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Le operazioni navali nella guerra d'inverno si svolsero tra il novembre 1939 e il gennaio 1940, pur limitate dal ghiaccio che bloccò il mar Baltico e, di conseguenza, le forze degli schieramenti contrapposti: la Marina sovietica e quella finlandese. La portata dei combattimenti navali fu esigua, nel complesso, data la sproporzione numerica tra i contendenti e la decisione finlandese di evitare qualsiasi battaglia navale tradizionale; perciò gran parte delle operazioni finniche fu portata avanti dal naviglio sottile e dai sommergibili. I sovietici si concentrarono in bombardamenti del litorale e delle isole avversarie, generando svariati scontri con l'artiglieria costiera finlandese. Le manovre marittime dei belligeranti ebbero praticamente fine con il completo congelamento del mar Baltico a inizio 1940, in generale con impatto minimo sul conflitto.

Situazione generale
La firma del patto Molotov-Ribbentrop con la Germania nazista nell'agosto 1939 diede mano libera all'Unione Sovietica per estendere la propria zona d'influenza politico-militare nei Paesi baltici, in Polonia e in Finlandia. L'URSS entrò in Polonia dopo che la Wehrmacht aveva invaso il paese a partire dal 1º settembre, e ben presto chiese ai Paesi baltici di poter usufruire di basi aeronavali. Alla Finlandia, invece, il governo sovietico cercò di strappare per via negoziale parte dell'istmo di Carelia, alcune isole nel golfo di Finlandia e altri territori minori in cambio della cessione dei distretti di Repola e Porajärvi nella Carelia sovietica. Il rifiuto finlandese portò i sovietici a rompere i rapporti diplomatici il 28 novembre e due giorni dopo ad attaccare il paese.

Forze in campo

Il mar Baltico incominciò a ghiacciare alla fine di dicembre, rendendo difficile la navigazione delle unità da guerra; a metà inverno, solo i sommergibili e le navi rompighiaccio potevano ancora muoversi. Le operazioni furono limitate anche a causa delle problematiche che affliggevano la Flotta del Baltico sovietica, carente di addestramento, di una valida struttura logistica e di mezzi da sbarco, impedendole di intraprendere azioni su larga scala nonostante, sulla carta, fosse notevole. In organico vi erano due navi da battaglia (Marat e Oktjabr'skaja Revoljucija) con cannoni da 305 mm, appartenenti alla classe Gangut del 1911, ma rimodernate nel 1936; il moderno incrociatore pesante  con cannoni da 180 mm, circa venti tra cacciatorpediniere e conduttori di flottiglia, cinquanta motosiluranti, cinquantadue sommergibili e altri vascelli minori ancorati a Paldiski, Tallinn e Liepāja. V'erano infine i reparti dell'aviazione di marina sovietica, numerosi anche se spesso equipaggiati con macchine obsolete.

La Marina finlandese era una forza prevalentemente costiera: schierava due corazzate costiere classe Väinämöinen (, ), cinque sommergibili, sette motosiluranti, quattro cannoniere (Turunmaa, Karjala, Uusimaa, Hämeenmaa), un posamine e otto dragamine (6 classe Ahven, 2 classe Rautu). Gli uomini in servizio erano , di cui  destinati alla difesa delle coste. Solo una piccola parte di queste forze prese parte ad azioni offensive. .

Dei cinque sommergibili, tre erano della classe Vetehinen. Il capoclasse Vesihiisi e l erano stati costruiti con tecnologia tedesca presso cantieri navali locali dalla compagnia olandese Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw; erano battelli moderni da 500 tonnellate che vennero però concepiti anche come posamine e, quindi, erano appesantiti dall'attrezzatura apposita a scapito della dotazione di siluri: in ogni caso, le ridotte profondità medie del mar Baltico impedirono operazioni con battelli di grandi dimensioni. A questi si aggiungeva il più piccolo Saukko, di modeste caratteristiche nautiche, e il tedesco Vesikko, capostipite degli U-Boot Tipo II. Questi battelli furono impiegati per missioni offensive, ma senza esito date le scarse velocità e manovrabilità. Un esempio fu il bombardamento del forte di Russarö il 1º dicembre, quando il Vesikko e il Saukko vennero inviati contro l'incrociatore sovietico Kirov, ma non riuscirono a raggiungerlo in quanto il bombardamento durò solo dieci minuti e da una distanza di 20 km.

Il problema maggiore della marina finlandese era la qualità degli armamenti: solo la Ilmarinen e la Väinämöinen montavano moderni cannoni da 254 mm e 105 mm; tutte le altre navi avevano invece antiquati cannoni della prima guerra mondiale o dell'era zarista; anche i siluri e circa la metà delle mine navali erano risalenti al primo conflitto mondiale, quest'ultime con una carica esplosiva di soli 75–100 kg. Riguardo alle bombe di profondità, la marina finlandese ne aveva in carico 520, ma la metà di queste era inutilizzabile.

Svolgimento delle operazioni

Le operazioni iniziarono, senza preavviso da parte dei sovietici, con un attacco alle isole del golfo di Finlandia. Il 30 novembre 1939 la corazzata costiera Ilmarinen fu attaccata senza esito da alcuni bombardieri sovietici SB-2 mentre era all'ancora a Högsåra; fu immediatamente spostata a Lohmi in modo che la successiva ondata di attaccanti trovò l'ancoraggio vuoto. La nave passò il resto della guerra a Turku, dove contribuì alla difesa antiaerea della città coi suoi pezzi da 105 mm che abbatterono uno o due aerei nemici; per l'occasione i ponti vennero dipinti di bianco e si lasciò che la neve ammantasse il ponte di coperta, per migliorare la mimetizzazione. Il 7 dicembre 1939 Mosca annunciò l'inizio di un blocco navale che comportò alcune perdite tra le navi finlandesi, così come per alcuni dei battelli neutrali che solcavano il Baltico. .

Stalin aveva proposto un blocco totale dei porti finlandesi mediante l'uso dei sommergibili, ma fu dissuaso dal Commissario alla marina ammiraglio Nikolaj Gerasimovič Kuznecov, per le insidie rappresentate dalla frastagliata costa finlandese e dalle numerose isole e canali. I sommergibili basati a Liepāja furono attivi fra le isole Åland e il golfo di Botnia, mentre quelli basati a Paldiski, Tallinn e Kronštadt operarono nel golfo di Finlandia. In genere i sommergibili sovietici operarono in coppia, rivelando spesso la loro posizione a causa delle intense comunicazioni radio con le proprie basi: ciononostante, la lotta antisommergibile finlandese fu assai inefficace, ma per converso i battelli sovietici affondarono una sola nave avversaria con i siluri e poche altre a colpi di cannone. Alcune navi neutrali furono attaccate per errore: il 10 dicembre il vaporetto estone Kassari fu affondato dal sommergibile Šč 323 al largo di Utö e il vaporetto tedesco Bolheim fu affondato dal sommergibile S-1 a sud-ovest di Sappi. Il 5 gennaio 1940 il vaporetto svedese Fenris fu affondato dai colpi di cannone sparati dal sommergibile Šč 311 vicino Sydostbrotten. L'unica nave mercantile finlandese affondata dai sommergibili sovietici fu la Wilpas, cannoneggiata e affondata dal sommergibile Šč 311 del tenente di vascello F.G. Vershinin il 29 dicembre; Vershinin rivendicò l'affondamento di tre navi da trasporto finlandesi durante la guerra e fu proclamato Eroe dell'Unione Sovietica e il suo sommergibile fu decorato con l'Ordine della Bandiera rossa. L fu l'unico sommergibile sovietico perduto, avendo incappato in un campo minato finlandese presso l'isola Märket; affondò con l'intero equipaggio.

