If your employer provides you with a defined benefit (DB) pension consider yourself lucky. According a 2009 study by Statistics Canada, fewer Canadian employees are covered by DB plans today. In 1991 41 per cent of Canadians were covered by DB, while in 2006 only 30 per cent of employees were covered. If you have a DB plan you've probably heard of the commuted value (CV), but do you really understand it? Let's explore the CV and the various options available to you if you terminate your employment.
The CV is a lump sum payment representing the present value of a member's accrued pension. In layman's terms, the CV represents how much money you would have to invest today to pay your future monthly pension. The CV goes by many names: transfer value, lump sum value, and actuarial present value.
Your monthly accrued pension times 12 times the annuity factor.
While your monthly pension is easy to figure out (you can check on your annual pension statement), the annuity factor is very complicated – it's based on the interest rate in effect, the age of the employee and various actuarial assumptions. The CV isn't just something you can calculate yourself – you'll need to speak with your employer or pension administrator to determine it.
What affects the value of my commuted value?
Besides your accrued pension, two of the major factors that determine your CV are your age and the interest rates currently in effect. There is a direct relationship between your age and the CV: the older you are, the higher the CV (even for a younger employee with the same accrued pension as an older worker). The logic behind this involves the time value of money. While the younger employee has more time to invest the money and realize the power of compound interest, the older employee is closer to retirement and thus has less time to invest the lump sum.
Besides your age, the interest rates currently in effect have an impact on the CV. There is an indirect relationship between the CV and interest rates: the higher the interest rates the lower the CV and vice-versa. This again has to do with time value of money – if you were to invest a lower amount you would need a higher interest rate to end up with the same retirement savings as investing a higher amount with a lower interest rate. Unfortunately you don't have any control over interest rates, but it's handy to know in case you decide to terminate your employment and transfer your CV.
Deferred Pension or Commuted Value?
Employees who leave their job prior to retirement are faced with a tough decision: should they elect a deferred pension or the CV? Before making this important financial decision it's a good idea to consult a financial advisor since either decision can have a major financial impact on your retirement. Both options have their risks and rewards.
With a deferred pension you essentially leave your accrued pension with your employer until you are eligible for retirement; this can be a good thing since your pension is safe with your employer and will be paid out as a monthly pension when you opt to retire. However, some disadvantages are that your pension won't grow and your money remains with your employer, so it could be at risk if something were to happen to your employer.
The other option is transferring the commuted value to a locked-in RRSP or retirement vehicle. The major advantage is the CV provides greater financial control over your retirement savings. You can invest your money and realize a decent return. Unfortunately there's a risk – since you're investing your retirement savings they aren't guaranteed, so you could potentially lose a substantial amount of your retirement nest egg. Another disadvantage may be that employees who elect the CV won't be eligible for post-retirement benefits, such as health and dental coverage (although most employers are doing away with them to save on costs).
Hopefully you've gained a better understanding of the CV. As I've mentioned, it's very complicated to calculate and a very major financial decision whether to terminate your employment and take the CV or take a deferred pension. Be sure to think long and carefully about it and consult your financial advisor.
Consider yourself lucky? I think you could have left that opinion out. The comments to your previous article on pensions made it clear a lot of people view DB plans as unstable pyramids. The fact you make a living off them doesn't make them great or the beneficiaries lucky.
My (former) neighbour who spent 30 years with Nortel and retired in 1994 had massive reductions in his pension to the point he had to sell his home and downsize.
His *luck* (like his underfunded pension plan) ran out.
Also, with a monthly cheque from pension, one feels secure and in control, as opposed to your money tied into a LIRA (with all the withdrawal restrictions) and no monthly cheque. LIRA seems abetter option with a large CV, but either one has to have the smarts to looka fter it and make it grow, or pay someone else to do it for you.
Let's say you had some way of knowing that the current interest rates used by your DB plan were going to go up next month. If you plan to quit your job and take the CV, would you actually get more money out of it by quitting now as opposed to next month after the rate increase?
Also, could someone give an example of how the annuity factor could be calculated, for a given interest rate, age, and reasonable actuarial assumptions (whatever those are)?
I didn't even know CV existed in my pension. Actually I should check if mine is there. As far as I know, it currently says our DB gets adjusted for CPI index every year.
Is there ever a reason why someone would want to take their CV instead of pension?
Can we just bother our employer's HR department to get an estimate of our current CV? I ask because the first time I applied for a mortgage (when I had very limited assets), the banker put a blue-sky estimate of my pension's value into her calculations to make me look better. It would be nice to have a real number for that (although now that my financial situation has improved, they don't seem to care about that number as much!).
I would also question the validity of the commerce profs at Ryerson.
The good thing is that he is "20something" and obviously willing to learn, and learn about all the dry stuff the 60somethings who can't retire should have spent some time learning when they were his age.
He is, however, willing to put his neck out and write these articles for which he may or may not receive an inordinate amount of flack (not AFLAC!, just flack), which is more than most of us would care to do lest the same happens to us!
Just a slight tangent. The underlying concern most people have is running out of money. DB's sound great because that shouldn't happen – but as noted, if the plan goes under then you're really screwed.
Manulife has done some math around the idea of balancing risk vs. running out of money. I believe they created a structure similiar to asset allocation, but doing investment allocation instead – balancing long term guarantees with risk and return. I didn't take notes during the presenation so I'm no expert, however if you want to see some actual calculated strategy around ensuring you don't run out of money in retirement, I'd suggest Manulife is one place to investigate. Frankly I was impressed simply with the fact that they've done some research and backed it up with some probability and statistics rather than marketing.
Like Manulife did with the Guaranteed Income Funds with Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefit and Death Benefits that almost bankrupted them, and why most other insurers do not offer them anymore!! ??
As a young "20something" teacher, I am one of the few who don't like the DB plan. I would much rather have a defined contribution plan. My pension fund is massive and has a difficult time returning market averages. I believe I would be much further ahead if I took my money, and what the government (my employer) are already putting in the pot, and investing it myself.
The other thing I have to take into consideration is that I'm fairly certain I don't want to be a teacher for a full thirty years. I thrive on change and new challenges; therefore, I would prefer to be able to take my defined contribution plan with me when I go, quickly and easily. This is often extremely difficult to do with the bureaucratic nightmare that is a defined benefit plan. At the end of the day, I'm fairly certain something will be left for me, but I would feel much more secure with my money in my own account and away from the hands of an ageing group of babyboomers who may outlive their own contributions and start eating into mine!
I'm just thankful to have a pension fund. Many workers today will never have such benefits and younger workers need to invest in RRSPs early and often – they should not count on anyone else to plan for their retirement but themselves.
Oh and the one thing I agree on is that a DB Plan may not be there in the future. I don't count that in my retirement plans and assume that money does not exist. The only thing I may count on is my contributions and nothing more.
Therefore, part of my monthly budget is to have a minimum amount of savings a month (about 3-5 times what I contribute to my plan) per month and doing my own investing outside my pension plan.
The explanation is all wrong. My commuted valued continues to go lower as I get older. I can retire at 55 and since I am older than that , less money is needed in my commuted value to pay my pension when I actually do retire. Then there is the capitalized value of the pension for divorce and then each province has it's own rules and federal pensions have different rules. It is all wrong, don't believe what you read here. Hire an Actuary.
Before I attain 55 I will have 31 years service with a DB pland annual salary will have averaged around 65000 during the pass 5 years, is the CV advisable in my case? I am single and would like to be able to use some money maybe to even purchase a home outright. Not sure what to do.
10. Whether the client requires an estate value after the death of the client and surviving spouse; or whether there are other individuals who are dependent on the client and the client's health status.
Each of these factors may be an advantage or a disadvantage to a pension transfer, depending on the client's circumstances. It is the combined effect of all factors that determines overall what option is in the client's best interests.


