text:
ContactsSite map
Research spheres Select of research sphere >>> International relations Business - climate Financial markets State administration Fiscal and Social Policy Regional policy[-]Real sector Market Agrarian sector TEK Politics Monetary policy and financial markets International economics Macroeconomics Corporate management Infrastructure Population welfare Business trends
Project "Ukraine Against Corruption: the Economic Front"
Project "3 DCFTAs"
Project "Regions for Reforms"
USAID "Leadership in Economic Governance" Program
Annual Business Climate Assessment (ABCA)
SME strategies
SME Roadmaps
Project "Trade Facilitation Dialogue"
Analysis of healthcare reform in Ukraine
Project "Business Surveys"
German-Ukrainian Policy Dialogue in Agriculture
Procurement and Vacancies
NGOs and Business Sector: A Closer Look at the Complex Relationship
5/03/2019More
"Geographical indications in Ukraine: prospects for exports development" - Op-ed is out
The Fourth Round of Youth Essay Prize Competition
Visit of the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting on trade and customs reform
Trends of Ukrainian exports in 2018 - the new op-ed is out
Last in mass media
Foreign Affairs: Ukraine's Promising Path to Reform
Iryna Fedets: Ukrainian SMEs Want Deregulation and Friendlier Tax Authorities
USAID study: there is hope for small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine
Main / USAID "Leadership in Economic Governance" Program
Information about the USAID Leadership in Economic Governance (LEV) Program, in which the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting participates.
Timeframe of the Program: December 2014 – December 2017
The goal of the Program is to improve business climate in Ukraine by joining the efforts of a highly-active, reform-oriented civil society and government institutions for the necessary policy changes, drafting and implementing the legislation, and ensuring specific institutional reforms to facilitate the development of small and medium enterprises (SME). The efficient and sustainable legislative framework that will develop in Ukraine in line with the principles and practices of the European Union, will contribute to the gradual integration of Ukraine into European and world markets.
The Program will work on the national level and on regional levels in close cooperation with the government of Ukraine and regional authorities, ministries and parliamentary committees, business associations, regional development agencies, think tanks, and NGOs.
The Program's activities are aimed at assisting SME support reforms and establishing sustainable public-private dialogue by using the tools of building the potencial and institutional capacity of the participating organizations, in particular those that are able to maintain a constructive dialogue with the authorities regarding the choice of the policies that will ensure the competitiveness of the private sector.
The Program's objectives:
Identify legal, regulatory, and administrative measures that improve the business environment for Ukrainian SMEs;
Provide support to the central and local governments in drafting, promoting and implementing effective laws, regulations, and procedures that will be based on the results of the analysis of the key legal, regulatory, and administrative barriers;
Coordinate with and support stakeholders in the business community to promote economically practical and fiscally responsible reforms.
Partners of the Program:
The USAID LEV Program is implemented by the East Europe Foundation in consortium with the Institute for Economic research and Policy Consulting and Kyiv Economic Institute.
for Economic Research
and Policy Consulting
Reytarska 8/5-А,
01030 Kyiv, Ukraine
Use of site materials is allowed on condition of reference (for the internet publishing - links) on www.ier.com.ua


text:
Veolia wins $170m wastewater services contract in New Zealand
Shalini Nair 2nd July 2019
Veolia will maintain and operate the four wastewater treatment plants. Credit: Hermann Hammer from Pixabay
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New Zealand's council-owned water services company Wellington Water has awarded a $170m contract to France-based Veolia to maintain and operate wastewater treatment plants that serve Wellington area.
This ten-year contract is worth $17m a year. Veolia will be responsible for the maintenance and operation of Porirua wastewater treatment plant, Moa Point facility, Western facility and Seaview facility in Lower Hutt plant.
Wellington Water chief executive Colin Crampton said: "The contract marked the start of a new and exciting focus on managing wastewater for Wellingtonians. Veolia already has a long history of involvement in the region, having operated Wellington City's Moa Point and Western wastewater treatment plants since 2004.
"We'll progressively be bringing all four treatment plants under one contract. This will not only provide better value for the region, but increase opportunities for improved services in the future. We need to start thinking of wastewater treatment by-products as a resource, and Veolia is a leading company in this area."
Veolia New Zealand general manager Alexandre Lagny said: "Veolia operates approximately 3,000 wastewater treatment plants globally and we look forward to bringing our international expertise in this area to Wellington. Wastewater treatment is actually the area where the greatest technological innovation is taking place, when it comes to three waters management."
Lagny added that Veolia is committed to engaging with the communities it works in, and in particular mana whenua, as it takes up the operational responsibilities for the four plants and this process will begin with the Porirua Treatment plant and a ceremony with Ngati Toa in early July.
Since 2004, Veolia has been operating Wellington City's Moa Point and Western wastewater treatment plants, while the facility in Seaview, Lower Hutt will transition in June 2020.
The population of the Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua together release about 145 million litres of wastewater every day. This water is treated at two plants in Wellington, one in Porirua and one in Lower Hutt.
Veolia, which employs over 300 people in New Zealand, provides water, waste and energy management services to more than one million people in New Zealand.
Malvern Panalytical
Malvern Panalytical provides water treatment solutions that analyse the qualities...
Malvern Panalytical provides water treatment solutions that analyse the qualities of dispersed systems, including industrial bulk powders, high-concentration slurries, and aerosols and sprays.
Viscotek UV Detector for Multi-detection GPC/SEC
The high-stability Viscotek UV detector is ideally suited for multi-detection GPC/SEC. Accurate measurement of the polymer or protein concentration profile is essential to good molecular weight or structure data.
Zetasizer Nano Z for Zeta Potential Measurement in Water Treatment
The Zetasizer Nano Z system is the perfect system for measuring zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility of colloids and nanoparticles in aqueous and non-aqueous dispersions using laser doppler micro-electrophoresis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Share Your Positivity - Bronson Healthcare » This donation will be so great for our patients!
This donation will be so great for our patients!
Sara Pfeil is a pediatric/PICU registered nurse, and is also a consultant for Usborne books. This fall she hosted an online book fair with all the proceeds benefiting Bronson Children's Hospital. Customers purchased books through her book fair, in turn, Sara then donated her commission and time, to allow the hospital to receive $700 worth of books to use for the pediatric book cart initiative which provides free books for pediatric patients in the hospital. Sara recently delivered the 100 books that were selected by hospital staff. Some of the books chosen focus on infant visual development, health, science, health care visits, anxiety reduction, inclusion, manners, loss, and art activities. This donation will be so great for our patients! Thank you so much, Sara!
child life page here. To make a monetary gift, visit the Bronson Health Foundation's Children's Hospital Fund page.


Jill and Dave were married at their neighbor's home in Chicks Beach. The grounds were a perfect place to hold their stylish affair. Jill is a fashion designer and had so many fantastic ideas. Luckily she had a team full of creative friends to help her vision come to life! Tyler Adams created all of the paper design and Jesse Curtis created the ring pillow and flower girl dress. I enjoyed photographing the bride and groom and all of their great details!


Mister World Uruguay, Ignacio Kliche won the Mister World 2000 title at the grand finale of the 3rd edition of Mister World contest. Mr. World 2000 competition was held at the Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland on 13th October 2000.
Ignacio's full name is Ignacio Kliche Longardi. He was a 22 years old when he won the Mister World 2000 title. He is an 180 cm tall. His Hometown is Montevideo, Uruguay. He has a degree in International Relations from the University of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. He is a singer, journalist, model, and actor. He was a news anchor in the NBA sports channel.
Ignacio from Uruguay won the Mister World 2000 title. Marcello Barkowski from Germany won the First Runner-up Mr. World 2000 title. Dante Spencer from the United States won the Second Runner-up Mr. World 2000 title. While Neil Paris Dames from the Bahamas and Lav Stipic from Croatia were other finalists.


