 Bisma Eight Ubud, Bali | FROM $212 - SAVE ON AGODA!
"Staff are great and location is close to town..."
Have a question for Bisma Eight Ubud?
"A wonderful boutique hotel very centrally located with staff who make staying at Bisma Eight a pleasant experience!"
"Breathtaking design of the public spaces and the hotel rooms..."
Stay at the Bisma Eight Ubud and treat your loved ones to a luxurious and unforgettable vacation. Equipped with a kids club, the property offers parents a secure childcare option to keep their little ones busy. From a concierge to a babysitting service, it has various convenient services, ensuring that you get the most out of your time in Bali. Looking out at the nature and garden, it has stunning scenery. It is near Ubud Market, Komaneka Gallery, Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud Palace, and Saraswati Temple.
With Asian and International restaurants nearby, you can enjoy different delicious cuisines during your trip. Featuring a bar, a coffee shop, restaurants on the property, BBQ facilities, and a poolside bar, the Bisma Eight Ubud offers a selection of dining and snacking choices. The property has several convenient features, such as safety deposit boxes, a currency exchange, a salon, a library, and a shrine. There's free Wi-Fi available in all rooms, as well as Wi-Fi in common areas, ensuring that visitors are always able to contact their friends and family back home without splashing out on foreign data charges. This property has a fitness center, a garden, and a spa, among other amazing facilities.
The Bisma Eight Ubud accommodates pets, saving you the hassle of finding the perfect pet sitter while you're away from home. If you want to spend the day simply relaxing and unwinding, get a massage nearby. With guided tours available, this property is a great place to stay to learn about your surroundings and see everything you can while you're here. It offers hiking, so you can enjoy a beautiful day outdoors. This property has facilities for disabled guests, is wheelchair accessible, and provides access to an elevator.
The front desk is open around the clock, ensuring that there is always someone on call to assist you with any questions whenever you may need. The Bisma Eight Ubud offers check-in from 02:00 PM and check-out until 12:00 PM. This property provides express and private check in and check out, allowing you to conveniently choose the option that best suits your needs. The nearest airports are Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) and Lombok International Airport (LOP), which are 28.5 km and 113.6 km away. Bangli Bus Terminal is 12.2 km away and Ubung Bus Terminal is 15.1 km away.
"Such a stunning place with great interior design, an amazing..."
Children under 5 years of age will receive breakfast free of charge.
Children aged 6-11 years old will be charged half the adult price for breakfast.
Bali island celebrates the Nyepi (Silent) Day, which is a day of absolute silence throughout the island. No outdoor activities are allowed including check-in and check-out at the properties. The Nyepi (Silent) Day will happen on March 17, 2018, March 6, 2019, March 25, 2020, March 14, 2021, and March 3, 2022.
I absolutely love staying in Bisma Eight. It always feels like home the soonest we stepped into the hotel. We were greeted by the warmest and friendliest staffs. In fact everyone who works there always has a smile on their faces. The second time we stayed here, we received a complimentary upgrade to Forest Suite which was just lovely. I would recommend those who are visiting Ubud to stay in Bisma Eight. Its a delightful experience, one which will make you have post holiday blues once you leave the hotel. I would absolutely stay in Bisma Eight again when I Visit Ubud the next time round. Thank you to the whole team for making each stay of mine an unforgettable and one that is filled with satisfaction.
Bisma Eight is a lovely place. The large suites with separate living space and large bathroom are terrific. Perfect for a couple or 2 friends. The infinity pool is nice but as we have a 7 year old boy we did find it a bit small and intimate for him to play freely.
I'm not sure I'd ever try going to Bali again during the December holiday season... but if I did I'd be happy to return to the comfortable environs of Bisma Eight. Staff are great and location is close to town... F&B excellent... and room was comfortable & quiet.
It's our first time to Bisma 8 Ubud and its beyond our expectations! Best food in Ubud and the staffs are exceptional! They were very helpful when my wife got sick (gastric + fever), i remember the receptionist who asking about my wife couple times, provided us complimentaries such as taxi to the nearest clinic and foods (ordered 3x chicken porridge since she couldn't eat anything besides that) for my wife. Thank you for the kind & caring gesture, we surely be back to bisma 8 for our next trip.
I wanted a special place to stay for 2 days with my wife after she returned from some time away. Bisma Eight is unique with a great design and feel. The staff were excellent the room and hot tub was amazing. However, we could hear noises like opening and closing doors from other rooms. The balcony view in the Forest room was not that great. And the light from the wardrobe was constantly on. It's a great boutique hotel, but we felt it was about 30% overpriced. overall we enjoyed our experience but won't stay again at that price.
Great breakfast. Too much choice. Friendly staff are a great asset. Restaurant bookings help too.
Nice, relax and comfortable place to unwind yourself. The staff are all very friendly and speaks English. However, the facilities area bit old and might need replacement/maintenance. About 1.5 hours car ride from the airport. ~20mins walking distance to the Ubud Art Market.
We had a lovely 3 days at Bisma Eight. The room was amazing. The gym is pretty good but a little basic. The pool setting is unreal!! The Copper Kitchen restaurant was delicious - the beef rendang was stunning. The food from the room service menu is very average and I would avoid ordering the burger or the afternoon tea from the pool bar - very flavourless food. The cocktails were a little hit and miss too. The staff are incredible and so helpful. The hotel is a little out of the hustle and bustle of Ubud but within walking distance of the town. Would definitely stay here again!!
Love everything about Bisma Eight! The room was huge with beautiful interior and we love the wooden bathtub! Breakfast selection was excellent and infinity pool with view to die for! We totally made the right choice by staying at Bisma!
Booked the suite, which was spacious. Pool tranquil. The food was 10/10 could not fault it. Close to main road and attractions but quiet. Staff were exceptional and could not do enough for you. Would definitely stay there again if in Ubud. Bali Ebikes right next door as well as scooter hire.
The room is quite spacious. Staffs are all friendly and welcoming. Getting into the hotel is quite tricky as you have to go thru a narrow road; otherwise, quite recommended.
Exceptional customer service. Thank you for the decoration and chocolate cake for our anniversary. The room is very spacious and comfortable. The wooden bathtub is definitely the highlight. The pool area is nice as well with delicious cocktail and snacks. The breakfast is tasty. We had one day at the restaurant and one day inside our room. Eating in the restaurant gives you more options for fresh juice but eating inside the room is more exclusive. Both are good experience. We took the complimentary yoga class and used their gym, a good way to stay fit.
We loved our stay here! Everything in the hotel is designed to calm and make you relax. I loved the garden pathway, the al fresco restaurants with views of the rice fields and forest and most specially the infinity pool. It's like every corner invites you to take a picture. The room is also great. We loved the super comfy bed, the Onsen bath tub and balcony overlooking the forest. We had our lunch and breakfast served here. Everything tasted and looked good. There's also free daily classes offered by the hotel. We were able to try the cooking and yoga classes. All of the staff were very friendly. If you will stay here in Bali, it's recommended you have a staycation of at least one day in Bisma Eight Ubud.
Location is good walking distance to the crowded restaurants n shops. But if you like more fun rent a bike just outside the hotel.. makes your journey much more convenient. Love the breakfast. Kids love the big Japanese tub. Only 1 advice maybe a little dark when walking at night back to room. Need more lights, old people and kids might trip.
We love every details about their furniture and design. Everything was so thoughtfully executed. They pampered every sense we have: sight, smell, tastebud, skin. Staffs were super friendly and helpful. Facilities were great. It's super memorable, I would definitely come back for more. We had the most memorable time in Ubud because of this hotel.
Bisma Eight is a wonderful property located on a quiet road of the main strip of Ubud, Bali. It's a short 5-10 minute walk to the downtown part of Ubud. But the location of the hotel makes it so attractive as a quiet oasis on the edge of the tropical rain forests. The best things about this place? The infinity pool, the service, and the restaurant. The rooms are pretty good too. We had a garden suite. We especially like the the bathroom with a traditional Japanese wooden, onsen-type tub. It does take a long time to fill up so beware. The restaurant serves up really delicious, nouveau cuisine and Indonesian standards. We also liked the breakfast simply because it was not your typical buffet but rather a la carte. Downsides -- some mosquitoes despite weekly fulmigation. But hey, you are on the edge of a jungle so what do you expect. The room service was not always consistent in providing us with the right amount of cutlery but the taste was just as good as having it in the restaurant. Would I recommend this place - definitely yes!


