text:
Afghan leaders sideline spokespersons amid growing disinformation war
usama Send an email 1 week ago
KABUL, Afghanistan – After Ahmad Jawad Hijri saw the injured children in hospital and learned of the Afghan airstrike that brought them there, killing nine more people around their age in northern Afghanistan , he never expected his answer to lead him to jail.
But Mr Hijri, then spokesperson for the governor of Takhar province, was arrested, jailed for three days, and then fired after telling the media what happened – a standard part of his role he had. played several times before. Senior officials in Kabul insisted that only Taliban fighters were killed in the strike, not children, and that anyone who said otherwise should be prosecuted.
"At the hospital, I saw the injured children," Hijri said. "I didn't make a mistake."
The war in Afghanistan has long been one of the competing narratives. But the government's response to the October 22 strike in Takhar province signaled a change in tactics by President Ashraf Ghani's administration: an open declaration of its willingness to suppress and deny reports of innocent deaths. . It also highlighted the changing political landscape as peace negotiations continue in Qatar and the Taliban try to profit from the attention they are attracting on the world stage.
The press briefings that defined the first years of the war as the two sides fought to win Afghan hearts and minds have almost ceased. This leaves its main players – the United States, the Taliban and the government – to experiment with different communication strategies to achieve the desired goals.
But while Americans stand ready to withdraw from the country in the coming months, the Afghan government – inundated by Taliban attacks, morale in its security forces, and waves of targeted killings across the country – has only receded. to present itself as a bastion. democratic values.
The October airstrike, experts said, was a turning point for the Afghan government. Even the pretense of accountability turned into an outright condemnation of those who went against the government's bottom line, possibly out of fear of further losing public position.
The crackdown only encouraged the Taliban, eager to prove that they are capable of running Afghanistan better than the current rulers, who are increasingly losing credibility.
The Afghan government "is so afraid of criticism that it refuses to admit its mistakes or take responsibility," said Patricia Gossman, associate director for Asia at Human Rights Watch. "It's ultimately self-destructive, but they desperately need to control the information."
Earlier in the war, the Afghan government was reluctant to deal with civilian casualties inflicted by the coalition or by Afghan forces, often committing to investigation but delivering results rarely made public. But at least the episodes were acknowledged, and local officials in areas where civilians were injured or killed were allowed to speak freely.
The Taliban used the killing of civilians as a propaganda tool for the entire war, labeling the nightly air strikes and raids by the US and NATO as blatant crimes against the Afghan people. But as Western troops reduced their presence and Afghan forces deployed their own weapons against the insurgent group, the stray airstrikes and misguided artillery fire that injured and killed innocent people has always become a propaganda tool. more powerful, this time directly directed against the Afghan Government.
One such example involved photos of dead civilians and destroyed property posted on Twitter last week by a Taliban spokesman who called them war crimes committed by Afghan and US military. These images are often the catalyst for a two-way public outcry: blaming the government for its failure to protect its people and the Taliban for their unwavering commitment to violence.
As the Taliban have stepped up their dissemination of propaganda, the Afghan government has tightened the reins of official dialogue with the public. Since October, the Ghani administration has muzzled provincial spokespersons and district governors, demanding that they stop giving information to the media, several Afghan officials from several provinces told The Times, including of civilian casualties.
The crackdown made provincial spokespersons fear losing their jobs or being arrested. A spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said journalists often had to wait hours or days before hearing from provincial governors because their spokespersons were not authorized to respond .
U.S. officials and members of Mr. Ghani's administration attributed the crackdown to a lack of coordination between local and state agencies and said provincial spokespersons were not allowed to speak only on issues of security.
Sediq Seddiq, spokesman for Mr. Ghani, denied that the government was trying to limit the news, saying the Afghan government had "been a pioneer in supporting our vibrant media and enforcing access laws. to information that is unprecedented in the region.
Ultimately, the Afghan government's decision to suppress information at the local level means that the Taliban have more room to control the narrative in the districts of the country where they are present, but Afghan officials have more control over the narrative. national, said a former US official.
This dynamic took place on Sunday in southern Afghanistan. Local officials in Nimruz province claimed that an Afghan airstrike had killed at least a dozen civilians a day earlier, only to be said by the governor that 12 Taliban had been killed and a report said. civilian casualties were under investigation. On the same day, protesters took the remains of those killed to the provincial capital, claiming women and children were among the dead.
The suppression of information has been a boon for the Taliban, an insurgent group that once banned television and rarely spoke to reporters. Experts say their Feb. 29 agreement with the United States on a withdrawal schedule helped legitimize the group internationally, prompting the Taliban's public relations apparatus to expand significantly.
Taliban opinion pieces written in English are often published on the group's website, Voice of Jihad, and sometimes appear in international media, including the Op-Ed page of the New York Times. Local Afghan news outlets are posting statements by Taliban spokespersons on social media, just as they would Afghan officials. This is a far cry from ten years ago, when Taliban messages were often seen as lies.
The Taliban often lie about the death toll in their attacks, denying civilian casualties and sometimes blaming coalition forces. The group has denied having played a role in the recent round of targeted assassinations across the country, although it has been directly implicated by the US military and Afghan security officials.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesperson for the Taliban, said their media strategy focused on "sharing the truth for the people". In reality, the group has two lines of effort: one supporting the peace talks and the other discrediting the Afghan government on the battlefield and supporting Taliban fighters.
To help counter the Taliban narrative, the United States has launched a small psychological operations unit called Information Warfare Task Force-Afghanistan, according to U.S. military officials. The Dark Outfit was formed at the request of General Austin S. Miller, the Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, following the 2018 murder of the general. Abdul Raziq |, the Kandahar Police Chief. After his death in an insider attack, rumors quickly attributed his murder to Americans.
By combining cyber tools, intercepted communications and social media, the unit acts as an immediate counter-current to disrupt the messaging and information channels of the Taliban and terrorist groups in the country, officials said.
Mr. Hijri, the province's former spokesman, still refuses to cover up the civilian casualties he saw on October 22. A report by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission corroborated his claims about the episode, saying that an Afghan government airstrike killed nine children, aged 7 to 13, and injured more than 14 others. Taliban fighters were also injured.
"I am in the middle of two stones: on one side, the Taliban and on the other, the government," Hijri said. "Now my fate is not clear."
Taimoor Shah contributed reporting from Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The first meteorites in the solar system could explain how the Earth got water
Washington, DC mayor wants tighter security at Biden inauguration


text:
Q: Convergence of a sequence given a condition I found the next proof in my calculus notes:

Prove that any sequence $(x_n)\in\mathbb{R}$ that satisfies $|x_n-x_{n+1}|\leq \frac{1}{2^n}$, with $n\in\mathbb{N}$, converges.

The proof aims to conclude that the sequence is a Cauchy sequence, and therefore, it converges.

Proof: If $m>n,$ then $$|x_n-x_{n+1}|=|x_n-x_{n+1}+x_{n+1}-x_{n+2}+...+x_{m-1}-x_m|$$ $$\leq |x_n-x_{n+1}|+|x_{n+1}-x_{n+2}|+...+|x_{m-1}-x_m|$$ $$\leq\frac{1}{2^{n-1}}\sum_{k=1}^{m-n}\frac{1}{2^k}<\frac{1}{2^{n-1}}*1=\frac{1}{2^{n-1}}.$$Then $|x_n-x_m|<\frac{1}{2^{n-1}},$ for all $m>n\geq 1.$
Given $\varepsilon>0$, one can choose $N\in\mathbb{N}$ such that $n\geq N$ implies $\frac{1}{2^{n-1}}<\varepsilon$. Thus,  if $m,n\geq N$ then $|x_n-x_m|<\varepsilon$ (Cauchy).

