text:
"""
stalk.py

Copyright 2012 Stephen Holiday

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
"""

import beanstalkc
import fnordmetric

class Stalk:
    """
    A class that communicates with both beanstalkd and redis (fnordmetric)
    """
    _beanstalk = None
    _fnordmetric = None
    global_collect = {
        "cmd-bury" : {"title": "Global Buries", "type":"total"},
        "cmd-put" : {"title": "Global Puts", "type":"total"},
        "cmd-reserve" : {"title": "Global Reserves", "type":"total"},
        "current-connections" : {"title": "Current Connections", "type":"current"},
        "current-jobs-buried" : {"title": "Current Jobs Buried", "type":"current"},
        "current-jobs-ready" : {"title": "Current Jobs Ready", "type":"current"},
        "current-workers" : {"title": "Current Workers", "type":"current"},
        "job-timeouts" : {"title": "Job Timeouts", "type":"total"},
        "total-jobs" : {"title": "Global Jobs", "type":"total"},
        }

    tube_collect = {
        "current-jobs-buried" : {"title":"Burried", "type":"current"},
        "current-jobs-ready" : {"title":"Ready", "type":"current"},
        "current-watching" : {"title":"Watchers", "type":"current"},
        "current-using" : {"title":"Using", "type":"current"},
        "total-jobs" : {"title":"Total Jobs", "type":"total"},
    }
    global_widgets = [
        {"title":"Commands", "gauges":["cmd-bury", "cmd-put", "cmd-reserve"], "type":"timeline", "width":50, "time":"minute"},
        {"title":"Users", "gauges":["current-jobs-ready", "current-jobs-buried"], "type":"timeline", "width":50, "time":"minute"},
        {"title":"Jobs", "gauges":["total-jobs"], "type":"timeline", "width":50, "isTotal":True, "time":"hour"},
    ]

    tube_widgets = [
        {"title":"Jobs", "gauges":["current-jobs-ready", "current-jobs-buried"], "type":"timeline", "width":50, "time":"minute"},
        {"title":"Users", "gauges":["current-watching", "current-using"], "type":"timeline", "width":50, "time":"hour"},
        {"title":"Jobs Total", "gauges":["total-jobs"], "type":"timeline", "width":50, "time":"hour"},
    ]

    def __init__(self, beanstalk_host = "localhost", beanstalk_port = 11300,
                 redis_host = "localhost", redis_port = 6379, redis_db = 0):
        self._beanstalk = beanstalkc.Connection(host = beanstalk_host,
                                                port = beanstalk_port)

        self._fnordmetric = fnordmetric.Fnordmetric(host = redis_host,
                                                    port = redis_port,
                                                    db = redis_db)

    def event_tube(self, tube, stat, value):
        eventtype = "fnordstalk_%s_%s" % (tube, stat.replace("-", "_"))

        self._event_num(eventtype, value)

    def _event_num(self, eventtype, value):
        event = {"_type":eventtype, "value":value}
        self._fnordmetric.queue_event(event)

    def tubes(self):
        """
        Return a list of all tube names
        """
        return self._beanstalk.tubes()

    def send_stats_global(self, collect = global_collect.keys()):
        """
        Sends stats for the beanstalkd process
        """

        stats = self._beanstalk.stats()

        for stat in collect:
            self.event_tube("global", stat, stats[stat])

    def send_stats_tube(self, tube, collect = tube_collect.keys()):
        """
        Send stats for a specified tube.
        """

        stats = self._beanstalk.stats_tube(tube)

        for stat in collect:
            self.event_tube(tube, stat, stats[stat])

    def generate_config(self, tubes = ['markArticleRead', 'recommendArticle', 'cleanArticle', 'regenerateModels', 'addFeed', 'updateFeed', 'updateUserFeeds', 'notifySubscribers']):
        ret = '# fnordstalk config\n'
        for name, conf in self.global_collect.items():
            name = 'fnordstalk_global_%s'%(name.replace("-", "_"))
            ret += self._generate_gauges(name, conf["title"], conf['type'])
            ret += self._generate_event_listener(name, conf["title"], conf['type'])
            ret += '\n'

        for tube in tubes:
            for name, conf in self.tube_collect.items():
                name = 'fnordstalk_%s_%s'%(tube, name.replace("-", "_"))
                ret += self._generate_gauges(name, conf["title"], conf['type'])
                ret += self._generate_event_listener(name, conf["title"], conf['type'])
                ret += '\n'

        for widget in self.global_widgets:
            gauges = map(lambda gauge: 'fnordstalk_global_%s_%s'%(gauge.replace("-", "_"), widget['time']), widget['gauges'])
            #{"title":"Commands", "gauges":["cmd-bury", "cmd-put", "cmd-reserve"], "type":"timeline", "width":50},
            ret += self._generate_widget(widget['title'], gauges, widget['width'], widget['type'])

        for tube in tubes:
            for widget in self.tube_widgets:
                gauges = map(lambda gauge: 'fnordstalk_%s_%s_%s'%(tube, gauge.replace("-", "_"), widget['time']), widget['gauges'])
                #{"title":"Commands", "gauges":["cmd-bury", "cmd-put", "cmd-reserve"], "type":"timeline", "width":50},
                ret += self._generate_widget('%s - %s'%(tube, widget['title']), gauges, widget['width'], widget['type'])
        #ret += self._generate_widget('Thing', ['fnord', 'fnordd'])
        return ret

    def _generate_gauges(self, name, title, stat_type):
        ret =  '# fnordstalk Gauge for %s\n'%(title)
        ret += 'gauge :%s_minute, :tick => 60, :title => "%s (min)"\n'%(name, title)
        ret += 'gauge :%s_hour, :tick => 1.hour.to_i, :title => "%s (hr)"\n'%(name, title)
        ret += 'gauge :%s_day, :tick => 1.day.to_i, :title => "%s (day)"\n'%(name, title)
        ret += '\n'
        return ret

    def _generate_event_listener(self, name, title, stat_type):
        ret =  '# fnordstalk Event Listener for %s\n'%title
        ret += 'event(:%s) do\n'%name
        if (stat_type == "current"):
            ret += '  incr :%s_minute, data[:value]\n'%name
            ret += '  incr :%s_hour, data[:value]\n'%name
            ret += '  incr :%s_day, data[:value]\n'%name
        elif (stat_type == "total"):
            ret += '  set_value(:%s_minute, data[:value])\n'%name
            ret += '  set_value(:%s_hour, data[:value])\n'%name
            ret += '  set_value(:%s_day, data[:value])\n'%name
        ret += 'end\n'
        return ret

    def _generate_widget(self, title, gauges, width=50, widget_type = 'timeline', offsets = None):
        gauges = '[' + ', '.join(map(lambda gauge: ':'+gauge, gauges)) + ']'
        ret = '# Widget for %s\n' % title
        ret += 'widget "Beanstalk", {\n'
        ret += '  :title => "%s",\n' % title
        ret += '  :type => :%s,\n' % widget_type
        ret += '  :width => %s,\n' % width
        ret += '  :gauges => %s,\n' % gauges
        ret += '  :include_current => true,\n'
        ret += '  :autoupdate => 60\n'
        if offsets is not None:
            ret += '  :offsets => %s,'%('[' + ','.join(offsets

            ) + ']')
        ret += '}\n'
        ret += '\n'
        return ret
if __name__ == "__main__":
    stalk = Stalk()

    stalk.send_stats_global()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
HomeClimbing Great Buildings
Climbing Great Buildings
Climbing Great Buildings is a TV show on Australian national television from SBS ONE with an average rating of 3.0 stars by TVCatchUpAustralia.com's visitors. We have 15 episodes of Climbing Great Buildings in our archive. The first episode of Climbing Great Buildings was broadcast in July, 2015. Did you miss an episode of Climbing Great Buildings but don't you wan't that to happen in the future? Please set an alarm and add Climbing Great Buildings to your favourites, so we can remind you by email when there's a new episode available to watch. Completely free: handy!
S1 Ep15 - Imperial War Museum North
Imperial War Museum - The Imperial War Museum North in Manchester, built from 2000 and designed by Daniel Libeskind, is an example of a new wave of architectural design that is both dramatic and disturbing, a building that plays with the senses and provokes wonder. In his final climb of the series, Dr Jonathan Foyle scales...
S1 Ep14 - Lloyd's Building
Lloyd's Building - Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to the Lloyd's Building in the heart of the City of London. Built between 1978 and 1986, it is one of the finest examples of high-tech architecture in Britain and one of the great icons of London. Jonathan abseils over 90 metres to reveal how this ultra-modern buildi...
S1 Ep13 - Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral - The next step of Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to Coventry Cathedral. Built in 1955 after the original cathedral was bombed in the war, this modernist masterpiece came to symbolise the hope and rebirth of a nation. Jonathan abseils 90 metres between the ruins of the old and new cathedrals to ex...
S1 Ep12 - Royal Liver Building
Royal Liver Building - The next step of Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool. Built from 1908, this behemoth in concrete was Britain's first skyscraper, and influenced buildings all over the world. On his climb, Jonathan scales over 75 metres to reveal how this granite building isn...
S1 Ep11 - Glasgow School Of Art
Glasgow School of Art - The next step of Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to the Glasgow School of Art. Designed by artist Charles Rennie Macintosh around 1897, it's one of Britain's most controversial, challenging and celebrated buildings. With unprecedented access, Jonathan scales the school to reveal the myriad of inf...
S1 Ep10 - St Pancras Railway Station / Midland Hotel
St Pancras - Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to King's Cross St Pancras, a masterpiece of Victorian design, widely regarded as London's most stunning and romantic station. With unprecedented access to St Pancras, Jonathan scales all over the building and up its clock tower to investigate the innovations and technique...
S1 Ep9 - Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge - The next step of Jonathan's journey takes him to the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. Begun in 1835 by the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel when he was only 24 years old, it is one of the greatest feats of Victorian engineering in the world. With unprecedented access to the bridge, Jo...
S1 Ep8 - Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace - Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to the epitome of the English stately home: Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. Built in the early 1700s as a reward for the Duke of Marlborough's defeat of King Louis XIV of France, it's one of the finest examples of English Baroque buildings in the country. With unprece...
S1 Ep7 - St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral - The next step on Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to St Paul's Cathedral in London. If one structure captures the spirit of London, this is it. Beautifully crafted and designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it is simply stunning in its stature. With unprecedented access to secret parts of St Paul's, J...
S1 Ep6 - Burghley House
Burghley House - The next step in Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey takes him to Burghley House in Lincolnshire. Built to impress Queen Elizabeth I on her many trips around the country, it's the finest example of an Elizabethan house in Britain. With unprecedented access to Burghley, Jonathan - aided by champion climber Lucy Cre...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Here you will find all of the resources to assist with the effective management of FedUni clubs and societies.
Here are a number of position descriptions for committee members. These can be tailored to better suit your roles in your particular club or society.


