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CultureAlbert Lam June 11, 2018 Pageant of the MastersLaguna Beach, Pageant of the Masters, Festival of ArtsComment
Festival of Arts / Pageant of the Masters: 2018 Media Preview Night
Irvine Bowl Park, Laguna Beach, CA
Greetings, folks! We've got a special update for you today, a preview of the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters. Believe it or not, when we're not riding roller coasters, feasting on burritos, catching all the spoopy things, or getting our travel on, we at Westcoaster actually geek out over art, and last Monday, we had a chance to preview an Orange County tradition. For 85 years, Laguna Beach has played host to a beloved summertime art festival that has become an area cultural institution.
The Festival of Arts is a juried showcase of works from a variety local artists, covering multiple types of media. In addition to galleries of paintings, crafts, and printmaking, the Festival holds weekly concerts, art talks, a wine and chocolate tasting series, and art lessons. Meanwhile, the venerated Pageant of the Masters provides an extraordinary sequence of real life recreations of famous works of art. Held at the Irvine Bowl, it is a theatrical show that features live actors and sets painted to mimic renown artworks in history.
The press preview event featured a look at some of the attractions guests can look forward to later this summer at the Festival of Arts.
For example, a fashion runway show.
Expect clothing like this.
And this aquatic crown.
The festival will also be holding a wine and chocolate event.
For those who like booze and sweets, this upcharge is for you!
The Festival of Arts starts July 5th this year and runs through September 1st, while the Pageant of Masters begins July 7 and has the same end date. This year's theme for the Pageant is "Under the Sun," celebrating the light and nature that has inspired so many painters around and featuring works by many Laguna-based masters who painted in the area in the 1920s and 30s. Here's a little bit of what you can expect from this fantastic cultural tradition!
This year's festival will feature the artwork of over 140 artists, and on Monday we were invited to see the work of and interview four of them. Representing a variety of different formats—from oil painting to ceramics to jewelry to abstract prints, the artists showcased some of their works and chatted with anyone curious about their inspiration, technique, and production. It was actually pretty interesting learning about what motivated their artwork and hearing about their creative process.
Sharon Jackman
The organic forms of Sharon's pottery seemed to draw a lot of inspiration from nature and the coastal aesthetic of local Laguna Beach. With swirling shapes and hues ranging from seafoam green to cerulean blue, her ceramic creations were a motion of artistic energy. She proved to be a popular attraction, as multiple other people routinely asked her about her process while she demonstrated some of the sanding and finishing techniques on an unglazed piece.
Sharon Jackman, a ceramics artist, one of four artists featured at the preview.
Sharon working on a vase.
Making final edging.
A finished product.
And another, with similar organic form.
And a third one for good measure.
Michael Obermeyer
We didn't have a chance to talk to Michael either, mostly because he was in the middle of a live demonstration, painting an oil portrait of a sitting model. Michael's paintings on display ranged across range of subjects, from nude models to oceanside landscape. The latter featured many of Laguna's famous and gorgeous beaches.
Artist #2: Michael Obermeyer.
The artist works on a live demo.
The subject holding her own illumination.
The result.
Lance Heck
Lance presented an exhibit of sleek and modern jewelry that he hand made individually, crafted out of silver and gold and a variety of gemstones. He cited his inspirations as a mix of nature and built architecture, the latter showing clear influence on his modern jewelry.
Lance Heck, a jewelry artist.
Some of the works he's featuring.
Modern designs and sleek lines.
There's a good amount of gems used in these hand-crafted works.
Yoonsook Bai Ryang
Our most interesting conversation came with Yoonsook, whose abstract prints showed a moody sense of secluded grandeur. Originally trained classically, she noted her shift to abstract as a way to express more emotion. What really interested us, however, was the inspiration for the two pieces she had on display: Iceland, which she had just visited in May of last year. One of the prints reflected the black sand beaches of Jokulsarlon, which I had visited during my own vacation last year, while the other depicted one of Iceland's many glaciers. They might just look like lines and patterns at first, but once we understood the inspiration, we could see the forms depicted.
Yoonsook Bai Ryang, the last artist, works in printmaking.
Her works are modern and abstract.
A black sand beach-inspired work drawing on imagery from Iceland.
Another Iceland-inspired work, from a glacier.
The rest of the gallery was still well under construction, but once it's completed in July, there will be over a hundred more artists just like the four we met, each with his or her own works to take in!
The galleries, still under construction.
Pageant Presentation
After about an hour to conduct interviews, take photos, and take in the setting, it was time for the media tour to get underway. Festival of Arts President David Perry gave a few words about both the history of and upcoming plans for the Festival of Arts before relaying the humble origins of the Pageant of the Masters. It was 1933 when the first Pageant was held, and back then, it was nothing like what it is today. In fact, its original purpose was as a publicity stunt. Artists and their family and friends dressed up as several works of art, like the Mona Lisa, Atlas, and Whistler's Mother, then paraded through Downtown Laguna Beach before arriving at the site of the Festival of Arts. There, they posed in small booths set up to compose the full portraits of their inspirations. These were the first tableaux vivants--"living pictures." The makeup was simple, and so were the sets. But that was the first seedling of what would become one of the most famous artistic presentations around today.
Two years later, in 1935, local businessman Roy Ropp took over the presentation of the Pageant, and he jazzed it up with a more theatrical vibe. Adding music, narration, and more extensive painted backdrops, Ropp turned the Pageant more recognizingly like the spectacle it has become today.
As a tribute to one of the first living pictures presented at the Pageant, a presentation of Raising the Flag Over Irvine Bowl—a nod to the famous Iwo Jima photo—was enacted. It wasn't a full tableau, since the display was mostly the actors and the flag in the iconic pose. But we would see more immersive exhibits later.
The president of the Festival of Arts making opening remarks.
Setting up for a recreation of Raising the Flag over Irvine.
The finished product.
Good job, fellas!
Pageant Scenic Artists
Our next stop was backstage to see the Pageant backdrops in painting progress. The Pageant presents nearly 40 living paintings in a showing, all of which require their own sets and backgrounds. Volunteer artists spend months working on the sets, recreating famous paintings in various styles. It's a lengthy and exhausting process, all made more impressive by the fact that the painters are devoting their own time to the endeavor.
But the murals are not the only pieces being worked on. Props and head pieces are also painted to match the aesthetic of each painting, and process that produces hundreds of man hours. We got to see just a sample of the many parts and pieces required to put the Pageant of the Masters together, and it was most certainly impressive.
One of the many paintings that will be used as backdrops for the Pageant of the Masters.
One of two backdrops being worked on during the media preview.
Note the details.
The artist explains the goals of each backdrop production and the time constraints that limit where detail can be applied.
The backdrop on the other side.
It's supposed to look like this.
The other artist, taking questions.
More items being painted.
In this case, head pieces.
They're being painted for this piece and will be part of what makes the actors look more like the paintings.
The tour showed other props being produced too.
This is a BigAss NotQuiteGoldfish.
Spooky skeletons, possibly to be use in the Pageant, possibly not.
A prop-maker was working on carving items out of foam to use as part of the Pageant.
He had been part of the wardrobe department before moving over to props.
This fall will also feature a Halloween-inspired variation of the Pageant of the Masters called Pageant of the Monsters. A haunted house isn't inappropriate, since there is already of plenty of creepy imagery around…
Severed hands…
More heads.
All the creepy heads…
Bloody, disembodied torsos…
I mean, Knott's kind of made a maze like this once upon a time.
Doll Factory basically had a lot of unnerving mannequins.
Should be interesting…
Backstage Tour
Afterward, we headed backstage, to the dressing room area, where cast members who would be a part of the evening's Pageant preview were getting ready. Upon entering, we were presented with a line of the paintings going up in this year's series of living pictures. Wardrobe was on hand to supply the clothes specially altered to match the paintings, while make-up was applying its own finishing touches for each character. Some of the already finished actors were outside to take pictures. It was a whirlwind watching how much has to come together in an efficient and synchronized manner to make the Pageant come to life.
A souvenir beach ball for this year's theme.
Examples of wardrobe.
The hard-working ladies who take care of all the costumes with the Pageant of the Masters.
More headwear.
And wigs and other fake facial hair.
Make up studies.
Actresses were also getting makeup applied for the Pageant preview to take place later in the evening.
These ladies would be a part of the Orange Crate Labels.
Participants of Catching Fish at the Beach.
As well as Red and Green.
A line of all the paintins being pictured at this year's Pageant of Masters.
Pageant Preview
Finally, it was time see the finished product. There would be three paintings transformed into theater tonight: Franz A. Bischoff's Catching Fish at the Beach, Joseph Kleitsch's Red and Green, and three lithographs from the Orange Crate Labels that were popular early on during the "orange rush" that sprouted when Southern California was growing its orange industry.
The first scene doubled as a run-through of the "builder" feature first started in 1966. This was was an instant hit when it debuted, because it showed the audience how each tableau is put together. A backdrop is wheeled into place into the frame, before the foreground element slides in—sometimes with actors already propped on it, and sometimes with actors coming on to complete the scene. Assistants and crew help ready the staging, checking final touch-up's and comparing the set-up with the original painting before theatrical lighting is turned on to properly illuminate and complete the effect.
And when everything is done, the results are stunning. Framed within the proscenium, with actors posed perfectly still, paint applied in combination to achieve the correct texture and sheen, it is as though we are looking at a giant version of the portraits in real life. It's impressive to imagine how all of these are set up and presented in rapid succession, seamlessly moving from painting to painting, with set-up and wardrobe changes and all the logistics coordinated to produce a smooth show.
An empty stage right before the first segment.
Rolling the foreground in. Two actors are already onboard.
Three others then get on their positions.
Crew help with the setup.
Checking against the actual painting for pose positions.
Cue the theatrical lighting, and the "living picture" manifests like magic!
What the actual painting looks like.
Details of the actors and stage setup.
It's very impressive how closely the aesthetic on stage matches the 2D artwork!
Here is Red and Green.
What the painting looks like.
Hard to tell live actor from painted backdrop!
The Orange Crate Labels.
Looking individually…
The illustration.
Model #2.
Original #2.
And the third.
Third original.
The preview ended with some fun beach balls / oranges tossed on the stage. But quite an impressive taste of what the Pageant of the Masters offers!
Terra Restaurant
After the presentation, we were treated to dinner the new Terra Restaurant, at the Festival of Arts grounds. Formerly Tivoli Terrace, this has been taken over by the Laguna Beach Company and being transformed into a new gourmet destination. The iconic 1957 hyperbolic shell structure designed by architect Don Williamson that dramatically cantilevers over the dining promenade remains, but Terra will feature modern California cuisine under a menu by executive chef Jenny Messing. We sampled some of the new dishes that will be on the menu—a tasty flank steak, a light and flavorful salmon fillet, and a new olive oil cake with crème fraiche and berries. All were delicious.
The new Terra by day.
Setting up for our reception later.
And then at night…
Bokeh. Ooooo…
The concrete hyperbolic roof has been retained.
The string lights make for a magical sight.
A peek of our menu for the night.
Charcuterie platter.
Flank steak with salmon fillet and strawberry and spinach salad.
A scrumptious olive oil cake.
This year's Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters begins next month. Though they are at the same venue, they are separately ticketed events, with Festival tickets starting at $10/person, while the Pageant has varied pricing based on seating ranging from $15 to $260 a seat. This is fine art, to be sure, but it's a wonderful experience and cherished tradition. Any art fan should definitely come down to south Orange County to see this during the summer. And for Halloween fans, this fall on the last weekend of October and on Halloween night, the venue will also feature the Pageant of the Monsters, a spooky twist on the artistic show that turns the backstage area into a haunted house with an artistic twist.
Hope you've enjoyed this variation from most of our normal updates. It may not have the same thrills as theme parks or haunted houses (though part of it kind of will), but the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters still offers a great time for family and culture lovers to partake. And it's an incredible labor of love from the hundreds of volunteers who do this simply for their passion for the arts, not for any monetary gain. See the Festival web site for more information, check it out in person this summer!
Albert Lam
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.
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Back to the Beach Festival: 2019 Recap
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Disneyland Resort Update: Pirates, Pixar, Parking, and Porgs*
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Albert's Antartica Adventure: Pléneau Bay
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*** ADOPTION PENDING *** Fifi came to me with her mixed breed adult son and was very fearful of everything. It was actually two weeks before I could even pet her. She now accepts petting from anyone I introduce her to but she would be happiest belonging to her own special human. Prefers women. Extremely loyal and affectionate but not annoyingly needy and does not have separation anxiety. She tolerates all of my other dogs but does not really care to interact with anyone other than her own son and not even him sometimes. She would be fine as an only dog. She's housebroken, fully vaccinated and spayed as well as microchipped. Looking for her forever home. She weighs approximatley 4 lbs.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Over the last few weeks our Apprentices have been making exceptional progress on the Caterham build. The team have worked closely with each other to make sure that all elements have been assembled correctly, from interior fittings such as gear lever, steering wheel and a roll cage to final details such as electrical wiring, fitting the suspension, gearbox and radiator installation to name just a few.
Now about 2/3 of the way the way through the build, the team are beginning to talk about the final stages of the project and we can't wait for them to fire it up for the first time.