What I don't understand is how we can say that this $\sum_{k=1}^{m-n}\frac{1}{2^{n-1}}$ goes from $1$ to $m-n$

A: $$\begin{align}&\quad|x_n-x_{n+1}|+|x_{n+1}-x_{n+2}|+\cdots + |x_{m-1}-x_m|\\&=\sum_{k=n}^{m-1} |x_k-x_{k+1}|\\&\le\sum_{k=n}^{m-1} \frac1{2^k}\\&=\sum_{k=n}^{m-1}\frac 1{2^{n-1}}\frac1{2^{k-(n-1)}}\\&=\frac 1{2^{n-1}}\sum_{k=1}^{m-n}\frac1{2^k}\end{align}$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Zamo's back after a month-long hiatus due to Technical Support Monkey's flu, which Ig thinks was probably AIDS, based on what Cousin Sticky's gossip blog says about Technical Support Monkey's library activities.
Aside from fighting with and then shunning Technical Support Monkey, Zamo's also been fighting with Georgie over control of the TV remote, and Ig goes so far as to try to get Georgie's dead friend from art school to take Iggy's side with a beyond-the-grave message from the other side of the woo woo barrier.
On the upside, Mr. Hydell comes by to gross Georgie out with hunting tales and a wolfskin blanket to keep Zamo warm.
Zamo spent the last week shunning Technical Support Monkey for getting all uppity and turning her phone off when Iggy was trying to use Skype to tune into 'The Technical Support Monkey Show' when there was nothing good on TV.
Zamo would still be shunning the damn chimp were it not for a direct order from Iggy's dad, who's had enough of Zamo's mom spazzing about the lack of podcast updates.
In other news, Zamo is working on getting 'the retard in the Canadian white house' to throw Technical Support Monkey in jail for iguanaphobia.


text:
New Homes Guide
Lifting international travel ban anticipated to boost foreign real estate purchases
In Miami, the real estate market flipped from a majority of foreign buyers before the pandemic to a majority of domestic buyers now. (Scott McIntyre for The Washington Post)
By Michele Lerner
November 16, 2021 at 5:30 a.m. EST
International travel to the United States began to return in full force as of Nov. 8 when the White House lifted pandemic restrictions that had kept people from dozens of countries from entering.
Now that citizens from European, Asian, African, Central and South American countries that were previously banned from traveling to the United States can enter as long as they're vaccinated, real estate agents are anticipating a boom in housing purchases by international buyers.
Sales to foreign buyers declined to the lowest level in a decade between the time the pandemic began through March 2021, according to the National Association of Realtors' 2021 Profile of International Transactions in U.S. Residential Real Estate.
Foreign investment was down 31 percent between April 2020 and March 2021 compared to foreign purchases during that same time in 2020. The value of the real estate purchased by foreign buyers from China, Canada and Mexico, which are among the top three countries for U.S. purchases, dropped by at least 50 percent when comparing those same periods. But real estate experts who work with international buyers say that's about to change.
"International buyers' confidence in investing in the U.S. keeps increasing as they find shelter in the American economy," Andre Perez, a real estate agent with Compass in D.C., wrote in an email. "I think the interest continues to increase for multiple reasons, including but not limited to the low-interest rates in the nation, the fact that the U.S. is doing well managing the pandemic, the general U.S. economy and the instability in other countries."
Report: Foreclosure rates rise but still below normal
Perez says about 25 to 35 percent of his buyer clients were foreign before the pandemic, either moving to the United States or in the country with a G-4 or other visa. About 25 percent of those buyers were investors who don't intend to live in the property.
"The international buyers' presence has increased due to the backlog of scheduled relocations for the past 18 months," Perez wrote. "All that backlog started to unfold in the second and third quarters of 2021 and will most likely continue in 2022."
In Miami, the real estate market flipped from a majority of foreign buyers before the pandemic to a majority of domestic buyers now, Danny Hertzberg, a real estate agent affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty's The Jills Zeder Group based in Miami Beach, wrote in an email. He wrote that about 50 percent of foreign buyers in Miami purchase a home for part-time use, 25 percent as an investment and 25 percent for a full-time home.
"The interest from foreign buyers is significant right now and there is pent up demand due to the travel restrictions," Hertzberg wrote. "Some of our clients went through the hurdle of traveling to another country to quarantine for two weeks in order to travel to Miami, but then they had to quarantine on the way back, so a month was lost just to look at property. This deterred many buyers, who are excited to come now that travel restrictions are lifted."
Hertzberg said he thinks that foreign demand in Miami will tend toward condos, while the domestic demand over the past year was mostly for single-family houses.
In New York City, foreign purchases peaked in 2014 at about 30 percent of all sales, Maria Belen Avellaneda, a real estate agent with Compass in New York, wrote in an email. That number has declined steadily to about 15 percent today. Among her international clients, many of whom are from Latin America, 65 percent buy full-time residences, 15 percent buy second homes and 20 percent buy investment properties.
"Foreign buyers who can afford luxury units tend to look for new developments in Manhattan with multiple amenities and open views," Avellaneda wrote. "However, most foreign buyers have average budgets below $1 million and have been actively purchasing in Queens and Brooklyn where the price per square foot is more attractive. I expect that with the reduction of travel restrictions, international buyers will soon play a much more active role in the market."
Read more Real Estate:
Expo aimed at first-time home buyers and renters goes virtual
Rental market reacts to coronavirus but stays active
Profiles of first-time buyers show the many pathways to homeownership
HAND CURATED
Nearly 50,000 Facebook users may have been targets of private surveillance, company says
A QAnon con: How the viral Wayfair sex trafficking lie hurt real kids
Trailblazing Black feminist and social critic bell hooks dies at 69
View 3 more stories
ChevronDown

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A 5-pack of our Fluyd Trainer at a discounted price for your club box! This durable fin comes in many sizes, from Euro 34 through 45 (US Sizing 3-14).
Please tell us what sizes you would like in your order notes.