text:
HomeData Center
Appliances Offer Quick Access to the Cloud
By Arthur Cole
Enterprise architectures were complicated enough even before virtual and cloud technologies came along.
Small wonder then that organizations are turning to the same tools that simplified physical infrastructure to gain quick access to the cloud ? namely, the appliance.
The past few months have seen a raft of appliances loaded with all the templates and automation tools needed to quickly and easily build private clouds. In this way, enterprises can gain the experience they need to manage and maintain cloud environments without leaving the safety of their firewalls. But be forewarned, over-reliance on cloud appliances could ultimately undermine the cost and scalability benefits that the cloud is supposed to provide.
Earlier this month, IBM rolled out its next-gen cloud appliance, the Workload Deployer, which the company bills as the successor to the WebSphere CloudBurst device. The unit is loaded with patterns, templates and other tools needed to quickly define and accelerate private cloud environments, although it also enables a fair amount of customization. For instance, there is a pattern for Web applications aimed at building PaaS solutions, while a series of topology patterns can be used to build a variety of configuration and integration templates. As well, users have access to a number of hypervisor images using the system's Image Construction and Composition Tool.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is closing in on its long-awaited Azure appliance initially touted as a "private cloud in a box" solution. Fujitsu has slated its Global Cloud Platform for delivery in August, although the description given out so far has it resembling more of a containerized data center than a simple appliance. The units are said to contain hundreds, if not thousands, of servers all running the Azure platform, with initial deployments limited to data centers owned by Fujitsu, Dell, HP and other OEMs. Eventually, the concept is expected to trickle down to medium and large enterprises and public cloud providers.
At the same time, smaller firms are carving out market share with automation-rich appliances of their own. Opscode, for example, just released the Private Chef appliance that bundles everything from deployment and configuration management to infrastructure visibility and data encryption in a convenient package. The company promises a dynamic, fully scalable and automated private cloud environment in a matter of hours, rather than weeks or months.
Appliances are ideal solutions for enterprises that want to gain cloud experience but don't fully trust third-party providers with their data, according to TMCnet's Susan Campbell. As the bridge between internal data center infrastructure and the cloud, appliances can provide the flexibility and reliability that enterprises are looking for, but only if they are matched with the proper automation tools that streamline provisioning and other processes. Without them, appliances will have trouble meeting both the performance and cost requirements of the front office and the performance levels demanded of knowledge workers.
In all likelihood, appliances will fill the same role in the cloud as they do in traditional environments, that is, to offer quick access to advanced functions but then ultimately serve supporting roles as those functions become integrated into the general IT environment.
Arbor Peakflow SP v5.6 Network Management Tool Available
Juniper MAG Series Junos Pulse: Remote Access VPN
Ransomware insurance is a form of insurance specifically designed to protect...
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that utilizes encryption to...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome: A report of three cases
R. T. Scott, S. N. Beatse, E. H. Illions, R. R. Snyder
Ovarian remnant syndrome is an uncommon problem that may follow bilateral oophorectomy. These patients may present with chronic pelvic pain or pelvic masses and may require surgery to confirm or exclude the diagnosis. In this report we describe the successful use of the gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) stimulation test to identify the presence of functioning ovarian tissue in three women with ovarian remnant syndrome who presented for evaluation of persistent chronic pelvic pain. In these cases the endogenous gonadotropin flare was able to stimulate the production of significant quantities of estradiol to confirm the diagnosis. The GnRH-a stimulation test may be a useful adjunct in the evaluation of women at risk for ovarian remnant syndrome prior to proceeding with surgery.
Journal of Reproductive Medicine for the Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Published - Mar 5 1995
Dive into the research topics of 'Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome: A report of three cases'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Pelvic Pain Medicine & Life Sciences 78%
Chronic Pain Medicine & Life Sciences 60%
Ovariectomy Medicine & Life Sciences 37%
Gonadotropins Medicine & Life Sciences 34%
Scott, R. T., Beatse, S. N., Illions, E. H., & Snyder, R. R. (1995). Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome: A report of three cases. Journal of Reproductive Medicine for the Obstetrician and Gynecologist, 40(2), 143-146.
Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome : A report of three cases. / Scott, R. T.; Beatse, S. N.; Illions, E. H.; Snyder, R. R.
In: Journal of Reproductive Medicine for the Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Vol. 40, No. 2, 05.03.1995, p. 143-146.
Scott, RT, Beatse, SN, Illions, EH & Snyder, RR 1995, 'Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome: A report of three cases', Journal of Reproductive Medicine for the Obstetrician and Gynecologist, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 143-146.
Scott RT, Beatse SN, Illions EH, Snyder RR. Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome: A report of three cases. Journal of Reproductive Medicine for the Obstetrician and Gynecologist. 1995 Mar 5;40(2):143-146.
Scott, R. T. ; Beatse, S. N. ; Illions, E. H. ; Snyder, R. R. / Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome : A report of three cases. In: Journal of Reproductive Medicine for the Obstetrician and Gynecologist. 1995 ; Vol. 40, No. 2. pp. 143-146.
@article{80ba385c4ce6467dadd3fcf2d105ec68,
title = "Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome: A report of three cases",
abstract = "Ovarian remnant syndrome is an uncommon problem that may follow bilateral oophorectomy. These patients may present with chronic pelvic pain or pelvic masses and may require surgery to confirm or exclude the diagnosis. In this report we describe the successful use of the gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) stimulation test to identify the presence of functioning ovarian tissue in three women with ovarian remnant syndrome who presented for evaluation of persistent chronic pelvic pain. In these cases the endogenous gonadotropin flare was able to stimulate the production of significant quantities of estradiol to confirm the diagnosis. The GnRH-a stimulation test may be a useful adjunct in the evaluation of women at risk for ovarian remnant syndrome prior to proceeding with surgery.",
author = "Scott, {R. T.} and Beatse, {S. N.} and Illions, {E. H.} and Snyder, {R. R.}",
journal = "The Journal of reproductive medicine",
publisher = "Donna Kessel",
T1 - Use of the GnRH agonist stimulation test in the diagnosis of ovarian remnant syndrome
T2 - A report of three cases
AU - Scott, R. T.
AU - Beatse, S. N.
AU - Illions, E. H.
AU - Snyder, R. R.
N2 - Ovarian remnant syndrome is an uncommon problem that may follow bilateral oophorectomy. These patients may present with chronic pelvic pain or pelvic masses and may require surgery to confirm or exclude the diagnosis. In this report we describe the successful use of the gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) stimulation test to identify the presence of functioning ovarian tissue in three women with ovarian remnant syndrome who presented for evaluation of persistent chronic pelvic pain. In these cases the endogenous gonadotropin flare was able to stimulate the production of significant quantities of estradiol to confirm the diagnosis. The GnRH-a stimulation test may be a useful adjunct in the evaluation of women at risk for ovarian remnant syndrome prior to proceeding with surgery.
AB - Ovarian remnant syndrome is an uncommon problem that may follow bilateral oophorectomy. These patients may present with chronic pelvic pain or pelvic masses and may require surgery to confirm or exclude the diagnosis. In this report we describe the successful use of the gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) stimulation test to identify the presence of functioning ovarian tissue in three women with ovarian remnant syndrome who presented for evaluation of persistent chronic pelvic pain. In these cases the endogenous gonadotropin flare was able to stimulate the production of significant quantities of estradiol to confirm the diagnosis. The GnRH-a stimulation test may be a useful adjunct in the evaluation of women at risk for ovarian remnant syndrome prior to proceeding with surgery.
JO - The Journal of reproductive medicine
JF - The Journal of reproductive medicine