Air101: Is the Flybe future about to unfold?
Is the Flybe future about to unfold?
The future of the troubled UK regional carrier Flybe could be decided in the not too distant future, we've been told by a staff member that an announcement on a deal is imminent. Yet, exactly who is coming to the rescue of the financially ailing airline?
Virgin Atlantic confirmed on Friday, November 23rd, that it was in talks with Flybe, "Virgin Atlantic notes the recent media speculation related to Flybe. Virgin Atlantic has a trading and codeshare relationship and confirms that it is reviewing its options in respect of Flybe, which range from enhanced commercial arrangements to a possible offer for Flybe. Virgin Atlantic emphasises that there can be no certainty that an offer will be made nor as to the terms of any offer." was the statement at the time and nothing much has changed, indeed when approached yesterday the Virgin press office told us "Our position on Flybe remains the same."
As time moves on, industry advisers in Crawley inform us that it's less and less likely that Virgin will take over the company as a whole. Although Virgin has had experience of running domestic routes in the UK, it's own Little Red ran from April 2013 to September 2015, yet with loads of little over 37% it wasn't what you might call an unqualified success. It is therefore perhaps unlikely that Virgin, majority owned by US carrier Delta, would be interested in taking over Flybe. The only thing that might warrant a bid is the highly valuable and highly prized London Heathrow landing and take off slots that Flybe has!
Another airline said by some in the industry to be in the running for a complete buyout of Flybe is the Humberside (HUY) based Eastern Airways, that flies a mixed fleet including 2 ATR72-600s, 8 BAe Jetstream 41s, some Embraer jets and Saab 2000 turboprops on many regional UK routes. Its operation and route network would greatly compliment that of Flybe and together they would truly have the biggest domestic UK route network. Eastern Airways remains tightlipped over possible talks, not responding to our requests for comment. However, it is understood that parent company, the Bristow Group has made funds available for a potential purchase.
Aviation media speculation indicated that Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air had been in negotiations with Flybe over a rescue package funnelled through its UK subsidiary. Wizz Air UK currently operates 8 UK registered aircraft from its London Luton Airport (LTN) base. Whilst Wizz is keen to take a larger slice of the UK aviation market, Flybe's route structure and mixed aircraft fleet is at odds with the larger single type operation Wizz Air currently deploys. When I broached the possibility of Wizz Air whizzing in for a stealthy deal with a contact based in Jersey, my ears were filled with a guffaw of unnatural length.
When asked for a comment on the current state of negotiations and the speculation that a deal was imminent, a rather terse "Flybe doesn't comment on these matters." was all we were given, which doesn't clarify the muddy waters. The firm has however been rather busy scrubbing around for various sources of financing in the last two weeks which has included getting another loan or mortgage on one of its Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft - G-JEDW that netted £5 million ($6.35million). The sale of a hanger at Exeter Airport (EXT), which Flybe will now lease back raised a further £5 million of much-needed funds. The company is also in dispute with Monarch Aircraft Engineering for maintenance contracts at Birmingham and Manchester, which may save the carrier some cash, although it will have to do all the maintenance itself, which might negate any cost savings.
There is also speculation among some in the industry, that no buyer will be found in time to rescue the carrier as a going concern, leaving it no option other than to call in the administrators. Then, we're told, the interested parties will strike, pick the bones of Flybe at bargain rock bottom prices. I feel however, Flybe is a much more valuable asset up and running as it is currently, but for how long that will last, is not at all certain.


LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — We've all heard about marijuana being smuggled over the border from Mexico.
But these days, more and more marijuana is being grown right here. Go out for a hike and you might stumble into a grow-site – and stumble into serious danger, as the war on drugs plays out in backyards and on public land across Southern California.
KCAL9's Rachel Kim reports the National Park Service calls marijuana cultivation a "growing" problem.
Over the last five years, the organization has seen a phenomenal jump in the number of plants on public lands in western states – tens of millions every year. And California tops the list.
"It's a very unique environment we are here to protect. It was never meant for the cultivation of marijuana," Santa Monica Mountains Chief Ranger Evan Jones said.
Jones says in recent years, rangers have discovered pot farms in Encinal Canyon, Malibu Creek State Park and Topanga State Park.
"There could be anywhere from two, three, four sites throughout the mountains," he said.
In one of the most remote areas of the Santa Monica Mountains is a trail popular with visitors who want to escape into wilderness and nature. But that's exactly what makes these areas so attractive to growers.
"It's really the weather and the water and the remoteness of the mountains that attract the marijuana cultivators," Jones explained.
The National Park Service says after 9/11, sophisticated drug trafficking organizations found it cheaper to cultivate here – where the demand is – than trying to smuggle it from Mexico or South America into the U.S. The plants can bring in $1,000-$4,000 per pound.
U.S. Forest Service Patrol Captain Anthony Rose says local, state and federal authorities are working together to combat the grows.
"Our law enforcement officers throughout the state of California and nationwide take this threat very seriously. These are armed growers. The potential for violence is there," Rose warned.
Authorities aim to disrupt and dismantle these operations.
"You have hikers out there on our forest trails who are hiking with families and children and they unintentionally come across these sites. We want to ensure that our visitors and employees are safe out there," Rose said.
U.S. Forest investigators tell KCAL9 that in 2013, almost one million marijuana plants were discovered on national forests in California. Once the plants are eradicated, the reclamation begins.
Rose says growers are clearing acres of vegetation, damming creeks and rivers, and putting in tubing to divert water to the plants. And not even California's severe drought is keeping them away.
"It's a tremendous impact on our ecosystems and environment," he said.
Growers live on location for months, setting up camp until the fall harvest season.
Authorities find tents, sleeping bags, propane tanks, food, personal belongings and weapons. Among the thousands of pounds of trash – piping used as water lines, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and rodenticides. These toxic chemicals contaminate our water sources and kill wildlife.
Law enforcement officers are now actively patrolling areas looking for signs of cultivation. Although they believe the Santa Monica Mountains are safe for visitors, they ask for the public's vigilance.
"We prepare ourselves to the highest standard to eliminate the threat if there is one," Rose said.
Rose also urges anyone who sees irrigation piping in the vegetation of the mountains to get out of the area and contact a ranger immediately.


This guide describes how to install a.nnotate as a document viewing and annotation plugin for Documentum Taskspace. See the screencast for an overview of the features. To use the plugin you need a license for an annotate server, plus integration API.
Taskspace includes a viewer plugin architecture which allows different document viewers and annotation components to be embedded within taskspace applications. A.nnotate can be used to provide high quality document viewing and shared annotation within Taskspace, all in the browser without needing clients to install Flash, Java, or Adobe reader.
PDF, Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx), Powerpoint, Excel, OpenOffice, Images (JPG, TIFF, PNG), TXT, RTF.
1. Install dependencies (PHP, Apache, OpenOffice).
The A.nnotate server requires a web server running PHP; see the Server installation guide for full details, an outline of the steps to install PHP, Apache and Openoffice on windows is given below; for linux, you can use your standard package installer.
- this should show the PHP configuration settings.
Download 'annotate server and api' from the installation pages for Linux or Windows.
For Linux, follow the install instructions on the guide above; a basic install will support PDF files only. To enable OpenOffice support, (for Word, TXT, RTF, TIFF, Images etc) see the modules installation guide.
> extract the annotate-server-and-api zip file there.
php/phpconfig.inc and edit the settings.
editor (e.g. WordPad on windows, emacs on linux) to match your settings.
// and the check on upload to load notes from documentum.
- should show a sequence of 'SUCCESS' messages.
access though, you should set the password at the start).
of a manual license installation.
(e.g. your taskspace server) securely.
3. Install A.nnotate plugin for taskspace.
The A.nnotate plugin needs to store annotations in the 'anno_tate' format in Documentum.
Create a format named 'anno_tate' , description 'A.nnotate annotations', mime type 'text/html': (see screenshot).
--- Log out of taskspace, then reboot the system.
In 'Configure' panel of the taskspace application, , "Viewers and Formats"
sections lets you change file mappings for PDF to 'Annotate'.
Click the 'PDF' format, Edit, then select Viewer Name: Annotate.
(or 'Annotate (viewing only)' if you don't need annotation enabled).
will be shared with all viewers of a document.
- Tomcat is using a stale cached session - clear browser cookies and cache.
In order to support annotating and viewing formats apart from PDF (Word, Powerpoint, RTF, TXT), you need to have openoffice running in server mode. This is used by a.nnotate to convert other document formats to PDF on the server.
My Folder - click on a .doc file.
First conversion might be slow, as it needs to start up openoffice.
Later conversions should be faster.


Established in 1995, China Sujie Auto Parts Co., Ltd. is a professional air freshener, mist air freshener, method air freshener, squash air freshener, timemist air freshener, apple air freshener, electric air freshener, scented air freshener manufacturer, sale and research of auto parts and vehicle components. It has years of OES and OEM air fresheners production experiences and passed ISO9000 and the TUV certification of ISO/TS16949 quality system. we can provide our customers with high quality auto parts and qualified vehicle components for many kinds of cars such as Ford, Opel, Benz, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Isuzu, Hyundai, Kia and Truck series.
Neutralizes up to 99% of odor causing bacteria and removes odors caused by pets, smoke and other odor causing bacteria The unique vortex cleaning action uses an intense "rainforest" mist to wash incoming air with an emulsified botanical solution This 100% natural botanical solution comes with a choice of 3- 2.03 fluid ounce scents. Refreshing citrus, energizing lime and soothing vanilla. No bacteria filled wicks or filters are required and the air revitalizer also helps to maintain optimum humidity levels. The soothing blue light adds ambiance to any environment. This air revitalizer neutralizes up to 99% of odor causing bacteria and removes odors caused by pets, smoke and other odor causing bacteria. The unique vortex cleaning action uses an intense "rainforest" mist to wash incoming air with an emulsified botanical solution. This 100% natural botanical solution comes with a choice of 3- 2.03 fluid ounce scents. Refreshing citrus, energizing lime and soothing vanilla. No bacteria filled wicks or filters are required and the air revitalizer also helps to maintain optimum humidity levels while the soothing blue light adds ambiance to any environment.


text:
Q: CMD console windows is very slow I'm using Visual Studio 2017 and 2019 coding in C#.
In both when I run the solution ctrl + F5 the CMD window takes 15-20 seconds from  total black to show the output of the project.
If I open CMD outside the Visual Studio it will be fast.
and idea what makes so slow ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Juliet Mullins is a food Instagram influencer and connoisseur of all things delicious. She has compiled city guides following her extensive time in Amsterdam, Austin, Washington DC, and Mexico City.
Juliet's photography has been featured by Austin Food Magazine, Infatuation, Thrillist, Spoon University, Zagat, Huffington Post Taste, and the Austin American-Stateman.


