau, Tom Smith (1997)
Influence of physician confidentiality assurances on adolescents' willingness to disclose information and seek future health care. A randomized controlled trial.
Juan Irwin, Talitha C. Ford, Bonnie L Halpern-Felsher … (1997)
Adolescents' concerns about privacy in clinical settings decrease their willingness to seek health care for sensitive problems and may inhibit their communication with physicians. To investigate the influence of physicians' assurances of confidentiality on adolescents' willingness to disclose information and seek future health care. Randomized controlled trial. Three suburban public high schools in California. The 562 participating adolescents represented 92% of students in mandatory classes. After random assignment to 1 of 3 groups, the adolescents listened to a standardized audiotape depiction of an office visit during which they heard a physician who assured unconditional confidentiality, a physician who assured conditional confidentiality, or a physician who did not mention confidentiality. Adolescents' willingness to disclose general information, willingness to disclose information about sensitive topics, intended honesty, and likelihood of return visits to the physician depicted in the scenario were assessed by anonymous written questionnaire. Assurances of confidentiality increased the number of adolescents willing to disclose sensitive information about sexuality, substance use, and mental health from 39% (68/175) to 46.5% (178/383) (beta=.10, P=.02) and increased the number willing to seek future health care from 53% (93/175) to 67% (259/386) (beta=.17, P<.001). When comparing the unconditional with the conditional groups, assurances of unconditional confidentiality increased the number of adolescents willing to return for a future visit by 10 percentage points, from 62% (122/196) to 72% (137/190) (beta=.14, P=.001). Adolescents are more willing to communicate with and seek health care from physicians who assure confidentiality. Further investigation is needed to identify a confidentiality assurance statement that explains the legal and ethical limitations of confidentiality without decreasing adolescents' likelihood of seeking future health care for routine and nonreportable sensitive health concerns.
Comparability of a computer-assisted versus written method for collecting health behavior information from adolescent patients.
Gabriela M Webb, G Zimet, J Dennis Fortenberry … (1999)
To investigate the comparability of health behavior data obtained from adolescents via notebook computer versus those obtained via written questionnaire. We interviewed adolescent patients (ages 13-20 years) receiving services at community adolescent health clinics. Participants anonymously completed either a computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) or a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ), both assessing health-protective behaviors, substance use (i.e., tobacco, alcohol, marijuana) and sexual behaviors. From a pool of 671 adolescent participants (348 completing CASI, 323 completing SAQ), we matched 194 SAQ participants with 194 CASI participants on the basis of gender and race. We could not match individually on the basis of age, but were able to match each gender-race subgroup by mean age. Across the majority of health behaviors (i.e., all health-protective behaviors, tobacco use, sexual behaviors), mode of administration made no significant difference in the reporting of information by adolescents. However, girls reported a greater frequency of alcohol use and marijuana use on CASI than on SAQ, whereas boys reported a lower frequency of alcohol use and marijuana use on CASI than on SAQ. The findings of this study suggest that there may be gender-related differences between modes of anonymous collection of specific adolescent health behaviors such as alcohol and marijuana use. Future studies should incorporate direct questions regarding adolescents' attitude and comfort levels toward completing different modes of data collection.
[1 ]Department of Community Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
[2 ]Section of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
[3 ]Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
[4 ]School of Psychology and Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Simon J Denny
Taciano L Milfont
Jennifer Utter
Elizabeth M Robinson
Shanthi N Ameratunga
Sally N Merry
Theresa M Fleming
Peter D Watson
Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMC Res Notes
Title: BMC Research Notes
ISSN (Electronic): 1756-0500
Publication date Collection 2008
Publisher ID: 1756-0500-1-52
DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-1-52
Copyright statement: Copyright © 2008 Denny et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Subject: Short Report
ScienceOpen disciplines: Medicine
Knowledge, attitude and behavioral determinants of tobacco use among 13-15 year old school children
Authors: Romshi Raina, Madhusudan Krishna, R Murali …
Prevalence of Self-Perceived Snoring and Apnea and Their Association with Daytime Sleepiness in Korean High School Students
Authors: Kwang Yang, Jee Hyun Kim, Young Hwangbo …
PM331. Associations between self control, smoking, alcohol drinking, internet, smartphone addiction among South Korean Adolescents
Authors: Seung Kim, Sang Hoon Kim, Sang Park …
The environmental attitudes inventory: A valid and reliable measure to assess the structure of environmental attitudes
Authors: Taciano L. Milfont, John Duckitt
The validity of self-report measures of proenvironmental behavior: A meta-analytic review
Authors: Christine Kormos, Robert Gifford
Ethnic discrimination prevalence and associations with health outcomes: data from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of secondary school students in New Zealand
Authors: Sue Crengle, Elizabeth T. Robinson, Shanthi Ameratunga …
Most referenced authors 91
T Smith
J. E. M. Robinson