text:
WeWork's Founder Adam Neumann's New Startup 'Flow' Becomes A Unicorn Even Before Its Launch
August 16, 2022 August 16, 2022 OfficeChai Team
Tech stocks across the world might be in freefall, startups might be hunkering down for the funding winter, but Adam Neumann has managed to create a unicorn before even launching a company.
WeWork founder Adam Neumann's new real estate startup, named Flow, has raised $350 million from respected venture fund Andreesen Horowitz. The funding values Flow at $1 billion, instantly according it unicorn status. Interestingly, Flow hasn't yet been launched, and its website merely says that it is coming in 2023.
"We are excited to partner with Adam Neumann and his colleagues on Flow," Andreesen Horowitz's Marc Andreesen wrote in a post. "Adam is a visionary leader who revolutionised the second largest asset class in the world — commercial real estate — by bringing community and brand to an industry in which neither existed before. We think it is natural that for his first venture since WeWork, Adam returns to the theme of connecting people through transforming their physical spaces and building communities where people spend the most time: their homes," he added.
Flow will likely be a WeWork of homes — like WeWork had transformed office spaces by taking up buildings on long term leases and turning them into coworking spaces, Flow will do something similar for residential homes. Andreesen indicated that like WeWork, Flow will focus on building a community of like-minded individuals, and hope to transform the entire residential industry. Residential real estate is the largest asset class in the world, and that perhaps played a part in getting Flow a $1 billion valuation before launch.
The bigger factor, in all likelihood, was Adam Neumann himself. Neumann had been the charismatic, albeit controversial, founder of WeWork. While not having a background in technology, or real estate, he'd managed to reinvent the office industry through WeWork. At its peak, WeWork was the second-highest valued startup in the world, and was worth $47 billion.
But Neumann had been ultimately been booted out of the company he'd founded. It turned out that Neumann himself had owned some of the buildings that he was leasing out to the company, and that created a conflict of interest that he was unable to explain away. Neumann had also himself registered the trademark "We", and was charging the company $6 million (Rs. 42 crore) per year to use it. Some of his personal eccentricities had also come to the fore — Neumann used to walk around everywhere barefoot, and once he turned vegetarian, forbade employees from expensing non-vegetarian items when they ate out. Some eccentricities were slightly more serious — Neumann had allegedly smoked marijuana on a private jet, and also used to have tequila shots in the office, once allegedly showing up to an investor meeting with a hangover.
Neumann, however, has now managed to land Andreesen Horowitz — one of the world's most prominent investors — for his second startup. Over the last few years, unicorns are being created faster than ever — the record for the creation of fastest Indian unicorn, for instance, has come down from nearly three years in 2016 to 6 months now. But Flow has blown that discussion out of the water, becoming a unicorn a year before it's even been launched. It remains to be seen if Flow is able to justify thee trust that Andreesen Horowitz has placed in it, but it's pre-launch unicorn status will ensure that the company has plenty of eyeballs on it when it finally goes live next year.
Posted in Startups