text:
Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons
Adham M. Khalafallah, Adrian E. Jimenez, Justin M. Caplan, Cameron G. McDougall, Judy Huang, Debraj Mukherjee, Rafael J. Tamargo
OBJECTIVE Although previous studies have explored factors that predict an academic career among neurosurgery residents in general, such predictors have yet to be determined within specific neurosurgical subspecialties. The authors report on predictors they identified as correlating with academic placement among fellowship-trained vascular neurosurgeons. METHODS A database was created that included all physicians who graduated from ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)-accredited neurosurgery residency programs between 1960 and 2018 using publicly available online data. Neurosurgeons who completed either open vascular or endovascular fellowships were identified. Subsequent employment of vascular or endovascular neurosurgeons in academic centers was determined. A position was considered academic if the hospital of employment was affiliated with a neurosurgery residency program; all other positions were considered non-academic. Bivariate analyses were conducted using Fisher's exact test or the Mann- Whitney U-test, and multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS A total of 83 open vascular neurosurgeons and 115 endovascular neurosurgeons were identified. In both cohorts, the majority of neurosurgeons were employed in academic positions after training. In bivariate analysis, only 2 factors were significantly associated with a career in academic neurosurgery for open vascular neurosurgeons: 1) an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 3.71, p = 0.016), and 2) attending a top 10 residency program based on U.S. News and World Report rankings (OR 4.35, p = 0.030). In bivariate analysis, among endovascular neurosurgeons, having an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 4.35, p = 0.0085) and attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school (OR 2.97, p = 0.029) were significantly associated with an academic career. In multivariate analysis, for both open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons, an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency was independently predictive of an academic career. Attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school independently predicted an academic career among endovascular neurosurgeons only. CONCLUSIONS The authors report that an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency predicts pursuit of an academic career among vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. Additionally, attendance of a residency program affiliated with a top research medical school independently predicts an academic career trajectory among endovascular neurosurgeons. This result may be useful to identify and mentor residents interested in academic vascular neurosurgery.
Journal of neurosurgery
https://doi.org/10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033
Academic career
Vascular neurosurgery
10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033
Dive into the research topics of 'Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Neurosurgeons Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Internship and Residency Medicine & Life Sciences 74%
Blood Vessels Medicine & Life Sciences 50%
Neurosurgery Medicine & Life Sciences 38%
Medical Schools Medicine & Life Sciences 22%
Multivariate Analysis Medicine & Life Sciences 10%
Graduate Medical Education Medicine & Life Sciences 9%
Logistic Models Medicine & Life Sciences 9%
Khalafallah, A. M., Jimenez, A. E., Caplan, J. M., McDougall, C. G., Huang, J., Mukherjee, D., & Tamargo, R. J. (2021). Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. Journal of neurosurgery, 134(4), 1173-1181. https://doi.org/10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033
Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. / Khalafallah, Adham M.; Jimenez, Adrian E.; Caplan, Justin M. et al.
In: Journal of neurosurgery, Vol. 134, No. 4, 04.2021, p. 1173-1181.
Khalafallah, AM, Jimenez, AE, Caplan, JM, McDougall, CG, Huang, J, Mukherjee, D & Tamargo, RJ 2021, 'Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons', Journal of neurosurgery, vol. 134, no. 4, pp. 1173-1181. https://doi.org/10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033
Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Caplan JM, McDougall CG, Huang J, Mukherjee D et al. Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. Journal of neurosurgery. 2021 Apr;134(4):1173-1181. doi: 10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033
Khalafallah, Adham M. ; Jimenez, Adrian E. ; Caplan, Justin M. et al. / Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. In: Journal of neurosurgery. 2021 ; Vol. 134, No. 4. pp. 1173-1181.
@article{d374199731ec4ab0916147e64059c243,
title = "Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons",
abstract = "OBJECTIVE Although previous studies have explored factors that predict an academic career among neurosurgery residents in general, such predictors have yet to be determined within specific neurosurgical subspecialties. The authors report on predictors they identified as correlating with academic placement among fellowship-trained vascular neurosurgeons. METHODS A database was created that included all physicians who graduated from ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)-accredited neurosurgery residency programs between 1960 and 2018 using publicly available online data. Neurosurgeons who completed either open vascular or endovascular fellowships were identified. Subsequent employment of vascular or endovascular neurosurgeons in academic centers was determined. A position was considered academic if the hospital of employment was affiliated with a neurosurgery residency program; all other positions were considered non-academic. Bivariate analyses were conducted using Fisher's exact test or the Mann- Whitney U-test, and multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS A total of 83 open vascular neurosurgeons and 115 endovascular neurosurgeons were identified. In both cohorts, the majority of neurosurgeons were employed in academic positions after training. In bivariate analysis, only 2 factors were significantly associated with a career in academic neurosurgery for open vascular neurosurgeons: 1) an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 3.71, p = 0.016), and 2) attending a top 10 residency program based on U.S. News and World Report rankings (OR 4.35, p = 0.030). In bivariate analysis, among endovascular neurosurgeons, having an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 4.35, p = 0.0085) and attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school (OR 2.97, p = 0.029) were significantly associated with an academic career. In multivariate analysis, for both open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons, an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency was independently predictive of an academic career. Attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school independently predicted an academic career among endovascular neurosurgeons only. CONCLUSIONS The authors report that an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency predicts pursuit of an academic career among vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. Additionally, attendance of a residency program affiliated with a top research medical school independently predicts an academic career trajectory among endovascular neurosurgeons. This result may be useful to identify and mentor residents interested in academic vascular neurosurgery.",
keywords = "Academic career, Residency, Vascular disorders, Vascular neurosurgery",
author = "Khalafallah, {Adham M.} and Jimenez, {Adrian E.} and Caplan, {Justin M.} and McDougall, {Cameron G.} and Judy Huang and Debraj Mukherjee and Tamargo, {Rafael J.}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 American Association of Neurological Surgeons. All rights reserved.",
doi = "10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033",
journal = "Journal of Neurosurgery",
publisher = "American Association of Neurological Surgeons",
T1 - Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons
AU - Khalafallah, Adham M.
AU - Jimenez, Adrian E.
AU - Caplan, Justin M.
AU - McDougall, Cameron G.
AU - Huang, Judy
AU - Mukherjee, Debraj
AU - Tamargo, Rafael J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 American Association of Neurological Surgeons. All rights reserved.
N2 - OBJECTIVE Although previous studies have explored factors that predict an academic career among neurosurgery residents in general, such predictors have yet to be determined within specific neurosurgical subspecialties. The authors report on predictors they identified as correlating with academic placement among fellowship-trained vascular neurosurgeons. METHODS A database was created that included all physicians who graduated from ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)-accredited neurosurgery residency programs between 1960 and 2018 using publicly available online data. Neurosurgeons who completed either open vascular or endovascular fellowships were identified. Subsequent employment of vascular or endovascular neurosurgeons in academic centers was determined. A position was considered academic if the hospital of employment was affiliated with a neurosurgery residency program; all other positions were considered non-academic. Bivariate analyses were conducted using Fisher's exact test or the Mann- Whitney U-test, and multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS A total of 83 open vascular neurosurgeons and 115 endovascular neurosurgeons were identified. In both cohorts, the majority of neurosurgeons were employed in academic positions after training. In bivariate analysis, only 2 factors were significantly associated with a career in academic neurosurgery for open vascular neurosurgeons: 1) an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 3.71, p = 0.016), and 2) attending a top 10 residency program based on U.S. News and World Report rankings (OR 4.35, p = 0.030). In bivariate analysis, among endovascular neurosurgeons, having an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 4.35, p = 0.0085) and attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school (OR 2.97, p = 0.029) were significantly associated with an academic career. In multivariate analysis, for both open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons, an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency was independently predictive of an academic career. Attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school independently predicted an academic career among endovascular neurosurgeons only. CONCLUSIONS The authors report that an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency predicts pursuit of an academic career among vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. Additionally, attendance of a residency program affiliated with a top research medical school independently predicts an academic career trajectory among endovascular neurosurgeons. This result may be useful to identify and mentor residents interested in academic vascular neurosurgery.
AB - OBJECTIVE Although previous studies have explored factors that predict an academic career among neurosurgery residents in general, such predictors have yet to be determined within specific neurosurgical subspecialties. The authors report on predictors they identified as correlating with academic placement among fellowship-trained vascular neurosurgeons. METHODS A database was created that included all physicians who graduated from ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)-accredited neurosurgery residency programs between 1960 and 2018 using publicly available online data. Neurosurgeons who completed either open vascular or endovascular fellowships were identified. Subsequent employment of vascular or endovascular neurosurgeons in academic centers was determined. A position was considered academic if the hospital of employment was affiliated with a neurosurgery residency program; all other positions were considered non-academic. Bivariate analyses were conducted using Fisher's exact test or the Mann- Whitney U-test, and multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS A total of 83 open vascular neurosurgeons and 115 endovascular neurosurgeons were identified. In both cohorts, the majority of neurosurgeons were employed in academic positions after training. In bivariate analysis, only 2 factors were significantly associated with a career in academic neurosurgery for open vascular neurosurgeons: 1) an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 3.71, p = 0.016), and 2) attending a top 10 residency program based on U.S. News and World Report rankings (OR 4.35, p = 0.030). In bivariate analysis, among endovascular neurosurgeons, having an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 4.35, p = 0.0085) and attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school (OR 2.97, p = 0.029) were significantly associated with an academic career. In multivariate analysis, for both open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons, an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency was independently predictive of an academic career. Attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school independently predicted an academic career among endovascular neurosurgeons only. CONCLUSIONS The authors report that an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency predicts pursuit of an academic career among vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. Additionally, attendance of a residency program affiliated with a top research medical school independently predicts an academic career trajectory among endovascular neurosurgeons. This result may be useful to identify and mentor residents interested in academic vascular neurosurgery.
KW - Academic career
KW - Residency
KW - Vascular disorders
KW - Vascular neurosurgery
U2 - 10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033
DO - 10.3171/2020.2.JNS2033
JO - Journal of Neurosurgery
JF - Journal of Neurosurgery


Give joy by creating your own Christmas greeting card on Microsoft Surface!
There is no gift more sincere than one straight from your heart. At Harvey Norman Millenia Walk flagship superstore's 3rd anniversary event, the team at Microsoft is conducting a workshop on how to create the perfect Christmas greeting card – all powered by Microsoft Surface and Windows Ink. You'll even get to print it on the spot to take it home! It's a fun-filled event for the whole family, so come on down, get creative, and prepare for an afternoon of laughter and joy!
Sign up now! There will be an exclusive door gift for all participants!
">https://harveynorman.wufoo.com/forms/z99zrh41gz41i... Fill out my Wufoo form!