text:
Stephen King's 'It': Mysterious New Set Photos Get Fans Very Excited, What They Say About Plot
Dustin Kemp
This is probably the most excited a huge number of people have ever been to see photos of a sewer. Or maybe it's a basement.
Admittedly, it's not literally one of those places. But new photos from the set for the much-anticipated film adaption of Stephen King's It have surfaced, revealed by a recent Reddit post. Now, movie buffs and Stephen King fans alike are voicing how hyped they are for this latest leak from the movie.
#StephenKing #IT #Pennywise pic.twitter.com/gtLoCfqBPm
— Stephen King Daily (@StephenKingInfo) September 16, 2016
There are three photos contained in the September 28 post from a Redddit user with a username probably a bit explicit to include here — The Inquisitr abides by family values through and through. To be fair, the handle does sound like something Stephen King himself would dream up for one of his more vulgar characters in one of his more tech-centric novels like Mr. Mercedes.
The first of the three set photos depicts an enclosed maze of wooden tubes that commenters on the photos agree must have been built expressly for the film. Most of them think that the pipes probably represent the infamous sewer system where the titular It lives and which the group of protagonists, known as The Losers Club, must navigate through in Stephen King's 1986 masterpiece. The many winding sections of pipe would certainly allow for a decent amount of variety in the sewer's backdrop.
The first of the three photos. [Image by Reddit]
The cubic section of the wooden construction could serve as the location where The Losers Club confront It and perform Stephen King's Ritual of Chud, and commenter Uncle-Reemus notes the vertical section of "pipe" near the back of the set photo could be the sewer entrance the characters flee into to escape from Henry Bowers, the school bully in Stephen King's tale who The Inquisitr reports will be played by Nicholas Hamilton in the movie — even though Hamilton himself is not the biggest fan of the character.
The second photo is another shot of Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Clown posing beside a smiling Seth Grahame-Smith, one of the Stephen King adaptation's producers. The creators of It have been keeping a pretty tight lid on photos teasing their take on Stephen King's iconic shapeshifting monster, so any new glimpse of him is bound to get at least a few fans riled up.
The second of the three photos. [Image by Reddit]
Unfortunately, some kind of filter seems to have been applied to Pennywise's face in the photo to blur it a bit, but his makeup, facial expression, and frilly collar are still clearly distinguishable. Like the Pennywise depicted in Tim Curry's iconic performance in the 1990 miniseries of the Stephen King tome, Skarsgard has covered his face in white make-up, highlighting his lips and nose with swatches of red.
The biggest noticeable differences between Curry's Pennywise and the one we see in this photo are the black slash of makeup Skarsgard wears over one eye and the noticeably more malevolent expression. The latter makes it clear that the new adaptation is going the route of sinister rather than campy, at least in regard to Pennywise's character design — a detail on which The Inquisitrhas speculated in the past. This decision is one of the many already-revealed film aspects that seem to put the 2017 film more in line with Stephen King's book than was the 1990 TV miniseries.
The third photo is the one most being talked about by Stephen King fans, and it shows several crew members from It working in a set that looks like some sort of a dirty enclosure. The common consensus is that the room shown is the set for the basement at King's 29 Neibolt Street, a location where several members of The Losers Club encounter It in several of its many forms. In the book, the forms are a creature feature-style werewolf and a mummy in the same style. Due to the movie being set 30 years later than the book was, though, the forms taken by the monster might be different.
The last of the three photos. [Image by Reddit]
This news is especially exciting given that news from the set of Stephen King's It has dried up as of late. This is partially because filming on the project already wrapped several days ago, according to Movieweb. Luckily for Stephen's fans, though, the adaptation of It set to be released on September 8, 2017 is only the first part of a two-part project.
The question now is, when will we start seeing photos from the production of part two? Will director Andres Muschietti and the rest of the crew wait until after the first film is released to begin work on part two. or are they going to film both parts at once in order to get things done quickly? Either way, The Inquisitr will keep its Stephen King radar running and will be bringing you every update on the filming of Stephen King's It, in addition to all other Stephen King-related projects, as they are made available.
And as always, long days and pleasant nights, Stephen King fans.
[Featured image by Kobzev3179/iStock]