text:
Home National News NRA spox Dana Loesch blames everything but guns for school shootings
NRA spox Dana Loesch blames everything but guns for school shootings
Megan Hamilton
NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch. Photo by Gage Skidmore, license CC SA 2.0 via Flickr
NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch blames psychotropic drugs — not guns — for the shooting that killed one student and injured eight others at a school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado earlier this week. It's a talking point for many right-wing conspiracy theorists who typically spout this on sites like Infowars.
Student Kendrick Castillo, 18, died in the May 7 shooting at a Highlands Ranch STEM school when he and another student, Brendan Bialy, 17, reportedly tried to tackle one of the alleged shooters and were aided by another student who remains unidentified, Media Matters for America (MMFA) reports. Castillo was shot after rushing one of the shooters and died at the hospital.
Claim Your Free Gift!
Free Dump Trump Toilet Paper
As a Thank You to our readers we're giving away a Free Gift this Holiday season!
Claim Free Gift
Gift in partnership with blueisbest.net
But right after the shooting, Loesch, who's also an NRATV host, appeared on Fox News and blamed gun safety activists, accusing them of politicizing the tragedy by condemning gun violence on Twitter. On Fox & Friends May 9 to cite possible causes such as "respect for life," the "lack of boundaries for our youth," and the "lack of that solid family home."
Next on her list of everything-but-guns? Psychotropic drugs. She contended the drugs may be another reason school shootings are on the rise and suggested one of the shooters was "abusing illegal drugs."
Co-host Ainsley Earnhardt asked Loesch what the problem was.
"You said there is a 'heart problem' in our country," Earnhardt said. "How do we prevent this from happening again?"
Loesch responded with crocodile tears by talking about Kendrick Castillo. She noted Castillo is the same age as her own son and added that both young men were due to graduate this week.
"So you know, as a mother you look at every other single kid out there — and you know this Ainsley, every single kid out there is your own child," Loesch said. "And it makes me so angry his life was taken so prematurely from him by someone so evil and so horrendous. And I think that's — I wish that is the discussion we could have in this country."
However, statistics from the Giffords Law Center would have you know that firearm injuries kill 18 kids and young adults (24 years and younger) every day in the U.S. Additionally, children and young adults comprise 38 percent of all firearm deaths and non-fatal injuries. And an estimated 4.6 million minors in the U.S. live in homes where there's at least one unlocked, loaded firearm.
So perhaps we should have a discussion about THAT. Perhaps Castillo would still be with us if people like Loesch and other gun rights activists stopped impeding real progress to prevent these tragedies.
But Loesch relies on the broken home-broken family mantra that is so familiar to right-wingers. And she claims psychotropic drugs may have something to do with this.
"There is something wrong with our youth, everybody. There is something that is happening in our culture because we have always had firearms, but we have never had this many incidents," she said. "We also have more restrictive gun laws and more regulations. I mean, Colorado has a lot of gun laws. We have a number of things that are taking place. But what we are lacking is a respect for life. What we are lacking are clear boundaries for our youth. We're lacking that solid family home, and I don't know if all of this or some of this is playing into why we keep seeing individuals reacting this way."
While she gets this partially correct, the fact is that gun control laws in Colorado remain almost unchanged in the 20 years after the massacre at Columbine High School killed 13 people, Vox notes. So no, Colorado does not have a lot of gun laws.
And the NRA and Republican officials have largely blocked Congress from any meaningful legislation. Writing for Vox, German Lopez notes:
"In the two decades since Columbine, America has not appreciably its gun laws at the national level, besides letting an assault weapons ban expire."
But that appears to be lost on Loesch. She goes on to blame psychotropic drugs. And she took the time to do a little pandering for her employers, the NRA.
"Is it psychotropic drugs? We know a couple of things that one of the individuals apparently, according to reports in law enforcement, had been abusing illegal drugs and was in therapy," she said. "If we're gonna discuss warning signs, how about that? They stole two handguns, they're illegal to carry and possess by people under age 21. And I hope, by the way, that more people check out the NRA School Shield Program so we can get more armed security guards in some more of these schools so that we can prevent anything like this from ever happening again."
And after all, the NRA is hemorrhaging money, so checking out their programs might continue to pay Loesch's salary for a while longer. One wonders how many innocent people will continue to die while the NRA fills its coffers.
Featured image by Gage Skidmore, license CC SA 2.0 via Flickr
Giffords Law Center
gun rights activists
NRATV
Previous articleTrump says he may have AG Barr investigate Joe Biden since he's leading in the polls
Next articleAOC stunned after receiving heartfelt support from Trump fans
Megan has traveled extensively across the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. She makes her living upsetting conservatives and caring for too many cats and two dogs. When she has time, she eats spammers.
Pence staffer declares Trump can't be racist because he named Elaine Chao Secretary of Transportation
Trump issues new rule that will end asylum protections for immigrants from Central America
Trump would lose to Biden, Sanders and Warren says new poll
Latest thing one can't do when black — Be a policeman in full uniform

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said Sunday he feels the firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe may be justified, contrary to his party's messaging in the last two days.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said on ABC's "This Week" said he's waiting to see more information on McCabe's dismissal before making an ultimate judgment. Democrats and ex-intelligence officials have roundly criticized the decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions — seen as imposed by President Trump — to fire McCabe two days before his pension would have vested.
"You know, his firing may be justified," Schiff said.


2: Story Behind the Photos: Quiet Riot. You would have to live under a rock to not know teaching and learning are under attack in this country. As teachers we feel helpless. Cogs in a machine helpless. Jen, Larisa, and I quietly boarded a coach early in the morning in East Syracuse and sped off to our state capital. It was like heading into war. Bus after bus of soldiers. No guns, our weapons, were markers and grammatically correct signage. A polite group of people who were sick and tired, of being sick and tired. You could see it on their faces. We knew complaining about our plight in the teachers' lounge was going to bring no relief, but how on earth would shaking a sign matter? We went that day to make a very small ripple in the universe. There was an uneasiness in the group as we stepped off the last stair and were led to the rally. We had never trained; teachers are good at turning the other cheek. I brought my camera to tell the story. I walked around the reflecting pool of Empire State Plaza and headed to the back of the crowd. It was a huge concrete oasis, unusual buildings with large facades lining the rectangle. There was a lot of shouting and lots of signs and I had to get away. My introvert kicked in and I needed quiet time. I walked to the back, what seemed like miles away from the shouting crowds. You could hear the megaphones in the far distance. On my way back I spotted this man, sitting on a bench, fighting his own way. No screaming, no shouting. Just a determined man with his Diet Coke. I asked if I could take his picture, and he quietly said yes. I wonder what he taught? Was he an introvert or a pacifist? He held his NYSUT umbrella and fought the good fight. He was making a ripple in the universe. I wish I had asked him his story, I bet it was a good one. Here is the photo of the man that day.


text:
Q: JSON decode troubles, PHP I've already saw here lots of topics; but they are not very close to my situation.
So I can't decode json with php (result is NULL and error is JSON_ERROR_SYNTAX), here is this json: http://pastebin.com/7XUZB0Px
Json seems to be valid:
I tried to validate it with http://json.parser.online.fr/ and with http://jsonlint.com/ and it's all ok; but however json_decode() doesn't work.
So my php try: http://codepad.org/DBxjihgE
Thx a lot for your help!
p.s. sry for lots of links - json is rather big, and example too.
EDITED
There was a comment (deleted now) to add a stripslashes(); this idea helped, have no idea why it works.

A: Try the below one you need to stripslashes()
$str = '<JSON STRING>';
$str = stripslashes($str);
$data = json_decode($str,true);

var_dump($data);

A: json_encode and json_decode requires the string to be UTF8 encoded.
It seems like you are using Russian letters in the json, it either get converted by the json_encode into a char sequence like \u0414\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0432\u043a\u0430 or you do it manually.
The JSON string wont be accepted by json_decode due to the slashes, you can, as others suggest, remove the slashes, but this will mess up the converted Russian characters.
If you escape the slashes on the strings that are russian, so instead of \u0414 you get \\u0414, the json string will be accepted. This will though have to be done before converting the object into a json string with json_encode.
This should let you use json_decode on the string and get the correct values in the resulting array, with the Russian char sequence still "intact".

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Flex seamlessly becomes one with your skin — without caking or creasing — thanks to a combo of tiny bendable spheres and elastic marshmallow root powder (the ingredient that gives the candy its squishy abilities).
Get full coverage with Flex. The long-wear, medium-to-full coverage formula can take on anything you've got — from under eyes to over blemishes.
Infused with blue lotus to moisturize and chamomile to calm skin. Do something good for your face.
Marshmallow root powder, chamomile, blue lotus, and more. See full ingredient list.
Dot doe foot applicator to under-eye area in the shape of an upside down triangle, or dot on targeted areas to conceal blemishes, redness, and hyperpigmentation.
Blend into skin with fingers, brush, or sponge for medium-to-full coverage.
Layer as necessary to cover and calm skin. No creasing or caking in sight.