We will not speak about foster of playing in internet by now offline playing, but we will see what advantages/disadvantages, specifics has the poker online.
One more distinction of online poker is the fact that nobody can see each another opponents and there are no real poker chips. There is no compulsion for the online players to care very roughly saving "poker point of view" – no dependence to make miserable that the see, sweat taking place for the forehead or eager hand will produce an effect going on your bluff. Sometimes to touch the pack of chips at the table is morally harder than to click the mouse. These factors concern online poker players behaviour resulting into more tricky and dangerous. Players bluff more often, more slow performance, check-raise etc.
Finally, online poker players often are not concentrated re the game. Somebody watches TV, talks around the phone or checks e-mails at the connected era. Somebody is playing 2-3 tables simultaneously. It means that minimum attention is devoted to the game. Online players often sky at the table single-handedly once they are playing themselves. it is resolved that this is not the best practice, the more era is devoted to the game, the enlarged you you'concerning your opponents, the bigger are your odds for perform.
1. Try to bow to away all distracting factors and devote all your times to the game as soon as the take aspiration to "crack" your opponents more speedily.
2. Do not rely not far off from speaking the order of your image, it is just impossible to be made. Do not rely that your bluffing raise will late buildup without help because you have been playing tight for the last hour.
3. Do not be easily infatuated by poker behavior. In online poker the rival plays according to the strength of his cards first of all, not thinking too much approximately your cards, so it is not necessarily that slow pretend to have an fighting will bring you accumulation benefit, and bluff moreover is not often buzzing.
One more specific of online poker relates not to the psychology of the game, but to the internet – opportunity of disconnection of the artiste during the game. So that the artist would not lose child support because of the this, majority of poker rooms even though disconnection make disconnect all-in. It means that the artiste cards shall not be dropped, but it is considered as the performer has taking into account every single one-in upon the amount of the made bets. Once the artist goes each and every one one-in, a side pot is created, and the every one of one-in artiste can abandoned win the portion of the pot that was gift at the times the performer went every-in.


This is a extremely good article and I agree with Robwrite. I also wish to add that we're all intelligent in our own means. This is why I do not agree with our present system of training. While one scholar might excel in math another could be higher suited to the humanities or possibly even building issues such as an auto mechanic does. Why does our present instructional system not encourage students to learn what they have an curiosity or an affinity to? Also, I would like to level out that the system fails students because they do not put together them for the true world. Kids do not know the right way to deal with a test e-book, credit cards, primary parenting skills and lots of youngsters in the present day do not have a piece ethic.


With deliberations regarding The 2019-21 State Budget underway, it is an exciting and busy time in Madison. Six Local State Legislators came to Eggs & Issues on March 15 at the Green Mill to answer questions regarding the prospects for cooperation under newly divided State Government, their views on the proposed budget and their top priorities for the Chippewa Valley. These Legislators included Senator Kathy Bernier (R-23), Representative Jodi Emerson (D-91), Representative Jesse James (R-68), Representative Warren Petryk (R-93) and Representative Rob Summerfield (R-67). The breakfast was attended by about 80 local business and community leaders.
In their opening statements, emphasis on the budget was apparent. Senator Bernier stated, "The primary focus is the budget." Representative Emerson described it at "the people's budget," in which the people were being given what they asked for through listening sessions. The local listening process was brought up again by Representative Summerfield. He stated that the local listening process should be continued, but he did think that the budget is "very Madison and Milwaukee-centric," and the rural areas cannot be forgotten about. All of the legislators realize that it will be about negotiation and compromise, which was brought up by Representative James, and that priorities will have to be determined. For Representative Petryk, those priorities are helping fill jobs by helping people that have the skills and training people who want to gain the skills. Representative Kulp states that one of his priorities is to repeal the personal property tax.
The first question was regarding the UW-Eau Claire Science Building and how they think it will fit into the budget negotiations now that it is included in the capital budget that Governor Evers introduced. All of the legislators have high hopes for the project, but realize there will be challenges moving forward with the next steps. Representative Emerson highlighted the UW-Eau Claire Science Building as a "living example of bipartisanship," both in Madison and the Chippewa Valley. Legislators from both sides of the aisle are supporting this building, and education and businesses are coming together in Eau Claire to make it happen. Representative Petryk focused on the importance of the Mayo Clinic partnership in making this happen, and Representative Summerfield made the point that it was important to all of Northwestern Wisconsin. Representative Kulp stated that he still needed to learn more about it, but realizes the challenges that are approaching in the next stages. The Governor and the legislator have a lot of ways to reject proposals, and with a divided government, this is likely to happen. Representative Kulp said, "There are a lot of ways to say no, we have to find ways to say yes." Overall, there is a hopeful tone regarding the project and the legislators are working to make it happen.
The second question was, "Can each of you highlight one specific area in which your funding priorities aligns with the governor's (not including the UW-Eau Claire Science Building) and one in which you differ most strongly?" There was a common theme among several legislators that they agreed with the transportation portion of the budget, including the eight cent gas tax increase. Legislators that focused on potential for compromise on transportation included Representative James, Representative Petryk and Representative Kulp. Representative Summerfield showed his support for the broadband expansion initiatives in the budget.
The disagreements were much more varied among the legislators. Representative James disagreed with the in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, and Representative Emerson disagrees with repealing the minimum markup law on gas.
The third question was regarding long-term solutions for transportation and if the legislators see hope for a bipartisan approach to make that happen. A common theme was that it looks better that it has in the past, but it still be a challenge in this session. Representative Summerfield and Representative Emerson agreed that the big picture must be looked at and the future has to be planned for. With the popularization of electric cars, Representative Summerfield highlighted that tolling and registration fees should be considered, not just a gas tax. Representative Emerson said that looking at mass transit and the expansion of bike paths would also be a viable option.
The fourth and final question was, "Last year, WEDC launched a marketing campaign to draw talent to the state, focused on millennials, alumni and transitioning veterans. However, WEDC's funding request to continue the campaign at $5 million annually was not included in Governor Evers' budget. What are your thoughts on talent attraction being part of the state's workforce strategy?" Representative Petryk stated that attraction, retention and training were crucial to solve the workforce issues, while Representative James stated that focusing on the youth should be one of the top priorities. Senator Bernier highlighted that a multi-faceted approach must be taken.


We are a leading Wholesale Trader of sodium vapour lamps from Mumbai, India.
we are one of the renowned suppliers and traders of Sodium Vapour Lamps. These Lamps uses Sodium to produce light and are offered in high resistivity to electric fluctuations and temperature. Widely used in Industrial and Commercial applications, these are manufactured using quality basic material and components.
Looking for Sodium Vapour Lamps ?


Palermo was a surprise. I didn't know what to expect, because the only images I had in my head were the Sicilian gangsters of early 20th century America and the assassination of Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III, which took place on the steps of the Teatro Massimo, Italy's biggest opera house and one of Palermo's greatest landmarks. In other words, I pictured the Mafia and little else. What I encountered was a city with great coffee, back alley markets and bustling streets relatively untouched by tourism and gentrification. Compared to the earnest orderliness of Munich, where I had spent a couple of days before going to Italy, Palermo has a certain grimy insouciance that I find endearing.
Palermo is Sicily's largest city and also one of its oldest, having been founded by the Phoenicians more than 2,700 years ago. It sits in the island's northeast, on a stretch of coastline punctuated by limestone mountains. They guard the city in every direction, their watchful stare visible from every major street. Palermo's population nearly doubled in the 1950s and 60s, and much of the city is dominated by hastily-built apartment blocks that give it a shoddy, crowded appearance. The so-called "Sack of Palermo" obliterated much of the nearby countryside and led to the neglect of its historic centre, but it also gave the city a noisy vitality.
The building boom was controlled by the Mafia, a traditionally rural beast that took advantage of the postwar power vacuum to establish a foothold in the city. With the blessing of corrupt municipal officials, Mafia contractors tore down historic landmarks with impunity and threw up thousands of illegal apartment buildings. "Mafia organizations entirely control the building sector in Palermo — the quarries where aggregates are mined, site clearance firms, cement plants, metal depots for the construction industry, wholesalers for sanitary fixtures, and so on," noted anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone in 1982. Though the Mafia's global role has been usurped by other criminal organizations, it remains influential in Sicily, where 70 percent of businesses are still believed to pay pizzo, or protection money, to the Mafia.
Given this history, is hard to disassociate Palermo from organized crime. Even the airport is a reminder, named after Falcone and his ally Paolo Borsellino. The two prosecutors dealt a devastating blow to the Mafia in 1986, only to be killed in retribution several years later. The Addiopizzo movement, in which business owners publicly oppose paying protection money, has been successful, but it only underlines the way the Mafia remains present in day-to-day Sicilian life.
It's obvious even to a visitor. Late on a Thursday afternoon, as I wandered up to the fountains and banyan trees of the Giardino Inglese, I began to notice one or two men lingering on every block, eyeing cars as they passed. Nearly all of them were African or South Asian. When a dinged-up Fiat passed by slowly, looking for a parking spot, one of the men would wave the driver into a free space. Afterwards, they would exchange a few words until the driver offered some coins. The driver would then walk away, ignoring the signs asking her to buy a parking ticket from one of the streetside machines, which charged one euro per hour.
I thought of a story I'd read about Johannesburg's self-employed "car guards," who ask drivers for a small fee in exchange for watching over their cars. But this seemed altogether more organized, and it eventually dawned on me that the men standing on ever block were asking for a kind of pizzo. Turns out there's a name for these men: posteggiatori. You can even play a posteggiatori in a game for the iPad, though it doesn't seem like it would make for particularly riveting gameplay.
This entry was written by Christopher DeWolf , posted on Monday May 28 2012at 07:05 am , filed under Europe, History, Public Space, Society and Culture, Transportation and tagged Crime, Exploring the City, Italy, Palermo, Parking, Sicily, Streetlife . Bookmark the permalink . Post a comment below or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.
Pictures you took are great and capture quite well the spirit of those streets.. how long have you been in Sicily ?
Hi Daniel! I was in Palermo for less than 24 hours (arrived in the afternoon, left the next morning) and in Sicily for just two and a half days. It was a work trip.


