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D. Mcruer, . Padfield, . Gd, A. Dequin, . Haddon et al., MIT, Massachusetts 10 Predicting Rotorcraft Flying Qualities Through Simulation Modelling; A Review of Key Results From GARTEUR AG06, 1992.
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Fuli Township () is a rural township located in southern Hualien County, Taiwan.

Geography

The township is located at the Huatung Valley. It has 9,681 inhabitants with 4,033 households around. The population is composed of Hakka, Hoklo, and Ami peoples.

Administrative divisions
Fengnan, Fuli, Funan, Luoshan, Mingli, Shipai, Tungli, Wanning, Wujiang, Xinxing, Xuetian Yongfeng and Zhutian Village.

Economy
The agricultural product of Fuli Rice is a famous rice in Taiwan and provides a well economy development and working chances for residents.

Tourist attractions

 Dongli Story House
 Xiuguluan River
 Fuli Hot spring
 Loshan Waterfall
 Luntian Recreation Area
 Luoshan Recreation Area
 Shihcuo Ditch
 Siou Tianhsiang
 Sixty Stones Mountain - Golden Needle Flower (Hemerocallis fulva) Recreation Area

Transportation

Rail
 Dongli Station
 Dongzhu Station
 Fuli Station

Notable natives
 Waa Wei, singer, songwriter, radio DJ, author, actress, artist

References

External links
  Office of Fuli Township (Chinese)

Townships in Hualien County

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Kansas vs Oklahoma State live stream, watch online, tv channel, prediction, selection, spread, odds
Conference play in college basketball has officially arrived in nearly every league, and the Big 12 game's opening weekend features a showdown between No. 4 Kansas and Oklahoma State as part of an action-packed day on CBS. The Jayhawks are the defending national champions and have once again established themselves as contenders with an 11-1 mark in non-conference games.
Standing in their way at the opener of league play is a strong Oklahoma State defensive team that will be looking for a massive upset victory after taking a few chunks in non-conference play. Sixth-year coach Mike Boynton's team struggled offensively in an 8-4 start, but there's no doubt the Cowboys can make life difficult for their opponents.
Teams are shooting just 26.9 percent from 3-pointers against Oklahoma State, which is among the best shot-blocking teams in the nation. Junior center Moussa Cissé leads with an average of 2.92 blocks per game, which ranks him fourth nationally. Guards Avery Anderson and Bryce Thompson lead a balanced offense for the Cowboys, who are always looking for offensive rhythm. The team's 32.5 percent 3-point shooting mark ranks 254th nationally and Oklahoma State turns the ball over 15.1 times per game.
Kansas' only loss to date came against No. 7 Tennessee on Nov. 25. The Jayhawks have won over Duke, NC State, Wisconsin, Seton Hall, Missouri and Indiana, to name a few. Despite losing key players such as Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, David McCormack and Remy Martin from their national title run, the Jayhawks picked up where they left off.
Redshirt junior forward Jalen Wilson leads the Big 12 with 21.1 points per game while averaging 9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Freshman phenom Gradey Dick and Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar also came in to help replace defunct Agbaji and Braun production on the wing. While Kansas doesn't have a big traditional in McCormack's mold, that hasn't hurt this team defensively.
The Jayhawks are amassing 9.8 steals per game and blocking 4.3 shots, despite lacking a proper rim protector in the middle. In total, Kansas requires 16.3 turnovers per game. KU has lost just three home games in the past five seasons and will be looking to cut their teeth on a turnover-prone Oklahoma State team. The Cowboys can threaten themselves, however, and will have nothing to lose as they enter a hostile environment with a chance to make a statement on the national stage.
How to watch Kansas vs. Oklahoma State live
Date: Saturday 31 December | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Allen Fieldhouse — Lawrence, Kansas
TV: SCS | Direct: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app (free)
Prediction Kansas vs Oklahoma State, picks
Featured game | Kansas Jayhawks vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State's offense is a work in progress, and the Cowboys are prone to turnover, which is bad news against a Kansas team that forces a ton of steals. Look for the Jayhawks to go out in transition for momentum-changing games that engage their home fans in the action and spur runs. Oklahoma State's defense is good enough to force the Jayhawks into periodic droughts, but unless the Cowboys get hot from deep, they'll huddle to keep it close. Prediction: Kansas -10
Who will win and cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine to get picks from the model, which simulates every game 10,000 times and is up more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top broadcast picks over the past six years.
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Kylian Mbappe finally responds to Emiliano Martinez's World Cup trolling
2022 Army vs Navy Live Watch Online TV Channel CBS Kick Off Time Football Match
Serie A legend Sinisa Mihajlovic dies aged 53 after battle with leukemia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home / Unlabelled / Actress Emma Watson branded a 'fake feminist' and a racist after fronting ad for Lancome lightening product
Actress Emma Watson branded a 'fake feminist' and a racist after fronting ad for Lancome lightening product
The UN Women's ambassador was branded a 'fake feminist' and even a racist after it emerged that she fronted an advertising campaign for skin-lightening products made by the cosmetics giant Lancome, for which she was a highly-paid 'brand ambassador'.
Encouraging dark-skinned women to look whiter is obviously a deeply contentious issueand the 25-year-old English rose might have wilted under the ferocity of the criticism.Her spokesman said he couldn't comment on 'previous contractual arrangements'. His client, he added, 'no longer participates in advertising beauty products, which do not always reflect the diverse beauty of all women'.
Actress Emma Watson branded a 'fake feminist' and a racist after fronting ad for Lancome lightening product Reviewed by Blog It With Olivia on April 04, 2016 Rating: 5


People were already leaning against the walls around the mortuary when we sat down in the last two chairs on the end of the back row. I wasn't sure where to sit at my brother's funeral.
My husband leaned over to ask about the people in the old photos scrolling on the screen hanging from the ceiling. He recognized the one of the eight-year-old girl holding her brother in footed pajamas across her lap. I began explaining the crooked arm of my family tree in a whisper, when a friend stood up and waved us over to the front row.
I told her I assumed there wasn't enough room.
It's what my father told me on the phone when I asked if I could live with him during my teen years. I've been hesitant to assume there is a place for me now. Sometimes the kiddie table in the other room feels the most comfortable.
We found a place on the far edge of seats, in front of long time family friends I met as a child, feeling like stagehands among the cast and crew. Aware how comfortable my heart beat on the inside despite the weary road of letting go.
After the memorial service, my Dad stood up red faced, relieved to have averted showing emotion for the loss of his son. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into a group of friends huddled in consolation, introducing me to friends of years. All of them, strangers to me.
I wondered if they knew I had a branch on the tree, if my leaves resembled the others.
I shook the hand of the hair stylist who knew about each move we'd made over the past ten years. Hugged women who told me they read my blog, how touched they were by my words. Several stood in line waiting to meet the daughter who they knew from pictures propped up on office shelves for years.
And just behind death, He prepares a plot of epiphany. A door waiting for interpreters to twist the knob open to the truth, for those whose mouths are mute.
Love is a constant companion for endless days of wondering. Sometimes it takes a stranger to break the silence and help you see.
We are being more intentional about connecting on email and phone calls. It's a good start.
Oh Shelly. What a way you have with telling stories. This is so deeply moving. I'm just quiet now, taking it all in. Bless you, my fried.
Kris….your comments echo mine. I was 'there' with Shelly in that back-row corner. And now, I'm reliving similar situations in my mind. I feel sad, yet hopeful.
You've humbled me Kris, thank you.
Such a poignant mix of longing and receiving in this piece. You have such a beautiful way of bringing us alongside your journey, Shelly. I find it compelling that your life questions become my own and, somehow, it feels as if we get to answer them together. Thank you for this gift. Grace and peace, friend.
I treasure what you said Holly. The coming alongside is a prayer of my heart and being a safe place to work them out together is another. Thank you for saying so friend.
It does help to write it out doesn't it Emma? We are both trying to be more intentional. I've given up on what that looks like and trying to be more open handed about building the relationship without expectations.
Wow, felt like I was there sitting in the back observing! Wonderful way of telling this story…and I am so glad your daughter is okay!
Thanks Lori, me too. It's been a sobering few hours, in more ways than one.
I'm still waiting on that moment. Thanks for the hope!
Rebekah, standing with you to receive it. And may your heart recognize the moment when it appears, even if it is not what you imagined or expected.
Oh, Shelly! My heart ached with you, reading the part about "not having room"! I know exactly what you mean!! And the description of a stage hand among cast and crew – well, that's about the best description I've run across – fits my "crooked family tree" exactly, at least the branches involving my father.
Here's a quote my daughter had engraved into a bracelet she gave me for Mother's Day – "Love is the voice under all silences." That's my earnest prayer, at least.
Thanks for another moving posting!
Wow, love that quote and it sounds like you know what I'm talking about here Sherri, like you've lived it. So glad to be in good company.
Dear Shelly…This is so beautifully written. I was 'there' with you in that funeral home, sitting in that back-row corner. In that crowd of life-long, family friends you were meeting for the first time. When you wrote about there not being 'room for you' in your Dad's house when you asked to live with him as a teenager…it took me back to when my baby sister was forced to move in with my Dad when he left my mother, because Mom couldn't handle her. My Dad did NOT want my sister there because she cramped his style. He had other plans. My sister has, all her life, felt unwanted and unloved by him. She has many 'emotional issues' to this day that she grapples with. My compassion for her has been renewed today, because of what you've written and how you've written it. Thank you, Shelly.
Oh Jillie, my heart goes out to your sister. We never get too old to need love and acceptance from the ones who gave us life. Praying she finds that deep sense of belonging in her heavenly Father. And thanking God with you for perspective. That is a gift.
Yes Nikole. We have a choice don't we? To stay stuck in the past wishing things were different or moving forward in acceptance.
How He does redeem it all. Bittersweet, my friend.
Yes, and that brings me to tears on most days.
This was such a raw write, Shelly. I felt every word.
It was sort of hard to write, but then most things worth doing aren't easy are they?
Shelly, oh how you take me right there, into the room with you, assuming the place to sit is in the back, invisible, forgotten. And your dad's arms around you, the community bringing the two of you into a place where words and love and hope may be more easily experienced. Love this, friend. So grateful for you.
I'm always surprised by God and the way He redeems our pain for his purposes. And thankful too, so very thankful.
So inviting — your heart spilled in this story.
Those relationships don't disappear, do they? Though separated by miles and years, they have a way of following us around. And provide a bridge with which we reach others.
As I read through your comments here, it is evident that this is happening. You are reaching. And even your pain is being so radically redeemed, friend.
By His wounds we are healed, and by allowing others into our own woundedness, we offer communion. And begin to see wholeness in a brand new way.
. . by allowing others into our own woundedness, we offer communion . . those are some beautiful words Kelli. I'm a believer in the power of redemption, especially today. Thanks for being here Kelli.
Funerals can be times of thaw. Sounds like you got a bit of that.
I like that Megan. Times of thaw . . . and awe.
Thaw and awe. You girls are good!
oh, Shelly, my heart was waiting in the back with you…grateful for the redeeming moments in your story…poignant writing…Thank you for the honor of sharing the moment with you.
I woke up thinking about all the loss I've had this year and the way He redeems each one. It blows me away. Thanks for stopping by here Dolly, its always good to visit with you.
What a gift to discover love and and attention you didn't even know about. But what a reflection on a long and tangled relationship. May you continue to be blessed and encouraged by discovery as you and your dad begin to reconnect with more intention.
Thanks Diana, that is my prayer too, for both of us. Never to late to discover is it?
God does beautiful things. I had an amazing restoration with my dad in his last years. Believing for that for you.
I'll take that Elizabeth. Your story gives me hope.
Deliciously sensitive read here. Thanks!
Glad you stopped by to say so Lorretta.
wow a story! your writing is heart felt, thanks for sharing your heart!
Thanks for popping over to finish the story, appreciate your kindness.
I'm glad you found a little peace through the pieces, Shelly. Praying God will continue to patch some of what's unraveled.
If I'm honest, I was dreading the whole thing for more reasons than the funeral. As usual God blew my socks off with other plans.