"You cannot connect everyone with a wire or fibre optics because the affordability is such that you need to have wireless solutions," said Supun Weerasinghe – Group CEO of Dialog Axiata at the Asia-Pacific WTTx Summit. Organized by Huawei, GTI, and Informa, the event saw ICT leaders from across the Asia Pacific region. The goal of these discussions? To bring internet to more households across the region. And Huawei offered WTTx as a solution to this challenge.
WTTx is a home broadband technology. It uses 4G/4.5G technologies to deliver fiber-like wireless internet to households. As of 2017, there were 50 million global users of WTTx technology. Its greatest advantages are the low deployment costs and operating expenses. According to Huawei, WTTx makes it possible for telecom operators to build networks 90% faster and 75% cheaper with an ROI in less than 3 years.
Pradeep went onto say that technologies like WTTx, "will provide an easy upgrade path to 5G making the investments future proof. It allows an easy upgrade path to cater to ever-increasing throughput and customer demands." We already saw 5G trails take place in Sri Lanka last year.
He went onto say that Dialog is currently planning to explore introducing 5G through home broadband first. Only afterward can we expect to see the launch of mobile 5G internet. However, prior to launching 5G services, it's necessary to identify the right spectrum bands for it to work.
To that end, Supun commended the TRCSL as a regulator. He described it as a progressive body and said, "Going forward, I think it is very important to continue the same momentum without losing sight of future technologies and without taking a break because 5G is coming." Yet, he admitted that spectrum was only one element of the equation. With broadband, there are many other factors that can easily increase costs.
It was due to these rising costs that Shunli Wang – CEO of Huawei Sri Lanka argued that the government should play a more active role. He stated that Sri Lanka's ICT infrastructure still has room for significant development. As such, for any telecom operator, it is a significant investment to build the infrastructure needed to connect people.
"WTTx reduces costs by 75%. But even then it's still a significant investment," he admitted. But getting the government involved is merely the start. Shunli shared that bringing affordable internet – especially to rural communities, requires all the stakeholders working together.
At the end of the day, there exists a deep digital divide in Sri Lanka with only 30% of the population having internet access. Technologies like WTTx make it easier to developer faster internet networks. Such networks would be cheaper and built much faster. But to bridge the digital divide requires the stakeholders doing more with such technologies. Ultimately, everyone has a role to play if the internet is to a cheap utility for even the most remote communities across Asia.
The post WTTx: On the Road to 5G & affordable internet in Sri Lanka appeared first on README.


Look carefully at this image and count the black dots that you can see on the grid. You will notice that when you focus on a single dot, it turns white. The black dots appear around your area of focus, not within it. This is because the brain is affected by the dominance of the black squares and thinks that the dots must be negative. In fact, none of the dots are black, they are all white. This optical illusion is used sometimes in schools, to see how effectively children cope with focus and concentration skills in a learning environment.


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10 E 2nd St
This is a Single Family Home.
10 E 2nd St is a 3-floor Single Family Home in NEW YORK. The building was built in 1920.
The typical wait time for a taxi at 10 E 2nd St is 44 seconds.
As for the demographics around 10 E 2nd St, the median age is 36, 22% of residents are married, and 7% of residents have at least one child. The median individual full-time income is about $67,506 and about 29% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher.
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The Vivacious Districts of Mexico City
Kelly Fay
Culturally rich, Mexico City is unlike any city on the planet. With its museums, restaurants, boutiques and an array of annual Mexican festivities, you're bound to feel richer (in experience, that is) upon your departure. The capital city is one of the largest metropolitan zones in the world, with 16 boroughs an upward of 300 neighborhoods, Mexico City invites visitors to partake in activities in and outside the city limits. When traveling from the airport it's important to arrange a pickup with your hotel or at the airport, always avoid hailing a ride. Or, for as little as $25–$30 an hour, you can hire a chauffeur.
A two-hour drive from Mexico City (and worth every minute), Iztaccihuatl Volcano is an absolute must-do for scenic hiking. Peaking at 17,000 feet, the third-tallest mountain in Mexico provides spectacular views of the Valley of Mexico as fluctuating scenery keeps hikers on their toes for the upward trek. All-day tours offered by Viator start at $48 per person and include a Mexico City hotel pickup, drop-off and entrance fees. Please note that food is not included in the price. The mysterious Teotihuacan Pyramids are another stunning destination. They stand 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, making them not only accessible but perhaps the most popular Mexican attraction. Little is known of the ancient builders of the pyramids but research suggests the structures were built around 100 BC. Three pyramids stand tall: the Pyramid of the Sun (the third largest in the world), Pyramid of the Moon and Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
Known as one of the biggest squares in the world, Plaza de la Constitución is the prime location for the city's celebrations throughout the calendar year. Roamers with varying interests can get lost in the streets hopping from boutiques to restaurants until the day's end. On September 15 and 16, the Mexican Independence Day celebration takes place in Mexico City's Zócalo. Decorated in early September with patriotic colors and Mexican flags, the yearly ceremony attracts thousands of partiers to honor the country's independence with parades, fireworks and civic ceremonies.
The Palacio Nacional (National Palace) is a popular destination for passersby looking for tidbits of Mexican history. Located on the eastside of Zócalo, the Palace is recognized as the spot where the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II once stood. Walk through the colonial fortress and soak up the country's history through Diego Riviera mural painting "Mexico a Traves de los Siglos." Before venturing out of the neighborhood, head north towards the beautiful Catedral Metropolitana where you'll find fantastic views of architectural wonder. Outside of Zócalo, visit La Casa Azul or the Frida Kahlo Museum, which stands south of the city center in the suburb Coyoacan.
Many travelers trust that Zócalo is the beating heart of Mexico City, but the locals know better. Within the overabundance of areas, there are three main city sections that twinkle just a little brighter than the rest:
POLANCO:
Strolling in Polanco is similar to meandering around the swanky boulevards of Beverly Hills with a dash of sexy colonial Mexican flare. A common habitat for American visitors, Polanco is nothing short of impressively sophisticated, as it's the home of so many top hotels, restaurants and shopping in Mexico. Locals and visitors alike begin their weekend with a burst of outdoor greenery courtesy of the biggest, most popular park inside city limits. The urban Bosque de Chapultepec is in charge of open-air fun for Saturday go-getters. Go jogging along the park's trails, fling a Frisbee or groove to live musical entertainment. And located in the burning core of Polanco, the triple threat of Common People isn't merely a place to see, it's a place to be seen. It generously offers a restaurant, lounge and a French boutique, and the surrounding area invites wanderers to do just that.
When hunger strikes, the restaurant Pujol is a wonderful option for enjoying a classy dinner. The establishment prides itself in showcasing new dishes made with local ingredients that celebrate the country's richest flavors. The lunch menu starts at approximately $72 but with many options for varying tastes, such as fish tacos with Valladolid longaniza, black beans, sucking lamb taco, avocado leaf adobo and guacamole. It's a treat worthy of all your pesos. And you can't visit Mexico without indulging in the very spirit that has become a part of the locale's reputation. Tequila, anyone? El Estribo is a countrywide legend providing tequila lovers with more than 300 flavors, easily the grandest selection on Earth. Located within the traditional 16th-century Hacienda de los Morales, the space boasts wooden walls, Mexican antiques and hanging chandeliers. Whether you sip, shoot or mix, make sure to treat yourself to a traditional Mexican beverage during your stay.
Can you keep a secret? The in-crowd actually can when it comes to this pop-up. The un-talked about yet locally acknowledged Jules Basement speakeasy is one of the top spots in the Polanco scene, and it's even more of a hidden gem among the seekers of Mexico City nightlife. Literally hidden underground, the sizzling hotspot encourages sophisticated, sultry and enigmatic fun. Perhaps the most-shared nightclub among Polanco residents is Joy Room. Its vibe resembles the best of what you'd find in Los Angeles, New York or Las Vegas. In fact, Joy Room is so similar to the hottest U.S. clubs that you're likely to see A-list celebs on the dance floor and sipping cocktails with the local elite.
When choosing a place to rest your head in Polanco, the W Hotel is a loyal and trusted friend to foreigners. With prices starting at $250, the sleek and trendy hotel will exude flamboyant class, sizzling elegance and American familiarity during your Capital City stay. The Habita Hotel chain stays busy throughout Mexico and rarely disappoints, and the Polanco location is no exception with its contemporary twist on an old flame. With prices ranging from $185 to $250 per night, the newly renovated 1950s building emits unique grace with a 5th-floor rooftop pool area and deck overlooking a landscape of city lights.
If you're in the mood to get pampered, check in to the St. Regis Mexico City, a hotel with a reputation that precedes itself. The indoor pool and Remède Spa provide easy excuses to release, relax and indulge amid sleek surroundings during your stay. Prices start at $465 per night, and the staff gives accommodation a whole new meaning by offering a 24-hour concierge service. Los Alcobus Hotel blends warmth and calmness that will relax and release any unwanted tension upon arrival. With rates starting at $270, the 1950s-era building adds a sense of familiarity and charisma, as the décor was wisely crafted by world-renowned design firm Yabu Pushelberg.
If Polanco is the Beverly Hills of Mexico City, then Roma is the fun, hip neighbor Hollywood. As a top destination for travelers, Roma boasts a vibrant array of happening restaurants and bars. Félix lures patrons with its cool environment and larger-than-life sliders, but get there early to snag one of the four outside tables. Alekzander provides European flavor with a dining room of cozy candlelit tables and lively music to set the mood. While the dishes are small in size, they're big in taste! Opt for the pinchos for a bite-size flavor of heaven or dabble in the mezcal, worm and all. Romita Comedor offers a hangout for hip Mexico City residents. Between the trendy atmosphere, Mexican-enriched menu, talented mixologists and a variety of mezcal behind the bar, you and your crew will leave steadily tipsy and happily full.
After stuffing yourself with delectable eats, make your way to Roma's always vibrant nightlife starting with a strong, flavored mezcal at La Nacional. The establishment is best known for its beautifully prepared mezcal offerings. Organic, artisanal and flavored creams, such as coconut and caramel, are only some of the tantalizing additions to the indigenous beverage. The Roma district is also home to M.N. Roy, a speakeasy that's both secretive and seductive. The nightclub attracts an upscale and in-the-know crowd ready to party until dawn, giving locals a reason to dress to impress. One caveat: Don't show up with fingers crossed hoping to get in, as this is an invitation-only club.
CONDESA:
Once known as the city's most fashionable spot during the 1940s and '50s, Condesa oozed see and be seen glamour while entertaining and housing the world's film stars. The expectation of the area has changed in recent years, but remains unique as a district notable for musicians and artists. Young professionals flood the Condesa District looking to dabble in everything from dining and bar hopping to the arts. With perhaps too many options for dining and drinks, the popping neighborhood can offer plenty of trouble to get into upon nightfall.
As a part of the Habita Hotel Group, the Condessa df is arguably the area's most popular hotel destination, as it's a serene escape from the constant hustle on the city's streets. Recognized for dashing décor with splashes of turquoise and wooden designs, the hotel's most impressive feature is found amongst the tall boys in the terrace bar set high in the treetops. Your love for swank will grow as you partake in the cocktails flowing effortlessly from the talented mixologist. Staying at the Red Tree House in Mexico City is a like experiencing an authentic treat in the hottest areas in the city. With prices starting at $95, you'll feel right at home with the helpful B&B staff and attractively decked-out rooms. The famed tree in front of the hotel is adorned with red lights, always boasting the establishment's sense of pride.
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This is a useful behaviour when you want something akin to aspects, or crosscutting concerns. Clients of your framework can specialize the internals without having to derive from any framework class, decoupling the framework scaffolding from the client.
C++11's main domain is systems programming. A system that does anything interesting is made up of components and its complexity emerges from the interaction of those components. Software engineering is about managing complexity, and C++11 helps you manage that complexity by offering you multiple programming styles1. As programmers, we choose which style best reduces the complexity of expressing the system's constraints. One size doesn't fit all.
Imagine a new programming language that does what you need. Don't limit the syntax to C++11 – consider constructs from other languages or that don't even exist.
Imagine short sequences of actions written in that language that achieves the main goals of the system.
Break down those actions into primitives – verbs and nouns that can be composed in any manner of sentences.
Read up on C++11 and keep an eye out for language features that look like those primitives – eg, operator overloading, lambdas, return type deduction, variadics.
Consider any similarities between primitives and work out if the differences between the similar primitives can be figured out during compile time by the compiler, or can only be figured out at runtime.
If it can be figured out during compile time, consider using templates.
If using templates, consider using preprocessor macros that improve readability and usability of using templates.