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I know there were more than a few of us who have loved the 'mid sized tablets'. Often tablets came in at 10" in the early days and as much as I loved my TF101, it quickly became too big. Then the Nexus 7 came out, and it felt right. It wasn't until the Note 8 that I really found it a little on the small side (especially as our phones were pushing >5") ... so 8" became the 'hot zone' for tablets.
Sony sent me their Z3 Tablet Compact at the same time as the Z3 and you can really tell that they are one in the same family, but with one big exception on the tablet.
Really, this tablet feels paper thin. My son brings home his cahiers from school and they're thicker. It almost feels delicate (and more on that later).
And you would think for the shape/size they've probably sacrificed on something else, right?
So let's dive in and see how we like this (get it... dive in... because it's IP68; that means it's almost waterproof).
To start off you're greeted with the classic Sony launcher and theme UI. It looks gorgeous... but I'm definitely not a fan. I dunno... it's not wrong, it's just not me. Personally I'd replace the launcher.
The screen is very sharp. Colours are a little... lacking, and there's probably some tweaking needed in the background settings, but I find especially that they can be overly bright, to a point sometimes greys come out more white than black. Again, I'm just pickier than the normal person.
Before I get in to anything else, I do have to get some of my 'negativity' out of the way first. People tend to give Samsung a bad rap when it comes to 'bloat' or, in more appropriate terms, 'added features'. Well, in the past year, Samsung's gotten better, yet Sony has 'added more' themselves.
Let's just see here. Opening up the app tray it's pretty full already. I've separated out the apps that Sony has added in themselves as added features (not going to include things like the camera or gallery app tho').
What really kinda bugs me too is that 2 of them are just shortcuts to features in the camera app.
And then on the 3rd party app side there's only 3: AVG (which I have a real disdain for anything antivirus), a File Explorer app (which IS needed) and Office Suite.
So that's 19 extra apps on your device.
One thing I did like was that for some reason on the Z3 when you do the Google Now gesture you get that huge "What's New", but you don't on the tablet. Whew... so hopefully that means the phone will also have the option to remove it down the road like the Z2 can.
Okay, I lied, there are definitely more than one thing I liked about this device.
First off is the fact that it's really IP68.... which means that you could completely immerse this device beyond 1m (I think they say up to 3m) continuously.
Next is using the keyboard. On a tablet at 8" it never feels quite right, so their default keyboard has options to be other one side, or split, or can be tiny and hover.
That will last you a very VERY long time.
Then there's the processor - the Snapdragon family has been an excellent brain - and the 801 has proven itself in many of the flagship phones out there. It's no slouch and matched with 3GB of RAM I hadn't noticed ANY stutter in any of the apps I used. Whether it was quickly switching between 3D games or swiping quickly through menus or webpages, it handled everything with precise smoothness.
The display is very easy on the eyes. Even after being on QuadHD with my G3 for a while now, I was hard pressed to 'see pixels'. The crispness in the images and UI is amazing. You expect some imperfections here and there, but with a TV maker behind this device, it really does a great job being a clean display. Personally I think some of the colours were 'over done', and there is some contrast tweaking needed, but for the average person you wouldn't notice.
Personally I've not used them, but chances are if you're a Sony fan, you'll love that (that is VERY cool that you can just tap the tablet to your Sony TV's remote and control it).
All in all this is a fantastic device. It performed amazingly well in just about every test I could throw at it. I just wish I could minimize some of the UI.
Some might balk at the $530 price tag on the unit... but when you consider it's got a beast of a processor, lots of RAM, excellent battery, crystal sharp picture quality, and you could throw the thing in your tub... if you're into reading while bathing. It's not out of the realm of considerability. We pay much much more for our flagship phones without batting an eye.
Now, all that being said there is one thing that I tried not to talk about, but eventually I have to. It's why I'm not doing a video for this device.
It has a bit of a problem. Now, I don't know if I did it (I'm 99.99% sure it wasn't from my care - I baby the hell out of the devices that aren't mine) but when I took it to the basement here to do some write ups I noticed that it wasn't laying perfectly flat on the table. It had a bit of a bend to it.
On further inspection I can see that the area where the microSD slot is has a tiny crack on it.
How that happened I couldn't even begin to tell you.
Look at the box it came in, these devices are released to the Sony PR team before consumer production to make the rounds to the bloggers, so it's had its share of use. Which is why I hesitate to mention it at all.
That being said when you do pick it up if you were to try to do it only from the corner of the tablet (and if you do, you're a monster - you're ALWAYS supposed to pick up tablets and the link by trying to grip 'around' the device) the thinness allows it to have a bit of give. Not a lot, but if you think about it, enough here and there could cause a stress fracture at the weakest point (i.e. where the microSD card slot is and the frame is the thinnest).
That's my guess - and this has led to a bit of a bend in the unit and now even the glass can separate ever so slightly.
There's no issue in using the device, whatsoever... except now you can't be sure of the IP rating. As such I never subjected it to a submersion test.


Most people are familiar with wood and vinyl shutters. But did you know that there is a new type of shutter called Polywood Shutters? Homeowners are beginning to agree that polywood shutters are the best type of shutter you can get. They look like wood shutters but they don't have the problems inherent to wood. For example, Polywood is water resistant so you can use them in bathrooms, near sinks, and in areas where there is high humidity. Polywood is more durable than wood: it doesn't chip, crack, warp or split. Polywood comes in the smooth or wood-grain finish, and they come in a variety of colors and slat widths. On top of all that, polywood shutters are stylish and will add sophistication to any room and home. Versatile, durable and beautiful: what more can you ask for?
Polywood is earth-friendly because it is made of a recyclable wood substitute.
Shutters last longer than other window coverings including wood/vinyl shutters, blinds, shades, and drapes.
They are more energy efficient which means they keep the heat out during the summer and keep the heat in during the winter.
The material will not fade or experience discoloration.
The slats won't warp, split, crack, or chip.
Polywood shutters come with 100% Lifetime Warranty against defects.
It is moisture resistant, fire resistant, and termite resistant.
Polywood is easy to clean and maintain. Just dust or wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Polywood shutters are perfect for homeowners who want shutters that look like wood but have more enduring properties compared to wood. Please contact Express Blinds, Draperies & Shutters to learn more about our San Diego polywood shutter styles: (619) 461-2101 or send us email with this Online Form. We offer free in-house consultation so call us and make an appointment!
Very professional and friendly. I'm very impressed and happy. Thank you Bob and team. I recommend.


text:
Q: Grails, make an action be called repeatedly once a day, week etc I want to have an action o procedure called periodically once a day without the need of having someone logged in.
Is that possible and if it is: How can I do it?
This is my Trigger:
package com.myproj.jobs

class DailyCheck {
    static triggers = {
//        cron name: 'dailyCheck', cronExpression: "03 * * * * ?"
            simple name: 'myJobSimple', repeatInterval: 6000
    }

def dailyCheckService
def execute() {
    println(">>>>>>>>> DAILY JOB EXECUTES <<<<<<<")
    dailyCheckService.checkOffers()
}

}
Part of my build.gradle:
dependencies {
compile "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-logging"
compile "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-autoconfigure"
compile "org.grails:grails-core"
compile "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-actuator"
compile "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-tomcat"
compile "org.grails:grails-dependencies"
compile "org.grails:grails-web-boot"
compile "org.grails.plugins:cache"
compile "org.grails.plugins:scaffolding"
compile "org.grails.plugins:hibernate5"
compile "org.hibernate:hibernate-core:5.1.2.Final"
compile "org.hibernate:hibernate-ehcache:5.1.2.Final"
console "org.grails:grails-console"
compile 'org.grails.plugins:quartz:2.0.12'
profile "org.grails.profiles:web"
runtime "com.bertramlabs.plugins:asset-pipeline-grails:2.11.6"
runtime "com.h2database:h2"
testCompile "org.grails:grails-plugin-testing"
testCompile "org.grails.plugins:geb"
testRuntime "org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-htmlunit-driver:2.47.1"
testRuntime "net.sourceforge.htmlunit:htmlunit:2.18"
runtime 'net.sourceforge.jtds:jtds:1.3.1'
compile "ca.redtoad:grails-phonenumbers:0.11"
compile 'org.grails.plugins:spring-security-core:3.1.1'
compile 'org.grails.plugins:spring-security-ui:3.0.0.M2'
compile 'org.grails.plugins:database-migration:3.0.0'
compile 'org.liquibase:liquibase-core:3.5.3'
compile 'org.grails.plugins:rendering:2.0.3'
runtime "org.springframework:spring-test:4.2.1.RELEASE"
compile "org.grails.plugins:excel-export:2.1"

}

A: You can use quartz plugin e.g.
build.gradle
dependencies {
    compile 'org.grails.plugins:quartz:2.0.12'
}

/grails-app/jobs/MyJob.groovy
class MyJob{
    static triggers = {
        // fire every day at 12:30
        cron name: 'myJobCron', cronExpression: "0 30 12 * * ?"
    }

    def myService

    def execute( context ) {
        myService.doStuff()
    }
}

A: This issue was solved by adding a config file in grails-app/conf named QuartzConfig.groovy having the following content:
quartz {
  autoStartup = true
  jdbcStore = false
}
environments {
  test {
    quartz {
        autoStartup = false
    }
  }
}