text:
Glacier - "The Passing of Time" (album stream)
Οι Glacier δημιουργήθηκαν το 1979. Παρέμειναν ενεργοί μέχρι το 1990 κυκλοφορώντας δύο demos και το ομότιτλο ep (το 1985). Προ τετραετίας ο τραγουδιστής της μπάντας Michael Podrybau δημιούργησε τους Devil in Diguise με στόχο να παίζουν διασκευές στους Glacier αλλά και υλικό που να βρίσκεται κοντά ηχητικά στην παλιά του μπάντα.
Δύο χρόνια αργότερα οι Devil in Diguise μετονομάσθηκαν σε Glacier (προφανώς ο Michael πήρε τα δικαιώματα του ονόματος) και πλέον το Αμερικάνικο συγκρότημα είναι πανέτοιμο για τον παρθενικό του full legnth δίσκο, ο οποίος φέρει τον τίτλο "The Passing of Time" κι αναμένεται σε λίγες ημέρες. Όλα τα μέλη είναι καινούρια πλην του Michael Podrybau...
Δελτίο τύπου: «Glacier is here! The album "The Passing of Time" is a powerful statement of how heavy/power metal should be composed and performed. The new album is coming out by No Remorse Records on vinyl, CD and a limited edition box set, in October 2020.
It was in 1985 where the same-titled EP of Glacier was released, one of the greatest "mini releases" of the '80s, including 5 tracks of US heavy/power metal majesty. Few more recordings followed by various incarnations of Glacier until 1990, when the band was put to rest. While the legend was growing, in 2016 there was formed a tribute band under the name DEVIL IN DISGUISE (featuring Glacier singer, Michael Podrybau) and was offered a slot at the Keep It True Festival of 2017.
"DEVIL IN DISGUISE was only to perform once at a festival in Chicago, IL as a tribute set", Glacier adding detail to the story. "We started learning/rehearsing the original material in late 2016 and, a few months later, came to find that the festival had been cancelled. With good fortune and help, we were offered a slot at the Keep It True festival for the following year and things continued to grow from there. It was sometime after our third live performance that the conversation began about using the official name.
That would have been winter of 2017. We had already been in contact with other original members, who had been watching our progress and were noble enough to endorse us. By spring of 2018, we were booking dates officially as Glacier". After the successful Keep It True show, the band started working on new material with the idea of recording a new studio EP. However, there were a few line-up changes and after becoming Glacier, the new goal was the recording of a full length album.
"The overall tracklist is various in origins but the final shaping was a very collaborative process, with Podrybau getting in on the vocals/lyrics", drummer Adam Kopecky adds. "The conceptual direction didn't occur until we saw the original painting Daniel Charles did for us later that year, which we quickly decided to feature as the cover art".
At that moment, Glacier already had established a perfect line-up consisting of Michael Podrybau (lead vocals), Mike Maselbas (guitar), Marco Martell (guitar, vocals), Alex Barrios (bass) and Adam Kopecky (drums). The album was produced by Lasse Lammert at LSD Tonstudio and recorded at Swift Road Studios by Vincent Ippolito.
Adding a further connection to the past, the tracks "Live for the Whip" and "Sands of Time" were originally written in the '80s and recorded by the current line-up while original members Tim Proctor (bass) and Loren Bates (drums) play on these songs. Both of them, as perform on the "Infidel" track and there is also a guest performance of bassist Phil Ell Ross (ex-MANILLA ROAD) in two songs. Drummer Adam Kopecky adds: "There's the visual on the cover art, which sparked the idea.
Then there's the thirty-some years between activity, wherein the old recordings slowly spread to new ears and the fan base grew internationally. That original cover art featured an hourglass, which of course represents time, so the album title also works as the proverbial passing of the torch. Getting to work with original members Tim Proctor and Loren Bates on previously unreleased material gave that process extra depth. We hope to carry it forward well!" The new album is coming out by No Remorse Records on.»
Glacier: «It's been three years since the original set of Glacier songs were brought back into rehearsal, to be played as a single tribute set at a festival in Chicago, IL, with original singer Michael Podrybau fronting a cast of local musicians which included Mike Maselbas on guitar and Adam Kopecky on drums.
After a series of successful live performances, they gained the endorsement of other original members to proceed under the official title, making it no longer a tribute but Glacier itself. Guitarist Marco Martell joined the group as they were writing new material and working via the web with original members Tim Proctor and Loren Bates, to bolster the live set with previously unreleased material. With the name Glacier, they continued to play multi-national festivals, establishing new connections while composing material for a full length album.
Bassist Alexander Barrios joined on not long before the band was entering the studio to record, swiftly merging with the group and completing the official new roster. Glacier's first full length album and third studio release, "The Passing of Time", is fully complete with a release date to be announced this year. The band is currently working with a label, in regards to the upcoming album and its promotion, as well as future opportunities and expansion. Stronger than they've been in thirty years, with a fan base that has spread wide from its origins and a powerful forthcoming release, Glacier intends to push onward to new potential heights.»
Band: Glacier
Lyrical themes: Battles, Revenge, War
Years active: 1979-1990, 2016-2018 (as Devil in Diguise), 2018-present
Album: "The Passing of Time"
Label: No Remorse Records
1. Eldest and Truest
2. Live for the Whip
3. Ride Out
4. Sands of Time
5. Valor
6. Into the Night
7. Infidel
8. The Temple and the Tomb
Michael Podrybau - Vocals
Marco Martell - Guitars
Adam Kopecky - Drums
Michael Maselbas - Guitars
Alex Barrios - Bass
Guest/Session:
Loren Bates - Drums (tracks 2, 4, 7)
Tim Proctor - Bass (tracks 2, 4, 7)
Phil Ell Ross - Bass (track 7)
Miscellaneous staff:
Daniel Charles - Cover art
Vincent Ippolito - Recording
Lasse Lammert - Producer
'The Passing of Time' by Glacier
Posted at Πέμπτη, Οκτωβρίου 22, 2020
Tagged under FULL ALBUMS, GLACIER, OCTOBER 2020


text:
Q: Need to customize the Avairy API in Android? I am working on Editing Photos with Frames and Stickers. I have the code of Aviary API SDK which is working superbly.
Now my requirements are like, I want to add my own FRAMES and STICKERS in my application so that I can use them in place of AVIARY SDK downloaded images. Is it possible to do this with some other code.
Please suggest me. My requirements is just FRAME and STICKERS on photos.