Anderson Ponty Band in Montreal or Quebec City?
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Enroll yourself to our priority waiting list for Anderson Ponty Band to be alerted when new tickets are available. Filling this form doesn't engage you to any purchase.


by Ana Davis Birds of a feather flock together in the Flutter & Float Collection by Ana Davis.
By Josephine Kimberling An upbeat translation of a Morrocan casbah, this collection is a feast for the eyes. Take a walk through a Global Bazaar of spice colored prints inspired by a melting pot of destinations.
by Maude Asbury a fabulously fun fabric collection with a retro twist. colorful apsta patterns, lemon and lime wedges, and bold graphic geometrics are a recipe for sewing success.


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Q: How to re-label Object in array? Extending a previous question about JavaScript and jQuery, I'm trying to make an array and then look into it, but the array contains dimensions and I can't get it right..
var markers = [];
$.getJSON('GetList', "id"= + data.id,
        function(data){
           $.each(data.list, function(index, data) {
                }
                markers.push( {
                    category:data.category,
                    id:data.id,
                    location:{
                        latitude:data.location.latitude,
                        longitude:data.location.longitude
                    }
                });
            });
        });
        return markers;
}

The first thing that strikes me is that every item will now be called "Object", while default, I'm still wondering if they can be labeled instead?
Further down the line, I try to access the id to compare it to a selection by the user,
but it doesn't work.
    var selection = $(div_id).val();
    var arr = $.inArray(selection, markersArray.id);
    if( arr >= 0) {
        return search(selection, div_id);
    } else {
        throw("selection not found in selectionSearch()");
    }

What am I doing wrong here..?

A: To label the objects, add a toString function, like this:
            markers.push({
                toString: function () { return this.something; },
                category:data.category,
                id:data.id,
                location:{
                    latitude:data.location.latitude,
                    longitude:data.location.longitude
                }
            });

To search the array, you'll need your own loop.
jQuery's $.inArray function searches the array for an exact match; it cannot be used to find an object with a matching property.
You can find a match yourself, like this:
for(var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
    if (markers[i].id === selection)
        return search(selection, div_id);
}
throw("selection not found in selectionSearch()");

A: The type of each item is Object, there is nothing strange about that. There is no reason to try to change that.
To filter out items from an array based on a property in the item, you use the grep method:
var arr = $.grep(markers, function(e){ return e.id === selection; });

To check if the array is empty, you don't compare the array to a number, you use the length property:
if (arr.length > 0) {


If you are a single professional female, then you probably work a lot. You might not have time to look for dates on weekends. You probably do not meet a lot of men that measure up to your standards. This is why speed dating has become more popular.


5 week course exploring the basics of cutting, shearing, forming, fabricating, finishing, soldering and joining metals.
Registration must be completed by April 27th in order to hold your spot.
AFTER YOUR SUMBIT THE FORM THIS CLASS WILL BE ADDED TO YOUR CART.
CLICK ON THE CART BUTTON IN THE TOP RIGHT OF THE SCREEN TO COMPLETE YOUR PAYMENT. THANK YOU!