And to Mike W I will add that there is still no logging visible at start so it might have been taken away with this latest version?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The chief reputation officer, or CRO, is a relatively new but increasingly influential addition to the corporate lexicon, a role which ostensibly has responsibility for overseeing an organisation's reputational risk. The 2016 Aptean Whitepaper 'A New Definition of CRO' defines reputational risk as "any threat to your brand's reputation as it is perceived by customers, employees, and other stakeholders including investors, regulators, partners and auditors that would result in a risk of loss, financial or otherwise".
Many of the reasons behind the growing importance attached to corporate reputation can be found in Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd's 2014 'Global Survey on Reputation Risk', which offers four scenarios to exemplify why a company's reputation should be managed "like a priceless asset" due to the comparative ease in which it can be tarnished. The scenarios presented by Deloitte are: (i) executives in financial services firms are forced to resign after employees are caught manipulating markets; (ii) retailers lose large amounts of customer and credit card data to cyber attacks; (iii) technology firms are blasted by the public and media for poor working conditions at their suppliers' factories; and (iv) news websites redirect readers to fake news, thus damaging their credibility and the credibility of online news in general. That said, the survey is careful to make clear that scenarios such as these can be contained or prevented if an organisation is actively involved in managing the risks they face and understands the potential reputational consequences.
The Deloitte data – which showcases the views of 300 executives drawn from companies representing every major sector and jurisdiction – found that 87 percent rated reputational risk as being more important when compared to other strategic risks. In addition, 88 percent stated that their organisation was actively focused on the managing reputation, with many looking to appoint an individual to address the assorted reputational risks and get a handle on this important, but often overlooked, feature of their risk profile.
Furthermore, the financial value to companies of having a strong reputation was highlighted in a recent study by the World Economic Forum, which concluded that reputation accounts for more than 25 percent of a company's market value – an impactful figure for any company, never mind large multinationals.
Reputational risk is a growing concern for companies, with many advocating that it should be allocated the same priority afforded to financial and compliance risk. That said, the obvious question to ask is where in an organisation's hierarchy should the component tasked with ensuring a strong and healthy corporate reputation actually (and most appropriately) reside.
For organisations resistant to appointing a CRO to handle their reputational risks, Mr Lawrence cites two reasons as to why this reluctance exists: (i) they don't understand how the position differs from a chief communications officer or a chief marketing officer; and (ii) they don't have a clear sense of the increased importance of reputation to organisational success.
For all the apparent discord, chief reputation officer is an emerging role taking its place in the corporate structure, in one form or another.
For all the talk of having a CRO report directly to the CEO, there should be a good understanding of the mechanics, and importance, of the role throughout an organisation, from top to bottom. For not only will a company-wide appreciation of the CRO help to fix its position in the overall reckoning, it also assists in the organisational alignment of roles and responsibilities.
For Mr Lawrence, it is organisations that sell directly to the public, ones that are highly regulated and those whose stock is publicly held, that tend to be most understanding of the value of having a CRO. "Increased transparency and activism driven by internet connectivity has created an empowering environment for many stakeholders that make a CRO increasingly important for these types of organisations," he explains.
Increasing regulatory scrutiny has obviously had a major impact on organisations, particularly financial institutions, in recent years. This trend is likely to continue. Furthermore, with regulators monitoring company actions and reputations, it is imperative for organisations to take this onboard and focus on more than just issues pertaining to regulatory compliance.
"Today, senior executives understand that compliance risks, for example, can lead to not only increased regulatory scrutiny, but can also affect an organisation's reputation," notes Mr Saia. "If an organisation's chief risk officer, or chief reputation officer, isn't responsible for reputational risks, there could be a tendency for risks to be siloed. In other words, officers manage their own risks, be it compliance, financial, operational, or otherwise, but ultimately fail to see the big picture reputational risks which can impact an entire organisation." Further, an understanding of how they are perceived by key stakeholders and the impact this can have on business operations will allow firms to factor this data into their regulatory strategies and adjust their other business strategies accordingly, he adds.
What, then, should we expect to see across the CRO landscape over the coming years? Moreover, can we say with any certainty whether the chief reputation officer role as we currently understand it is here to stay, or no more than the latest corporate fad?
"The evolution of a connected, wireless world will continue to heighten scrutiny of and expectations for how companies and non-profit organisations should operate. For this reason, organisational success will increasingly rely on reputation. That in turn will rely on alignment between the 'value promise' of an organisation – as delivered through its products, services, marketing and other communications – and the way the organisation actually behaves – in areas such as customer, employee, and community relationships, environment impact, and governance. The role of the CRO will be critical to ensuring this alignment. As a result, I hope to see more companies and non-profits creating a CRO role," says Mr Lawrence.
Mr Saia agrees that the CRO/CRRO role (with its responsibility for identifying reputational risk) should be included in upper echelon conversations pertaining to enterprise-wide strategy – with a seat at the executive table alongside the CEO and the board. If they do not already, organisations should consider holding monthly meetings to discuss strategic risk and reputation issues, which are then used to keep the CEO and the board informed on a regular basis.
"Companies should look to invest heavily in initiatives that allow them to better protect, preserve and enhance reputation. For instance, a reputational sensing capability within an organisation can allow it to continuously 'listen' and analyse what key stakeholders and competitors are saying about it. Investments like these put reputation centre stage with executives and the board, allowing the company to hit reputational risk head-on," says Mr Saia.
For the moment, it would appear that where the role of the CRO sits within an organisation falls somewhere between two distinct stools: clearly more than just a concept but not yet an accepted C-suite level position.
Moreover, wherever the role may sit, and given the inexorable rise in the complexity risks that exist across today's business environment, what does seem certain is that the rise of the CRO will continue until the role takes its place somewhere in the corporate hierarchy.


The LA Galaxy continued their effort to rebound from a miserable 2017 campaign Monday by signing an MLS veteran who, as much as anyone, knows about mounting a comeback or two.
Yes, Chris Pontius is heading to his native Southern California to join the Galaxy after signing a free-agent contract as MLS preseason begins.
The 30-year-old Pontius won MLS's Comeback Player of the Year award in 2016 with the Philadelphia Union, and despite repeated battles with injuries over his career, has 45 goals and 29 assists over nine MLS seasons.
Now age 30, Pontius is coming off two mostly healthy seasons with Philadelphia after the injury bug plagued him repeatedly over his first seven years with D.C. United.
He enjoyed a career year in 2016, scoring 12 goals and contributing six assists to help the Union qualify for just their second postseason in club history. But he regressed substantially last season, hitting the net only twice in 2017 as Philadelphia failed to build on their promise.
Pontius grew up in nearby Yorba Linda, California, and played collegiately about 100 miles northwest of the StubHub Center at UC-Santa Barbara.
He returns home to a roster where, for perhaps the first time in his career, he won't be looked upon as a primary offensive threat.
With teammates like Ola Kamara, Giovani dos Santos, Jonathan dos Santos, Romain Alessandrini and Sebastien Lletget, the 2012 Best XI recipient likely qualifies as a depth player for Schmid's side.


Marriage is the end point of the life of a boy and the entry point of a man. It is the start of so many responsibilities, building the foundation of a family, finding or focusing on a good paying job, and so much more. It is the end of wild frat parties, less boys night out, less drinking, less poker games, there are just so many lesses that it is just necessary that a guy becoming a husband should really get a bachelor's party.
A bachelor's party is meant to give the husband to be a really great time. Scrap the wine off of the menu, even rich people would opt to not go with it. Your tables should be mainly composed of chips, beers, vodka, tequilla, whiskey, rum, gin, or any alcoholic beverage of your preference, just not wine. This kind of party is meant to get drunk, have one of the best nights with your friends, and enjoy every remaining second of the unmarried life.
Make the party worth every single moment of the bachelor's life as well as your friends. And where to get the most out of it you might ask? Brothels Newcastle of course. It's the perfect short time paradise for every gentleman. Still, it's best to be safe so make sure that you are entering in a legal one, because managers here make sure that anything that they have to offer are clean and safe.
Having that extra service from female escorts are just one of the things that you should really experience before you begin to venture to marriage. But of course, it's not really a necessity for the bachelor to engage in, it could be his friends. But still, it's an experience one must have before tying the knot.
Any problem that anyone has that are in the bachelor's party should just tell it some other time. Because it should be a time for a great bonding between friends, a time to celebrate, a time to be free, a time to experience the things that you did back when you guys were still in college, and just do anything and everything without slumping the mood.
Leaving the life of a bachelor and living the life of a married man can be daunting at first, but what you will lose when you get married will also make you gain more and other forms of happiness that your wife could give and from the family that you will build.
3 Great Ways To Spice Up Your Bucks Party!