Newt Gingrich lashed out at members of the "propaganda media" on Tuesday, calling them "idiots" who can't handle "the level of talent they are dealing with" in President-elect Donald Trump.
In a speech at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., the former House speaker outlined how Trump used his mastery of the media to overcome negative coverage throughout the campaign.
"One of the great disgraces of the propaganda media—all of us on the right should drop the term news media until they earn it—is that it cannot come to grips with the level of talent that it is dealing with," Gingrich said. "He had an instinct for totally dominating the media."
Unlike other politicians, Trump had the "guts" to stand up to the media and challenge their reporting, Gingrich said.
"If you attack Trump, he immediately counter-attacks," Gingrich explained. "The media doesn't understand—it's not a function of personality. He learned with the New York media that you hit back as fast as you can so you're the next edition."
"It's part of his style," Gingrich said. "If you show him an opening, he'll take it."
"When the propaganda media smeared Trump, the American people sided with Trump," he said.
Gingrich said the media was so focused on attacking Trump that it failed to understand him.
"It's astonishing to me, as a historian, how the elite media has missed all of this," Gingrich said. "They're so ideologically committed and terrified of defeat that they can't stop and ask themselves, 'What is this anomaly? What is this remarkable thing?'"
Gingrich also said that all the "idiots" who got everything wrong for the past two years are now covering his cabinet choices when they should instead be looking for new jobs.
"The same idiots who failed to understand that Trump was going to win the nomination and then failed to understand that Trump was going to win the general election, are now commenting on Trump's cabinet," Gingrich said. "It would be like having a sports reporter who misreported a football game by writing about how many home runs were hit—you would get a new reporter," he said.
"You have people at the New York Times and the Washington Post who have been consistently wrong now for two solid years, and they get promoted because their editors were even more wrong."
This entry was posted in Politics and tagged Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich. Bookmark the permalink.


Acceleris has a high level of unrivalled experience delivering commercially focused, award-winning campaigns to B2B and B2C clients within the motoring and transport sectors.
Motoring has been an agency specialism for many years. Our team has delivered highly successful PR programmes for a range of companies in the industry including trade bodies, motor retailers, fuel card providers, online businesses, media owners, rental providers, fleet management providers, motor insurers, and GPS vehicle tracking specialists.
We are adept at devising campaigns that not only heighten brand awareness but that are aligned to specific, tangible commercial objectives, from improving search engine optimisation, social media engagement or website traffic, to driving customer and third party endorsement.
We will often work closely with in-house teams and other technical agencies to ensure a joined-up approach and greater commercial returns for clients.


text:
Full NameFrank James Lampard
BornJune 20, 1978
NationalityEnglish, British
RoleMidfielder
Frank James Lampard was a British footballer who was born on June 20, 1978 in Romford, London. Lampard was a midfielder and is regarded as one of the best midfielders in football. Lampard is the leading goal scorer for the Premier League club Chelsea till date and has made 163 consecutive appearances for this team.
Frank Lampard is the son of footballer Frank Richard Lampard and it was obvious for him to join football. He started his professional career at the age of 14 by joining the West Ham United. He was a youth player for the club in the 1994-95 season. His football skills were so well that he used to take most of the penalty kicks in the game.
Lampard made his U21 debut for England on November 13, 1997 and continued to play in 19 of their matches with 9 goals to his name. His senior debut came in the year 1999 against Belgium where the team won by a 2-1 score. Lampard made his first FIFA goal against Croatia in 2003.
Lampard played a vital role in England's journey through the 2004 Euro Cup, which was his first international tournament. He scored three goals against France, Croatia and Portugal.
This performance made him a regular player in the national team and he went on to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored 5 goals in the tournament before England was eliminated in the Quarterfinals.
Lampard also helped England to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by hitting two goals in the qualification match against Croatia. But here too, Lampard couldn't prevent the elimination of England at the hands of Germany in Quarterfinals.
Low Points
As a player, Lampard was low on several occasions with the most prominent being the 2008 Euro Cup qualifiers. He couldn't help England qualify and thus was criticised heavily. He also invited the wrath of fans when he failed at several crucial occasions like missing the penalty in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals and also in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals. He couldn't perform in 2014 World Cup and retired shortly thereafter.
Lampard was the member of West Ham United until 2001 where he played 148 matches and scored 24 goals. But after switching over to Chelsea, he remained there until 2014 with making 429 appearances and scoring 147 goals. This made him the highest scorer for Chelsea. His associations with Manchester United and New York City FC in his later days didn't go too well for a player like him.
Lampard Lampard was one of the greatest midfielders of his time and has a number of records to his name. His major set of awards came during his association with Chelsea, such as the FA Cup (4 times), UEFA Champions League in 2011-12 and the Europa League in 2012-13.
He is also a 3 time Chelsea Player of the Year, the 2008 UEFA Midfielder of the Year and winner of 2005 FIFA Player of the Year Silver Cup. In addition to these, he has various other awards as well including an Officer Award from the British Empire.
Lampard announced his retirement from international football in 2014 and a complete retirement in 2016. Post retirement, he appears as a football expert on sports shows. He is now a children's writer who writes about the adventures of a fictional footballer, Lampardie with his magic football. He had also published his autobiography, Totally Lampard back in 2006.
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Update on Declan Rice, starlet reveals why he rejected Chelsea move, and more - 17 January 2021
NEWS 6 hr ago
Fulham 0-1 Chelsea: 5 Talking points as Mason Mount's late strike gives Blues the win
Twitter reacts as Chelsea edge past 10-men Fulham
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Lampard hints at long-term future for on-loan star, latest update on Fikayo Tomori and more - 16th January 2021
Frank Lampard under scrutiny as Chelsea go into must-win game against Fulham
Chelsea Tactical Analysis: Role of full-backs
Chelsea FC 3 d ago
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Spurs looking to beat Blues for centre-back, forward makes permanent switch after nine years and more - 14 January 2021
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues youngster joins League One side, Chelsea want Serie A winger, and more - 13 January 2021
Reports: Chelsea want exciting winger after agent confirms player's desire to leave
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues set high price tag for midfielder, top target linked to Bayern Munich and more - 12 January 2020
Is Frank Lampard the reason behind Chelsea's slump?
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues youngster joins Eredivisie side on loan, midfielder set to make permanent Serie A switch and more - 11 January 2021
Chelsea Fan Stories: Qwenlyn D'Souza
What Chelsea manager Frank Lampard needs to do to avoid the sack
5 managers who have underperformed this season (2020/21)
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard reveals plans to give Callum Hudson-Odoi and Billy Gilmour bigger roles in the squad
5 managers who could be sacked this season
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues forward could depart, a Bundesliga sensation on Chelsea's radar, and more - 9 January 2021
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Fresh update on Fikayo Tomori, Lampard talks about Kepa's future, and more - 8 January 2021
Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues defender set to take transfer U-turn, fresh update on Declan Rice and more - 7 January 2021


Why design your logo online?
You've been racking your brain, trying to find the perfect company name and you've finally found it. Now it's time for you to design your logo. Designing a logo is not the simplest of tasks, it takes hours of thought, reflexion and ideas. You can either contact a web agency or design your logo yourself online.
A number of sites have made their appearance on the web offering creative and affordable online logo design tools. These sites offer creative, user friendly online tools which are surprisingly practical. The design process is very straight forward. Simply add your company details (company name and slogan), select a logo template and add your finish touch. Today, designing a logo yourself has never been so easy and affordable.
A good logo maker site should allow you to personalize your logo by adding custom colors. Finding the right harmony of colors is essential, the colors must be adapted to you industry.
If you don't have any idea of what colors you should be using, most online logo design services offer a variety of pre-selected color codes which will help you choose.
Most people think that fonts are just a commodity when designing logos. This is a misperception. You will find that fonts are just as important as graphic elements and will account for half, sometimes even 100% of your logo's aesthetics. Most online logo design sites have a library of fonts to choose from. Your font must be adapted to printing on all formats (small and big). Your font must be visible from a distance, on a billboard or sign for example and up close, on stationary products.
Most online logo maker sites will favor bold fonts as these fonts are generally easier to read and more recognizable.
A good online logo design site will offer you a selection of logo icons to choose from. An icon that works should be simple, catchy and easy to memorize. Depending on the type of company you have, you may choose to create a logo with or without an icon. For example fashion companies usually tend to favour text based logos for the prestige. Other industries like the food industry usually include an icon in their design layout. But most businesses prefer using icons to represent their company because icons are easily memorized and can be used in a versatile way.
Online logo design has many advantages. Once you've designed your logo, you will be able to download your graphic files directly from your online account. You can design as many versions of your logo as you like and save each version to your account in order to compare. Online logo designing means that you are in control of your logo! Most online logo design sites offer special services on top of your logo design. For example logogenie.net offers a social network option which allows you to download graphic compositions with your logo for your Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter profiles.
Whether you decide to contact a professional or you decide do-it-yourself. It is crucial that you obtain the right graphic files. You should be able to obtain HD JPG, PNG and PDF files of your logo for your print and web needs. You should be able to obtain EPS vector files of your logo. Most printing companies will ask you for this format for printing such products as business cards and letter heads. EPS formats allow you to enlarge your logo without any quality loss. This file is ideal for large supports like banners and signs.
05 October, 2017	What does your car look like from the inside?