The Mercedes CLS 63 AMG S may look like an elegant business car but it is really a well-trained sports limousine of the highest class. When the V8 BiTurbo comes to life, everybody turns into a car enthusiast. Its 585hp and 800Nm speak for themselves. But what happens when, let's say, the most powerful limousine of the modern era, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, with its 881Nm torque, shows up behind us on the left lane? This posed an interesting challenge for the engineers of our Swabian development department: the perfection of an excellent product to awaken the still dormant capacity reserves of this vehicle. The result: Plug & Drive and plenty of excitement! At the end of our development work, the RaceChip Ultimate pushed the Mercedes further, by almost 100hp and 250Nm. Indeed, the car was put back on the road with 682hp and a maximum torque of 1,057Nm. We suddenly had a need for speed and a thirst for adrenaline!
By the way: in the wake of the near-legendary 6.2l, naturally-aspirated engine, Mercedes AMG will now phase out the CLS 5.5l BiTurbo, albeit gradually. Just as with the new AMG GT(S), C63 AMG and GLC 63 AMG (from 2015) models, it is almost certain that the next generation of CLS-Class will come with the 4.0l BiTurbo engine.
An old proverb states that "the perfect is the enemy of the good". This is exactly what these German premium manufacturers had in mind when they suddenly began, many years ago, to give the series models RS-line, M and AMG fuel-injection performance enhancements. Here, brave Sedans are transformed into brute horsepower monsters. But, of course, there are certainly other methods of achieving engine optimisation.
That's why we chose the elegant CLS top model made in Alfaterbach: the Mercedes CLS 63 AMG S. The optics, finishing and equipment are worthy of special mention, without a doubt. But the real highlight is under the hood. A modern V8 BiTurbo, with 5.5 litres of cubic capacity, handmade and high quality and centred around the AMG philosophy of "one man - one engine". We feel the excitement as we start it up. The seductive sound of the four-pipe exhaust system hints at tremendous acceleration: 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds. This is made possible by the vehicle's 585hp, with a maximum torque of 800Nm. This is all fired up on the asphalt by a powerful all-wheel drive system with limited slip differential.
The car is, to put it briefly, a feast for all the senses. There is really nothing left to improve. Or is there? Well, when adopting a particularly enthusiastic driving style, the unladen weight of the nearly two-ton vehicle becomes apparent. And if your wallet allows you to spend over 85,000 pounds (or in this case: 110,000 pounds, base price) there is still unfortunately some luxury competition out there for this vehicle. Not only the Dodge Charger Hellcat, for example, but also the Audi RS7 Sportback, or the BMW M6 Gran Coupé, with their 560hp. Nevertheless, to set the record straight, we have donated the CLS one of our RaceChip Ultimates.
This takes us back to our theory of "the perfect is the enemy of the good". We put the CLS 63 AMG S to the test and, as expected, it delivered over 585hp and thus 28hp more than a vehicle without the "S" in the name. But our initial tests already showed that the 5.5l V8 engine still had extensive power reserves, leaving room for further improvements. So we set ourselves an elaborate task: to optimise our software to gradually perfect the engine of the AMG. The result was a customised RaceChip Ultimate, which helps the car achieve sublime and unique performance levels for its class. Indeed, our final performance test fulfilled our expectations: the Mercedes, thanks to the RaceChip Ultimate, boasted over 682hp, with a maximum torque of 1,057Nm. The car has thus finally arrived in the premier league of the automotive classes. We will no longer be hitting the road in Ingolstadt or Munich, but rather in Maranello or Sant'Agata Bolognese! After the very first red light, the acceleration is already pushing us back into our seat, while also putting a big smile on our faces. But the AMG can still do much more with a RaceChip Ultimate. Due to the extremely high torque, short bursts of speed and accelerating out of corners are a pure pleasure. You will suddenly forget the weighty struggle with the CLS. And even though you can speed up to 186 mph with the AMG Driver's Package, the RaceChip now pushes the car even further to its limits.
We are proud to say that our 100% "Made In Germany" RaceChip acts as the perfect complement to this masterpiece of German engineering.
Just a few minutes after installing our Plug&Drive solution, the Swabian boost of an additional 97hp and 257Nm kicked in.
There are small cars that would be satisfied with just the added power this engine gained! And bear mind: this boost came solely from the natural power reserves of the engine. This improvement costs only 599 pounds - not even 7 pounds per unit of additional horsepower. This is chip tuning of the highest level – and engine* and product warranties are of course included!


Premium comfort and protection for winter.
The WFX1 WP sets itself apart with an impressive fit for a winter glove. The ideal combination of protection, comfort and precise steering control. Leather structure. High level of protection with it carbon shells on knuckles, fingers and palm. Its OutDry® weatherproof, breathable membrane and its Thinsulate™ 200 g lining offer optimal insulation. Kevlar® seams throughout the palm combined with a foam "shock absorbing" pad. Digital Pittards® grip reinforcement patches on steering control contact surfaces for maximized grip in wet weather. Double closure system. Protective flap over adjustment strap (prevents the strap from breaking or releasing in a fall) based on Racing gloves. Heat-insulating cuff gusset to keep warmth inside the glove. Cordura™ Stretch gusset on topside for optimized comfort and fit. Reflective strips on index and middle finger. Padded leather and "shock absorbing" foam reinforcements for forearms. The WFX1 is a real must-have style designed for long-distance rides.