An unprecedented 96 acres offered for sale on the coveted Mayne Island. Ocean frontage, with stunning panoramic views of Pender & Saturna Islands; Plumper Sound to Washington State; and up the Navy Channel towards Salt Spring Island. Sub-division and development potential for oceanfront, rural homes, or golf course development. This massive tiered acreage houses abundant potential. Mayne Island is a one of the Southern Gulf Islands and is modestly sized at 21 square kilometers; situated between Victoria and Vancouver. Boating, fishing, hiking, or cycling can be enjoyed year-round in the temperate climate. The Island is unspoiled and remote, yet easily accessible from the BC Ferries, seaplane, water taxi or private yacht.


That said, they seem to be making amends, eating crow, etc. and hopefully the Executive leadership team will be well on their way out when said and done regardless of the Bill's status in the future. Illinois is Illinois and Chicago is Chicago so I won't hold out much hope.
They got caught, and are in damage control mode. That is not making amends.
Agreed. Back pedaling for sure. I am curious for the outcome and potential changes. Though private, their decisions surely devalued the shareholder's equity. We will see.
Just trying to get on board. Who cooks chicken to break in a new grill after buying a 1911?
I would submit, no one.
Well, it was actually Tofu Steak, Quinoa and Kale. Delicious.
Review I wrote on SA's newest release.
Very nice indeed, Brother! Very good read.
Anyone shoot a Ruger SR1911 in 10mm yet?
This is the SIG 1911 that was my "Bn.pistol" for our Afghan vacation in 2012. My Platoon had it engraved, I sent it back to SIG Custom Shop to for their "1911 treatment". It shoots allot more accurately than I can shoot it. I do shoot it in a match from time to time. Mostly I will hand down to my son when he gets big enough.
Ive been craving a new 1911 lately.
I must respectfully disagree with the first part, and partially with the second.
The biggest reason there were never more SA linkless guns built is they tried to rip off Peters-Stahl in Germany, whose patented design the Linkless is. They originally had a licensing agreement, but then stopped paying, while not stopping producing. I guess they thought this guy is on the other side of the planet and won't do anything. They figured wrong. He sued, they agreed not to build any more and IIRC (this is mid-90's) had to destroy anything they still had, which cuts the numbers even more. Only built for a couple of years I believe.
These guns have a reputation as being very accurate, the Peters-Stahl linkless 1911's are both numerous and popular among sport shooters in Germany, and still in production. Unfortunately many of them are longslide 6", not 5". Usually found with Bo-Mars installed, often with a 9mm conversion set up due to how the laws are over there, you can only own so many handguns but conversion kits don't count against that total. They sell for more over there than they do here, where they are unappreciated generally. (Going by price to get that.) So, nothing really to do with execution.
but they don't really sell that high, here is a really nice minty SA .40 Linkless that just today sold on GB for a whole $703.00 with original box/papers/etc.. If that had been a 10mm it would have brought anywhere from $200-$500 more, and it would have been mine.
I know I have been waiting to stumble across an SA Linkless in 10mm for a long time so I can get rid of my Delta Elite. People who have them don't sell them, for what that tells you. Fully supported chamber as opposed to "not" with the Colt.
Still on the hunt for a Safari Arms Enforcer or Matchmaster.
Isn't that the one with the ridiculous finger grooves?
I see Safari Arms/Olympic Arms guns on Gunbroker and GunsAmerica from time to time. Always thought of them as somewhat overpriced novelty guns. No clue how reliable they are.
Make that singular, as in "groove." Not really a groove, either, since it stuck out...protuberance? Tumor? Growth?
The later production guns (made under the "Olympic Arms" name) didn't have the Safari Arms tumor.
I wouldn't pay more than $700 for one. They had a lot of features that were only on custom guns for that time period. I have heard good and bad about them like most guns.
Seem that before, yes, very cool video!
Great video of the action of the 1911.
Vickers has a rock solid 2 handed grip and his wrists do not break with the recoil.
Loved seeing the gas expansion (some which left the barrel before the round) and then seeing some of the un-burned powder leaving the barrel.
Shot a SA EMP4 contour carry in 9mm. Very impressed with ergonomics, quality and reliability. Looking forward to putting more rounds through it.
Will be my next article for SOF.