text:
Home Issues Conservation
As climate change turns up the heat in Las Vegas, water managers try to wring new savings to stretch supply
Western water in-depth: Rising temperatures are expected to drive up water demand as historic drought in the Colorado River Basin imperils Southern Nevada's key water source
Las Vegas has reduced its water consumption even as its population has increased. (Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority)
By Gary Pitzer
Las Vegas, known for its searing summertime heat and glitzy casino fountains, is projected to get even hotter in the coming years as climate change intensifies. As temperatures rise, possibly as much as 10 degrees by end of the century, according to some models, water demand for the desert community is expected to spike. That is not good news in a fast-growing region that depends largely on a limited supply of water from an already drought-stressed Colorado River.
With this in mind, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), the wholesale water provider to more than 2 million people in the Las Vegas metro area, is seeking to drive down daily per capita water use (now at about 112 gallons), through wide-ranging, innovative and permanent conservation methods. The goal is to reduce daily water use to 98 gallons by 2035, even as projections indicate per capita water use could increase by nine gallons a day as the climate warms.
Meanwhile, the Colorado River Basin plunges deeper into historic drought that seems certain to lead to water supply curtailments for Nevada and Arizona. Cities in the arid Southwest for years have sought to drive down water use to stretch supplies. Now, a warming climate, continued population growth and increased water demand have raised the stakes.
In response, SNWA aims to wring more water savings out of everything from ice machines and grassy medians to industrial cooling towers, an aggressive conservation effort that could provide examples for communities throughout the Southwest.
"We have been extremely successful helping the community embrace living in the desert and adopting a conservation mindset," said Marilyn Kirkpatrick, chair of SNWA's board of directors. "However, we have more work ahead to continue helping the community – especially new residents – use water as efficiently as possible."
A warming basin
Arguably the hardest-working river system on Earth, the Colorado River helps meet the water needs of 40 million people, farms and ecosystems across a huge landscape. Premised on an annual flow that was overestimated and overallocated, the river is under extreme stress as climate change drives warming temperatures.
Drought in the Colorado River Basin has pushed the water level in Lake Mead, Southern Nevada's main water source, to a historic low. (Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority)
According to the Bureau of Reclamation's January 2021 Colorado River Basin SECURE Water Act Report to Congress, 2000 to 2019 was the driest stretch in more than 100 years of record-keeping. Average annual temperatures are creeping up and the past 20 years were likely warmer than at any time in the past 2,000 years, the report said. Of the 20 warmest years on record, 17 have occurred since 1994. The trend shows no sign of abating.
A warming climate has major implications for water supply in the Colorado River Basin. A warmer atmosphere sponges up more water from the land surface and water bodies, leaving less to run off or flow to downstream reservoirs. Everything – people, wildlife and vegetation – is left thirstier.
Writing in their 2020 report, Climate Change and the Aridification of North America, climate scientists Jonathan Overpeck and Brad Udall explained the phenomenon of aridification: "Soils dry out in a straightforward manner understood by anyone gardening on a hot day, and they dry out faster the warmer it gets."
Overpeck, at the University of Michigan, explained that hotter temperatures are robbing moisture from the Colorado River Basin. The drought in the Basin, he wrote in a May 18 Twitter post, "is really an ongoing temperature-driven aridification, that if combined with a true precip-dominated megadrought, will get much worse."
SNWA's 2020 Water Resource Plan notes that the impacts of climate change on water supply can no longer be considered as something that might happen later. Instead, "evidence supports the fact that climate change is happening now and that it will have a lasting effect on the availability of Colorado River water supplies."
Already in the midst of a decades-long drought, conditions in the Colorado River Basin dramatically worsened in 2021, with record low inflows into the anchor reservoirs of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Over the last 20 years, Lake Mead's water level has dropped about 130 feet. As Mead's level continues to fall, water supply reductions increasingly kick in.
Ensuring water security
Lake Mead, filled by Colorado River water, is Las Vegas' mainstay. Ninety percent of the area's water supply comes from the lake. Nevada's Colorado River allocation is 300,000 acre-feet per year. In the past 10 years, SNWA's take from Lake Mead has been about 445,000 acre-feet. However, factoring in the approximately 220,000 acre-feet of treated effluent returned to Mead each year means the average net consumptive use of Colorado River water has been 225,000 acre-feet.
A hotter climate is expected to drive up Southern Nevada's per capita water use just as its primary water source, the Colorado River, is shrinking. Map: Water Education Foundation Created with Datawrapper
SNWA's water conservation campaign has helped cut its Colorado River consumption by about 23 percent between 2002 and 2020 even as 780,000 new residents arrived.
But the thermometer is inching up. Clark County, home to about 75 percent of Nevada's population, is projected to warm by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, according to SNWA. That means incorporating warming temperatures into water accounting with greater intensity and urgency.
"We have acknowledged that warming is going to go on in the valley for a very long time," said Colby Pellegrino, SNWA's deputy general manager for resources.
"Two years ago, we started taking a more serious approach to defining the conservation programs that would be necessary to meet our goal," she said. "We have done a lot of work on what local temperature projections would look like in the future. While we've been making progress … there are going to be these upward pressures on demand occurring at the same time."
Like some other Southwest cities that depend on the Colorado River, SNWA has an aggressive water conservation program that pairs education and outreach with financial incentives. The agency relentlessly pursues saving water wherever possible, from urging restaurant customers to forego the complimentary glass of drinking water (and all that gets saved as a result) to rebates for turf removal and ensuring the efficiency of all water-using machinery.
Colby Pellegrino, Southern Nevada Water Authority's deputy general manager for resources. (Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority)
Kathryn Sorensen, director of research at Arizona State University's Kyl Center for Water Policy in Phoenix, said Las Vegas and Phoenix have pursued similar approaches in that they are desert cities that emphasize certainty and the preservation of reliable water supplies.
"Both of these cities are held to a really high standard compared to other cities across the United States in terms of water security," said Sorensen, who previously served as director of the city of Phoenix's Water Services Department. "They are very risk-averse and spend a large amount of money and go through a very large effort to make sure that they are planning methodically for what might come."
In Phoenix's case, she said, that meant devising a water rate structure that charges users more for water in the summer than in the winter. Sorensen called it a "direct financial signal" for people to get rid of their lawns and lush landscaping without employing a rebate program. As a result, grass landscaping at single-family homes in Phoenix fell from about 85 percent in the 1970s to about 10 percent in 2021, she said, noting that turf for median strips has been prohibited since the 1990s.
One of the big water users targeted for reduction are the evaporative cooling towers that keep Las Vegas' commercial and industrial buildings cool. (Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority)
Rewarding innovation
Southern Nevada's hunt for water savings knows no limits. The uses may seem miniscule, but they add up. A glass of water not served at a restaurant saves about three gallons, when considering the amount used for dishwashing, ice production and filling the glass, said Patrick Watson, SNWA's conservation programs administrator. SNWA subsidies for new ice machines at the region's many golf courses saves 3 million gallons a year. The list goes on.
"We reward innovation," Watson said. "If you have a project and it involves a new technology or an innovative way to save water, we'll take a look at it."
Case in point, the Ocean Spray bottling plant in Henderson. An engineer there devised a process in which industrial water is used three times during production before it gets sent out as wastewater.
"We never saw something like that before," Watson said. "We studied it for six months, determined what the water savings was and ended up paying them an incentive." Ocean Spray received $45,600 for saving 5.7 million gallons a year through that engineering change. Ocean Spray pursued two other water-saving innovations for which they were rewarded $27,000 by the agency, Watson said.
One of the big water users targeted for reduction are the evaporative cooling towers that keep Las Vegas' commercial and industrial buildings cool. Transitioning that technology to other cooling processes such as air conditioning is one way to save water, more than two gallons per person per day, according to SNWA.
SNWA subsidizes tunnel washers, an amazing piece of hardware that uses less than a gallon of water per pound to wash 150 pounds of laundry in 90 seconds. Tunnel washers reduce the amount of water used per pound of laundry by three gallons, a considerable figure considering that commercial laundries in Las Vegas can wash as much as 1 million pounds of laundry each month.
The agency is now targeting homes that are on septic systems to connect them to the wastewater stream, where the effluent can be cleaned and reused or returned to Lake Mead.
Goodbye grass
One of the highest-profile conservation tactics is the war on turf. Outdoor landscaping is the single largest consumptive water user in Southern Nevada. Las Vegas' desert environment is an unlikely place for lush, water-guzzling lawns more suited for the Midwest and East Coast. In the hot and dry West, average customer demand for water (mostly for outdoor irrigation) can be 50 to 80 percent higher than in the humid East, according to the Water Research Foundation. Limiting outdoor irrigation is critical in a region where 4 inches of rain is considered a good year.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority offers rebates for $3 for every square foot of grass replaced with water-smart landscaping. (Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority)
Grass requires about 73 gallons per square foot, per year, while drip-irrigated landscaping only consumes about 18 gallons, according to SNWA.
The agency for years has preached that turf only belongs where it's regularly used, such as in parks and athletic fields. In 2003, local municipalities in Southern Nevada adopted ordinances that prohibited the installation of grass in front yards of new homes and limited backyard grass to 50 percent of the area. Grass was also prohibited in commercial developments.
For yards with existing turf, SNWA pays homeowners $3 for every square foot of grass replaced with water-smart landscaping. The money applies to as much as 10,000 square feet per site per year and $1.50 per square foot thereafter. It's a popular program that's removed more than 4,500 acres of grass, amounting to about a quarter of the turf in the Las Vegas Valley, saving about 11 billion gallons of water every year. SNWA also offers incentives for installation of artificial turf on athletic fields.
Southeast of Las Vegas, the city of Henderson adds funds to the SNWA rebate to promote turf replacement for swaths as large as 40,000 square feet in commercial, industrial and multifamily housing areas.
"We know it's important to replace natural turf in areas where it doesn't make much sense… so we built our program to accelerate conversions there," Henderson's conservation supervisor Tina Chen said on SNWA's Water Smarts podcast. "We believe the additional incentive will entice more businesses to participate and streamline their operating costs."
Henderson's assistance means participants can receive as much as $120,000 for those large conversions.
A new law prohibits using Colorado River water to irrigate so-called nonfunctional (or ornamental) turf, indicated by the red circles in this photo. (Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority)
Now, the focus is on eliminating as much turf from Southern Nevada as possible, with an emphasis on reshaping parts of the urban landscape installed years ago and modeled after American communities much wetter than Las Vegas.
A bill passed by the Nevada Legislature and signed into law in early June will prohibit Colorado River water from being used to irrigate ornamental grass on non-residential properties starting in 2027. Of the more than 12,000 acres of turf in the Las Vegas Valley, 5,000 is considered nonfunctional.
"It's only being walked on by the person that's mowing it," said Pellegrino, SNWA's deputy general manager for resources.
Clinging to turf
While turf removal has been successful, enthusiasm for it may be waning, said Tom Warden, senior vice president with Summerlin, the largest master planned community in Nevada. Warden, a Las Vegas resident of more than 30 years, said a renewed emphasis is necessary because water rates are likely to jump and SNWA's rebate will eventually vanish.
"It is safe to say there are folks who resist it," said Warden, who interacts with the homeowner associations and sub associations that are part of the 22,500-acre Summerlin development. He said initially many people didn't like the idea of not having turf everywhere, but they have come to accept the much-improved desert landscape designs.
"Southern Nevadans understand that we all have to embrace a more sustainable approach," he said. "They are getting the picture. It's the growth of stewardship."
Still the conservation ethic has changed significantly since the days before the drought when Lake Mead was full and spilling water.
Back then, "nobody was thinking about conservation," Warden said. "They were building other master planned communities that were wall-to-wall turf without a thought."
But ornamental turf is still a part of many neighborhoods.
Water use in Southern Nevada is on the rise after years of decline. (Source: Southern Nevada Water Authority)
"Homeowner's associations in Southern Nevada are still watering more than 64 million square feet of non-functional turf," SNWA's Watson said. "That's close to five billion gallons of water every year to maintain grass for purely visual effect."
SNWA's turf replacement has reached residents but business participation has been more challenging, SNWA spokesman Bronson Mack said. Many owners of business parks, strip malls and shopping centers are out of state and disconnected from the community.
"They don't hear the same conservation messages on a regular basis, and they are not attuned to desert living or the need to replace grass," Mack said.
Climate change and the plummeting Colorado River, where a 20-plus year drought is forcing unprecedented adaptation measures, are pushing desert cities toward more aggressive water management. Anticipating drier times, SNWA in 2015 took the extraordinary step of building a third intake deeper into Lake Mead, at a cost of nearly $1 billion, to ensure it could continue to draw water from a dropping reservoir. Phoenix spent $500 million to move Salt and Verde River supplies to areas of its service territory that historically have been entirely dependent on the Colorado River.
The actions signal that both cities are able to ensure reliable water deliveries, come what may on the Colorado River, said Sorensen, with Arizona State's Kyl Center. Increased demand management and extended use of recycled water are areas "where there's still a lot that can be done."
John Berggren, water policy analyst with Western Resource Advocates in Boulder, Colo., said that as municipalities realize their irrigation demand is going to go up because of warming temperatures and their water is becoming scarcer, they'll begin taking a hard look at landscapes to see what's expendable. It's important to note that the effort doesn't stop with getting rid of ornamental turf.
Berggren said more attention is being focused on gray water reuse, where types of household wastewater from dishwashers, sinks and the like can be used to irrigate outdoor landscaping.
"All communities around the West can find more ways to be water efficient, both on the indoor and outdoor side of things," he said. "The banning of non-functional turf is a great step on an already well-developed conservation path for Nevada, but the path is long, and I hope they continue to push the envelope. I hope more states and more water providers take that step."
Halting irrigation to ornamental turf can free up quite a bit of water that provides a cushion for future growth, Berggren said, and even allows for putting water back into rivers.
Kirkpatrick, chair of the SNWA board, said it's up to community leaders to push the water conservation message and get people to participate in rebate programs.
"We've made a lot of very impressive gains over the past 20 years, but we have more work to do, she said. "Any efforts on the part of Clark County and other municipalities to implement policies that increase sustainability will help us meet the challenge together."
Reach Gary Pitzer: gpitzer@watereducation.org, Twitter: @GaryPitzer
Know someone else who wants to stay connected with water in the West? Encourage them to sign up for Western Water, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
This article was supported in part by a grant from The Water Desk, an independent journalism initiative based at the University of Colorado Boulder's Center for Environmental Journalism, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
https://www.watereducation.org/WesternWater
Western Water has provided in-depth coverage of critical water issues facing California and the West since 1977, first as a printed magazine and now as an online newsroom. Articles explore the science, policy and debates centered around drought, groundwater, sustainability, water access and affordability, climate change and endangered species involving key sources of supply such as the Colorado River, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and more. Western Water is produced by a team of veteran journalists at the Water Education Foundation.