I sovietici tentarono di condurre l'attacco contro la Finlandia anche dal mare e, sebbene riuscissero ad occupare alcune piccole isole al largo (il 1º dicembre 1939, ad esempio, fu conquistata Suursari, difesa da un distaccamento di trenta soldati finlandesi), fallirono nel tentativo di sbarcare sul continente: la Finlandia aveva numerose batterie costiere, in gran parte eredità di quando era parte dell'Impero russo, per difendere le baie più importanti e le basi navali. La flotta sovietica del Baltico bombardò Porvoo, circa 32 km a est di Helsinki, e tentò di sbarcare truppe d'assalto, ma fu respinta dal fuoco dei cannoni finlandesi. Il 1º dicembre la batteria dell'isola di Russarö (sei cannoni da 254 mm e altrettanti da 75 mm) respinse un attacco portato dall'incrociatore sovietico Kirov, scortato dai due cacciatorpediniere Stremitel'nyj e Smetlivyj; l'incrociatore riportò alcuni danni, diciassette morti e trenta feriti. Due settimane dopo, 14 dicembre, il forte di Utö (quattro cannoni da 152 mm) duellò con altri due cacciatorpediniere sovietici, il Gnevnyj e il Grozâŝij; riuscì probabilmente a colpirne uno e le due unità si ritirarono dietro una cortina fumogena. Il 18 dicembre la corazzata Oktjabr'skaja Revoljucija bombardò il forte di Saarenpää (sei cannoni da 254 mm e due da 152 mm) con l'appoggio dell'aviazione, lasciando il giorno dopo il posto alla Marat, che fu colpita dal fuoco finlandese e costretta a ritirarsi. .

L'aviazione sovietica attaccò navi e baie finlandesi e minò le linee di comunicazione marittime, ma il suo contributo non fu decisivo e, più in generale, il blocco navale non ottenne i risultati sperati. Il numero delle navi da trasporto finlandesi affondate non è identico tra le varie fonti: alcune riportano ventisei navi da trasporto affondate, altre solamente cinque (Wilpas, Leo, Kaija, Notung, Rigel). Un'unità di scorta, la Aura II, yacht presidenziale trasformato con l'aggiunta di un impianto per il lancio di bombe di profondità, andò perduta il 13 gennaio 1940 per la detonazione delle sue stesse cariche di profondità durante le operazioni di scorta a un convoglio, mentre dava la caccia al sommergibile Šč 324. Le due navi da carico scortate, la Anneberg, la Hebe e la nave passeggeri Bore I, diretta in Svezia, riuscirono a sfuggire senza danni.

Sul fronte della Lapponia, la Flotta del Nord sovietica deteneva il totale controllo dello specchio di mare davanti al porto finlandese di Petsamo, difeso solo da un piccolo distaccamento navale delle guardie di frontiera. Il 1º dicembre 1939, mentre altre truppe attraversavano il confine via terra, una flottiglia di unità leggere scortate dai cacciatorpediniere Karl Liebknecht,  e Valeryan Kuybyshev e da alcuni dragamine sbarcarono elementi della 52ª Divisione fanteria nelle vicinanze del porto, catturandolo senza grosse difficoltà; la guarnigione non oppose alcuna resistenza ma, prima di evacuare la città, fece arenare e incendiò il pattugliatore Turja e la nave da collegamento Jäämeri. I sommergibili Šč-402 e Šč-404 furono dislocati al largo della penisola di Varanger per intercettare eventuali incursioni di navi anglo-francesi in appoggio dei finlandesi, ma nessuna azione in tal senso fu tentata.

Operazioni navali ebbero luogo anche nel vasto lago Ladoga, pattugliato da una modesta flottiglia finlandese, che si adoperò nella posa di sbarramenti di mine navali, nonché nell'appoggio alle operazioni terrestri: in tali azioni si distinsero le piccole cannoniere Aallokas, Tarmo e Vulcan. Il 17 gennaio 1940, comunque, ogni movimento fu sospeso a causa del completo congelamento del lago, pertanto i cannoni delle navi furono smontati per essere impiegati a terra; la superiorità aerea sovietica stava del resto compromettendo l'operatività del piccolo distaccamento finlandese: il 22 gennaio la nave da trasporto Valamon Luostari fu affondata in attacchi aerei nel porto di Vanha Niikkananlahti, l'unica unità perduta in azione bellica nel lago.

.

Note

Bibliografia

Voci correlate
 Operazioni navali nel mare Adriatico (1914-1918)
 Operazione N
 Teatro del mar Baltico della seconda guerra mondiale