A: Looks like as of now, these kind of customizations are available only for licensed uses, which is very expensive.
http://www.aviary.com/licensing
Enterprise options says:

Provide your own assets for effects, stickers and frames

but the price is per-contract, so it won't be cheaper than 1500 USD/month in my opinion.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Are you interested in bicycling cross-country? Coast to coast? Across America? Then here's your chance for an unforgettable cross-country bike journey from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida. For women only!
Longer miles per day over flat to hilly terrain, including some longer climbs.
All lodging, breakfasts, dinners and snacks on riding days, SAG stops every 20 miles, luggage transfers every day, detailed maps, cue sheets and GPS files, a bike maintenance class, mechanical instruction and support, state line crossing parties, send-off banquet, celebration dinner, airport transfers, and trained guides.
Fly into San Diego, CA and out of Jacksonville, FL. Our starting hotel has a complimentary shuttle from the San Diego airport. We provide a complimentary shuttle from our ending hotel in St. Augustine to the Jacksonville airport, arriving by 11:00am on the last day of the tour.
"We were all from different states and unacquainted with one another before our southern tier adventure. We formed lasting friendships with each other and we have a reunion every other year, planned and hosted by one of us in our own "backyard." This year we will meet in May in Puerto Rico. One gal has a vacation home there, is making the arrangements, and will show us the sites. My best wishes for this year's group. May they be as lucky as we were to find friends for life!"
We designed this tour with women over 50 in mind, but women of any age are welcome. We will dip our tires into the Pacific Ocean on Friday down the road from our hotel catching the sunrise over the city. Our route takes us on a bike path as we leave the city of San Diego. We then begin the adventure of a lifetime over back roads of the southernmost part of the United States.
Along the way we'll experience scenic, rural America and small town hospitality. Our van carries your luggage. Dry, warm beds and a hot shower await you every night. No camping for us! Descriptive, "can't get lost" maps by Adventure Cycling, as well as our own detailed cue sheets and electronic GPS files show you the way.
After 4 days of cycling, we will have our first day off to let our bodies recover from conquering the mountains east of San Diego, and to prepare for more "bumps" ahead. Our miles per day are moderate and we'll feel ourselves getting stronger with every mile.
There will be 8 rest days over the course of the trip. We schedule these at scenic stops where there is an opportunity to explore the area. We strongly believe in giving everyone time to see the natural wonders of our country and to relax to keep our bodies healthy and strong.
We ride from the beach in California, through the saguaro desert of Arizona, over the continental divide in New Mexico and into the wildflowers of Texas. Then it's on to the bayou of Louisiana, across the Mississippi River, and onto the white sand beaches at Dauphin Island of Alabama. Finally, we celebrate our finish in the nation's oldest city of St. Augustine, Florida.
We include maps by Adventure Cycling along with our own easy-to-read cue sheets and GPS files.
We carry your luggage, and you, if necessary.
We support the tour with two vehicles equipped with supplies, first aid, food and water.
We limit the group size to approximately 25 plus staff. You're neither alone nor anonymous. We guarantee you'll make some lifelong friends along the way.
TO JOIN: Register on-line or call us at 800-247-1444 to make your nonrefundable registration deposit of $300. The first payment of $2,000 is due October 1, 2019 and is nonrefundable and nontransferable. The second payment of $3000 is due December 1, 2019. The balance of the trip fee is due January 15, 2020. Save 2% if you make your payments by check.
DISCOUNTS: Sign up for any shorter, domestic WomanTours trip in 2019 when you register for the 2020 Southern Tier tour and receive a 10% discount on the shorter tour.
CANCELLATION & REFUNDS: The $300 registration fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable. The first payment of $2,000 due October 1 is also nonrefundable and nontransferable. If you cancel after you've made your second payment but prior to January 15, then $2500 is refundable. The remainder of your payments is nonrefundable and nontransferable.
TOUR DETAILS: Help on training, transportation, packing, and an itinerary will be sent upon receipt of your registration fee. We will also mail you periodic Prep Talk newsletters to help you prepare for the trip. For more information, including links to blogs kept by past participants, read the testimonials or contact us and we'd be happy to mail you more details. This trip usually has a wait list, so don't hesitate. Sign up today!


text:
package org.virtue.cache.def.impl;

import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

import org.virtue.cache.utility.ByteBufferUtils;

/**
 * @author Im Frizzy <skype:kfriz1998>
 * @since Sep 14, 2014
 */
public class ClientScript {

	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
	public static ClientScript decode(ByteBuffer buffer) {
		ClientScript script = new ClientScript();

		buffer.position(buffer.limit() - 2);
		int trailerLength = buffer.getShort() & 0xFFFF;
		int trailerPosition = buffer.limit() - 14 - trailerLength;

		buffer.position(trailerPosition);
		int ops = buffer.getInt();
		script.intArgsCount = buffer.getShort() & 0xFFFF;
		script.strArgsCount = buffer.getShort() & 0xFFFF;
		script.intStackDepth = buffer.getShort() & 0xFFFF;
		script.strStackDepth = buffer.getShort() & 0xFFFF;

		int switches = buffer.get() & 0xFF;
		script.switchTables = new HashMap[switches];
		for (int i = 0; i < switches; i++) {
			script.switchTables[i] = new HashMap<>();

			int size = buffer.getShort() & 0xFFFF;
			while (size-- > 0) {
				int index = buffer.getInt();
				int value = buffer.getInt();
				script.switchTables[i].put(index, value);
			}
		}

		buffer.position(0);
		script.name = ByteBufferUtils.getString(buffer);
		script.opcodes = new int[ops];
		script.intOperands = new int[ops];
		script.strOperands = new String[ops];

		int op = 0;
		while (buffer.position() < trailerPosition) {
			int opcode = buffer.getShort() & 0xFFFF;
			if (opcode == 3) {
				script.strOperands[op] = ByteBufferUtils.getString(buffer);
			} else if (opcode >= 100 || opcode == 21 || opcode == 38 || opcode == 39) {
				script.intOperands[op] = buffer.get();
			} else {
				script.intOperands[op] = buffer.getInt();
			}

			script.opcodes[op++] = opcode;
		}

		return script;
	}

	private String name;
	private int intArgsCount, strArgsCount, intStackDepth, strStackDepth;
	private Map<Integer, Integer>[] switchTables;
	private int[] opcodes, intOperands;
	private String[] strOperands;

	public String getName() {
		return name;
	}

	public int getIntArgsCount() {
		return intArgsCount;
	}

	public int getStrArgsCount() {
		return strArgsCount;
	}

	public int getIntStackDepth() {
		return intStackDepth;
	}

	public int getStrStackDepth() {
		return strStackDepth;
	}

	public int getLength() {
		return opcodes.length;
	}

	public int getOpcode(int index) {
		return opcodes[index];
	}

	public int getIntOperand(int index) {
		return intOperands[index];
	}

	public String getStrOperand(int index) {
		return strOperands[index];
	}

	public Map<Integer, Integer>[] getSwitchTables() {
		return switchTables;
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Jack rushed into the airport. Traffic had been heavy getting to the airport, and he was eager to check in and get through security. He checked three times to make sure he had his passport and ticket. Check-in proceeded monotonously. As soon as his luggage was checked in, and he had his boarding passes, he dashed over to the line for security. He had heard that this airport had installed an extremely high tech security machine that was so sensitive it could detect weapons standard security detectors wouldn't register. Although happy that security was so tight, Jack hoped it wouldn't cause him any delays.
Mishna Berura (124:27 quoting Elya Rabbah) states "Woe is to those that talk during Chazaras HaShatz, as many Shuls throughout history have been destroyed due to this sin".
Rav Moshe Wolfson shlita announces in his shul, Emunas Yisroel in Boro Park, that based on the aforementioned Mishna Berura, those who talk during davening are tantamount to people who take an ax and begin chopping mercilessly at the shul's foundation. Therefore, on behalf of the congregation, he requests that those who wish to talk during davening should daven somewhere else.
In addition, the Chofetz Chaim warns repeatedly about the dangers of speaking loshon hora, and the evils of ona'as devorim, hurtful, insulting, and demeaning words.
Reminding ourselves of the power of our mouth is something we can always use chizuk in. Perhaps the machine that exposed Jack hasn't been invented yet in this world, but in the World of Truth it has been up and running since man was granted the priceless, yet awesome, gift of speech.


Whatever the style or color of your nursery, you can't go wrong with a classic crib. There are lots on the market to choose from, but these two - the Oeuf Sparrow and babyletto Hudson Convertible Crib - are our top classic crib picks for their features, versatility, style and sturdiness.
Looking for unique design to standout in your modern nursery? We love the very different, but equally intriguing designs of the NumiNumi Wired Crib and the Ubabub Nifty Clear Convertible Crib.


text:
Backseat Drivers: Private Equity and Shareholder Activism
By Martin Loinig
Historically speaking, the relationship between private equity funds and activist hedge funds has been shaped less by collaboration and more by confrontation. Activist investors, holding minority stakes in public companies, often opposed buyouts by private equity firms, consequently driving up acquisition prices. On the other hand, private equity firms also profited from activist investor engagement. Under activist pressure, target companies were often forced to sell off unprofitable divisions of their businesses to private equity firms.
These days, the established borders between shareholder activism and private equity are increasingly disappearing with activist funds employing private equity tactics and private equity firms investing like activist investors.
The convergence of private equity and shareholder activism
Minority positions divested by private equity investors accounted for an all-time high $69B in 2017 spanning over 1000+ deals.
This recent convergence into what is typically regarded as hedge fund territory is becoming increasingly prevalent. The observed trend is explainable by two factors: the competition in the private equity industry nowadays, and the similarity between private equity and shareholder activism.
Both activist hedge funds and private equity firms were able to raise, and now have at their disposal, considerable amounts of capital ready to be invested. Due to the high degree of competition in the private equity industry, private equity firms are increasingly faced with difficulties in sourcing attractive opportunities. The limited number of available targets together with high valuations make it no easy task to invest the funds available while still generating superior returns. Consequently, private equity firms are forced to innovate new strategies and alternative investment approaches to allocate capital.
It is relatively easy for both private equity firms and activist hedge funds to make use of the other's respective investment approach because of the relative similarity between the asset classes. Oftentimes, firms from both industries target the same investment. This is because a firm that makes a desirable target for activist investors is often one that could be profitable for a private equity investor. Furthermore, the skillsets of both investors are closely aligned: a shrewdness for undervalued companies and the know-how to appropriately restructure and manage portfolio companies to drive value creation.
These resemblances become evident when observing more closely how activist hedge funds operate. Managers of these funds typically have a similar mindset to private equity firms. Usually they follow a longer-term plan for their investments based on operational improvements. Therefore, most activist investors enter a position only after having laid out an intricate plan detailing how to unleash additional shareholder value, increase operational efficiency and improve governance. They often also consider actions to improve the firms' balance sheets such as the sale of non-core assets and unprofitable company divisions or modifying the board compensation structures. Recently, an increasing number of activist investors have focused on such cost-cutting strategies while some even began placing takeover bids themselves just like typical private equity firms. From an activist perspective, a full acquisition of the target company is an effective way to implement the desired operational changes.
Shareholder Activism Matrix
Source: The Hedge Fund Journal
As such changes, much like in private equity, require a relatively long time to materialize and realize returns, it is not uncommon to see investments with holding periods of up to three years. Consequently, activist funds are characterized by a low portfolio turnover, much different to most other equity-focused hedge funds.
Why do private equity firms engage in activist strategies?
First and foremost, by pursuing an activist style of investing, private equity firms gain access to a vast amount of new opportunities and potential investments. By gaining the ability to enter small minority positions in public companies, they can move faster and seize eventual dips in the market. In addition, minority investing enables them to take positions in companies that were initially not available for sale. This is usually done by acquiring a small stake in a public company of interest, (normally less than 5% of the shares outstanding) and therefore establish a "toehold" in the firm. This initial stake is used as a bargaining chip and a path to approach the company's top management and initiate talks about a possible buyout. If the target's management rejects the takeover bids, the private equity firm can attempt to create changes within the target company indirectly (for example by making changes at the board level) through its minority stake by following a typical shareholder activist approach. This sometimes occurs in cooperation with established activist funds.
Issues arising for private equity firms
When a private equity firm intends to employ activist hedge fund tactics, certain issues and challenges emerge. Some, if not most, limited partnership agreements of private equity funds entail provisions that clearly define the types of transaction in which the fund is authorized to engage. Oftentimes, these provisions do not allow funds to initiate hostile takeover attempts or proxy fights typical of activist investing,. Additionally, the time horizon for private equity firms is clearly defined in most cases. This limits the fund's ability to take short-term positions and might only allow for investments for the purpose of gaining full control over a targeted company. Because of this, a surge in cooperation between activist funds and traditional private equity firms has been occurring in recent years. Another way around these provisions is to establish a separate activist fund for which such investment restrictions do not apply.
Another crucial aspect to consider is the private equity firm's relationships with the management of the targeted firms. Working closely with management is an essential factor to success in private equity – quite contrary to shareholder activism. By behaving like an activist investor, private equity firms risk being perceived as an aggressor implementing change by force. Such a reputation can potentially limit a target management's willingness to engage in takeover talks.
While the qualitative aspects of private equity minority investing are, at best, a trade-off between gains and disadvantages, the numbers should also be considered. A study designed to juxtapose minority investments and traditional private equity performance showed the mean absolute EBITDA improvement over the holding period was c44% for private equity backed minority investments while majority positions averaged c69%. The authors went on to confirm that minorities predominantly grew EBITDA through sales volumes as opposed to margin improvements. These results are somewhat unsurprising when you consider the limited control that a private equity fund manager has in a minority stake. Additionally, being in the co-pilot's seat, the private equity firm does not have executive command over the target's capital structure, which makes levering the firm increasingly difficult. Therefore, both EBITDA margin effects and deleverage effects are dampened when compared to those in majority stakes. Despite the fact that entering a minority position is normally discounted 20% to 40% relative to majority transactions – due to the absence of a control premium – this discount is also applied upon divestment and therefore offers no additional multiple arbitrage.
Source: Puche & Lotz, The Journal of Private Equity
This piece of research also established that overall IRR performance was more or less similar between both groups, yet money multiples, times money and public market equivalent metrics unanimously proved that minority stakes underperformed controlling positions. What does remain however, is that while absolute returns are less spectacular, risk adjusted returns are superior. GPs and LPs experience higher Sharpe ratios in minority divestments due to reduced overall risk stemming from smaller initial bets.
In light of the recent convergence of tactics and strategies employed by private equity firms and activist hedge funds, and despite the risks discussed, private equity will most likely continue to adopt and develop shareholder activism as a value creation tool. This, however, should be done on a case by case basis, depending on market conditions and the characteristics of the targeted firm. On the other hand, large activist investors such as Elliott Management will continue their recent push to take-over companies by acquiring majority stakes – sometimes in partnership with established private equity funds.
Editor: Eric Peghini
Author: Martin Loinig
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You can purchase an email blast that we send to our whole distribution list of nearly 1000 contacts. We partner with learning and development related brands, products and services that will benefit our members.
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The best way to publish your brand on our website or newsletter is to sponsor a monthly event so that you have brand presence wherever the event is promoted.
Yes, we'd love that! Sponsorship for our conference will be handled as a special event and opportunities will be available through the conference website when it is live.
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But, will there be anyone out there?
But, will there be a smile out there?
But, will there be love out there?
Will we be saved from loneliness?
Will we be saved from pain?
Will we believe in love again?
Or is there nothing else out there?


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The MVP of Game 1 of the World Series Was One of the Worst Players in Baseball
First it was Brock Holt, now it's Eduardo Núñez. The bottom of Boston's roster has carried the Red Sox to within three games of a championship.
By Zach Kram Oct 24, 2018, 12:49am EDT
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Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The most important hit in Game 1 of the 2018 World Series came from a substitute, but it wasn't from Max Muncy or Cody Bellinger or Joc Pederson—none of L.A.'s powerful left-handed hitters who sat against Chris Sale and figured to receive important late-inning at-bats against Boston's mostly right-handed bullpen.
Instead, the big blow came from Boston's Eduardo Núñez, who lasered a three-run homer that snuck into the first row of seats atop the Monster in the seventh inning Tuesday, turning a narrow 5-4 Red Sox lead into a comfortable 8-4 margin. Boston won by that score two innings later, and Núñez emerged a new hero for Alex Cora's club, continuing the team's trend this October of receiving the timeliest hits from the most unexpected hitters.
Núñez for THREEEEE!#DoDamage pic.twitter.com/aTJ4OWOK0G
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) October 24, 2018
This pattern began in the Red Sox's 16-1 romp against the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS, when Brock Holt hit for the first cycle in MLB playoff history. (And yes, Holt's cycle-capping home run came off a position player, but he also singled against Luis Severino, tripled against Chad Green, and doubled against lefty specialist Stephen Tarpley, so he was already well on his way to a celebratory night.) It continued into Boston's triumphant Game 4 of that series, when Ian Kinsler and Núñez supplied RBI hits and Christian Vázquez homered against Zach Britton, supplying Boston with the ultimate winning margin.
2018 MLB Playoffs
Check out all of The Ringer's coverage of the baseball postseason
It persisted through the ALCS, when Jackie Bradley Jr. mashed nine two-out RBI from games 2–4 en route to series MVP honors. And it reached the biggest stage yet on Tuesday, with Núñez homering and Sandy León knocking two hits and Boston taking a 1-0 series lead.
What do all those contributors have in common? They were terrible at the plate in the regular season, or at least not expected to produce in the playoffs.
Holt didn't start in games 1 or 2 against New York, and he hasn't played much since Game 3, but in that one magical night, he accomplished a feat no previous player in MLB history ever had. Kinsler has a .563 OPS in these playoffs, with strikeouts in nearly half of his at-bats, but one of his few hits was a key double against the Yankees. Vázquez had the second-worst regular-season batting line of any player with at least 250 plate appearances this year—besting only León, who was so hopeless at the plate some wondered whether he'd ever again collect a hit. And Bradley became Boston's chief run producer from the no. 9 spot in the lineup, crushing Houston's league-best pitching staff despite hitting at a below-average clip in each of the past two seasons.
If Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw Pitch in the Playoffs, Does Anyone Win?
Then there's Núñez, Game 1's unsung swinger, who hit .265/.289/.388 in the regular season and had been Boston's worst hitter (other than León) through the first two rounds. It was unclear how he collected so many at-bats in the first place: He's a well-below-average batter, ham-handed fielder, and ponderously slow runner, an unfortunate combination that left him 1.1 wins below replacement level this year, one of the dozen worst marks for any position player.
Thanks to an injury (to Dustin Pedroia) and a sophomore slump (by Rafael Devers), Núñez remained in the lineup for the whole regular season and started Boston's first two playoff games. But Boston seemed to have enough of the infielder's multifaceted misery: Cora had benched Núñez a few times this month, both because Devers was swinging a hotter bat and because Núñez had suffered an ankle injury against Houston.
Even against the left-handed Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday, the left-handed Devers started. But with two men on and two outs in the seventh inning, with Boston clinging to a 5-4 lead against a pesky Dodgers lineup, with the erratic Craig Kimbrel looming and every chance at an insurance run vital, Núñez pinch hit against lefty Alex Wood and hit his second pitch toward the fans. In his regular-season career, Núñez is 9-for-49 as a pinch-hitter with no home runs.
Never too cold for a Gatorade bath! pic.twitter.com/xe7gUbgZfZ
Núñez wasn't alone on Tuesday; Boston, after all, already had the lead when he recorded his fateful at-bat. Mookie Betts scored Boston's first run, Andrew Benintendi knocked four hits, and J.D. Martinez drove in two runs—but Boston's three offensive leaders had produced inconsistently throughout the first two rounds. Only León and Núñez had worse batting lines than Betts and Benintendi through the ALCS, but the Red Sox are now 8-2 in the playoffs because the entire cast of position players has contributed timely hits. Boston's lineup seemed imbalanced, with a top-heavy tilt that could prove concerning in October, but the bottom of the order has dispelled that potential concern at every turn.
Perhaps Cora just has the Midas touch, turning every decision into gold, or perhaps counterpart Dave Roberts shouldn't be inserting the likes of Wood—who had already allowed two homers this month—into tense situations. But Boston is three games away from a World Series title, and its best bats haven't really gotten going yet. They haven't needed to; Núñez is here, apparently, to clean up Fenway's mess and wake the Monster within.
Next Up In MLB Playoffs
Post–World Series Card Prices, Aaron Rodgers News, NFTs, and Mailbag Questions
The Braves Closed Out the Astros to Win the World Series. How Did They Do It?
The Atlanta Braves Eliminated the Houston Astros to Win Their First World Series Since 1995
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Atlanta Used One Trick to Win a Shocking World Series Title


Jerry Springer's show is moving to Connecticut.
Connecticut's Gold Coast, a bastion of suburban perfection including both Martha Stewart and the Stepford Wives, is about to become home to Jerry Springer's bawdy TV show, which features wife swappers, strippers and skinheads.
Fairfield County is one of the nation's richest regions and inspired the classic film "The Stepford Wives'' in which the men in a seemingly perfect town find a way to turn their spouses into beautiful, compliant housebound robots. Stewart's television show focusing on fine living was filmed for many years in nearby Westport.
Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati, shows the seedier side of life with a show known for profanity, fistfights, cheating spouses and incestuous relationships. Many of the guests are from low-income backgrounds and reinforce negative attitudes about the poor, DiGiovanni said.
"Springer is making millions on other peoples' misery and stereotypes,'' DiGiovanni said.
Telephone messages were left Thursday and Friday for Springer.
Besides Springer, Maury Povich's "Maury'' from New York and "The Steve Wilkos Show'' from Chicago plan to move to Stamford this summer to start producing shows for next season.
Connecticut officials see dollar signs amid the Wall Street meltdown that has taken a toll on Fairfield County, which borders New York and is home to many business executives. They said the new studio that will house Springer's show and two other shows will create 150 to 200 jobs and could be the start of an emerging entertainment industry in Connecticut.
Connecticut officials announced last month they were in negotiations with NBC Universal to open the studio by offering a 30 percent production tax credit on annual activity and a 20 percent tax credit on infrastructure costs exceeding $1 million.
"We are delighted that the film production tax credit enables us to create high-paying jobs in the state, and we're happy to be working with the governor and the mayor to stimulate the Connecticut economy and also to help save the arts center financially,'' NBC said.
The deal will help the Stamford Center for the Arts -- which runs the Rich Forum and another theater -- pull out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said Michael Widland, the center's chairman. The financial stability during precarious times also will enhance the arts by allowing the center to continue to serve as a venue for ballet, symphony and other performances, he said.
"The benefits of this project are enormous,'' said Rich Harris, spokesman for Gov. M. Jodi Rell. He predicts the new studio will create hundreds of additional jobs and benefit local businesses with more foot traffic.
Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy said he has not received any complaints about Springer's show coming to his city, which ranks among the safest in the country. He denied the show would hurt the region's image.
"Having the rest of GE doesn't hurt either,'' Malloy said, referring to NBC parent company General Electric, headquartered in nearby Fairfield.
Stamford has long been home to World Wrestling Entertainment, whose televised wrestling shows have sparked controversy over the years.
While Fairfield County is renowned for its wealth and cache, local officials note that the region is more economically diverse than its image. The Jerry Springer show could shatter the Fairfield stereotype, said Frank Trotta, a lawyer who lives in Greenwich.
"If anything, it will bring the perception of Fairfield County more in reality,'' Trotta said.
But he compared the show's new setting to a blizzard in Bermuda.
But after a wave of corruption in Connecticut, some officials don't see much harm with Jerry Springer's arrival.
"Some of the politics in our state is as entertaining as anything Springer puts on,'' said Michael Freimuth, Stamford's economic development director.


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Silas Fernandes (São Bernardo do Campo, 14 de junho de 1967) é um guitarrista, compositor e produtor musical brasileiro, além de ex-professor de guitarra no IG&T (Instituto de Guitarra e Tecnologia).
 Também foi integrante da banda de rock cristão Katsbarnea.

Biografia
Silas iniciou a sua trajetória ainda na adolescência, tocando em bandas de metal pesado da lendária cena "metálica" do ABC paulista. Participou da banda Esfinge, com Andreas Kisser – que anos mais tarde iria integrar o Sepultura. O guitarrista ainda contribuiu com os grupos Smoking Guns, de hard rock; Katsbarnea, de rock cristão; e, mais recentemente, com a banda S.T.A.B..
Nos últimos quatorze anos, trabalhou muito em composições instrumentais, lançado 4 discos.

Em 2010 lança seu primeiro DVD ao vivo live for real  gravado na turnê do mesmo ano do disco 14 years.

O DVD conta com as participações de Felipe Andreoli (Angra) no baixo e o baterista Edu Garcia.

Entre 2011 á 2013 Silas esteve viajando pelo Brasil e pelo resto do globo em turnês de clínicas e workshops colaborando com a marca de pedais a qual é patrocinado, a Asiática Cherub que fabrica os pedais Nu-X.

Nestes 3 anos de intensa atividade brindou alemães, americanos e chineses com seu estilo e conhecimento técnico. Esteve presente nas feiras Musikmesse, Namm Show 2012, 2013 e 2014, e, em 2013, na Music China em Shanghai.

Agora com o sucesso do programa no youtube Setup on Fire onde faz demonstrações e comentários técnicos sobre equipamentos, instrumentos e até comportamento, Silas avança para um outro nível de popularidade e lança seu próprio programa no seu canal do Youtube SilasCF chamado Rig on Fire toda segunda à noite entra um novo episódio no ar.

Silas é endorsee da EMG e atualmente mora nos EUA, onde, uma vez por mês, lança programas em inglês voltados para o público americano.

Discografia

Solo
1995 - Silas Fernandes
1999 - No Apologies
2003 - Hot Rod Monsters Songs
2009 - 14 Years
2010 - Live For Real
2014 - Must Be The Wrong Year
2018 - Improve

Como convidado
2001 - Prece ao Senhor da Seara
2002 - Rock n' Roll Christmas
2002 - Um Canto Especial
2004 - Muitos Caminhos
2004 - G.U.I.T.A.R.

Guitarristas do estado de São Paulo
Bandas e músicos de rock instrumental
Naturais de São Bernardo do Campo