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text:
Home Sports Honduras can rely on locals
Honduras can rely on locals
Ron Shillingford
The CONCACAF Under-15 football tournament has reached the semifinal stage and although the Cayman Islands are not in it, Honduras is still involved and there is plenty of support for them.
Captained by Gabriel Ortiz, Honduras kept its perfect record with a 5-0 thrashing of Curacao at the T.E. McField Annex on Wednesday.
It was their fourth straight win, with 18 goals scored and none conceded. Honduran fans have virtually taken over the Annex and their loud and cheery support will be much appreciated at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
There is, of course, a huge Honduran community here and the players know it, hailing friends and family after their matches.
Players of the caliber of Walter Rodriquez and Darixon Vuelto are key to their success.
El Salvador will meet Honduras in a clash of Central American countries on Friday; kickoff 8 p.m.
In the last game of the group stage, Martinique defeated St. Vincent and Grenadines, 7-0.
Bermuda, the Group A winners, who inflicted the only defeat in Cayman's campaign, faces Group B table topper Guatemala in the other semi on Friday; kickoff 6 p.m.
Entry for the semifinal games is $10 and $15 for Sunday's finals. The third place match is 5 p.m. and the final is 7 p.m. Organizers suggested getting to matches early and carpooling to limit traffic. They also want spectators to stay for the fireworks and award presentation.
Honduras kept their perfect record with a 5-0 thrashing of Curacao at the TE McField Annex on Wednesday.
Walter Rodriquez is one of the best young footballers in Honduras. – PHOTOS: RON SHILLINGFORD
Honduran players have close ties with fans here.
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Traffic, building heights dominate public concerns
Letter: Dealing with the traffic gridlock
Noel.Morales August 23, 2013 at 9:53 am
Honduras is ready to win this CUP! Lets go Honnduuuraaaassssss…..
Anti-bullying law open for public comment
Legislation proposed to strengthen anti-money laundering framework
Little League alumni Sandlot Baseball Series opens


God service både ved check in og afrejse. Gode, rene værelser. Superflot morgenbuffet.
Gratis parkering, möjlighet att hyra cykel.
Rigtig godt hotel med kanon morgen mad.
Perfekt hotel med god mad.
The hotel dining room service for both breakfast and the dinner were just fine. The room, buffet table display, the dining room table ambiance (fresh flowers and coloful napkins), and the preparation of food was just what was expected for the price. The dish we ordered were original, seasonings were just perfect and all delicious. Our room was big enough for two.
The room was not cleaned to our expectations. When the dirt is seen, the rest of the furnitures and the cleanness of the room is questionable. 1. The night table was so dirty with the prior tenant's drink spill. The already dried sweet drink that was glued on to the table and it was stickey. I can see the dried sweet drink spill on the table. I don't know how this was missed when the room was cleaned. 2. The dust balls on the floor was immediately seen upon entrance to the room. The floor was not polished so I hesitated to walk without a slipper. I also questioned the bathroom floor because the room floor was not clean.


We ran a range of tasks relevant to Christmas, either browsing for a last minute present or choosing an outfit for the festive season. The cross channel experience allows users to be more demanding about the vehicle that they use to shop, and the expectations that they bring with them to that experience. This is a huge challenge for companies when providing functionality across multiple routes, in this case website, mobile website, TV and in store.
As the study took place on the Monday before Christmas, online delivery was not available to customers except for certain products. 2010 had an unusual run up to Christmas due to wintry conditions disrupting deliveries, so online customers were forced to the high street to physically get hold of gifts. Far from stopping online activity, users turned to the web for information, inspiration, availability and reservation for in-store collection – if you really have to make your way to the shops you might as well know that the stuff that you want is waiting for you!
On the general website, gift shoppers often looked for a gift section from the homepage, with 'Christmas shop' not always being an obvious place to get started. The default page, after users had chosen a category, informed users about the passing of the online ordering date but still gave access to the 'Christmas helper'.
The 'Christmas helper' section actually had a limited selection of gifts available. Users were forced to look elsewhere on the site to find a gift section that they could browse, which they found from the 'Flowers & gifts' section. The functionality felt broken within the 'Christmas helper' with links to 'see more' returning the user to the Christmas helper homepage.
With users often needing to buy multiple gifts, it's a time of year that '3 for 2' stands out. Within the general gift finder it's hard for users to filter by offer and make purchase decisions based on items within that offer. We observed users looking at the '3 for 2' call outs while browsing. This was particularly the case on the mobile website where there were limited sorting options.
Users were left with few options from 'Shop your way' as the first collect from stores dates were often the 4th or 6th January – too late for Christmas. When on the mobile website one user wanted to see if their item was available in stock at their local store.
The Marks and Spencer Christmas adverts are star studded, with celebrities such as Danii Minogue modelling the clothes. When looking for an outfit that had been seen on the TV advertising users found it difficult to get started. We observed users looking for a section for the outfits featured on TV within the general navigation. Users had to scroll to find the thin M&S TV black banner, with many users trying to click on the arrow icon that would not let them access the section.
We noticed that users were initially missing that the products were appearing on the right hand side of the TV advert playing. Users eyes were centrally concentrated and darting to the content underneath. When users did find this functionality it did complete the experience although the scroll icons were unfamiliar and awkward to use. Users became frustrated with items being out of stock or not being able to easily find a product that one of the celebrities was wearing.
By clicking on one of the 'all outfits' links to the right a section was found where the outfits could be filtered by a person. This helped users who wanted to find a particular item they had seen one person wear. The breadcrumb at the top of the page showed that this content was available but quite hard for users to access.
From the mobile website users had to rely on browsing through the product categories. This meant browsing through multiple pages with users missing the 'narrowing' options available at the bottom of the pages.


text:
Fuji är en äppelsort med japansk härstamning. Den utvecklad på 1930-talet av odlare på forskningsenheten Tohoku i Fujisaki, Aomori, och blev introducerad på marknaden 1962. Fuji är en korsning mellan två amerikanska sorter, Red Delicious och Virginia Ralls Genet.

Referenser

Äppelsorter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
void setupWaterMeter();
void waterMeterCounterFlag();
int waterMeterCounterReset(String command);
void debounceWaterMeter();
#endif


text:
Xylophanes guianensis is a moth of the  family Sphingidae.

Distribution
It is found from French Guiana south-west to Bolivia.

Description
It is similar to Xylophanes ceratomioides, but the outer margin of the forewing margin is much more strongly scalloped and the dorsal lines of the abdomen are as in Xylophanes xylobotes. The costa of the forewing upperside has several conspicuous subapical and apical black spots, the largest subapical spot is quadrate. Most distal antemedian lines and most basal postmedian lines meet on inner edge of the forewing upperside. The postmedian lines are clearly visible within the postmedian area. They are almost straight, except toward the inner edge of the wing. The pale brown excavated area on the outer margin of the postmedian band is narrow, rectangular and not well defined due to the visible presence within it of the third, fourth and fifth postmedian lines. The pale bands of the hindwing upperside are intermediate in coloration between those of Xylophanes ceratomioides and Xylophanes xylobotes.

Biology
There are probably multiple generations per year.

The larvae possibly feed on Psychotria panamensis, Psychotria nervosa and Pavonia guanacastensis.

References

guianensis
Moths described in 1894


text:
For Arab-Israelis, nothing is different in Ramadan
Kaja Bouman
Many Muslims spend more time at the mosque than in other months of the year and they dress more conservatively.
Sunday 03/06/2018
Business as usual. Abu Nassar Hinnawi restaurant in the Israeli city of Jaffa. (Kaja Bouman)
JAFFA - In the Israeli city of Jaffa, almost 16,000 Arabs are fasting for Ramadan but, at first sight, there is little sign of that.
Israel is no China, which forces Uyghur children and parents to abstain from fasting during Ramadan, but Israel is still a Jewish state. This means it is hard to find pepperoni pizza or a cheeseburger in Jerusalem and getting to Tel Aviv or any other city from sundown Friday and Saturday evening by regular public transportation is simply impossible.
This also means that during Ramadan, despite Israel's Arab population of 1.6 million, everything stays the same. As opposed to Arab countries in the region, such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, where, aside from hotels and expat restaurants, all eating venues are closed during the day and even working hours are adjusted. "It doesn't matter," said restaurant owner Nassar Nassar, 56. "You live life as it is and you make the best of it."
It's still early when Nassar sat down with a glass of lemonade at one of the tables in the outside area of his restaurant, Abu Nassar Hinnawi, in Jaffa. The sun is low above the ocean near the restaurant, which shows it's not time to end the fast. Nassar is not fasting this year. "I used to fast but it depends on my mood," he explained.
Aside from a handful of staff members and five cats at the entrance waiting for guests to break their fast so they can break theirs with leftovers, no one is present in the restaurant.
"During Ramadan, there are always fewer people during the day," said Nassar. Jaffa is the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Though most of the people living in Jaffa nowadays are Jewish, Jaffa is still known for its large Arab population.
Nassar is a father of four and has lived in Jaffa all his life. He opened his restaurant next to Givat Alia Beach 32 years ago and has been serving traditional Arab food since.
"It's always been the same during Ramadan," he said. "The first ten days people stay at home but later on in the month they come here in large groups; entire families will come here to break the fast."
Nassar said some days during Ramadan are busier than usual and he sometimes serves up to 150 people in one night.
Like most Arab restaurants in Jaffa, Nassar has never adjusted the opening hours of his restaurant during Ramadan because he wants to keep serving his Jewish customers and tourists. "Most of my customers are Jews. At my restaurant you get a lot of good, fresh food for a decent price. Jews know a good deal when they see one," he joked.
The restaurant owner mentioned that it can be strange to be in a Jewish state during Ramadan but he also says it has its advantages. "We don't have any crazy laws here," he said, referring to those in some Arab nations where people can be fined for eating in public during Ramadan.
The situation in Israel is likened to that in Western countries, such as the United States or those in Europe. Most Muslims in those parts of the world are used to having others around them who are not observing Ramadan and they don't work shorter hours, as is the case in certain Arab countries.
Half an hour later, the call to prayer of the mosque next door starts. The sun has disappeared behind the dark waves of the sea and the sky is a deep pink. Soon Muslims will start heading to the mosque.
Many Muslims spend more time at the mosque than in other months of the year and they dress more conservatively. Both are ways to disconnect themselves from worldly pleasures and to focus on the prayers.
"They spend a long time in the mosque but after they will eat. Hopefully here," Nassar said.
Written By Kaja Bouman
Kaja Bouman is a Dutch journalist in Jerusalem.