"Do you have a wound that hasn't healed in over thirty days?" is an advertisement for recuperative hyperbaric chambers: redundant. A sign in autumn reads, "Look. Feel. Need." It is a Duane Reade Pharmacy and it is huge. It is 24 hours. It is frightening. It has everything. Time and space, kneel. To the savings? To Zeus.
It is a womb made of toiletries and light. We are home.
Within: emptiness, silence. No one is trampled, no one fights.
What did that woman see? "Shopping is a feeling," a singer says. I want to know her feeling, her dream of recursive dialysis. Violence.
We all grew up poor in a rich town, wandering a department store and watching a late-night infomercial between truck stops, where all these license plates enact impromptu Congress, America writ small, greased.
Oh, Home Shopping Network, Nigerian bank scam, dollar store and tag sale, gambling and real estate collapse: a slow retelling of myths and a scribble of new ones. Bailouts? Persephone's foreclosure, a pillar of salt. Deficits? The life of Oedipus, quantified, leaned. We buy objects and move money to tell each other stories about the things inside us we can't fix.
Let's admit this and refine it. A dictionary is, by definition, ours for the storming.
Pitchfork, torch. What is the lexicon of ownership and work? We must speak language clearly and then envision products, commercials and accounts as an epic landscape where adventure awaits and enter it like a gamer into the void. You are in love, but Nintendo draws fluid from the body and gives back Nintendo. The machine is myth and you are the myth. The word is flesh? No, the word is a series of tubes. The Internet is a form of psychic dialysis. In history, most fathers are unemployed. I can't make a purchase without answering a trick question.
Dolan lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. You can find more of his work at dolanmorgan.com.


You choose to share the basket. Up to 6 passengers in the basket. There is a stipulation that the weight of the passengers must be considered.
More than two in your party - great - as long as we can lift more than two passengers per balloon - you save.
Don't forget we meet behind The Spain Inn II Restaurant where dining can be arranged either before or after the flight.


If the word succotash makes you think of a limp and lifeless lump of cooked to death vegetables, this could not be farther from that notion. Think instead…. a big bowl of bright, fresh, sweet summer vegetables tumbled onto creamy, creamy polenta. Are you with me? I don't always think of making polenta this time of year, but it turns out that it's the perfect canvas for a basket of gorgeous summer vegetables. I think this is absolutely fantastic as is, but you can easily turn this into a more substantial meal for brunch, lunch or dinner by adding a poached egg, a piece of grilled chicken or fish or even a broiled sausage. The soft and creamy polenta is ideal for little teethers and older kids can help you pick out the vegetables, snap green beans and shell fresh peas if you're using them.
For the succotash, use any combo of vegetables you like but definitely include shallots, corn, tomatoes and green beans. We like to add fresh english peas and fava beans when we can find them. Favas take a little extra work (shelling the beans, then blanching them in salted water for 30 seconds and removing their tough skins) but are definitely worth the extra trouble. You could certainly add sliced zucchini and finely chopped herbs (basil, parsley, thyme) would be lovely too.
For the polenta, I like to use Marcella Hazan's no stir polenta method. Be sure to stir in a little butter and a whole lot of grated parmesan cheese. Your polenta will stay creamy as long as you keep it warm, but the leftovers are worth spending a few minutes on. Turn leftovers into a baking dish or cookie sheet. When it cools it will set and you can cut it into squares which you can grill or fry or simply reheat. The squares wont be creamy like just made polenta but are still delicious and great with any saucy Italian recipe. You can wrap the squares in parchment paper and freeze them to enjoy later.
Cook your polenta using Marcella Hazan's "no stir" method. It will take about 45 minutes in all, but only a minute of stirring every 10 minutes. When the polenta is cooked, stir in butter and grated parmesan cheese to taste and keep warm.
Prep all your vegetables: finely mince shallots, trim green beans (I like 1″ pieces sliced on the diagonal), halve cherry tomatoes, cut corn off the cob. I like to cut my corn on top of a cookie sheet to catch all the juices and stray kernels that try to get away. When all the corn has been cut off, run the back of your knife along the cob to release the "corn milk" which you can cook along with your kernels.
Sprinkle the shallots with a few pinches of salt and saute in oilve oil until softened. Add the green beans and cook until tender crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and their juices and cook 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute just to heat through. Add a tiny splash of red wine vinegar and stir. Taste and correct seasoning, adding a little more salt or vinegar if needed.
Spoon the succotash over polenta and sprinkle with fresh herbs of your choice.
This looks awesome. Can you teach me how to poach an egg?
Sure — I've actually gotten pretty good at this. Come over for lunch and I'll make one for ya!
I've never even heard of succotash! This looks great though and I have no prior conceptions of it… sounds yum.
Where did you grow up? I don't know if succotash is served outside the US. The kind I remember as a kid was just a frozen bag of corn, peas and lima beans (or worse yet — canned). Not too great, so this is in another league altogether.
This looks a real health dish! i love the greens! want to try asap!
And summer produce is just starting to come in…. so we're waiting as patiently as we can for the good stuff.
Wow, this is totally new to me. Succotach?! My spell check doesn't even know what it is, I've never heard of it. But it sure looks tasty!
Um…me too. I'm not sure how to even pronounce this dish. Better google now… Got it. My translator said it was a popular dish during the Great Depression. This dish has been around for a long time! Looks healthy and light – perfect for summer dish! I especially love the 3rd photo with eggs. Food looks a lot better with an egg/eggs on top. Very appetizing!!
I have definitely heard of succotash, but was never really a fan….until now. I loved your pairing with creamy polenta so much that I have featured it in The Green Bean Queen's Top Ten.


Love it when I find such bands, jazz fusion, flawless creativity and compositions. Actually they are mode berserk mode most of the time, All The Best Tape will suit your taste if you like crazy music.
They have a release on 10.03.2017 (couple of days to go) and we will surely cover it.


A Shoreham woman was stabbed and her throat was slit in a 'frenzied attack' while she was in the bath, a court has heard.
Liam Hanley, 32, unemployed and of no fixed address, denies a charge of attempted murder following the incident in Sussex Wharf, Shoreham, on Tuesday, September 4, 2018.
His trial was opened at Lewes Crown Court today (Monday, February 25).
Rachel Beckett, prosecuting, said the victim suffered 'up to 39 wounds' in the attack to her face, neck, chest, abdomen and arms - which included defensive wounds as she tried to protect herself.
She said during the assault, the woman managed to get out of the bath and tried to get away, but was stabbed in the bathroom, living room, kitchen and hallway.
Ms Beckett accuses Hanley of intending to kill the woman in a 'ferocious attack'.
She said: "It is the Crown's case that the defendant took the knife into the bathroom...he pulled her head back and slit her throat.
"He then continued to stab her and cut her with the knife, leaving up to 39 separate wounds."
The court heard that Hanley left the flat after the attack.
The jury was played a recording of the 999 call that the victim made at around 8.10pm, in which she told the handler she had been stabbed 'everywhere'.
She was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where she underwent surgery, the court heard.
After the attack, officers trying to locate Hanley received a phonecall from someone known to the defendant at around 1.30am, Ms Beckett said.
They gave information which led police to an area at the side of the A23 where they found a bag of clothing, which included tracksuit bottoms with blood stains on them, she said.
Later that day, Hanley called police and said he had seen his face on the news and knew he was wanted, the court heard.
Two officers attended the address Hanley gave them in Slough and arrested him.
Ms Beckett said police investigating the crime scene found a knife with a 17.5cm long blade, which had blood on it matching DNA samples from the defendant and the victim.


The Foundation has decided to establish a Distinguished Alumni Award that will be given for the first time in 2014.
The honoree will be chosen based on distinguished achievement/leadership in a professional field or significant civic/community contribution.
Anyone can submit a nomination online by October 1, 2013.
Please visit www.mbhsmagnet.org/alumni/distinguished for more information and to submit nominations!
The Foundation received very generous donations from the parents of graduating seniors this year. If you know of any funding needs at Blair, please submit a grant request before the Board's next meeting in October.


Weyes Blood, Pictureplane, Ramona Lisa and more reflect on the NYC underground haunts that shuttered this year.
Check out the lineup for our third and final day.
For this edition of our bi-weekly "book club," we asked big-voiced folk songwriter Weyes Blood.
Listen to a cut from the unique-voiced folk singer's new LP.
Pennsylvanian folk-rock artist Weyes Blood debuts new track off her upcoming album The Innocents.


In the fifth and final part of our series on Jaspersoft's new eGuide, Embedded Analytics—A new era of competitive advantage for software makers, we take a look at TIBCO Jaspersoft customer Waggle. The company's goal was to build an online learning application that would develop personalized learning paths for students. With a little help from Amazon Web Services and TIBCO Jaspersoft, Waggle has created learning tools capable of measuring real-time success.
Waggle set out to use big data and real-time data visualizations to help students learn better. The goal was to use this information to help teachers create shorter, smarter learning paths for their students.
Providing classrooms with an online education application that can be accessed on any device—from laptops to tablets, from any network—was certainly a bold goal. Waggle's platform would analyze not just the accuracy of students' answers, but the associated metadata too. This included the number of hints the student accessed, the number of attempts a student needed to get the answer right, and the overall difficulty of the question.
Powering this would require easily scalable data warehouses, the highest level of data security, and powerful analytic tools to process hundreds of thousands of hours of use.
Finding the right analytics solution was challenging. The Waggle team needed a BI tool that was not only affordable, but that included a powerful server for delivering dynamic reports and dashboards that non-technical users could understand. Put simply, teachers needed to get insights from their data without even knowing they were using an analytic tool.
That's where TIBCO Jaspersoft for AWS came in, helping Waggle to bring personalized learning to thousands of students nationwide. More than 800,000 user hours have already been clocked, and the number of pieces of data stored and analyzed is rapidly approaching one billion.
The results for Waggle's customers are impressive; in one case study the increase in percentage of students meeting the growth projection was 25% or greater in every grade, for 2015 (with Waggle) compared to 2014 (without Waggle). Even Gartner recognized Waggle earlier this year as a data innovator.
If you're a product manager or software engineer who'd like to know more about the value embedded analytics can offer you and your customers, take a look at the Jaspersoft eGuide. Embedded Analytics: A new era of competitive advantage for software makers sets Waggle's achievements in a broader BI context, including the market opportunity it presents and the benefits it offers to application makers and their customers.


» Church Conservation: An impossible task?
Church Conservation: An impossible task?
What does it take to care for a building that has been standing for a millennium? The Churches Conservation Trust has saved over 350 historic church buildings across England, including the hidden medieval gem of Holy Trinity in York, whose recorded origins go back to 1082.
Join the Churches Conservation Trust for a day of drop-in activities and find out how a church building is cared for. Spot issues around the building on your own 'eye spy' condition survey, learn about object conservation, handle the Trust's collection of medieval tiles and be inspired to make your own to take home.
Find out more about the Churches Conservation Trust here.


RamSoft is currently seeking an experienced, highly motivated Senior Implementation Specialist. Ideally, the candidate will work out of our Toronto, ON office, but remote applicants will be considered. The purpose of this role will be to manage any new PACS and RIS implementations from beginning to end, ensuring that all aspects of the implementation process are upheld and followed through which includes IT and medical workflow analysis, application configuration planning, software deployment, onsite training, and management of interface development.
• Extensive computer skills required including experience in Microsoft Windows Servers and programs, SQL, HL7, etc.


I've no idea why. Although there does seem to be something different about her. I think it's her smile. I rarely see that after a day at home with the children.
Anyhoo, Lisa claims that she made the picture above using the Taaz Virtual Makeover site, but personally I think she always looks that gorgeous. Although I am overdue at the optician. Either way, it's only a matter of time before I'm uploading a photo of myself and checking how I'd look with hair.
But right now, I have work to do. I need to study the form for tomorrow's Grand National and pick out the winner. After last year's success, I have a reputation to maintain, and judging by the three donkeys I've drawn in the office sweepstake, I can't rely on luck alone. I'm confident I'll have identified the winner by morning though. Possibly tomorrow morning. But more likely Sunday.
What's different? Slightly longer and lighter hair? Of course she's always that beautiful! Hope you do well again on the Grand National, so you can finish paying for your holiday!


← Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick!
Getting Your Best Hair Cut!!
I cannot say it enough: The KEYS to a fab hairstyle are healthy hair AND a great haircut!!! A hair cut completely transforms how a person looks.
Some people rock several different lengths, colors and styles, á la Emma Stone or Jessica Biel. Others look fierce with a tried and true hairstyle, with hints of variation every now and then- like Sofia Vergara and Blake Lively!
I am part of the latter group: A consistent style through the years, with hints of changes! Pics of my most recent cut **THANK YOU ISABEL, MY STYLIST**!!!
I will take be sure to take photos from the front next time.
1. Be SPECIFIC about what you want. Don't be afraid to communicate. Too many people leave it up to the stylist, and are disappointed with the results. They aren't mind readers!
2. BRING PHOTOS! Give visual examples of what you want! Look below for ideas of who to bring photos of.
3. Ask for a haircut that will look good strait, wavy and/or curled. Most people overlook this detail.
4. If your stylist doesn't do what you ask for…don't feel bad about moving on to someone else! Ask your friends for a good referral.
CELEB HAIR EXAMPLES: Google these stars' hair for pics to show your stylist (example: "Jennifer Aniston hair").
This is how my hair looks styled from the front. Photo by Arina Borodina.
Thank you so much for reading!!! Submit any hair or beauty questions, and I will get back to them!
i love this! what can i tell my stylist so she can recreate the same cut? long layers? Thank you!


text:
"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."	More
Adalgiso Meaning
What does Adalgiso mean?
The name Adalgiso is of German origin.
The meaning of Adalgiso is "noble hostage".
Adalgiso is generally used as a boy's name.
It consists of 8 letters and 4 syllables and is pronounced A-dal-gi-so.
The Given Name Adalgiso
Adalgiso is a form of Adalgisa. See Adalgisa for further details.
Adalgiso is a name with class.
A wonderfully distinctive name.
Adalgiso is also great as a middle name.
Adalgiso Popularity
In the U.S. in 2018, less than 5 boys were given the name. Less than 5 girls were given the name.
In contrast, the year before less than 5 boys were given the name. Less than 5 girls were given the name.
The trend's your friend. See how Adalgiso has changed in popularity since 1880 by visiting the Adalgiso Name Popularity Page.
Adalgiso Related Names
Adalgiso is a form of Adalgisa.
Famous Adalgisos
Adalgiso Numerology
What will your new littleAdalgiso be like?
It may all be in the numbers.
The numbers that make up your child's name.
Numerology may give you some insight.
Children named Adalgiso are often giddy and strong but most of all they are read more >>
Adalgiso Name Fun
Would you like to fingerspell the name Adalgiso in American Sign Language?
Then just follow the diagram below.
Be creative with the name Adalgiso.
Just for fun, see the name Adalgiso in Hieroglyphics, learn about ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics and write a Hieroglyphic message.
Learn about nautical flags and see your name or message written in nautical flags, on the Adalgiso in Nautical Flags page.


text:
describe("#buildSpecRunner", function() {
  var util = module.exports;

  beforeEach(function() {
    this.compileResultSpy = jasmine.createSpy('compile result');
    handlebars.compile.and.returnValue(this.compileResultSpy);
    fs.readFileSync.and.returnValue('template data')
  });

  it("should read the correct template file as UTF-8", function() {
    util.buildSpecRunner({});
    expect(fs.readFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith('ROOT/runner/spec_runner.html.hbs', 'utf8');
  });

  it("should compile the template with the template data", function() {
    util.buildSpecRunner({});
    expect(handlebars.compile).toHaveBeenCalledWith('template data');
  });

  it("should pass a copy of the files object to the template", function() {
    var files = { test: 'test' };
    util.buildSpecRunner(files);
    var filesObjCopy = this.compileResultSpy.calls.argsFor(0)[0];
    expect(filesObjCopy).not.toBe(files);
    expect(filesObjCopy.test).toBe('test');
  });

  it("should pass the showColor option to the template via the files object", function() {
    util.buildSpecRunner({}, 'color boolean');
    var filesObjCopy = this.compileResultSpy.calls.argsFor(0)[0];
    expect(filesObjCopy.showColors).toBe('color boolean');
  });

  it("should pass a stringified stack shortener to the template via the files object ", function() {
    util.buildSpecRunner({});
    var filesObjCopy = this.compileResultSpy.calls.argsFor(0)[0];
    expect(filesObjCopy.phantomPrintFunction).toBe(alertWithShortStack.toString());
  });

  describe("#alertWithShortStack", function() {
    beforeEach(function() {
      this.alertSpy = spyOn(window, 'alert');
    });

    it("should alert with the provided message with extraneous messages after the final sync removed", function() {
      var traceWithSync = 'some\nstack trace\nlines\n      at attemptSync';
      alertWithShortStack(traceWithSync);
      expect(this.alertSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('some\nstack trace\nlines');
    });

    it("should alert with the provided message if no sync is present", function() {
      var traceWithSync = 'some\nstack trace\nlines\netc';
      alertWithShortStack(traceWithSync);
      expect(this.alertSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('some\nstack trace\nlines\netc');
    });
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Execute a function right after user has chosen a file through tkFileDialog I'm developing an interface  with Tkinter that makes use of a file dialog with tkFileDialog.
I want to run a function immediately after the user has chosen a file from the dialog box.
With buttons, we have a command keyword from which we run a function (usually named def callback():). Is there a similar keyword for the file dialog or askopenfilename?

A: The askopenfilename function consists of the opening of a dialog, and returns immediately when the latter was closed (including when a file has been selected).
Put your callback right after this function to have it run right after the closing of the dialog.
For instance:
from tkinter.filedialog import askopenfile

fileDescriptor = askopenfilename()
print(fileDescriptor)

will open a file selection dialog, and as soon as the user has selected a file, the corresponding object that was created will be printed out.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sited in fashionable Chelsea and bordered by a conservation area, this seven-storey development offers affordable and spacious apartments.
Kingsgate House provides 43 homes – 12 one bedroom, shared ownership flats and 31 rented flats, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms. There are four wheelchair-accessible homes on the ground floor and the development has excellent transport links through local bus routes and two nearby underground stations.
The building features a range of environmentally-friendly design features and meets level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. It is the first major construction project in the world to achieve PEFC Project Certification – demonstrating that all the timber used was both sustainable and ethically source.
It has eye-catching green photovoltaic (PV) cells, which run vertically down the front of the building and are designed to look like a living wall. The PV cells generate free electricity and help shade the apartments from the sun. Each apartment has its own recessed balcony which stays cool during the day.
Instead of the usual heavy concrete or steel, the structure of the building was built using much lighter cross-laminated timber (CLT). As well as saving at least 170 lorry journeys to deliver the beams to the site, the use of timber also provided a number of environmental benefits (including energy and time savings during construction). The development was also the first major building project in the world to be PEFC certified – demonstrating that all the timber used was both sustainable and ethically sourced.
Kingsgate House replaced a red-brick office block which had been the home of Penguin Books. It was developed as part of affordable housing provision within a Section 106 agreement for a separate, private development.
Kingsgate House was awarded best affordable housing scheme at the 2014 24-Housing awards.


Leslie Gladstone's house is a busy place – especially around the holidays. Her warm seaside home bustles with activity as her extended family gathers around the table. There's her 22-year-old biological daughter, Jessica. There's Selena, the 17-year-old daughter Leslie adopted after fostering her as a toddler. Leslie also includes Patrick, Selena's biological father, and Anna, his 24-year-old daughter from another relationship. "I always say that the more people who love the girls, the better," says Leslie.
Today, Selena is a high-achieving high school senior waiting for her college acceptances and teaching spin class at a local studio where her sister Jessica is the coordinator. She says being adopted isn't really a big deal in her life, just something she's always known. As for foster care, she shrugs and says it's not anything she thinks much about. The family is, however, active with Angels, always attending its annual gala. "We actually got Pluto from Angels," Selena says of the family's cocker spaniel, one of two dogs, who share the house with two guinea pigs and a cat. Leslie and her daughter Selena laugh, recalling that they won Pluto at the Angels live auction eight years ago.


text:
Global Issues/Events
Africa-Newsroom Press Releases
Video & Interview
Diplomatic Watch
Trump Blames Obama Over Alleged Chemical Attack In Syria
Following an alleged chemical attack in Syria, the United States President, Donald Trump, Sunday, blamed former President Barrack Obama.
"If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!" President Trump tweeted, referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Obama said last year that he believed his decision to negotiate rather than respond with force to Syria's use of chemical weapons required some of the greatest "political courage" of his presidency.
That was despite Obama saying in 2012 that if Assad used chemical weapons it would cross "a red line" with the U.S. The United Nations accused Syria of using chemical weapons on its own people in 2013.
"You generally get praised for taking military action, and you're often criticized for not doing so," Obama said last May.
Dozens died and hundreds were reported injured Saturday in an alleged chemical attack in Syria, reports The Hill.
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement that U.S. officials are closely following the "disturbing reports … regarding another alleged chemical weapons attack, this time targeting a hospital in Douma, Syria."
The U.S. is calling on Russia to end its support for Assad.
Damascus has denied responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported.
Trump administration officials told The Associated Press in February they believed forces loyal to Assad might have been in the process of working on new, or more refined chemical weapons.
Trump said last year that reports of a deadly gas attack by forces loyal to Assad had "crossed a lot of lines."
Previous articleYoung Business Leaders Awards (YBL) 2018: Call for Nominations
Next articleHungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán Wins Fourth Term
St. Lucy's Day: Swedish Night Of Light, Hymns, Food And Reflections
Nigeria's Embassy In The US Mourns
Ambassador Peter Holasek Ends His Sterling Diplomatic Mission To Nigeria
China's 14th Five-Year Plan: What Are the Opportunities for Africa?
Celebrating 20 Years Of FOCAC
I Pride Myself In Being Honest With My Clients- Kate Stenlake
CDCI Selects Agility Logistics Park In Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire
Pictorial Highlights Of Nigeria-Vietnam Investment And Trade Forum
China's Economic Bounce Good for China-Africa Cooperation
Diplomacy624
Global Issues/Events288
Trade & Investment61
Culture & Tourism53
Science & Technology42
Diplomatic Watch is a digital media publication of diplomatic reviews, reports on foreign policy, discussions on the most significant developments in international affairs, exclusive interviews with Heads of Missions and other consular staff, Expatriates, Corporate profiles, country reports, and more. A product of Conduit Communications Inc., registered in the United States and Nigeria.
Contact us: editor@diplomaticwatch.com
© All rights reserved. Diplomatic Watch 2017 - 2020
Editor - December 13, 2020 0
By Menkiti Onyebuchi Bernie, Editor In Africa, more so in Nigeria, it's believed that the West, largely Europeans have no known culture. This has been...


With his fifth place at Rally Portugal, Ole Christian Veiby climbed up to second place in the overall Junior WRC standings. "I have never driven a rally where so much has happened along the way" said the young Norwegian.
After the strong third place in the opening round of the FIA Junior World Championship, Ole Christian Veiby was excited to see what Rally Portugal could bring.
"To put it simple, it was an interesting event. This round contained most things imaginable. To sum it up, I'm pleased that I was patient and drove sensibly. It was all about making it to the finish without incidents. But even if you try to take it easy, things can happen, and unfortunately that happened to me" he explained.
On Saturday's last stage bad luck hit hard. Ole and co-driver Stig Rune Skjærmoen were in second place and focused on finishing the stage and completing the day in a good way. But in a right hand corner they hit a rock with front right and rolled the car two times before hitting a rock wall with the roof.
"We did not come too fast in the corner, but when the rear wheels sank into the tracks, the front wheels were dragged out of them. Hitting the rock was inevitable. We hit really hard and I hurt my right hand pretty bad. I was very dizzy when I got out of the car and could barely stand straight up" said Ole, who thought the rally was over for this time. But the mechanics decided that was not the case.
"I'm really impressed with the job that they did. They spent all night fixing the car and by the time I woke up, it was as good as new. I honestly never thought they would be able to accomplish that, the damages was huge" said the 18-year-old.
Although the car was fit for fight, Ole's right hand was anything but good. It was really swollen and he was in a lot of pain – which obviously made Sunday's final three stages much more difficult.
Scoring fifth place was enough to move up to second place overall in the Junior WRC standings after two championship rounds.
Ole will remember Rally Portugal as an event filled with drama. Especially Saturday is a day he will not forget anytime soon. In addition to his own roll, he also had to stop and wait for a competitor who was blocking the road after a roll.
"I was the first car after the incident and the car was in the middle of the road with the SOS sign up. The co-driver was lying on the ground outside the car and I immediately thought that he was dead. As it turned out, the co-driver had a heart attack after the roll. It was no pleasant experience at all" said Ole.
Luckily he has some really positive experiences to take with him home as well.
"To get to drive the final Fafe sprint was absolutely massive. There were so many spectators along the stage, especially at the last jump before the finish. It was just a sea of people, I've never seen anything like it" said Ole, who has busy days ahead of him when he gets back home to Norway.
"This upcoming week I have three exams. It begins with jurisprudence on Tuesday and I also have to try to find time to get an X-ray of my hand" he said.


Fuji look set to overcome the expensive and lengthy print times that dogged the pioneering Real 3D W1 released last year by offering a professional portable printer. The 3D Print System offers the likes of pro photographers and small businesses the opportunity to create lenticular prints in a relatively rapid fashion.
As the previous incarnation of 3D printing system was based in Japan, the news of a locally-based offering will have early-adopters justifiably excited. Taking minutes rather than weeks to turn out results, and without a lengthy and often ridiculous list of proviso's, will make the 3D system seem all the more attractive to the likes of fairgrounds and nightclubs.


Subsea field development offshore Ghana optimizing intervention frequency. Equipment failures and intervention activities in the operational phase has high risk and cost.
Developing subsea fields involves risk of high intervention costs in the operational phase. To reduce this risk, wellmaster is used to predict intervention requirements for different field layouts/well designs, with use of failure experiences.
To create value, the failure predictions is joined with the proposed strategy for interventions on the field. By pairing this type of information, the operator received a clear picture on intervention cost with the proposed well designs.
The project was performed with iterations of information and analysis basis, between the operator and Exprosoft, leading to a flexible and targeted project delivery.


Five month old Douglas at Union Station (Now Pacific Central Station) in Vancouver; June, 1938.
Group of unidentified Chinese men and women in the 200 block of East Hastings Street Vancouver; circa 1950.
Three unidentified Chinese men, Vancouver.
Unidentified Chinese man on the 200 block of East Hastings Street in Vancouver; circa 1950.
Unidentified woman and two men near a concrete structure with a Chinese dragon motif in Vancouver; circa 1930.
Wong Mon Hong (Bill Hong) and his wife Fay with their children, left to right, May, Louie, Lil, Pat and Ray in Vancouver; circa 1936.


Candles are an integral part of hygge, and the Danes love to burn candles all year round. Some people say that the concept of hygge started somewhere, with a source of light in the middle, and people huddling together, to keep warm. Togetherness is very much the heart of hygge. It's common to create a certain atmosphere in your home, and at dusk lighting some candles, and sitting down together, and playing a game, reading a book, or watching tv. The candles are often tealights or scented candles.
Today I have rounded up my top 5 favourite candles. I have tried and tested hundreds of candles and these I love. I can almost guarantee that these will bring you 100% hygge.
I had to share this candle with you. This is the epitome of 'hygge' with notes of tea and baked strawberry cake, rose petals and wild mint it creates a cozy ambient mood and the scent is lovely and warming.
Stunning turquoise candle with a stunning lid in glass.This candle has notes of California driftwood, sea salt and the freshness from the sea, which makes you dream of a beach house by the Pacific ocean.
How I adore the violet. Beautiful to look at, and the scent of this candle is intoxicating (but not overpowering). This candle is a classic, and the label will always stand out as one of the most famous scented candles out there.
The Neom range consists of fabulous candles that do not soot. Probably the most whimsical of designs here. I love the tiny polka dots on the glass and the scent is heavenly. Perfect Peace candle, a blend of 25 pure essential oils including pine, myrrh & lime peel. Breathe deeply and feel your tension lifting away. 'Scent to make you feel good'.
A beautifully crafted metal vessel with a marble lid contains this beautiful candle with the smell of red brick and London parks with crocuses and nettles, and the salty smell of the Thames at Dagenham. This candle brings me straight back to all the years spent in London.
I love scented candles, and I know the Diptique one well, they were the first scented candles I remember.


Born in Athens in 1954. Architect, graduated at the 'Politecnico di Milano' in 1979. Lived and worked in Italy till 1985, before establishing in Greece. His expertise regards different aspects of the architectural work: houses, professional spaces, exhibition stands, interior design. His professional studio is locaded in Athens, and he shares his work between the Athens area and the island of Aegina.
As Chair of 'Active Citizens of Aegina' since 2005 he promotes and participates to activities implementing culture and enviroment and quality of life in the island. He is one of the inspirors and funded members of Aegina Fistiki Fest wich became within two years the most important commercial, cultural and recreation event in the Saronic islands. He acted as vice president of the Organising Committee of Aegina Fistiki Fest 2010.


One of the great entertainment phenomenons is 'Holiday on Ice', the largest live touring production in the world. The latest tour, featuring a new show called 'Romanza', uses for the first time a central sound reinforcement concept delivered by Camco. As usual, the show is a mixture of professional figure skating, colourful costumes, music and spectacular light effects. From Romeo and Juliet to Carmen, Caesar and Cleopatra, the audience is taken through a kaleidoscope of classic love stories and dreams. The choreography comes from Olympic figure skater Jamie Isley and the show is directed by Frank Wentink.
The show premiered in Hamburg's Color Line Arena, launching the 'Passion Tour 2005/2006', which will ultimately comprise around 1700 performances in over 80 cities and 20 countries. Music and language make up a significant part of the show. So when it came to choosing the PA, attention had to be paid to how clearly the spoken word was transmitted, in addition to overall sound quality, and the size of the system for trucking.
Leo van den Boogaard, the tour's sound designer, and Camco's Reinhard Steger worked in close co-operation to put together the sound reinforcement concept. "Romanza is the first Holiday on Ice production to use a central sound reinforcement concept," says Leo van den Boogaard. "This provides us with quite clear benefits. Reducing the number of sound sources saves an awful lot of time in setting up and taking down the equipment. The sound equipment is so compact in size that transport volume was cut by almost half, while sound quality both for audience and performers improved dramatically."
In special courses tailored to the show's specific requirements, Reinhard Steger provided the sound crews with dedicated training for using the new system. The tour will be using up to 38 Nexo Geo S805s plus six Nexo Geo S830s, which, under normal circumstances, will form two main hangs and two out-fills. Up to eight Nexo CD18s will provide a solid bass foundation, while up to 12 Camco Vortex 6 amplifiers will provide the drive. Also being used is a Camco WinCai system, which will enable the sound engineer to control the whole system and monitor the amplifiers and controllers comfortably by computer from his FOH position.
Speaking after the premiere, Bogdan Lewko, technical director of Holiday on Ice said, "the PA will be used for both large and small venues. The conditions we have to deal with often provide a challenge, as many halls are built of steel and concrete. However, the outstanding capability of the new system means that a central aspect of our show, the language, can always be understood perfectly. We are very happy with our decision to choose Camco and Nexo The support from Camco, especially from Reinhard Steger, has been excellent. They didn't simply want to sell, they wanted to provide us with the best possible solution."
© 1997 © 2006 Pro-Music-News™. All rights reserved. Thank you for visiting Pro-Music-News™.