Altri progetti


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John Adams – revolutionist, political theorist. An acclaimed biography of one of America's Founding Fathers in a superb Folio edition.
'Too plain spoken for diplomacy and too honest for politics' is how the brilliant historian James Grant describes the man who was one of America's foremost revolutionaries, greatest political theorists and most illustrious diplomats. Vice President (1789–97), and then President of the United States (1797–1801) John Adams was an independent-minded, uncompromisingly ethical man.
Quarter-bound in cloth with printed paper sides
Set in Baskerville
Frontispiece and 16 pages of plates
'A certified American original'
Throughout his life he passionately believed in a system of checks and balances on government, writing as a very young man that 'no simple Form of Government, can possibly secure Men against the Violences of Power'. He held true to this vision throughout his own years in office.
Written in a witty and engaging style, this comprehensive chronicle omits no facet of Adams's life. Indeed, it is through Adams's frequent and tender letters to his wife Abigail that we see his private hopes and concerns for the momentous events in which he played such an important part. Adams was, as historian Ron Chernow comments, 'a certified American original'.
'One gets the sense that old Adams [would] greatly appreciate Mr. Grant's shrewd and witty biography'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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COVID-19 'perfect storm' threatens conservation in Africa
Posted on November 12, 2020 by AfGeoAdmin in the Decoding Science post series.
Much has been said and written about the devastating effects of COVID-19 on global economies, with the inevitable socio-economic impacts on all sectors of life and industry. The situation is not projected to improve any time soon, and for the already underfunded conservation industry in Africa, it spells disaster. A new report by renowned conservationists and scientists examines just how bad COVID-19 could be for Africa's wildlife and protected areas and what needs to be done to save our wild spaces.
According to the report, Africa has nearly 2000 Key Biodiversity Areas and supports the world's most diverse and abundant large mammal populations, with wildlife-based tourism generating over $29 billion every year and employing 3.6 million people. 7,800 terrestrial protected areas cover some 17% of the continent, most of which are state-owned but with considerable support from conservation NGOs and the private sector. Expanding conservation efforts on private and community land has seen increased available habitat for wildlife while simultaneously creating buffer zones. Vast transfrontier conservation areas protect wilderness areas across national boundaries.
From bad to worse
Even before COVID-19, Africa's conservation industry was facing a crisis. The report states that state-owned protected areas with lions are repeatedly faced with budget deficits of $1.2 billion every year, with most other protected areas likely faring no better. This, in turn, renders these regions susceptible to the main threats facing wildlife today: habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, encroachment, poaching and climate change, which, combined with poor governances, poverty, climbing human populations and the illegal wildlife trade, are driving wildlife declines. And the authors believe that this current pandemic could amplify this crisis to catastrophic effect.
Schematic of the potential cascading impacts of COVID-19 on conservation in Africa. Source: Lindsey, P., Allan, J., Brehony P., et al (2020), Nature Ecology & Evolution
While there have been limited positive environmental benefits to the global shutdown, these are temporary, and the ultimate impact will be strongly negative, with reduced funding, lower conservation capacity and increased threats to wildlife and ecosystems.
The effects
Reduced conservation funding:
As governments are faced with having to make severe budget cuts, there is a strong likelihood that wildlife authority budgets (already underfunded) are going to be substantially reduced. The impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry is being felt on an unprecedented scale, and 90% of African tour operators have seen an over 75% decline in bookings. For most countries, tourism is the most significant contributor to protected area financing, and the loss of this revenue is going to have major ramifications. Aside from the day-to-day conservation activities, the lost revenue threatens jobs and livelihoods for some of the most impoverished communities on the continent.
Reduced donor funding is also inevitable, as economies struggle to recover, and corporations, private donors and foundations are unable to provide or may shift their focus to humanitarian causes. During the financial crisis of 2008/9, conservation endowments declined by 40%.
Impaired conservation operation
Reduced funding will restrict the capacity of conservation and management authorities to manage protected areas as necessary, as well as forcing the loss of staff members and preventing the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies. In areas where movement has been strictly restricted, rotating staff and supplying field rangers has proved difficult, resulting in exhausted staff and poor morale.
Increased conservation threats
The disastrous effects on tourism and the overall negative economic impact will increase rural poverty. The authors expect increased poaching, tree cutting, artisanal mining, encroachment, agricultural conversion and even the degazetting of severely affected protected areas.
Examples of realized and potential impacts of COVID-19 on conservation in Africa, as of April 2020. Source: Lindsey, P., Allan, J., Brehony P., et al (2020), Nature Ecology & Evolution
Risk of future outbreaks due to human impacts on nature
The report suggests that the combination of reduced conservation efforts and increased poverty could create a positive feedback loop where increased reliance on natural resources increases encroachment, exposure, and consumption of wild animals, ultimately increasing the risk of future pandemics.
The authors emphasise that a long-term perspective is essential – supporting conservation efforts will help local economies recover and create employment, especially as the tourism industry begins to bounce back. The report highlights three significant actions needed to mitigate these effects:
Manage the immediate crisis
The international community needs to intervene to provide crisis funding by recognising conservation as an essential service, and, realistically, this primary source of funding needs to be the developed world, as many governments in developing countries lack the capacity. This could involve donors creating an emergency fund for wildlife authorities, communities, private landowners, and conservation NGOs. The tourism industry, which underpins the conservation industry, needs support both in terms of tax breaks and direct financial assistance.
Defend against future disease outbreaks by regulating wildlife trade and minimising habitat loss
Governments and organisations across the world need to improve regulations and improve the enforcement of existing laws to curb unsafe wildlife trade practices that jeopardise either human health or conservation objectives. The authors do warn against undermining the legal, regulated wildlife trade that supports millions of livelihoods.
Conservation funding in Africa is currently insufficient, lacking diversity and vulnerable to shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are potential solutions. Source: Lindsey, P., Allan, J., Brehony P., et al (2020), Nature Ecology & Evolution
The report also suggests that efforts should be made to tackle other drivers of infectious disease such as habitat destruction, logging, and mining.
Address systematic flaws in the structure and function of conservation in Africa
Here the report suggests that COVID-19 has exposed the multifaceted shortcomings of conservation efforts in Africa, starting with the fact that funding is inadequate and reliance on short term, external funding streams is not sustainable. While tourism plays an enormous role, some countries are over-reliant on it for conservation funding, which makes efforts vulnerable to stochastic events such as pandemics. In areas where tourism does flourish, the communities that carry the cost of wildlife generally receive negligible benefits.
Increasing conservation resilience
The report suggests that this is an opportunity to rethink and restructure conservation funding in Africa to promote long-term resilience, with suggested solutions that would need to be tailored depending on the specific situation:
Recognise the reliance on the development of natural assets – that is, aligning conservation and development interests to build political and public will.
Quantify the value of natural assets and ecosystem services and incorporate those values in national budgets
Position protected areas as hubs for local development and service provision
Properly engage local people as stakeholders in conservations – allow communities to participate in protected area governance and ensure that communities benefit from tourism.
Encouraging conservation organisations to work with development specialists on visible support for communities
Support African civil society conservation efforts
Given that travel restrictions currently limit international conservation organisations, they should be supporting local conservation organisations by providing funding and sharing expertise which will increase local conservation capacity.
Diversify revenue-generating options from wildlife areas
The demonstrated volatility of international tourism, as well as the decline in trophy hunting, illustrate the need to create local revenue streams more resilient to global shocks. For some countries, that means fostering domestic tourism to increase resilience to global shock and build longer-term public support for conservation. The report also warns that, given current deficits, the collapse of the trophy hunting industry would have grave ramifications for conservation.
Increase domestic expenditure
African governments need to invest in protecting their assets – this could entail setting aside a budgetary allocation for the protection of nature.
Increase international funding
There are emerging mechanisms for international governments, organisations, and individuals to provide funding, including investment in land, payments for ecosystem services or debt-for-nature swaps.
Improve revenue distribution mechanisms
Africa needs to improve the mechanisms used to generate and disburse wildlife-related revenue in a way that recognises the role of governments, private landowners, and communities as custodians of wildlife.
a) The terrestrial ecoregions of Africa. b) Percentage tree cover with >10% canopy density in 2000 (source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA). c) Mammal species richness. d) Funding deficits of national protected area networks in African lion range states. e) The average number of annual international tourist arrivals to African countries from 2016–2018. f) The GDP per capita (corrected for purchasing power parity (PPP)) in current US dollars of African countries in 2018. In d–f, countries are filled white where data were unavailable. Source: Lindsey, P., Allan, J., Brehony P., et al (2020), Nature Ecology & Evolution
The authors of this report are some of the most prominent coal-face conservationists and scientists in the industry, and their sombre warnings carry significant weight. They conclude that the international community needs to act fast to protect and support Africa's wildlife and protected areas, as well as the people who depend on them. This concerted effort will need the support and collaboration of the developed world, African governments, donors and conservation practitioners. "At this critical juncture, business, as usual, could be catastrophic, but decisive and collaborative action can ensure that Africa's wildlife survives COVID-19 and that more resilient conservation models benefit humans and wildlife for generations".
The above is a summary of an extensive report, and the full article can be accessed here: "Conserving Africa's wildlife and wildlands through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond", Lindsey, P., Allan, J., Brehony P., et al (2020), Nature Ecology & Evolution
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Home > Global Markets > Canada > Ram
FCA Canada: Ram Announces 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition
Canadian sales limited to 100 units, commemorating North America's most powerful truck
August 17, 2020 , Windsor, Ontario - How do you top the apex predator of the truck world? By introducing the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition.
Along with today's world debut of the all-new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX super-truck, the Ram brand announced plans to build a limited run of TRX Launch Edition models.
Canadian buyers will have to act quickly as only 100 units will be sold.
"The Ram team is as excited about the all-new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX as our customers are," said Mike Koval Jr., Head of Ram Brand, FCA - North America. "Many of those customers have been asking for something special, even above the TRX's already-loaded features."
The TRX Launch Edition is visually distinguished by its Anvil grey paint, which will be exclusive to the edition. Inside, each of the TRX Launch Edition trucks gets a special red and brushed-aluminum centre console badge identifying it as a special, limited-edition TRX model.
The Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition package is coupled with the TRX Level 2 Equipment Group, adding carbon fibre interior trim, colour accent package, Head-up Display, beadlock-capable wheels, 19-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, dual-pane panoramic sunroof and bodyside graphics.
Production of the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition starts in early fourth-quarter 2020.
The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is built at FCA's Sterling Heights (Michigan) Assembly Plant.
The new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the apex predator of the truck world and cements Ram Truck as North America's off-road truck leader. The Ram 1500 TRX expands the light-duty lineup and sets the benchmark for extreme performance pickup trucks. Designed bolt by bolt to significantly outperform every other truck, the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX has been tested to handle the most punishing conditions with extreme durability. Powered by the 702-horsepower supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI® V-8 engine, the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX delivers a top speed of 190 km/h on its way to being the quickest, fastest and most powerful mass-produced half-ton pickup truck in the world. New integrated fender flares add 203 millimetres (eight inches) of body width, making room for new 18-inch wheels that are wrapped in a specially designed 35-inch Wrangler Territory All-Terrain tire from Goodyear. This combination, paired with an all-new custom suspension composed of the highest quality components and tuning geared towards high-speed desert runs, produces even more capability on the street or in the desert.
FCA Canada
Founded as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925, FCA Canada Inc. is based in Windsor, Ontario, and celebrates its 96th anniversary in 2021. FCA Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of FCA, a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA Canada has approximately 440 dealers that sell Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo products, as well as SRT performance products. The company also distributes Mopar and Alfa Romeo parts and accessories. In addition to its assembly facilities, which produce the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Chrysler Voyager and Chrysler Grand Caravan (Windsor) and Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger (Brampton), FCA Canada operates an aluminum casting plant in Etobicoke, a research and development centre in Windsor, and has sales offices and parts distribution centers throughout the country.
Jordan Wasylyk
LouAnn Gosselin
2021 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition
2021 Ram 1500 TRX: Quickest, Fastest and Most Powerful Mass-produced Truck in the World