text:
'Logan Lucky' – Review
By Bailey Steen
If one dared to give Steven Soderbergh just three West Virginian siblings, two robot arms, a bag of Gummy bears with gasoline and one plan to rob NASCAR for everything they're worth, all before a child beauty pageant… Well, you just may have the next all-American classic on your hands.
Returning to the screen after his so-called "retirement" (four years of his life that saw him direct two TV shows and produce seven projects), nothing compares to having the master in charge of a new high-spirited, low-key blast of a heist film sure to make clever redneck-country proud.
Logan Lucky, to borrow Soderbergh's own words, a complete inversion of an Ocean's heist movie. This anti-glam crime caper seeing The Brothers Logan (Channing Tatum's Jimmy and Adam Driver's one-armed Clyde), along with their little sister Mellie Logan (Riley Keough), try their luck at screwing over the monolithic "big man" establishment to all their woes. The kind that sees you fired for a pre-existing condition you never asked for, and gives complete child custody to that twangy mouthed Katie Holmes ex-wife. The establishment that sends you half way across the world to serve in war, losing your limb and soul fragments in the completion of your duty, with all to show for it being a few welfare cheques now and then. The uptight rich that ogle you from across the carpark, undressing you with their invasive eyes, speaking mockery as they offer to maybe drive you around town once in a while. At what point do you look at the cards dealt, in a game oh so rigged against the little men and women at the bottom, and realise it's common-sense to just flip that table?
It's with this sense of robbed prosperity that — Bang! — as an audience member we're in lock step with their justifications for the "go big or go home" robbery of the state: The Charlotte Motor Speedway during the biggest NASCAR race of the year. The very same Charlotte Motor Speedway our dear Jimmy Logan was working for, bulldozing underground and repairing sinkholes near the money transportation tubes (or, as Variety states, "a network of snake-like cylinders that wind their way underground and funnel the money into a steel bank vault"), before being let go so swiftly for "liability reasons". Only a stupid person would abandon such an opportune moment to screw The System, come hell or high water.
RELATED: 'The Integrity of Joseph Chambers' Review - A Cautionary Tale
Follow the money, Lebowski.
But the offbeat fun and engagement doesn't end there, as a moment like this needs strong adversaries. Joe Bang, to be exact. The talk of the film. What I've described as "Steve McQueen incarnate on cocaine", giving Daniel Craig his most vicious, seductive and truly different performances to date, sporting a platinum-blond buzzcut so fitting of a cheeky redneck. The narrative more complex when, in addition to robbing the biggest race in history in smooth, crisp, cinematic glory (in a style as close to Scorsese's Wolf of Wall Street (2013) as you can get), our dear Joe Bang is serving time in prison with as little as four months to go! Whatever is he to do other than, say break himself out of the slammer and then proceed to break back in (perhaps using a prison riot take-over) without a single person knowing.
The absurd is more naturally beautiful than it sounds, I can assure you.
Culminating in a crash of classes between, what Saul Alinsky described in Rules For Radicals, the haves and the have-nots, and the fundamental difference between them. The haves being, as the name implies, the ones who have everything. Obnoxious sports-car magnates, played by Seth MacFarlane and Sebastian Stan, being the example of what have-nots like Jimmy Logan fear: getting too greedy, pompous and up themselves, losing whatever justified their pursuit of prosperity in the first place. One particular scene, which I won't spoil, involving music sure to bring that patriotic tear to any heart of the humble have-nots in your audience. Striking at the core of what Americans and people around the world (including myself) hear when we think "American". You'll know it when you hear it.
Logan Lucky is an energetic, technically crisp film, with a focus on the digital glory of the modern day, but most importantly, there's a respect for where it's representing the struggle of blue-collar men and women, serving as the great fantasy we just need in these times.
Soderbergh, you did good. You did good.
Channing Tatum's fourth collaboration with Director Steven Soderbergh. The others being Haywire (2011), Magic Mike (2012), and Side Effects (2013). Riley Keough also starred in Magic Mike.
Logan Lucky
Reader Rating0 Votes
Katherine Waterston
Comedy Films
Hilarious Honest Trailer for James Wan's Hit DC Blockbuster 'Aquaman'
'Fantastic Beasts' – IMAX Fan Event Featurette and Live Q&A Video
'Power Rangers (2017)' – Honest Trailer
'Assassin's Creed' – Review
Bailey Steen
Cinema, politics, and admiring Rooney Mara: the three keys to unlocking my own personal sacred labyrinth! Also I'm humble, obviously. Deserted Island Movie Collection: The work of David Fincher. Best Movie Snack: Red Rock Deli Honey Soy Chicken Chips
'The Dark Tower' – Review
Awesome Video Highlights the Art References in 'Alien: Covenant'
Confronting Documentary 'Lion Spy' Director Rogue Rubin Interview
7 of the Best Examples of World Building in Movies
10 Movie Highlights from New Disney+ Star Brand You May Have Missed
'Baby Driver' – Review
'Rise of the Guardians 3D' – Review
'The Fate of the Furious' – Review
'Ben-Hur': "Epic" Featurette
Bruce Lee's 'Fist of Fury' Meets 'Star Wars' in this Cool Video
'A History of Horror' – Video


As a leader the need for strategic thinking is paramount to the success of your personal and leadership goals.
All leaders need to think in a strategic manner, however many unfortunately do not have a process for delivering strategy.
With globalisation on our doorstep, every person with a computer has the need to make strategic decisions in the most effective and least disruptive manner. It has become extremely important, especially for those who are the decision makers to understand how to effectively create, develop, execute and manage and maintain great strategic plans and projects.
This course assists you to identify your personal decision making strategies as well as your leadership decision making strategies highlighting gaps that exist between them both. In identifying the gaps and the different success rates you will be able to craft a defined decision making process that removes emotions, knee jerk reactions and ego.
You will identity your motivating factors, what is useful information, new insights into yourself, the leadership agility you are representing and the need for collaboration within your processes. The tool of reflective decision making and gap identification will add another dimension to your strategic thinking giving you the tools to identify the right style of person with whom you would discuss and seek advice from. You will be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses and how these will hinder or assist you enabling to cut out the time wasters in your life. This will go a long way in creating an outcome orientated decision making strategic thinker. Included in the course is a list of suggested readings that will assist you in opening your mind to the different internal and external drivers for your current decision making processes and the opportunity to change these where required.
Now that you have identified your career bird, this course will give you the information needed to create the ultimate strategic team, decision makers and visionaries. By identifying the birds you flock with and those birds who's traits you lack you will be able to create this balanced team. This will ensure that you have the support for the changes required to make decisions that will guarantee the longevity of the business the purity of the brand and the drive to take the business to the next level.
Very successful strategic thinkers often refer to these words when describing success, through the course write down words that resonate with you when you think about success. What are the benefits of strategic thinkers? Companies want them, people are drawn to them, careers are developed and accelerated, incomes are increased and bonuses are paid. Be known in your industry as the leader with good strategic process, the leader that gets the job done, the leader who identified the needs of the organisation, the leader who others want to follow, create your own success by building on the strategic processes you currently have.


text:
Bills snag pair of wide receivers in Day 2 of draft
BY DAN BEGNOCHE
With Stevie Johnson as the lone wideout with any sort of game experience on the Buffalo Bills depth chart, it was only a matter of time until general manager Buddy Nix took a receiver in the 2013 NFL Draft.
He found two in fact, grabbing one in each round Friday as the team worked to build around its newest quarterback additions and revamp its passing attack. (photo: Neon Tommy, Flickr)
The first receiver selected was Robert Woods, who came out of the team's first pick in the second round (41st overall).
Woods, a proven product with nearly 3,000 receiving yards with the Trojans, showed he can be effective on the outside or in the slot with USC, giving the Bills some much-needed versatility in the passing game.
With the fourth-most receptions in college football last year and 32 touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career, the tall, 200-pound receiver looks to be a solid complement to Johnson.
In the speedster department, the team couldn't have done much better, adding Texas receiver and Olympic track star Marquise Goodwin in the third round (78th). Goodwin is a complement to T.J. Graham, the team's second round pick in 2012, and he was used in numerous ways in the Longhorns offensive scheme, getting touches as a wideout, running back and return specialist.
Versatility is likely the name of the game here with the multi-talented Goodwin, as the added speed will likely be an instant bump to the team's already deadly special teams squad. Goodwin will join playmaker Leodis McKelvin on punt and kick returns, where Buffalo ranked fourth and first overall last season, respectively.
Buffalo's passing game was ranked 25th last year, dealing with injuries from the recently departed David Nelson and Donald Jones and an ineffective scheme under coach Chan Gailey. The additions add depth and speed to a squad in desperate need of some help, though it will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator and now-veteran Stevie Johnson handle the array of young, inexperienced talent on the depth chart.
Follow Dan @DanBegnoche
Tags: Buffalo Bills, Marquise Goodwin, Robert Woods


Size is often one of the most important factors in choosing garage door openers Glendale CA. However, you can't rely on size alone when selecting a garage door opener. A single door made of a heavy material like solid wood may require more horsepower than a door made of lighter material like vinyl. Our inventory also includes direct drive, screw, chain, and belt openers. Which drive type you choose will depend on what is most important to you: reliability, quiet operation, cost, or aesthetics.
While many aspects of your garage door opener fall into the out of sight, out of mind category, the remote isn't one of them. You might be excited to get a multi-function remote that can also control your gate, or you might be satisfied with a simple one button remote. Some of the newest garage door openers have keypad access so you don't necessarily need a remote at all. We'll help you find the remote that offers the mix of features that's best for you.
You can come to Carroll Garage Doors with any kind of garage door opener problems you may have, whether they are related to the opener motor, the tracks, the remote, or any other feature. Our skilled technicians are able to service all kinds of openers and remotes and repair common problems. We can even offer you scheduled preventative maintenance to keep your opener system working better longer. This service would include safety inspections, battery replacements, and opener motor tuneups.


text:
Q: Adding a header to all swagger requests I am currently adding swagger to an old project and I would like to add a header to all requests.
The application has a filter that checks if your app version is high enough and thus requires the clients to send in a version header.
Is it possible to add this to all requests or do I have to rewrite all endpoints to have this header parameter(there is a lot of them). Would be really nice to have a global header parameter.
Should be added that I would like to do this in Java and not change the json/yaml directly

A: You can add global operational parameters in your Docket configuration as done in last line - .globalOperationParameters(operationParameters()),
I am showing broader configuration but your focus for this question should be only last line.
@Bean
    public Docket swaggerPlugin() {
    return new Docket(DocumentationType.SWAGGER_2)
        .select()
        .paths(PathSelectors.any())
        .apis(Predicates.or(
            RequestHandlerSelectors
                .basePackage(....),
            RequestHandlerSelectors
                .basePackage(....)))
        .build().directModelSubstitute(LocalDate.class, String.class)
        .genericModelSubstitutes(ResponseEntity.class)
        .apiInfo(apiInfo())
        .securitySchemes(Lists.newArrayList(apiKey()))
        .securityContexts(Arrays.asList(securityContext()))
        .globalOperationParameters(operationParameters());
    }

private List<Parameter> operationParameters() {
    List<Parameter> headers = new ArrayList<>();
    headers.add(new ParameterBuilder().name("HEADER_1")
        .description("HEADER_1 DESC")
        .modelRef(new ModelRef("string")).parameterType("header")
        .required(false).build());

    headers.add(new ParameterBuilder().name("HEADER_2")
        .description("HEADER_2 DESC")
        .modelRef(new ModelRef("string")).parameterType("header")
        .required(false).defaultValue("0").build());
    return headers;
    }

As illustrated, default value can also be provided. Also, these two headers will be visible on Swagger UI as text fields & values can be entered manually for each request.


Ryan Reaves casually pulling a tooth out, Tarasenko humbly giving credit to his teammates, and Captain David Backes battling like a gladiator in front of the net, defines what it means to play for the St. Louis Blues. No flash, just hard work. It takes grit and spirit to accept your hits day-in and day-out while chasing that ever elusive championship. The team's work ethic has not only come to represent what blues music means but also what it means to call St. Louis home.
Originally, Blues music arose from Black communities in the South. It sprouted from slaves, ex-slaves, and grew through their children, who moved north to places like Chicago and St. Louis. The work-song beginnings slowly transitioned to symbolize personal hardship endured during the 30s and 40s. In its essence, blues music has always been about catharsis—a means of expression that helps an individual or group momentarily overcome their environment.
Does this sound like self-pity? Far from it. Blues music is a way for humans to connect and empathize with each other—even share joy. By adding a little swagger to the moan of an electric guitar, a small bit of grit gets passed along to the listener. The audience extracts pleasure out of listening to another's pain (schadenfreude is the German word for it) by relating to the artist and putting their own challenges in perspective.
The same goes for the team named after this musical legacy. Though we anxiously wait for a parade and endure bitter disappointments, every game is still worth playing (or watching). Each battle at Scottrade has the potential to momentarily unite a crowd of 20,000 fans and the city behind it.
While the blues, both in music and in hockey, represents our region's painful legacy of racial injustice and economic pitfalls, it also represents something more. The blues represents overcoming pain and living on in hopes of a better future. 'Bleeding Blue' means we all share the same blood—no matter our skin color, our high school, our age, or our job. As the organization recognizes this is 'our team, our town,' and our legacy.
What our legacy becomes depends on how we overcome our losses. It is hypocritical to call ourselves St. Louis Blues/Cardinals/Rams fans and reject the reunification of the County and City. Whether we win or lose it is time to lace up those skates, tune up those guitars, wipe away our tears, and get to work. We can listen to our history and beat as one heart—or we can ignore our wounds and slowly bleed out. Pull your tooth out, get a few stitches, and start living St. Louis Strong.


text:
Basketball Latest News | UMaine College GOP | Bangor Metro | Susan Collins | Today's Paper
Former UMaine men's basketball coach Rudy Keeling dies at age 64
University of Maine | BDN
Former University of Maine head men's basketball coach Rudy Keeling died Saturday at age 64.
By Joe McLaughlin, BDN Staff • July 7, 2013 4:49 pm
Updated: July 7, 2013 6:32 pm
ORONO, Maine — Respect and fairness were two characteristics that stood out in former University of Maine men's basketball coach Rudy Keeling, according to two of his former players, Matt Rossignol and Dean Smith.
Keeling, 64, died at his home in Londonderry, N.H., Saturday after a brief illness, according to a news release from the University of Maine.
Keeling served as head coach at Maine from 1988-1996 where he compiled a record of 104-124. He earned North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1993-94 while leading UMaine to a school-record 20 wins.
Keeling faced a challenge of replacing longtime UMaine coach Skip Chappelle, who coached the Black Bears from 1971-88.
The new players were concerned that Keeling would come in and make sweeping changes, but their fears were soon allayed, according to Rossignol.
"I enjoyed playing for him very much and had a tremendous amount of respect for him even though I just had him for my senior year," Rossignol said. "Some of us were worried that he would come in and clean house, that the players left over from coach Chappelle would be put to the wayside. He didn't do that. He named me a captain. That left impression on me."
Rossignol, a former Van Buren High School standout who now coaches the school's girls basketball team, went on to average 13.7 points during his senior year for Keeling.
Smith recalled Keeling for the opportunities he helped the former Foxcroft Academy standout to pursue, both athletically and academically.
"For me, the biggest thing that he brought was a level of fairness," said Smith, who played his junior and senior seasons for Keeling.
"He was a coach who really appreciated effort and loyalty from coach to player and player to coach. He gave me the opportunity to play at the highest level that I could bring my game to."
In his senior year, Smith won the prestigious Walter Byers Award, given to the nation's top scholar-athlete. He also led Maine in scoring that season, averaging 19.1 points per game.
"[Keeling] was very fair in how he treated players on and off the court," Smith recalled. "His fairness, in my case dealt with my pretty demanding educational schedule. He understood the student-athlete aspect was the biggest aspect. He allowed me to miss some practices when I needed the time for my course work."
Both Rossignol and Smith liked Keeling's coaching style.
"Any time we played he expected that we would do our best to represent the University of Maine. I remember a Blue-White game when he didn't think we were being as serious as we should and he took us into the locker room and let us have it,'' Rossignol said. "He was also able to delegate authority, like putting Mike Jaskulski in charge of defense. That showed he had confidence in himself."
Smith also remembered that Keeling could be intense when he felt it was necessary.
"For the most part, he was very level headed. He expected people to be able to understand and grasp his concepts," said Smith, who is now the owner and vice-president for engineering at Orono Spectral Solutions. "He had more of an intellectual style and had high expectations on how to execute plays."
Current Maine men's basketball coach Ted Woodward said in a news release that "the Black Bear men's basketball program, and the entire UMaine community is deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of coach Keeling. He was an outstanding coach, a first-class person and representative of the University of Maine, and a beloved and highly respected member of the entire basketball coaching community.
Woodward added that Keeling "touched many lives of young people here at Maine, was an outstanding example of character, integrity, and intelligence, and his influence has, and will continue to be felt throughout our great school and all of college athletics," Woodward said. "It has always been an honor to follow in his footsteps at the University of Maine and the wonderful example he provided daily and throughout his career. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and to all the outstanding young men who had the tremendous opportunity to be coached and mentored by him."
Following his time at the University of Maine, Keeling was head coach at Northeastern University for five seasons. Prior to Maine, Keeling served as an assistant coach at both Marquette University and Bradley University.
After Northeastern, Keeling served as athletic director at Emerson College in Boston. In May of 2007, he was named the commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, where he served until this past January.
Keeling graduated from Quincy College in Illinois in 1970. He and his wife, Jane, raised four children.
When Keeling was hired for the ECAC post, he received words of support from Kevin White, current athletic director at Duke, who served as UMaine's AD from 1987-91.
"Rudy Keeling will provide great leadership to the ECAC," White said. "Without question, he is strong and determined, very bright and clearly passionate about intercollegiate athletics. Rudy's vast experiences in both administration and coaching will serve his unique constituency."
As ECAC commissioner, Keeling was responsible for providing leadership, direction, consultation and support for the conference's programs. During his tenure, he was instrumental in the formation of the Division II Lacrosse League, expanding Division I Lacrosse membership, creating the Holiday Festival Basketball Tournament at Walt Disney World, the Labor Day Soccer Classic and establishing the ECAC as the host for the NCAA Division I men's hockey Frozen Four in 2014, according to an ECAC news release.
The release added that Keeling consistently represented the ECAC and its constituency in the highest manner to other national, regional and local athletics governing bodies and educational institutions, as well as private and public organizations.
Binghamton holds off UMaine women's basketball team
Championship hockey foes collide in rare regular-season showdown
Porter propels Southern Aroostook's pursuit of another girls basketball title
Rumble at The Ballpark wrestling event returns to Old Orchard Beach
Friday's high school swimming results


10 Allowance Questions Parents Love to Debate. Join the Chat!
by Bill Dwight on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 9:13 PM | LEAVE A COMMENT!
Want to spark an animated debate? Just broach the topic of allowance in a room full of parents. Allowance is one of those hot button words that never fails to elicit passionate opinions. That's because it stands at the volatile intersection of three things parents care deeply about: money, kids, and values.
So we're bringing parents from across the twittersphere together into one big virtual room to really stir things up! FamZoo and The Centsables are hosting an #Allowance chat on Twitter to mark the final week of National Financial Literacy Month. Join us and a tweet-load of other passionate parents on Tuesday, April 28th at 9am Pacific / noon Eastern time.
"Allowance" can be a hot button word. Why? Should we call it something else?
What should kids learn from an allowance?
What's the best age for a child to start receiving allowance? The best age to stop?
Should kids work for their allowance?
What's the right amount for an allowance? Should it change with age?
What's the best frequency for an allowance? Weekly? Biweekly? Monthly?
Should parents have a say in how children spend their allowance?
What are common mistakes parents make with allowance?
What are some ways, other than allowance, to teach kids about money?
What are some good resources to help parents develop an effective allowance system?
If you'd like some help collecting your thoughts beforehand, check out my perspective on some of these classic allowance topics at my Family Finance FAQs page.
To monitor the chat stream, you can simply search for the hashtag #allowance using your favorite twitter client. To lob your thoughts into the fray, just issue a tweet that includes the hashtag #allowance somewhere in the text.
On the desktop, I like to participate in chats using TweetDeck. I open up a dedicated search column that isolates the tweets from the chat into a single stream.
tap on Tweet #allowance at the bottom of the screen to throw your tweet into the mix.
Looking for more comprehensive tips ranging from chat tools to chat etiquette? Check out this Twitter Chat 101 article.
We're hoping to see your tweets on Tuesday. If you can't make it (or even if you can), come back here afterwards. I'll be updating this post with the highlights. Feel free to weigh in with your opinion in the comments below as well.
Let the Great #Allowance Twitter Debate begin!
[Update: 4/29/2015] Here's a full transcript of the #Allowance Chat. If you can't see it embedded below, just click here.


We integrate Lightspeed POS with Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, NopCommerce, Amazon, eBay, Farfetch, Fancy, Souq, SmartEtailing stores.
Cross Stitch partnered with 24Seven Commerce to integrate RetailPro and NopCommerce platforms. Automated data syncs between Offline Store and Online Stores.
Favorite Music Tere naal love ho gya.
Favorite Quotations What is life?
About Me 24Seven Shopping Cart provides Point-of-Sale (POS) Ecommerce Integration with multiple features to promote offline and online business.
Integrate MS RMS & RMH POS system with eCommerce Shopping Carts and Online Marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Farfetch, Souq, ChannelAdvisor.
24Seven Commerce is now friends with chandra sekhar c.
24Seven Commerce is now friends with Yo Yo avi.
24Seven Commerce is now friends with BHOLESWAR SAHOO.
24Seven Commerce Sync nopCommerce with Retail Pro, RMS, TallySoft, TallyERP, Visual Retail Plus, Keystroke, YellowDog point-of-sale systems. Upload products; download orders.
Visit for more information: ... moreSync nopCommerce with Retail Pro, RMS, TallySoft, TallyERP, Visual Retail Plus, Keystroke, YellowDog point-of-sale systems. Upload products; download orders.
24Seven Commerce shared 24Seven Commerce's link.
timir patel and Sourabh Vashistha like this.
24Seven Commerce Shopify Integration to Point of Sale (#POS).
24Seven Commerce, timir patel, and Sourabh Vashistha like this.
24Seven Commerce WooCommerce Integration to Point of Sale.
24Seven Commerce and timir patel like this.
Save your money and time by using 24Seven Commerce #RetailPro Magento integration. 24Seven Commerce sync Retail Pro system to Magento that eliminate manual data entry and publish Retail Pro POS items to Magento with a single click.
Get the latest tips and information on Search Engine Optimization/Development/Retail Management System/Shopping Cart Integrations and More Interesting News.
24Seven Commerce 24Seven Commerceis a Retail Pro® development partner, providing an e-commerce platform specifically for brick-and-mortar retailers.
Retail POS Partners | We offer complete, turnkey solutions for retail POS system installation and support.
24Seven Commerce Integrate Retail Pro with Ecommerce.
24Seven Commerce and soumya de like this.
24Seven Commerce Single Store #RMS Integrated #eCommerceSolution for Quilted Threads.
24Seven Commerce and sreejith s like this.
24Seven Commerce and mani sugan like this.
Integrate Ecommerce with Retail Pro, Microsoft RMS, Tally ERP and Yellow Dog.


In the midst of the budget crisis in Washington, home energy tax credits were retained for the 2012 tax year. That means you can claim a 10% credit for up to $5,000 worth of qualified energy-efficient improvements, including replacement windows and doors; Energy Star appliances; insulation; and installing more energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.
• Energy-efficient features are nice to have, but they're not necessarily compelling to potential buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors. Do not expect a high resale return on new replacement windows and doors.
• If you are selling soon, do translate the benefits of energy-efficient features to money saved monthly through trimmed utility bills. If you hope to include these improvements in a sales package about your house, show the before-and-after cost savings captured by the improvements. This will illustrate to buyers the potentially higher cost of houses with less energy-efficient features, making your house a stronger candidate by comparison. And by breaking down the monthly utility cost, buyers can closely estimate the cost of owning the house.
• Remember that tax credits for energy-efficient upgrades are cumulative for the past several years, topping out at $500. Review your credits for the past several years to make sure you are claiming up to that $500 total.


PLEASE READ THIS AND SHARE TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW. THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO CHOSE YOUR OWN BODY SHOP FOR REPAIR WORK TO BE COMPLETED!!!!
******UPDATE: TUNE IN TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10TH AT 8PM EST OR 7PM CST! CNN HAS MOVED THIS PIECE ON AUTOBODY LITIGATION. ITS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST TO TUNE IN AND WATCH THIS ON CNN AND LEARN YOUR RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING YOUR AUTOMOBILE REPAIRED!!!
Finally the time has come, even with all the political and financial pressures the insurance industry has been placing on CNN to NOT show the first of a very educational and important documentary, it will be showing Nationwide tonight, Monday February 9th, at 8:00pm EST on the Anderson Cooper Show !!!
This CNN undercover documentary will reveal what many of us have been facing, and testifying about for several years now ... that is what's really happening to consumers when they have an accident, have to file a claim with their, or the other insurance company, then get pressured, lied to, and steered by the insurance company to one of "their preferred network" repair facilities.
If you are on Facebook, you may have been seeing an increase of posts about this over the last few years ... the posts often graphically show the "preferred network shops" of the insurance companies that have private 3rd party deals, do whatever the insurance company mandates to cut their claims costs just to raise their profits by billions, regardless of placing the consumer at risk, compromising their safety, and their family's safety in another accident.
As collision repair professionals, we know today's vehicles have very advanced technologies built into their structural design, and many of the replacement parts should only be replaced with New OEM parts that have been tested, plus many of the repairs today require using special equipment, and may require special training and certifications, yet the insurance company typically does everything they can to convince consumers, that "repairs are repairs" and "parts are parts" ... regardless of what the manufacturers state in their repair guidelines, or what testing they have done.
They know that if the vehicle is not repaired properly using the correct parts, equipment, and procedures that have been designed by the manufacturer to ensure the same performance again and again,.. the vehicle will most likely not perform as designed in another collision, resulting in air bags not deploying properly, the crash energy not being absorbed as it should, and resulting in serious or even fatal injuries to anyone in the vehicle.
Do they care about the consumer ? They continue to claim that it is to save their policyholders premium dollars, but what they don't mention is that even in their own association (PCI) in depth study and released report on the savings ... just on using inferior untested parts ... it would only change the average policyholder's premium to just under $25.00 per year if they only used new OEM parts !
All this is going to be revealed in the litigations currently in Federal Court in Orlando, and additional documentary follow-up Stories, it will then be clear that insurers are not doing this for the consumer, but for their own extreme profits.
NOW ... TO THE IMPORTANT PART ... CNN looks very closely at the number of hits and comments on their website after they air a story like this ... and this one is going to be looked at very closely with all the pressure the insurance industry has tried just to squelch it from airing.
So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE after the showing or even during, go to the CNN website and TELL CNN you want them to continue this series and get all the way to the bottom of this insurance greed that is placing all consumers at risk, causing loss of vehicle value, and steering consumers to repair shops that will just cut corners for them to stay on the top of the "preferred list".
Have everyone you know go to the website and LIKE the story ... from every computer they own ... their phone, laptop, tablet, and desktop ... even Smart TVs !
This is that important to the future safety of every vehicle owner and passenger in the world, as well to our Industry ... the power of the internet and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc ... CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE ... but only if all of us take a little time to show CNN how important this has become.
It is time to eliminate DRPs as they have evolved to, not allow insurers to steer consumers to a shop that they don't know or trust, and that consumers receives properly repaired vehicles, with quality tested parts, and receive full payment and service levels according to their auto insurance policy.
Finally the time has come ... Don't Miss the Chance.


Viewed 285, Downloaded 97 times. Free to try.
Viewed 277, Downloaded 71 times. Free.
Viewed 191, Downloaded 55 times. Free to try.
Viewed 286, Downloaded 108 times. Free to try.
Viewed 254, Downloaded 72 times. Free.
Viewed 242, Downloaded 87 times. Free to try.


So This was the scene this weekend. Four passengers my wife, five year old son, 6 month old son and I. We got hit at well its hard to estimate, it felt like we were bounced across the road. My five year old was sat at the point of impact and hit his head on the window.
Before I continue. Everyone is fine. All of us, my son does have a small bump on his head but he's had worse, I have a pain in the neck but how that was caused I can't say.
The other party phoned the police and someone went to the fire station and informed them there was a crash nearby involving a baby. So after both of those it was bedlam, we had three police cars turn up (one went later) and a fire engine and an ambulance. It was a little overkill but I was amazed and pleased at the speed of response we got. The fire peeps must have not had another call to go to as they spent time checking everyone over before the paramedics arrived and our car to see if its drivable, or leaking! Then one of the guys asked our little boy if he wanted to see in the fire engine. He went in the back and saw the breathing things and they put the mask on him. Which I have to admit was a really nice touch as he was really shook up by the whole thing and later said this was the worst day of his life. So the services later dissipated and left us with the police and they took details and we drove back home.
So I wonder what the NCAP rating for an Y reg clio. Considering the force of the impact and the amount of damage I'd say it was favourable. I wonder If it would be better in my '03 Mondeo (yes I own a ford and I love it (well this version the last version I despised)).
I think I can be thankful for ever increasing car safety. I can be thankful it was a small car that hit us and not a huge truck (for those who say SUV, its a bloody truck). I can be thankful for the emergency services. I can be thankful everyone is ok.
Will I be thankful for insurance companies is to be seen.


I am a sucker for anything sparkly, so I figured this was a good place to start! It seemed like a very simple project so I figured it was something M and I could do this afternoon while Val was napping. For the full project details, click here to go to the original poster's website.
Borax? WTF is Borax? I have never heard of this substance before I read the original post. It sounds like rat poison, or something from the 50s that was used to clean your tile grout. I was surprised how easy it was to actually find in the laundry detergent aisle of Target! I am not going to lie though, I was a little hesitant to even buy the stuff and use it in a craft because it is not something really want your kid handling. I had already told M that we were going to make this goop, so there was no turning back now as all I heard after camp was, "can we make the glitter goo now? Can we make the glitter goo now?
So we followed the easy steps and made, what Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom calls "Silly Putty" but I would call Astro Goo. It has a gelatinous consistency, not soft like Silly Putty. The whole project took about 4 minutes from start to finish and was fun for the 4 minutes, but once we made the gooey ball of sparkles we weren't sure what to do with it! It now sits in a ziploc bag where it has hardened a bit and actually taken the square shape of the bag itself.
Oh and I should mention that we did 6 ounces of glue to 6 ounces of water in the beginning, and the same measurements of Borax (1/2 teaspoon in 1/2 cup of warm water) and had the amount pictured below.
Overall I say it is a fun experiment to do with your kids (3+), but now I have a $5 giant container of Borax sitting in my pantry. I have a lot of Astro goo to make (or laundry to do as it is a detergent booster)!!
thanks for the information. i found your blog interesting..
The MP Board has decided the conduct the 12th Class Purak Examination for Arts, Commerce and Science Stream in the month of June/July. Those students now who are waiting for the MP Board Supplementary https://timetableguru.in, they can download the MPBSE 12th Supplementary Exam Date in the month of June. Here we are advising you should not waste your time and start preparation for the MP Board 2019 Supplementary Time Table Examination. Because you have not enough time for prepare your self for the exam. Male some notes and also get help from your elder brother and sisters to score qualifying marks in the exam.


text:
Home » TV & Movies » 'Bridgerton': The Dance Scenes Have a Much Deeper Meaning, According To Regé-Jean Page
'Bridgerton': The Dance Scenes Have a Much Deeper Meaning, According To Regé-Jean Page
It's official: viewers love Bridgerton. The Netflix series is Shonda Rhimes' interpretation of Julia Quinn's romance novels, and it is now one of Netflix's most successful series debuts ever.
The period piece will immediately remind viewers of Jane Austen films, particularly the 2005 Pride & Prejudice. And the series has one big thing in common with the Keira Knightly flick outside of its setting and fashion: extravagant dance scenes.
In a recent interview, star Regé-Jean Page broke down the deeper meaning behind the Bridgerton dance scenes.
[Spoiler alert: Bridgerton Season 1 spoilers ahead.]
Regé-Jean Page plays Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, in 'Bridgerton'
Dancing plays as big of a part in Bridgerton as sex (the show is based on a romance novel series, so sex was always going to be part of it). Page plays the perennial bachelor Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, alongside Phoebe Dynevor's Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest of the Bridgerton daughters.
They make a pact to pretend to be courting each other, so interested women will back off of Simon and Daphne will look more desirable to other suitors after her older brother scared them all away. It's a familiar tale, one that's made more interesting when combined with the stories of the show's vast catalogue of characters. Eventually Simon and Daphne fall in love. And Page said their feelings were made evident in the one place where feelings could be shown: while dancing.
"The dancing was a gift," Page said in an interview with Esquire. "Once you start dancing, you get to be honest. I think that's why dances are so central to these stories. They're not frivolous; they're the real heart and soul of the story, because everything else is a two-level dialogue where you say one thing and mean another. Then suddenly, there's this place where you can't hide. I think we learn the most about the characters on the dance floor."
'Bridgerton' addresses toxic masculinity
Another aspect of the dance scenes that are wildly different from the genre is the music. Rather than have period-appropriate music throughout the scenes, the show decided to include string covers of current pop music. Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next," Shawn Mendes' "In My Blood," and more can be heard throughout the rooms of the balls. It somehow just works.
The biggest thing that sets Bridgerton apart from the genre are the sex scenes. Page described the series as "funnier, faster, wittier, and unashamedly sexier" because of that aspect. He's also aware of the inherent misogyny of the time.
"We're telling the story from a perspective that's had four waves of feminism since this genre emerged," he told the outlet. "But even at that time, there was a revolution on the literary scene, with Mary Shelley stepping forward and Jane Austen taking up space. That feminist wave entered the imaginary world and shaped how we treat these archetypes."
Page's Simon is a different kind of leading man, as well. His backstory reveals the childhood emotional trauma he suffered at the hands of his father, informing his adult behavior and his desire to never marry. Unpacking his trauma and letting out his vulnerability is part of the Page loves about the character.
"One of the most exciting things about this project was to deconstruct what's perceived as masculine strength, because that's a conversation we're having right now," he said. "We're asking what masculinity is, and a lot of it is letting go of this constant projection of dominance. Simon holds an utterly self-destructive grudge, and the only way to defeat that is to release vulnerability. We're still trying to figure out how to let men be vulnerable, to realize there's strength in vulnerability, and that it's how you fill out the circle of masculinity."
Bridgerton has not yet been renewed for a second season by Netflix, but considering its in the top five of the streaming platform's most succcesful original series, more seasons seem all but locked in.
Lucy Fallon's ex 'deletes' Instagram as snaps of actress and Joe Weller emerge
Kurt Russell Kisses Goldie Hawn at Christmas Chronicles: Part 2 Premiere Ahead of Her 75th Birthday
Meet the cast of the new BBC One drama Us including Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves
Queen of the South: What happened to Don Epifanio's parents in Queen of the South?
EastEnders spoilers: Lola Pearce's secret exposed as she drops bombshell on Peter Beale?
Madonna has visited five countries in just three weeks despite strict Covid travel bans
2 Famous HGTV Stars Reveal Cheap, Easy Home Upgrades to Spruce Up Your Space


text:
Tepid response to auction for solar projects in Gujarat
With all bids quoting the same tariff, the winners were decided on the basis of the least subsidy — or viability gap funding.
June 27, 2016, 06:19 IST
NEW DELHI: Winning bids for solar projects in Gujarat remained stuck at Rs 4.43 per unit, the reserve price set for most of the recent auctions in India, suggesting that prices may have bottomed out. The contracts were awarded on the basis of the least subsidy sought.
The auction conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India for 160 MW of projects at the Charanka Solar Park in Gujarat (four projects of 40 MW each), was won by state-owned Gujarat Industries Power Co, which got 80 MW, Mahindra Renewables, which got 40 MW, and Orange Renewables.
With all bids quoting the same tariff, the winners were decided on the basis of the least subsidy — or viability gap funding. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy provides VGF up to Rs 1 crore per MW to solar developers.
Gujarat Industries sought VGF of Rs 67.99 lakh per MW for one project and Rs 69.75 lakh per MW for the other. Orange Renewables sought Rs 70.25 lakh per MW and Mahindra Rs 77.77 lakh per MW, a top official of SECI said. In four solar auctions held by SECI this year in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the tariffs quoted did not drop below below the reserve price of Rs 4.43 per unit.
The only exception was Bhageria Industries in Maharashtra, which won 30 MW with a bid of Rs 4.41per unit, without seeking VGF.
At an NTPC auction in the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan in January, the winning bids fell to Rs 4.34-4.36 per unit.
No other offers this year have gone below Rs 4.43 per kwH, probably indicating that that solar tariffs, after a steep fall in 2015, have temporarily bottomed out. Bhadla was a special case because it enjoys the highest solar radiation in the country. In the context of Gujarat, however, the tariff has fallen steeply from the last SECI auction in that state in 2014, when the winning bid was Rs 5.50 per kwH.
Gujarat was a pioneer in solar energy in India and for many years had the largest installed capacity to generate power from the sun among Indian states.
The Charanka Solar Park, built by the state government, was the first of its kind in the country and the model was adopted by SECI across the country. However, this is the first auction in the state in two years. Between May 2015 and 2016, Gujarat added only 115.31 MW of installed solar capacity, one of the lowest among states.
Solar Energy Corporation of India
Charanka solar park
Bhadla solar park
Most Read in Renewable
Siemens Gamesa, Siemens Energy tap hydrogen boom in wind alliance
World's largest floating solar project to start in MP by 2023: State Govt
Tata Power, SIDBI to finance MSMEs in rooftop solar segment
OPINION: Can the Indian steel industry Join the Hydrogen revolution?
Will invest across renewables, solar manufacturing, transmission in 2021: Sumant Sinha, ReNew Power


I simply had to thank you so much yet again. I do not know what I would have accomplished in the absence of the actual creative ideas contributed by you on such a question. It seemed to be the terrifying crisis for me personally, however , taking a look at this professional fashion you resolved it made me to jump over joy. I am thankful for this information and thus trust you realize what a great job your are doing teaching the others using your webblog. I'm certain you have never got to know all of us.
I as well as my friends were found to be going through the great suggestions located on your web blog and then all of a sudden got a horrible suspicion I had not expressed respect to the blog owner for those techniques. My ladies are already consequently thrilled to see them and have in effect honestly been tapping into these things. I appreciate you for genuinely well kind and then for selecting this form of extraordinary ideas millions of individuals are really desirous to understand about. My personal honest apologies for not saying thanks to earlier.
I and also my friends were found to be reading the best tricks located on the website and then suddenly developed a horrible suspicion I had not thanked the web blog owner for them. Most of the men are already glad to read them and have in effect actually been using them. We appreciate you simply being well helpful and then for finding such useful information most people are really needing to learn about. My very own honest regret for not expressing gratitude to earlier.
I want to show some appreciation to you for rescuing me from this type of issue. After looking throughout the the net and obtaining things which were not beneficial, I thought my life was done. Living without the presence of strategies to the difficulties you've solved through the report is a critical case, as well as ones that could have adversely damaged my entire career if I hadn't come across your blog. Your own skills and kindness in controlling a lot of stuff was excellent. I'm not sure what I would've done if I had not come across such a stuff like this. I am able to at this point look forward to my future. Thanks a lot so much for this expert and results-oriented guide. I will not think twice to endorse the website to anybody who would like direction on this situation.
My spouse and i have been now glad when Michael could deal with his inquiry from the ideas he acquired through the web page. It is now and again perplexing to just always be releasing things that the others have been selling. And now we figure out we need the blog owner to appreciate because of that. The entire explanations you made, the straightforward website navigation, the friendships your site assist to promote - it's most excellent, and it's really leading our son and our family believe that that subject matter is awesome, which is certainly incredibly mandatory. Thank you for everything!
I and also my guys have been taking note of the great tips located on your site while unexpectedly came up with a horrible suspicion I had not thanked the site owner for those secrets. Most of the guys happened to be consequently joyful to see all of them and now have truly been using them. Thanks for getting so considerate and then for obtaining certain beneficial guides most people are really desperate to discover. My sincere regret for not expressing appreciation to earlier.
Needed to post you the little note in order to say thanks yet again just for the precious information you've provided at this time. This has been certainly surprisingly open-handed with you to convey freely what numerous people would've advertised for an e book to end up making some money for themselves, most importantly considering the fact that you might have done it if you desired. These techniques also worked to become a great way to fully grasp that the rest have a similar passion similar to my own to see whole lot more on the topic of this issue. I believe there are millions of more pleasant instances up front for individuals who looked at your website.
My husband and i felt fulfilled Peter managed to do his investigation because of the ideas he was given from your own web pages. It is now and again perplexing to just possibly be giving for free helpful hints which often other folks could have been making money from. We really recognize we have the website owner to appreciate because of that. All the illustrations you have made, the easy web site menu, the friendships you make it easier to foster - it is most superb, and it's letting our son in addition to us do think this theme is fun, which is wonderfully vital. Thank you for the whole thing!
I precisely had to say thanks once more. I do not know the things that I could possibly have undertaken in the absence of those tricks shared by you concerning such situation. It was the frightening case for me personally, nevertheless observing the professional fashion you dealt with that forced me to jump for happiness. Extremely grateful for this work and even expect you are aware of a powerful job you have been putting in teaching people today thru your web page. I'm certain you've never come across any of us.
I have to show my respect for your kind-heartedness for those who require guidance on this topic. Your real commitment to getting the solution all-around ended up being astonishingly functional and has in every case permitted women much like me to achieve their goals. Your new valuable tutorial indicates a whole lot to me and much more to my mates. Thank you; from all of us.


text:
NEWSPolls
Poll: who should own pharmacies?
AJP wants to know who you think should be allowed to own pharmacies in Australia
With the public hearings held as part of Queensland's inquiry into the pharmacy sector wrapping up this week, there's been a lot of talk about the ownership rules.
While a number of issues are being discussed, including whether Queensland needs a Pharmacy Council and the full scope of practice for pharmacists, there's been significant focus on who should be permitted to own pharmacies in the state.
More than 200 submissions were made to the inquiry, most of which supported the current rules. Notable exceptions were those from Ramsay Pharmacy and Chemist Warehouse.
Ramsay's CEO Peter Giannopoulos told the hearing panel that Ramsay felt corporate entities such as itself should be permitted to own pharmacies, suggesting that economies of scale could improve access in some less economically attractive areas.
Mr Giannopoulos said Ramsay did not, however, support ownership by entities such as pharmaceutical manufacturers, as they would be "incentivised by the provision of product;" or supermarkets, due to the fact that they and related operations such as bottle shops sell products which are harmful to health.
Chemist Warehouse co-founder Damian Gance went one step further, saying that Australians don't care who owns pharmacies, and that supermarkets such as Woolworths might offer more professional services than an independent owner.
He also said there was a case for doctor ownership of pharmacies, citing the case of his pharmacist mother, who when she passed away was unable to leave her commercial interests to her GP daughter, Mr Gance's sister.
We'd like to know what you think. If there were to be any relaxation of the ownership rules – in Queensland as a result of the enquiry, or anywhere else in Australia – who should be allowed to own pharmacies? Tick as many boxes as apply.
Who should be able to own Australian pharmacies?*
Amazon and other online retailers
Corporate entities
Banner groups
Any fit and proper person
Chemist Warehouse GPs ownership rules Ramsay
Previous Next steps: Consultation on strong opioid use and misuse
Next Why older people should eat their greens