Black History Month is a time for African-Americans to reflect and become inspired by the figures from the past who helped shaped American history.
Instead of only focusing on the heroes from history, theGrio decided to track down some of the living descendants of well-known African-American historical figures to find out what it is like being related to some of most the influential people in history.
TheGrio was able to locate ten different descendants who come from the lineages of some America's important black historical figures' families.
How do we teach black history in the future?
Beautyshop Buzz: How do you celebrate Black History Month?
This entry was posted in Black History and tagged history. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
How 'Drag Race' Pulled Off That Jaw-Dropping Season Premiere Performance
The reality TV competition earned six Emmy nominations for "I'm That Bitch"
Lawrence Yee | August 25, 2020 @ 3:01 PM	Last Updated: August 26, 2020 @ 12:03 PM
Photo credit: VH1
With its sassy hook and back-bending choreography, it's easy to see why the "Drag Race" performance of "I'm That Bitch" enamored RuPaul, the panel, guest judge Nicki Minaj and the Television Academy, earning a whopping six Emmy nominations.
But the jaw-dropping routine would've looked very different had Minaj been secured for the Season 12 opener, TheWrap can exclusively reveal.
Beginning with Lady Gaga in Season 9, "RuPaul's Drag Race" has invited pop culture icons to serve as judges for the premiere: Season 10 had Christina Aguilera and Season 11 Miley Cyrus.
"I will give you a little production tea about this first episode," co-executive producer Mandy Salangsang teased. "Prior to securing her as our premiere judge, this was actually going to be a country song," she revealed. "We had envisioned 'I'm That Bitch' as a country-rock challenge until Nicki Minaj was firmed up. The drag angels must've been looking down on us. So many of those queens were tremendous fans of Nicki's. They were so inspired by her and so excited and nervous about performing in front of her they really brought their A-game."
Those seven queens were Brita, Crystal Methyd, Gigi Goode, Heidi N Closet, Jackie Cox, Nicky Doll (who revealed her drag name was inspired by the Young Money rapper) and Widow Von'Du. (Editors note: The other six contestants were introduced in Episode 2.)
Also Read: Chi Chi DeVayne, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Contestant, Dies at 34
What's most remarkable about their "I'm That Bitch" performance is that it was the very first group challenge; the contestants had only just introduced themselves to each other and the viewers, via their entrances and an initial fashion show.
"In the course of a premiere episode, you are introducing yourself to the world. You are showcasing two runway looks right off the bat in a fashion show, and then put to the test where you are writing and recording lyrics to a new track to introduce yourself, working with a group of co-competitors — strangers to you, at this point — to choreograph an amazing number to a new track in front of Nicki Minaj," Salangsang explained. "It was absolutely an ambitious undertaking on the production standpoint and these queens. For most of the,m it was their introduction to television at all."
In addition to the pressure of performing, there was some drama — which, of course, the cameras captured. Gigi struggled with the fact that she couldn't dance, while seasoned queen Widow worried their routine would be too simple. Widow also clashed with Heidi over who would lead. On top of it all, Heidi suffered a terrible allergic reaction (she surmised the culprit was kale, which she had never eaten prior to the show) and had to go to the hospital between rehearsal night and performance day.
Still, Salangsang credits the queens for pulling off such an extraordinary performance: "Most of them do stage performances at home. They quickly step up to the plate and deliver."
The contestants also delivered on looks as well, which were drawn from their own wardrobes.
"In advance of them arriving, we don't give away the challenges, but we do ask them to pack certain items we intend for them to wear at certain times," Salangsang explained. "We knew there would be this performance number and those were the looks they pulled together for a music video/dancing queen challenge."
Brita, Nicky Doll, Widow Von'Du, Jackie Cox, Gigi Goode, Crystal Methyd and Heidi N Closet perform "I'm That Bitch" in the Season 12 premiere of "Drag Race" (Photo credit: VH1)
Whether it was coincidence or drag angels, their outfits coordinated astonishingly well: Gigi and Crystal both wore leopard print; Heidi, Jackie and Brita matched in metallics; and Widow and Nicki drew from the same pink and yellow palette.
Salangsang also had nothing but praise for Minaj, whom she called "incredible." Her presence, like the costumes, elevated the performance even more. Salangsang said, "She was extraordinarily gracious and generous with her time. She came early and ready and engaged. What you see there on camera are sincere and legitimate reactions from her. These queens really wanted to turn it out and impress and they were giving their absolute best in the moment."
Later in the episode, Minaj added her own lyrics to "I'm That Bitch," which she read aloud at the judge's table.
"She came prepared with a rap to be part of it as well, realizing and recognizing and feeling immersed in this moment," Salangsang recalled. "We knew something special was coming together."
What also made the particular premiere special was there was no elimination. Instead, Gigi and Widow were named the top 2 performers of the week. They competed in a head-to-head lip-sync to Minaj's "Starships," with Widow prevailing and winning a $5,000 cash tip.
"To end an episode by not losing one to elimination, but knowing I get to see more, is so fun," Salangsang said. "With an episode like that, we just get to scratch the surface, and it sets up a season full of vibrant and compelling queens with such artistry and rich stories that we just want to continue to learn about — both as a producer who wants to showcase them and as a viewer who wants to be entertained."
The "I'm That Bitch" episode has earned Emmy nominations in the following categories: Outstanding Costumes For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program; Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program; Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program; Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program; Outstanding Contemporary Makeup For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program; Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Nonfiction Or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera).
Check out the full performance of "I'm That Bitch" from "RuPaul's Drag Race" below:
I'm That Bitch | #DragRace Season 12
Pass us the aux ASAP, because this is the only song worth pausing "Stupid Love" for tonight 👯♀🌈 #DragRace
Posted by RuPaul's Drag Race on Friday, February 28, 2020
'RuPaul's Drag Race': The Most Debatable Winners (Photos)
"RuPaul's Drag Race" -- the long-running reality TV competition that started on Logo and currently airs on VH1 -- has crowned many worthy winners.
These champions were able to channel their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to snatch the crown and title of America's Next Drag superstar.
TheWrap takes a look at some of the more debatable winners from "Drag Race" and its "All-Star" editions. We're not throwing shade at the winners; we just argue that they had fierce -- and sometimes title-worthy -- competition.
Tyra Sanchez over Raven (Season 2)
Tyra was young, beautiful and ambitious, but even she seemed surprised that she bested experienced queen Raven in the Season 2 finale. After her name was announced Tyra collapsed and started hyperventilating.
Tyra courted controversy over the years, and eventually quit drag entirely. Raven went on to far greater success, appearing on the inaugural "All Stars" edition (where she again placed second), hosting the digital Fashion RuView web series, and becoming RuPaul's make-up artist and creative producer on the show.
Raja Gemini over Manila Luzon (Season 3)
Raja -- who previously worked as a make-up artist on "America's Next Top Model" -- was one of the series' first bonafide high fashion queens.
Many thought runner-up Manila Luzon -- who herself had many memorable fashions and great comedic chops -- would've also been a worthy winner. Manila has since become a fan favorite (competing on two seasons of "All Stars") and considers Raja one of her close friends.
Jinkx Monsoon over Ro-Laska-Tox (Season 5)
Jinkx was the sleeper hit of the season; she literally has narcolepsy. She not only stood up to the powerful alliance of Roxxxy Andrews, Alaska and Detox -- the talented trio that made up Ro-Laska-Tox -- but ended up victorious in the end.
Alaska, who was visibly distraught after Jinkx was named the winner, would beat her teammates to win "All Stars" a few years later.
Violet Chachki over well, pretty much everyone else (Season 7)
Season 7 boasted an impressive cast that included pageant pro Kennedy Davenport, theater queen Ginger Minj, and the multi-talented Trixie Mattel and Katya -- all of whom would be deserving winners. But it was burlesque beauty Violet that was the polished gem that outshone the rest.
Bob the Drag Queen over Kim Chi/Naomi Smalls (Season 8)
Runners-up Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls are two of the most fashionable queens to ever grace the main stage, but it was Bob's humor and smarts that won her the crown, even though her looks were perhaps a notch below the competition's.
Sasha Velour over Shea Coulee, Peppermint, and Trinity Taylor (Season 9)
Season 9's final four is arguably the strongest in the show's history. It was the first season "Drag Race" introduced sudden death lip sync. After slaying her good friend Shea in the semi-final with her now-legendary rose petal reveal, Sasha took down the vivacious Peppermint in the final.
Trinity would go on to win "All Stars," and Shea is reportedly part of the next all-star line-up, so they are truly the cream of the crop.
Trixie Mattel over well, everyone else (All Stars 3)
Trixie is an extremely talented and well-liked queen, but her path to victory was secured when frontrunner BenDeLaCreme eliminated herself after winning 4 out of the first 5 challenges. Shangela -- who many predicted to be a finalist -- was left out of the running when a jury of her peers did not vote her into the Top 2.
Shangela has done just fine though, appearing in "A Star Is Born" and the HBO series "We're Here."
Monet X Change and Trinity the Tuck over each other (All Stars 4)
For the first time in "Drag Race" history, RuPaul named co-winners. Both Monet and Trinity appeared surprised by the decision and somewhat shoddily edited finale (the show tapes several endings to keep the results from leaking).
"There's a tie?" Trinity asked in disbelief while watching the finale.
Yeah, we don't quite get it either...
Yvie Oddly over Brooke Lynn Hytes (Season 11)
Conceptual beat out conventional when self-proclaimed oddity Yvie beat out Brooke Lynn, a stunningly polished dancer.
Did the best woman win her season? We debate the winners of "RuPaul's Drag Race" and its "All-Star" editions
Chi Chi DeVayne, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Contestant, Dies at 34
By Reid Nakamura | August 20, 2020 @ 2:24 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 5 Finale: Find Out Who Snatched the Crown
By Lawrence Yee | July 24, 2020 @ 7:06 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' Crowns Season 12 Winner (Video)
By Reid Nakamura | May 29, 2020 @ 6:33 PM


text:
Home Areas of Work Advocacy Fourth Bible In China Seminar – Bible and Culture
A group photo of participants at the fourth Bible in China Seminar in Shanghai (photo provided by SASS)
SHANGHAI, China — The fourth Bible in China Seminar was held in Shanghai from 29 October to 1 November. About 40 participants – academicians, researchers, government officials and church leaders from China as well as presenters from Britain and Singapore – gathered at the annual event to discuss on the topic of Bible and Culture.
At the opening address, Rev Xu Xiaohong, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) said that the topic of Bible and Culture is a highly significant one as it plays an important role in the development of Christianity in China. "The Bible is not only a sacred text of the Christians but also an important legacy to the whole of mankind. It should also be interpreted in different cultures and religious context," he remarked. He also highlighted that the Chinese Church leadership has been working on localizing Christianity in the Chinese cultural context.
L-R: Mr Zhang Haifeng, Bishop John Chew, Wang Xinhua, Rev Xu Xiaohong, Dr Cristian Romocea
Also at the seminar was Mr Wang Xinhua, Deputy Director General of Shanghai Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission. He commented that unlike usual visits and meetings, these series of seminars since 2011 offer the platform for more in-depth and meaningful discussions amongst participants. He further noted that with the spread of Christianity in China, there is a need for contextualization of the faith in the Chinese culture. Of the five major religions in China, only Taoism is indigenous yet Buddhism has since become an integral part of Chinese culture and traditions. Christianity on the other hand has yet to achieve this level of integration. Christianity in China while noticeably large in membership is like a giant on the margins. Hence, Mr. Wang was expectant that this was one issue to be addressed in the Seminar.
The event was jointly organized by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS) and Centre for the Studies of Religion and Culture (CSRC), supported by United Bible Societies (UBS). A total of 28 papers on the theme of Bible and Culture were presented. The theme rendered what many thought was an engaging and robust exchange of views and perspectives from the participants. Areas covered include Civilizational Dialogue, Christianity and Culture, Christianity and China, Christianity, Visual Art and Culture. Participants were found interacting both during and in between the formal sessions.
L-R: Rev Shan Weixiang, Mr Wang Huaiai and Mr Han Song, Editor-in-Chief of "Religion in China" chairing a session on Christianity, Visual Art and Culture
The organizers were honored to have the participation of the Editor-in-Chief of Religion In China, a publication of China State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) and key leaders of the China Christian Council (CCC)/TSPM.
Bishop John Chew, UBS Global Council member who had participated in the Seminar since it was first launched in 2011, acknowledged the strong support of SARA and CCC/ TSPM. He brought to attention the fact that a fourth seminar could become a reality was no small feat in a hectic world. He also suggested that the seminar should set its sight on a broader horizon, going beyond China, by building on the foundation of friendship and trust that has been established in the last four years.
Director and Research Professor of Institute of Religious Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Yan Kejia, the key organizer behind the seminar, said that this was a great platform for interaction and exchange of religious understanding between people in China and Christians overseas, between religious believers and non-believers. He thanked the UBS for its collaborative partnership in the Seminar, and to British & Foreign Bible Societies and Bible Society of Australia for their sponsorship of the Seminar.
L-R: Dr Dominic Erdozain, Ms Naomi Dunn, Ms Xiu Yanbin, Mr Kua Wee Seng, Prof Yan Kejia, Prof Zhang Haifeng, Dr Cristian Romocea, Mr James Featherby, Dr Lim Teck Peng, Bishop John Chew.
Mr Kua Wee Seng, Director of UBS China Partnership added, "We are most thankful to the SASS and CSRC for organizing and hosting another successful Seminar this year. We are particularly appreciative of the strong support and participation of the Religious Affairs Administration and CCC/TSPM in the Seminar. The presentation and discussion at the Seminar have encouraged the participants to think more deeply and to consider more constructively how Christianity should relate to, interact with, and adapt to the Chinese culture and contexts. We thank God for this. We look forward to the Seminar in 2015, with the proposed theme of "Bible and Environment".
Story: Jock Foo
Edit: Cynthia Oh
Shanghai 上海
Previous articleGod's Word for Wise Living
Next articleBeckoned into the Kingdom by His Word


Context. Despite that the Triglycerides/High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio has been associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease, some outcomes differ between populations. Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between TG/HDL-C ratio and cardio-metabolic risk factors in both obese and normal weight women. Design. Cross sectional, from January to December of 2015. Subjects and Methods. Two hundred and fifty three women aged 40 to 60 years. Anthropometric and laboratory measurements were performed. Insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). All participants underwent a Doppler ultrasound to measure intima-media thickness of carotid artery (cIMT). Results. TG/HDL-C ratio correlated with body mass index (r=0.194, p=0.01), and visceral adipose tissue (r=0.193, p=0.002). Additionally, TG/HDL-C correlated with glucose (r=0.367, p=0.001), insulin (r=0.354, p=0.001) and HOMA-IR (r=0.396 p=0.001). TG/HDL-C was associated with prediabetes, Odds Ratio (OR) was 1.83 (95%CI 1.07-3.13) and insulin resistance 3.27 (95%CI 1.78- 6.01), and this risk remains in normal weight women 4.7 (95%CI 1.2-17.81) for prediabetes and 4.38 (95%CI 1.42- 13.84) for insulin resistance. No significant risk for cIMT. Conclusion. A TG/HDL-C ratio ≥ 3.0 is a potential risk factor for prediabetes and insulin resistance in women 40-60 years, even in normal weight women.


text:
.es Domain
The official country domain of Spain
Spanish, Europe
Register your own .es domain now:
Change of the owner $39.90
Useful information about .es domains
Trends & General Information
The .es domain is a country-specific ccTLD assigned to the Kingdom of Spain. It exists since 1988 and is managed by the "Network Information Center of Spain". As ccTLD it is mostly used by internet users from Spain, who want to launch Internet presences for companies or individuals. Latin American users also rely on the .es domain and buy or register their personal desired domain, because also in this region, the TLD offers positive effects on search engine results and for users.
Domain transfer .es domain transfer is possible
Transfer auth-code No auth-code is required for the transfer of a .es domain
Domain security You can set a transfer lock for your .es domain
Change of ownership Change of ownership is possible for .es domains
Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) Your .es domain can contain special characters
Numeric domains A .es domain may only contain numbers
Registry Dominios (Website)
New registration 1 year up to max. 5 years
Duration of registration It takes up to 12 hours to register the .es-domain
Domain length A .es domain may be between 2 - 63 characters long. Hyphens may be used, but not at the beginning or at the end of the domain, and not 2 consecutive (for example, aa -bb.es).
Contact handles The administrative contact has to meet following contact type:
The .es domain offers decisive advantages for Spanish companies or private individuals, as national search engines in Spanish or Latin American countries often rate their Internet addresses as outstanding and the positions achieved in the rankings are correspondingly high. The conventional Internet user is told by the .es domain that it is a website with presumably Spanish-language content. Significantly higher clickthrough rates are expected as a Spanish citizen is more likely to visit a .es domain than, for example, a .de domain.
The desired .es domain can be purchased and registered by any user worldwide - regardless of nationality, place of business or place of residence. easyname makes the domain available within a few seconds after registration and enables editorial work on the website. This allows you to buy or register your desired domain in a single day and bring an attractive website to the World Wide Web.
When you choose the domain name you should follow some basic guidelines: 3 to 63 characters are available to you. Special characters such as the Spanish accented vowels á, é, í, ó, ú or ü can be used within the domain - as well as dashes and numbers. Pure numeric domains are also allowed.
High affinities exist between the .es domains and certain generic gTLDs such as .net or .com - also country specific top level domains like .eu for the European Union or .at for Austria are common relatives.
An exact number of registered .es domains is difficult to estimate. Statistics assume that at the end of 2010 more than 1.2 million internet addresses were registered with the ccTLD .es. In a European comparison, the .es domain is one of the most popular TLDs. Due to the advantages for Spanish companies and individuals, it can be assumed that the number of .es domains will continue to increase in the future - if you are interested in the Spanish ccTLD, it is advisable to buy or register your desired domain as swiftly as possible.
easyname is your competent partner in registering domains of all kinds, whether you choose the Spanish ccTLD or one of the generic gTLDs - an experienced and knowledgeable team will assist you in choosing the best Domain and helps you to buy or register the desired domain.
.co.at
.co.no
.com.hr


Dagenham offers several routes that can be incredibly useful for people learning to drive.
If you are just beginning, the relatively quiet intersection of Langley Cres and Stamford Rd gives you a solid starting place.
Driving east, you will find Gale St. By turning left, you can practise laps of the block to familiarise yourself with standard three- and four- path intersections.
Practising turning and giving way at various street junctions is a good way to put your understanding of theory into practice. Before even getting behind the wheel, make sure you are properly familiarised with all of the road rules, especially those that dictate who has right of way in certain situations.
Once you're comfortable with these intersections and have done several laps, travel north up Gale St until you reach a five-path roundabout. There also exists a roundabout where Rainham Rd and Ballards Rd meets.
Once you reach the roundabout, turn right, ensuring that you keep an eye out for traffic and properly use your indicators.
Don't be afraid to do one or more laps to get yourself completely comfortable with the mechanics of the roundabout.
Once you are fully familiarised with the flow of the roundabout, turn right into Hedgemans Rd and when you reach Heathway, turn left to get used to stop–start traffic.
After traversing Oxlow and Wood Lanes, followed by Aylmer Road, you'll soon approach Valence Circus, which you can navigate as you please to familiarise yourself with the circular nature of a circus junction.
Once you're comfortable with navigating Valence Circus, backtrack towards Wood Ln and proceed in a southerly direction back to where you started. It doesn't have to be the intersection of Langley Cres and Stamford Rd; it could be where you first got into the car for your lesson.
Whatever the case, have your instructor call out directions as you drive from this point back to base; it will help you in a test scenario, where callouts are the norm.
Always be mindful of traffic conditions, weather, and – of course – be ever mindful of pedestrians, as kids can be especially erratic and hard to spot, and they don't always follow the road rules.
Finally, ensure that you practise plenty of right-hand turns against traffic on your return journey.


Rob Griffiths follows up an earlier post with more details on getting iMovie HD 6 to embed date/time information in a time-lapse movie. Turns out that you need to tweak a preference using Terminal.
Mike, when you launch the Terminal application, you should see just a line of text with your user name. This is the command line. Type that command ("defaults write…") and hit Return. That's it.


Hello, and welcome to Ubuntu California! On this page, we'll give you some pointers for how to get involved with our community. We'll cover how to get onto our discussion channel and mailing list, where to find the projects we're working on, and how to use our resources to stay up to date with team events and to help with personal advocacy.
We have an email list that we use for announcements and discussion. If you join the list, you can then email the whole team just by sending email to that address, and you'll receive messages that other people send. We use this to make announcements and to discuss upcoming projects. To join the list, visit the list's info page, put your email address into the first text box under "Subscribing to Ubuntu-us-ca", and click "Subscribe". You'll get a confirmation email with a link to click to make sure that you want to join the list. Once you click that, you're all set!
Our IRC channel is a "chat room" for real-time communication with other team members. It has a smaller audience than the mailing list, but is useful for less-serious discussions and for planning events. It's also where we have meetings every two weeks. If you've never used IRC before, it's really easy to get started: you already have everything you need! You can connect straight from your web browser by visiting freenode's webchat page, putting in a nickname (It needs to be something unique, and freenode is a large network, so be creative!), and clicking "Connect". After a few seconds of loading, you'll be in the channel! It's just like using an instant messaging client, except with a group of people instead of one person. The list on the right-hand side says who's in the channel right now, though people often "idle" (stay connected when they're not around) so they might not talk right away. If you want to use an actual program, instead of a webpage, to connect, there's a list of "IRC clients" on Ubuntu's general IRC page that you can click to get instructions.
As I said, we have meetings every two weeks on IRC. You can find more information about them on our meeting page, including the date and time of the next one, our agenda, and a summary of each previous meeting. If you have any questions about our meetings, let us know in the IRC channel or on the mailing list, and we'll help!
There's also another site you should get set up with, called Launchpad. Launchpad is the system that all of Ubuntu uses to keep track of membership, activities, and voting. We currently don't use it for much, but it'll be more important in the future, so you should get set up with it now. To join our Launchpad team, visit the ~ubuntu-california page and click "Join this team". If you don't have an account already, follow the instructions under "Not registered yet?" to make one. If you do, login (if you haven't already) and click to apply to join the team. You also need a Launchpad account to edit our wiki pages, which is our next topic!
The wiki is really easy to describe and use: you're using it right now, in fact! Ubuntu Wiki is a set of team pages that can be edited by anyone with a Launchpad account. All of our pages begin with https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CaliforniaTeam. If you look at the Ubuntu California menu near the top of this page, you'll see links to all of the various sections of our section of the wiki. For example, there's the Meetings page, which I mentioned earlier, and this page! Another page you might find interesting is our projects page. It has a list of all the events we've done in the past, all the upcoming events, and LoCo resources that we're working on. Take a look and see if there's anything you'd like to help with or that you can use!
Finally, if you use social networking sites, we have a few places you can subscribe to if you'd like to get news about upcoming events and meetings. We have accounts on and Twitter, and a Facebook page and Google+ page that post announcements. We also have a subforum on Ubuntu Forums.
That concludes our whirlwind tour of ways you can get involved with Ubuntu California! We've covered how to join our mailing list, IRC channel, and Launchpad group. You now know a little about our wiki, and where to find information on the projects we do. And if you use social networking sites, you can visit our pages there, too. If you'd like more information about our resources, or need help with them, feel free to ask on IRC or our mailing list for help, or contact one of the administrators for the thing you're having trouble with! If you have any feedback about this page or advice on how to make it easier to read, we'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!


text:
Window Shopping: Inside the new location of home goods store Area
Driving down Westheimer, you could miss the new location of home goods store Area if you weren't looking for it. The store opened just a few weeks ago near River Oaks after years in its Rice Village area spot. The sign has yet to go up, and the two-level facade is understated with stone accents and rectangular steel case windows.
It took months to get the place to look this way.
Area owner Don Connelly said that when a realtor first showed him the decrepit building, a former dry cleaners which had been vacant for a few years, he had to go home and sleep on it. "I needed to architecturally work out how to make the building attractive," he said.
To that end, he has succeeded. The building was totally gutted; pea gravel walls were replaced, lovingly sloped concrete floors unearthed, and a fresh coat of white paint was added all around. The new lofty digs are much lighter and brighter than the previous store, which was actually a little bit larger but which didn't have ample parking or a warehouse attached.
Inside the store, as has always been the modus operandi of Connelly and store director Daniel Cuellar, thoughtfully selected antiques mingle with contemporary pieces. "New gives an edge to the old, and adds sex appeal," said Connelly, who does most of the store's European buying while Cuellar covers the American market.
"Mixing new and old is very popular right now," added Cuellar, "but we've been doing it since 1995."
There's an element of discovery when shopping at Area – the roughly 5,000-square-foot store is arranged in loose vignettes, all of which feature a variety of furniture, lighting, objets d'art and décor accessories. Cuellar and Connelly, who have worked together for two decades, both agree that there's no general method to what they buy or in how it's all arranged; they just buy things they like and display as they please. The result feels both fresh and cohesive.
Larger furniture pieces are mostly European antiques that have a lovely broken-in feel, such as a towering 19th-century French pharmacy cabinet or a silver chest from that same era. There also are statement antique pieces, including a vintage bird house and lamps incorporating industrial gauge boards or wheels. Lower-priced giftables include silver frames by Tizo; a large selection of trays in slick wood or wrapped in leather; horn-handle magnifying glasses; daffodil-shaped candle holders sprayed in gold; coffee-table books; and candles by the likes of Lafco, Tocca and Tatine. Artwork by Texas artists also is for sale, and everything is peppered throughout the space.
Price points vary. Bowls, for instance, range from $30 blown-glass versions to fancier Waylande Gregory bowls, which retail for up to several hundred dollars. Gift wrapping is complimentary.
Area's longtime fans shop the store often ("sold" tags flap on items throughout the space), as merchandise is constantly changing, according to Cuellar. Houstonians also may like visiting because the atmosphere is unstuffy, and customers are treated cordially.
"We're both from here, and we like to take care of the mom and pop vendors," Cuellar said of himself and Connelly. "If I were to describe the store in one word, it would be 'familial.' We're nice to people."
Jody Schmal
Back to News Articles


PRINTS: Any print that does not meet your satisfaction will be reprinted at no additional charge upon receipt of the rejected print and clear instructions as to adjustments in color.
WORKSHOPS: We have very limited space in our workshops (no more than 25 photo students and 16 art students per workshop). As such, all workshops must be paid in full 30 days prior to the event. Deposits to hold your spot in the workshop are allowed anytime and spots will be held on a first come, first served basis. You can cancel for any reason 31 days or more before the workshop and receive a full refund.
We will gladly accept your personal or company check until 30 days prior to the selected workshop. Within 30 days of the workshop, you must pay by credit card. Our refund policy is very simple. Up to 30 days proir to the event, we will provide a full refund if you find you cannot attend. No refunds will be given within 30 days of the event.


The Texas Facilities Commission has given its approval MyBillofRights.org to go forward with fundraising efforts and further development of our Bill of Rights Plaza proposal. The TFC's approval is the culmination of almost three years of process involving the Texas legislature, the Governor's office and the TFC, along with discussions involving a wide range of other stakeholders.
The preliminary design proposal was developed by Holly Kincannon of Kincannon Studios in Austin. It reimagines the current plaza in front of the Texas Supreme Court as a formal entranceway to the court building and a social space for those working in and around the Capitol, as well as serving to create a transition between the Victorian Capitol building the moderne design of the Court.
Click on the graphic below to view and download the TFC's letter of approval.


On Tuesday, the Basque Country's Artiz Aranburu topped a stacked list of 16 Tahitians and 16 international surfers in the Billabong Pro Tahiti Trials to earn the wildcard slot in the main event at Teahupoo, which starts on August 11th.
Aranburu faced Australian veteran Nathan Hedge in the finals and secured the victory by one-tenth of a point in stormy, head-high sets. The former 'CT surfer brings a history of success to Teahupoo. The End of the Road marked a career highlight for Aranburu in 2009, when he beat Kelly Slater, among others, for a semifinal finish.
It wasn't classic Teahupoo, but the trials roster was still a who's-who of Tahiti regulars: Mason Ho, Koa Rothman, Anthony Walsh, Matahi Drollet, Jack Robinson, Seth Moniz, and others all competed in the preliminary event. And, like Aranburu, the wildcards at Teahupoo have a habit of turning heads in the main event. Bruno Santos, winner of the 2008 contest, made another memorable run last year for a fifth-place finish.
Hopefully the iconic reef wave will rev up for the first few days of the waiting period. Below is the updated heat draw for the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Tune in to the World Surf League's website to watch the live stream of the event, starting on August 11th.


text:
TCS elbows out RIL to top m-cap chart
TCS reported 1.3 per cent sequential rise in net profit at Rs 6,531 crore for the three months to December.
ETMarkets.com
New Delhi: Tata Group's Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Wednesday nosed ahead of oil-to-telecom behemoth Reliance Industries (RIL) and became the most valued firm in terms of market capitalisation.
At around 10.55 am (IST), market capitalisation of TCS stood at around Rs 6,15,079 crore whereas RIL's read Rs 6,15,023 crore.
The TCS scrip advanced as much as 4.88 per cent to Rs 3,254.80 in morning trade. Reliance Industries declined 1.89 per cent to Rs 963.10.
RIL registered a 25 per cent rise in its third quarter net profit on the back of higher refining margins and its telecom arm Jio logging profit.
RIL's consolidated net profit in October-December stood at Rs 9,423 crore while standalone earning was up 5.4 per cent at Rs 8,454 crore, the company said in a stock exchange filing.
Brokerage firm Kotak Securities has 'Reduce' rating on RIL with a target price of Rs 835 whereas Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Nomura has 'Buy' with a target price of Rs 1,210, Rs 1,120 and Rs 1,035, respectively.
TCS reported 1.3 per cent sequential rise in net profit at Rs 6,531 crore for the three months to December. It had posted net profit of Rs 6,446 crore in the September quarter.


text:
Q: Angular 9 error on Build : Cannot find name WriteStream & ReadStream Since my update to Angular 9, I can't build my app. ng serve works perfectly. It seems to be an error with typescript but I don't understand it.
Can you help me ?
Error on build :
ERROR in node_modules/@types/node/globals.d.ts:838:17 - error TS2304: Cannot find name 'WriteStream'.
838         stdout: WriteStream;
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~
node_modules/@types/node/globals.d.ts:842:17 - error TS2304: Cannot find name 'WriteStream'.
842         stderr: WriteStream;
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~
node_modules/@types/node/globals.d.ts:843:16 - error TS2304: Cannot find name 'ReadStream'.
843         stdin: ReadStream;
                   ~~~~~~~~~~

My Angular Config :
     _                      _                 ____ _     ___
    / \   _ __   __ _ _   _| | __ _ _ __     / ___| |   |_ _|
   / △ \ | '_ \ / _` | | | | |/ _` | '__|   | |   | |    | |
  / ___ \| | | | (_| | |_| | | (_| | |      | |___| |___ | |
 /_/   \_\_| |_|\__, |\__,_|_|\__,_|_|       \____|_____|___|
                |___/

Angular CLI: 9.1.1
Node: 12.16.2
OS: linux x64

Angular: 9.1.2
... animations, common, compiler, compiler-cli, core, forms
... language-service, localize, platform-browser
... platform-browser-dynamic, router
Ivy Workspace: Yes

Package                           Version
-----------------------------------------------------------
@angular-devkit/architect         0.901.1
@angular-devkit/build-angular     0.901.1
@angular-devkit/build-optimizer   0.901.1
@angular-devkit/build-webpack     0.901.1
@angular-devkit/core              9.1.1
@angular-devkit/schematics        9.1.1
@angular/cli                      9.1.1
@ngtools/webpack                  9.1.1
@schematics/angular               9.1.1
@schematics/update                0.901.1
rxjs                              6.5.5
typescript                        3.8.3
webpack                           4.42.0

A: I read my last commits and I saw something very interesting !
I set up the release tracking with Sentry (https://docs.sentry.io/workflow/releases/?platform=javascript) with an autofetching of the npm version

release : process.env.npm_package_version

and my IDE (Webstorm) automatically add a line in my tsconfig.app.json.
  "files": [
    ...,
    "../node_modules/@types/node/globals.d.ts"

Without the line it works well but I have to write the version manually !


text:
21 February: today's birthdays
Louis-Pierre Anquetil - French historian
Wystan Hugh Auden - English poet and writer, best known as W. H. Auden. He wrote The Age of Anxiety
W. H. Auden - English poet and writer, born Wystan Hugh Auden. He wrote The Age of Anxiety
William Baldwin - American actor, brother of Alec Baldwin and Stephen Baldwin
Abhijit Banerjee - Indian-born American economist, born Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences along with her wife Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer
Leroy Burrell - American athlete
Carlos Emilio Carmona Tello - Chilean soccer player
Carl Czerny - Austrian pianist and composer
Hubert de Givenchy - French fashion designer, born Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy
Fashion quotes by the most famous fashion designers worldwide and the pronunciation of their names
Tiziano Ferro - Italian singer-songwriter
Jonathan Safran Foer - American writer. He wrote Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He is married to author Nicole Krauss
Sacha Guitry - Russian-born French playwright, film director and actor
Henri Meilhac - French dramatist
Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier - French artist famous for his painting depicting battle scenes
Robert Mugabe - Zimbabwean politician, born Robert Gabriel Mugabe. He was the President of Zimbabwe from 1987 to 2017
Anaïs Nin - French-born American writer of Cuban descent
Ellen Page - Canadian actress
Chuck Palahniuk - American writer, author of best-selling books Fight Club and Choke
Raymond Queneau - French poet and dramatist
John Rawls - American philosopher. He wrote the essays A Theory of Justice and Justice as Fairness
Alan Rickman - English screen and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series
Andreas Seppi - Italian professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world number 18 by the Association of Tennis Professionals
Nina Simone - American singer, songwriter and pianist
David Foster Wallace - American writer. He wrote the novels Infinite Jest and A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again


text:
Five-time Olympic swimming champion attends AMEX LGBTQ+ networking event
The first Brighton and Hove LGBTQ+ Community Summit has taken place, bringing together 100 representatives from businesses, charities, pride networks, and community groups.
By Jessica Hubbard
Tuesday, 11th February 2020, 10:13 am
Updated Tuesday, 11th February 2020, 10:16 am
Lord Hayward and Olympian Mark Foster with panellists at the first Brighton and Hove LGBTQ+ Community Summit
Hosted by American Express at its 1 John Street Office last month (January 30), the inaugural event provided an opportunity for discussions about local community needs, best practice, and networking.
Keynote speakers included five-time British Olympic champion, Mark Foster, and Pink News Politician of the Year 2018, Lord Hayward, who has been recognised for his work delivering marriage equality in Northern Ireland.
Foster, who is openly gay, spoke about challenges he faced during his 23-year professional swimming career, during which he has beaten 8 world records.
A panel discussion took place featuring senior figures at American Express and the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Panel members spoke about the importance of an LGBTQ+ colleague network and engaging community groups and charities.
Tim Ehinger, executive vice president at American Express, said: "We're delighted to back the first Brighton and Hove LGBTQ+ Community Summit.
"There are so many fantastic LGBTQ+ charitable organisations, groups, and networks in the city and more widely across Sussex.
"This forum has brought all these key groups and representatives together in one place, at the same time, to create a common dialogue, share and learn from each other's experiences and make valuable connections for the future.
Mr Ehinger said he hoped the event could take place annually as participants had given 'positive feedback'.


Unlike other dating sites when you sign up for free, but later discover that in order to use the most important site's features (like ability to contact other members and respond to messages) you have to pay a fee, on our dating site everything is FREE!!!How is our free dating site different from other free dating services?We don't just kick them out AFTER they tried to scam somebody. We simply don't allow scammers to register and contact other singles in the first place.We have our own ways to tell who is a scammer from "inside", this is our know-how.If you are tired of all scam and fakeness on other dating services, JOIN US! We looked at the features, user base, and pricing at each site.


text:
est une comédie dramatique indienne, réalisée par Vikas Bahl, sortie en 2014.

Synopsis
Après que son fiancé (Rajkummar Rao) a annulé leur mariage, Rani (Kangana Ranaut), issue d'une famille conservatrice, décide de partir seule en lune de miel, à Paris puis à Amsterdam.

Pour la jeune fille éconduite, ce voyage sera l'occasion de se découvrir.

Fiche technique

 Titre original : Queen
 Réalisation : Vikas Bahl
 Scénario : Vikas Bahl, Chaitally Parmar, Parveez Shaikh
 Casting : Parita Mandalia, Atul Mongia
 Dialogues : Anvita Dutt, Kangana Ranaut
 Costumes : Manoshi Nath, Rushi Sharma
 Son : Sanjay Maurya, Allwin Rego
 Photographie : Siddharth Diwan, Bobby Singh
 Montage : Anurag Kashyap, Abhijit Kokate
 Musique : Amit Trivedi
 Paroles : Anvita Dutt
 Production : Anurag Kashyap, Vikram Malhotra, Vikramaditya Motwane
 Sociétés de production : Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Phantom Films
 Sociétés de distribution : Aanna Films
 Pays d'origine :
 Langues : Hindi, anglais, français, japonais, néerlandais
 Format : Couleurs - 2,35:1 - DTS / Dolby Digital / SDDS - 35 mm
 Genre : Aventure, comédie, drame
 Durée : 146 minutes (2 h 26)
 Dates de sorties en salles :
  :
  :
  :

Distribution
 Kangana Ranaut : Rani
 Lisa Haydon : Vijayalakshmi
 Rajkummar Rao : Vijay
 Mish Boyko : Oleksander
 Jeffrey Ho : Taka
 Joseph Guitobh : Tim
 Marco Canadea : Marcello
 Yogendra Tiku : le père de Rani
 Alka Badola Kaushal : la mère de Rani
 Chinmaya Agrawal : Chintu Mehra
 Tripta Lakhanpal : Dadi
 Nayani Dixit : Sonal
 Sabeeka Imam : Roxette

Autour du film

Critiques
En regard du box-office, Queen a reçu des critiques assez positives. Il est évalué à 2,6/5 pour 7 critiques de presse sur Allociné.

Production
Le réalisateur a écrit le script en pensant à Kangana Ranaut. Le film est sorti le même jour que Gulaab Gang  et que Total Siyapaa.

Distinctions

Notes et références

Liens externes

  Site officiel
  Queen sur Fantastikindia

Comédie dramatique indienne
Comédie romantique indienne
Film d'aventure indien
Film en anglais
Film en français
Film en hindi
Film en japonais
Film en néerlandais
Film féministe
Film indien sorti en 2014
Film se déroulant à Amsterdam
Film se déroulant à Delhi
Film se déroulant à Paris
Screen Award du meilleur film

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
When is the first World Series game? Date, start time Cubs vs. Indians Game 1
Published 4:47 pm Sunday, October 23, 2016
CHICAGO (AP) — The World Series Game 1 date, start time is set for the Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians in this highly-anticipated historic sporting event.
Game 1: (Cleveland) Tuesday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m. on FOX
The Latest on fan reaction to Chicago Cubs' advancing to the World Series (all times local):
President Barack Obama is giving it up for the Chicago Cubs.
Obama posted a message of "Holy Cow" and congratulations Sunday on Twitter, adding: "Even this White Sox fan was happy to see Wrigley rocking last night."
Obama is a well-known fan of the Cubs' crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox.
First lady Michelle Obama beat the president to it earlier Sunday with her own tweet celebrating the Cubs' pennant win.
Police say the celebration of the Chicago Cubs' winning the National League championship was nearly trouble-free.
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says "it was a very safe and enjoyable celebration" Saturday night. He says officers made only six misdemeanor arrests in a crowd they estimated at 30,000.
Arrestees were cited for unlawful sale of tickets, obstructing traffic, disorderly conduct and other misdemeanors.
Loyal Chicago Cubs fans as far south as San Antonio, Texas, are thrilled to see their team headed to the World Series for the first time in 71 years.
Chicago native Jimmy Tingas owns Wrigleyville Grill in San Antonio where he caters to homesick former Chicagoans still craving hot dogs and Italian beef. The 47-year-old restaurant owner says his customers enjoy sharing their memories of blizzards, basketball championships and two Mayor Daleys.
On Saturday, Tingas and his Wrigleyville Grill patrons watched the Cubs win Game 6 of the NL Championship Series. He says "people were going nuts" and many shed tears.
Tingas says fans are shaking off superstition like the infamous billy goat curse. But as he puts it: "When we win the World Series we're going to have roasted goat, I'll tell you that."
Dorothy Farrell's face is familiar to anyone who watched the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to advance to the World Series: She's the 90-year-old season-ticket holder who was beaming with jubilation in a front-row seat.
Fox Sports interviewed Farrell after the Cubs won Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Saturday night in Chicago. She says she's not worried about the Cleveland Indians, who the Cubs will face Tuesday in Game 1.
As Farrell put it, "I just wished wish my brothers were alive to see this … They loved the Cubs. And my father did too. But they're all dead now. This old lady's still living."
When asked how she would celebrate the win, she said: "I'll probably have a Jagermeister."
The victorious Chicago Cubs are earning cheers from their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox posted its congratulations to the National League champions on Twitter. The White Sox' most recent World Series win was in 2005.
The city's other professional sports teams are also adding their praise. Tweets from the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Fire are saluting the Cubs.
The Cubs face the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 on Tuesday.
First lady Michelle Obama is congratulating her hometown Chicago Cubs after the team clinched an appearance in the World Series.
The Chicago native on Sunday morning tweeted: "Way to go Cubs!!" She then recalled her father, saying "My Dad is the reason I'm a true Cubs fans. He'd be so proud!"
She signed off on the tweet from her @FLOTUS account with her personal signature, "-mo," meaning she wrote the message herself.
President Barack Obama is a well-known fan of the Cubs' crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox.
Chicago Cubs fans are waking up to a new reality: Their team is headed to the World Series for the first time in 71 years.
Many still-stunned fans took to social media Sunday morning to ask if they'd been dreaming and to catch up on the posts from famous Cubs fans.
Comedian and actor Bob Newhart posted a photo of himself, his grandchildren and the "W" flag they made for him.
Actor John Cusack posted two words last night along with a photo of the team celebrating at Wrigley Field. As he put it: "It's. Done."
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued a statement Saturday night celebrating the pennant win. He says: "The fun continues in Cleveland on Tuesday night."
Chicago Cubs fans are turning their attention to the World Series for the first time in 71 years.
Large crowds of people hit the streets outside Wrigley Field on Saturday night after the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series and advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1945.
A majority of the fans celebrated peacefully, with many taking selfies in front of the stadium. Police say one person was arrested after climbing a traffic pole.
Longtime fan Brian Dusza was at the game. He says he never thought he'd see such a win, adding: "I can't even describe what I'm feeling."
Chicago faces the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday.
Remembering 9-11: 'Everyone was so on edge'
Vietnam Vet is happy receive honorary badge
Why more people are choosing cremation for pets, too
NFL Playoff schedule, dates, times 2018: Bills, Titans, Falcons make playoffs
Will Kyle Schwarber play in the World Series? Cubs…


text:
At The Cutting Edge Of Engineering Some Scottish Aqueducts And
At the cutting edge of engineering: some Scottish aqueducts and viaducts
3da8398c-3eab-4680-a24e-f2d25e384eec
Kelvin Aqueduct, Glasgow
Victoria Owens presents a selection of Scottish viaducts and aqueducts whose creators pushed the boundaries of engineering knowledge and overcame a series of challenges relating to the country's varied terrain.
Great bridges inspire much affection. Many of Scotland's most striking canal aqueducts and railway viaducts date from a time when bridge design was evolving fast. To construct a bridge that was navigable by vessels or capable of withstanding the forces which locomotives and trains exerted on its fabric demanded great skill and Scotland's rugged terrain often gave engineers an extra challenge.
Premier infrastructure: The Forth and Clyde Canal
At the time of its building, the Forth and Clyde Canal was Scotland's premier infra-structure project. It would, its promoters pledged, facilitate transport of coal from the Lanarkshire pits and grain from the fertile Lothians to Glasgow. Some thirty five miles in length, it ran from Grangemouth – site of the great Carron Ironworks – to the village of Bowling on the north bank of the Firth of Clyde. One of the major obstacles along its route was the River Kelvin. The canal crosses it on an immense stone aqueduct designed by Yorkshireman Robert Whitworth (1734-99). As a young man, Whitworth had trained as a surveyor and found employment on the Calder Navigation where he met pioneering canal builder James Brindley. Before long, Whitworth turned all his attention to canal work and in time became one of Britain's foremost civil engineers.
At 400 feet (122 m) long and 70 feet (21 m) high, his four arch Kelvin crossing is immense. Not only was it the largest structure of its kind in Britain at the time of its construction, but it also, as Whitworth drily observed, marked something 'new and out of the common road of bridge building.' The boldest and most distinctive element in its design is the slight curvature that he introduces to the profiles of the spandrels – haunches – of each arch. Aesthetically pleasing, since it has the effect of softening the rather severe appearance that the aqueduct might otherwise have presented, at the same time, this feature greatly increased the pressure on the aqueduct's piers, and explains why the supporting buttresses are so substantial.
Not surprisingly the aqueduct was extremely expensive. Initially, Whitworth estimated that it would cost £6,200 to build. Assessments as to how far it exceeded its budget differ but it certainly bankrupted contractor William Gibb who, avid to complete it on time, had rashly financed the final stages of its construction from his own pocket. Glasgow meanwhile viewed it as a stupendous status symbol – an affirmation of the canal's importance. To mark the waterway's completion, on 28 July 1790 the city's magistrates joined with the Canal Company proprietors to empty a ceremonious hogshead of Forth water into the Clyde.
Engineering challenges: The Union Canal
Not surprisingly the citizens of Edinburgh viewed the canal with admiring, not to say envious, eyes. Raising the funds needed to give them access to it took time, but in 1813 engineer Hugh Baird (1770-1827) surveyed a promising route for a link; it would run from the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk into Fountainbridge in central Edinburgh. In 1817, Parliament gave the venture its approval and construction began.
Baird planned that the Union Canal should follow the 240 ft (73m) contour throughout its 31 ½ mile length, thereby promoting rapid transit by removing any need for locks. Keeping it on the level meant that building aqueducts over the Water of Leith at Slateford on the fringes of Edinburgh, the River Avon near Linlithgow and the River Almond at Ratho. Following the example of Thomas Telford, whose advice he apparently solicited, rather than line the channels with bulky clay puddle, he opted to introduce iron troughs within the masonry deck.
It was a masterstroke, since the lighter material allowed for an extraordinarily lithe and graceful style of bridge-building. While Ratho may be the smallest of the Union Canal aqueducts, by virtue of its location and design, it is also the most striking. It crosses the Almond near Lin's Mill at a point where the river flows through a steep wooded valley. Baird's first thought, apparently, had been to build a single arch sweeping from bank to bank. Had it ever come into being, it would have been a spectacular feature, but in the event, and probably on Telford's recommendation, he revised his thinking.
His aqueduct, which opened in 1822, has five segmental arches. The piers are slender, if well-buttressed, and the deck stands some 75 ft (22.86m) above the river. By rights, the path along the Almond's banks ought to be a good place from which to admire the structure's height and grace. In practice, the trees tend to hide it, particularly when they are in full summer leaf, but the nearby fields offer an appealing view of the aqueduct, particularly on fine days with the sun catching the stonework.
New demands
Railways made new demands upon bridge construction and the Scots engineer John Miller (1805-1883) proved especially adept in designing railway viaducts which combined strength and grace. His seven span structure at Ballochmyle on the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway makes the most of its dramatic location. Standing some 164 feet (50m) above the river Ayr near Mauchline, the resplendent central arch of 181 ft (955.16m) metre span encompasses the gorge below in a leaping arc of stone.
The three arches, each of 50ft span, which flank it on either side enhance its dignity. Built largely from local red sand stone, for the arch-rings Miller, who clearly had the keenest appreciation of detail, brought in harder, paler stone from Dundee.
Notwithstanding the sheer impact of the Ballochmyle Viaduct, Miller considered that his greatest work was the viaduct that he designed to cross the Lugar Water at the mining town of Cumnock. Old workings peppered the land around it site, which understandably caused him much anxiety. Ever the perfectionist, Miller ensured that the abandoned shafts and adits should be packed with dry stone. The fact that over the years the viaduct's piers have showed no sign of 'settling' - that is, sinking –bears out the wisdom of the precaution.
Built, like its Ballochmyle sibling, for the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway, the Lugar Water crossing has fourteen arches -nine of 50 ft span; five of 30 ft span – which tower over the river where it skirts what is now Woodroad Park. A plaque on the fabric dating from 2010 pays tribute to the viaduct's 160th anniversary.
Besides the challenges which arose from the landscape, engineers also had to be ready to make allowances of the demands of landowners. Miller's close contemporary Joseph Mitchell (1803-1883) was the son of John Mitchell, one of Thomas Telford's assistants who had worked both on the Caledonian Canal and in planning the Parliamentary roads through the Highlands. The younger Mitchell played a great part in overseeing construction of the railway which connects Perth and Inverness and in his gossipy, entertaining autobiography Reminiscences of My Life in the Highlands (1883-4) he recounts his endeavours to persuade George Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl, to consent to the Perth and Inverness Junction Railway's crossing his estate.
Mitchell called at Blair Castle in September 1860. Despite viewing railways with the utmost suspicion, the Duke gave him a courteous welcome., who had fond memories of Mitchell's father who had been one of Thomas Telford's assistants. 'How odd,' he mused, as they sat down to dine, 'Your father made the road below the castle, and now you are come to make the railway….'
Next day, Mitchell took the Duke and Duchess to inspect its proposed route. Implacably opposed to it, Duke protested that its construction would mean the loss of three of the estate oak trees. At once, the Duchess intervened. Bluntly she told her husband that since the Atholl estate had 'no want of fine trees,' he could easily afford to part with a few of them. Sensing that he had an ally, Mitchell pressed his advantage home by promising that where the railway crossed the Duke's parkland, it would be 'an ornament rather than an eyesore.'
The Tilt Viaduct, by which the railway crosses the River Tilt at Blair Atholl, gives a fair indication of his sense of the ornamental. Since it has only a single span, it may have acquired the name of 'Viaduct' because Mitchell surmised that the technical term for a multi-span structure would heighten its prestige. A lattice girder bridge, it rests upon stone abutments. It is some 255 ft (77.4m) in total length, 40 ft (12.2m) in height, and at some point in the twentieth century, steel braces were introduced to strengthen it. From this description, it may sound rather angular and modern in appearance; in fact, its most eye-catching feature are the high gothic castellated stone portals at either end of the deck. Privately, Mitchell thought them 'more ornate than was … necessary,' but the Duke evidently admired them. As a piece of iron, stone and mortar diplomacy it was a triumph.
(images copyright Victoria Owens)
Victoria Owens is the author of Aqueducts and Viaducts of Britain, published by Amberley Publishing.
In this book, Victoria Owens takes a look at the fascinating history behind some of the most iconic landmarks of the British landscape, charting the ambitions of the engineers who designed them, the endurance of the labourers who built them and the impact that they have made upon the face of the nation.
Numerous photographs illustrate the text, and grid references give a guide to the bridges' locations.


text:
Crude By Rail, Derailment
Latest derailment: Train carrying crude oil derails in Philadelphia
January 31, 2015 Roger Straw
Repost from 6 ABC Action News, Philadelphia, PA
[Editor: The derailment happened in the CSX Corp. rail yard, and was very near to Interstate 95, Lincoln Financial Field and the Philadelphia Naval Yard. NBC Philadelphia reported that the tank cars remained upright but were "leaning." See also The Morning Call, Allentown, PA. – RS]
11 train cars derail in South Philadelphia
Philadelphia firefighters and Hazmat crews swarmed the area near Lincoln Financial Field and the Philadelphia Naval Yard after 11 train cars went off the tracks early Saturday morning.
The derailment happened after 3:00 a.m. near South 11th Street just south of Interstate-95.
The cars were carrying crude oil.
After it was determined, there were no ruptured cars, crews turned the incident over to CSX.
CSX officials brought in cranes to upright the cars.
There is no word on what caused the derailment.
Crude by RailCSXDerailmentPhiladelphia PA
Bakken Crude, DOT-111, Federal Regulation (U.S.), Oil Industry, Oil prices, Rail industry, Tank car manufacture, Tank car retirement, Tank car retrofit
Rail Tank-Car Orders Threatened by U.S. Crude's Collapse
Repost from Bloomberg News
By Katherine Chiglinsky, January 22, 2015
(Bloomberg) — Add tank-car makers to the list of U.S. industries bracing for the effects from the plunge in crude prices.While 2014's record orders, including an all-time high 42,900 in the third quarter, will drive deliveries this year, according to Susquehanna International Group, manufacturers from Carl Icahn's American Railcar Industries Inc. to Warren Buffett's Union Tank Car Co. are facing a decline. New bookings in 2015 may plunge 70 percent, Macquarie Capital USA Inc. said, putting earnings at risk when scheduled deliveries drop in 2016.
Oil prices down 49 percent since June have crimped investment in U.S. fields including the Bakken range, where horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is more expensive than conventional oil drilling. That has hurt industries from steel to heavy equipment. It also has slowed the boom in oil-by-rail shipping, which along with new federal safety rules, had fueled the record orders.
"The confidence of the industry has been shaken quite seriously," Cleo Zagrean, a New York-based analyst for Macquarie Capital said by phone Jan. 15.
Tank-car maker stocks have suffered amid the oil price decline, with shares of Trinity Industries Inc. dropping 40 percent in the fourth quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. American Railcar shares fell 30 percent and Greenbrier Cos. dropped 27 percent.
"It's having an impact already," said Art Hatfield, a managing director of equity research at Raymond James & Associates Inc. in Memphis, Tennessee. "I think the forward-looking minds are realizing that we may have hit a cyclical peak within the industry."
New freight-car orders fell to 37,431 in the fourth quarter, down 13 percent from record highs, according to data from the Railway Supply Institute, reported Thursday. Leasing company GATX Corp.'s deal with Trinity added 8,950 new car orders in the fourth quarter. Those cars will be delivered over a four-year period beginning March 2016.
Backlogs swelled to a record 142,837 orders the Washington-based RSI said. These may bolster the industry through 2015.
Throughout last year, buyers piled on requests for cars amid an oil boom in North Dakota and Texas. Freight-car bookings and backlogs swelled to record highs even as West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices fell 14 percent between July and the end of September, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Orders for cars that carry cement and frac sand, a resource instrumental in the U.S. shale boom, declined in the fourth quarter from a record, according to Bascome Majors, an Atlanta-based transportation and rail-equipment analyst for Susquehanna International. Falling oil prices might temper future demand for frac-sand cars, he said.
Significant Hit
Oil prices tumbled 18 percent in November and 19 percent the next month, ending the year with the steepest monthly loss in six years, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
"The oil price drop is a significant hit" to the tank-car industry, Macquarie's Zagrean said. As customers re-evaluate the cost of new cars, even extensions on orders can weaken manufacturers' earnings, she said.
Freight-car producer Greenbrier has dodged order cancellations as oil prices fell. Only one customer approached the company about canceling an order but has yet to call the deal off, William Furman, chief executive officer, said in a conference call Jan. 7.
Trinity had not seen any "appreciable impact" on its business from the low oil prices in the third quarter, Stephen Menzies, group president of the company's rail and railcar leasing group, said in an earnings call October 29. The company stands by those comments, spokesman Jack Todd said in a Jan. 21 e-mail.
Union Tank Car spokesman Bruce Winslow declined to comment on the company's orders. GATX's director of investor relations Jennifer Van Aken didn't return phone calls seeking comment.
In addition to concerns that low oil prices will threaten demand, the industry faces new regulations spurred by accidents including the July 2013 derailment and explosion in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, that killed 47 people.
Phase Out
The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration plans to issue rules to phase out older rail cars that carry crude in the coming month, Susan Lagana, a PHMSA spokeswoman, wrote in an e-mailed statement Jan. 15. The type of tank car most implicated in spills, known as the DOT-111, would be phased out or rebuilt to meet the new standards within two years for the most volatile crude oil, according to the proposal.
New rules may create "quite a lot of replacement demand," Greenbrier CEO Furman said in the earnings call. Currently, the Lake Oswego, Oregon-based company's tank-car orders comprise just slightly more than a quarter of its backlog, according to company spokesman Jack Isselmann.
Owners are expected to scrap more than a fifth of an estimated 117,000 tankers that would require modifications. The work, which may include adding full height steel shields at the ends and adding a metal jacket around the body, is estimated to cost between $27,000 and $46,700 per car, an RSI study said.
BNSF Railway Co., which like Union Tank Car is owned by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., delayed an order of 5,000 new and safer oil-tank cars until the new safety standards are set. The railroad said last year that it would buy the new cars because of safety concerns even though railroads typically don't own the cars that their locomotives haul on the track.
Many of the orders for safer tank cars might already be included in the backlog as buyers line up in anticipation, Hatfield of Raymond James said.
"This industry has really earned a lot of money in the last few years due to this tank-car boom and when that goes away, it's going to have an impact on peoples' businesses," he said.
American RailcarAmerican Railcar Industries Inc.Bakken crudeCarl IcahnDOT-111Federal Regulation (U.S.)Frac-sandGreenbrier Cos.Macquarie Capital USA Inc.Oil IndustryOil pricesRail industryRaymond James & Associates Inc.Susquehanna International GroupTank car manufactureTank car retirementTank car retrofitTrinity Industries Inc.U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials AdministrationUnion Tank Car Co.Warren Buffett
Bakken Crude, Crude By Rail, Environmental review, Public Comment, Public permitting, Tank car design
Shell's Anacortes Refinery: Don't worry, be happy … Crowds: no way!
Repost from KPLU 88.5, Seattle WA
[Editor: Does this sound familiar? …EXACTLY the same story here in Benicia. Significant quote: "Skagit County has extended the public comment period on the proposal and is accepting written testimony via its website through Feb. 5." – RS]
Proposed Oil-By-Rail Expansion At Shell's Anacortes Refinery Drawing Crowds
By Bellamy Pailthorp, Jan 29, 2015
Matthew Brown AP Photo
An overflowing crowd turned out to testify in Skagit County Thursday on plans to add an oil-train facility to Shell's refinery in Anacortes.
The company says it needs to be able to receive Bakken crude by rail to remain competitive.
Declining oil production in Alaska means more is coming from the American Midwest — by train instead of by boat.
And Tom Rizzo, general manager of Shell's Puget Sound refinery in Anacortes, says his is now the only one in the Northwest that can't take in crude by rail.
"The other four refineries all have these rail facilities and currently have the capability of bringing in Bakken crude," Rizzo said. "So, having a rail facility at our site similar to what they all have at their sites is important to our long-term competitive position."
He says the proposal to receive about one train a day of crude — or about 60,000 barrels — would not increase their production overall. Skagit County decided in April that the change wasn't significant enough to require an environmental impact statement. After public outcry, the county added a series of conditions.
But Kristin Boyles, an attorney with Earthjustice, says that's not enough. She filed an appeal with the county on behalf of several local community groups. The mile-long trains would cross Washington and head up the Interstate 5 corridor before passing through Mount Vernon and Burlington to get to Puget Sound. She says the entire area is exposed to the potential for train derailments and devastating fires, like the one in Quebec that killed 47 people.
"Washington is at the receiving end — and not in a good way — of a huge increase in fossil fuel transportation by rail. And if your town is on the rail line, you are staring at really monumental risks and impacts," Boyle said.
According to permitting documents filed by Shell, the Anacortes proposal will move more than a million cubic yards of dirt and cost about a hundred million dollars, for the oil train terminal construction alone.
"And then factor on top of that public health risks, risks to marine life if there was a spill, risks to water quality and then ultimately the greenhouse gas emissions," Boyle said. "It is certainly a project that demands full review."
Nationally, Shell has pledged to use only modern rail cars and says the most explosive additives in Bakken crude are being phased out.
Locally, Rizzo says Shell will comply with whatever authorities decide. He says the company has worked on the permit for two years to ensure good outcomes.
"We have designed this facility with the highest standards of safety and environmental protection in mind," Rizzo said.
For example, he says they worked with the Swinomish Tribe and other local agencies to add fish-friendly culverts to an area where the main rail tracks enter Shell's property near I-5. He says this will allow juvenile salmon to migrate from Fidalgo Bay into nearby waterways, in an area where they are currently blocked.
The refinery provides jobs for about 750 people. A group that formed to support plans for a coal terminal in Bellingham, The Northwest Jobs Alliance, submitted a letter supporting Shell's oil train proposal. It says requiring a full EIS every time there is a change to an existing operation is unreasonable and comes from people seeking to deindustrialize the economy.
Skagit County has extended the public comment period on the proposal and is accepting written testimony via its website through Feb. 5.
Anacortes WABakken crudeBellingham WACrude by RailEnvironmental reviewFidalgo BayPublic CommentsPublic permittingSeattle WAShell AnacortesSkagit County WASwinomish tribeTank car designThe Northwest Jobs Alliance
Canadian regulation, Crude By Rail, Rail industry, Rail inspection, Rail Safety
Transportation Safety Board of Canada adds new demands to emergency directive
Repost from The Wall Street Journal
Editor: This story is also covered in railway-technology.com and The Globe and Mail. – RS]
Canada's TSB Concerned Railway Safety 'Remains Inadequate'
Transportation Safety Agency Concerned Over Ottawa's Oversight of Railway Companies
By Judy McKinnon, Jan. 28, 2015
Canada's transportation safety agency said Wednesday it is concerned that Ottawa's oversight of railway companies remains inadequate, while noting that measures now in place would significantly reduce the risk of runaway trains.
Last year, the agency recommended several measures to strengthen rail safety after a 2013 oil-train derailment in Quebec killed 47 people and devastated the small town of Lac-Mégantic.
"While recognizing significant positive action taken by the regulator, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada remains concerned about Transport Canada's response to outstanding recommendations," the agency said Wednesday.
Transport Canada is the Canadian federal ministry responsible for rail transportation.
The TSB said it is specifically concerned the ministry hasn't yet put in place an effective oversight process "that guarantees all railways will be audited in sufficient breadth and frequency to ensure safety issues are addressed in a timely manner."
Canadian Transportation Minister Lisa Raitt said the ministry has taken action to boost oversight. "As part of our response to the Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada will be conducting full (safety management systems) audits of federally regulated railway companies on a three-to-five-year cycle," Ms. Raitt's spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.
In August, the TSB cited 18 factors for the Lac-Mégantic disaster, including a weak safety culture at the train's operator—Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd.—and lax regulatory oversight. The derailment sharply raised concerns about the growing transportation of crude by rail and was followed by a number of other fiery but non-deadly accidents.
Among the TSB's recommendations was that Transport Canada audit the safety management systems of all railways on a regular basis to confirm that safety measures are in place, and more measures to secure trains.
Transport Canada hasn't yet shown that an effective oversight regime has been implemented, which could lead to a lag in identifying safety issues, the TSB said Wednesday.
As for preventing runaway trains, the agency said it is satisfied that Transport Canada has introduced "multiple layers" of defenses that, if fully implemented, will significantly reduce risks.
"The Minister of Transport and the department have taken strong action to improve rail safety in the wake of the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, but more work needs to be done," the safety agency said.
Last year, the TSB found that the 72-car train derailed after being left unattended and improperly secured on a descending grade despite indications there were mechanical problems with the lead locomotive. The agency said then that the now-defunct railway didn't properly train and oversee its crews and lacked fully functioning safety-management processes.
"As we have always said, and as the Transportation Safety Board report clearly indicates, this was a case where rules were not followed," Ms. Raitt's spokeswoman said Wednesday.
—Nirmala Menon contributed to this article.
Canadian regulationCrude by RailLac-MéganticMaine & Atlantic Railway Ltd.MontrealRail industryRail inspectionRail safetyTransport CanadaTransportation Safety Board of Canada