The forecast was for rain, but instead it was a gray, overcast day, with just a hint of the sun trying to peek out at times. A fitting day for a service of grief and mourning that was also a celebration of a young life taken all too soon.
I drove up to the service this morning, the trip - two hours each way - passed in the blink of an eye as I spent the time thinking about Brandon and his family. Arriving an hour and a half before the service, there were already hundreds in the church, adults and teens, waiting silently and solemnly.
During the service, a family friend read letters from Brandon's sisters and his parents, written to Brandon. There is no mistaking the immense love that Brandon's family has for him, and the scope of their sense of loss is hard to imagine.
Hundreds of students were wearing yellow ties, scarves and ribbons, both a reminder of the hope during the search for Brandon, and a tribute to Brandon as one of his favourite colours. Over 1700 attended the service, friends, students, and even some strangers like me that had been immensely touched by Brandon's life and tragic passing.
Brandon's twin sister, Samantha, wrote in her letter, "His death has changed the lives of many and touched so many people's hearts and I'm so honoured to call him my brother."
Brandon has indeed touched the lives of more people than he could have possibly imagined.


It will normally be up to the recipient to work out how much they need to pay to their landlord and to arrange to make that payment.
For people renting from their council or a housing association this is different to the existing system. At present people normally receive payments for living expenses (such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Child Tax Credit) themselves and a separate payment of Housing Benefit, intended specifically for their rent, straight to their landlord. For private renters, Housing Benefit is mostly paid direct to them but can be paid straight to their landlord.
The Government's announcement means that, in some circumstances, it might be decided that the amount of Universal Credit that is intended for rent should be paid directly to the landlord. This could be because the tenant is in arrears and owes money to the landlord, or it might be that it is not in the tenant's best interests to pay the money to cover housing costs straight to them. A decision maker from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will decide whether this should happen. It will not happen automatically. The tenant, or sometimes the landlord, will have to let the DWP know that they want this to happen. They will then consider the case individually and decide who should receive the payments.
When are payments made directly to the landlord?
If the tenant is more than two months in arrears with their rent, payments will be made directly to their landlord until the amount that they owe is cleared. The payments will then normally switch back to the tenant.
If the DWP decide that it is not in the tenant's best interests to pay them the money for rent they might pay the amount for rent direct to the landlord every month, even if they are not in arrears. The tenant will then receive what is left of their Universal Credit themselves, to pay for living costs. Sometimes they might have to top up their rent payments if their rent is especially high.


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76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Color: Saturated deep purple. Nose: Perfumed blackberry and currant fruit, sweet cassis, black licorice, vanilla bean, scented sandalwood spice, toasty oak, cola, clove, crushed limestone rock, dark chocolate-cocoa powder. Palate: Savory mix of black and red mountain fruits, pungent barrel spices, firm acid, expansive mid-palate, elegant chalky tannins, wet stones, black olive, juniper berry, cedar, and sweet toasted oak finish.
138 tons from 108 acres. Winter rains were scarce this year, and total rainfall down twenty-five percent. Budbreak came early, but bloom was late, delayed by cold April weather. Having set a small crop for the third consecutive year, the vines required little thinning. Harvest began on schedule; most parcels were picked in the first two weeks of October. Four days later, heavy rains drenched the remaining grapes – a quarter of the crop. Fortunately, sun and wind dried the clusters fully before the next storm, and we finished harvest with no damage to the fruit. The forty small lots fermented to dryness on their natural yeasts in nine days on average. Two-thirds of them completed natural malolactic in barrel, and remained on the lees for five months. The rest finished in tank, and were racked off their lees to barrel within one month. In a series of tastings conducted from late January through March, we selected seventeen lots for the first Monte Bello assemblage. Another was included in May, one more in December. Eighteen months in barrel has begun to integrate the firm tannins and rich texture of this fine vintage. Unusually appealing as a young wine, it will gain further depth and complexity over the next fifteen to twenty years. EB/PD (3/06)
In 1886, high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Monte Bello estate vineyard was planted, and the winery constructed. A first vintage from the young vines followed in 1892. During Prohibition (1920-1933), the vineyard was not fully maintained; by the 1940s it was effectively abandoned. Eight acres of cabernet sauvignon were replanted in 1949. These were the source of the first Ridge Monte Bello (1962). Since then, the original vineyards have gradually been replanted.
Rainfall: 26 inches (below normal)
Bloom: April
Weather: Warm March, cool April, moderate summer.
Harvest Dates: 14 September – 23 October
Grapes: Average brix 24.2
Fermentation: Gentle destemming, no crushing. (I thirty-six separately-fermented lots, roughly half the berries remained unbroken.) Natural-yeast primary and secondary fermentations. Pressed at eleven days on average.
Barrels: 92% new, air-dried american oak, 8% new french oak (for comparison.)
Aging: Eighteen months in barrel
The Wine Advocate (May 2018): 92+ Points. "The 2004 Monte Bello opens in the glass with classic aromas of cigar box, spice and crushed red and black currant fruit, revealing little obvious trace of its time in new oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied but still quite tightly wound, with a firm chassis of fine-grained tannins and a bright line of acidity that seem to demand further cellaring. I suspect it's in a somewhat withdrawn phase between youth and maturity. That said, the 2004 isn't as structured as another backward vintage, the 2006, nor do I believe it possesses as much potential for positive evolution." – William Kelley
Vinous Media (July 2014): "Readers looking for a Monte Bello that is ready to drink should consider the 2004. Just beginning to enter its early plateau of maturity, the 2004 is in a beautiful spot right now. Sweet tobacco, smoke, cedar, licorice and leather meld into a core of dark fruit. The 2004 won't last forever, but it does have enough depth to age beautifully for the another decade, perhaps more. A distinctly floral/savory finish rounds things out nicely." -Antonio Galloni (Rated: 93)
Wine Advocate (Issue 187, 27 Feb 2010): "The 2004 Monte Bello (76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) reveals a similar dark ruby/purple color, but it is not as thick looking as the 2003 or 2005. A lighter, more elegant example of Monte Bello, the finesse-styled 2004 does not possess the power one normally sees in this wine. It offers pure fruit, a pretty, St.-Julien-like style, notes of cedar, spice box, herbs, background oak, and red as well as black currants, and silky tannin. It is capable of lasting 15-20 years.
Ridge's iconic Monte Bello Proprietary Red (no longer called Cabernet Sauvignon) is one of the candidates for the longest-lived Bordeaux blend made in California. Even vintages from the late sixties and early seventies are still vibrant wines. The winery owns just over 100 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and production varies enormously based on the mountain climate. With respect to this group of wines, the smallest yields were achieved in 2005, and the highest in 2007. The selection process here is relatively severe. For their Monte Bello, the flagship wine, 32% of the production was used in 2003, 38% in 2004, 49% in 2005, 39% in 2006, and 41% in 2007. These wines continue to be anomalies in the sense that the Cabernet Sauvignon component is aged in American oak, a somewhat contrarian procedure since most top producers long ago moved to French oak. The Santa Cruz Mountains cuvees, essentially a second wine culled out from Monte Bello, are also high quality efforts from Ridge. Each of the vintages I tasted reflects the vintage conditions in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Three 2008 barrel samples reveal a consistent, high quality style with slightly more elevated alcohol contents." -Robert Parker(Rated: 91)
Decanter (July 2008): New World Greats To Lay Down – "Most know Ridge for its Zinfandels, but this Cab-dominant blend has been a California classic for decades. The word I always associate with Monte Bello is long. It takes a long time to come around and has a long finish. Muscular and intense." -Frank Prial
Vinography (27 March 2008): "Medium ruby in the glass, this wine has an elegant, poised nose of cedar, cherry, and earth aromas. In the mouth it is bright and juicy with excellent acidity and a clean, claret style that lets flavors of cherry, cedar, and wet stones resonate like a plucked guitar string. Beautifully, even musically balanced, this wine resonates beautifully into a long, satisfying finish." (Rated: 9/9.5) -Alder Yarrow Read
Los Angeles Times (27 June 2007): "This year's estate red blend is three-quarters Cabernet, with the balance Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It is a seamless, beautifully structured red that leads with aromas of cassis, plum, and is grounded by a finely grained minerality and a dark complement of oak. Its youthful flavors fall into deep blue cassis fruit, but the wine's texture is masterful, full and powerful. Don't touch for five years, at least."
International Wine Cellar (Sep/Oct 2006, Issue 128): "Ruby-red. Brooding aromas of cassis, blackberry, minerals, bitter chocolate, tobacco and fresh herbs. Fat, broad and sweet, with nicely integrated acidity and complex hints of leather, herbs, licorice, chocolate and minerals. This cheek-coating wine is a bit more filled in than the 2003 release. Finishes with superfine tannins and lovely subtle persistence." (Rated: 91-94) -Stephen Tanzer
Wine Spectator (31 July 2005): "A mix of elegance and power, with deep, dark, concentrated cherry cassis, spicebox and cedar notes. Chewy, rustic nuances of herb, eucalyptus, leather and sage flavors fill out on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Score (predicted of finished product): 92-94" -James Laube


