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We are Spider
CORPORATE, B2B
CONSUMER, B2C AND NOT FOR PROFIT
Recently Spider worked alongside GTR to plan, deliver and manage a poignant multi-channel campaign that marks National Suicide Prevention Day and raises awareness of GTR's work around suicide prevention.
GTR challenged Spider to create a meaningful, longer-term activation with multiple strands of activity, and people at its core while keeping in mind the sensitivities surrounding the theme of suicide. After some deliberation, the campaign was coined "Affirmation Art".
The client wanted to focus on enhancing community messaging, making colleagues and passengers feel 'loved', while generating that sense of community; encouraging people to support others while creating a more human feel and face to the brand.
Spider worked alongside GTR's comms, public affairs & Suicide Prevention teams to make this project a reality from the ground up. Working to deliver multiple strands of activity in a highly regulated environment including time-lapse videos, overnight photography, broadcast days and overseeing the graffiti artists as they painted the stations with positive affirmations overnight.
After weeks of planning and creating visual assets the campaign began in the early hours of 10 September as a team of artists begin spraying motivational messages in chalk across station entrances and exits. The chalk clusters aimed to offer support and spark discussion around this incredibly important subject, helping to give passengers and staff a positive boost.
The Affirmation Art was displayed across four of GTR's stations in a variety of colours as well as being mirrored across the entire network's customer information systems on board trains and at stations. The physical stencils and imagery from the day will remain hung in stations and GTR sites UK-wide, serving as a continued show of the operator's focus on suicide prevention 365 days a year.
The campaign was a great success, with over 309 pieces of coverage, including numerous TV & radio interviews, social media amplification, organic and multiple key MPS engaging with the campaign.
*** FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE *** Govia Thameslink Railway displays Affirmation Art at some of its busiest stations across the country to raise awareness of rail safety on World Suicide Prevention Day.
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Zanu-PF retains Shurugwi South seat
THE ruling party Zanu-PF has won the Shurugwi South Ward Six by-election held over the weekend. The council seat was left vacant following the death of councillor Edmond Chitera of Zanu-PF early this year.
The by-election is the first to be held in the Midlands province after the 2018 harmonised elections.
Edward Chitera Junior, the son of the deceased councillor was duly elected after he got 396 votes against Mary Choga (MDC Alliance) who got 16.
There were two spoiled votes. Fringe political parties stayed away from the race. Chitera dedicated his win to his late father.
The MP for Shurugwi South Edmund Mukaratigwa said the win was an endorsement of the party by its supporters in Shurugwi ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
"While this is indeed an endorsement for the party by the masses, it also serves as a reminder that loyalty deserves recognition while unity and hard work guarantee victory. It's now mandatory to accelerate socio economic revival as we work on delivering on our promises," he said.
Zanu PF Midlands provincial chairman Engineer Daniel MacKenzie Ncube welcomed the result saying more effort is needed in attracting people to the party.
"We are coming from a very successful 18th National People's Conference where President Mnangagwa said the party is poised to garner five million votes in the 2023 elections if party structures work together. We are therefore going out in full force in the Midlands banking on such important wins to get more people to join and vote for the party. We are happy we did well and we will continue doing well," he said.
Eng Ncube said the party is in the process of rejuvenating its structures from the cell to the province.
More on: #Edmond_Chitera, #Zanu-PF, #MDC_Alliance
Dish installation and smart tv mounting

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Fall is just around the corner. Make a good turn by registering for your next course, and shorten the distance between you and your future.
The more you know, the more you grow. From your experience to your education, you gain knowledge and skills that act as a catalyst for growth. It's best expressed in your resume. The reflection of everything you have done, and everything you can do, your resume is a living record that persuades current or potential employers that you have what it takes to succeed.
Courses will fill fast, so make sure you get your seat, and prepare to add some new qualifications to your resume.
Explore our programs and courses here.


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Serviceplan Film Test Drive with Severely Visually impaired Author
Serviceplan Film Test Drive with Severely Visually impaired Author Michael Fehr
The BMW 8 Series Coupé made its debut in Switzerland in the summer. Serviceplan Suisse created a stunning film featuring virtually blind author Michael Fehr on a spectacular test drive.
Geneva, 21 November 2018 — The test drive took place in a secure area at an airport in the Bernese Oberland. Michael Fehr, who is almost blind and had never previously sat behind the wheel of a car, accelerated the BMW 8 Series Coupé to speeds of up to 180 km/h. This extraordinary journey was made into a film, for which Michael Fehr describes the experience in his own words. The poetic images were captured using a camera technique developed especially for the film. Michael Fehr said of the experience: "Strangely enough, I felt no fear."
Michael Fehr has been 95% blind since birth, so he had to learn at a young age how to find his way around using his other senses. His perception of the world, coupled with his artistic expression as a writer, meant he was able to describe the BMW 8 Series Coupé in a truly unique way.
The film, directed by Marco Lutz (Production Company: Shining Pictures) had its premiere in front of a hand-picked audience at the BMW Group Brand Experience Center near Zurich. After the screening, guests enjoyed a fascinating podium discussion, with Michael Fehr speaking to Art Basel Global Director Marc Spiegler about his experience as a blind test driver. Afterwards, guests were treated to a first look at the new BMW 8 Series Coupé.
The launch campaign for the new BMW 8 Series Coupé was developed through a collaboration between BMW Group Switzerland and Serviceplan Suisse. The short film was shown in a cinema as part of the 14th Zurich Film Festival. From 21 November 2018, it will also be on show in other Swiss cinemas, as well as on social media channels. An additional short documentary film offers even greater insight into Michael Fehr's thoughts before, during and after his spectacular journey.
The Serviceplan Suisse team: Daniel Hesse (art direction), Dieter Boller, Günter Zumbach, Michael Fehr (text), Simon Staub, Florian Birkner (creative direction), Raul Serrat (executive creative direction), Edi Walker, Andrea Aegerter (consultant), Nathalie Jakober (art buying), Marco Lutz (director), Ralph Baetschmann (DOP), Shining Pictures (production), Jingle Jungle (sound).
Executive Creative Director Raul Serrat commented: "The new BMW 8 Series Coupé is, first and foremost, an emotional experience. Michael Fehr has a wonderful talent for reading feelings, and for putting them into words that truly touch our hearts."
https://www.michaelfehr.ch/english/
Client: BMW
Agency: Serviceplan Suisse
Executive Creative Director: Raul Serrat
Creative Director: Florian Birkner
Managing Partner:
Copywriter: Dieter Boller, Günter Zumbach, Michael Fehr
Art Director: Daniel Hesse
Copywriter:
Art Director:
Art Buyer: Nathalie Jakober
Director: Marco Lutz
Director of Photography: Ralph Baetschmann
Production Company: Shining Pictures
Sound: Jingle Jungle
Consultants: Edi Walker, Andrea Aegerter


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Call SWIM-2-DAYCall SWIM-2-DAY
Swim Programs
Serving Southern California for Over 40 Years.
In 1977, John Bainbridge opened the first Australian Swim School in Fountain Valley, California, after finishing his thesis about infant swimming. With a couple of Instructors and our trademark infant back floating method, we were off and swimming, educating Orange County about the dangers of infant/toddler drownings as well as the wonderful rewards of swimming for health and fitness. In time, our floating babies advanced into super smart swimmers that paved the way to the O.C. competitive swimming scene.
Our philosophy has always been the same. Embrace the wonders of infant and toddler swimming by starting little ones as early as three-months. Swim once a week in our progressive program that emphasizes correct technique from the beginning, and your little fish will be graduating from our swim squads as an accomplished swimmer with skills that will truly last a lifetime.
The Australian Swim School Mission
Our present day operation, under current owner Diane Bainbridge, has grown with the times, staying in step with our technology-based world by making it easy for customers to sign up online and making payments electronically. Four decades later, and after successfully teaching literally thousands of southern California families to swim, the Australian Swim School remains an icon of the swimming school industry with history, experience, passion, and our award-winning developmental approach!
Our goal is to instill a lifelong relationship with the water by providing developmentally-sound swimming instruction in a fun and safe environment. We will instill a lifelong connection with swimming by promoting a love of the water, building confidence in aquatic skills, and establishing a secure foundation for water safety and personal fitness. We will maintain our high-quality swimming instruction by keeping abreast of current child development trends, providing comprehensive training for our staff, and constantly reviewing our program for maximum effectiveness. We will provide outstanding customer service by keeping our customers informed, valuing our relationships with them, and making them feel welcome.
We believe that swimming lessons are not just for people who can afford them. Recently, we partnered with Orange County Fire Authority and gave free swimming lessons to low-income families with the goal to minimize the impact of drowning.
We love giving back!
We love giving back to our community! We had the honor of visiting the CHOC Children's Hospital and participated in their toy donation drive. Thank you to all the staff and parents that helped us donate!
Find a nearby Southern California location
With schools in Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, and Tarzana, parents and guardians benefit from receiving professional swimming instruction close to their home. Teach your kids a valuable skill and register today!
© 2018 Australian Swim School - Infant Swimming Lessons
Site by LUNDMARK newmedia