Polywood is a great outdoor product due to its longevity.
When cleaning, use a very mild soapy solution to wipe down the wooden surface. Surface characteristics of the product may require the use of a soft bristle brush to get into the creases. For fine surface scratches use a very fine emery board and sand with the grain gently.


If parents wish for their child to be absent from school they are requested to complete an 'Application for Leave of Absence during Term Time' form and return it to the school as soon as you are aware of the need to request absence. The decision to authorise any absence is taken by the Head teacher and will take into account the child's record of attendance.
The school uses ParentMail, a parent communication platform, for sending out correspondence/information regarding the school via email to parents and carers. ParentMail enables us to send weekly newsletters, trip letters, sports letters etc. electronically via email. If you haven't already registered for this service we recommend you do so as soon as possible - contact the school office for further information.
Our funding is partly influenced by the number of families we have claiming free school meals. Even if you think your child will not want a school dinner every day or is currently in Key Stage 1 it is still worth claiming. To check eligibility and/or make an application please visit www.myfreeschoolmeals.com.
Lost property is located near the school office. It is cleared out regularly and all unnamed items, in good condition, are donated to charity. Parents are asked to ensure all items are clearly marked with their child's name and class to help us reunite lost property with its owners.
If your child needs medication given to them within school time can you please bring their medication to the school office and complete the Parent Consent Form for Administering Medicines so that staff can administer and record this accordingly.
The school has an online payment system which gives parents/carers the facility to pay for services, such as school trips, school dinners, music lessons etc., online. This is our preferred method of payment. If you haven't already registered please contact the school office for further information and your child's unique Sims Agora reference number.
In the event of school closure due to bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances we will do our best to notify parents and carers as soon as possible at the start of the day via ParentMail. If you are not registered for ParentMail please enquire at the school office.
In the event that we are unable to send out a ParentMail notification, school closures are also updated on the school website.