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Will CrossFit give women "manly" muscles?
Women tend to think that they shouldn't lift heavy weights because they've always been taught not to. CrossFit, nor lifting weights, will give women "manly" muscles. The women who have really large, manly looking bodies have to work incredibly hard at it and often take Steroids. Women do not naturally build large muscles. Also, how much muscle definition that you see will also depend on a woman's percentage of body fat. The lower the body fat, the more muscle definition will be seen.
Women need to have muscles and be strong because women lift babies and small children, grocery bags, move furniture, do yard work and so much more. Think how much easier these things would be if you were strong.


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Biografia

Origini e ascesa
Di lui si hanno notizie a partire dall'836, quando fu chiamato a sostituire il doge Giovanni I Partecipazio che era stato deposto a causa della sua politica fallimentare contro i pirati slavi.

Non ci sono noti i nomi dei genitori. Nei documenti contemporanei e nella storiografia più antica viene citato semplicemente come Petrus dux, mentre il cognome Tradonico, così come la parentela con il predecessore, sono informazioni che compaiono solo dalle cronache della prima metà del Duecento. Verosimilmente apparteneva al ceto tribunizio e, come lascia intendere Giovanni Diacono, aderiva alla fazione che aveva portato alla caduta del Partecipazio.

Come primo provvedimento, si associò al governo il figlio Giovanni, secondo una prassi già adottata dai predecessori per garantire maggiore equilibrio e stabilità.

Vicende belliche
Successivamente tornò a focalizzare l'attenzione del governo sulla pirateria slava. Nell'838 allestì una flotta che inviò in Dalmazia; non si arrivò subito allo scontro, poiché il principe croato Mislav e il giudice Druzec presentarono delle proposte di pace che spinsero il doge a ritirare le navi senza combattere. Tuttavia, forse già l'anno seguente, gli accordi non furono rispettati e si arrivò alla guerra, che vide la sconfitta del Tradonico da parte del duca Liudislav.

Nell'840 Venezia accolse una delegazione bizantina guidata dal patrizio Teodosio, il quale, dopo aver fregiato il doge del titolo di spatario, gli chiese aiuto nel fronteggiare gli arabi di Sicilia che minacciavano Calabria e Puglia. Tradonico organizzò una flotta di sessanta galee che diresse verso Taranto, occupata dai musulmani, ma come nel caso degli slavi non si mostrò all'altezza del nemico: nell'841 i Veneziani furono sconfitti con pesanti perdite e gli islamici poterono spingersi ancora più a nord, saccheggiando Ossero e Ancona fino a raggiungere il delta del Po, dove catturarono dei mercantili veneziani di ritorno in patria.

Nell'842 i musulmani attaccarono il Quarnaro, intralciando i traffici veneziani. Ancora una volta il doge tentò di respingerli con una flotta, ma subì l'ennesima sconfitta di fronte a Sansego. Negli anni successivi dovette fronteggiare anche il ritorno degli slavi, che attorno all'846 giunsero alle porte della Laguna saccheggiando Caorle.

Queste vicende dimostrano come Venezia non fosse ancora sufficientemente forte in mare da imporre la propria egemonia sull'Adriatico.

Gli anni successivi non sembrano essere stati segnati da altri eventi bellici. Il Ducato non partecipò alla lotta tra l'Impero franco e i musulmani nel Sud Italia e, forse, riuscì a placare la minaccia degli slavi grazie al pagamento di un tributo. Probabilmente ricevette una nuova delegazione da Bisanzio recante ulteriori richieste di aiuto, tant'è vero che nel testamento del vescovo di Olivolo Orso, stilato nell'853, Tradonico viene designato non più con il titolo di spatario, ma con quello più prestigioso di «excellentissimo imperiali consoli», ovvero di ipato.

Relazioni con l'Impero carolingio
Tradonico conseguì maggiori successi con le missioni diplomatiche presso l'Impero carolingio. Con Lotario I riuscì a rinnovare gli accordi franco-bizantini stipulati alcuni decenni prima attorno ai rapporti tra Venezia e la terraferma. Il Pactum Lotharii concluso il 23 febbraio 840 presenta alcune modifiche significative rispetto ai trattati precedenti: in particolare, il territorio veneziano viene definito «ducato», e non più «provincia» dell'Impero Bizantino, il quale non viene nemmeno menzionato.

Il Pactum fu integrato il 1º settembre 841, quando l'imperatore confermò al doge il libero godimento delle proprietà fondiarie dei Veneziani (sia laici che ecclesiastici) in tutto il territorio dell'Impero.

Ebbe buoni rapporti anche con l'imperatore Ludovico II, che all'inizio dell'856 incontrò con sua moglie Engelberga nel monastero di Brondolo, nei pressi di Chioggia. In quella stessa occasione il doge tenne a battesimo la figlia dei sovrani, Gisela. Il 23 marzo dello stesso anno, inoltre, Ludovico confermò da Mantova le integrazioni al Pactum riguardanti le proprietà veneziane all'estero, comprese quelle appartenenti alla Chiesa di Grado.

Politica religiosa e situazione interna
Per quanto riguarda la politica ecclesiastica, durante il suo governo continuarono le rivendicazioni del patriarcato di Aquileia nei confronti del patriarcato di Grado. Nonostante il concilio di Mantova dell'827 avesse sancito la subordinazione di Grado ad Aquileia, di fatto né i papi, né gli imperatori di quegli anni misero in pratica quanto stabilito, evitando così di scontrarsi con Venezia che mai avrebbe tollerato che la massima carica religiosa del Ducato fosse stata sottoposta a una sede straniera. Tant'è vero che sia papa Leone IV nell'852, sia papa Benedetto III nell'858 concessero il pallio ai patriarchi gradensi Vittore e Vitale, mentre papa Niccolò I invitò quest'ultimo al Concilio lateranense dell'863.

Durante il suo dogato assunse sempre maggiore importanza l'arcipelago di Rialto, embrione della futura Venezia, dove da alcuni decenni era stata fissata la sede del governo. Proprio in questi anni si colloca la fondazione di vari edifici religiosi (tra i quali spicca la cattedrale di San Pietro di Castello) e l'insediamento di varie personalità dai centri periferici. Sembra testimoniarlo il già citato testamento del vescovo Orso sottoscritto, oltre che dal doge e del figlio coreggente, anche da numerosi tribuni.

Morte
Morì in un attentato dopo ventotto anni di regno, colpito dagli oppositori mentre usciva dalla chiesa di San Zaccaria con il figlio. Quest'ultimo riuscì a fuggire e ad asserragliarsi nel Palazzo Ducale; grazie alla mediazione di alcune personalità estranee alla congiura, si giunse a un compromesso: gli esecutori materiali dell'omicidio furono giustiziati e i mandanti condannati all'esilio, mentre Giovanni avrebbe dovuto rinunciare al potere lasciando la vita politica.

Note

Bibliografia

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Dogi della Repubblica di Venezia


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Israel has hit Gaza with illegal collective punishment because Netanyahu wants more votes
August 27, 2019 at 7:00 pm | Published in: Article, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine
A Palestinian man walks among the rubble following an air strike carried by Israel in Gaza on 5 May 2019 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
@yvonneridley
Imagine if rogue neighbours on your street fired off some protest rockets towards the nearby parliament; you probably wouldn't be too happy about it, and there would be national outrage, and rightly so. Action against the perpetrators would follow swiftly.
What would not happen, though, is any form of collective punishment against all of the people living in the street and surrounding districts. The air force definitely would not be called in to bomb residential and community buildings in the area. And yet that is exactly what Israel has done to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Yet again, I might add.
All two million or so Palestinians living in the besieged Strip are being punished by Israel for the actions of a tiny minority. They now face only four hours of electricity a day after the Zionist state cut the number of diesel fuel shipments in half, damaging Gaza's already severely limited electricity supply even more.
Israel's collective punishment of the Palestinians will have a dire effect on hospitals, schools and other public services. It is almost certain to lead to loss of life among the sick, elderly and frail, especially with the temperature currently in the low thirties Celsius.
READ: 'Gazans' access to medical care is a basic human right'
Such punishment meted out upon a whole society shows very clearly what Israel thinks of the most recent ceasefire agreed between the de facto government in Gaza run by Hamas and Tel Aviv after negotiations pushed by Qatar, Egypt and the UN.
Here in Britain, the peace process involving different groups in Northern Ireland was continually hampered by the rogue actions of a few, but massive and devastating military retaliation was never considered to be an option. No British Prime Minister ordered missile strikes on West Belfast. Despite the many grievances and injustices on the ground, there was no collective punishment. Other countries around the world have also risen to the challenges of rogue actions without punishing everyone living within a 25-mile radius of even the worst of the outrages.
Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif Qanou accused Israel of exporting its own "internal crisis" in a reference to Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign, and there is a feeling among Middle East observers that Israel's collective punishment inflicted upon the Palestinians is designed to increase the number of votes that he will get in next month's General Election. Qanou described the retaliatory Israeli action as "counterproductive".
Prime Minster of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu greets supporters in Tel Aviv on 10 April, 2019 [Amir Levy/Getty Images]
It remains to be seen if the international mediators will remind Israel to stick to the terms of the latest negotiated ceasefire. Meanwhile, the peaceful protests held every Friday since the end of March last year on the nominal border between the Gaza Strip and Israel will continue, and will do so until the Israeli-led siege ends.
Not everyone in Israel is happy with the state's collective punishment. Lawyers at the Israel-based NGO Gisha, also known as the Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement, have responded in a critical letter urging the restoration of Gaza's electricity. The letter was sent to Netanyahu as well as the Attorney-General, Avichai Mandelblit, and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the [Occupied Palestinian] Territories, Brigadier General Kamil Abu Rukun.
The letter makes clear that the power cuts will cause one of the plant's turbines at the only power station in Gaza to stop operating, making the shortages even worse, probably up to 20 hours per day. Qatar has supplied fuel for three of the power plant's four turbines since last year.
READ: More power cuts in Gaza as Israel reduces fuel supplies
While the Israeli military accuses Islamic Jihad of firing the rockets from Gaza "in the service of Iran" its aircraft retaliated by striking Hamas targets, including the headquarters of a battalion commander. So not only is Israel carrying out collective punishment, it is also targeting the de facto ruling body which it acknowledges had nothing to do with Sunday night's rockets.
Hamas has condemned the rockets and Israel's military response, whereas Abu Rukun basically mocked the people of Gaza in an open letter: "Deteriorating stability and damage to security will bring destruction and harm to the residents of Gaza as they continue to walk without light, and the guilt lies with those who are imposing terror and darkness on the Gaza Strip."
#IsraElex19: Israeli Elections 2019
Everything you need to know >>
Observers no doubt find it extraordinary that not only is collective punishment hurting Gaza's two million residents, but the ruling group is also targeted despite not being responsible for firing rockets towards Israel. Sadly the Palestinian people are used to this kind of brutal injustice.
Under the 1949 Geneva Convention, collective punishment is a war crime: "No general penalty, pecuniary or otherwise, shall be inflicted upon the population on account of the acts of individuals for which they cannot be regarded as jointly and severally responsible."
Once again the Palestinians are suffering from the illegal actions of their tormentors in Tel Aviv, but the world is staying silent and looking the other way, so that Benjamin Netanyahu can "prove" that he is the tough guy who Israelis can rely on to defend them. The fact that innocents must suffer in order for him to garner votes and be re-elected is unlikely to mean anything at all to the war criminal Prime Minister of the rogue state that is Israel and his supporters in the West.
ArticleIsraelMiddle EastOpinionPalestine


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"The wonder is, not that the field of the stars is so vast, but that man has measured it." Anatole France Tweet this quote
Did you know? Highest freefall parachute jump (2014) (41.4 km) is 20 thousand x Women's Olympic High Jump record (2.06 m) Tweet this comparison
Other land in Serbia
Other land in Serbia (2011) (8,130 km^2)
/fact/other-land-in-serbia
is 1/500 of Land used for agriculture in Australia (2014) (4.1 km^2)...more
is 1/400 of Land Area of India (3.29 km^2)...more
is 1/400 of Forest in United States (2011) (3.27 km^2)...more
is 1/200 of Land Area of Iran (1.648 km^2)...more
is 1/200 of Other land in Libya (2011) (1.6 km^2)...more
is 1/100 of Land Area of Namibia (824,000 km^2)...more
is 1/100 of Other land in Niger (2011) (810,000 km^2)...more
is 1/100 of Land Area of Mozambique (799,000 km^2)...more
is 1/50 of Land used for agriculture in Tanzania (2011) (414,000 km^2)...more
is 1/50 of Land used for agriculture in Algeria (2014) (410,000 km^2)...more
is 1/50 of Land Area of Paraguay (407,000 km^2)...more
is 1/50 of Land used for agriculture in Ethiopia (2011) (400,000 km^2)...more
is 1/50 of Land used for agriculture in Mauritania (2011) (400,000 km^2)...more
is 1/50 of Other land in Saudi Arabia (2011) (400,000 km^2)...more
is 1/40 of Land Area of Vietnam (331,000 km^2)...more
is 1/40 of Other land in Indonesia (2011) (330,000 km^2)...more
is 1/40 of Land Area of Malaysia (330,000 km^2)...more
is 1/40 of Forest in Burma (2011) (326,000 km^2)...more
is 1/40 of Land Area of Norway (324,000 km^2)...more
is 1/40 of Land Area of Cote d'Ivoire (322,000 km^2)...more
is 1/25 of Forest in Malaysia (2011) (204,500 km^2)...more
is 1/25 of Other land in Botswana (2011) (200,100 km^2)...more
is 1/25 of Land Area of Kyrgyzstan (200,000 km^2)...more
is 1/20 of Forest in Chile (2011) (165,600 km^2)...more
is 1/20 of Land used for agriculture in Ghana (2011) (164,800 km^2)...more
is 1/20 of Land Area of Suriname (163,800 km^2)...more
is 1/20 of Land Area of Tunisia (163,600 km^2)...more
is 1/20 of Forest in Laos (2011) (160,800 km^2)...more
is 1/20 of Other land in South Africa (2011) (160,000 km^2)...more
is 1/20 of Land used for agriculture in Chile (2011) (159,500 km^2)...more
is 1/5 of Land Area of Switzerland (41,300 km^2)...more
is 1/5 of Forest in Bulgaria (2011) (40,700 km^2)...more
is 1/5 of Land used for agriculture in Sierra Leone (2011) (40,300 km^2)...more
is 1/5 of Forest in Malawi (2011) (40,300 km^2)...more
is 1/5 of Forest in Greece (2011) (40,200 km^2)...more
is 1/5 of Land used for agriculture in Egypt (2011) (40,000 km^2)...more
is 1/4 of Forest in Nicaragua (2011) (33,000 km^2)...more
is 1/4 of Forest in Panama (2011) (32,900 km^2)...more
is 1/4 of Forest in Bhutan (2011) (32,800 km^2)...more
is 1/4 of Other land in Benin (2011) (32,300 km^2)...more
is 1/4 of Land used for agriculture in Honduras (2011) (32,300 km^2)...more
is 1/4 of Land used for agriculture in Austria (2014) (32,200 km^2)...more
is 2/5 of Other land in Portugal (2011) (20,720 km^2)...more
is 2/5 of Other land in Cambodia (2011) (20,640 km^2)...more
is 2/5 of Land used for agriculture in Burundi (2011) (20,400 km^2)...more
is 2/5 of Land Area of Slovenia (20,270 km^2)...more
is 2/5 of Forest in Algeria (2014) (20,000 km^2)...more
is 2/5 of Forest in Guinea-Bissau (2011) (19,940 km^2)...more
is 1/2 of Forest in Bangladesh (2014) (16,480 km^2)...more
is 1/2 of Other land in Kuwait (2011) (16,230 km^2)...more
is 1/2 of Land used for agriculture in Guinea-Bissau (2011) (16,180 km^2)...more
is 1/2 of Other land in Ireland (2011) (16,160 km^2)...more
is 1/2 of Forest in Equatorial Guinea (2011) (16,130 km^2)...more
is 1/2 of Land used for agriculture in Switzerland (2011) (15,970 km^2)...more
is about as big as Land used for agriculture in Taiwan (2011) (8,170 km^2)...more
is about as big as Other land in New Caledonia (2011) (8,120 km^2)...more
is about as big as Forest in Albania (2014) (8,100 km^2)...more
is about as big as Other land in Cote d'Ivoire (2011) (8,060 km^2)...more
is about as big as Other land in Malawi (2011) (8,060 km^2)...more
is about as big as Other land in Greece (2011) (8,050 km^2)...more
is about as big as Other land in Suriname (2011) (8,030 km^2)...more
is 2 x Forest in Brunei (2011) (4,140 km^2)...more
is 2 x Other land in Macedonia (2011) (4,090 km^2)...more
is 2 x Land Area of Cabo Verde (4,030 km^2)...more
is 2 x Forest in Moldova (2011) (4,030 km^2)...more
is 2.5 x Other land in West Bank (2011) (3,230 km^2)...more
is 4 x Land Area of Mauritius (2,040 km^2)...more
is 4 x Land used for agriculture in Puerto Rico (2011) (2,000 km^2)...more
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is 4000 x Land Area of Monaco (2 km^2)...more


This year was the first time that we saw Mike (my son) compete at Pogopalooza. For those who haven't heard of this, it is an extreme pogo competition. The pogo sticks that they use for these shows are pneumatic (they work by compressing air) instead of spring-powered. This event was held at Hemming Park in downtown Jacksonville.
The first event was the start of setting the world record for the most bounces without stopping – it started at 6am on Friday morning. This record was set on Friday at about 2pm by Casie Merza with 75,068 bounces to raise money for St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Foundation. We missed the start (is suspect the park was pretty quiet that early in the day), but Tina and I did see her finish.
The first competition of Pogopalooza was the high jump. This is really something to see – Biff Hutchison (from Idaho) and Dmitry Arsenyev (from St. Petersburg, Russia) tied for first place setting a world's record at 10 feet 1/2 inch. Biff had a unique style for clearing the bar – as he went over it, he flipped the pogo stick and then recovered it to land.
After the high jump competition was the Am-Jam session where amateurs had a freestyle competition and the Freestyle Qualifiers in a "jam" format. This basically means that there are several competitors running at the same time.
The next day started with a Freestyle Jam competition. This competition had three pogoers jumping at the same time and counted as 40% of the overall Freestyle score. Mike performed with Mike Hughes and Dalton Smith – these jam sessions are 5 minutes long. That may not sound like that long, but you can see that he athletes put out a lot of energy during that time.
The Freestyle competitions were my favorites by far. It's a chance to really see what these guys can do. They bring out everything from "big air" to "technical" tricks. The individual Freestyle competitions were 90 seconds each, and all of these guys were amazing.
The last competition of the even was Best Trick. In this event, the guys bring something new to each Pogopalooza; something that has never been landed before. Mike won first place in this event with a double under-leg bar spin. (To be honest, that's probably not the right name for the trick, but it's pretty close). The video below has highlights from the whole show - Mike's trick starts at the 2 minute 1 second mark.
With first place in Best Trick, and second place in Freestyle, Mike was pretty happy. He's still shooting for first place, so we have our fingers crossed for him at Pogopalooza in Pittsburg next month. If you get a chance to see these guys in person, I'd recommend taking the time. The X-Pogo team puts does a great show; you'll gain a whole new appreciation for just how hard these guys work at their craft.