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Honda is working on avatar robots and rockets—with a very different timeline than Tesla and SpaceX
Stephen Edelstein October 13, 2021 Comment Now!
Honda recently announced a host of new non-automotive projects, including some that parallel Tesla and SpaceX.
In a press release, the automaker announced plans for an "avatar robot" that can be operated remotely by humans, as well as a small reusable rocket. The company is operating a very different timeline than Elon Musk, though.
The robot will be equipped with a human-like hand that can smoothly grasp objects and precisely manipulate tools, according to Honda. The automaker envisions such robots being used for lunar exploration, potentially at Moon bases powered by its fuel-cell technology.
Honda avatar robot
Tesla is working on its humanoid Bot, and said that it would be ready in prototype form next year. Honda, meanwhile, targets "practical use in the 2030s," with an initial demonstration before the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.
Honda also has considerably more experience developing robots than Tesla. The company's Uni-Cub and ASIMO have both so far focused on helping people with mobility.
The new robot departs from that in that "the user can perform tasks and experience things without being there in person, including the realistic sense of handling objects remotely," according to Honda.
Having made the leap from terrestrial vehicles to aircraft with its HondaJet, the company also plans to take things even further with a rocket, with the goal of launching small satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Like the rockets built by SpaceX, the Honda rocket will be reusable, with "at least some of the rocket components" able to land back on Earth after launching. To accomplish that, Honda plans to use "control and guidance technologies" developed for self-driving cars.
Meanwhile, Musk has hinted of a SpaceX tie-in in which the upcoming Roadster might potentially get rocket tech. That product has now been delayed to 2023.
Musk is known to be very optimistic about the schedule of Tesla's technology, with a fleet of robo-taxis now overdue.
High-Res Gallery: Honda avatar robot
Honda News News
Peat might lower cost of sodium-ion batteries for EVs, research suggests
Top versions of Lucid Air will be first in US with lidar, company claims
1,000-mile Aptera "never charge" solar-supplemented EV: Jay Leno gets a preview
Ford and BMW partner Solid Power demonstrates the safety of its solid-state battery tech


UGH! That is not what you want to be greeted with!
IPVanish offers a 7-day money-back guarantee, so it's nice and easy to switch to ExpressVPN (which I think is the best VPN provider for unblocking Netflix).
Is your VPN provider letting you down when it comes to accessing Netflix? This formerly-reliable method of accessing U.S. Netflix streams from outside of the country has ceased to work for subscribers of many VPN providers. This is due to an active effort on Netflix's part to block the IP addresses of VPN servers.
One of the providers that previously worked to unblock Netflix was IPVanish. Sadly, that is no longer the case. The provider seems to have conceded the IP address chess game to Netflix. So, if you're still with IPVanish, what are your options?
Many VPN users find that their VPN connections are so useful in protecting their internet connections and personal information, they turn them on to protect their internet activities whenever they're online.
When a VPN user logs in to their provider, they are connected to a VPN server, as are a large number of other users. When they're signed in, they receive a new IP address, which makes their connection appear to be connecting from that server's location. The other users also do this. All users connected to a particular server are assigned the same address, effectively sharing an IP address.
VPNs use IP-sharing for their customers' connections for two main reasons. The first is economy of use. The second is that IP-sharing enhances the users' anonymity, due to every user's online activity being conducted through the same IP address.
Unfortunately, multiple users coming from a single IP address is also a good way for streaming providers like Netflix to detect that a VPN is being used to access their content. When this is detected, Netflix can make it tougher for a VPN's users to access their content by simply blocking the shared IP address.
Once a customer finds they can no longer access Netflix via their favorite VPN server, they are likely to complain to their provider, who confirms the IP addresses are indeed being blocked. The provider then sets up a new group of IP addresses, once again enabling access to the Netflix servers. Netflix then eventually discovers the new IP addresses, blocks them, and the game starts all over.
While this can be frustrating to VPN-using Netflix subscribers, the streaming provider is well within their rights to block such access to their servers, even if it does cause a problem for U.S.-based subscribers who might only be using a VPN to protect their internet connection and their online activities from prying eyes.
Netflix has contracts with movie and television studios that only allow subscribers in a certain geographical area to access the licensed content. While this may be an antiquated way to license content, it's still how the movie studios do it today. Unfortunately, this means that content available in the United States might not be available if you're located in another country.
In January 2016, Netflix began actively blocking VPN and proxy service connection from accessing their content. Until then, almost any VPN service could be used to access Netflix. However, soon after Netflix began its blocking activities, VPN providers began dropping their claims of Netflix-unblocking abilities. IPVanish has proved to be one of those fallen providers.
However, some VPN providers continue to fight the good fight against the Netflix VPN blockade. In the next section, we'll take a look at one of these providers.
ExpressVPN has an impressive number of servers located in spots around the world. With over 1,500 VPN servers located in 94 countries, the provider makes an excellent way to access geographically-blocked content, such as that offered by Netflix, Hulu and other streaming content providers.
ExpressVPN is also an excellent choice for streaming any type of video or audio content, due to its fast connection speeds, which regularly measure in at nearly 84% as fast as my ISP-provided speeds.
Depending on your usual ISP speeds, these speeds should be more than up to streaming your favorite Netflix content, even if it's in the 4K HDR format.
ExpressVPN is second to none when it comes to the category of privacy protection. This British Virgin Islands-based provider doesn't keep any logs of their users' online activities, so if anyone comes a-knockin' for information, there simply won't be anything to turn over - even if they've brought a subpoena with them.
The privacy protections offered by ExpressVPN also extend to subscription payments. The provider accepts Bitcoin as payment for their services. Bitcoin is arguably the safest form of payment available today when it comes to protecting your privacy. Sure, the cryptocurrency itself may be volatile, but it's still completely anonymous.
Netflix seems to be available on just about every connected device you can think of. Luckily, ExpressVPN offers native apps for the macOS, Windows and Linux desktop platforms, and iOS and Android mobile devices. Browser extensions are available for the major browser platforms. You can also use multiple devices at the same time, as the provider allows users to connect up to 3 devices at once under the same account.
Playstation (3 and 4), Xbox (360 and One), Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV owners can access Netflix's U.S. content from outside of the country by using ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer service.
If you'd like to protect all of your connected devices at once, you'll be glad to know ExpressVPN works with numerous makes and models of wireless routers, including Linksys, Asus, D-Link and TP-Link. Plus, pre-configured routers can be purchased from FlashRouters.com.
I hope that none of the folks reading these words have a less-than-carefree VPN experience. However, there's a better than even chance that you'll need to contact your VPN provider's customer support department with a question or two. When the need arises, you'll want to feel secure that support will be there when you need it.
ExpressVPN provides customer support that compares very well with any other provider in the VPN industry. The company offers online support chat, a trouble ticket submission form and an easy-to-search knowledge base.
ExpressVPN customer support agents were always quick to reply with knowledgeable responses, and the knowledge base was quick to give up an answer when I did a little digging for answers on my own.
ExpressVPN will never be mistaken for the low-price leader of the VPN provider industry. That said, the company offers a great bang for the buck.
A month-to-month VPN subscription is $12.95 per month, but you can save a few bucks if you're willing to spring for a 6-month or a 12-month subscription at $9.99 per month ($59.95 every 6 months) or $8.32 per month ($99.95 paid annually), respectively.
Stream Lover, Where Are You?
It's hard to say how long ExpressVPN will continue to offer access to Netflix, but at the time of this article, it's still hanging in there and providing a way to binge your favorite video content, even if you're outside of the United States.
Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to do a bit of bingeing. By the way, is it possible to watch all of the episodes of "Shameless" in one weekend?