text:
Curse of Strahd
New Releases In Stores This Week : 4th September 2017
A rundown of the New Releases that should be hitting games stores this coming week! Board games, card games, RPGs, Wargames, Miniatures and collectible games... hopefully something for everyone! In addition to the games hitting your local store we're also now listing a few RPG PDF releases from the last week that we hope may be of interest. For more information about any of the physical products please contact your local games store.
Sean's Picks of the Week (0410-0414) - 5th Edition Week!
Becoming more fond of Theme Weeks, I decided this week should feature 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons products. While some may feel the release schedule of official Wizards of the Coast products isn't what they're used to (or what they'd prefer), it's important to note that there's a huge amount of material for the latest edition of the World's Most Popular RPG from both established publishers and super-fans with excellent design instincts and an abiding passion for the game.
News Digest: Magic: The Gathering Aether Revolt, Petersen Entertainment Sues PayPal, Wizard World Drama Continues, Asmodee Buys More Companies, And More!
Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week (and some change due to the holidays) gaming news! A new Magic: The Gathering expansion is almost upon us with an amazing video trailer, CNN confuses Fallout 4 with the real world, Asmodee acquired more companies, Petersen Entertainment sues PayPal, Wizard World's story gets even more complicated, and much more!
The Top 50 Tabletop RPG News Stories of 2016
Darry posted an excellent News Digest Year In Review 2016 the other day, which takes a look at some of the biggest news stories of the year. I thought it would be fun to look at what were the most popular news items here on EN World over the last twelve months. Listed were the 50 most popular tabletop RPG news items on EN World of 2016. It's interesting to see that 27 of them - just over half - were about D&D 5th Edition specifically. The top item was my original scoop about Curse of Strahd, which shows that folks still come to the EN World for the rumours - which is, of course, how the site started. ...READ MORE
News Digest Year in Review 2016!
Hello everyone, Darryl here to recap the biggest stories of 2016 in this year in review! A lot of big events happened in tabletop gaming this past year, and I'm going to go through what I consider the most significant stories of the year!
Check Out The 20 Top-Rated RPG Items!
The twenty most highly rated RPG products in EN World's database is an interesting list! D&D has 8 entries, the highest of which is the recent Volo's Guide to Monsters in 5th place. Pathfinder has a strong showing with two items in the top twenty, as does The One Ring roleplaying game and Monte Cook Games' Cypher System. The top item is Bruce Heard's setting, Calidar, which tells of the sky ship Star Phoenix and contains a fantasy setting inspired by Dragon Magazine's Voyages of the Princess Ark, by the same author. Note that an item needs 10 ratings before its overall score becomes certified and included in the chart. ...READ MORE
Watch Chris Perkins' First Episode of DICE, CAMERA, ACTION
WotC has just launched an official Dungeons & Dragons web show called Dice, Camera, Action. It stars Chris Perkins running a game for Holly Conrad, Jared Knabenbauer, Anna Prosser Robinson, and Nathan Sharp. They are playing Curse of Strahd, so only watch it if you don't mind major spoilers. The video is nearly two-hours long. Enjoy! ...READ MORE
CURSE OF STRAHD Is Now On FANTASY GROUNDS
WotC's latest adventure, Curse of Strahd, has made its appearance on the officially licensed virtual tabletop software, Fantasy Grounds. As usual, the package comes with player and DM maps, plus it also has Tarrokka cards, a random card selector, and the Death House introductory adventure. ...READ MORE
Not Got Strahd Yet & Still Want Previews?
For those not lucky enough to be near a preferred store, Curse of Strahd is still four days away (Tuesday 15th). WotC is still scattering snippets and previews around like confetti. Here's what I've scooped up. Enjoy! ...READ MORE
From Sketch To Print: Comparing Perkins & Schley's Maps For CURSE OF STRAHD
Curse of Strahd may be in many peoples' hands by now, but that doesn't stop us looking at Chris Perkins' map sketches for the adventure. We've seen several already, but I think this might be the best yet. This sketch map for Tsolenka Pass contains views from the side and from above and, frankly, is good enough to include in an adventure just as it is! Minor spoilers follow, of course. ...READ MORE
Mike Schley's Strahd Cartography
Now that Curse of Strahd has been officially released, cartographer Mike Schely has - as always - made his maps for the adventure available from his store. He's done a lot of work for this adventure - over two dozen full-colour maps - and come in digital DM and Player versions. you can buy the whole lot in one bundle for $30. It's a great way to support the artist, and it's great that WotC allows artists to sell the maps directly. Find the full selection here. ...READ MORE
CURSE OF STRAHD Is Out Today (In Some Stores)
For those of you near a preferred store, today's the day - the Curse of Strahd is upon us! The rest will unfortunately have to wait another 11 days until March 15th. But to help with the wait, here's a look at the amusing disclaimer in the front of the book (courtesy of Derek Myers on Twitter). ...READ MORE
CURSE OF STRAHD'S Foreword By Tracy Hickman
The foreword in Curse of Strahd was written by original Ravenloft designer Tracy Hickman. And here it is! Tracy and Laura Hickman wrote I6: Ravenloft 35 years ago, and played a consultant role in this latest revival of the classic adventure, which was written by WotC's Chris Perkins. ...READ MORE
Krezk: Perkins' Sketch Map Of The Barovian Town
Following on from Chris Perkins' previous sketch maps of the Burgomaster's Mansion, Blue Water Inn, Old Bonegrinder, and the Vistani Camp, this latest is the town of Krezk. Enjoy!
Want To See The Castle Ravenloft Poster Map In CURSE OF STRAHD?
Those who are excited about the fold-out map in Curse of Strahd can take a peek at it courtesy of Jeremy Crawford. The map features Barovia on one side, and Castle Ravenloft on the other, depicted in a gorgeous isometric view just like the original Ravenloft module was back in 1983.
Some Gothic Trinkets from CURSE OF STRAHD
Curse of Strahd contains a random d100 table of various gothic trinkets. Take a quick look at the first few items on that table! Locks which open when blood is dripped on them, the wig of someone beheaded, invisible ink that can only be read at sunset, and more. Curse of Strahd comes out on Friday in preferred stores, or 11 days later on March 15th everywhere else. ...READ MORE
Check Out CURSE OF STRAHD'S Table of Contents!
Here's a look at the table of contents from Curse of Strahd (which hits preferred stores in two days, and everywhere else 11 days later on March 15th). It shows the entire adventure, along with quite the pile of maps, handouts, and more. Barovia gets 10 pages, and the Village of Barovia a further 7; Castle Ravenloft itself gets 30 pages. Also visible are things we've seen previews or sketches of, such as Old Bonegrinder.
Perkins AMA Compiled; Haunted One Background Preview
Yesterday, WotC's Chris Perkins took part in a Reddit AMA. I've compiled the interesting bits here. I've not included game advice questions, rules-type questions, or personal questions or things like "what's your favourite class?". So, mainly, questions about products and WotC; the AMA was mainly focused on Curse of Strahd, but covered other bits and pieces too, including hints of a Perkins collaboration with Critical Role. As always, WotC doesn't talk about unannounced future products. Also be sure to check out the the Haunted One, a preview of a background appearing in Curse of Strahd.
Perkins' Map Sketch For CURSE OF STRAHD's Burgomaster's Mansion
It's another of Chris Perkins' map sketches for Curse of Strahd - and this time, we're looking at the Burgomaster's Mansion! Be sure to also peek at the previously revealed Blue Water Inn, Old Bonegrinder, and the Vistani Camp. Curse of Strahd will be out on March 15th (11 days earlier on March 4th - GMs Day! - for preferred stores). Beware spoilers! ...READ MORE
Chris Perkins' Blue Water Inn Map Sketch For CURSE OF STRAHD
Here's another of Chris Perkins' hand drawn map sketches for Curse of Strahd. This is the Blue Water Inn (following on from Old Bonegrinder and the Vistani Camp). As with the previous sketches, these may contain spoilers, so view them at your own peril! The book itself comes out March 15th (11 days earlier for preferred stores). ...READ MORE


Hot water is an essential commodity. You use it all the time, even though you may not think about it too often. Washing dishes? You're using hot water. Taking a shower? Same thing, unless you're really into cold water therapy or something. Doing laundry? Ditto. Even heating your home may rely on hot water, depending on the systems that your houses or apartments use. In any case, though, you'll want to make sure that you have someone capable and professional on hand in the inevitable event that your hot water infrastructure needs some professional care. To that end, you might want to cast your eye around for a pro in Gold Coast doing hot water maintenance.
Here's the thing, though: lots of people will tell you they're professional tradespeople when they just finished training a week ago and have never completed their first professional job. Do you want to be somebody's guinea pig? Probably not. You'd probably feel better if your hot water systems in Gold Coast were maintained by someone with more experience. So, where do you find an experienced person to take care of hot water service in Gold Coast? It's not quite as difficult as you might imagine.
SolaPlumb has been around since 2005, which means we already have a reputation that spans more than a decade. Daniel has been installing solar hot water since he was in high school, though, which means that he has over 20 years of experience in this industry. Now that's the kind of time-tested know-how that you can feel good about when you hire us to work on your hot water systems.
We don't think it's fair to ask you to pay upfront, even with our considerable experience in the field. People typically don't try to take your money until a job is done unless there's something fishy going on. That's why you shouldn't trust a contractor who doesn't offer you a free quote at the outset. When you call SolaPlumb for new system installations and replacements, though, we'll give you a quote without any strings attached. That's because we want you to know how committed we are to doing everything ethically and responsibly.
Plenty of service "professionals" will also waste your time (and money) by trying to figure out exactly what you need to hear to hire them, and then saying it. That doesn't make it true, though, and if it isn't, then you'll pay the price for it later. When you hire us for maintenance though, you get our honest opinion on your system and what needs to be done. It might sound quite intimidating, but if you can't confront the problem then you can't expect to fix it. That's what makes SolaPlumb a better option for service and maintenance when it comes to hot water. Call us today and find out.


A wonderful opportunity awaits in Telemark 1! This 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit will immediately make you think about why you should be living in this fabulous complex in the heart of Nordic Estates. Sitting atop the property, #5 is set back from Eva Lake Road giving you privacy and western views from your balcony. This 3 level plan offers a generous storage/workshop off Foyer entry and an inviting living area with wood burning fireplace and incredible mountain views. Warm and charming, it has everything you need; not to mention proximity to lifts, ski out and all the services & amenities of Creekside village.


text:
Q: Will mail service affect? If I change hosting provider I have registered my site with one service provider and I am using another service provider for hosting (by the way of changing name server), I configured and using many emails from existing hosting service provider.
Now I would like to shift my site content to another service provider. Here I would like to clear my doubt after change to new service provider may I keep mail with old service provider or have I to configure again?
Thanks in advance...

A: Once you change the Nameserver of your domain then all services will be effected like MX records, A records etc. Here, I would suggest you to that only change the A record of your website to that ip address where you wanted to host the website from the Domain control panel.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Read online content from popular columnists, including Ryan Dennis, Baxter Black and Yevet Tenney, as well as comments from Progressive Dairyman editors.
The Pew Charitable Trust has given a $2.6 million grant to the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to study how concentrated animal feeding operations (dairies, feedlots, hog confinements and chicken houses) may impact public health, sociology and the environment. Any guesses what they will conclude? Here's my guess. It's bad.
They stood before me as I was signing books in my booth at the National FFA Convention this fall in Indianapolis. The man showed his age but was still holding up. "This is gonna be my last," he said.
Two months ago, a vote was taken in Arizona. Not a vote about legislators or representatives, but a vote that had to do with agriculture. Most people throughout the United States had very little knowledge or understanding about the measure, but its future implications are widespread.
1206 PD: What would a dairyman do?
Readers will notice we've made some changes this month to Progressive Dairyman. We think our new combination of headline and body text typefaces are more reader-friendly. The combination also allows us to fit more information-packed words on a page.
In the fall of 1983, my sister Nina and I devised a plan for her family to join our family in Jerome to embark on a Christmas trip to visit our two brothers living in Arizona. I had acquired a previously fire-gutted, 15-passenger Dodge Maxi-van that only had two full-width seats in addition to the single bucket seat and front passenger seat. With 11 kids and their parents making the trip, I decided to construct a bunk bed at the back of the van, complete with made-to-fit foam mattresses covered with sheets, blankets and pillows. "Since we would be traveling in the night, why not make it comfortable for everyone?" I thought.
Here's a short Christmas story about a fictional character named Jimmy. Hope you enjoy!
It wasn't like I really meant to argue with Mom and run away. Mom's not the arguing kind, but when she announced we were going to have one more foster kid come to our home, I couldn't take it. We had seven adopted kids already who came from foster care.


text:
TARA GRACE ERICSON
Bloom Sister Series
Main Street Minden
Black Tower Security
Second Chance Fire Station
Romanctic Suspense Novels
Clean Slate - Novelette
The only person who can help her is the one man she never wants to see again.
Personal trainer Jessica Street has stumbled into a money laundering scheme at her gym, and the people responsible aren't too happy about the extra liability. To make matters worse, the only person who can help her is the man who broke her heart.
Ten years ago, Flint Raven chose his career over Jessica. But the former security tech mogul isn't the man he used to be. When bullets start flying, he knows he'll do anything to protect her and prove he's worthy of a second chance.
Jessica has no choice to accept his help. But she's determined to protect her heart while Flint is protecting her life.
Get for free here!
Potential Threat - Book 1
Can this bad-boy bodyguard protect America's sweetheart without losing his heart?
Fiona Raven is famous for her homestyle cooking with a hint of Italian flair. Everyone knows her face and has her pre-packaged food in their freezer. So why is she receiving threatening notes? Fiona's brother insists on sending a bodyguard, news that only gets worse when she realizes it is his friend Ryder - the one man she could never let herself love.
Ryder McClain has played the villain enough times to appreciate being the hero working for Black Tower Security. Along with his new client comes a stern warning from her brother - his boss and best friend - to keep his hands off. It doesn't matter anyway, Fiona is the perfect woman, and exactly the kind he doesn't deserve.
Ryder will do whatever it takes to protect Fiona. Threatening notes turn into suspicious break-ins and destructive corporate espionage, and this bodyguard assignment gets even more serious. Can Ryder get to the bottom of the threat before his heart gets too involved?
Hostile Intent - Book 2
He hired her to find out who is spilling corporate secrets.
She's determined to find out his.
When Black Tower Security sends Joey Rodriguez undercover at Zia Pharmaceuticals, she has her own motives for agreeing to the assignment – namely, to prove to her boss that Cole Kensington isn't what he seems.
Cole has always had one goal—a cure for Alzheimer's. Now that he and his company are close, he's got a big problem. Corporate espionage in the pharmaceutical industry is par for the course, but this time he called for help. The undercover hacker they sent gets under his skin, but she is supposed to be the best— and he needs the best. Cole won't let a spy in his ranks jeopardize something this important.
Helping a billionaire wasn't what Joey signed up for. But as she starts to untangle the web of secrets and spies inside Zia, she finds herself in the crosshairs—and trusting the very man she hoped to expose.
Critical Witness - Book 3
A presidential assassin is on the loose, and Hannah is the key to unlocking his identity. But it's her own identity that is going to blow up the entire operation—and her future with the hero who saved her.
Ex-special forces commando Will Gilbert is leading a black op tasked with bringing down the presidential assassin. When his team rescues a woman who witnessed the fatal shot, protecting her becomes just as important as finding their target and keeping the entire thing under wraps. Behind those scared eyes, this woman has the answers they need to finish the mission.
Struggling journalist Hannah Stone was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or was it the right time? A Pulitzer is practically guaranteed if she can manage to escape without being killed. All she has to do is help Will and his team capture the shooter—without revealing her own identity as a reporter. Or just why she was at the hotel that day in the first place.
Pursuing the shooter and targeted by a powerful enemy, Will and Hannah face impossible odds. While her heart is quickly becoming tangled with his, Hannah hides her identity from the man trying desperately to save her.
Available For Pre-Order Now
*This website may contain affiliate links to Amazon.
Copyright © Tara Grace Ericson and Silver Fountain Press 2019


text:
Q: Rollback transaction in functional tests started in another spring context 'm implementing functional tests. To avoid data corruption I need to rollback every test after execution. This is pretty trivial task - just mark rollback=true in test. But if I start another module with another spring context and first module interacts with it somehow (f.e. sends jms message and second one saves it to the same DB) then rollback is not working for second context. How to rollback second module too?
    @RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@ContextConfiguration("classpath:/my-service-context.xml")
@Transactional(value = "myTransactionManager")
public class ParserServiceTest {

    protected Logger l = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());

    @Autowired
    @Qualifier(value = "earMessageDaoBean")
    EARMessageDao dao;

    @Autowired
    @Qualifier(value = "myParserService")
    ParserService service;

    @Test
    @Rollback(value = true)
    public void testExecute() throws Exception {
        service.execute("fff", "ttt");
        EARMessage byId = dao.findById(1L);
        assertNotNull(byId);
        assertEquals("fff", byId.getFrom());
        assertEquals("ttt", byId.getTo());
        l.info("{}", byId);
    }
}

if I take a look into db i will see no data and it's good
but if I will add another module
    @RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@ContextConfiguration("classpath:/my-service-context.xml")
@Transactional(value = "myTransactionManager")
public class ParserServiceTest {

    protected Logger l = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());

    ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context2;

    @Before
    public void setUp() throws Exception {
        context2 = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
                "my-service-context2.xml"
        );
    }

    @Autowired
    @Qualifier(value = "earMessageDaoBean")
    EARMessageDao dao;

    @Autowired
    @Qualifier(value = "myParserService")
    ParserService service;

    @Test
    @Rollback(value = true)
    public void testExecute() throws Exception {
        service.execute("fff", "ttt");
        EARMessage byId = dao.findById(1L);
        assertNotNull(byId);
        assertEquals("fff", byId.getFrom());
        assertEquals("ttt", byId.getTo());
        l.info("{}", byId);
// theoretically there could be interaction with service2 via JMS
        MyParserService2 service2 = (MyParserService2) context2.getBean("myParserService2");
        service2.execute("FFF", "TTT");
    }
}

data added by servie2 will not be rollbacked.
I can get EntityManager TransactionManager within test context but I can't roll them back since transactions are commited already.
I can add some marker into second module and mark it in test somehow but have now idea yet what to do
UPDATE
here are services and context configs for better understanding:
    @Service(value = "myParserService")
@Transactional(value = "myTransactionManager")
public class ParserService {

    protected Logger l = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());

    @Autowired
    @Qualifier(value = "earMessageDaoBean")
    EARMessageDao dao;

    public void execute(String from, String to) {
        l.info("-------started service 1---------");
        EARMessage message = new EARMessage();
        message.setFrom(from);
        message.setTo(to);
        message.setProcessingDate(new DateTime());
        dao.persist(message);
        l.info("-------ended  service 1---------");
    }
}

    @Service(value = "myParserService2")
@Transactional(value = "myTransactionManager")
public class MyParserService2 {

    protected Logger l = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());

    @Autowired
    @Qualifier(value = "earMessageDaoBean")
    EARMessageDao dao;

    public void execute(String from, String to) {
        l.info("-------started service 2---------");
        EARMessage message = new EARMessage();
        message.setFrom("666" + from);
        message.setTo("666" + to);
        message.setProcessingDate(new DateTime());
        dao.persist(message);
        l.info("-------ended  service 2---------");
    }
}

my-service-context.xml
   <context:annotation-config/>
<context:component-scan base-package="com.dimas.tutorial.hibernate.simple"/>

<import resource="classpath:/my-service-config.xml"/>
<import resource="classpath:/my-data-source.xml"/>
<import resource="classpath:/my-entity-manager.xml"/>

<jdbc:initialize-database data-source="${dataSource.name}">
    <jdbc:script location="classpath:/sql/my-schema.sql"/>
</jdbc:initialize-database>

my-service-context2.xml
   <context:annotation-config/>
    <context:component-scan base-package="com.dimas.tutorial.hibernate.simple"/>

    <import resource="classpath:/my-service-config.xml"/>
    <import resource="classpath:/my-data-source.xml"/>
    <import resource="classpath:/my-entity-manager.xml"/>

    <jdbc:initialize-database data-source="${dataSource.name}">
        <jdbc:script location="classpath:/sql/my-schema.sql"/>
    </jdbc:initialize-database>

UPDATE2: added entity manager config
<bean id="valettaEntityManagerFactory" class="org.springframework.orm.jpa.LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean">
        <property name="persistenceUnitName" value="MyPersistence"/>
        <property name="packagesToScan" value="com.dimas.tutorial.hibernate.simple.domain"/>
        <property name="dataSource" ref="${dataSource.name}"/>
        <property name="jpaVendorAdapter" ref="hibernateVendor"/>
        <property name="jpaPropertyMap" ref="jpaPropertyMap"/>
    </bean>

    <util:map id="jpaPropertyMap">
        <entry key="hibernate.dialect" value="org.hibernate.dialect.PostgreSQLDialect"/>
        <entry key="hibernate.default_schema" value="public"/>
        <entry key="hibernate.show_sql" value="false"/>
        <entry key="hibernate.format_sql" value="false"/>
        <entry key="hibernate.cache.use_second_level_cache" value="false"/>
        <entry key="hibernate.max_fetch_depth" value="3"/>
        <entry key="hibernate.jdbc.fetch_size" value="50"/>
        <entry key="hibernate.jdbc.batch_size" value="10"/>
    </util:map>

    <bean id="hibernateVendor" class="org.springframework.orm.jpa.vendor.HibernateJpaVendorAdapter">
        <property name="showSql" value="false"/>
    </bean>

    <bean id="myTransactionManager" class="org.springframework.orm.jpa.JpaTransactionManager">
        <property name="entityManagerFactory" ref="valettaEntityManagerFactory"/>
    </bean>

    <bean id="valettaTransactionTemplate" class="org.springframework.transaction.support.TransactionTemplate">
        <property name="transactionManager" ref="myTransactionManager"/>
    </bean>

    <context:annotation-config/>
    <tx:annotation-driven transaction-manager="myTransactionManager"/>

A: Use propagation required for your service.
eg .
First Transaction:
@Transactional(value = "myTransactionManager")
  public class ParserServiceTest {

Join by require Transaction:
 @Transactional(value = "myTransactionManager", propagation=Propagation.REQUIRED)
    public class ParserService {

Join by require Transaction:
@Transactional(value = "myTransactionManager", propagation=Propagation.REQUIRED)
public class MyParserService2 {

PROPAGATION_REQUIRED:
    Spring REQUIRED behavior means that the same transaction will be used if there is an already opened transaction in the current bean     method execution context. Create a new one if none exists.
    In short this means that if an inner(2nd  Transaction) method causes a transaction to rollback, the outer(1st Transaction) method will fail     to commit and will also rollback the transaction.


Racepark Decorators - Painter/Decorator based in Fair Oak, Hampshire.
We are a Painting and Decorating Company offering our services to the domestic and commercial market. Established as a company in 2003, we have over 30 years experience in the trade basing ourselves in and around the South East / South West area.
With our considerable knowledge of the trade, we are able to accomplish all types of projects subject to program and pride ourselves with a very reliable service to all our customers. We are committed to excellence on completions and workmanship all at very competitive rates.
As a conscientious company, the necessary insurances and Health & Safety Policies are in place as well as all employees being CRB checked to ensure peace of mind.
40 mile radius of the Winchester and Southampton Area. Work also undertaken in Surrey within the areas of Woking, Guildford, Weybridge etc.


BG 6.3: To the soul who is aspiring for perfection in Yog, work without attachment is said to be the means; to the sage who is already elevated in Yog, tranquility in meditation is said to be the means.
In chapter 3, verse 3, Shree Krishna mentioned that there are two paths for attaining welfare—the path of contemplation and the path of action. Between these, he recommended to Arjun to follow the path of action. Again in chapter 5, verse 2, he declared it to be the better path. Does this mean that we must keep doing work all our life? Anticipating such a question, Shree Krishna sets the limits for it. When we perform karm yog, it leads to the purification of the mind and the ripening of spiritual knowledge. But once the mind has been purified and we advance in Yog, then we can leave karm yog and take to karm sanyās. Material activities now serve no purpose and meditation now becomes the means.
So the path we must follow filters down to a matter of our eligibility and Shree Krishna explains the criteria of eligibility in this verse. He says that for those who are aspiring for Yog, the path of karm yog is more suitable; and those who are elevated in Yog, the path of karm sanyās is more suitable.
The word Yog refers to both the goal and the process to reach the goal. When we talk of it as being the goal, we use Yog as meaning "union with God." And when we talk of it as being the process, we use Yog as meaning the "path" to union with God.
In this second context, Yog is like a ladder we climb to reach God. At the lowest rung, the soul is caught in worldliness, with the consciousness absorbed in mundane matter. The ladder of Yog takes the soul from that level to the stage where the consciousness is absorbed in the divine. The various rungs of the ladder have different names, but Yog is a term common to them all. Yog-ārurukṣhu are those sādhaks who aspire for union with God and have just begun climbing the ladder. Yog-ārūḍha are those who have become elevated on the ladder.
So, how do we understand when one is elevated in the science of Yog? Shree Krishna explains this next.


text:
Energy For Members
Why did Germany make a U-turn on gas levy - and what do the new plans mean?
The Local - [email protected] • 30 Sep, 2022 Updated Fri 30 Sep 2022 12:32 CEST
A woman in Germany cooks on a gas stove in a kitchen. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Annette Riedl
It's been an extraordinary week in German politics after the government announced a U-turn on the gas levy, and plans for a new gas price cap. Here's what we know so far.
What happened to the gas levy?
There had been lots of talk about getting rid of it, but on Thursday it became official: the German government announced it was ditching the gas levy - or Umlage - that was meant to come into force on Saturday October 1st.
This surcharge would have seen gas consumers in Germany take on some of the soaring costs that suppliers are facing as they try to replace Russian gas. It was to be used to prop up struggling importers such as Uniper, Sefe and VNG.
The gas levy would have resulted in 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour being added to gas bills, which would be an extra burden of several hundred euros per household, although VAT on gas consumption was to be reduced at the same time.
It was due to come into force on Saturday October 1st - but the levy had come under fire in recent weeks because of the burden it would add to households during the cost-of-living crisis as well as concerns about energy firms taking advantage of it. It was also unclear if it was constitutional after it was announced gas firm Uniper was being taken under state control.
The gas levy was put together when there was a real fear that Germany could imminently run out of gas, the government said. Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck maintained that it was the right instrument at the time but that it is "no longer needed".
Instead of the gas levy, tailored measures are to be developed for troubled gas suppliers.
So the German government has made a significant U-turn on its policy - it's pumping a package worth €200 billion into providing energy price caps that will aim to shield homes and businesses across Germany from sky-high bills.
READ ALSO: Germany to spend €200 billion to cap soaring energy costs
Germany, which has been highly dependent on imports of fossil fuels from Russia, has been desperately trying to find other energy sources as supplies have been cut.
Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD,) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), present the German government's plans for energy supply and price caps for gas. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Kay Nietfeld
Wait - so there is more support for people?
Yes. The German government is throwing its weight behind a different strategy. It will provide a temporary cap on electricity and gas prices to help protect residents from being hit with massive bills.
On Thursday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking via video link, said: "The German government will do everything so that prices sink."
Scholz said that the price hikes on the energy market were a consequence of Russia's actions, which used "its energy supplies as a weapon".
"We find ourselves in an energy war over prosperity and freedom," Finance Minister Christian Lindner added during the press conference.
Lindner said that protecting consumers against rising bills was a "crystal clear answer" to show Russian President Vladimir Putin that Germany is "strong economically".
However, it's still unclear what exactly the gas price cap - or Gaspreisbremse - will look like in practical terms. A commission of experts is to draw up a proposal by mid-October. The aim is to see costs capped for a basic quota of gas.
READ ALSO: How might a gas price cap in Germany work?
And it won't just affect gas prices - electricity costs will also be capped.
The profits of power plants that are operated without gas but are raking in high additional profits due to rising energy prices are to be skimmed off.
These revenues are to be used to subsidise the electricity consumption of consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises to a certain extent - here, too, the talk is of 'basic consumption' being covered.
READ ALSO: KEY POINTS - Everything Germany is doing to relieve rising energy costs
What about the VAT reduction?
As we mentioned above, the VAT cut on gas was due to come into force along with the gas levy to ease the pressure on households.
On Thursday, Habeck said the VAT cut on gas consumption, from the usual 19 percent down to seven percent - will remain in place even though the gas levy is being dumped.
People walk near the North Sea in Westerland, Sylt on September 28th. Temperatures have dropped in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Frank Molter
How is this all being funded?
That was a major contentious point, but the coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) seem to have come to an agreement.
The government wants to borrow up to €200 billion for the economic stabilisation fund. This fund, which was initially set up in 2020 to help pump cash into pandemic support for people and businesses in Germany, can only be sued for specific measures. That means it doesn't count as being part of the annual budget for the federal government, keeping Finance Minister Christian Lindner happy.
So will energy prices actually come down?
Energy prices are still expected to go up but a price cap should help stop them from spiralling too much.
But Economics and Climate Minister Habeck has been trying to dampen expectations of the gas price brake. The Green politician said it wouldn't be possible to use the cap to subsidise the gas price down as far as it had been in 2021. "And not for a very long time," he told Deutschland-Funk on Friday.
"Gas and energy as a whole will cost the German economy more than it did in the very affordable years," he added.
Habeck said it wouldn't be possible to avoid every price rise. "Some burden will be taken (through the price cap), but the complete burden will certainly not be able to be carried," Habeck said. "Not even with this gigantic €200 billion."
Habeck also warned against believing that a gas price cap means people will be able freely use more energy this winter. He said consumers - whether private households or firms - still had to cut down on gas as much as possible to avoid a shortage this winter.
On Thursday, Federal Network Agency boss Klaus Müller urged German residents to avoid pumping up their heating too early due to the precarious situation.
"Without significant reductions, including in private households, it will be difficult to avoid a gas shortage this winter," he said.
READ ALSO: German residents urged to save more gas despite cold weather
#Energy #Money