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Sports betting handicap
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur Betting Odds with EPL Match Preview & Prediction
October 28, 2010 | In: Articles
Saturday, October 30th: When you start looking at the coming together of these two clubs, you really run straight for an outright win on Manchester United, especially at Old Trafford. The truth is, that Manchester United have had things pretty much their own way when they have faced off against Spurs. Last season for example, United got the better of the rising Tottenham both home and away, and when you look at the stats, it really adds up. Manchester United have won 65% of all matches played between the two sides at Old Trafford. That is an incredibly strong percentage record, with Spurs having on a 16% success rate when they head north. Looking at the goal scoring record, Man Utd have averaged almost two goals per game against Spurs at Old Trafford, while Spurs have averaged less than one. Even the overall head to head matches between the two sides leans heavily in favour of Manchester United, who have won 81 encounters, while Spurs have been victories in just 46 of the encounters. There have been 45 drawn matches between them. You have to go back to December 2000 to find the last time that Spurs beat United, when they triumphed 3-1 at White Hart Lane. It's been a very strong record and that is hard to ignore in betting strategy when looking at the stats. You really look back through the stats and would pencil this one in as a banker for the home team. The bookmakers seem to think so as well. You take a look at the odds and see that Manchester United are very strongly fancied to pick up three points, even with them throwing points away this season, and Spurs on the upwards swing. While Man Utd seem to have the upper hand, it will be a good time to look for a Asian Handicap taking Spurs in the positive. A Tottenham +1 Asian Handicap is nicely priced at 11/10 at Victor Chandler for example and is a tempting proposition. You need to look at a bigger swing the other way for some profit, and Manchester United -2 Asian Handicap priced at 31/10 at Bet365 is interesting, as two of United's four home matches this season in the league have been won with three goal margins. Even though United aren't playing great, it is hard to see Spurs breaking the current run of bad form at Old Trafford and getting a win out of the match. United are having trouble keeping clean sheets, Spurs aren't prolific in front of goal. So, a Manchester United 2-1 Correct scoreline win is a decent showing at 15/2 with SkyBet. Alternatively, look for a Manchester United to win by 1 Goal for 11/4 at Bet365 which offers a reasonable price. United should edge it you would expect. Maybe not by too much.
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur Betting Odds
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Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Betting Statistics
Last 5 Head to Head
Manchester United 3, Tottenham Hotspur 1
Tottenham Hotspur 1, Manchester United 3
Manchester United have a 75% win percentage at home in the league this season
Tottenham Hotspur have a 50% win percentage away from home in the league this season
Manchester United have scored 11 goals, and conceded 4 at home
Tottenham Hotspur have scored 5 and conceded 4 goals in their away matches
Manchester United have scored the bulk of their goals in the 41-45 minute bracket
Tottenham Hotspur have scored the majority of their goals in the 16-30 minute bracket
Manchester United have opened the scoring in 67% of their matches
Tottenham Hotspur have scored first in 22% of their matches
Manchester United average 2.75 goals per match at home this season
Tottenham Hotspur average 1.25 goals per match away from home this season
Manchester United 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 6
Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 top scorer: Van der Vaart, 4
Manchester United injuries/suspensions: Rooney, Giggs, Owen, Valencia, Hargreaves
Tottenham Hotspur injuries/suspensions: Corluka, Defoe, Dawson, O'Hara, Woodgate
Manchester United 2010/11 Season Form: P9 W4 D5 L0 GF20 GA12 Pts 17 (3rd)
Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 Season Form: P9 W4 D3 L2 GF11 GA8 Pts 17 (4th)
Even though Man Utd have not been on top of their game this year, and the speculation over Wayne Rooney's departure due to lack of ambition and quality at the club as added fuel to the fire that they are not good enough to win the Premier League this year, they remain the only unbeaten side in the league. It is true that the quality to go on and be dominant on the domestic and European fronts is not entirely there at the moment, long term you have to look at the them to do something about it. They have thrown a lot of points away this season, uncharacteristically drawing five out of their nine matches, but they haven't been broken completely yet, and that will give Red Devil fans a lot of hope. They are still scoring plenty of goals, even though Rooney isn't contributing, and there is a general malaise about the attacking flow of United. They picked up their first away win of the season last weekend, when they won away at Stoke, but again it looked as if they had thrown the match away after taking the lead. It needed a late goal from Hernandez to rescue them, but that is exactly the kind of thing they can build upon. Old Trafford is still one of the most intimidating places to go, but as Sunderland proved in holding United to 2-2 draw there, isn't not impenetrable. The real problems for United have come at the back, where they are not water tight at all. Far from it, as they have looked very shaky, and some of the blame has to be placed on a lacklustre midfield which hasn't really performed, putting pressure on the back line, which in turn hasn't coped very well. They have shipped a lot of goals this season, which has put their title charge on shaky ground, and now they find themselves sitting level on points with Saturday's opponents, Tottenham. You simply cannot ignore the statistical record that they have going on here, and Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur betting should reflect just that. Betting odds aren't expecting much more than 1 goal victory really for the home side, and there is the feeling that it will be a tight game. Therefore a Berbatov first goalscorer is a nice price for 9/2 at Unibet, the same price as Javier Hernandez 9/2 at Bet365, as both with probably get a run without Rooney in the picture still.
Well, Spurs have started moving along quite nicely in the league, and are up where they were expected to be seen. They had a slow start to the season, and were rocked with the news that Jermain Defoe had to sit on the sidelines for a few months through injury. That has left them a bit lightweight up front, and Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch aren't the most prolific in front of goal. Much has been made of the contribution from Wales midfielder Gareth Bale of late, after he hit a hat trick against Inter Milan in the Champions League. He will probably be the spark of inspiration from the midfield, but it is whether or not they can create enough chances away from home against Manchester United to really make an impact in this match. Old Trafford hasn't been a happy hunting ground for them, and if you foresee a Spurs victory coming, then the visitors to win by a 1 goal margin is 7/1 at 888Sport. Rafael van der Vaart could be the biggest danger to United though with his pace and creativity, and is 10/1 at Bet365 to score first. Meanwhile striker Pavlyuchenko to hit the back of the net first in the match, is 9/1 at BlueSquare, sort of highlighting how Spurs are expected to perform in this match. Not very well. They haven't coped with Manchester United in the past, and with their lack of firepower unlikely to threaten the shaky United defence too much, a draw seems the most plausible scenario which Tottenham would walk away with. A draw/draw halftime/fulltime bet is 6/1 at Victor Chandler and represents a decent punt. However, you feel that the visitors will be up against it from the kick off. United aren't too great at the moment, and there is a great deal at stake here with both teams level on points in the league. Boss Harry Redknapp was brave in Milan, sending out an attacking side. Will he do the same, or be more conservative in the search for points? They may need to beat, because they aren't all that stable at the back either.
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Lost at the Lane
Plenty of sober reflections to what was a disappointing result at Tottenham last night on the messageboards.
Quite a few people getting stuck into Roy and his lack of adventure away from home. I'm not entirely sure what Hodgson should be doing in the eyes of some of these supporters. His first priority when he came to the club was to strengthen the side and stop the flow of goals – and soul-destroying defeats – away from home. He managed it and we stayed up by the skin of teeth.
2008/09 was something of a strange season on the road. We were cautious at first away from home, only really becoming more adventurous when Roy seemed certain that we wouldn't be heading for the drop. There was a certain verve about our football at Bolton, but for a while in that game it looked like one point rather than three. Even at Manchester City, we showed signs of fragility (conceding first and trailing at the break) before staging our usual fine finish at Eastlands. We grabbed a win at Newcastle, too, but not without frenzied pressure from the home side towards the end.
This season started with a win at Portsmouth that might have been more convincing that it was. We were very close to holding on at West Ham and that performance was particularly bright considering that were a goal and a man down at the break. There was very little caution at Manchester City but having gone two goals down that comeback was a bonus. Factor in the point we got at Wigan and that win in Basel, plus a spirited showing at Chelsea, and our showings on the road aren't as hopeless as some would believe.
Losing at Tottenham in the manner we did was disappointing, but hardly unprecedented. This wasn't a Boxing Day massacre like the one under Lewington that finally convinced the board to turn to Hodgson a couple of years ago. Indeed, with key performers missing and Bobby Zamora clearly not 100% fit, getting something at the Lane probably would have ranked amongst one of our best results of the season.
Hodgson's selection last night was interesting. Kelly and Kallio weren't particularly impressive at Accrington – and paid the ultimate penalty. Hughes and Baird were most definitely square pegs in round holes: that much was evident in their reluctance to cross the halfway line to offer any kind of attacking threat. Dikgacoi and Murphy found it despairingly difficult to pass to each other, let alone anyone else in a red shirt.
Timmy points out the Guardian chalkboard looks like a damning indictment of Damien Duff, but he eventually got so sick of waiting for receive the ball that he went looking for it. He was much more influential in the 'hole' after the break. I'd suggested Riise might be ready for a run in the Premier League but he looked completely ill-at-ease in his surroundings. Gareth Bale remains a real talent but he's not the best defensive left back and Riise's attempts to take him on were undermined by some woeful crossing.
Where do we go from here? We'll have to pick ourselves up and rediscover our A-game for Aston Villa on Saturday. You can bet that the training sessions today would have been full of home truths.
timmyg	on January 27, 2010 at 2:07 pm
I guess I should recalibrate my criticism of Duff, as Rich pointed out it was more about Baird NOT overlapping. Which is completely true.
But still, you'd think someone would attempt to operate in that space.
And I've posted it everywhere but I might as well do it here just to get everyone depressed: Of the 7 league goals conceded this month, 5 have been from set pieces.
tim	on January 27, 2010 at 2:16 pm
What a disappointing match. Wasn't that the first time Tottenham had won with Gareth Bale in the starting lineup?
Dan	on January 27, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Timmy G: Baird didn't overlap, but neither did Hughes on the opposite side. It smacked of us not wanting to get caught high up the pitch if we lost the ball.
Once Davies and Kamara came on, there didn't appear to be anybody playing – or trying to play left midfield – and we had our best spell of the game.
The set piece thing is irritating, but had Riise just been sensible Spurs wouldn't have scored from the first one. The second one is an example of what you can prove with statistics. Bentley celebrated like he'd scored the best goal of all-time: in truth, the deflection had been Schwarzer.
Tim: The first they'd won a league game with Bale starting yes.
Spurs first goal wasn't necessarily directly from a set piece though. Several seconds had elapsed (and players touching it) when the ball was delivered in and then went in the net, compared to the 5 other goals, and Spurs' second, that were within nanoseconds of the ball arriving from a spotkick.
Its sort of like getting assists in hockey or lacrosse — it depends on the amount of time from the pass to the goal.
Timmy: Sure but it came from a set-piece. Had we cleared the danger initially we wouldn't have been worrying about shepherding the ball out.
The galling thing about the second goal was that (and you have to note that I've yet to see a replay) that I don't think it was a foul for the free-kick in the first place. Murphy seemed to feel particularly aggrieved by the award.
Mike H	on January 27, 2010 at 11:19 pm
You can only assume that Baird and Hughes were under instructions not to go forward. Both are capable of being attacking. Baird is very used to playing midfield and moving up for a pot shot. I've seen footage of Aaron in his Newcastle days, where he played more of a midfield goal – in fact the FA Cup match I watched, he popped up to score for the Toon. So Roy, I suggest, set them up to play defensively. The problem of course, is that if you go behind, you've then got b****er all chance of getting back into the game.
Dan	on January 28, 2010 at 12:46 am
Yeah, it's just even if they were told not to cross the halfway line, they reminded me of Robbie Herrera from the 'good old days'. Think we were caught between two stools on Tuesday.
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Two Friends Have Opened The UK's First Sex Shop For People Living With Cancer
Created by Joon-Lynn Goh and Brian Lobel, Sex with Cancer aims to open up conversations about intimacy and illness.
This month marks the opening of a first-of-its-kind sex shop in the UK, curated specifically for people "living with and beyond cancer". Sex with Cancer has been created by two friends and former cancer patients, with the aim of providing people with resources, support, and products that can help them reconnect with their bodies and relationships during and after cancer treatment.
Joon-Lynn Goh and Brian Lobel, the co-founders of Sex with Cancer, first met when Goh was undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 2018. The pair chatted about sexuality during and after the illness, realising that there was a need for more resources. They reached out to sex-positive educators, campaigners, patients, nurses, and sex toy specialists – and Sex with Cancer officially opened on Oct. 7 this year.
Their website details that the impact that a cancer diagnosis and treatment can have on physical and mental health, with a particular focus on sex. "We knew first-hand that people with a cancer diagnosis are often shy or embarrassed to talk about sex with their medical teams, but also that many doctors and nurses lack confidence talking about sex and sexuality with their patients," said Lobel, on Instagram.
"Another thing we really noticed was that the information that was out there was largely medical jargon and warnings, none of which is sexy," Lobel continued. "So we knew we had to do something, this is where Sex with Cancer was born."
On Instagram, Goh added: "In the context of Covid-19, we think this exploration of intimacy and illness is part of a much bigger shift in our collective understanding of wellbeing."
Sex with Cancer's shop curator, Toni has worked with London's Sh! Women's Emporium to put together a full range of products – from lubes and oils to bullet vibrators and prostate massagers – and designed Pleasure Kits, which include a selection of several products.
In spring 2021, Goh and Lobel reached out to their communities to compile 200 questions about sex with cancer. They then put the top 25 questions to their advisors, and have since published the answers on their website. The Sex with Cancer site also features articles, resources, and art by current and former cancer patients, creating an important space for discussions on sexuality, intimacy, and illness.
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By Lexi Inks
18 Hinge Prompt Answers To Try If You're Looking For Something Casual
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Bioactive glasses are a group of surface reactive glass-ceramic biomaterials and include the original bioactive glass, Bioglass®. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of these glasses has led them to be used as implant devices in the human body to repair and replace diseased or damaged bones. Most bioactive glasses are silicate based glasses that are degradable in body fluids and can act as a vehicle for delivering ions beneficial for healing. Bioactive glass is differentiated from other synthetic bone grafting biomaterials (eg. hydroxyapatite, biphasic calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate), in that it is the only one with anti-infective and angiogenic properties.

History

Discovery and development
Larry Hench and colleagues at the University of Florida first developed these materials in 1969 and they have been further developed by his research team at the Imperial College London and other researchers worldwide. Hench began development by submitting a proposal hypothesis to the United States Army Medial Research and Development command in 1968 based upon his theory of the body rejecting metallic or polymeric material unless it was able to form a coating of hydroxyapatite which is found in bone. Hench and his team received funding for one year, and began development on what would become the 45S5 composition. The name "Bioglass®" was trademarked by the University of Florida as a name for the original 45S5 composition. It should therefore only be used in reference to the 45S5 composition and not as a general term for bioactive glasses.

Through use of a Na2O-CaO-SiO2 phase diagram, Hench chose a composition of 45% SiO2, 24.5% Na2O, 24.5% CaO, and 6% P2O5 to allow for a large amount of CaO and some P2O5 in a SiO2-Na2O matrix. The glass was batched, melted, and cast into small rectangular implants to be inserted into the femoral bone of rats for six weeks as developed by Dr. Ted Greenlee of the University of Florida. After six weeks, Dr. Greenlee reported "These ceramic implants will not come out of the bone. They are bonded in place. I can push on them, I can shove them, I can hit them and they do not move. The controls easily slide out." These findings were the basis of the first paper on 45S5 bioactive glass in 1971 which summarized that in vitro experiments in a calcium and phosphate ion deficient solution showed a developed layer of hydroxyapatite similar to the observed hydroxyapatite later in vivo by Dr. Greenlee.

Animal Testing
Scientists in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, took cubes of bioactive glass and implanted them into the tibias of guinea pigs in 1986. After 8, 12, and 16 weeks of implantation, the guinea pigs were euthanized and their tibias were harvested. The implants and tibias were then subjected to a shear strength test to determine the mechanical properties of the implant to bone boundary, where it was found to have a shear strength of 5 N/mm2. Electron microscopy showed the ceramic implants had bone remnants firmly adhered to them. Further optical microscopy revealed bone cell and blood vessel growth within the area of the implant which was proof of biocompatibility between the bone and implant.