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Tag: tolkien
One More Hobbit/Desolation Post: Closure
After my post yesterday, Dave asked me what I thought about the ending of the movie. He was a bit vague with the wording of the question, possibly to keep from spoiling people reading the conversation on G+, but as I've read his thoughts on the subject, I had a pretty good idea what he was specifically referring to, and (huge surprise) I had some thoughts about it.
So, far more than yesterday, this post will contain spoilers. You've been cautioned.
Now then.
Disclaimer: I love Dwarves
This will come as a surprise to precisely no one, nor will the fact that it all started with The Hobbit. Character-building moments in the story are few and far between for anyone who doesn't have furry feet, but there are a few; many involving Balin, who remains my favorite among the company as they are portrayed in the book. (I really like the movie version of Bofur.)
I think my preference for Balin grew out of the fact that he seemed the closest with Bilbo – he did things the other dwarves didn't, and they were kind things. He was first dwarf to actually reenter the Mountain after 170 years. And he could speak to birds, which is pretty cool.
Balin put dwarves on my horizon. I kept my eyes out for them when I got to the Lord of the Rings, and I was rewarded with Gimli's bluff and bluster and hidden heart of gold. He felt young to me – full of surety and ignorance, but not so calcified in his ways that he couldn't change. He learned to see the wonder in things he once feared. Loved something he knew he could never have. Pledged himself to goals he believed utterly lost.
And he taught an elf something about beauty, which is a hell of a thing.
After four or five trips through The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I picked up The Silmarillion. References to dwarves in this decidedly elf-heavy book are pretty thin on the ground, but the parts where they are mentioned, I remembered.
"Since they were to come in the days of the power of Melkor, Aulë made the dwarves strong to endure. Therefor they are stone-hard, stubborn, fast in friendship and in enmity, and they suffer toil and hunger and hurt of body more hardily than all other speaking peoples; and they live long, far beyond the span of Men, yet not forever."
So, in Tolkien's creation, Dwarves aren't like elves or men; they weren't originally part of "the Plan." They weren't created so much as crafted by the smith of the gods. They're the adopted children, the outsiders, the ones made according to a different set of rules; created to be strong and resistant to the evils in the world (one reason the Seven Rings didn't bring any dwarves into Sauron's service). They're secretive, proud, tougher than any other people, and equally unable to forget a wrong or debt. They long for beautiful things, but at the same time don't seem to know what to do with them once they have them, and this absolutely extends to matters of affection and love.
They're noble and doomed, even more so than elves, at least in part because dwarves are far more visibly flawed. They never seem to get anything just exactly right; even when they get what they want, they push for more and ruin what they have. They do the wrong things for the right reasons, or the right things for the wrong reasons, and not only pay the price, but inflict that price on those they love and hold dear.
They're pretty much the easiest thing in the world for a boy in his teens to identify with.
So let's talk about Thorin's company and The Hobbit.
An Unexpected Pity Party
From the very beginning of the book, we get the story of Thorin, his family, and everything the dwarves lost when the dragon came to Erebor. Did they make a place for themselves in the Blue Mountain and Ered Luin? Yes, yes, but that doesn't matter, because there's this Lonely Mountain, see, and the dragon took that from us, and we want it back.
Thorin &co. go on like this for the next 250 pages or so. Especially Thorin. I think it's fair to say that the idea of some kind of showdown between these wronged dwarves and Smaug the Tremendous is pretty clearly telegraphed.
And then Tolkien lets us down.
The problem is, Tolkien functioned both as storyteller and historian for this amazing world he created. That's fine, most of the time, but every so often he'd mess things up whilst sitting down at his desk and pull on one hat when he really should have been wearing the other.
In this case, Smaug hit the pages and Tolkien found himself in historian mode, instead of storyteller.
See, a storyteller knows that if you set up the Dragon and What The Dragon Did To Us for a couple hundred pages, you owe it both to those characters and the reader to give those dwarves some closure. A showdown. Something.
You know what happens between the dwarves and Smaug?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not one word is exchanged. No barbs are traded. No blows given or received.
Bilbo bandies words and steals a cup. The dragon flies around a bit and smites the mountainside, then heads off to Laketown for a some desultory wrack and ruin.
Bard kills him.
The dwarves cower in a dark tunnel for two days, send Bilbo down to see what's going on, then spend the next week or so dumpster diving in Smaug's horde.
Lame.
And why did it shake out this way? Because Historian Tolkien knows who Bard is, who he's descended from, and the fact that because of all that, he has some of the same claim to vengeance as Thorin.
Tolkien knows that. The reader doesn't really know any of it, but Historian Tolkien has assumed direct control of this section of the book, closure be damned, and he's going to tie a bow (see what I did there?) on the virtually unknown epic cycle of the Men of Dale. So there.
Jackson Gives Us (Action-Packed!) Closure
Now, please don't get me wrong: I agree that the last action scene in The Desolation of Smaug owes a bit more to the Temple of Doom than Tolkien. It's a little over the top. Yes. Conceded.
Just for fun, let's ignore the crazy bits and look at what actually happens, because I believe Jackson managed to hide some really amazing story chocolate in the action peanut butter.
Thorin Needs Your Help
That's what Jackson's thinking as he squares off with this section of the story. The whole thing where Thorin never ever actually sees the dragon, or confronts him, or anything? That has got. to. go. That's shit. Acknowledged.
But now you have a problem, and it's the same problem Storyteller Tolkien had when he was writing it (which may be why he let the historian take the lead).
Thorin has no play to make.
He's got no army and, let's be serious: he needs one. Smaug is force of nature – an armored, hurricane-spawning volcano. What can Thorin possibly do?
He can use the mountain.
Yes, Smaug is the Chiefest and Greatest Calamity of the Age, but in this place – within Erebor – he is first and foremost a usurper. He might have slept on a golden bed in the bowels of the mountain for the last 150 years, but it is not his home. He doesn't – can't – know it the way he would if it were.
But Thorin does.
("Home" is a big theme, have you noticed? There and Back Again, for both the dwarves and the hobbit.)
Over a hundred years of wandering. Losses suffered. Grandfather dead. Father mad and then dead. But still Thorin knows these halls, these stones, as if he never left. You can hear – feel – the love of the place in his voice when he steps inside the Door.
And he's not alone. All the dwarves with Thorin (the ones old enough to have been here in the first place, I'll note) remember it all, as if they had just shut the lights off and stepped out yesterday.
But so what?
It doesn't matter how well you know the nooks and crannies – you still can't fight Smaug. Dwarves are great fighters, but they are outmatched and utterly under-equipped – it's impossible to fight.
Dwarves can fight, but that's not who and what they are. Not really.
What they are is tough. Secretive. Cunning craftsman who never forget a wrong.
The first thing they do when they realize they need to face Smaug? They light the forges.
Dwarves make things – amazing, horrible, wonderful, terrible things.
So let's just skip past all the action stuff. That's movies – that's just what you need to do at the end of a fantasy action movie. Deal with it. What's happening throughout all that, hidden from us a bit, because they're secretive, these dwarves, is that they're making something.
Let's get to that Grand Hall.
The forges have fired. The gold is flowing, molten and deadly and handled by the dwarves with such a native aplomb that you'd think they were carrying a glass of water to a sleepy toddler.
It's all poured into this great mold, atop which stands Thorin, and here comes Smaug.
This is a moment. This is important. Thorin is back in his home, and it is his home, over which he has immediately and completely asserted his will and mastery. All the elements therein, that he knows so well, come together to allow him to face Smaug face to face; not just face to face but at eye level. To call him out and then, because this is Thorin and he still mourns his dead King, pull the cord and confront the dragon with Thrór – the true king under the mountain and, at that moment, the one thing within Erebor as mighty and majestic as Smaug himself, standing for all the dwarves who lost their home.
And then the thing comes apart and douses the Dragon in molten gold, because it's dwarves who have done this, and a Dragon they are punishing, using their forges to drown him in the greed (theirs and his) that first brought him to to the mountain.
They are dwarves. They set out to do a thing, and they did it.
But, they are dwarves, which means they achieve exactly what they wanted – Smaug driven from their home – at terrible cost. An awakened scourge, set upon the land. A victory, bought with unavoidable tragedy.
They cheer, and Bilbo (who is not a dwarf and never will be) looks on in horror.
Is it an upbeat ending? No. There's a victory there, though, and great and amazing symbol-heavy closure for Thorin, from my point of view. It's so dwarvish my beard grew three inches just watching it.
It's terrible, what's about to happen, and an unexpected place to end, but for the story it was set to tell, it was (by my lights) exactly right.
"What have we done?" whispers Bilbo, and we have a year to think on all the answers to that question.
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is Better than the Book It's Based On
In the very first printing of The Hobbit, there are a few tiny errors. Inconsistencies in map labels. Misspellings of a few words.
And a little thing Tolkien charmingly referred to as "the issue with Chapter Five."
What he's referring to is that, in the first published version of the story, the Riddle Game ends with Gollum giving Bilbo his magic ring as a prize.
Just… gives it to him.
"Here you go, then. Nice job with all those riddles. Last one was a real head-scratcher. Well-played and all that, now off you go to the back door. Good luck and godspeed, you adorable scamp." tousles hair
Obviously, with the perfect hindsight afforded us by seventy-seven years worth of analysis (academic, obsessive fan, or both), we can see that this version of the story… raises a few questions – most of which begin "But if it's the One Ring, why would…"
Or, in the words of my daughter (who hasn't given it quite as much thought), "That would be really dumb."
Her assessment of the original version of the scene (which I told her about the second time we read through the book together, and without her knowing anything about The Lord of the Rings) went something like this: "Why would Gollum give Bilbo anything like that for winning the contest? The ring is the only thing he has – he's not going to give it away."
I like having my daughter around to assess the relevant merit of various parts of The Hobbit because, like the story itself, Kaylee doesn't know anything about Middle Earth.
Let me reiterate that: The Hobbit doesn't know anything about Middle Earth.
Now, I'm not saying that the larger backdrop of the setting was completely unknown to Tolkien when he wrote The Hobbit – the first thing that directly tied into the larger story of the Ages of Middle Earth was something the man wrote when he was 22 years old – twenty-three years before Bilbo hosted his first Unexpected Party.
But, the author's vague notions about First Age history aside, The Hobbit is essentially its own thing – undeniably a Tolkien thing, yes, with inspiration drawn from the Kalevala and Beowulf, but also (owing to his desire to write something that would entertain his children) something far closer to his kids' copy of The Marvelous Land of the Snergs or The Princess and the Goblins. You don't have to squint very hard to see those kinds of stories in this one: the adventures and misadventures are largely the same in tone and structure as any fairy story: Grumbling trolls that want to eat whatever they catch. Magic rings won with a riddle contest. Shapechanging, bee-keeping bears. Talking eagles. Sleep-inducing rivers. Talking-yet-fairly-stupid spiders. Fairy dinners at which mundane party-crashers instantly fall asleep. Dragons slain with a single arrow shot by a flat and altogether characterless Hero Guy.
It's a fairy story… that just happens to be (almost retroactively) set in Middle Earth.
But ultimately even more challenging for the author, it's set up as the slow-burning point of ignition for the grand conflict of the Third Age, as told in The Lord of the Rings.
Which is why you end up with "the issue in Chapter Five."
The fact of the matter is, in terms of continuity, there are many more problems introduced within The Hobbit because it doesn't know about Middle Earth – the riddle game in Chapter Five is only the most obvious – and it isn't hard to find evidence of the effort Tolkien went to throughout the next seventeen years (and after) to patch the major gaps between it and the latter work well enough to let the whole thing hang together. The Appendices, Unfinished Tales, and various collections of his correspondence are full of snippets and backstory that help Tolkien justify this or that "odd thing" from The Hobbit. In some ways, making that story work as part of the greater whole was some of the hardest stuff he had to do – I have no doubt that if he believed he could have gotten away with it, he'd have written a 'grown-up' version of the story that made a great deal more sense in the larger scheme of things, and chalked the original up to Bilbo as Unreliable Narrator.
But he didn't believe that was an option – stories, once printed, were all but set in stone (funny, considering the malleable epics he studied) – so he forced himself to play around the edges of the thing to make its odd corners and angles fit within the larger puzzle of Middle Earth.
Jackson gets to do what Tolkien believed he couldn't – retell The Hobbit with the hindsight of what it would mean within the larger history and events of the setting, and get it to match the continuity and tone set in the larger and inarguably greater work that followed.
Which brings us to the latest Hobbit movie. Sort of. Almost.
There's one more thing retelling the story as a movie lets Jackson do.
Skipping the Boring Parts
There's a point (several, actually) in The Princess Bride novel ("the greatest love/action/revenge story ever abridged by a modern author"), where the author specifically calls out the fact that he's "skipping the boring stuff" in the (fictitious) original classic on which his version is supposedly based: boring political history, a full chapter on the Buttercup's preparations for the wedding, et cetera.
I have, more than once, wished for a "princess bride" treatment of The Hobbit.
Don't get me wrong: I love the book. I read it and reread it multiple times before the librarian for our elementary school mentioned that there were "other books that happen after this one" up in the High School library (which sent me on a terrifying quest of my own, past trolls and evil giants). I've reread it many times since. It's one of the first 'chapter' books I read to my daughter, and the only one to date that I've read to her more than once. I will, without a doubt, read it again to Sean when he's a bit older, then again to Zoe, and I will do so happily, every time.
But it is in no way a perfect book. It's not as slow a start as The Lord of the Rings, granted, but it has its moments, and those moments (already weak in the book itself) do not translate well to film, nor should they. Some of it is a matter of pacing: the dwarves are imprisoned in Thranduil's halls for a month and a half – it takes Bilbo almost two weeks just to figure out where Thorin is being kept; the company spends roughly a month between getting to Laketown and opening the door into the Mountain, and spend a week of that time just sitting on the doorstep, twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the Sun/Moon to get to the right position. Some of it is emphasis in the book on elements of the story that make perfect sense in terms of what The Hobbit was (a fairy story for kids) and what it became (a prelude to Big Events and Epic History): as cool as the scene with the spiders is, for example, in terms of the big picture it's quite unimportant.
So, we have two problems with The Hobbit – it doesn't mesh well or easily with the rest of the "stuff" of Middle Earth, and there are points (more than a few) that just aren't very good storytelling, especially in terms of pacing – Tolkien published The Lord of the Rings seventeen years later – it's entirely to fair to say he became a better storyteller over the years, and certainly fair to say he grew into his own voice over time. (Who among us wouldn't like to go back to a story we 'finished' years ago and give it a fix-up pass, if we could?)
So how did Jackson do in The Desolation of Smaug?
Tying it into the Larger Story
I don't think there's a misstep of any kind with regards to tying this section of The Hobbit into the larger Middle Earth story. In terms of both plotting and tone, we're getting a much more unified and 'whole' retelling.
Gandalf Wanders Off and Leaves Us: The Dol Guldor stuff does a great job of setting up the Big Wizard Showdown coming in the third movie (and told in a fair amount of detail in various Tolkien appendices), and the whole "orc leader" side plot serves a necessary evil: the bad guys in movies need a face to play well with audiences, and Sauron doesn't have one.
The Ring: The problem with the Ring as it appears in The Hobbit is that it's entirely safe. All of the danger of corruption and evil falls within the scope of The Lord of the Rings and, with our perfect hindsight, we can see that it doesn't make any sense. Using the ring is really never safe, least of all now, with Sauron stirring and making his first attempt at gathering forces together. It's especially dangerous to put to use when you're wandering through the same zip code as the guy ceaselessly searching for it (Bilbo's not much further away from Dol Guldor when he traverses Mirkwood than Frodo is from Barad-dur when he and Sam pass Minas Morgul). Jackson handles this in most places by shortening the amount of time Bilbo wears the thing (thankfully, our poor hobbit doesn't have to spend six weeks in Thranduil's Hall wearing a homing beacon for the Dark Lord) and upping the danger of spiritual corruption associated with its use.
A great example/foreshadowing of this is with the spiders: as short as that scene is, Jackson managed to make it exponentially more significant to the "ring" story than it is in the original text – lots of people have mentioned the bit of 'ring greed berserk' that Bilbo displays here, and that's good, but the bit where he slips on the ring and only then understands the spiders' speech? Pure gold.
This section also reintroduces a theme from Lord of the Rings that is very useful later in the movie: the greater the evil that's close at hand, the more dangerous the ring is to use. The few times Bilbo uses the ring in the first movie, he's basically by himself. Then he uses it with the spiders and scary things happen to his personality. We get to the scenes with the dragon, and I was exactly where I needed to be with regards to the ring: torn. Of course he needs to use it, but how can he use it while standing right next to Smaug, Chiefest and Greatest Calamity of Our Age? Frodo found out the hard way that being around the Nazgul with the Ring was a hard row to hoe, but what are Nazgul? Corrupted men. Kings, maybe sorcerers, quite old, certainly, but… just men.
Smaug is a dragon. His voice alone is powerful magic (well done, Cumberbatch) – he is ancient and his kin have literally eaten more rings of power than still exist in the mortal realm in the Third Age. You can't 'activate' something like that right under his nose and not expect problems.
And it's not like being invisible helps that much against the dragon anyway, even in the book (eleven thousand clinking gold-plated aluminum movie coins aside).
Cutting Out the Boring Stuff
Under which I'll also add "Cutting Out the Fairy Story Stuff that Doesn't Entirely Fit in Middle Earth."
Top marks for this, as two-month incarcerations are squeezed down into a day, fairy parties in spider-infested woods are removed entirely, and all thumb-twiddlings on the Doorstep go the way of ancient rooks. These sections of the story are better, by virtue of being better paced and more interesting, and the same can be said for most everything that happens with the dwarves in Laketown.
Adding in Stuff Tolkien Never Included
Under this, I include Tauriel and some but not all of the stuff with the two named orcs, since they actually both tie back into Appendices lore quite well enough, but take up a bit too much camera time chasing dwarves who I feel they'd assume would probably be eaten by a dragon anyway. Azog starts to feel like an obsessive Captain Hook searching for his Thorin crocodile.
Jackson scores major points for including a female character in the story. Tolkien wrote in a different time, and wrote this for his kids (of which three(?) were boys), so I'll forgive him the gender bias, but I was glad to see some feminine presence on screen.
He then loses most of those points for using Tauriel to do little more than kick ass and deal with "love interest" entanglements – either being longed for by Legolas, longed for by Kili, or doing some counter-longing in both directions. I have it on good authority that women do more than participate in romantic feelings of one kind or another – it would have been nice to see that here, rather than a fairly well-trod situation with Legolas and the unaccountably ham-fisted writing of "the thing with the dwarf." (Something I personally think could have been handled much better by the writing team before it ever reached the actors, echoing Gimli and Galadriel.)
Finally, he earns back a few points for a positively lovely call back to some real Silmarillion-grade ancient lore when Tauriel waxes rhapsodic about starlight. As one of the subset of elves who reached the Greenwood and decided to travel no further west toward Valinor (the Nandor Teleri, if you want to get pedantic), she comes from a people who never knew light other than the distant stars until the Sun and Moon were put into the sky. Her obvious passion for their beauty was something Jackson didn't need to bring into this story, but which gave Tauriel the weight of a character thoroughly grounded in the oldest parts of Tolkien's lore, and I liked that very much.
There were also some changes to the story that I think are going to bear fruit in the third movie – things that Tolkien might not have done even on a rewrite, but which I still see as a net good. The company splits up at Laketown in a way that never happened in the book, and I think it's going to make for some very, very interesting scenes in the third movie. In the book, you have Thorin raging over his walls at "outsiders" and a hobbit he no longer trusts, and now we're going to see that same thing with not only Bilbo, but a wise older dwarf, well-spoken (and fan favorite) Bofur, and both of Thorin's heirs (Kili and Fili) on the outside and not at all ill-disposed to the people (elves, via Tauriel, and men, via Bard) who helped them when Thorin left them behind.
The Dark, Cliff-hanger Ending
No one complained at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring which is (in my daughter's opinion) at least as grim. This ending, ignoring the classic Jackson final action scene, is actually quite close to what's happening at that point in the book, but with awareness on the part of the dwarves and Bilbo: they've woken something up and set it loose, and how they each react to that will speak volumes in the third movie. They can't claim ignorance and innocence when Laketown burns, and that's both better and more interesting than the blinkered treasure trove diving they're doing in the book while Bard saves the day.
I could say more about pretty much any part of the book (Black Arrow as a masterfully forged ballista bolt = great choice, especially when we already have at least three master archers already on screen), but instead I'll wrap up with this.
The Book and the Big Screen
Those of you paying close attention will notice that I refer to the Hobbit movies as a retelling more than an adaptation or "inspired by" or whatever. There's a reason.
There are a number of ways you can translate a book to the movie screen.
One of them involves a slavish adherence to the words on the page, cutting only for time considerations but otherwise leaving everything else the same. I've yet to encounter a movie produced in this way that was very satisfying. The most obvious example of this, to me, is the Harry Potter series, which are to my mind an absolute mess when watched as a movies in their own right. I can say this with some authority because I'm not a particularly dumb person who specifically didn't read past the third HP book so that I could 'test' the movie series on its own merits, and without the books as reference, the movies are all but impossible to follow – a barely coherent mess of half-finished side plots and incomprehensible 'dog whistle' scenes tuned to fans of the books — twenty-four hours of multimedia extras for the avid reader.
Another route is the movie 'inspired by' a story – taking what's there and distilling it in one way or another. You see this a lot with comics, both good (Scott Pilgrim) and bad (Wanted), but it also happens with stuff like The Beasts of the Southern Wild, which is inspired by a stream of consciousness hot mess of a stage play, and vastly improved upon its source material.
Finally, you have retellings. Take the original story, and say "I am going to retell this story, in this other medium," and you've freed yourself from perfect adherence to the text of the book, while staying true to the spirit of the story. Cloud Atlas does this, and tells a story that, if nothing else, delivers a stronger theme and better ending than the book it's based on (still doesn't make it good, but it's better than the book). Jackson did it with The Lord of the Rings, and now he's doing it with The Hobbit, in this case not so much putting the verbatim text of the book on the screen, but retelling the story of all the events going on within the time frame of the events of the book.
Again, as with LotR, he takes liberties. Pulls in stuff from other sources when needed and outright changes stuff when necessary to serve the medium he's working with. We notice it more in The Hobbit because he has to do it more – because the source is, in all honesty, not as strong a story in its original form as The Lord of the Rings and needs more of that kind of work.
Is it perfect? Certainly not, but it is good, both as a series of movies in its own right and as a (by my lights) faithful retelling of the story as a part of Middle Earth, with the perspective granted by time, and the ability to make it mesh with what is, in literary terms, the greater of the two pieces of work. I think that is the reason you see so many people talking about how they disapproved of the stuff that was changed or added, but concluding with "I still really liked it, though I don't know why, and I guess I'll just have to wait until next Christmas to see if the whole thing pays off."
My recommendation: Go see it.
Odds are, you'll like it, even if you don't know exactly why.
And that's okay.