As a little girl playing up in a tree in her backyard, Nancy pretended she was riding an elephant in Africa while most girls were playing with dolls. Since she can remember, Nancy dreamed of one day going to Africa. She was intensely curious about the land, the tribes, the animals and the culture. In 1987, she experienced Africa for the first time and her reverence for it only deepened. Nancy would return again and again to quench her thirst.
On one of her trips, while looking for children to paint, Nancy discovered a small hut with 60 children in an impoverished fishing community. Nancy was amazed at these children who had lost everything – parents, friends – to AIDS, accidents and illnesses. And many had AIDS themselves. They had been facing death from the moment they were born. Nancy observed, "As has always been my experience in Africa, the children were full of enthusiasm despite their circumstances. No matter how much they lacked, they were still vibrant with laughter and kindness." After Nancy left the children that day, she promised to take care of them.
Thirteen years later, Nancy's preschool has 250 children and continues to grow. A new building was completed in 2011, and the children now have several teachers, access to supplies, a feeding program and a doctor on staff. The kids appropriately call Nancy "Mum" as she has mothered them all with her unwavering commitment.
Above is a 2 minute video of the students singing a song of gratitude to Nancy.
N.A. Noël Preschool is dedicated to providing quality education and care for the children of Rusinga Island in Kenya, Africa through financial support of the school, tuition, uniforms, books, meals, clean water as well as medical treatment.
Since 1999, the N.A. Noël Preschool has uplifted the entire community. Many of the children have been orphaned by the AIDS pandemic and are also infected with HIV/AIDS. The school is a place of safety where the children gather each day in hope, laughter and great joy so they can flourish.
We are very excited to have the new building construction completed. With growing enrollment this new school building allows more children to continue to be served.
opportunities to these special children.


text:
All your games on your keychain
FunKey forums
💬 FUNKEY S
The FunKey Wiki Progress Report
Coolie Coolster
Since substantial progress has been made on The FunKey Wiki, I thought that I would share what has been done on the wiki up to this point. The wiki is run by me, Coolie, independently from the FunKey Team, as an unofficial source of information for FunKey S users. Since more information about the system and its operating system will be available closer to the launch of the system, my initial focus on the wiki has been setting up its foundations. On the wiki's main page are links to the FunKey Team's various social media pages and a general FAQ for both the wiki and the FunKey S itself, using information that the FunKey Team has shared up to this point. Also present on the main page is the latest news regarding the device, which at the moment is the fourth "episode" of "What's up, FunKey?". Summaries of past news, articles that have been written about the FunKey S, product reviews, and videos by the FunKey Team and others are compiled on a page that I have dubbed "The FunKey Times". Most importantly, however, is the list of third-party software that has been compiled on the wiki. Divided into utilities, natively-running games (there are none until the FunKey launches and developers make compatible programs), emulatable freeware games, and emulatable commercial games, this section of the website has been created to provide FunKey S users with a source to find software for their device without having to resort to illegal piracy. After scouring the internet for lists of various software for various systems (and probably having still missed many), I have compiled lists that together include over 1200 programs that can be emulated on the FunKey S. To ensure the quality of the games listed, I have also instituted a list of criteria that listed games must follow to ensure that the lists aren't filled with unfinished games or demos. If you wish to help with the wiki or have suggestions of what could be added to it, feel free to message me on the FunKey Discord sever.
FunKey Project
© 2020 FunKey Project. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Cookies Consent


Medicare Part D Open enrollment starts on October 15th to December 7th 2015.
If you have a drug coverage plan now that is at least as good as, or better than Medicare's basic drug benefit (creditable), and you do like it – you most likely should keep it. If you join a Medicare Part D plan, you may lose your creditable drug coverage and be unable to get it back if you want it later.
You can switch into a new Medicare Part D plan for 2016 during the open enrollment period from October 15 to December 7. Premium prices, deductibles, and covered medications can change each year, so it's a good idea to reevaluate whether your current plan will still be a good fit for you in the coming year.


text:
OBJECTIVE: In randomized studies of heterogeneous patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) was associated with a significant reduction in endotracheal intubation. The role of NPPV in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is still unclear. The objective was to investigate the application of NPPV as a first-line intervention in patients with early ARDS, describing what happens in everyday clinical practice in centers having expertise with NPPV. DESIGN: Prospective, multiple-center cohort study. SETTING: Three European intensive care units having expertise with NPPV. PATIENTS: Between March 2002 and April 2004, 479 patients with ARDS were admitted to the intensive care units. Three hundred and thirty-two ARDS patients were already intubated, so 147 were eligible for the study. INTERVENTIONS: Application of NPPV. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: NPPV improved gas exchange and avoided intubation in 79 patients (54%). Avoidance of intubation was associated with less ventilator-associated pneumonia (2% vs. 20%; p < .001) and a lower intensive care unit mortality rate (6% vs. 53%; p < .001). Intubation was more likely in patients who were older (p = .02), had a higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II (p < .001), or needed a higher level of positive end-expiratory pressure (p = .03) and pressure support ventilation (p = .02). Only SAPS II >34 and a Pao2/Fio2 < or =175 after 1 hr of NPPV were independently associated with NPPV failure and need for endotracheal intubation. CONCLUSIONS: In expert centers, NPPV applied as first-line intervention in ARDS avoided intubation in 54% of treated patients. A SAPS II >34 and the inability to improve Pao2/Fio2 after 1 hr of NPPV were predictors of failure.
si tratta di un survey
Antonelli, M., Maggiore, S. M., A multiple-center survey on the use in clinical practice of noninvasive ventilation as a first-line intervention for acute respiratory distress syndrome, <<CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE>>, 2007; (Gennaio): 18-25 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/72561]
A multiple-center survey on the use in clinical practice of noninvasive ventilation as a first-line intervention for acute respiratory distress syndrome
Antonelli, Massimo;Maggiore, Salvatore Maurizio


text:
Newsroomhome page
Ontario Newsroom
Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards Receiving Flood Damage Assistance
Archived Bulletin
Ontario Funding Local Recovery Efforts
December 20, 2017 10:00 A.M.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ontario is providing financial support through the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program to help the Township of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards with flood recovery efforts.
Extraordinary and widespread flooding occurred in Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards in May 2017. The funds will help offset costs related to road repairs, sandbagging and disposal. The township may be eligible for as much as $65,420 in provincial funding under the program.
The Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program helps municipalities address extraordinary emergency response costs and damage to essential property or infrastructure like bridges, roads and public buildings, as a result of a natural disaster.
The province delivers the program, which provides funding to eligible municipalities using a cost-sharing formula.
A municipality may be eligible under the program if its disaster-related costs reach a threshold of three per cent of its Own-Purpose Taxation levy.
The program came into effect on March 1, 2016, replacing the public component of the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program.
Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance Guidelines
"I commend the hard work and efforts of everyone in Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards to help ensure the well-being and safety of those who live and work in the area."
Bill Mauro
Minister of Municipal Affairs
Mark Cripps
Minister's Office
Mark.Cripps@ontario.ca
Conrad Spezowka
Communications Branch
Conrad.Spezowka@ontario.ca
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Government Home and Community Law and Safety
This document was published on December 20, 2017 and is provided for archival and research purposes.
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Ontario's official news source.
ABOUT ONTARIO
Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2019


text:
Q: fastai cnn_learner not advancing I am trying to make an object detection from fastai library with 130 pic of the object that i want to detect but the learner is not learning or not advancing like the tutorial
code:
def label_func(x): return x.parent.name

path = Path("F:/Visual Code/Python/shitshow/")
fnames = get_image_files(path/'dates')
#print(fnames)
torch.cuda.set_device('cuda:0')
print(f"Total Images:{len(fnames)}")
dls = ImageDataLoaders.from_path_func(path, fnames, label_func, bs=64, num_workers=0,item_tfms=Resize(400))
learn = cnn_learner(dls, resnet18, metrics=error_rate)
learn.fine_tune(2)

output:
Total Images:125
epoch     train_loss  valid_loss  error_rate  time
0         0.000000    0.000000    0.000000    00:04

*

*python 3.9

*fastai 2.5.3

*fastcore 1.3.27

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Barn Close in Bullbrook is sparkling thanks to a community clean-up organised by Bracknell Forest Homes.
Staff from the housing association were helped by students and council employees to clean windows, polish floors and pick up litter.
Communal hallways were cleaned and overgrown gardens were cleared during a day described as "fun but hard graft".
Now the housing association wants to enlist more tenants to help with future action days.
Barbara McMinnies, who chairs the tenants and leaseholders panel, said there were many ways in which residents could get involved with Bracknell Forest Homes. She said: "I'd like to see as many as possible trying the different options – it really is rewarding. There's lots of new ways to get involved and I'm already pleased to see the tenants and leaseholders panel with a full complement of members for the first time.
Linda Wells, housing and community services director, said: "This was an excellent action day where many jobs were completed for the benefit of the community.
Bracknell Forest Homes looks after 5,600 rented and 1,100 leasehold properties.
Since ownership was transferred from the council in 2008, the association has carried out improvements including installing more than 2,000 new kitchens and 2,000 new bathrooms.


text:
package com.googlecode.objectify.impl.conv;

import com.googlecode.objectify.impl.Wrapper;

/**
 *
Provides some limited context information to a Converter during load/set.

 */
public interface ConverterLoadContext
{
	/**
	 * @return the field/method wrapper that we are trying to set
	 */
	Wrapper getField();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Morgan Stanley has maintained 'equal-weight' rating on RBL Bank for target price of Rs 300 per share. Core revenues of RBL Bank were strong and above estimates. Margins and fee income lead growth. Loan growth and asset quality trends were also strong.


Clicking on the word Search will immediately take you to the advanced search and results page. Notice the project chooser has followed, and there are checkboxes to limit search to specific types of entries. The checkboxes displayed only if the module is enabled at that project level.
Don't forget to set custom fields checkbox Searchable to true to also search these fields.


text:
How the Brand Impact Awards trophies were made
By Dom Carter 2016-09-13T14:31:45.256Z
Discover how the stylish trophies for the design industry's top prestigious awards were created.
The biggest names in branding were gathered earlier this year as the Brand Impact Awards 2016 winners were revealed. Now in its third year, the annual event hosted by Computer Arts celebrates the very best of the world's branding, with each winner receiving the coveted Brand Impact Awards trophy. But even the award itself is a wonderful piece of design.
Created by design agency Hacksaw in partnership with Yorkshire based laser specialists Cutting Technologies, the trophies were the brainchild of Hacksaw director Kyle Wilkinson. Different versions were made, including one for the winners, best in show and highly commended entries. These were coloured brass, copper and stainless steel respectively.
The trophies are made of 13 fins
Made of 13 individual laser cut 'fins', each trophy had the recipient's name engraved with a laser.
Jane Robinson, director and co-founded of Cutting Technologies said: "We're very proud to, once again, be involved with the devolvement of these trophies. These awards are for the very best in design, and it's only fitting that the trophies Kyle designed are of such a high standard."
Each fin is carefully cut with a laser engraver
Computer Arts editor and Creative Bloq contributor Nick Carson was pleased with how the trophies turned out. "Following a hugely successful collaboration in 2015, we are delighted to be working with Kyle Wilkinson and Cutting Technologies again. Their stunning trophies really take the awards ceremony to the next level, and we were flooded with positive feedback about them last year from the world's top agencies."
Wilkinson agrees, adding that "the key to a successful and effective brand, is bringing together a variety of elements in a consistent and coherent package. That's why the awards are made of individual segments that join together creating a futuristic and minimalistic trophy which can sit pride of place in any studio."
brand impact
Artist's illustrations of TV home floor plans are weirdly fascinating
Infographic: 10 essential desk exercises for designers


text:
#ifndef _WRAPPERS_HPP_
#define _WRAPPERS_HPP_

#include "mxArray.h"

inline void wrError(const char *errormsg) { throw errormsg; };

// platform independent aligned memory allocation (see also alFree)
void* alMalloc(size_t size, int alignment);

// platform independent alignned memory de-allocation (see also alMalloc)
void alFree(void* aligned);