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Ranking top airlines Most walkable U.S. cities Natural wonders by state Latest Travel news
'Colossal loss makers': U.S. airlines cut China flights
American Airlines is dropping money-losing flights between Chicago and Shanghai, and Hawaiian Airlines will suspend its only route to China because of low demand.
The airlines announced those and other route changes this week. The decisions reflect growing competition from Chinese carriers and rising fuel prices that have made once-marginal routes unprofitable.
American, the world's largest carrier, said it will end Chicago-Shanghai service in October. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline recently decided to cut flights between Chicago and Beijing, also in October.
TODAY IN THE SKY: American adds Dubrovnik, Berlin and Bologna amid international shake-up
In a podcast on the airline's website, vice president of network planning Vasu Raja said the routes "have been colossal loss makers."
American flies to Shanghai and Beijing from both Los Angeles and Dallas-Fort Worth. It disclosed the latest pullback from China and reduced flights between Chicago and Tokyo as it announced additional flights to Europe, most of them limited to the summer peak-travel season.
BY THE NUMBERS: The fleet and hubs of American Airlines (story continues below)
Hawaiian Airlines said in a statement it will suspend its three flights a week between Honolulu and Beijing in October. The carrier started the route in 2014 and had already downgraded it from daily service. Hawaiian said it will shift planes to other routes that fit its expansion plans.
Both airlines said they were keeping alive the possibility of resuming the flights in the future. Hawaiian CEO Peter Ingram said his company still believes "in China's future as a robust market for the Hawaiian vacation experience."
Chinese airlines have added flights and destinations in recent years, sometimes undercutting U.S. rivals on prices.
MORE: U.S. airlines capitulate to China's demands on 'Taiwan' references
Separately, the Chinese government pressured U.S. and other foreign airlines this year to describe the island of Taiwan as part of China on airline websites, a move that the U.S. carriers initially resisted.
Meanwhile spot prices for jet fuel have risen nearly 40 percent in the last year, tracking the spike in oil prices. Fuel competes with labor as the biggest cost at most airlines.
33 COOL AVIATION PICS: Planespotting in Hong Kong and Taipei
PHOTO ARCHIVES: American Airlines shows off its Boeing 787 Dreamliner


How are Clinical Psychologists Trained?
How are Clinical Psychologists different from Psychiatrists?
How do Clinical Psychologists Differ from Counselors?
The famous psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan once defined a psychiatrist as an expert in human relationships. Today, many psychiatrists would eschew this definition, preferring to emphasize their expertise in psycho-pharmaceuticals. However, I love the spirit of Sullivan's thought. I think it could be expanded and applied to current-day clinical psychologists: a Clinical Psychologist is an expert in human nature, human relationships, and psychological growth. While other clinical psychologists might not put it exactly this way, I doubt if many would strongly disagree.
Clinical psychologists are trained in the methods of science. Those with higher levels of training (doctorate) usually have had to carry out at least one significant piece of scientific research. Because of this, they appreciate the value of objectivity in whatever they do. They don't simply hope to use their influence to turn the world into some sort of place that their personal belief system might wish for. One thing scientific work teaches early is that even the most cherished and sensible-feeling beliefs may turn out not to be true when tested in the hard light of scientific results.
Clinical psychologists frequently work directly with clients in distress. However, the training that goes into becoming a clinical psychologist is often more general than that. People with such training sometimes work to create helpful kinds of change in many kinds of human systems.
A therapeutic practitioner of clinical psychology is like any doctor, inasmuch as we approach them with some sort of suffering, and hope to be helped. The kind of help we receive will be psychological in nature. That is, it will have something to do with how we think, and feel, and tend to behave, or the skills with which we approach things. As a client, we will end up most satisfied if we approach this help actively and not passively. We will not just be "done to." We may be asked to develop a psychotherapeutic relationship, and explore feelings and situations honestly. We may be asked to take part in some sort of psycho-education, in which we may learn new attitudes and skills. We may be asked to try out some new ways of doing things, and urged to be objective ourselves in observing the results. Research shows that when the client approaches therapy more earnestly and openly in exploring feelings and problems, gains are greater.


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Where Is The Purest Air In The World?
Which country has cleanest water?
Which country has no pollution?
Where is the healthiest air?
What is the dirtiest city in the world?
Which city has the cleanest air in the world?
Who has the world's cleanest air?
What is the dirtiest country?
What country has the cleanest air 2020?
What is the bluest ocean?
What state has cleanest beaches?
What country has the purest air?
Which ocean is the cleanest?
What is the roughest ocean?
Where is the best oxygen in the world?
Switzerland1) Switzerland Switzerland is repeatedly recognized as a country with the best quality tap water in the world.
The country has strict water treatment standards and superior natural resources with an average rainfall per year of 60.5 inches.
In fact, 80% of the drinking water comes from natural springs and groundwater..
The Cleanest CountriesSweden. The least polluted country is Sweden with overall score of 2.8/10. The amount of carbon dioxide is 3.83 tonnes per capita per year, and the concentrations of PM2. … Finland and France. Finland shares second place with France with a score of 3.5/10.
These six cities have the cleanest air in the USBangor, Maine.Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont.Honolulu, Hawaii.Lincoln-Beatrice, Nebraska.Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida.Wilmington, North Carolina.
BakuBaku, Azerbaijan Topping our list with a score of 27.6, Baku is the dirtiest city in the world. Located in-between Armenia, Georgia, Iran and Russia, this city is an oil hub and it has its effects. The city suffers from life threatening levels of air pollution due to oil drilling and shipping.
The world's cleanest cities#1: CALGARY. Calgary in Canada is the world's cleanest city, and with a population of more than a million, that's quite something. … #2: ZURICH. Zurich in Switzerland attracts thousands of tourists every year, especially those who enjoy the winter snow. … #3: LUXEMBOURG. … #4: ADELAIDE. … #5: SINGAPORE.
The cleanest air in the world | Slow Finland Magazine. The cleanest air in the world is in Finnish Lapland. It is proven that the world's cleanest respiratory air is in the Muonio municipality of Western Lapland.
BangladeshWorld air quality reportRankCountry/Region2019 AVG1Bangladesh83.302Pakistan65.813Mongolia62.004Afghanistan58.8082 more rows
DenmarkDenmark. Denmark is the cleanest and most environmentally friendly country. Denmark has some of the world's best policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent climate change. Its EPI score is 82.5, standing out for high air quality scores and the biodiversity and habitat category.
20 Bluest Waters In the WorldThe Maldives. The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, have around 1,190 islands and sandbanks. … Palawan, Philippines. Palawan is an archipelago with 1,780 islands. … Crater Lake, Oregon. … Ambergris Caye, Belize. … Exuma, Bahamas. … Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. … Egremnoi, Greece. … Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.More items…•
The cleanest beaches across AmericaDauphin Island Public Beach, Alabama. (Jorg Hackemann / Shutterstock) … Long Beach City, Nassau County, New York. According to reviews on Trip Advisor, Long Beach's water is safe, clean, and has great waves! … Newport Beach, California 38th St. (iStock) … Po'ipu Beach park, Kauai. … Hampton Beach State Park, New Hampshire.
New ZealandIn terms of PM 2.5 pollution — a measure of ultra-fine particulate matter in the air — the country with the world's cleanest air is New Zealand, while the US ranks seventh on that list.
The Weddell Sea has been claimed by scientists to have the clearest waters of any ocean in the world. Described by a historian as "the most wretched and dismal region on earth", due to the flash freezes that caught Shackleton's ship, its clarity is only belied by the sheer depth of the ocean below.
Named after British Explorer Francis Drake, this stretch of water remains probably the roughest in the world. Known simply as the Drake Passage, it sees the South American continent meet the Antarctic continent somewhere where two oceans collide – The South Pacific Ocean and The Southern Ocean.
One of them is Gili Iyang, better known as Ageless Island. Because the island has the highest oxygen content in the world, which is 21.5 percent.
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Can you be exempt from paying Medicare tax?
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Does the USS Midway still run? USS Midway (CVB/CVA/CV-41)
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How are letters pronounced in German? In Germany, pronounced
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Does McDonald's have a Veterans Day special?
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Who is exempted for civil service exam? 11, s.
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Will I be taxed if I rollover my 401k to a Roth IRA?
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Why does the tiger stare at the brilliant stars?
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How many planes are there in the world 2020?
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Which organizational structure is best? Organizational
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David Pogue of New York Times lists the advantages of blogging and participating in social media like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, etc.
Some reasons – you'll gain trust, goodwill and positive attention. You'll put a human face on your company. And you'll learn stuff about your customers that you wouldn't have discovered any other way.
"When a company embraces the possibilities of Web 2.0, though, it makes contact with its public in a more casual, less sanitized way that, as a result, is accepted with much less cynicism. Web 2.0 offers a direct, more trusted line of communications than anything that came before it.
It's not just blogging, either. It could be podcasts. Or videos. Permit the public to make mash-ups using your company's characters, logos, music or products. Let's have some more inside looks: at your product design cycles, your focus groups, your rejected designs, your employee cubicle videos." Link.