Seat cushion for chairs or couches. Filled with a 3 cm thick foam material. The cushion will protect against harmful low frequency radiation as is ideal for conjunction of the body with the earth, known as Earthing.


The Federation of State Medical Boards workgroup on physician wellness and burnout, convened in 2016, has issued its report with recommendations focusing on the licensing process. The report questions the necessity of asking questions about an applicant's mental health, addiction or substance use on applications or renewals, as this may discourage applicants from seeking treatment. The report suggests that this information may be obtained through alternate means. If such questions are deemed necessary, the report offers suggestions about question phrasing and focus on current impairment only. The report also suggests offering safe haven non-reporting options to physicians who are under treatment with a physician health program.
A recent study by Health Affairs has shown a surge of millennials entering the nursing profession, with millennials nearly twice as likely to enter the field as baby boomers were. The study authors indicate that this trend "has averted a potential workforce crisis" in the face of huge numbers of baby boomers retiring.
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards has issued its 2017 NCARB by the Numbers report, showing an increase in gender, racial and ethnic diversity in the architecture profession across the US. Women make up 36% of newly licensed architects, an increase of 2% from 2015. Racial and ethnic diversity among newly licensed architects remained the same, but increased diversity in early career stages indicates a trend that may show improved diversity as these candidates move toward licensure in coming years. NCARB has recently introduced changes to allow students to work toward licensure while in school and streamline the time to licensure. The report also showed a 3% increase in reciprocal licenses since 2015.


text:
BorgBuss was a bus company that operated in Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg and Hvaler, Norway between 2004 and 2013. The company itself was founded in 1998 and is still existing, but has no operations anymore. The company is owned 100% by Nettbuss.

References

Bus companies of Viken
Former subsidiaries of Vy Buss

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia