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This site is home to Alea Publishing & Recording, specializing in music for the bass clarinet.
We offer a growing catalog of creative, artistic transcriptions and new works for bass clarinet solo & ensemble.
Schuessler: Fireflies Were Making Decodable Signals
SKU ALEA1163
Program note courtesy of the composer:
The title, intentionally capacious (to the point of absurdity) is taken from a striking passage in Vladimir Nabakov's Pale Fire. To me, this passage (like much of Nabakov's writing) captures the essence of an ephemeral idea - a precious yet fleeting moment. His descriptions are delicate and razor-precise at the same time and, as such, are unique objects. Reading Nabakov led me to think about how I might capture the essence of a thing or a moment in my own craft. More than any work I have written so far, this work really pushes the idea of contrast (but also balance). The instruments oscillate between disparate extremes of tempo, dynamic, color, and gesture while fluctuating into and out of eerily serene patterns. As such, there is a persistently shifting network of performance maneuvers that involves coordinating and de-coordinating "chunks" of musical ideas into a sort of balanced distribution over time. The piece is dedicated to Christa Van Alstine and Michael McCurdy and their tireless dedication to their craft.
Extended range instrument is required for bass clarinet part. Score: 16 pages, loose leaf; Two copies provided, one for each performer.
About the Composer
Philip Schuessler's music explores the intricacy of subtle timbres and delicate dynamics through extended acoustic and electro-acoustic resources. His diverse output spans a number of different approaches including techniques of spectralism, indeterminacy and graphic notation, new forms of notation, ephemeral sound fabrics, microtonality, popular and rock music, and electro-acoustic music.
Schuessler received his Bachelors Degree in composition at Birmingham-Southern College, his Masters Degree from the University of Miami, and his PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His teachers have included Charles Mason, Dorothy Hindman, Dennis Kam, Keith Kothman, Dan Weymouth, Sheila Silver, Perry Goldstein, and Daria Semegen.
He has had works performed by notable ensembles such as Yarn/Wire, Dither Guitar Quartet, Mantra Percussion Ensemble, IKTUS Percussion, Hypercube, Pesedjet, and the Gemini Duo; and his works have also been championed by such soloists as percussionist Daniel Kennedy, pianist Mabel Kwan, soprano Tony Arnold, violinist Graeme Jennings, and cellist Craig Hultgren. His music has has been performed at notable venues such as June in Buffalo, Birmingham City Stages Festival, Festival Miami, the Czech-American Summer Music Workshop, CCMIX in Paris, SEAMUS Conferences, ArtSounds in Kansas City, Artomatic in Arlington, Virginia, Electronic Music Midwest, New Music Forum in San Francisco, the School for Designing a Society in Urbana, Illinois, Electro-acoustic Juke Joint Festival, the Electro-acoustic Barn Dance Festival, the Spark Festival in Minneapolis, and most recently the New Music on the Bayou Festival in Monroe, Louisiana. He has also been a participant at the MusicX Festival, the Ernst Bloch Music Festival, the Elliott Carter/Oliver Knussen Chamber Music Intensive Workshop at Carnegie Hall, and the Oregon Bach Festival.
His music has been recognized internationally by Elektrophonie's NuitBleue Music Festival, the Futura Festival, and by the Bourges Residence. Recently, Schuessler was chosen by Eric Moore's Cello Loft Project for a new commissioned work for cello and percussion. Other awards include being a winner in the Duo Fujin Weekend Composition Competition, being a semi-finalist for the American Prize in Chamber Music, and being a recipient of a New Music USA Composer Assistant Grant.
Most recently, Schuessler was an artist in residence for the July 2015 session at Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts in Wyoming where he composed Lux Aeterna for mixed chorus and piano. Since 2010, Schuessler has taught music theory and composition at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana where he resides with his wife and composer Kari Besharse.
Kim Davenport
Duo Alea, the father-daughter duo of Michael and Kimberly Davenport, began performing music for bass clarinet and piano in 1996. As performers searching for new repertoire and teachers working with students eager to develop as performers, it quickly became clear that there was a need for more repertoire featuring the bass clarinet. Filling this need became the mission of Alea Publishing & Recording.
Since our first publication in 1997, the Alea catalog has now grown to include over 300 titles. We pride ourselves on the accuracy and quality of our sheet music, as well as our ability to ship directly to customers around the world.
We are proud of the diversity of our catalog in terms of the inclusion of works by composers and arrangers from around the world. We are interested in continuing to expand this diversity, representing musical ideas from around the world.
Following Michael's passing in 2019, Kim has taken over solo management of Alea Publishing. In 2020, Alea established the Dolphy Prize, an annual composition award for new works for bass clarinet by black composers.
Would you like to be informed about additions to our catalog and other news? Join our e-mail list!
bassclarinet.org@gmail.com
www.bassclarinet.org
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The slowcooker/crockpot is truly a magical appliance! I love knowing that I can throw a whole bunch of vegetables into it in the morning and have dinner waiting for the family at the end of the day. I am truly in awe of it's fabulousness.
That said, if you're not careful, a lot of recipes in the crockpot can turn out, for lack of a better word, gloopy. Sometimes, it's nice to have the convenience without ending up with another nondescript stew-y or chili-like dish.
This a great soup that actually remains soup-like even after sitting all day (or even overnight!) in the crockpot. The beans (even though they're canned!) actually maintain their shape and texture, and the kale adds a nice richness to the broth. Win-Win!
The Food Pyramid Becomes a Pie?
In an attempt to offer americans a more meaningful guideline, the USDA and First Lady Michelle Obama, have tossed the food pyramid out the window and offered up a new plate graphic in its place.
I love to make pancakes for my family…except for the standing over the stove and making them part ;) I've noticed that pancake-making seems to fall into two scenarios when hungry kids are involved–1)the pancake-maker in question stands at the stove making batch after batch until everyone else is full and then gets (if lucky) to sit down and eat a couple him or herself OR 2)the pancake-maker simply scarfs down a couple of pancakes right out of the pan while standing over the stove making batch after batch.
Neither scenario results in that Norman Rockwell pancake-eating family togetherness that one imagines while whipping up a batch of batter.
The solution? A pancake (sort of) baked in a casserole dish which can be cut into pieces to feed everybody. Genius, huh?
I just love soup and am always trying to come up with new not-too-complicated recipes to keep me in my soup and keep the DH and kids happy.
This soup, with some toasted grilled cheese and some cut up veggies is a really filling, easy shmeasy and totally multi-age pleasing meal!
Note: You could totally replace the rice with any little pasta shapes–stars, alphabet noodles etc. Just cook them first, or they will soak up all of your soup!
Sometimes, I find myself desperately craving soup…a need that I seem to have passed on to both of my children. Thankfully, soup-making isn't an exact science, so when the urge hits, I rummage around and create soup recipes based on whatever I find in my fridge and pantry.
I made this one in about half and hour on Friday, to rave reviews from my 4 year old, 20 month old and even my husband.
Tip: Keep it a little bit thicker, or leave out the broth, and you have a great baby food which introduces your little one to the taste of cinnamon!
Who doesn't love a latke? Fried foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly donuts are traditionally eaten throughout the jewish holiday Chanukah…but the combination of oil and carbs can start to even the most die-hard french fry lover 😉 These are lighter and healthier, and a really nice way to get some green vegetables into your kids! There are no hard ingredients or large chunks, so they make a great food for a younger toddler as well as for older kids and adults.


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Henry Norris, 1. baron Norreys (ur. 1525, zm. 7 maja 1601) – angielski polityk i dyplomata. Pochodził ze starej rodziny szlacheckiej z Berkshire. Jego ojciec sir Henry Norris został w 1536 ścięty za romans z królową Anną Boleyn.

W roku 1561 został szeryfem (High Sheriff) Oxfordshire i Berkshire, w których to hrabstwach miał dobra. Jesienią 1566 roku został ambasadorem we Francji. W sierpniu 1570 zastąpił go tam sir Francis Walsingham.

Poślubił Margery Williams of Rycote (1521–1599). Według ustaleń historyków ślub miał miejsce między grudniem 1542 a 26 sierpniem 1544.

Bibliografia
 David Nash Ford's Royal Berkshire History: sir Henry Norreys (1525–1601)

Angielscy politycy
Urodzeni w 1525
Zmarli w 1601
Ambasadorowie Anglii

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› Entertainment Memorabilia Signed Autographs
› Bad4Good Glam Band 3 Members Signed Autographed 8x10 Photo w/coa $400 Retail
Bad4Good Glam Band 3 Members Signed Autographed 8x10 Photo w/coa $400 Retail
Item code: RA-3566
Shipping is available with this item.
Starting Bid $26.00 Login to Bid / Buy
Current Winning Bid $0.00 Time Left Auction started 26 Jan 2018 16:07:00 EST ends 5 Mar 2020 22:06:00 EST
**Signed by Danny Cooksey, Zach Young and Brooks Wackerman.
Bad4Good was a glam metal band formed in 1991 by guitarist Steve Vai. The band was a quartet of teenagers, the oldest of whom was 16. Wikipedia
Genre: Glam metal
Origin: United States of America (1991)
Record label: Interscope Records
Albums: Refugee
Bad4Good was a glam metal band formed in 1991 by guitarist Steve Vai. The band was a quartet of teenagers, the oldest of whom was 16. The group consisted of guitarist Thomas "McRocklin" McLaughlin, bassist Zack Young, drummer Brooks Wackerman, and singer Danny Cooksey.[2][3][4][5][6]
Under Vai's guidance, the band released one album in 1992 called Refugee. The only single released was "Nineteen" and it failed to chart but the music video was featured on MTV for some time. They also went on to tour briefly with Damn Yankees. After the band disbanded, Wackerman went on to play drums for Bad Religion, Young plays drums for the band A.I., and Cooksey has had a successful career as a voice over artist and also returned to his roots to play in Los Angeles country and western bands.
We guarantee all our autographed items to be authentic and stand behind it with a 100% money back guarantee on the full amount of the item (Including any taxes or S+H) if it does not pass a PSA/DNA authentication.
We obtain all our autograph items from Collectors (Purchase of large Collections/Autograph Hunters), Other memorabilia companies, Large Wholesale Lots from eBay, Charity auctions and from time to time we do signings with celebrities. Sometimes the auto items come with COA's and sometimes they do not. We belong to a number of authentication verification companies i.e, Startiger.com. We check all autographs before we sell or list them to make sure they look like other authenticated autographs and confirmed originals from that particular person(s). We have been in the collectibles industry for many years and it is very important to us to sell original items, our reputation is everything. Please feel confident that our items are original.

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Being "basic" has gotten a bad rap lately. If you're "basic," the implication is that you're unoriginal, mainstream and generally averse to standing out. You may ask: "How do I spot someone who is basic?" Luckily it's fall, aka Pumpkin Spice Latte season, which is a "basic" girl's favorite time of year, and at any given moment they're only a pumpkin's throw away.
We happen to think the "basic" haters are missing out because being basic is, well, basically the best thing ever! So what if you welcome the changing leaves with a perfectly filtered Instagram post every autumn? Who cares if you make your way to the closest apple orchard in your UGG boots, flannel, and leggings at the first hint of a chill in the air? Seriously, who can resist a cup of apple cider and those apple cider doughnuts—come on!
Everyone is basic sometimes, and things are basic for a reason—because they're the best! So, let us give you a crash course on the best of being #basic this fall!
The holy grail of basic-ness is without a doubt the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. The drink is almost synonymous with the expression. And now you can make it at home! Starbucks (4% cash back) has come out with an Instant Pumpkin Spice Latte so that you can feed your pumpkin spice cravings the second the first fall leaves hit the ground.
And don't worry, since you absolutely must have the quintessential "basic girl" Starbucks cup to go with your fall ensemble, the brand has made a special cup just for "PSL" lovers! Fans will love the Team PSL Double Wall Traveler mug from Starbucks (4% cash back).
We just cannot emphasize pumpkin spice enough. It is truly the quintessential fall flavor. It most notably originated with the enormously popular pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, which resulted in pumpkin spice flavored and scented products flooding the marketplace. From pumpkin spice hand soap to pumpkin spice pancake mix, this flavor is everywhere – have you seen the Cheerios and Oreos?
We love this Pumpkin Spice candle from Bath & Body Works (2% cash back). The large three-wick candle radiates the delicious seasonal scent enough to fill an entire room.
Who doesn't want to be comfortable and warm on those chilly fall days? No matter what those basic-shamers tell you, UGG boots are very comfortable and practical footwear, and will keep your feet warm on those long walks through your local pumpkin farm's corn maze.
The Bailey Bow II boots from UGG Australia (5% cash back) adorably update the iconic boot with two bows on the back. The fabric on these is now pretreated for protection against water and stains, and a new sole cushions feet and grips even better on both wet and dry surfaces. However, the traditional sheepskin insole is still keeping feet warm and toasty even on the coldest of days. Tuck your jeans or leggings into these bad boys and you're ready for fall!
Social Media Postings Featuring Fall Foliage, Pumpkins, Etc.
The days of Instagramming your legs by the pool in the classic #hotdogsorlegs pose is over, and it's time for an influx of seasonal fall pictures to flood your social media feeds. Prepare for photos of the colorful fall foliage, pumpkin patches and apple picking excursions, which are likely to feature a pair of boots or a latte as well.
The new iPhone 7 (in rose gold, of course) from BestBuy.com (1% cash back) is just what you need to take the sharpest photos and use the newest filters on all of your social media postings. Don't forget a Kate Spade (6% cash back) iPhone case to complete your basic tech combo.
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You can never go wrong with plaid, either. This Oversized Flannel Scarf from oldnavy.com (4% cash back) will keep you warm throughout all of your seasonal activities and look perfectly fall-appropriate in your Instagram pictures. P.S. You might even consider wearing a puffer vest like this Quilted Riding Vest from L.L. Bean (3% cash back) on top to keep you extra warm!
You might have scanned this list and thought to yourself, almost shamefully, "Wait, I love that! But I'm not basic!" but the truth is, there's a little "basic" in all of us. There's nothing wrong with enjoying all of the wonderful things fall has to offer. So go ahead, own your basic-ness and drink that Pumpkin Spice Latte with your head held high. Because basically, fall is the best time of the year, and if you're not excited for the season by now, then we just seriously can't even!
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What is your favorite thing about fall? Follow us on Twitter and hashtag #fallbasics!


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Blockchains In Real Life: an Overview of the Global Regulatory Climate
Unitychain Core Team comment 0 Comments access_time 14 min read
Blockchain is often referred to as the next big thing, probably the most promising technology of the near-term future. It is undeniable that distributed ledger technology is sprouting up in an incredible number of industries in some obvious and not-so-obvious implementations. But how are countries and governments worldwide welcoming the change? Are governing bodies even able to create legal frameworks to support the technology? And if so, when?
Blockchain technologies are gaining incredible interest by global entities and governments. The World Economic Forum estimates that the overall share of global GDP tracked, managed, and stored on blockchain will reach 10% in 2027, as compared to the mere 0.025% in 2015!
Source: https://lisk.io/academy/blockchain-business/the-blockchain-business/blockchain-regulations
Governing entities within a country have the power to either suppress emergent technologies, or they may foster, embrace, and incentivize the use of it. Therefore, individual countries hold an incredibly central role in defining the future of distributed ledger technologies on a grand scale. Thus, the introduction of legal frameworks by sovereign nations will ultimately play a decisive role in determining whether mass adoption of blockchain technology will be a coming-soon phenomenon in our daily lives… or not.
There are an increasing number of countries that are in fact taking substantial steps towards the regulated adoption of blockchain technologies, and making a leap forward to embracing the "crypto world".
In order to provide a practical overview on the topic, this article offers a quick snapshot of the regulatory frameworks of several countries worldwide regarding what concerns their respective legislative agendas towards blockchain.
In this article, we will analyze the approaches pursued in Japan, the United States, Australia and Estonia. The greatest shared concerns relate to the topic of privacy. In other words, transparency and clarity of how data is handled are promoted to address AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and CFT (Combating Financial Terrorism) practices. Then, while crypto exchanges are often required to be registered, not every jurisdiction require that taxes be applied to each and every individual transactions made in cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, it behooves me to mention that mining, interestingly, remains a legal and unregulated activity in all of the aforementioned regions.
Japan has been a well known player in the blockchain environment since the early days. To a certain extent, it could be regarded as a paradise of cryptocurrencies and it is undeniably the most advanced player in East Asia. Japanese were among the first miners, and the country was the first one in the world to introduce the notion of virtual currency as a legal term. Cryptocurrencies were legalized as a means of payment in 2017 and it was home of the biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. Even the pseudonym of Satoshi Nakamoto is clearly Japanese-sounding.
On a general level, Japan has been a major player in the technological sector for decade, and this is greatly traceable to the country's regulatory framework, which enabled and pushed for early adoption of advanced technologies, as well as incentivized for the creation of novel ones.
Quoting from an article from 2018, Coincentral reported that "The country [Japan] experienced enormous growth in their blockchain sector after making BTC legal tender last year. In an effort to lure even more investment capital to the market, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Accelerator Program started hosting the 'Block Chain Business Camp Tokyo.' The program is scheduled to last two months and is aimed at stimulating private innovation in the sector. The goal is to promote blockchain projects that have the potential to improve Tokyo residents' quality of life. As well as those that will further the economic standing of the city in the blockchain sector." That project is aimed at accelerating the adoption in Japan of technologies such as blockchain, AI and IoT.
However, openness to disruptive technologies often comes with a risk, and Japan was in the past years also home to one of the biggest cyber attacks in history. This triggered worries toward users security and led the country to enact a number of laws between 2015 and 2019. In June 2015, the country requested any virtual currency exchange to be registered and/or licensed. Starting from 2017, then, Japan put in place regulations with the main purpose of protecting customers and crypto exchanges and addressing AML and CFT issues and enhancing clarity and transparency of trade. Largely due to the latter, in 2018 Japan created a ban on privacy coins such Monero, Dusk, or ZCash.
At the time of writing, many businesses in the United States accept cryptocurrencies as a payment for daily operations. The USA is indeed considered to be the most advanced country in blockchain and cryptocurrency adoption today, as well as the implementation of a supporting regulatory framework. However, due to the federal system adopted by the United States, while digital currency are recognized and legalized throughout the country, laws are not (yet) homogeneous and standard across all states.
Joanna Caytas, a judicial law clerk in the US Court of Appeals, President of the Columbia European Law Association, and one of the most prominent figures in the legal debate centered on the topic of blockchain, pointed out in a paper from 2017 that "key developments for blockchain's regulation and implementation in an evidentiary context occurred in Arizona (recognition of smart contracts), Vermont (blockchain as evidence), Chicago (real estate records), and, most importantly, Delaware (pending initiative authorizing registration of shares of Delaware companies in blockchain form)".
Arizona is particularly well-known in the blockchain world for having allowed for the legal recognition of smart contracts in the state in 2017. The same piece of regulation allowed for the recognition of digital signatures and records secured via usage of blockchain technology.
Vermont, by the same token, allowed in 2016 for the recognition of blockchain-based records in court. The American state passed a law in 2018 allowing, in short, limited liability companies to utilize blockchain for matters of corporate governance, coining the term of BBLLCs, or Blockchain-Based Limited Liability Companies.
With respect to the protection of users and the fight against crime, it is relevant to mention one interesting fact. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) during the past few years opened a new branch addressing the concerns posed by AML and CFT frameworks, called "the Blockchain Working Group," and the FTC is active even at a federal level. The group is also endorsed with the task of researching new implementations and developments of distributed ledger technologies, as well as brainstorming any potential arising concerns.
With respect to taxation issues, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States was given the task of enforcing the disclosure of identity of cryptocurrency users in order to allow crypto-based transactions to be taxed as property transactions.
As the country that invented Google Maps and the home of the WiFi, Australia has supported believed in and supported blockchain technologies since their rise, both with investments in the technology and the creation of a supporting legal framework.
Since as early as 2014, the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has supported listing of cryptocurrencies and distributed ledger organizations. In 2016, the country launched its first ICO and the experimentation with distributed ledger technologies intensified substantially. As an example, the Australian government hypothesized ways of trading electricity via this new disruptive technology. The country also devoted substantial funding to the development of the technology: an article on Cryptovest in July 2018 reported that "Australia's federal government has decided to invest A$2.2 million ($1.6 million) in a blockchain initiative as a way to make its key sugar production more competitive". Also, Fist Digital Capital (FDC), an Australian management company, recently claimed their goal to raise $30 million to be invested in the technology.
Last but not least, Australia is expected to be fully converting to blockchain by 2020 by replacing the Clearing House Electronic Subregister System with distributed ledger technology infrastructure. The project, which is expected to both allow for cost reduction and enhancement of users options, would be a first timer worldwide. Australia is also under discussion to allow blockchain utilization for government payments.
With its investments and support put into the growth and fostering of the technology, Australia is on a path to becoming globally influential to mass adoption of distributed ledger technology.
The European context has been proven over the years to be a highly conservative environment, privileging the conservation and utilization of legacy technologies over the adoption of emerging ones. With respect to other geographic areas worldwide, the legal framework in Europe is generally not open to the inclusion of new technologies. Legacy systems seem to be "set in stone" and extremely difficult to change. This closeness to change and difficulty to include new practices in different sectors has been the main cause of the incredible delay of European countries to embrace blockchain technologies.
A great outlier in the European context is Estonia, a forerunner of the adoption of blockchain and a leader in the adoption of new technologies to replace or complement legacy systems both in the private and public sectors.
The reason for Estonian's huge advancement as compared to its neighbors has roots originating about thirty years ago. When Estonia regained its independence from the USSR, the country pushed for the need of rebuilding a network for taxes, public provision points, and another number of social and governmental services. By building a new society from scratch anew, Estonia decided to leverage the growing potential of Information Technology to enhance moderness, speed and efficiency of its national services to citizens, especially in rural areas.
Today, Estonia boasts, among its other numerous technological achievements, the availability of over 90% of its governmental services to be accessible online, integrating blockchain technologies to a number of public services, which include e-voting, online tax returns, digital cabinet meetings, and what is commonly known as "e-residency."
Interestingly, any world citizen may request an Estonian e-residency card, which allows any holder to set up and run a virtual business in Estonia. It should be pointed out however, that this document does not include Estonian residency and holders shall regularly pay taxes in their respective countries. Despite its still small size of around 45,000 individuals worldwide, the e-residency program has proven to represent a great incentive for the country to spur innovation as an entrepreneurial hub and to attract foreign capital both from within and outside the European Union, which suggests that Estonia has managed to establish itself as a highly technically advanced and quickly growing society.
Another project worth mentioning is the international blockchain-stored Health Registry that Estonia is contributing to build with a number of other partners, with the aim to allow the quick matching of similar cases, or donors and receivers, from a huge number of patients from different countries. All this, being secured and stored on a blockchain or distributed storage, would also allow for complete privacy and security of sensitive patients' data, by leveraging intrinsic encryption schemes designed for blockchain technology.
Beyond embracing the benefits of adopting distributed ledger technology, Estonia is also well aware of the many risks that come with it. For this reason, the country has been continuously working on increasingly security methodologies to prevent cyber attacks. The same tool that has been developed by the Estonians is currently being used in such organizations as NATO, the US Department of Defence, and the European Union information systems. Once again, the main focus of the project is on granting users' security and tackling problems arising from AML and CFT topics.
Just a couple of years ago, Estonia was the first country worldwide to hypothesize the launch of an ICO to introduce a state-backed coin to be used as a token and enhance the potential of the Estonian e-network. However, the response of the European Union was immediately negative, and the country is still working on possible options.
Further Examples of Regulatory Approaches
Although the article has been focusing on four examples, many countries worldwide are moving toward adoption of blockchain technology.
Malta, also known in the crypto world as "The Blockchain Island," enacted in 2018 three laws aimed at fostering the adoption of cryptocurrencies and incentivising the creation of blockchain businesses.
In Spain, "Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), the second largest bank in Spain by assets and capitalization, became the first global bank to use blockchain technology throughout the entire process of issuing a 75 million euro ($87 million) loan", as reported by an article in 2018.
Despite its highly contrasting responses to the development of distributed ledger technologies and the adoption of cryptocurrencies in China, an increasing number of cities in the Red Country are currently launching substantial investments toward the support of blockchain developmental ecosystems.
Other countries that could be mentioned as supporters of blockchain adoption are Belarus, Marshall Islands, Eastern Caribbean Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, and more.
A legal framework that supports the research and adoption of new and emerging technologies has been proven over the years to be the among the main determinants of the technological advancement of countries worldwide. By the same token, countries' openness to emerging technologies is today shaping the rate of adoption of blockchain in the world. Adoption of distributed ledger technologies, in the private and public sector, and both at the business and individual level, is skyrocketing in countries that are more prone to develop a supporting legal framework to regulate blockchain practices and protect the users. It may be argued that the speed at which blockchain mass adoption will happen is highly dependent on the rate at which countries' governments will open their doors to it.
The international panorama in this respect is highly varied. In fact, not all countries around the world are opening their doors to the adoption of blockchain technology, and some are more afraid of the potential harmful effects of it than by its alleged benefits. Nevertheless, it is true that an increasing number of states and countries are implementing frameworks to embrace and incentivize the use of cryptocurrencies and distributed ledger technologies both at the private and public level.
In general, the group of countries which are on they way to building a supporting a complete legal framework around blockchain technology is working toward this goal with two main objectives in mind. First, these countries aim at regulating the already existing cryptocurrency activity in order to protect users. Second, there is a shared belied that blockchain technology may substantially increase interoperability between and efficiency of both private and public systems, and enhance security. Regulations are designed to increase transparency, grant privacy, and address the possible problems arising from AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and CFT (Combating Financial Terrorism). Finally, the action line that is generally being adopted by countries worldwide includes that, for safety reasons, cryptocurrency exchanges shall be registered. Requirements are not however homogeneous for what concerns taxation of cryptocurrency-based transactions: while in countries like the USA taxes are applied, Switzerland and others consider such transactions as tax exempted. Finally, mining remains a largely legal however unregulated activity.
In conclusion, more and more countries in time are embracing the rise and adoption of blockchain technologies by designing regulatory frameworks that support it. However, the discussion is far from reaching its conclusion, and tools to address concerns arising from cyber attacks and protection of users (not least, in compliance with such bodies of law as the GDPR) are rigorously being researched.
Interview with Chris Polmans, CEO and co-founder of DCG Trips
https://www.forbes.com/sites/japan/2019/06/26/japans-blockchain-sandbox-is-paving-the-way-for-the-fintech-future/#634dff603279
https://openledger.info/insights/blockchain-law-regulations/
https://medium.com/hackernoon/5-governments-backing-blockchain-projects-401afa49d412
https://medium.com/watson-law/lithuania-malta-and-switzerland-how-3-european-nations-are-planning-to-become-blockchain-e74098094e87
https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlestowersclark/2019/05/13/why-governments-should-be-using-blockchain/#7691c8df7c3d
https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/8-countries-exploring-use-cases-for-a-state-backed-cryptocurrency-a8947903c58b
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3412304/how-governments-around-the-world-are-using-blockchain.html
Welcome To The New Internet of Value


Aguilar studied BA in Arts of Communications, and a MMR, Masters of Marketing Reseach , from Anahuac University (Mexico), and a second MLA, Master on Visual Arts, Film, and Photography at Harvard University (Cambridge). At Harvard she was one of the first Latin Americans to win the prize-Annamae and Allan R. Crite Prize- for the"Singular Dedication to Learning the Arts." Thesis: Renaissance Perception of Color in Painting from the Perspective of Twentieth-Century Physiological Science, with thesis director John R. Stilgoe.
In the year 2004 she was selected by the international jury of Artiade as a cultural ambassador of art for Mexico in the ARTIADE/Olympics of Visual Arts during the Olympic games in Athens, supported by CONACULTA. Additionally she was winner of the prize "Outstanding Mexicans" for culture, granted by Mexicana Airlines, and Expansion Group.
Aguilar has been invited to participate in several art festival like BAC :: International Contemporary Art festival of Barcelona, IX Florence Biennale, Cultural Center of Bejing, among others. Aguilar has won numerous prizes and grants, Internationally, for her works. Now a days she is a project manager and art director of different experimental and creative programs.