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Q: Process millions of image files and insert each file to mongodb I have a large collection (~800,000 images, 1TB+ total size) of image files on S3 that I use some Python code to process into a dictionary for insertion to MongoDB. The dictionary contains a buffer that is used by a command like np.frombuffer to reconstruct the image.
I need to process each file and insert it into a MongoDB. So far I've tried multiprocessing the code and while this is effective, it gets slower and slower with each insert - it takes 20 min for 50,000 files but 5 hours for 250,000 files.
I have 2 things I'm unsure about:

*

*Why does inserting get so much slower as the number of documents in the database increases, how can I address that? I'm guessing it's because of the more records you have, the more work Mongo has to do to check if the record it's trying to insert already exists but I'm not sure how to mitigate this.

*What is the best approach to this type of problem? Another idea I had was bulk inserts after writing the processed image files locally.

Code sample below:
def process_image(img_file):
   # define MongoClient and collections
   client = MongoClient(...)
   collection = client['collection_name']

   # read image file from s3
   obj = s3.Object(bucket_name='test_bucket', key=img_file)
   im = Image.open(obj.get()['Body'].read()

   # create image buffer
   buffer = cv2.imencode(".jpg", im)
   buffer = buffer.flatten().tobytes() # usually around 100,000 bytes

   # dict to be written to mongo
   d = {}
   d['filename'] = img_file
   d['buffer'] = buffer

   # insert to mongo
   collection.insert_one(d)

### multiprocessing code

from multiprocessing import Pool

pool = Pool(processes=16)
results = pool.map(process_image, ls_filenames, chunksize=500)
pool.close()
pool.join()

ls_filenames has around 800k image paths in it.

A: There's unnecessary overhead creating the MongoClient each time. Create it once and reuse the connection.


There has been a great deal of soul-searching and debate at the world's business schools in response to widespread criticism that they were partly to blame for the global financial crisis. Many of the executives and bankers pilloried for the poor risk management and fiscal negligence that triggered the crisis have the letters "MBA" after their names. Did the business schools – so proud of their ability to churn out financial hotshots – get it wrong in the classroom?
Even so, an increasing number of people entering the business world genuinely want to avoid the questionable business dealings of their predecessors, or at least not be tainted by association. As a result, the current crop of business school candidates is very much geared toward sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical leadership.
The QS TopMBA.com Applicant Survey 2010 shows that more MBA candidates than ever before, including Chinese students, insist on courses that have a strong emphasis on ethical learning.
Admissions officers confirm the validity of this trend, noting there has been a massive change in candidates' interests. Questions from applicants about a program's CSR credentials would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
Research conducted by QS also found that the number of candidates considering charity work after graduation has doubled in the last four years. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities have seen a marked increase in MBA applications.
The MBA Enterprise Corps, for example, a Washington-based NGO that sends MBAs to work for charities in developing countries, has seen a 100% increase in applications over the last two years. "[There has been] a continuation of extremely high interest from MBAs, based in the US or overseas, with an average of 100 applicants for each short-term assignment," said Kareem Mansour, the program manager.
At an educational level, this has a massive impact on the thinking of business school deans. Many have taken steps to alter the structure of their MBA courses, adding optional or mandatory ethics-focused modules. The Aspen Institute's "Beyond Grey Pinstripes" rankings now assess schools according to the amount of time spent teaching these issues.
Schools such as Stanford University in the US, ESADE Business School in Spain and Schulich School of Business in Canada highlight the fact that they offered CSR and ethical courses long before the financial crisis as a means of boosting credibility. Meanwhile, schools that have not added specific courses – Spain's IE Business School, for example – market themselves as institutions in which ethics are woven into the fabric of all modules.
Other programs are aggressively promoting their shift in emphasis from bottom-line profitability toward a more holistic, stakeholder approach. This is even borne out by last year's appointment of professor Nitin Nohria as dean of Harvard Business School. Nohria, an Indian national, has a background in corporate transformation and accountability, and sustainable economic and human performance.
The same issues are also being discussed in the context of China. Access to international best practices, which are sometimes in conflict with Chinese approaches to business, will increasingly foster a culture of understanding among those involved. To this end, the country's future business leaders are internationalizing themselves by attending business schools abroad and then returning home to work.
These ambitious Chinese, like their peers from other nations, want to get ahead in business, but not at the expense of communities and the environment. Shenzhen native Danny Bo Qin said he opted for Tuck Business School in New Hampshire, US, largely based on its ethical reputation.
"Tuck believes that business isn't always about maximizing profitability," Qin said.
With the new generation of business leaders navigating those paths, and with the help of the business schools that train them, there is hope that the errors of the recent past may not be repeated.
Ross Geraghty is managing editor of TopMBA.com and the Top MBA Career Guide.