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Sniper Assassin 3 Codes
This intense game is based on the previous Sniper Assassin games and continues the story where it last left off. The gameplay is the same as in the last two games and you won't have trouble adjusting to it if you have played the previous parts. The game also uses a code system where you are given a level code which you can use to get back to this level at any time you wish. In order to do this you simply have to go the main menu and enter the proper code. The code will take you the start of the mission it was written for. This is also very useful if you wish to stop playing for a while and continue later on as you can pick up where you last stopped playing.
There are 14 levels and 14 codes in the game and each one is unique. Their names usually have something to do with the type of the level they are meant for and go along with the general plot. In fact, the codes themselves give you a good idea of what your objective for that level is which can come quite in handy.
The Sniper Assassin 3 Codes Explained
The code for the first level is WATCHED which refers to the peeping Tom with the camera that you have to kill. The second level uses the code RENDEVEOUS while the code for level three is BLOODPILE (referring to the task of killing several people with one bullet). The fourth level uses the code ROBBER and your task is to kill the suspicious animal. The fifth level has the code ALL IN as a reference to the guy you have to kill (he has a lot of poker chips on his table).
The sixth level is where you torture you captive and this is why the code is TOUGHGUY since he will be hard to break. The seventh level uses the code HIDEOUT since you will be infiltrating one. The eight levels can be reached with the code MANSION and the ninth level has the code WITNESS where you have to save the life of a lady who was supposed to be killed by another assassin. The tenth level is a bonus and has the code SHINEY.
Approaching the end of the game, the eleventh level has the code FISHING and you need to wait a bit for your target to show up. The twelfth level will be one of the hardest as it doesn't have the usual gameplay. The level code is LONGWAYDOWN and you will need to be patient until you can get the skills needed to pass this level. The thirteenth level has the code SNIPERS and is really difficult until you figure out the proper order in which to kill your targets. Start from the left and work your way gradually to the right.
The final fourteenth level can be reached with the code SPEED and it is a very difficult level in spite of the simple objective. You have to kill all four targets, but be advised that they will be moving quite fast!
All Codes:
RENDEVOUS
BLOODPILE
TOUGHGUY
LONGWAYDOWN
Sniper Assassin 3 Codes, 6.8 out of 10 based on 13 ratings
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Boldon Community Association F.C. is an association football club that plays in the Northern Football League.  The club was founded as Boldon Villa, joining the Wearside Football League as a founder member in 1892.  They were later known as Boldon Villa and Boldon Colliery Welfare.  In 1976 the club name was renamed Boldon Community Association.
The league title was won in 1953, 1955, 1975 and 1997
They  were promoted from the Wearside League to the Northern League in 2021.
They made their debut in the Northern Football League in 1-1 draw with Horden Community Welfare.

Goalkeeper Sam Bartram played for the club before joining Charlton Athletic.

References

Northern Football League
Football clubs in Tyne and Wear
Wearside Football League
Mining association football teams in England
Football clubs in England
1892 establishments in England
Association football clubs established in 1892

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Contingent Owned Equipment (COE) is the equipment owned and brought by United Nations member states to peacekeeping missions.  The UN financially reimburses member states for their contributions of COE, and also for the self sustainment services they provide to contingents. This method of reimbursement is commonly referred to as the "COE System". UN staff in peacekeeping missions serve as COE inspectors, verifying that the member states' equipment and the services they provide meet the standards required for reimbursement.

The COE System was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996 to simplify the means by which countries are reimbursed for providing equipment, self sustainment services, and personnel to peacekeeping missions.

The Memorandum of Understanding

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is the contract signed by representatives of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the contributing country's permanent mission to the UN which specifies the exact amount and type of equipment, personnel, and self-sustainment services which the contributing country will be expected to provide to the peacekeeping mission and for which it will be financially reimbursed.  Equipment under MOU ranges from crew served machine guns, metal detectors, and other handheld equipment, to APCs, heavy engineering equipment, cargo/utility vehicles, and generators and containers.  Self-sustainment services include catering, communications, medical, EOD, accommodation, field defense, observation, and so on—- all of the services required to enable a formed military or police unit to sustain itself and function in the field.

Rates of reimbursement are generic, based on "fair market value" as determined by working groups of the General Assembly.  A separate MOU is written for each formed military or police unit to be deployed to a peacekeeping mission.  Currently there are over 300 MOU covering units deployed to 11 peacekeeping missions, representing over 2 billion US dollars in troop, equipment, and self-sustainment costs annually.

See also
 Letters of Assist

External links
Contingent Owned Equipment

Peacekeeping
United Nations properties


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Home	Wallkill Valley Times	Mid Hudson Times	Southern Ulster Times	Calendar	Lifestyle	Classifieds	Marketplace	Connect with Us
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Marlboro Schools unveil Health and Wellness website
By Mark Reynolds
Last week's Marlboro School Board meeting was held virtually out of an abundance of caution because of the rise in Covid and omicron cases in the state. The board suspended public comments …
To help Marlboro students cope with this stress and successfully manage their emotions, the school district has launched a new website called the Virtual Calming Room.
The Marlboro Faculty Association is looking for help replacing hundreds of books in the 1000 Book Club Program at the Marlboro Free Library. To learn how to help, visit https://5il.co/142ir.
Posted Wednesday, January 12, 2022 12:36 am
Last week's Marlboro School Board meeting was held virtually out of an abundance of caution because of the rise in Covid and omicron cases in the state. The board suspended public comments because of the technical difficulty of accommodating the public virtually.
Superintendent Michael Brooks said the district is, "in the thick of things with Covid with a lot of challenges, but I want to make sure that the public, the students and our staff understand that our focus is on keeping our schools open. Thank you so much to our staff who have gone above and beyond with helping us manage through quarantines, with challenges, with questions and changes in rules. Thank you so much to everyone who is stepping up and those of you who are sick with Covid we want you to get well quickly and without any serious health effects. Come back to us as soon as you possibly can. We have some challenges but we are meeting those challenges."
Rosanne Mele, Asst. Superintendent for Business & Personnel, said the district has been able to provide home Covid test kits to any student who may have been exposed, "and if need be a second kit for the third test." She said currently the district has 38 students participating in this program, which is also being utilized by the staff.
"It's been a very busy week for our nurses but a very productive week for them," Mele said.
Michael Bakatsias, Asst. Superintendent for Technology & Personnel, said due to responses from a parental survey improvements have been made to the new district website. There is now consistent posting of the student letter day, a monthly lunch menu is listed, the contact sheet has been updated, a short cut has been installed for the school tools portal under the parent section and work is ongoing to help teachers update their site. He noted that a reduction of old content and links from the former website continue to be reduced where applicable.
Robin Hecht, Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, said the swim program that was approved by the board last year is now up and running. A Health and Wellness website that has been under development for the past two months is also in place.
"Anything anyone would like to contribute to that, we welcome it," Hecht said.
Coaching hires deferred
The board pushed the vote to approve the coaching staff for the fall 2022-23 school year until their January 20th meeting to allow additional time for members to review the material. The motion passed by a vote of 5-2, with board members Karen Brooks and John Cantone voting against moving it ahead by two weeks.
Board member Michael Connors explained his motion to defer.
"I am not sure how much each one of these positions is paying, not entirely sure how much time is actually involved, whether or not the money is getting to the right places, whether some are over or underfunded. We lack the details to make that decision tonight," he said. "All I'm asking for is a little additional time to look it up. With all the things that have been going on, I personally just have not had the chance to study this enough to warrant voting to spend my neighbor's money on these positions tonight."
Board President John Cantone pointed out that the amount of the stipends was negotiated last year with the teacher's union and will not change by the board's review.
"I would like to just caution the board that when you start getting too deep into these details you start to get into the operational aspects of the business, which is not our role," he said. "We have an oversight role as a board as opposed to managing the details and what we have is a recommendation from the Superintendent and we are voting on that recommendation. I'm not saying it is not a worthy effort but just wanted to point out to folks that when you start to get into those details you may want to remind yourself that you are overstepping."
James Mullen disagreed, saying that overseeing these hires and how many coaches are assigned to which sports is a fiscal responsibility of the school board.
"It should be discussed at a board level, I do believe that," he said. "I don't believe this is an overstep at all."
Superintendent Brooks elaborated on the stipends.
"The number of positions are based on our budget so we can always add, subtract, delete or change positions; the board has that discretion when it come to creating a budget." He said these positions are generated at this point in the school year to allow coaches to, "know that they're approved for technically next year but they do work year round. By approving them now they know they're committed to the program. It is something that has been done here for a long time." He said putting this off for a few weeks, "is not a game changer, no pun intended," however he said that a coaching position can be added just like any other in the current school year.
Vision 2020 change orders
The board unanimously approved a series of change orders for increases in the Vision 2020 construction project: at the Middle school; an additional $8,787 for Tech Room Flooring; $3,875 for plumbing piping modifications; $2,310 for epoxy flooring of second floor bathrooms; $2,743 for glycol line relocation; $1,210 for exhaust relocation. At the High School, the change orders called for an additional $1,794 for steel lintels and structural steel; $265 for the nurse lintel office; $938 for wall hydrant replacement and CW piping for a total of $21,922.
Lloyd ZBA decision divides town board The recent decision by the Lloyd Zoning Board of Appeals to allow vehicles to cross over a Light Industrial [LI] zone in order to access the Residential 1 acre section of a proposed development …
Marlboro to consider tax program for Bayside
Last Thursday a snowfall forced the closure of the Marlboro schools and the evening's school board meeting was canceled. Superintendent Michael Brooks brought the Southern Ulster Times up to …
Lloyd seeks to revive adaptive reuse law
Last week the Lloyd Town Board set a public hearing to establish an Adaptive Reuse Overlay District for February 16 at 7 p.m. at the town hall. The law will cover the present boundary of the …
Clearwater picks David Toman as its new Executive Director
Clearwater welcomes David Toman as its new executive director. Toman comes with over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, most recently as the Vice President of Operations and Chief …
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Natursteinmauer Anlegen Sichtschutz Mauer Naturstein Fabulous Balkon Sichtschutz is just one of the many collections of pictures or photos that are on this website. you will get a lot of information about in here. We not only provide information about only, you will get a lot more references to design your dream home. So , don't forget to keep visit Merejazbaat.com to get the latest information about home design, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room, and furniture and more. Natursteinmauer Anlegen Sichtschutz Mauer Naturstein Fabulous Balkon Sichtschutz was posted in November 8, 2018 at 12:07 am. Natursteinmauer Anlegen Sichtschutz Mauer Naturstein Fabulous Balkon Sichtschutz has viewed by 15 users. Click it and download the Natursteinmauer Anlegen Sichtschutz Mauer Naturstein Fabulous Balkon Sichtschutz.