Bioactive glass was the first material found to create a strong bond with living bone tissue.

Structure
Solid state NMR spectroscopy has been very useful in determining the structure of amorphous solids. Bioactive glasses have been studied by 29Si and 31P solid state MAS NMR spectroscopy. The chemical shift from MAS NMR is indicative of the type of chemical species present in the glass. The 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy showed that Bioglass 45S5 was a Q2 type-structure with a small amount of Q3 ; i.e., silicate chains with a few crosslinks. The 31P MAS NMR revealed predominately Q0 species; i.e., PO43−; subsequent MAS NMR spectroscopy measurements have shown that Si-O-P bonds are below detectable levels

Compositions
There have been many variations on the original composition which was Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and termed Bioglass. This composition is known as Bioglass 45S5. Other compositions include:

 45S5: 45 wt% SiO2, 24.5 wt% CaO, 24.5 wt% Na2O and 6.0  wt% P2O5. Bioglass®
 S53P4: 53 wt% SiO2, 23 wt% Na2O, 20 wt% CaO and 4 wt% P2O5. (S53P4 is the only bacterial growth inhibiting bioactive glass).
 58S: 58 wt% SiO2, 33 wt% CaO and 9 wt% P2O5.
 70S30C: 70 wt% SiO2, 30 wt% CaO.
 13-93: 53 wt% SiO2, 6 wt% Na2O, 12 wt% K2O, 5 wt% MgO, 20 wt% CaO, 4 wt% P2O5.

Bioglass 45S5

The composition was originally selected because of being roughly eutectic.

The 45S5 name signifies glass with 45 wt.% of SiO2 and 5:1 molar ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus. Lower Ca/P ratios do not bond to bone.

The key composition features of Bioglass is that it contains less than 60 mol% SiO2, high Na2O and CaO contents, high CaO/P2O5 ratio, which makes Bioglass highly reactive to aqueous medium and bioactive.

High bioactivity is the main advantage of Bioglass, while its disadvantages includes mechanical weakness, low fracture resistance due to amorphous 2-dimensional glass network. The bending strength of most Bioglass is in the range of 40–60 MPa, which is not enough for load-bearing application. Its Young's modulus is 30–35 GPa, very close to that of cortical bone, which can be an advantage. Bioglass implants can be used in non-load-bearing applications, for buried implants loaded slightly or compressively. Bioglass can be also used as a bioactive component in composite materials or as powder and can be used to create an artificial septum to treat perforations caused by cocaine abuse. It has no known side-effects.

The first successful surgical use of Bioglass 45S5 was in replacement of ossicles in middle ear, as a treatment of conductive hearing loss. The advantage of 45S5 is in no tendency to form fibrous tissue. Other uses are in cones for implantation into the jaw following a tooth extraction. Composite materials made of Bioglass 45S5 and patient's own bone can be used for bone reconstruction.

Bioglass is comparatively soft in comparison to other glasses. It can be machined, preferably with diamond tools, or ground to powder. Bioglass has to be stored in a dry environment, as it readily absorbs moisture and reacts with it.

Bioglass 45S5 is manufactured by conventional glass-making technology, using platinum or platinum alloy crucibles to avoid contamination. Contaminants would interfere with the chemical reactivity in organism. Annealing is a crucial step in forming bulk parts, due to high thermal expansion of the material.

Heat treatment of Bioglass reduces the volatile alkali metal oxide content and precipitates apatite crystals in the glass matrix. The resulting glass–ceramic material, named Ceravital, has higher mechanical strength and lower bioactivity.

Bioglass S53P4

The formula of S53P4 was first developed in the early 1990s in Turku, Finland at Åbo Akademi University and University of Turku. It has received the product claim for use in bone cavity filling in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis in 2011. S53P4 is among the most studied bioactive glasses on the market with over 150 publications.

When S53P4 bioactive glass is placed into the bone cavity, it reacts with body fluids to activate the glass. During this activation period, the bioactive glass goes through a series of chemical reactions, creating the ideal conditions for bone to rebuild through osteoconduction.

 Na, Si, Ca, and P ions are released.
 A silica gel layer forms on the bioactive glass surface.
 CaP crystallizes, forming a layer of hydroxyapatite on the surface of the bioactive glass.

Once the hydroxyapatite layer is formed, the bioactive glass interacts with biological entities, i.e. blood proteins, growth factors and collagen. Following this interactive, osteoconductive and osteostimulative process, new bone grows onto and between the bioactive glass structures.

 Bioactive glass bonds to bone –facilitating new bone formation.
 Osteostimulation begins by stimulating osteogenic cells to increase the remodeling rate of bone.
 Radio-dense quality of bioactive glass allows for post-operative evaluation.

In the final transformative phase, the process of bone regeneration and remodeling continues. Over time the bone fully regenerates, restoring the patient's natural anatomy.

 Bone consolidation occurs.
 S53P4 bioactive glass continues to remodel into bone over a period of years.

Bioactive glass S53P4 is currently the only bioactive glass on the market which has been proven to inhibit bacterial growth effectively. The bacterial growth inhibiting properties of S53P4 derive from two simultaneous chemical and physical processes, occurring once the bioactive glass reacts with body fluids. Sodium (Na) is released from the surface of the bioactive glass and induces an increase in pH (alkaline environment), which is not favorable for the bacteria, thus inhibiting their growth. The released Na, Ca, Si and P ions give rise to an increase in osmotic pressure due to an elevation in salt concentration, i.e. an environment where bacteria cannot grow.

Today bioactive glass S53P4 is manufactured and distributed by Bonalive Biomaterials (Turku, Finland) under the product name Bonalive® granules. The products are used in  both adult and pediatric patients for filling of bone cavities, voids and gaps, as well as for reconstruction or regeneration of bone defects.S53P4 bioactive glass has been used successfully in bone infections (e.g. septic non-unions and chronic osteomyelitis), trauma, spine surgery, benign bone tumors and mastoid surgery. Bioactive glass S53P4 is also used in glass fiber-reinforced composite implants for bone surgery produced by Skulle Implants Corporation in Turku, Finland (www.skulleimplants.com).

Bioglass 8625
Bioglass 8625, also called Schott 8625, is a soda-lime glass used for encapsulation of implanted devices. The most common use of Bioglass 8625 is in the housings of RFID transponders for use in human and animal microchip implants. It is patented and manufactured by Schott AG. Bioglass 8625 is also used for some piercings.

Bioglass 8625 does not bond to tissue or bone, it is held in place by fibrous tissue encapsulation. After implantation, a calcium-rich layer forms on the interface between the glass and the tissue. Without additional antimigration coating it is subject to migration in the tissue. The antimigration coating is a material that bonds to both the glass and the tissue. Parylene, usually Parylene type C, is often used as such material.

Bioglass 8625 has a significant content of iron, which provides infrared light absorption and allows sealing by a light source, e.g. a Nd:YAG laser or a mercury-vapor lamp. The content of Fe2O3 yields high absorption with maximum at 1100 nm, and gives the glass a green tint. The use of infrared radiation instead of flame or contact heating helps preventing contamination of the device.

After implantation, the glass reacts with the environment in two phases, in the span of about two weeks. In the first phase, alkali metal ions are leached from the glass and replaced with hydrogen ions; small amount of calcium ions also diffuses from the material. During the second phase, the Si-O-Si bonds in the silica matrix undergo hydrolysis, yielding a gel-like surface layer rich on Si-O-H groups. A calcium phosphate-rich passivation layer gradually forms over the surface of the glass, preventing further leaching.

It is used in microchips for tracking of many kinds of animals, and recently in some human implants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved use of Bioglass 8625 in humans in 1994.

Bioglass 13-93
Compared to Bioglass 45S5, silicate 13-93 bioactive glass is composed of a higher composition of SiO2 and includes K2O and MgO. It is commercially available from Mo-Sci Corp. or can be directly prepared by melting a mixture of Na2CO3, K2CO3, MgCO3, CaCO3, SiO2 and NaH2PO4 · 2H2O in a platinum crucible at 1300 °C and quenching between stainless steel plates.

The 13-93 glass has received approval for in vivo use in the USA and Europe. It has more facile viscous flow behavior and a lower tendency to crystallize upon being pulled into fibers. 13-93 bioactive glass powder could be dispersed into a binder to create ink for robocasting or direct ink 3D printing technique. The mechanical properties of the resulting porous scaffolds have been studied in various works of literature.

The printed 13-93 bioactive glass scaffold in the study by Liu et al. was dried in ambient air, fired to 600 °C under the O2 atmosphere to remove the processing additives, and sintered in air for 1 hour at 700 °C. In the pristine sample, the flexural strength (11 ± 3 MPa) and flexural modulus (13 ± 2 MPa) are comparable to the minimum value of those of trabecular bones while the compressive strength (86 ± 9 MPa) and compressive modulus (13 ± 2 GPa) are close to the cortical bone values. However, the fracture toughness of the as-fabricated scaffold was 0.48 ± 0.04 MPa·m1/2, indicating that it is more brittle than human cortical bone whose fracture toughness is 2-12 MPa·m1/2. After immersing the sample in a simulated body fluid (SBF) or subcutaneous implantation in the dorsum of rats, the compressive strength and compressive modulus decrease sharply during the initial two weeks but more gradually after two weeks. The decrease in the mechanical properties was attributed to the partial conversion of the glass filaments in the scaffolds into a layer mainly composed of a porous hydroxyapatite-like material.