Rule of Power is a highly addictive fishing card game richly endowed with overwhelmingly beautiful illustrations. Players manipulate Men, Elves and forces of Darkness, competing in the ultimate struggle to control the supreme Powers of the universe!
players take turns matching a card from their hand with one (or more) of those lying face-up on the table, trying to capture the most powerful combination. A separate strategically customizable deck allow players to temporarily change some of the cards values or game dynamics to their advantage.
Play progresses by rounds, divided into hands in which players play and capture cards to score points and continue until a player or a team wins the game. The game is generally won by the player or team who first scores 11 points and also has a greater total than any other team or players at the end of the round.
Two separate decks of cards are used in the game: the World Deck and the Fate Deck. Only one World Deck is used in a game, shared between all players, and it always includes the same cards. The standard deck consists of forty cards divided into four suits, with each suit having ten cards ranking in value from 1 to 10. In addition, each player assembles his own Fate Deck. This consist of seven cards freely chosen by the player from his whole collection of Fate Cards, with the only constraint that it cannot contain more than one copy of each.
Each and every card in both the World Deck and the Fate Deck have a seal of ownership in the bottom left corner. You can use the white space inside the seal to personalize your cards with your very own signature. It can be your autograph your initials, a symbol or even just a stroke of color, or maybe it can be a die punch mark or a stamp... the possibilities are endless, unleash your fantasy! Whatever you do make sure it will be unique, your personal seal is very important! It is your seal that will let you tell which ones are your own cards after they are mixed up with those of the other players during a game!
The most important card is the 7 of Powers - it is worth a point by itself and contributes to all the other three Cardinal points. You should always capture the Fire Dragon card (w007) if at all possible. Even if you expose yourself to a sweep by doing so; it's worth it anyway!
Apart from the Fire Dragon and sweeps, the next priority is to capture other dragon cards (7) for the pride, and also sixes, which come in useful if sevens are split. Power cards should always be a priority to collect as well, and finally it does no harm to have the greater bulk of cards, so if at all possible try to capture more than one at a time! Other than that you should always be careful to avoid giving away sweeps, and try to put your side in a position to win sweeps. Winning a sweep is just one point initially, but because it leaves the table empty, the next player has to put down a card. If you (or your partner) can match the card played by the opponent you then get another sweep. This can go on for several plays. It is the simplest form of what is called a whirlwind and can be devastating! One obvious way to avoid giving away a sweep is to leave a total of at least 11 on the table. For this reason you may want to avoid capturing cards which would leave a total of 10 or less. If you leave exactly 11, your opponent may wish not to capture for fear of giving you a sweep, so he plays a card to the table. If you can capture it this leaves 11 again... This is another kind of whirlwind, and work also with four players. Even better than leaving 11 is to leave a smaller number which you know your opponent cannot match. For example, suppose that two 3's have gone, you hold the third 3 and the fourth is on the table. It will then be best for you to not capture the 3 on the table but leave it as an anchor. Your opponent must now play a card and has the additional problem that if he plays too small a card (7 or less) there is a possibility that you may make a sweep on it. Clearly it is good to establish an anchor, and to have cards on the table of ranks which your side controls. For this reason you should lead, or leave on the table, cards which you hold two or more of in your hand. If you play in four, if your partner plays (say) a 5 and your opponent takes it, you should also play a 5 if you have one, because it is likely that your partner may hold the fourth 5. There is much more that could be said about the strategy of the basic game not to mention all the variables introduced by Fate Cards, so keep an eye on the Rule of Power social networks and have fun with our own take on this great game!
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When UIPath hit the news in March 2018 with a $1bn valuation it was quickly dubbed Romania's first unicorn – Even though, the company was by then already headquartered in New York. In Portugal, Farfetch is praised as a Portuguese unicorn – however, a short check on your investment database of choice tells you it is a London-based company.
Did Portugal and Romania loose their best founders? Or are we getting it all wrong?
60% of startup founders in the recent Startup Heatmap Europe survey 2018 stated that their company has either investors, employees or even legal entities abroad. It is a curious number, if you consider for example the competitive spirit we quickly develop when we rank countries by startup success stories. Maybe, we have it all wrong, maybe Niklas Zennstroem's famous quote of "Great companies can come from anywhere" must be updated to "Great companies do come from everywhere".
UIPath developed from an IT outsourcing company in 2005 with a tiny office in the less attractive parts of Bucharest, Romania. However, the now-unicorn did not even sell to Romanian customers first, but to an Indian corporate. They received funding from German investor earlybird, Prague-based Credo Ventures and London-based seedcamp and pitched in London before EY's Romanian branch heard about them and opened doors to sell also in their home country in 2015. Today, the company is headquartered in New York and runs one of its strongest branches in Japan (Business Review 2018). UIPath is the perfect example of the rise of the interconnected startup.
What is an interconnected startup?
It is not known why UIPath negotiated with its initial investors 14 months for its seed round, but it clearly shows, that it is a creative task to find and combine all resources needed to start a global company in Europe, to say the least. To succeed entrepreneurs must find the best talent, the right regulatory frameworks, enough capital and initial market opportunities – and while all of these exist also outside the Silicon Valley, to activate them, founders must travel.
A regional breakdown shows, that this is a pan-European phenomenon with the Nordics & Baltics and the UK leading the pack with over 70% interconnected startups. It is therefore not true, that this is only an effect of poor economies not able to provide sufficient resources to fast growing companies. In fact, even startups in the most developed ecosystems with the highest capital available decide to source certain resources outside their current location. In fact, not completely surprisingly, foreign-based employees are most common in those regions, with 57% of Nordic & Baltic and 62% of UK&Ireland based startups working with distributed teams.
Why do startups branch out internationally?
The international branches of startup companies can have various motivations. Most commonly, talent is hired from remote locations as 43% of all founders stated to work with distributed teams. The hunger of early-stage startups for highly qualified and motivated talent has them bridge distance much more often than SMEs. While one could argue that it is mostly startups in expensive hubs searching for low cost labor abroad, the argument could be also made, that startups are in fact looking for experts in their field, that cannot always be hired in the HQ location. The large appetite for talent that has shown across all our surveys and the high number of foreign employees in all regions, point in this direction. Finally, the diversity of the talent, their varying professional backgrounds and experiences might be a key factor for successful innovation. The same is true for international investors, which is with 29% on average the second largest motivation for internationalization. Legal entities abroad are less common among our survey participants, with only 20% having established those. However, when looking at the Top 100 startups curated by the Startup Europe Partnership 2018, we can see an increase to 63% having offices abroad. This of course must be explained by the maturity of the companies.
Where do startups have their international ties?
For the startups in our survey, the locations for foreign branches are quite evenly distributed. We do see a slight concentration with the UK (12%) and even the US (15%). Only 9% have international ties outside Europe and the US. The Top 100 startups again, have 37% of their second offices in Europe, and already 34% in North America, showing the high importance of the transatlantic relation for startup growth. Only 10% have offices in Asia, which is still not attractive or accessible for European startups. Interestingly enough, of the Top 100 startups, 16 flipped their headquarters outside Europe, mostly to the US, and half of the remaining companies have less than 2 offices abroad (Median = 1.5). In contrast the Top 20 have 10-80 offices abroad (average 25). Among them are Spotify with 46 foreign offices, HelloFresh with 38 and Farfetch with 10.
Looking at these numbers, the pace in which startup companies are generating an international footprint is staggering. The interconnected startup is an undeniable reality and who wants to benefit from this phenomenon or seeks to support its local ecosystem to grow, must radically adapt to this international viewpoint.


Dressed in festive clothes, Muslims thronged mosques across the national capital Saturday to pray on Eid-ul-Zuha.
One of the main centres for the Eid festivities was the Jama Masjid where thousands of devotees gathered to offer prayers.
In keeping with tradition, people wore new clothes to celebrate the festival.
After prayers, the devotees will sacrifice goats and other animals. People also donate meat to the poor on this occasion of sharing and sacrifice.
"I have just come back after offering namaaz. Now I will celebrate with my family and will distribute to the poor and underprivileged," said Khalid Mohammad, a resident of Jamia Nagar in south Delhi.
Eid-ul-Zuha, also known as Bakr-Eid or the festival of sacrifice, is one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar. It commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son on Allah's command. According to Islamic belief, Allah wanted to test Ibrahim and told him to sacrifice his son Ismail.
He agreed to do it, but found his paternal feelings hard to suppress. So, he blindfolded himself before putting Ismail at the altar on Mount Mina near Mecca. When he removed his blindfold after the sacrifice, he saw his son standing in front of him.
On the altar lay a slaughtered lamb. It is in honour of this test of faith that Muslims around the world sacrifice animals on the occasion to show their faith in God.


The Hills Shire Council kindly let us have the use of their facilities to do all sorts of interesting things, like propagating from cuttings and seeds and potting up successful seedlings and rooted cuttings. Plus, as the plants grow, we put them in larger pots until they are ready to plant.
Learn about soil mixes and potting techniques from other members. Observe the growth of plants in the council's propagation 'igloos' and shadehouse. Experience the satisfaction of producing healthy established plants ready to give away to the community at special events.
You are welcome to join us to observe and join in when you are ready to have a go. It's quite easy once you get the hang of it. The nursery has excellent facilities with sheltered areas and a andscaped environment. It is such a lovely, peaceful place and we have a bench set aside for our pots. There is so much more to tell, so do come along some time and meet us!
Our propagation mornings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month.


INDIANAPOLIS, IN--(Marketwired - Jun 11, 2015) - The PDUFA VI renewal cycle (and other regulatory policies), rising development and prescriptions costs, and potential supply chain vulnerabilities are a few of the trends impacting the pharmaceutical industry, according to a new eBook and infographic from YourEncore (www.yourencore.com), a company that helps firms in the life sciences, consumer products and food sciences industries solve complex innovation, compliance and productivity challenges. Click to Tweet.
The eBook is authored by Tim Franson, M.D., chief medical officer at YourEncore. Franson also serves as president of the United States Pharmacopeial Convention and is a member of the Critical Path Institute board of directors. Other key contributors to the eBook include Joe Lamendola, former vice president of US regulatory affairs for Bristol-Myers Squibb; Peter Pitts, former associate commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and Don Therasse, former vice president of global patient safety and bioethics for Eli Lilly and Company.
"In today's environment, with PDUFA VI, 21st Century Cures and other industry dynamics creating uncertainty, YourEncore harnessed nearly 100 years of collective experience of the contributors to create this pharma-trends guidebook," said Franson. "The Almanac should help people consider the key trends and move forward in development planning with confidence, both today and tomorrow."
Indianapolis-based YourEncore, an Inc. 5000 company, helps companies in the life sciences,consumer products and food industries solve complex innovation, compliance and productivity challenges by deploying highly-experienced and immediately effective experts.YourEncore experts, which include MDs, PhDs, executives and practitioners, have on average 25 years of experience and are behind many of the most successful products on the market. In addition to advisory services, the company also offers the resources to act on its recommendations. Founded in 2003, YourEncore today works with 12 of the 15 leading global pharmaceutical companies and four of the six top consumer care companies. For more information, visit www.yourencore.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.