There is no reason to panic when the Check Engine Light comes on. For easy troubleshooting and diagnostics, automotive scanners have been a good invention for DIY mechanics and professional technicians. To diagnose your car error codes and correct check engine light, you will need an On Board Diagnosis II (OBD II) Scanner to clear the codes.
The Actron CP9185 Elite Autoscanner has all the features and upgrades customers all over the world has been asking for. The device provides mechanics and "do it yourself" mechanics the ability to read enhanced codes, record, engine data and view previous diagnostic information and the ability to display result through a PC. The auto scanner is compatible with all 1996 and present On Board Diagnosis II (OBD II) compliant vehicles both import and export vehicles produced in Asia, North America and Europe and will likely diagnose most OBDI vehicles ( with the purchase of optional cables). The scanner will work for future cars through an internet connection and its full updateable. The large easy to read display screen makes reading those diagnostic troubles codes easy and understandable. The Autoscanner device is affordable for budget mindful customers. The device with its upgraded technology provides more options and functions than any other diagnostic tool on the market today.
The CP9185 Elite device easily scans, read and retrieves DTCs. For professional technicians and moderately experienced DIYers, the CP9185 Elite is easy and straightforward to use. Plug the device into your car DLC (data link connector) found in the driver's compartment, and allow the unit to perform all the necessary scans. The interface is friendly and makes getting information easy and accessible. The scanner read, displays and correct generic On-Board Diagnosis and manufacturer specific codes while correcting your check engine light. The Scanner is the best in the market that offers high performance with affordable market price. The device gives the user the ability to scan and easily diagnose car problems, providing you with an option of fixing the problem yourself or finding the best repair price.
Actron's Pocketscan code reader is the best choice for DIYer mechanics hoping to know more about their car. The instrument is easy to use, operate and will help correct the check error code display. The Pocketscan reader can be used to read all import and domestic cars from 1996 to date. Monitoring your car's system can help improve and maintain its performance while reducing maintenance costs and keeping you safe on the road. The CP9185 Elite Autoscanner is a great investment for every car users. The package includes 8-foot extension cable, OBD II Cable, Manual/CD, Actron Elite Autoscanner CP9185, and a USB Cable. The scanner offers the best performance for every professional mechanics, car enthusiasts, and DIYer, regardless of the level of experience.


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Israel opens NATO mission as relations with Turkey thaw - Daily News Egypt
World Israel opens NATO mission as relations with Turkey thaw
Israel opens NATO mission as relations with Turkey thaw
Israel will open a NATO mission at alliance headquarters. Closer cooperation between the Jewish state and NATO had been blocked by a feud between Turkey and Israel, which are now on the cusp of normalizing relations.
Deutsche Welle June 22, 2016 Be the first to comment
Israel has been an active partner of NATO for 20 years, but closer ties have been held up by opposition from Turkey, a NATO member.
Meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at alliance headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the mission would help to enhance cooperation between NATO and Israel.
"Increasing the level of cooperation between NATO and Israel, as well as with our other Mediterranean Dialogue partners, is essential," Stoltenberg said, referring to a security forum that brings together Israel, NATO and Arab nations that the Jewish state does not have formal relations with.
"The violence and instability that has gripped the Middle East and North Africa in recent years is a clear threat to the security of all our nations," Stoltenberg said.
Rivlin said opening the mission "will help Israel and NATO in strengthening our cooperation and our good relations. It will help us share best practices and information."
Israel is expected to share intelligence with NATO, as well as offer expertise on cyber security.
The opening of an Israeli mission at NATO headquarters had been held up by Turkey, which has the second largest army in the alliance.
Though they once had close regional allies, Ankara and Jerusalem fell out after a 2010 Israeli commando raid on the Mavi Marmara aid ship trying to break a blockade of Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Nine Turkish citizens and a dual Turkish-American national were killed in the incident.
Turkey recalibrates
The diplomatic fallout from the raid led to a shift in geopolitical alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean, as Turkey sought a more robust and interventionist foreign policy in the Middle East.
Yet now, Ankara's "zero problems with neighbors" foreign policy is increasingly in disarray, as the country finds itself diplomatically isolated on all fronts.
Relations with Russia are tense following the shooting down of a Russian warplane last year, its backing of Syrian rebels has backfired, and Syrian Kurds allied to rebel Kurds in Turkey are building a de facto autonomous region on its southern border under the cover of US support. Meanwhile, there is no end in sight to the conflict in Syria as it continues to spill across the border.
Some analysts believe outreach to Israel is part of a recalibration of Turkish foreign policy towards the Middle East and a hedge against instability.
Years of on-and-off diplomatic talks have failed to reach a rapprochement, but both sides have now indicated they are close to normalizing relations.
Turkey is demanding compensation for the victims of the 2010 raid and an apology, both of which Israel has reportedly agreed to, but a major sticking point remains the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Turkey demanding Israeli lift the blockade on the Hamas-controlled strip.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Tuesday "definitive progress" on normalization had been made but "the agreement has not reached a final point."
"There are three things we have kept saying since the very beginning: apology, compensation and easing or totally lifting of the blockade on Gaza," he told the private NTV television, saying Gaza had become an "open prison."
cw/bk (AFP, AP)
Topics: Israel nato Turkey
Source: DW Global
http://www.dw.com/en/israel-opens-nato-mission-as-relations-with-turkey-thaw/a-19346764?maca=en-rss_en_DailyNewsEgypt-14679-xml-mrss
EU to sanction Turkey over illegal drilling in regional waters of Cyprus
"Go back to fix totally broken, crime infested places you came from": Trump
Iran says it is ready for talks if US lifts sanctions
Turkey urges Greek Cypriots to accept oil drilling plan
https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2016/06/22/israel-opens-nato-mission-as-relations-with-turkey-thaw/
Turkey apologises to Russia for bringing down Su-24 last year
Turkey seeks to normalize relations with Russia
NATO's Stoltenberg warns of Russian expansionism outside its borders
NATO beefs up presence in Eastern Europe
NATO wishes no conflict with Russia, but will protect members
PDP allocates €51m for development of 9 informal housing areas in Cairo, Giza, Qaliubiya
June 22, 2016 Breaking News


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A Nice Arrangement
Once upon a time, there were two people who worked a late night shift. One of their names was Lucy Thrall. The other person's name was Charlie Crown.
The two coincidentally were without work and found work during the holiday season. A large merchandising store placed an ad in a popular newspaper that said, "Now Hiring Seasonal Workers." Lucy and Charlie both worked in shipping, loaded boxes into large trucks for six hours a night. They worked six days a week.
The two had worked together for three weeks. Charlie loved Lucy; her husband had left her about a year ago. Charlie thought, "What happens when this job is over? How will I still speak with Lucy?" She still had a lot to talk about; she was not quite through telling Charlie about her personal problems, in Charlie's guesses.
"What would you think if I bought you dinner sometime?" asked Charlie, one night. "Are you asking me to go on a date?" asked Lucy. "No," said Charlie, "I just thought it might be nice to share dinner with someone – I have not gone out to eat in a nice restaurant in months." "Where would we go?" asked Lucy. "What do you have in mind?" asked Charlie. "The nice restaurant on 7th and Elk seems interesting. I hear the food is phenomenal, though it is kind-of expensive," said Lucy.
"It sounds like a good idea," said Charlie, "When would be a convenient time to go?" "I can meet you there on Friday at 6:30 PM," said Ms. Thrall; "I will be there," said Mr. Crown. The two ended their conversation and went back to work. Their normal hour-long lunch break was over. They worked through the night. Charlie was happy that he would see Lucy outside of work. He wanted what she did; he wanted to make her happy.
Friday came and Charlie dressed to kill. He shaved his entire body; put on his nicest slacks and a casual business dress shirt; and a minimal splash of cologne and his nicest watch. With his best shoes on, Mr. Crown walked out of his door in good time. He got to the restaurant early. He had made reservations for a table of two, Mr. Crown and Ms. Thrall. Charlie made it to the restaurant by 6:12 PM. The host checked his listing and found Charlie and Lucy's name written down for 6:30 PM. "Right this way," said the nicely dressed host. Charlie followed the host, tried to absorb the atmosphere normally only known of by common aristocrats in the surrounding area.
Charlie was sat down at a nice table towards the back of the restaurant. The lighting was romantic and the place was clean. "I hope Lucy enjoys this," thought Charlie, "It sure is a nice place." A server named, Jonah came over to see Charlie. Jonah was a highly presentable individual – he did not make mistakes. Jonah was dressed to perfection. "Hi, my name is Jonah, and I will be your server, tonight," said Jonah. "It is nice to meet you," said Charlie. Charlie's eyes were already on the host-stand. It was not even 6:30 PM, and he was watching for Lucy.
"I am waiting for an acquaintance of mine," said Charlie, "She should be here any minute." "Okay," said Jonah, "Can I bring you anything?" "May I have a glass of ice water?" asked Charlie. "Sure," said Jonah. Jonah left and returned with a glass of ice water, tended to his other patrons while keeping Charlie's presence known. Charlie watched his watch. 6:30 PM passed and Lucy was not there. Charlie noticed the nice arrangement of flowers on the table and thought to himself, "That is a lovely arrangement of flowers, there." He watched the host's stand. There was no Lucy to be seen.
Jonah checked on Charlie at 6:35. "Do you think she is coming?" asked Jonah, trying to be as nice as possible. "She may be running late," said Charlie. "We both work at night; she may be tired or sleeping," he thought aloud. "May I bring you an appetizer while you wait?" asked Jonah. It was clear that Charlie was not leaving just yet. "What do you have available?" asked Charlie. Jonah handed him a menu sheet with the word "Appetizers" on the top of it. Jonah saw many different treats and good ideas. He saw one line that advertised a fried escargot basket for 7$. "What do you think of the fried snails?" asked Charlie.
"I eat them all the time and I think they are great," said Jonah, "They come with a dipping sauce that is similar to marinara." "I guess I will try some of those," said Charlie, "I hope Lucy is on the way. This arrangement of flowers is very nice." "Thank you," said Jonah, "One of the cooks and I chose those. They are combinations of pink, white, and violet orchids." "I am impressed," said Charlie Crown. Jonah left and returned in 6 minutes with a basket of fried snails and dipping sauce. "Still no sign of Lucy?" asked Jonah. "No," said Charlie, "Thank you for the snails."
Charlie ate the snails, one by one; the flowers reminded him of florists – they were without flaw. Half of an hour had gone by, and Lucy had not come into the restaurant. Jonah came and checked on Charlie a couple of times; they both decided that she might not be coming. 7:30 PM passed by, and Jonah came over to Charlie. "Would you like to order a meal?" asked Jonah. "Do you have anything to go?" asked Charlie. "We have some toasted lunch sandwiches that are pretty good," said Jonah, "Would you like to try one of those?"
"How much are they?" asked Charlie, he had planned to pay for two luxurious dinners. He was not too concerned about the cost of a lunch sandwich. "My favorite one is a Philly cheese-steak sandwich with mozzarella and little yellow chili peppers," said Jonah, "It is 7$." "That sounds splendid," said Mr. Crown. Jonah brought him the sandwich in a Styrofoam to-go container; it was nearing 8 PM. The server also brought Charlie his check. "Thank you," said Charlie, as he looked at the check. The check had an automatic gratuity on it for 2$. It totaled 17$, due to 1$ for the cost of the glass of water. "Can I pay you here?" asked Charlie. "Sure," said Jonah.
Mr. Crown handed Jonah 25$ in cash and enjoyed one last gaze upon the pretty orchids. Ms. Thrall must not have been able to make it, somehow. He shook Jonah's hand. Both said, "Thank you," and Charlie left to go get ready for work.
dialogue, fiction - short story, foreshadowing, writing 101
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In 1993 I saw Bullet in the head and The Killer at the Broadway cinema in Nottingham, John Woo was in attendance and I was lucky enough to meet him and get the program for the event John Woo: New sheriff in town signed by him.
This is very, very cool. I have a glossy still of The Beyond signed by David Warbeck, but this is much better ! Totally jealous !
Thanks Wes, it was awesome meeting him, a friend of mine at the time had been really rude and interrupted a meal he was having in the bar, which I would never have done. Once he had been disturbed already I thought what the hell this will probably be my one and only chance. He was so gracious, I would have been really pissed but he was really kind and generous with his time. So yes, very cool!
It's a close call though Dan!
Why can't Woo make these kind of movies anymore? Unlike the bland movies being churned out these days, I wish HK movie industry and Woo himself can return to the glory days.
Awesome lobby cards for a great movie!
It really is a great movie, I could watch it every week and never get bored of it, thanks Ty.
Just stumbled upon your Blog! and was delighted to read the comment on disturbing John Woo,Yes It was me but I can't remember being your friend maybe a bit more info to refresh my memory.
I still have the Killer Still set in the loft as he signed every lobby card and cover for me.
Tigerstyles, I'm Martin, Wes runs the excellent Plutonium shores blog. Anyway I'm pretty sure it wasn't you I was with, my buddy only had a tiny scrap of paper to be signed. Honestly I was mortified he interrupted the meal he was having with his friends and family. Once it was done though, what option did I have since we were sat at the next table to him!
He was having a cuppa in the corner of the bar when I bombarded him! had a good ten minute chat with him his wife and Terrance Chiang,then he signed my Killer presspack..
I only shared a few words due to my discomfort, what did you ask him Tigerstyles?


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According to Augustine " In many cultures of the world, individuals get their identity from an affiliated organization or immediate family. Collective value system, goals and aspiration take precedence over those of individuals. Individuals in group societies tend to be less assertive and be governed by the group norm." South Korea would be one of these countries that has low-individualism. Where as the United states has high individualism.
In the U.S. getting down to business is very important because time is money. It would be considered a waste of time if the first meeting was used to get to know one another personally. Usually a business doesn't care much about an individual they will have done prior research on the company so that when it comes to the first meeting they can get strait to work.
When talking to Laura she said that it was common for Korean bosses to take their employees out to the bar after work occasionally and it is usually considered to be mandatory. Usually at these events the businessmen drink heavily. This would be unheard of in the U.S. We usually are told not to mix alcohol and business because that is considered unprofessional. If their is drinking businessmen in the U.S. usually keep it to a minimum.


text:
package biz.r2s.scaffolding.mapping;

import java.util.List;

import biz.r2s.scaffolding.builder.ClassScaffoldBuilder;
import biz.r2s.scaffolding.interceptor.DomainResource;
import biz.r2s.scaffolding.interceptor.DomainScaffoldStore;
import biz.r2s.scaffolding.meta.ClassScaffold;;

/**
 * Created by raphael on 13/08/15.
 */
public class MappingScaffoldFacade {
    private MappingGrails mappingGrails;

    static MappingScaffoldFacade _instance;

    public MappingScaffoldFacade(){
        mappingGrails = new MappingGrails();
    }
    public static MappingScaffoldFacade getInstance(){
        if(_instance==null){
            _instance = new MappingScaffoldFacade();
        }
        return _instance;
    }

    public void mapped(){
        this.addAll(DomainScaffoldStore.domainResources);
    }

    void addAll(List<DomainResource> domainResources){
    	for(DomainResource domainResource:domainResources){
    		 this.add(domainResource);
    	}
    }

    void add(DomainResource domainResource){
        mappingGrails.addMapping(domainResource.getUrl(), this.getResources(domainResource.getDomainClass(), domainResource.getPropertyName()), domainResource.getDomainClass(), domainResource.getPropertyName(), this.getController(domainResource.getDomainClass(), domainResource.getPropertyName()));
    }

    String getResources(Class domainClass, String propertyName){
        String resource = "defaultScaffoldRest";
        Class controllerClassDomain = this.getControllerClassDomain(domainClass, propertyName);
        if(controllerClassDomain!=null){
            /*SaguiRestfulController bean = GrailsUtil.grailsApplication.mainContext.getBean(controllerClassDomain.clazz)
            resource = bean.resourceName*/
        }
        return resource;
    }
    String getController(Class domainClass, String propertyName){
        String controller = "defaultScaffoldRest";
        Class controllerClassDomain = this.getControllerClassDomain(domainClass, propertyName);
        if(controllerClassDomain!=null){
            controller = this.getNameController(controllerClassDomain.getSimpleName());
        }
        return controller;
    }

    String getNameController(String nameSimplesClassController){
    	StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(nameSimplesClassController.replace("Controller", ""));
    	sb.setCharAt(0, Character.toLowerCase(sb.charAt(0)));
    	return sb.toString();
    }

    static Class getControllerClassDomain(Class domainClass, String propertyName){
        DomainResource domainResource = DomainScaffoldStore.getDomainResourse(domainClass, propertyName);
         return getControllerClassDomain(domainResource);
    }

    static Class getControllerClassDomain( DomainResource domainResource){
    	Class controllerClassDomain = null;
        ClassScaffold classScaffold = ClassScaffoldBuilder.getInstance().builder(domainResource.getDomainClassResourse());
        if(classScaffold.getControllerClass()!=null){
            try {
				Class aClass = Class.forName(classScaffold.getControllerClass());
			} catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
				// TODO Auto-generated catch block
				e.printStackTrace();
			}
            //controllerClassDomain = GrailsUtil.getGrailsApplication().getControllerClasses().find{it.clazz==aClass}
        }
        return controllerClassDomain;
    }

    /*static boolean isBean(Class domainClass, String propertyName, SaguiRestfulController bean){
        try{
            if(bean.resource == domainClass.clazz){
                if(propertyName) {
                    if(bean instanceof SaguiHasManyRestfulController&&bean.propertyHasMany==propertyName) {
                        return true
                    }
                }else {
                    return true
                }
            }
            return false
        }catch(e){
            return false
        }
    }*/
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
McAlister's Deli Free Tea Day July 26th
McAlister's Deli makes the best glass of sweet tea I've ever had. Pop into one near you tomorrow for your own 32 ounce cup free of charge!
LIFE JUST GOT A LITTLE SWEETER WITH McALISTER'S DELI 'FREE TEA DAY' ON JULY 26TH
More Than 300 Restaurants in 22 States Expect to Serve Over 225,000 Glasses of Free Tea to the Community
RIDGELAND, Miss. (July 11, 2012) – Free Tea Day is back by popular demand at McAlister's Deli. On Thursday, July 26th, guests who visit any of the participating McAlister's Deli locations will get a free 32-ounce, signature McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™. No coupon is required and no purchase is necessary.
"Free Tea Day at McAlister's is an annual tradition that our guests look forward to all year long," said Kirk Lanier, President of franchise group The Saxton Group. "It's a special treat that allows us to thank our loyal guests and encourage those who haven't tried our famous tea to experience what makes it so popular for themselves."
McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™, the 23-year-old restaurant's signature drink, is hand crafted several times each day to insure optimal freshness. McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™ is a rainforest certified black tea blend and is made exclusively with filtered water and pure cane sugar for a high quality taste.
"You don't expect to get anything for free these days, but on July 26th at McAlister's Deli, all our guests will get a free glass of McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea," said McAlister's Deli President and CEO Frank Paci. "Last year on Free Tea Day, we shared over 225,000 glasses of tea with our guests, and this year we expect to top that. It's just a small way for us to show our customers we appreciate their loyalty throughout the year."
Free Tea Day began in 2009 and has become an anticipated annual summertime event. McAlister's is promoting Free Tea Day with a myriad of in-store and social media activities including weekly photo contests and a "Sweet Tweet of the Week." Details can be found at www.mcalistersdeli.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeaFreaks or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MCALISTERSDELI, follow @McAlistersDeli.
About McAlister's Deli
Founded in 1989, Ridgeland, Mississippi-based McAlister's Deli is a quick-casual restaurant chain known for its sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™. In addition to dine-in and take-out service, McAlister's also offers casual catering, with a selection of deli and sandwich trays, vegetable, cheese and fruit trays, breakfast trays, box lunches and desserts, McAlister's Deli currently has 307 restaurants in 22 states. McAlister's Deli has earned numerous accolades, including most recently Nation's Restaurant News ranking the chain fourth in its inaugural Consumer Picks study, the highest of any sandwich chain and higher than any bakery café restaurant. For more information, visit www.mcalistersdeli.com.
About The Saxton Group
A part of the restaurant industry for over 26 years, The Saxton Group has a rich history of multi-unit and multi-brand development. Initially a small operation with two restaurants, the group has evolved into industry veterans and leaders with locations operating in more than four states. The company is currently the largest McAlister's Deli franchisee in the country, one of Restaurant Franchise Monitor's Top 200 restaurant franchisees, and is aggressively expanding McAlister's Deli and Pinkberry concepts throughout Texas. Through the years, The Saxton Group has maintained a family approach to business and takes pride in teaching every employee about the restaurant business from the ground up. The group is headquartered in Dallas, Tex., and one was recently named a Dallas 100 company for dynamic growth by SMU's Cox School of Business. For more information, please visit www.thesaxtongroup.com.
Read More In: McAlister's Deli, McAlister's Deli Free Tea Day July 26th


Hotel prices in Tokyo aren't exactly cheap, which made using my stash of Hilton HHonors points a natural fit. We ultimately settled on the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba, located across the Rainbow Bridge from the Tokyo city center, in the suburban area of Odaiba. 50,000 points worth of Hilton funny money a night gets you a room, which considering that rooms were retailing for 31,000 yen (~$255 per night) represented a decent deal. I also wanted a hotel convenient to the city's light rail/subway system, and the Hilton's location directly adjacent to the Daiba station on the Yurikamome Line seemed like an ideal setup.
Note: This post is part of my trip report series about our trip to Japan in November, 2015. Click here for the introductory post and trip report index.
As mentioned in the introduction, the hotel is located adjacent to the Daiba station on the Yurikamome light rail line; a covered walkway leads to the station entrance. The trip to Shimbashi station on the outskirts of entral Tokyo takes roughly 15 minutes. The hotel also shares an observation deck with the Aqua City Mall, which is also next door.
To get to the hotel from Narita Airport, the most direct option is the "Airport Limousine Bus". It runs directly from all airport terminals to the hotel's entrance. Buses run approximately every 2 hours between 8:45 A.M. and 6:45 P.M. Cost is 2,800 yen (~$27) per person, and the trip takes about 90 minutes. You can also take the Narita Express (N'EX) or a local train to Tokyo Station, then the Yamanote Line to Shimbashi Station, then the Yurikamome Line to Daiba Station. A ticket in the Ordinary Car is 3,020 yen to Tokyo, then 120 yen to Shimbashi, plus an additional 320 yen to Daiba. Trains run approximately every 30 minutes from 7:45 A.M. to 9:45 P.M., and the entire trip takes about 90 minutes. Taxi fare to Odaiba is approximately 20,000 yen (~$190, and no, that's not a misprint), and takes 60-90 minutes.
From Haneda Airport, the easiest way to reach the hotel is to take the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho Station, then the Yamanote Line to Shimbashi, then the Yurikamome Line to Daiba. The monorail runs every 4-10 minutes from 5 A.M. to midnight. The fare is 490 yen to Hamamatsucho, and approximately 500 yen to Daiba (~$9 total). Taxi fare is roughly 4,400 yen (~$42), and takes 15-30 minutes depending on traffic.
The bus brought us to the downstairs lobby at street level. Escalators bring you up to the main lobby and check-in desks on the second level.
There were a few people in line ahead of us, but the hotel has an efficient system in place, with an employee greeting guests as they join the line and then directing them to the first available clerk. It took only a few minutes to get us checked in to our room on the 15th floor. Our room featured a balcony and was on the side of the hotel facing the water, but faced an industrial/warehouse area to the east, and not the Tokyo city center. I could have sworn that I'd taken a couple of photos from the balcony, but unfortunately I can't find them.
The room itself was a bit on the small side, with two chairs situated by the sliding doors leading to the balcony. The bed, however, was spacious, and was pretty comfortable. Hilton beds can be hit or miss in that regard, but I was able to sleep right through the night from the first day.
There is a small working area next to the flat screen TV. Though there is a full-size closet across from the bathroom, there is also a small storage area to the left of the TV for smaller bags, such as roll-a-boards or backpacks. I did find that handy. Plugs are available both at the desk and on the nightstand closest to the balcony.
If you're here on business, the amount of working space is tight, and the desk chair isn't all that comfortable. When I wanted to use my computer, I found it more comfortable to sit on one of the chairs by the window. Fortunately, this was purely a pleasure trip over the Thanksgiving holidays, so it wasn't an issue for me. WiFi speeds were acceptable, if not blazing fast. As with most Hilton hotels these days, standard WiFi is free for HHonors members that book directly through Hilton.
I also found the bathroom to be standard issue and pretty tight, with not much room to maneuver between the sink and bathtub/shower. The toiletries were the standard Peter Thomas Roth products found at Hiltons worldwide.
The lobby featured many Italian-style white columns, and the terraced floorplan with spiral staircases gave a cruise ship vibe.
A couple of seating areas were located by the front entrance, featuring modern looking circular furniture.
The most impressive part of the lobby was towards the back next to the front desk. This featured a bar/seating area spanning almost the entire length of the floor, with expansive windows providing an incredible view of Tokyo Bay and the skyline. This would definitely be a nice place to nurse a drink and enjoy the view. As long as you don't mind hotel prices, at least.
Since it was getting close to Christmas, a Christmas tree and decorations had been placed throughout. It also looked like a spot had been set up for Santa Claus to sit and take requests from the kids.
As you can see from the top photo, the exterior is rather spartan, but the view from the back of the hotel is anything but ordinary. Guests enjoy spectacular views of the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo skyline from the observation deck, both night and day. The deck extends to the Aqua City mall, making it a nice spot for a leisurely stroll.
A very nice Christmas/winter lights display was also out between the hotel and the mall.
In fact, the proximity to Aqua City is perhaps the best feature of the hotel. Neither my wife nor I care much for hotel restaurants in general, and it was nice to be able to just walk across the street and sample the options available there. A mall food court might not sound like much at first blush. Throughout Tokyo, though, there are a surprising number of decent restaurants inside malls, including Aqua City. This proved to be especially helpful our first night in Tokyo; we were fighting some serious jet lag about 6 P.M., but the walk to the mall and a little fresh air outside admiring the lights helped me stay up until about 10, and I was able to sleep through the night with no issues.
As far as access to the city center, there definitely is a price vs. convenience trade-off. Hotels in Odaiba are marginally cheaper, but involve a 15-minute train ride to central Tokyo. Another issue is that airport trips require a double connection on the trains. This makes things difficult with heavy or bulky luggage. On the other hand, the pace in Odaiba is noticeably slower and quieter than much of Tokyo. I find that preferable, but whether that's a plus or minus for you is of course personal preference.
With respect to the hotel's services – we spent little time in the hotel, so I can't really comment much. Literally, we were there to sleep, and spend an hour or so in the morning before taking off to sightsee. The hotel staff we encountered, though, were universally exceptional. What I especially appreciated was the large number of employees stationed around the front desk that proactively approached anyone that looked like they might be looking for something or needed help at the desk, keeping lines moving efficiently and reducing wait times to a minimum. Incidentally, if you don't want to trek all the way to Kobe for a Teppanyaki experience, the in-house Sakura restaurant has what you're looking for, and had a decent lunch special if I remember the menu correctly.
The rooms at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba are really nothing special, though service was exceptional, as I'd encountered throughout Japan. Whether the hotel is the right choice for you, though, depends on how you value the price-location trade-off. I appreciated the less hectic pace in Odaiba, and I'll generally trade a short train ride to the city center for a lower price. I also found the location next to Aqua City a plus, as that opened up many close-in dining opportunities.
Next week, I wrap up my Japan trip report series with a look at the Admirals Club at Narita Airport.


New Findings: Teens Use Social Media To Get Away From Grown Ups | YoRocko! New Findings: Teens Use Social Media To Get Away From Grown Ups – YoRocko!
The Macarthur Foundation has been funding research into teenagers' use of digital media since 2008, and if you're not tracking their findings you're missing out. This is important, nuanced, evidence-based stuff that anybody who works with teenagers should grapple with.
Hanging Out, Messing Around, Geeking Out: Living And Learning with New Media came out in 2009, and I eagerly recruited a couple of high school students to help me teach it to the adults in our church. Danah Boyd's It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens followed in 2014. I taught that to grown ups too (next to Douglas Rushkoff, danah boyd is my biggest brain crush).
Now here comes another book out of all that research: The Class: Living And Learning in The Digital Age by Sonia Livingstone and Julian Sefton-Green. I ordered a copy today and will jump at the first chance to get into it with grown ups.
The authors followed 13-year-olds for a year to observe their use of digital media. Their findings throw cold water on alarmist fears about teenagers addicted to smartphones who are unable to sustain face-to-face conversations. Livingstone wrote a little summary here, but I'll tell you a couple of her most promising insights now.
Second, teens prefer face-to-face interaction. They seek it out, and they prolong it for as long as possible when they have it. They may be interacting with phones when they're together, but being together is the substance of what they most want to be doing.
This is important work, and I can't wait to read through it all. Big ups to Cory Doctorow and BoingBoing for their coverage of it.


text:
Obediah Ayton
A List Investors Types In The UAE And Their Incentives
It is incredibly important to understand the incentives of investors when you are raising money. This used to be fairly easy - but not in the UAE.
The UAE looks different now. There are a lot of different types of startup investors, each with a different approach to investing and different incentives for doing so. While they'd all prefer not to lose money, the differences in how their incentives and expectations are structured are critical in understanding how to decide whether or not to work with them, how to negotiate with them, and how to interact with them over the lifetime of your relationship.
Below, I've tried to highlight the key motivations and structures of each of the investors you are likely to encounter in the UAE. While I haven't attempted to catalogue all the ways in which the incentives of investors influence their behavior - sometimes to the detriment of the startup founders - this should work as a starting point to think through those issues.
VC Firm The classic startup investor that is primarily working to achieve returns for the funds they've raised from a set of Limited Partners. The partners at these funds are usually paid in two ways: they earn a % of the funds that they've raised and they earn a % of the return they make on the total fund from which they invest in you. These firms generally raise further funds based on the performance of earlier investments.
While investors make money off their management fees (the % of what they've raised), the big pay outs only happen when they return a multiple of the total capital raised. Because of how concentrated venture returns are, VCs generally invest only in deals which they believe will return all or most of their returns. Over the years we have seen club deals and name following.
Angel Usually a wealthy individual or Family member who invests their own money in startups. Sometimes these are people that made money through their own startups. Sometimes they are coming from different industries, and sometimes they inherited their wealth. It can be useful to know which category of angel you are talking to.
Angels have become hugely important to early stage startups as the number of companies have grown beyond the financing ability of traditional funds. More importantly, the wide distribution of Angels has materially decreased the access barrier which founders face when raising capital.
There are a lot of different incentives at play for Angels. While many of them are hoping for huge financial returns, many also want to be able to brag about having invested in a hugely successful startup. What's strange is that Angels often just want to brag about investing in startups, regardless of the success of those companies. Investing in startups has become a badge of pride in a lot of circles.
Though most angels invest as a part time activity, there is a wide range in the amount of time and effort they devote to investing. Knowing that they have other things on their minds should change how you approach and interact with them. You also need to understand how experienced they are, the size at which they invest, and how much time and energy they'll actually spend on their investing.
At one end of this spectrum, you'll find angels who are essentially small seed funds. They invest significant amounts of money in startups, and do so frequently. In the best case, these investors have a deep understanding of the companies in which they invest and can be incredibly helpful. These investors understand that they are likely to lose all their committed capital, understand the standard terms and instruments through which startups raise money, and are generally low maintenance.
At the other end of this spectrum, you'll find small, inexperienced investors who just want to invest in startups wherever they find them. These investors will put a small number of small checks into whatever company they can get into. Because they are unfamiliar with how startups work, they are often hard to deal with and incredibly focused on the risk of losing their principal. These are investors you should avoid unless you absolutely need them.
Accelerator Accelerators are, for the most part, a subset of VC firms where there are professional investors who raise funds from outside parties to invest in startups. They usually fund more companies than classic VC firms, and do so in batches. Similarly to a VC, most accelerators need to demonstrate return to investors to continue to raise funds.
Accelerators also have a non-financial incentive - they need breakout successes to prove that they are providing operational help to companies and actually "accelerating them." Syndicate Syndicates come in a number of different flavors, but are generally groups of angels who come together to invest in a single deal. Usually, these syndicates have a lead who will be your main point of contact. This lead usually puts money at risk for a return and gets some sort of performance fee for the other funds that they bring into the deal.
Watch out for syndicates where the syndicate runner is taking a management fee on funds raised and is encouraging you to raise more money than you think is wise. Also, be careful with syndicates since you don't know ahead of time who will invest in your company, and might find that one of the investors is a direct competitor who just wants some privileged information. Crowdfunder Any and all comers on the internet who pre-order an unbuilt item in the hopes that it will some day get built and be cool/solve a problem. They're not expecting financial return, but do want regular updates on what's going on with the project and when they can expect delivery. Hiding problems is a lot worse than transparently failing to deliver.
Family office These are the private investment vehicles for super high net worth individuals and families. Whereas some individuals invest their own money as angels, those that get to a certain scale often employ staffs of portfolio managers and investment professionals. There are many different structures here. Some family offices are structured like single limited parter hedge funds with a high tolerance for risk, and others are structured more conservatively. Whatever the risk tolerance, the staffs of family offices generally get carry on their investments as well as salary, which introduces some of the incentive dynamics present at VCs.
Generally, these entities are very concerned with not losing their principal. Whereas a VC fund that loses an entire fund will have a hard time raising other funds, a family office that loses all its principal has no recourse for more funds. Generally, if you get an investment from a family office, it will come from a small portion of a portion of an overall investment portfolio.
Corporate investor (direct) There are a lot of corporations that like to talk about investing in startups. Some of them actually do this, and some do not. When an investment comes directly from the company's balance sheet at the direction of a particular business line, the corporation is usually looking for strategic value from the investment. Most of these companies know that investing in startups is unlikely to change the valuation of the investor.
This means they either want an inside edge to acquire you at some point, or believe that investing in you will help improve their bottom line. They may want to prevent you from selling to competitors in the same space, and may have other confusing and onerous ideas. This is because their incentives are different that those of most startups - they are more concerned with how you can help them than with how they can help you get gigantic.
Corporate investor (venture arm) While corporate venture arms have some of the misaligned incentives of direct corporates, they generally have a mandate to generate financial returns for the company's balance sheet. This means they act more like VCs, and are typically more conversant with how startups work.
Government Governments have many reasons for investing in startups. There are many government grants available in various countries that are designed to promote startups as way to increase job growth. There are also government agencies with their own venture funds, generally designed to fund technology that will help the government in the long run. University endowment University endowments are similar to family offices, but they represent an endowment. They are designed to produce returns to fund the university over time. These entities do not generally invest in early stage companies except in conjunction with a fund with whom they have a strong relationship.
Seed fund Seed funds are VC funds that write smaller checks at early stages of companies. They usually have the same incentives and structures.
Hedge fund Hedge funds are largely unrestricted pools of capital. Traditionally, these were focused on public market investments, though in the last few years have started investing in startups. Generally, they invest in later stages and are looking for returns on capital as they have LPs and similar incentive structures to VC funds.
Mutual fund These are large pools of capital run by portfolio managers. They don't have LPs, rather they have large groups of retail investors who buy shares in the funds, which capital they can then deploy. These funds only invest in late stage startups, because they need to deploy a lot of capital to have any kind of impact at the portfolio level. These managers are paid based on performance, and often have reporting requirements that cause them to publish their internal marks for private companies. This has caused a lot of consternation lately as Fidelity has been publishing widely oscillating valuations for a number of companies like Dropbox.
Sovereign wealth fund These are the largest pools of capital in the world, and are essentially very large family offices for entire countries. These funds are large enough to invest in any and all asset classes that the managers believe will produce a return on investment. Like mutual funds, these funds rarely invest directly in startups - they are more likely to invest in funds that do.
In the last few years, however, a number of them have begun to invest directly in startups. While the managers of these funds are generally paid on a performance basis, there are a lot of other complicated incentives in place at certain funds deriving from political requirements. These are pretty hard to parse.
#familyoffice #UAE #Investment
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« Join Us! 30th Anniversary Gathering: Resistance for a Nuclear Free Future
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My Time With the Nuclear Resister Archives
Inspired by Tales of Resistance
by Allison McGillivray
Thirty years. That's a good amount of time. Enough time to raise two children, to earn a permanent ban-and-bar letter from your local Air Force base, to survive consecutive disappointing presidencies, and to stockpile the necessary paperwork to keep an unknowing intern busy for two straight months with no end in sight.
I'm not complaining, being the unknowing intern. When I met Felice and Jack a few years back, they had mentioned their project of archiving the Nuclear Resister information and my ears perked…
To understand my relationship with the Nuclear Resister archives, one must also understand I have never been arrested, I love stories and I am deeply saddened by the fervor of the conservative right which has diluted our faith, morals, and intelligence and is now demolishing logic and creativity.
It was amidst this heartbreak, armed with my enthusiasm for stories and lacking any experience in the realm of civil disobedience that I arrived to Tucson in January to fulfill the role as a Nuclear Resister archives intern. I knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to help two deeply committed activists wade through their files of nostalgia and empowerment. A newbie to the peace movement and recent alumnus of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, I was eager to get my grubby hands on Felice and Jack's treasure trove of information and offer myself as an empty vessel to be filled with stories.
My first assignment was a bit of an escape from the present world, which I readily welcomed. I was to scan through boxes of radical newspapers from the 1980s which Felice and Jack had saved for potential articles about nonviolent civil disobedience. As the work of the Nuclear Resister is done out of the Cohen-Joppa home, I sat at the dining room table (sometimes in my pajamas in the afternoon) and cut out the appropriate columns from the brittle newsprint. Along the way, I read about human blockades of trains carrying materials for nuclear weaponry, graffitied messages of peace on military billboards, mass actions at the Pentagon, and draft resistance. While I knew that political contention is nothing new to this millennium, I was surprised to encounter stories from the decade of my birth which resonated so deeply with my current frustrations. Upon seeing evidence of peace activists confronting the U.S. funding of foreign militias and the continued building of a nuclear arsenal, it was easy to forget I was reading about issues that had occurred at least 20 years ago. Slowly, I started to feel connected to something larger than myself, to a movement and tradition that existed before I was born, to ideas and tactics which were crafted and discussed for hours. There I was, sitting in front of a wrinkled and acidic newspaper spread, wide-eyed and intoxicated by the typewriter text. And this was just the first week.
After four file boxes of newspapers and newsletters, I changed workspaces to Jack and Felice's living room couch. During this round, my days were spent cataloging the 19 boxes of "action folders," as the Cohen-Joppas and I call them when we're in archive-mode. Each cardboard box is filled with folders that hold information on every nonviolent direct action chronicled in the Nuclear Resister since its beginning in 1980. The files are labeled by names of military bases (e.g. Davis-Monthan, Vandenberg), nuclear facilities (e.g. Rocky Flats, Los Alamos), activists (e.g. Carl Kabat, Helen Woodson), politicians (e.g. Sen. Obama, Sen. McCain, Sen. Clinton), civil disobedience hotspots (e.g. Washington D.C., Greenham Common), movement (e.g. Nuclear Truck Watch, River City Campaign), and by the name of the action itself (e.g. AVCO Plowshares, Tubman-Connor Disarmament, Trident Plowshares 2000) – each folder containing the story of at least one arrest.
To prepare for cataloging, I would perfect my work environment with a cup of strong coffee at my side and some Democracy Now! or music in the background (a regular choice was Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's Déjà Vu). I began with a single file in my lap. File by file, I hunted for prisoner correspondence, fliers, original photos, statements read in court and more, and carefully noted the contents of each manila sheath. I was always determined at the beginning of the day to go through the most material possible. That dream was smashed daily. I consistently found that every file I touched was fascinating. I could pick up a file with two papers in it, and would find something to hold lustfully and read in its entirety.
I stared at the pictures of limp-bodied non-cooperators being hauled away by pairs of police. My jaw dropped at the photos from Rocky Flats and White Train actions, showing rows of men and women sitting between the rails of the train tracks, refusing to give nuclear weaponry an inch. Tears welled up in my eyes when I read accounts of activists who decided that one life taken in war was too many, and brought their message of peace by risking harm to their own bodies through fasting, blockades, Plowshares actions and myriad other tactics. The activists' passion flowed from the page and infiltrated my heart. Regular visits with the archives left me, consequently, in love with strangers.
These visits also made it difficult not to feel that my life was somehow mundane, especially after reading accounts of individuals taking jackhammers to missile silos, communities vying for the closure of a nuclear plant, and throngs trespassing en masse onto the Nevada Test Site. However, the thrill of these stories was not enough to shake my hesitancies of risking arrest. Yet still somehow, despite my lingering questions regarding my own role in the world of dissent, I felt at home amongst the letters from trespassers and hammer-wielding peacemakers, and the photos of banners and protest signs.
Meanwhile, the problem of conservative propaganda still permeated my life. I was in McCain country. Daily, I would read the letters to the editor and op-eds in the Tucson paper and would talk angrily back to the printed words. The newspaper became little more than snippets of proof of the demise of the ethic of equality, the rewriting of history by those who do not understand it, and the support of patriarchy as an acceptable order. I was dumbfounded by the overwhelming acceptance of lies and stupidity for a temporary ease of mind that "we" are right and "they" are wrong.
But I would return to the boxes of files about men and women putting their bodies on the line – repeatedly, even – for peace. The archives exposed the purpose of the peace movement to be more than fighting back and screaming a boisterous "NO!" Each file demonstrated the aim to bring justice to those made invisible by the acts of war and the profiteering from it. I was filled with hope to learn about men and women who felt no other choice than to say, "no more!" by asking questions, taking faith as a verb, love as a mandate, peace as a reality. As I imagined putting my own body in harm's way, being restrained in handcuffs, experiencing jail, I grew frightened again. When I'm brave enough to go into it all without fear, then I can get arrested, I thought.
One letter from a woman particularly moved me. She wrote upon her release from prison, having found the world to be in the same sad condition she left it when she began her sentence. For months, she sat in deep depression, wondering the worth of her action and the effectiveness of the peace movement. But steadily, she gathered her strength and recalled her desire for peace. The same woman who once felt defeated by the continued production of war despite her efforts against it recommitted herself to the peace movement.
It was through this letter and through my contact with almost 1,000 files on direct action that I was able to realize civil disobedience does not require a hero or a sort of invincible character to be praised by mortals. Civil disobedience instead demands that we live out our values, and be willing to forego some of our comforts so to illuminate and convert hearts to truth.
Since I had been reading these stories of men and women as fantastic tales of courage and faithfulness beyond my own capabilities, I reflected for some time in an effort to humanize those I had revered for weeks. I thought of the Plowshares 8, Katya Komisaurak, Susan Crane, Felton Davis, Susan B. Rodriguez, John LaForge, Bonnie Urfer, Felice and Jack Cohen-Joppa, Helen Woodson, Louis Vitale, Jerry Zawada, Liz McAlister, the Gumps, the Holladay family. I hope they were all at some point in my place, feeling helpless and inadequate and lost for answers in a broken world. I hope they felt immense frustration with the world around them, and even yelled at the newspaper or television every so often because they didn't know what else they could do. I hope there were characters like Glenn Beck that haunted their quest for peace. I hope these men and women who have taken risks for peace and who are human like me looked to other activists as I look to them – in awe, with appreciation, admiration.
It was through the gift of the Nuclear Resister archives that the people I revere were able to communicate to me that, yes, the war machine is inhumanly giant in comparison to our small bodies and the voices in support of it can seem much louder than ours; and, yes, we are allowed to be afraid of the repercussions of the manmade machinery of death; but we are not allowed to sit idly by either, waiting for someone to act for us or feeling sorry for ourselves. It is within each single action that we all take one step closer to the reality of peace. Most importantly, we are supposed to do this as average people, not as heroes. We are to raise the standards for our world and tap into the truth, love and justice whose presence we can just see far off on the horizon.
By the grace of the Nuclear Resister archives, this is what I have learned we are called to do. We are beckoned not just as people of peace, but as members of the human race.


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Q: install fastText Python library on Azure Machine Learning Studio I would like to install the Python fastText wrapper of the Facebook C++ library on Azure ML Studio. This library is installed and works properly on my laptop.
I tried to follow the instructions in this Stack Overflow thread for the upload on Azure without success.
The code in my "Execute Python Script" is minimal: I am just unzipping and loading the fastText package that I installed locally on my machine and then calling a help function on the "train_supervised" attribute of the fastText module to verify that the package is imported correctly

# The script MUST contain a function named azureml_main
# which is the entry point for this module.

import fastText

# The entry point function can contain up to two input arguments:
#   Param<dataframe1>: a pandas.DataFrame
#   Param<dataframe2>: a pandas.DataFrame

def azureml_main(dataframe1 = None, dataframe2 = None):

    print(help(fastText.train_supervised))

    # Return value must be of a sequence of pandas.DataFrame
    return dataframe1,

Upon running this minimal Azure experiment I get the following error:
Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\server\invokepy.py", line 199, in batch odfs = mod.azureml_main(*idfs) File "C:\temp\e6acccec62994066a25e0d758090e749.py", line 44, in azureml_main print(help(fastText.train_supervised))AttributeError: module 'fastText' has no attribute 'train_supervised'Process returned with non-zero exit code 1---------- End of error message from Python interpreter ---------- Process exited with error code -2

I have also tried to create a virtual environment on my local machine (using conda) and to install fastText and its dependencies in it, but I did not manage. The goal would have been then to zip and upload those libraries to Azure. This is because, for compatibility with the Azure Python environment, I need the 3.5.1 Python version (Anaconda 4.0).
Any help/guidance appreciated!

A: There is a more completed answer for the SO thread post by me: Updating pandas to version 0.19 in Azure ML Studio.
And you should install Cypython and fasttext via pip in a virtualenv, then you need to package these modules below (list by pip freeze) to a zip file and upload it to Azure ML Studio.
Cython==0.29.10
fasttext==0.8.3
future==0.17.1
numpy==1.16.4

However, there are two issue in your code as below.

*

*To import fasttext in Python, not fastText which will cause ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'fastText'.

*Actually, there is not an attribute named train_supervised, I got the error AttributeError: module 'fasttext' has no attribute 'train_supervised'. And I tried to find it via the online fastText API Reference All Functions & All Variables, it doesn't exist really, just supervised.

Hope it helps.

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Cube | I gotta have my orange juice.
While growing up there were a few issues of technical magazines that really captured my imagination. In the basement of the music store where I took flute lessons, there were some old Byte magazines. I remember being captivated by an article about OS/2 and Taligent, asking permission to take the issue home with me. Byte also sparked my interest in NeXT. For better or worse, this had the ultimate result that I was inspired to huddle over my PC for months to write a graphical file manager for the QNX platform. I'm not sure that anyone ever used it, but it's still available for download.
Often we would go to the Hershey public library's annual library sale. Several times I scooped up batches of Scientific American issues. The March 1981 issue occupied hours upon hours of my time. In this issue, Douglas Hofstadter's "Metamagical Themas" column addressed the Rubik's cube, and I was hooked.
Hofstadter introduced a notation for operations on the cube. Each face had a letter: F, B, L, R, U and D for front, back, left, right, up and down. Any operation on the cube could be expressed in these terms, with exponents to indicate repeated turns of the same face (positive exponents for clockwise turns, prime symbol indicating a counter-clockwise turn). So, for example, to go from Start to a simple cross pattern on each face, you could execute F²B²L²R²U²D². Another pretty pattern, which Hofstadter calls "Dots," can be reached from Start with BF'UD'LR'BF'.
My first excited discovery was a move that swapped two pairs of edge pieces: F²U²F²U²F²U², alternately (F²U²)³. From this one operation I was eventually able to derive all of the operations I needed to solve the cube.
These are not the shortest operators by a long shot, but these are the ones I came up with. I use Hofstadter's notation for the cubes that are affected by each operator. These rather awkwardly tend to focus on solving the bottom face; I may take the time eventually to rewrite them in terms of the upper face. And thus we come to my motive in writing this post: I can never find my "cheat sheet" when I want it.
Hofstadter's article inspired me to put in the effort to read his fascinating book Goedel, Escher and Bach. It is not an exaggeration, as I do here, to describe it as a romp through a variety of fields. Perhaps second only to my high-school programming mentor, I owe Hofstadter my interests in math and computer science.
If you're interested in Hofstadter's article on the cube, you can find it online in this anthology: Metamagical Themas.