Another work by Kolan and co-workers used selective laser sintering instead of conventional heat treatment. After the optimization of the laser power, scan speed, and heating rate, the compressive strength of the sintered scaffolds varied from 41 MPa for a scaffold with ~50% porosity to 157 MPa for dense scaffolds. The in vitro study using SBF resulted in a decrease in the compressive strength but the final value was similar to that of human trabecular bone.

13-93 porous glass scaffolds were synthesized using a polyurethane foam replication method in the report by Fu et al. The stress-strain relationship was examined in obtained from the compressive test using eight samples with 85 ± 2% porosity. The resultant curve demonstrated a progressive breaking down of the scaffold structure and the average compressive strength of 11 ± 1 MPa, which was in the range of human trabecular bone and higher than competitive bioactive materials for bone repairing such as hydroxyapatite scaffolds with the same extent of pores and polymer-ceramic composites prepared by the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method.

Bioactive Metallic Glass
Bioactive metallic glass is a subset of bioactive glass, wherein the bulk material is composed of a metal-glass substrate and is coated with bioactive glass in order to make the material bioactive. The reasoning behind the introduction of the metallic base is to create a less brittle, stronger material that will be permanently implanted within the body. Metallic glasses tout lower Young's Moduli and higher elastic limits than bioactive glass, and as such, will allow for more deformation of the material before fracture occurs. This is highly desirable, as a permanent implant would need to avoid shattering within the patient's body. Common materials which compose the metallic bulk include Zr and Ti, whereas some examples of the few key metals that shouldn't be used as bulk materials are Al, Be, and Ni.

Laser-Cladding
While metals are not necessarily inherently bioactive, bioactive glass coatings which are applied to metal substrates via laser-cladding introduce the bioactivity that the glass would express, but have the added benefits of having a metal base.

Laser Cladding is a method by which bioactive glass microparticles are thrust in a stream at the bulk material, and introduced to a high enough heat that they melt into a coating of material.

Sol-Gel Processing
Metals can also be affixed with bioactive glass using a Sol-Gel Process, in which the bioactive glass is sintered onto metals at a controlled temperature that is high enough to perform the sintering, but low enough to avoid phase-shifts and other unwanted side effects. Experimentation has been done with sintering double layered, silica-based bioactive glass onto stainless steel substrates at 600 °C for 5 hours. This method has proven to maintain largely amorphous structure while containing key crystalline elements, and also achieves a remarkably similar level of bioactivity to bioactive glass.

Mechanism of activity
The underlying mechanisms that enable bioactive glasses to act as materials for bone repair have been investigated since the first work of Hench et al. at the University of Florida.  Early attention was paid to changes in the bioactive glass surface.  Five inorganic reaction stages are commonly thought to occur when a bioactive glass is immersed in a physiological environment:

 Ion exchange in which modifier cations (mostly Na+) in the glass exchange with hydronium ions in the external solution.
Hydrolysis in which Si-O-Si bridges are broken, forming Si-OH silanol groups, and the glass network is disrupted.
 Condensation of silanols in which the disrupted glass network changes its morphology to form a gel-like surface layer, depleted in sodium and calcium ions.
 Precipitation in which an amorphous calcium phosphate layer is deposited on the gel.
 Mineralization in which the calcium phosphate layer gradually transforms into crystalline hydroxyapatite, that mimics the mineral phase naturally contained with vertebrate bones.

Later, it was discovered that the morphology of the gel surface layer was a key component in determining the bioactive response.  This was supported by studies on bioactive glasses derived from sol-gel processing.  Such glasses could contain significantly higher concentrations of SiO2 than traditional melt-derived bioactive glasses and still maintain bioactivity (i.e., the ability to form a mineralized hydroxyapatite layer on the surface).  The inherent porosity of the sol-gel-derived material was cited as a possible explanation for why bioactivity was retained, and often enhanced with respect to the melt-derived glass.

Subsequent advances in DNA microarray technology enabled an entirely new perspective on the mechanisms of bioactivity in bioactive glasses.  Previously, it was known that a complex interplay existed between bioactive glasses and the molecular biology of the implant host, but the available tools did not provide a sufficient quantity of information to develop a holistic picture.  Using DNA microarrays, researchers are now able to identify entire classes of  genes that are regulated by the dissolution products of bioactive glasses, resulting in the so-called "genetic theory" of bioactive glasses.  The first microarray studies on bioactive glasses demonstrated that genes associated with osteoblast growth and differentiation, maintenance of extracellular matrix, and promotion of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion were up-regulated by conditioned cell culture media containing the dissolution products of bioactive glass.

Medical uses
S53P4 bioactive glass was first used in a clinical setting as an alternative to bone or cartilage grafts in facial reconstruction surgery. The use of artificial materials as bone prosthesis had the advantage of being much more versatile than traditional autotransplants, as well as having fewer postoperative side effects.

There is tentative evidence that bioactive glass by the composition S53P4 may also be useful in long bone infections. Support from randomized controlled trials, however, is still not available as of 2015.

See also
 Ceramic foam
 Nanofoam
 Metal foam
 Osseointegration
 Porous medium
 Synthesis of bioglass

References

Periodontology
Biomaterials
Glass compositions
Glass-ceramics
Glass chemistry
American inventions
Bioactivity


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Investment Management, Trading & Markets Updates – December 2021 | Alston & Bird
NFA adds questions on virtual currency and micro-contracts to annual questionnaire
On December 6, 2021, the National Futures Association (NFA) issued Notice I-21-42 to inform NFA members that new questions have been added to the annual Membership Cash / Physical Virtual Currency Questionnaire, virtual currency derivatives and micro-contracts. transactions. The new questions aim to respond to the increased interest and activity in virtual currency products and micro-contracts. Since the Annual Questionnaire is to be completed annually and updated throughout the year to reflect significant changes in business activity, the NFA asks all CPO, CTA, FCM, FDM and IB members to respond to new questions as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary inquiries. .
SEC Releases Report on Market Structure Conditions for Equities and Meme Stocks and Options
On October 18, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a staff report on the structural conditions of the stock and options market in early 2021, focusing on GameStop Corp's January 2021 trading activity. (GME). GME's stock prices have skyrocketed to new highs and garnered considerable attention, leading to GME becoming known as "meme stock". As the episode progressed into January, several retail brokers temporarily banned certain activity on some of these stock and options memes. GME has experienced a number of factors that have impacted the actions of memes in general: (1) significant price movements; (2) large volume changes; (3) high short-term interest; (4) frequent mentions of Reddit; and (5) significant coverage in the mainstream media. Since the stock memes episode raised several questions about the structure of the market, the report also provides insight into the structure of the stock and options market for individual investors. The report concludes by identifying several areas of the market structure and regulatory framework that may be considered for a potential study, including: (1) the forces that may cause a brokerage to restrict trade; (2) digital engagement practices and order flow payment; (3) trading in dark pools and wholesalers; and (4) the dynamics of the short selling market.
SEC announces app results for fiscal 2021
On November 18, 2021, the SEC announced its enforcement results for fiscal 2021, which ended September 30. In fiscal 2021, the SEC filed 434 new enforcement actions, an increase of 7% from 2020. These new actions have covered the entire securities waterfront, including against threats. emerging in the crypto and SPAC spaces. The SEC also secured judgments and orders for nearly $ 2.4 billion in rebates and more than $ 1.4 billion in penalties, a 33% decrease and a 33% increase, respectively, from 2020. Fiscal year 2021 also set a whistleblower record, with the SEC awarding a total of $ 564 million to 108 whistleblowers. There have also been several noteworthy enforcement actions in new areas, such as actions involving securities using decentralized finance or 'DeFi' technology, securities law violations on the 'dark web ', accusing an alternative data provider of securities fraud, failure to timely report and provide CRS forms, and action against an order and execution management system provider that facilitated trading electronic for not registering as a broker.
SEC Proposal on Electronic Record Keeping Requirements
On November 18, 2021, the SEC released proposed changes to the electronic record keeping and prompt filing requirements applicable to brokers, securities swap brokers (SBSDs) and major participants in securities swaps. titles (MSBSP). The proposal would align the SEC rule with current technology. Currently, the SEC's Broker and Broker Electronic Document Retention Rule requires companies to keep electronic documents exclusively in a non-rewritable, non-erasable format. The proposed changes would add an audit trail alternative to this rule, allowing electronic records to be preserved in a way that allows for the re-creation of an original recording if it is altered, overwritten or deleted. The comment period for this proposal will be open until January 3, 2022.
SEC adopts changes to application of universal proxy rules, excluding registered investment firms and BDCs
On November 17, 2021, the SEC passed changes to the proxy rules that require the use of universal proxy cards in contested elections. The new rules will come into effect for shareholder meetings held after August 31, 2022 and will require companies and dissidents to list on their proxy cards all duly appointed director candidates: board nominees, board nominees, dissidents and any candidate for access to proxies. The rule was first proposed in 2016 and was largely adopted in its proposed form with one main change: a dissenter is required to declare that he will solicit holders of at least 67% of the voting rights with the right to vote in the election of directors.
In particular, the new rules will not apply to elections held by registered investment companies and business development company (BDC) funds. The SEC said that since the funds were not included in the original proposal, and based on the comments received by the SEC on the proposal, further consideration was needed to determine whether this new rule should work. apply to funds. The SEC encouraged industry participants, and in particular registered closed-end funds and BDCs, to continue an active dialogue with the SEC to explain the fundamental differences between activism in a corporate operating context and activism in a fund context.
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