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arts community events performances
Bloomington Shakespeare in the Park shares 30th anniversary
Alex Deryn
Actors perform Sept. 12 at Third Street Park. The Monroe County Civic Theater celebrated its 30th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park by performing "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
By Helen Rummel
Published Sep 13, 2019 8:06 am Last updated Sep 13, 2019 8:08 am
The Monroe County Community Theater celebrated 30 years of its Shakespeare in the Park series Thursday evening. The performance recreated the very first play they brought to stage, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park.
The performance fused both Shakespeare's comedy and Felix Mendelssohn's accompanying concert overture. The on-stage orchestra consisted of string, woodwind and brass sections with accompanying soprano and mezzo-soprano vocal performances.
The cast is made up of a diverse group ranging from young thespians performing in their first show to MCCT veterans. They all volunteer their time to rehearse the production beginning in June up until debut night. The MCCT is open to community members of all ages and university students.
The majority of the musicians that make up the orchestra are students from the Jacobs School of Music. They work with the MCCT in addition to their own work apart from Jacobs. Musical Director Benjamin Watkins explained how the setting for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" may be very different for some of the students that are participating.
"The other groups that I've worked with have less of a community theater vibe," Watkins said. "This is a little bit different because you have people kind of learning what they're doing as they're doing it. It's an amateur production in the sense that people love what they're doing."
The performance time reacheed marginally over two hours, including a 20-minute intermission in which the orchestra played Mendelssohn's "Nocturne" as the sun set. At this time, the MCCT accepted donations that go toward funding future arts programs for the Bloomington community.
The MCCT will have two more free shows Saturday starting at 7 p.m. and Sunday starting at 3 p.m. Friday's show has been canceled due to weather.


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Minnesota lawmakers to weigh permitless carry, 'stand your ground' bills in Hibbing
Columns Jan 19th 2020 - 9am
The Cracker Barrel: Moon thoughts
Meet lead characters in 'Grease-the School Version'
Written By: Travis G. Grimler | Nov 10th 2019 - 4am.
Aryana Himle and Landen Besler portray Sandy Olsson and Danny Zuko in the Pequot Lakes High School production of "Grease." Travis Grimler / Echo Journal
Pequot Lakes High School will soon present its production of "Grease-the School Version" with permission from Samuel French, Inc. Of course, at the center of everyone's attention will be Sandy Olsson (played by junior Aryana Himle) and Danny Zuko (played by senior Landen Besler).
Like many who perform in high school theater, Himle has been in previous performances. At her former school in Florida, Columbia High School, she not only was the lead role in "That's Not How I Remember It," she also directed a play in her theater class.
Unlike most of her fellow cast mates, however, Himle has had a part in a commercial. When she was younger, she was in a commercial for Deerwood Bank. Perhaps that's why her acting aspirations don't stop with theater.
"I've wanted to be an actress for five years," Himle said. "It's the occupation I've wanted to do longest. I feel like I'm kind of stuck."
Himle would like to work in television in the future, though she said theater itself is more fun and exciting because of the adrenaline of having an audience. She came to tryouts for any role that would have her. This will be her first production in Pequot Lakes.
"I was kind of surprised to get the role of Sandy," Himle said. "I missed theater because last year I wasn't in anything. I was focusing on my singing. This year I missed the stage and the thrill and adrenaline. I wanted to get back into it and auditioned."
This year was not only her chance to get back on stage, but to face her personal fears.
"Singing is my biggest insecurity about myself," Himle said. "I've always thought I can't sing. People always told me I could, but I never believed in myself. I kind of took this chance as a way to see if I could sing. If I didn't get the part I would know I needed to work more on my singing, but I got the part."
For Besler, Danny Zuko was the chance to hold a lead role before graduating high school.
Besler previously portrayed The Great and Powerful Oz in "The Wizard of Oz," and his acting experience stopped there. He would have liked to be in a play last year, but he learned early how work can get in the way of hobbies.
"I didn't do a play last year because I was busy and just got a job," Besler said. "Then this play, I really thought I missed out last year and wanted to try out for this one. I missed being in a play."
"Grease" offered Besler the chance to get a lead role, which he wanted a great deal.
"I wanted the lead role for my senior year," Besler said. "They were doing this play. I had never actually seen the movie before I tried out. I have watched the movie now."
To prepare for his role, Besler has watched the film version and he is using John Travolta's portrayal of Danny Zuko as an inspiration for his own performance. Just as when he played Oz, Besler thinks watching the original film helps him understand his character better.
""(I like) watching the movies and how the actors portrayed the roles, getting context in all the lines so you really know what they are saying," Besler said. "I think it's fun how he acts in it. I don't usually act how John Travolta does, but it's fun to play that role."
Besler likes theater for the way it draws all eyes to the cast on stage.
"I really like talking in front of people," Besler said. "It's fun being the center of attention for a little while."
Though not seeking a career in acting, Besler would still like it if acting continued to be part of his life.
"I definitely think it's a really fun hobby and if I have any time I'd really love to join a play," Besler said.
'Grease-the School Version'
When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15-16, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17.
Where: Pequot Lakes High School auditorium.
Tickets: $5 at the door for all ages. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Director: This is the third play Susan Mathison-Young has directed in the Pequot Lakes School District and the second musical in the last three years. "Grease-the School Version" is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
Cast and crew: There are 35 students participating in the high school play, including two specifically designated for tech. Landen Besler, Aryana Himle, Kiley Newman,Tyler Flowers, Teagan Johnson, Noah Crowley, Kailey Gerdes, Andrew Schiessl, Mataya Larson, Alex Kempka, Naarah Newmann, Lucas Taylor, Mikalya Anderson,Trinity Bailles, River Curtis, Cassidy Shankle, Hunter Johnson, Mikyla Sundstrom, Maysa Glawe, Maeve Rohr, Tabitha Kibwaa, Zoe Huber, Ashley Niemczycki, Alessandra Hartwig, Lauren Maciej, Holly Schiessl, Erin Bryant, Lilly Palmer, September Jaekel, Annie Lindholm, Thomas Taylor, Erin Kempka, Dana Hammer, Jessica Fabian, Natalie Thrun.
Susan Mathison-Young guides student actors through the choreography in a scene from the Pequot Lakes production of "Grease." Travis Grimler / Echo Journal
PEQUOT LAKES HIGH SCHOOL
Theater Jan 8th 2020 - 5am
Stage North to host auditions this week
Theater Dec 13th 2019 - 5am
Auditions for 'Jane Eyre' set Dec. 16-17 in Pequot Lakes
© Pine and Lakes Echo Journal and Forum Communications Company
506 James St. / PO Box 974, Brainerd, MN 56401


Vulnerability has been a frequent theme in my recent work and since it is such an important thing in relationships, I'm writing about it now. I was also inspired by a TEDx talk I was turned on to, so I'm going to summarize it for your benefit. If you are interested, and I recommend you be interested, you can watch the actual TED talk. It is called The Power of Vulnerability, by René Brown.
She is a researcher who turned her eye on shame, how it impacts people, and how they deal with it. Shame is really the basic core of feeling bad about yourself. Feeling shameful about something you have done is feeling like it was so horrible that it would not be acceptable to other people. Basic shame is just transferring that feeling of unworthiness to yourself in general.
Dr. Brown took on the task of identifying people who lived with an openness to the world and a seeming absence of the experience of shame. She found that there was one variable that distinguished those who felt worthy from those who didn't – they had the belief that they were worthy.
As she studied this group she came to the conclusion that there were several things that characterized their relationships with others. First, they lived with courage, which she defined as being whole hearted or having the courage to be themselves. They embraced themselves as they were with all their glory and all their inadequacies. Not an easy thing to do, but as you will see, an important one.
They were also compassionate. They treated themselves with compassion and others with compassion. The first is actually a requirement for the latter. It is almost impossible to treat others with genuine compassion if you do not treat yourself with real compassion.
They also pursued connection and were connected. Part of this is related to courage. They were able to let go of who they thought they "should" be and just be who they were in relationship to others. This is really required for a real connection. Without being your real self in a relationship and dropping the masks and roles you play, it is impossible to feel secure about the feelings that exist in the relationship with the other person.
And finally, they embraced vulnerability. You look at the prior three paragraphs and that is pretty obvious. It is difficult to embrace your real self, good and bad, and in particular be that person with others, without feeling vulnerable.


O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, iacentem in praesepio! Beata Virgo, cuius viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Alleluia! O great mystery and wonderful sacrament, that animals might see the born Lord, lying in a manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb merited to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia!
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Electricity Generating Stations
Electricity Generating Stations in Kuwait
( Historical Development )
The discovery of oil in Kuwait, still the key source of national wealth, ushered in an era of cultural awakening and revival that involved different walks of life. Social, structural, educational and economic. Power utility played a vital role in laying down the foundations for this awakening and in satisfying the needs and requirements of such cultural march.
Relevant figures show the extent this utility has developed over the last few years.
When the majority of the people lived within its walls using kerosene lamps for lighting, show that 1934 witnessed the birth of electricity supply service when the National Electricity Company constructed the first small (DC) electric plant. Production started with two 30 kW generators and the power was distributed by +200 V (Direct Current) line. The number of consumers was rather small at first and by the end of the first year it was only 60 but then it increased and went up to 700 in 1940 and that required increasing the installed capacity to 340 KW.
A period of stagnation followed as a result of Second World War. However, by the end of the war the Company decided to Phase out the direct current system to introduce instead, a 3 phase 380/200V, 50 Hertz alternating current. A new plant comprising two (200 KW) generators was erected at Murgab, commissioned in early 1949, when a third (200KW) generator was added while the (DC) system was finally phased out in 1950. To cope with the increasing demand for electricity the company, in the meantime, obtained a used (500 KW) generator from the KOC thereby bringing up the installed generation capacity to 1100 KW (1.1 MW).
As a result of the rapid progress and growth covering all walks of life in the country, demand rose up considerably rendering then the available plants unable to cope with it. Here the Government stepped in and bought the shares of the company in 1951 and founded the Department of Electricity to provide and distribute adequate supply.
Upon taking over the Department of Electricity constructed in 1952 the first power plant at Shuwaikh near the sea shore to make use of seawater for cooling purposes. The plant started with 3 (750 KW) small units supplying steam to the first sea water desalination plant, but were retired after the erection of (4 x 7.5 MW) Station (A) in 1954/55. That was followed by (4 x 10 MW) Station (B) in 1958 retired in 1978 and (3 x 30 MW) Station C in 1961/62. Five (40.8 MW) gas turbines were added to reach 324 MW. During the year 1989, the Stations 'installed capacity was reduced to 208.2 MW after putting out of service of 4 steam turbine units (capacity 75 MW) and 1 gas turbine unit (capacity 40.8 MW) due to their low efficiency or uneconomic operation and maintenance with a production output of 33 million kWh. In 1990, the Power Station stopped completely due to overall destruction by the Iraqi invaders.
In order to meet the increasing demand of electrical power especially after the crisis of lack of electricity during the summer of 2006, The Ministry approved an emergency plan to install (6x42 MW) Gas Turbine Units at Shuwaikh Station. All the units were commissioned during 2007 having the total capacity of 252 MW and the production output recorded as 325 Million kWh in 2009.
The growing water and power consumption rates and the creation of Shuaiba Industrial Area led to the construction of Shuaiba North P/S. The first steam turbine with a capacity of 70MW was commissioned in 1965. Since then, the station was expanded to comprise (5x70 MW) steam power generating units and (2x25 MW) gas turbines bringing up the total stations installed capacity to 400 MW. During the year 1988, the stations' installed capacity was reduced to 330MW after putting out of service of a steam turbine unit (capacity 70 MW) due to its low efficiency or uneconomic operation and maintenance with a production output of 872 Million kWh in 1989 and 416 Million kWh in 1990. The power station was stopped completely due to destruction by the Iraqi invaders.
The continued industrial and urban development necessitated expansion of power production. So it was decided to construct a new steam power station named "Shuaiba South Station" comprising six (134 MW) generators. The first generator was commissioned in 1970. The stations installed capacity was 804 MW now has been reduced to 720 MW as all the units are above their estimated life time. In order to meet the increasing demand of electricity, the Ministry installed (3x220 MW) Gas Turbine Units. All the units commissioned during 2009. Now the total installed capacity of the stations reached 1380 MW and the production output was 4290 Million kWh in 2009. Steam Turbine generated 3794 M.kWh while the Gas Turbine produced 496 M.kWh.
In view of the continuing increase in the electric power consumption, the Ministry constructed Doha East P/S comprising Seven (150 MW) generators, the first one commissioned in early 1977. Also six gas turbine units were constructed and commissioned in summer of 1981. The stations installed capacity reached 1158 MW and production output was 4769 Million kWh in 2009.
The Ministry also constructed Doha West Power Station which comprises eight (300 MW) steam generators. It was commissioned in full before the end of 1984 and in 2008 four gas turbine units each with a capacity of 28.2 MW were added. Now the total installed capacity of the Station is 2512.2 MW (2400 MW for steam turbines and 112.8 MW for gas turbines) and total production output recorded as 12086 Million kWh in 2009.
The Ministry also constructed the Az-Zour South Power Station which comprise eight (300 MW) generators. In addition a (111 MW) gas turbine plant is already in operation. New gas turbine station (8x125 MW) was established with 1000 MW capacity which can be increased to 1040 MW (8x130 MW) under certain specific condition. First for units were officially taken over in 2004 MW and the remaining 4 units were taken over in year 2005 thus, by the end of 2005 total installed capacity reached to 3551 MW. Given the growing demand for electric power Ministry has constructed five gas turbine units each with a capacity of 165 MW and thus become the stations total installed capacity of 4376 MW (2400 MW for steam turbines and 1976 MW for gas turbines). Production output recorded as 19055 Million kWh in 2009. Steam turbines generated 11980 M.kWh while the gas Turbines produced 7075 M.kWh.
To cope with the rapid and ever increasing demands, the Ministry also constructed the Sabiya Power Station which comprises eight (300 MW) generators. During 2008 Ministry also constructed six gas turbine units each with a capacity of 41.7 MW (total 250.2 MW) and in 2009 four gas turbine units were erected each with a capacity of 62.5 MW (total 250 MW) thus the total installed capacity of the station reached 2900.2 MW.The total production in 2009 recorded as 12691 M/kWh ( 11092 M.kWh from steam turbines and 1599 M.kWh from gas turbine units).
It is evident, therefore, from the above that the all stations available installed capacity in 2009 totaled 12579 MW bearing in mind that the electrical peak load reached 9960 MW in 2009.
It is worth mentioning that the Ministry always aimed to utilized up-to-date plant and equipment, compatible with the local prevailing conditions to obtain the best economic results. This is reflected in the progressive increase in the size of production units from 7.5 MW to 10 MW to 30 MW to 134 MW to 150 MW and to 300 MW. As a result, operational and maintenance cost was reduced, not o mention the high efficiency and productivity that had a positive effect on unit production cost.
Electricity peak demand has been moving upwards in amazing leaps. The rate increase ranged around 32% in the fifties, 26% in the sixties, 15% in the seventies, 8% in the eighties and 11% in the nineties. Nevertheless, it is quite obvious that during the last ten years there was a downward trend towards reasonable rates – yet, by world standard still considered high, i.e. in the range of 5 – 8% whereas in most of the industrial countries the annual increase in electric load does not exceed 2-3%. Naturally the rise in electric load and consumption is a direct result of the harsh climatic conditions and of the rapid economic and construction growth in the country's private and public sectors. However, the rise in per capita average rate of consumption reflects the extent of luxury and abundance enjoyed by the people, meanwhile, it plainly indicated aspects of waste and extravagance prompted and encouraged by the very cheap price of electricity.
However, the figures and statics exhibited in this book demonstrate the work and effort exerted in the last five decades to promote the electric services to its present status.
Reference : Statistical Year Book 2010 - Electrical Energy - Ministry of Electricity & Water
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مجلة بيئتنا - العدد 110
Electrical Networks
Electricity generation in Kuwait


Dr. Staheli le ads a team of researchers in the molecular virology and immune defense research laboratory at the University of Freiburg in Germany, where he is also on the faculty as a full professor. He received his diploma and Ph.D. degrees in microbiology and biochemistry from the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland.
Postdoctoral training was at the University of Zurich in the Institutes of Medical Virology (Dr. Otto Haller and Dr Jean Lindenmann) and Molecular Biology (Dr. Charles Weissmann), and at the Scripps Research Foundation, La Jolla, in the Molecular Biology Department (Dr. Greg Sutcliffe).


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Study Reveals The Most Dangerous Place To Sit In A Car
Apr 26 2019, 17:38 UTC
Benjamin B/Shutterstock
Cars are one of the riskiest ways to travel; although nowhere near as deadly as the motorbike, the trusty old automobile is notably more dangerous than ferries, trains, buses, and flying. However, while much of the attention in terms of car safety has been put on the driver, it looks like other passengers could be more at risk.
New research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has looked into the safety of backseat passengers in car crashes. Their findings showed that passengers in the back seats might actually be more at risk of injury or death than those riding up front in certain scenarios. This might sound surprising, but there's an interesting explanation for it.
The IIHC argues that car manufacturers have gone to huge lengths to improve the safety of front-seat passengers and drivers, most notably by the introduction of new airbag technology. Meanwhile, the safety of backseat passengers has not enjoyed the same level of attention. The report found that rear seatbelts are considerably less efficient and less likely to come with "force limiters", which help to reduce injuries from seatbelts.
"Manufacturers have put a lot of work into improving protection for drivers and front-seat passengers. Our moderate overlap front crash test and, more recently, our driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front tests are a big reason why," David Harkey, president of the IIHS, said in a statement.
"We hope a new evaluation will spur similar progress in the back seat," he added.
The study investigated 117 car crashes in which rear-seat occupants were killed or seriously injured using photographs, police and medical records, and crash investigation and autopsy reports. In many instances, the backseat passengers were injured more severely than the front-seat occupants, suggesting a discrepancy in safety between the front and rear rows. They also found the most common type of injury sustained in these cases were chest injuries, closely followed by head injuries.
They conclude by urging car manufacturers to focus more on the safety of backseat passengers. For example, force limiters could be fairly easily installed. Equally, some Ford and Mercedes-Benz cars have seatbelts that are armed with an inflatable airbag designed to distribute force across the torso and chest. However, implementing a lot of this technology wouldn't be as easy as it sounds.
"We're confident that vehicle manufacturers can find a way to solve this puzzle in the back seat just as they were able to do in the front," Harkey said.
injury,
safety,


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WHAT CITY?
Bart Goldhoorn
OPEN URBANISM
In the last 30 years European urbanism has developed a new paradigm - one that is based on diversity and urban block typologies. To a large extend this is a reaction to a shift from socialist to...
Beatriz Ramo
The lecture will present different projects and researches of the STAR strategies + architecture focusing on one of the latest project entitled "Co-Residence: Habiter en Grand"....
Rasa Čepaitienė
Reading a city: Reflections of ideologies in the urbanscape
In this lecture we will talk about probably the most easily identified - political-ideological level of the city code. Main question - what are the aspirations which fuel and what tools are used by...
A SMARTER CITY
In the competition between cities, smart is the latest craze. We've passed the 'creative class' stage and moved into all sorts of smartness – a notion that ranges from city-wide...
Leonidas Donskis
MEMORY WARS IN THE CITY: UTOPIAS, EUTOPIAS AND DYSTOPIAS
After 20th century social experiments, humanity lost their interest in utopias. Even an idea of just right and good society is mocked and considered to be part of a utopian fantasy. Today we are no...
Previously praised ideas of sterile order and strict logic of the cities were changed by a vision of a city as a positively conflicting and attractive space for the people. Utopias of the past received as much criticism as they received praise before. Environment started to be shaped by an ambivalent neoliberal market. This does not necessarily mean that contemporary society is unable to project the future. This does not mean that contemporary cities are not ideological creations and products of an utopian mindset.
The goal of these lectures is to discuss what is a contemporary city, what shapes its image, what role ideology takes and who has the power to make changes. Creation of visions, improvement of the spaces and attraction of the minds - it is everything what most of the competing cities do today. But is it possible for a city without cultural, political or social position to survive this competition?
Curators: Ieva Cicėnaitė, Andrius Ropolas, Matas Šiupšinskas
Poster illustrator: Karolis Strautniekas
The talks are held every Thursday, 8.00 p.m. at the National Art Gallery (NDG), Konstitucijos av. 22, Vilnius.
DO IT YOURSELF. CREATING PUBLIC URBAN SPACE
Patrizia Di Monte
ESTONOESUNSOLAR: URBAN ENTROPY
Contemporary cities present a wide variety of unresolved issues, as shown by the many different abandoned plots of land that exist in the urban fabric. The...
COLLECTIF ETC. Maxence Bohn, Benoit Poirier
Towards creative citizenship
Through the creation history of Collectif Etc, we will discussed about how young architects can be involved politically and socialy, closed to citizens concerned, creating new tools for urban...
Pihla Meskanen
Architecture education for everyone!
Arkki provides architecture courses for children and youth, and wishes to light a spark in young people´s minds so that they want to influence and participate in the development of...
ZULOARK. Manuel Dominguez
The role of the architect in society
"Indiana Jones plays no role in the outcome in "Raiders of Lost Ark" If he weren't in the film, it would turn out exactly the same… If he weren't in the movie, the...
Cathy Lang Ho
Power from the People: New Forms of Urban Activism
Around the world, citizens are initiating actions to improve public urban space. These acts embody a political philosophy, an urban ideology, and a cultural trend in which literally anyone can be...
The thirteenth series of lectures by "Architecture [discussion] fund will explore and discuss a do-it-yourself urbanism and an alternative for environment creation process. Since we all are users of a public space, how can we become its active creators?
Curators: Ieva Saldauskaitė, Margarita Kaučikaitė
Illustrator: Renata Mikalauskaitė
NON-COLOBORATION - ON SCULPTURE
Rasa Antanaviciute, Ula Tornau, Audrius Ambrasas, Tomas...
SCULPTURE IN PUBLIC SPACES: VALUES OF ARTISTS, CLIENTS AND THE PUBLIC
Diverse experiences of the panel will reveal why the artists' relation to the public and contemporary art remains so complicated. Is the idea of a Spanish philosopher José...
Discussion with Laima Kreivytė and Deimantas Narkevičius
Application of contemporary art
How were international artistic practises applied in the contemporary Lithuanian art scene during the Soviet times and how is it done now? What exactly happens when contemporary art leaves...
Discussion with Aušra Maldeikienė and Ernestas Parulskis
Sculpture economics
Is it possible to consider sculpture in the city as an investment? It is not correct. However, if we decide to stay in the field of economics, other questions arise: who gets the sculptural...
Discussion with Jaketerina Lavrinec, Aurimas Švedas,...
Tactics of cultural resistance
When and how can an artist avoid serving a client? Is it true that creative alternative will eventually be recognised and become sought-after? Will creative people dominate the world,...
Conversation between Mindaugas Navakas and Lolita...
Glory was at the fingertips
What role do the institutions, such as art schools, galleries, museums and non-governmental projects play in the creative path of an artist in local and international art scenes? How has the...
Today a lively discussion is going on about the collaboration among the representatives of various fields, including artists. But how does this cooperation is actually being realised? How do current political, economic, sociocultural and technologic shifts transform our perception of public spaces? Why are clients and the public not collaborating in face of new opportunities?
The twelfth discussion series organised by the Architecture Fund is aimed at learning to cooperate. The Mindaugas Navakas retrospective "Glory Was at the Fingertips" taking place in the National Gallery of Art and the surrounding public spaces was chosen as the starting point. While discussing with the guests who have various experiences and answering the questions of the audience we will seek to understand the causes of non-cooperation among artists.
Curators: Ieva Cicėnaitė, Elona Lubytė, Matas Šiupšinskas
Illustrator: Ugnė Balčiūnaitė
HOW DID I GET HERE?* NATIONAL IDENTITY IN ARCHITECTURE
Nerija Putinaitė
The new "traditional" soviet celebrations and their architectural forms
So called "new traditional holidays" were introduced in Lithuania by the soviet union in the 1960ies. The aim of the policy was to diminish importance of the catholic church in the...
Jan Knikker
National Identity in Global Architecture
MVRDV is the ultimate representative of "Superdutch", a 1990's generation of Netherlands architects who turned a Dutch version of iconic modernism into a worldwide export product. As the wish for a...
Pekka Korvenmaa
Influence flow in the periphery. Finnish architecture and the Baltic sphere
It highlights the influence Finnish architecture had in the Baltic sphere, including Lithuania, from 1900 to 1960s. It demonstrates how "peripheries" can communicate without always being...
Discussion with the public image of Lithuania developers:...
Courageous Lithuania
Three creative and inspiring figures from different disciplines and fields will participate in the discussion. With you and them we will discuss: what is the uniqueness of Lithuania? What brand of...
Discussion with architects: Gintautas Natkevičius,...
The new architectural identities
The twenty years period of independence in Lithuania is covered with great architectural discoveries as well as with disappointing mistakes. In this lecture we will try to rethink and...
Architecture creates living and social environment that reflects political and economic changes, lifestyle and history. It represents people that identify themselves with the region, country or one another. However at the same time it is used vice versa as a tool to construct identity. Post-industrialist society is often making architecture as a commodity or as an economic and political power symbol and rarely it represents country, nation or society. Naturally we ask if national identity in architecture is needed or even if it ever existed, isn't it just a nostalgic myth, created and constructed story, symbol that one could sell and take advantage off.
Lithuania being part of the EU and in the globalizing world is trying to stand out as unique country and represent itself in architecture. However, in Lithuania, small nation with big and complex history, perception of the national identity is often confused, overlapped and probably have never been truly formulated. In the eleventh architecture [discussion] fund session with the lectures, discussions, excursions and exhibitions we will analyse the multidimensional and controversial theme of the national identity in architecture.
* The title # 106 "How did I get here" is taken from the art project "Show Title"by Stefan Brüggemann.
Cycle is curated by: Julija Reklaitė, Justina Muliuolytė, Tadas Jonauskis


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Digital print on adhesive film, 10x12.5"
Digital print on adhesive film, 16x20"
The central theme of this work is the recognition of lost items. I have cataloged 603 found objects and articles of clothing from the lost and found section at the Hosmer Elementary School in Watertown, MA during the 2015/2016 school year. Through this work I am exploring the dualities of memory and forgetting and possession and loss, and how these elements influence our identity construction, social relationships, and our relationship to objects. The collected items are isolated from the function, purpose, and meaning they held before becoming lost. Cataloged by both color and type, they are presented in large-scale grids on digital adhesive film, applied directly to the wall. My bewilderment by the mass of forgotten items was the impetus for the meticulous process I began of documenting, collecting, and organizing in an attempt to make sense of the material waste discarded by a school community during the course of a year.


Iconic techno DJ Adam Beyer brings his Drumcode label to Bristol's Motion this November for a night alongside some of his favourite artists, including Alan Fitzpatrick and wife Ida Engberg.
The night will go from 9pm until 6am. Last entry will be 11:30pm.


The last half a decade has been relatively quiet on the European investment scene, but BHN's January 2014 survey of the hotel investment community suggests that the music that began to play more loudly in 2013 will likely get a bit noisier in 2014! Finally, it appears that one of the largest and most important hotel markets in the world – Europe – is getting some respect again.
BHN posed the question about the expected overall level of deal activity in 2014 when compared to 2013, with the choices of more, the same, or less. Nearly 75 percent of respondents expect deal activity levels to be greater in Europe in 2014, while a miniscule 3 percent expect deal activity levels to decrease.
BHN recently asked the same question in surveys focused on the Asian and U.S. hotel investment communities. When comparing the survey results, it showed that the expectation for increased deal activity in the coming year was actually stronger in Europe than in the U.S., or anywhere BHN measured within Asia. The number of respondents who expected deal activity to grow in the U.S. and Southeast Asia was 65 percent and 62 percent respectively, with the rest of Asia at 50 percent or lower. In fairness, each of these markets has different ownership and investment dynamics – but the key take-away from these surveys is that investor confidence in Europe is coming back.
Part of the improved outlook for deal activity is likely due to the expectation that hotel lending in Europe should finally start to increase. Lending community activity had been largely non-existent due to the recession, economic instability, the recent memory of deals gone south, and the tough European regulatory climate.
When we posed the question to the survey respondents about their confidence in an increase in bank lending activity in Europe by September 2014, almost 90 percent were somewhat or very confident that lending volumes would increase. This is huge change from the answer to the same question we received a year ago, when approximately 50 percent of respondents were somewhat or very confident they would see an increase in bank lending by September 2013.
The growth in investor optimism is in sync with the expectation of improved industry fundamentals. We asked about the outlook for RevPAR growth in 2014 in Europe. The same question was also posed in January of the two prior years, and the resulting expectations show a steady and solid improvement. This most recent survey indicates that 89 percent of the survey respondents expect RevPAR growth in Europe in 2014. This compares to 68 percent who expected growth in 2013, and 54 percent who expected growth in 2012.
Similar RevPAR expectation surveys were conducted in Asia and the U.S. at the same time earlier this year. These surveys show more cooling in India and China, with less than 50 percent of respondents expecting to see growth in RevPAR in these countries, and almost 75 percent of respondents expecting growth in RevPAR in Southeast Asia in 2014. It has been a long time since the outlook for RevPAR growth in Europe was stronger than in Asia.
Where is the volume the loudest – in the U.S. where 100% (yes 100%) of survey respondents indicated that they expect RevPAR growth in the country in 2014. The very low growth in new supply the past several years, coupled with the steadily improving economy have pushed expectations to be optimistic in the U.S. for the coming year.
Hotel Investment – Where In Europe?
We asked a question about from where you expect your new business will come in 2014. The top five destinations were UK/Ireland and Germany tied for the top spot, followed by the Iberian Peninsula, Russia, and Turkey. The same top five were reported last year, but Germany and the Iberian Peninsula each moved up three notches in terms of expectations of where business will be generated.
Lastly, in terms of "hot spot" cities for hotel investment, the top three were London, Barcelona, and Istanbul. London has sat on top of this survey for three straight years, while Barcelona has knocked Paris out of the top three.


Home // BRANDS // XOXO Art Co.
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text:
<?php
namespace Scalr\Service\Aws\Elb\DataType;

use Scalr\Service\Aws\Elb\AbstractElbListDataType;

/**
 * LoadBalancerDescriptionList
 *
 * @author   Vitaliy Demidov   <vitaliy@scalr.com>
 * @since    02.10.2012
 * @method   LoadBalancerDescriptionData get() get($position = null) Gets LoadBalancerDescriptionData at specified position
 *                                                                   in the list.
 */
class LoadBalancerDescriptionList extends AbstractElbListDataType
{

    /**
     * Constructor
     *
     * @param array|LoadBalancerDescriptionList  $aListData  Load Balancer Description list
     */
    public function __construct($aListData = null)
    {
        parent::__construct($aListData, array('loadBalancerName'), 'Scalr\\Service\\Aws\\Elb\\DataType\\LoadBalancerDescriptionData');
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritdoc}
     * @see Scalr\Service\Aws\DataType.ListDataType::getQueryArray()
     */
    public function getQueryArray($uriParameterName = 'LoadBalancerNames', $member = true)
    {
        return parent::getQueryArray($uriParameterName);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
How Pacers' Malcolm Brogdon plans to address social justice with his foundation
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Amid concerns on how the United States failed to address the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing systemic racism in the country, the Indiana Pacers' Malcolm Brogdon initially harbored the same views that Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving had about the NBA resuming the season.
"Early on I thought, 'Does it make sense to sit out? Does it make sense to play?' " Brogdon said in a video conference call with a handful of reporters on Tuesday.
"I was trying to figure out that battle."
Not only did Brogdon determine he should play, he concluded this decision would give him the biggest platform to spark change. Therefore, Brogdon launched the "Brogdon Family Foundation," an organization he will chair with his mother (Jann Adams) serving as the executive director.
The foundation will oversee various initiatives aimed to bring social justice and education reforms domestically as well as provide access to clean water in African countries.
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Brogdon, who grew up in Atlanta, formulated these ideas after studying various civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Brogdon's grandfather, John Hurst Adams, had protested with Dr. King and also organized his own protests in Waco, Texas, and Seattle.
"Dr King and all of these other people that had different jobs, they didn't stop working to march," Brogdon said. "I don't think it has to be an either/or. I think it can be an 'and.' So I decided to do both. I think I can make more noise and can have a bigger platform and bigger voice while playing and while continuing my work here in the bubble."
What will he do with his platform?
Brogdon's foundation plans to work with the Indiana Pacers as well as local and state officials to improve voter turnout and reduce voter suppression in Black communities. That way it becomes more likely that reforms in the education, health care and criminal justice systems happen.
Brogdon's grandfather once told him, "education is the path to liberation." So Brogdon has created a JHA education fund in his grandfather's name to increase resources for mentoring, literacy and what he called "high-impact experiences," including mission trips.
Brogdon's foundation has partnered with the Global Preparatory Academy, a K-8 bilingual charter school that has 78% of its students participating in the National School Lunch program. In the fall of 2020, Brogdon's foundation plans to partner with three other Indianapolis schools (Floro Torrence, James Whitcomb Riley, Eleanor Skillen).
Lastly, Brogdon has founded "Hoops 4 Humanity," which plans to fund clean water projects for countries in East Africa. He had addressed similar initiatives through Hoops20, an effort he founded in partnership with the Chris Long Foundation. But Brogdon said the latest initiative will offer more financial resources. The foundation plans to launch a pilot school in Tanzania sometime this summer and another school in Kenya sometime in 2021. It also plans to collaborate with the NBA's Basketball Africa League.
Brogdon also has received commitments to join the initiative from 10 NBA players and three WNBA players, including: The Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry; The Brooklyn Nets' Garrett Temple, Joe Harris and Justin Anderson; The Milwaukee Bucks' Donte DiVincenzo; The Detroit Pistons' Tim Frazier; The Atlanta Hawks' Kevin Huerter and De'Andre Hunter; The Phoenix Suns' Ty Jerome; The Memphis Grizzlies' Anthony Tolliver; The Chicago Sky's Diamond DeShields; The Atlanta Dream's Betnijah Laney; and the Indiana Fever's Victoria Vivians.
"We're seeing a lot of people being divided right now. But we're seeing people come together and support each other," Brogdon said. "It's a huge opportunity for the foundation to dive into that. And to continue to bring awareness to that while people's hearts and minds are focused on that."
Brogdon had already raised awareness this summer when he joined Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown in a peaceful protest in Atlanta less than a week after a white police officer (Derek Chauvin) killed an unarmed black man (George Floyd) in Minneapolis. Brogdon wrote an op-ed for USA TODAY.
After testing positive from COVID-19 and eventually recovering from it, Brogdon has worn a mask during all of the Pacers' practice sessions. All participants have to wear masks in public settings, but players are exempt from wearing them during practices and games. But Brogdon wanted to highlight the importance of wearing one.
Brogdon's civic mindedness stems from his childhood experiences when he traveled to several African countries. At 9 years old, Brogdon traveled with his mother, father and two brothers to Ghana for three weeks for what he called "an educational trip."
At age 14, Brogdon went with his grandparents on a mission trip to South Africa and Malawi where he helped distribute school supplies to local students. Brogdon has visited Tanzania twice in recent years to help with various projects that gave local citizens better access to water.
Last summer, Brogdon went on a "Basketball Without Borders" trip to Senegal. During all of those trips, Brogdon saw firsthand how a lack of access to basic necessities exacerbated the countries' poverty.
"I knew I would want to help people," Brogdon said. "I just didn't know how I would do it through what means and what avenues."
Brogdon has since figured out how he wants to help people, something he believes he can do partly because the NBA has resumed the season.
"Playing allows you to amplify your platform. It allows you to continue to focus on you," Brogdon said. "By focusing on you, they're indirectly going to focus on whatever you're saying to the media. They're focusing on whatever you put on your jersey. They're focusing on everything you do while you are in Orlando and while you are in the bubble playing. People are going to have to pay attention if they want to watch basketball."


text:
Pi Kappa Phi hosts pageant to raise funds and awareness to benefit people with disabilities
pikappNSU / March 3, 2011
Junior Amy Dodson has been named the 2011 Northwestern State University Miss Push America. Dodson and 16 other contestants competed for the title. The pageant, an outreach project of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, aims to raise awareness on behalf of people with disabilities.
Prior to the competition, contestants were encouraged to raise funds and awareness for the fraternity's philanthropy, Push America.
Since 1977, Push America has raised millions of dollars for and positively impacted the lives of thousands of people with disabilities. Thursday's contestants included Jessi Nuss, Alyson Humphrey, Amy Dodson, Shannon Byrd, Brittny Cain, Brittany Jeanice, Whitney Irvin, Logan Wallace, Chelsea Giles, Tiffany Hudson, Hayley Wilson, Meaghan Foucheux, Gillian Brown, Patience West, Amy Pogue, Heather Ray, and Ashley Rogers.
The overall winner was selected based on judges' scoring from interviews, fitness/sportswear, evening gown, and an on-stage question. A non-scoring talent portion included performances by contestants.
Miss Push America Amy Dodson will serve as an ambassador for Push America on the NSU campus during the 2011-2012 school year. "I am so proud to represent Push America and work to help my fellow students gain a greater understanding of disabilities," Dodson said.
An English major from, Ragley, Louisiana, Dodson aims to become an "awesome teacher" and work at the same school as her father. She hopes to become their cheer sponsor and assist in guiding many of the extra-curricular activities offered by the school. Her interests include shopping, spending time with friends and family, as well as cheering on the NSU Demons.
2nd runner-up was Hayley Wilson and 1st runner-up was Tiffany Hudson.
More than $3,000 was raised through the pageant and will support Push America's programs to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities and continue providing service opportunities for members of Pi Kappa Phi nationwide.
The NSU chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity regularly engages its members in service projects on behalf of Push America. Most recently, members participated in a cycle-a-thon and camped out on a scaffold for 48 hours to raise money and awareness. Last summer, one member participated in the Journey of Hope, a cross-country bicycle ride from San Francisco, CA to Washington, DC. Along the journey, riders participate in service projects and raising awareness about disabilities. Members have also participated in Gear Up Florida, a two-week cycling trip across Florida, fashioned in the likeness of the Journey of Hope.
Beta Omicron Chapter president Scott Mayeaux and friend of the fraternity, Whitney Mixon, organized the pageant. Mayeaux said Push America is gaining recognition on the NSU campus. "We are providing unmatched experiences for our members to be leaders in their community. Service through Push America only furthers that effort," said Mayeaux. "Most of all, we want to help spread a message of acceptance and understanding for people with disabilities."
March 3, 2011 in Service.
Pi Kappa Phi to host annual Miss Push America Pageant
Pi Kappa Phi to host Miss Push America Pageant
Alaina Davis crowned Miss Push America 2012
← Pi Kappa Phi to host annual Miss Push America Pageant
Six recognized for going 'Extra Mile' in studies at NSU →


text:
All four of China's major coal-price indices have stopped being updated after a concurrence of factors sent the price of coal surging in recent weeks – signalling that the government has stepped in to cool the overheated coal market.
The factors said to be responsible for the soaring prices include China's booming post-coronavirus industrial recovery, the annual sharp uptick in demand for coal to provide heat during the cold winter months, and an ongoing crackdown on illegal mines. Other factors at play include problems arising as local governments implement rules designed to curb pollution, and Beijing's restrictions placed on coal imports, according to analysts.
The rare pricing freeze-out makes it more difficult for traders and analysts to predict market prices, but some say the trend of high prices shows no sign of abating in the short term, while coal supplies continue to dwindle at an alarming rate.
With coal prices having surged by more than 10 per cent in December, the China Electricity Council – a big industry group of China's electricity producers – on Wednesday stopped updating the widely cited China Electricity Coal Index (CECI), citing "surging spot prices" and "chaotic pricing", according to a public announcement.
The same day, the China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association (CCTD), another influential industry group, also halted publishing its Bohai Rim port area's spot price for thermal coal – a measure of coal prices in northern Chinese ports – because of "volatile and abnormal price fluctuations in the market", it said in a notice. It had also delayed updating the price earlier in the month, on December 3, because of soaring prices.
Before the December 30 data freeze, CECI's spot price for 5,500 kcal/kg thermal coal rose to 751 yuan (US$115.50) per tonne, and CCTD's spot price for 5,500 kcal/kg thermal coal price surged to 706 yuan per tonne. Both prices were record highs for 2020. The prices fluctuate depending on the source. The National Bureau of Statistics said the price of 5,500 kcal/kg Shanxi high-quality thermal coal rose to 699 yuan per tonne last month.
The pricing freeze-outs by those two major benchmark indices in China's coal market followed the pricing suspensions of two daily and weekly price indices by other companies in early December.
"The coal market has been severely distorted by speculation in the spot and futures markets, threatening the supply and price control of thermal coal," the China Electricity Council said in a statement after halting its index. "During this special period, the governments needs to further adopt special and comprehensive measures to increase coal supply and crack down on market speculation, to ensure the supply of thermal coal, stabilise prices, and guide the market to return to a reasonable range as soon as possible."
It added that the coal supply still faces increasing pressure this winter, as it remains difficult for main production areas to boost output, while coal inventory in northern areas is dwindling, with a particular shortage of high-quality, low-sulfur coal.
"In the short term, coal prices will continue to stay strong," Xu Wenhui, a CCTD coal analyst, said on Monday. "During the past week, there was widespread cooling across the country, and the daily consumption of coal in power plants further increased … Inventories at some power plants have already fallen below the warning line."
We expect that the supply and demand of the domestic coal market will continue to be in a state of tension in the short term, and that coal prices will remain at a high level
Xu Wenhui, CCTD
He added that power plants are still looking to purchase coal, but the output from three major producing areas has been insufficient due to "a variety of factors", including environmental protection measures, leading to weaker supply than demand.
"Restrictions on imported coal are also ongoing, and unlikely to be reversed any time soon," Xu said. "We expect that the supply and demand of the domestic coal market will continue to be in a state of tension in the short term, and that coal prices will remain at a high level."
China informally banned Australian coal last year amid souring ties between the two countries, but the move has added pressure in a country desperate for coal, according to commodities analysts. Beijing has said it intends to loosen some restrictions over imported coal, but coal imports currently account for less than 10 per cent of China's total supply, according to official figures. Other major foreign sources of coal include Indonesia, Russia, the Philippines and Mongolia.
Last month, China suffered its worst power blackouts in a decade, and analysts pointed fingers at the resurgence of manufacturing, the coal shortage and China's central economic planning. Some power plants have said recently that they had only enough coal left to operate for matter of days or a couple of weeks.
In Anyang, a city of more than 5 million people in central China's Henan province, two major thermal power plants had enough coal to last less than 10 days, which was below the minimum requirement of 15 days, according to a government report published last week.
The Anyang government said the main reasons for the shortage included low output from Shanxi province, the main supplier for the city's coal, after several coal mines stopped production, in addition to logistical problems involving transport. Henan's provincial government has required that natural-gas vehicles – meeting the latest emission standards – be used to transport coal, but fewer than half of the available vehicles are natural-gas powered.
On Friday, China's seven largest coal producers endorsed the stabilising of prices by speeding up the signing of medium- to long-term coal contracts in 2021 to curb volatile price fluctuations.
The nationwide coal shortage started to loom large in early November, when domestic coal-producing areas, including Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, said they had reduced supplies amid the government's ongoing crackdown on illegal sales of coal.
In the first 11 months of last year, coal output from Inner Mongolia, China's largest coal-producing province, dropped 9 per cent from a year earlier to 900 million tonnes. After Beijing intervened in December to ask three coal-rich provinces to boost output, daily output in Inner Mongolia rose 16 per cent from the average production level seen during the year's first three quarters, according to state media.
More from South China Morning Post:
China's economic expectations turned on their head by the coronavirus
China suffers worst power blackouts in a decade, on post-coronavirus export boom, coal supply shortage
This article China's coal-price indices stop revealing surging prices as demand soars and inventories 'fall below warning line' first appeared on South China Morning Post
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When thinking about fruit beers and fruit flavours in more traditional beer styles, watermelon is certainly a very frequent ingredient many brewers seem to ponder using. In fact, there are many commercial examples of watermelon-flavoured IPAs, Blonde Ales, Wheat Beers, and even Sours, so the concept is definitely worth exploring.
Just imagine the fresh, sweet character of ripe watermelon in a Pale Ale – sounds tasty, right? Yet, if you'll try to use actual watermelon in your brew the end result might be not as pleasant as you would imagine, since there are many compounds in watermelon that will be transformed during fermentation.
Usage: The best way to add a distinct taste of ripe watermelon to just any beer type is using Brewer's Best All Natural Watermelon Flavouring. With this flavouring you won't need to play around with actual watermelons, which may significantly impact the end flavour of your beer.
Just add the entire bottle's contents to a 5 gallon homebrew batch after secondary fermentation and before bottling or kegging, and you will get a pronounced watermelon character in the final beer. Or use according to taste in cider, mead, soda, wine or any other homemade beverage of your preference.


Lie on your back on the floor, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Don't press your neck or lower back to the floor.
Lean both of your knees to one side. Turn your head in the opposite direction. Keep your shoulders flat on the floor. Be gentle and don't push through pain.
Hold for 20 seconds. Then slowly move your knees and head in the other direction.
Repeat 2 to 5 times, or as instructed.