#endif


text:
August Campaigns Roundup
As the Internet catches its breath after last season's Game of Thrones, and 'winter is coming' becomes more and more of a reality, the greatest minds in digital marketing continue to produce buzzing campaigns and pique the attention of the Internet.
A tea giant ran a giveaway in their cricket whites, the National Gallery introduced Van Gogh to Facebook, and an airline produced its own take on John Cage's 4″33. Read on for five digital media happenings that caught the attention of Fusion's content team last month!
1) Yorkshire Tea hits the content for six
In the build-up to last month's match between England and the West Indies at our very own Headingley Stadium, an inspired Yorkshire Tea competition asked entrants to film themselves bowling their teabag into their cuppa as spectacularly as possible.
The prizes didn't stray far from the wickets. The lucky winners received VIP tickets to the game, a signed cricket bat, and the opportunity to chat with legendary English cricketer Michael Vaughan.
The competition benefited the brand in several ways: it enabled them to highlight their Yorkshire roots and tap into pop culture interests, whilst encouraging the creation of unique user generated content that created animated conversations on social media.
Meet the winners of #BowlingDoneProper – the superstars of the noble sport of tea bag bowling! pic.twitter.com/8g6sGorDOL
— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) August 18, 2017
2) Vincent Van Gogh gets social with the National Gallery and Facebook
Recently, Vincent Van Gogh has enjoyed an unlikely pre-eminence in digital media. In February, Airbnb partnered with the Art Institute of Chicago to build a real life version of his iconic painting 'The Bedroom', making it available for art-minded guests to stay in. Now, he's starred at the heart of a foray into VR by the UK's National Gallery, who used Facebook Live to host a virtual exhibition that united his legendary 'Sunflowers' paintings – displayed in galleries all over the world – for the first time in their history.
The exhibition functioned as a relay between five galleries. Each had fifteen minutes to present their own portrait to the audience, before passing the impressionist baton on to the next.
'We launched our first Facebook Live a year ago', said Dr Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the Gallery. 'They've been growing in popularity ever since, so we are delighted to be teaming up with galleries all over the world and Facebook for the first ever live relay focusing on Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'. This collaboration is a key step in the National Gallery's Digital Strategy, which will see us fully explore the potential of immersive media to create new ways of experiencing art'.
The joint effort provides a wonderful example of a brand capitalising on the new opportunities that new channels present to create unique, ground-breaking content. We're excited to see how marketers will pick up on Facebook's Live availability in the future!
3) easyJet gets ambient with charity album
Musically, August delivered a fairly happening month for the airwaves: Leeds and Reading Festival came and went, as thousands of starry-eyed festival-goers discovered the invention of the beer bong and depleted the country's Frosty Jack's, whilst Taylor Swift deleted her social media channels, before springing back with a new single which remained very Taylor Swift. However, what piqued our interest the most was the astonishing arrival of an ambient album from easyJet, with the release of their two-song EP titled 'Jet Sounds'.
This wasn't the sign of a change of heart for the airline brand, but a clever example of a zany, high quality campaign. It followed the UK Sleep Council's recent findings that 22% of the population get a poor quality of sleep, and their recommendation that one way to remedy this is by listening to white noise before we go to bed – a monotonous and droning sound that soothes our minds and eases out distractions. As the low humming of an aircraft's engines meets these criteria exactly, the airline decided to record two tracks of it on a plane flying from Gatwick to Nice!
All of the release's proceeds go to The Children's Sleep Charity. If you're feeling a little tired yourself, or just fancying some Boeing 737 beats to liven up your weekend predrinks, check out the album on iTunes here.
4) Airbnb criticised over email marketing campaign
Thanks, @airbnb, but I live in Houston. A floating world is right outside my door. pic.twitter.com/3vPDuLYKaR
— Delfina Meyer (@DelfinaGMeyer) August 28, 2017
After the devastation of flooding in Houston by Hurricane Harvey, Airbnb waived rental fees across the city, enabling hosts to let out their properties for free and provide shelter to the tens of thousands of people left homeless. However, the company simultaneously received criticism for the poor timing of a concurrent email campaign which promoted an opportunity for holidaymakers to stay in a 'floating world', spending a trip in a home on the sea 'without touching dry land'.
Striking too much of a chord with the events unfolding in Texas, the brand received an overwhelmingly negative backlash on social media:
Considering the major meteorological disaster atm, not sure @Airbnb's email promoting floating cottages was particularly well thought-out.
— Chris (@CTIGower) August 28, 2017
Poor judgment @Airbnb re email I received w beautiful photos. "Stay above water. Live the life aquatic with these floating homes." #Harvey
— Alden Ulrich (@AldenUlrich) August 28, 2017
An Airbnb spokesperson said: 'The timing of this email marketing campaign was insensitive and we apologise for that. We continue to keep everyone affected by Harvey and all the first responders and their families in our thoughts'.
Whilst Airbnb has thorough disaster response measures, it's essential for all brands to ensure that their content schedule remains suitably responsive to current events.
5) The North Face challenges Trump's wall in campaign championing social mobility
Since Trump's election as President of the USA, talk of the border wall with Mexico continues to dominate the headlines. Leading outerwear brand The North Face alluded to it heavily in their latest campaign, cleverly titled 'Walls Are Meant for Climbing'.
Walls Are Meant for Climbing. #ClimbWalls
Visit https://t.co/XecjPJH8tH to find out more. pic.twitter.com/1gwjD63NHq
— The North Face EU (@TheNorthFaceEU) August 15, 2017
Integral to the brand's campaign are themes of unity and community-building, opposing the barriers that divide us. 'Some people build walls. Other people climb them', says the print copy. Whilst there's no direct mentioning of White House policy, the reference's political elements are readily apparent.
On a less metaphorical and more practical level, the campaign centres on the brand's objective of making climbing more universally available. They've invested fairly heavily to do this: they donated $1,000,000 to the USA's Trust for Public Land, for them to build climbing walls and facilities in public spaces across the country, and partnered with gyms across the world to establish August the 19th as a global day of climbing, allowing people to climb, for a day, for free.
The North Face's campaign placed the brand within an important, relevant and politicised conversation, which – as shown by Pepsi earlier this year – can be a risky line for brands to tread. When doing this, it's essential for the brand to support marketing efforts with practical and impactful activity. Here, however, the North Face accomplishes this impeccably.
Come back next month for more!
by Joe Vaughan


Where is the headquarters of Facebook?
How long has facebook been around?
Facebook founded > February 4, 2004; Facebook is 11 years old!
Share facebook vector logo hd Wallpaper gallery to the Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and more social platforms. You can find more drawings, paintings, illustrations, clip arts and figures on the Free Large Images - wide range wallpapers community.


Ed founded Bonanni Development in 1985 with the development of one single family home in downtown Huntington Beach. Since then, Ed has grown Bonanni Development into one of the top privately held Real Estate Development companies in Orange County. While at the helm, Ed has been responsible for the building and selling of over 60 communities totaling in excess of 800 units. His expertise in the building industry has led him to develop single family tract houses, multi-family townhomes, apartment complexes, as well as industrial parks and shopping centers throughout Southern California, Nevada, and Kansas. His in depth knowledge of each facet of the development process is an invaluable piece to the core progress of Bonanni Development's continual growth.
Away from the office, Ed is a passionate athlete that has competed in a multitude of marathons and triathlons across the nation; one of which being the Ironman in Tempe, Arizona.
John has been a partner of Bonanni Development since 1989 and brings valuable knowledge through each aspect of the development process. Since becoming a partner, John's main area of expertise has been in overseeing all aspects of construction. Throughout his career he has effectively built over 50 communities totaling in excess of 700 units in Southern California, Nevada, and Kansas. John's extensive knowledge in all types of construction from single family homes to multi-family townhomes, apartment complexes, and industrial units makes him a critical member of the Bonanni Development team.
John earned a Bachelor's of Science degree from the University of Southern California and has served on the board of director for the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce. Away from the office, John enjoys off-road racing with his brother and business partner Ed as well as traveling the backroads of the United States.
Cole joined Bonanni Development in 2006 while still in high school. Although his role has changed immensely over time, he maintains the regard of putting what is best for the progression of the company first above all else. Through financial feasibility planning, acquisition strategy, and product design he has been a key component in the progress of Bonanni Development. He garners a diverse knowledge of all facets of real estate development and its markets. Cole is integral in positioning Bonanni Development optimally to provide infill projects best suited to the business model and stakeholder communities alike.
Cole earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California's Price school of Public Policy & Urban Planning with an emphasis on Real Estate Development.
Jeanice joined Bonanni Development in 2005 and is primarily responsible for day to day operations of the accounting department. She ensures accurate reporting and conformance to financial policies as well as supervises and aids in budget preparation and billings. In addition, Jeanice is in control of cash management as well as financial accuracy of all financial statements throughout Bonanni Development.
Jeanice graduated from Long beach State with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration, Accountancy.
Chris maintains a successful track record in being responsible for managing projects in excess of 75 million through the entitlement process. From acquisition to entitlement, Chris actively works with land owners, communities, agencies, and cities to develop quality multi-family infill communities that enhance the surrounding area. He is also involved in all aspects of the sales and marketing process.
After graduating from Long Beach State with a degree in Human Development and Resources, Chris went on to compete at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Upon returning home Chris completed his Master's Degree from Concordia University specializing in Advanced Education.
Derek is responsible for the operations of Bonanni Development's expanding real estate portfolio. From property management to marketing, Derek is constantly adapting to ensure that Bonanni Development's properties are offering their residents the best possible living experience. Prior to joining the team, Derek was the Director of Operations at one of Southern California's leading valet/parking companies where he managed 40+ employees over 15 locations.
Derek graduated from Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton with a B.A in Business Administration, Marketing in addition to obtaining his California Real Estate License in 2016.
Corey joined Bonanni Development in 2017 after over 3 years in sales and capital finance. Prior to Bonanni Development, Corey was an account manager at a prominent commercial finance firm where he was responsible for over 3 million dollars in commercial originations. As the Construction Underwriter he is responsible for the successful execution of major development projects throughout the portfolio, while providing support to due diligence efforts.
Outside of Bonanni Development, Corey is an avid surfer and waterman having spent 10 years as an ocean lifeguard under the Newport Beach Fire Department Marine Operations Division.
Bret executes project underwriting, detailed market and competitive position research, as well as, assists in the day to day operations of Bonanni Development. In the process, he assists in development acquisition, development, and both the sales and lease up of each new community.
Prior to joining the team, Bret graduated with a Bachelor's of Science Degree from Stanford University. In addition, Bret was a member of the United States Water Polo Team and competed at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.


This agreement was written in English. If there is any inconsistency between the English and translated versions, the English version shall prevail.
In the following section, the term 'LH Workshop' or 'us' or 'we' refers to the owner or provider of our Services. The term 'you' refers to the user of our Services.
By browsing this website or using our Services, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use. Please read them carefully. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.
Don't misuse our Services. For example, don't interfere with our Services or try to access them using a method other than the interface and the instructions that we provide.
Unauthorised use of the meterials in this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
For information about how to contact LH Workshop, please visit our contact page.


Ancient Thira ToursYour only tour services option!
"Santorini Adventure" and"Ancient Thira Tours", are locally owned tour companies, run by a small and highly ranked team of adventure and tours experts.
Specialized in excavation expeditions, jeep safaries and cultural tours exclusively in Santorini, Greece. We provide a unique and authentic Greek island experience while still adhering completely to the natural world, our cultural integrity, your safety and exellent service.
Daily tours to the volcano, including a visit to the crater and cruising around the caldera, stopping in all popular destinations, for a swim, lunch, photography or some relaxing time.
Daily tours for small groups to the old capital of the island dating 3,500 years ago. Build on a breathtaking spot overlooking the infinite blue of the Aegean Sea and the sky above.
More vehicles in our Car Rental page. Ask for a price and availability quote on the dates of your choice.
From port/airport to your hotel!
No need to bother with finding your booked accommodation and if you haven't booked anything, roaming around with no idea of direction is the last thing you want for you, your family or your friends.
From anywhere on the island to anywhere on the island, for example from the port to your hotel and back. This service is available for individuals, small or larger groups.
A private tour can be arranged for any small number of people, from one person up to around twenty. We shall schedule in detail the day together, to get the maximum out of every part of the way.
Visit our Blog for more photos and other media.
So much more to do than meets the eye. Santorini may be a small island but it is packed with a variety of things to do and see and most of them are a "must".
Either you are a core biker or a novice or even if you just want to have a go, we have made the best selection of tracks to cycle all you can. You can either rent a bike on your own, or join a guided group that will visit the best spots on Santorini.
On this island, there is a famous walkpath which takes you from Fira to Oia edge to edge overlooking the caldera of Santorini, but is this all there is for trekking lovers? Of course not.
Our tour experts will show you the way.
Deep water means big fish and the sea that surrounds Santorini fits quite the profile. Fishing of course means an early start of the day, you will be joining a group of fellow fishermen from around the world and everything you need, is provided.
Donkeys are one of the trademarks of Santorini. Locals still use them not as much to move around rather than helping out in everyday life, like grapes harvesting. Join a donkey guided tour and get the real feel of a real Greek island.


"I'm Alpha and Omega. I'm the First and Last"
To grieve, to weep, to kneel before him..."
With the eyes of my memory..."
If you know some new information about Igne Nature Renovabitur Integra, or other song from our site, that isn't already on song page, please let us know, Any refinement, news, or comment is appreciated.
If information about Igne Nature Renovabitur Integra, or any song from moodpoint directory is wrong, please contact us and write where the incorrect data should be replaced by correct data.
Use "Find Lyrics" box on our site, try to use different artist or (and) song title(ex: Igne Nature Renovabitur Integra) word forms.


Sergey Brin and Larry Page do not have intuition. They instituted a hiring policy at Google that selects people with strong analytics and weak intuition, essentially breeding intuition out of Google. The company does well at businesses that do not require intuition, but that is self-limiting. Analytics is not a substitution for intuition.
Steve Jobs had intuition. Mark Zuckerberg has intuition.
For a company that is trying to get a foothold in Social Media, the new Social Search feature shows a profound misunderstanding of social networks.
People have many reasons for friending / following / adding other people to circles. Of course some people truly are friends. But even if one personally knows the other person, unless one is an introverted nerd, other people are added to social networks as a cue to third parties, for personal benefit or because of social etiquette. For example, one may add a person or make a comment because it will impress third parties. In other words, adding a person to a social network and interacting with them does not mean that the user is interested in the other person's opinion about anything.
If the person wants input about a topic, the social network is available to ask and to respond directly. The person can decide whom to ask and whose responses to consider. Choosing relevant and helpful information from a social network is much more subtle and complex than Google's "updated" implementation.


We hope you had a great Christmas and New Year and we are happy to welcome you back to the Capital Wasteland. Back in March of last year we communicated with Bethesda regarding our planned method to implement the voice acting and other audio from Fallout 3 into the Capital Wasteland. As you might already be aware, we were informed that our planned approach would raise some serious red flags and so after a few discussions amongst our team we decided it would be best to put the project on hold.
For myself after working for hundreds of hours on this project and then having to stop really made me depressed. Something I had an extreme passion for was suddenly not there anymore. So after taking a few months break, I slowly picked up the pieces and continued my work on the Capital Wasteland.
This didn't go unnoticed by members from our team and currently we have a handful of people (myself included) continuing work on recreating the Capital Wasteland. However we are taking things a bit differently this time. With the help of our voice acting lead Unoctium we are working towards re-voicing the lines from Fallout 3.
This is a very big undertaking as there are approximately 45,000 voice lines in Fallout 3. We are looking for people to join our team; as of right now we only have a handful of people working on this project. If you are interested in joining us you can follow the links at the top of our webpage or the link below to contact us..
Vault 101 - "The Infamous G.O.A.T."


Python has accumulated a lot of… character over the years. We've got no less then 3 profiling libraries for single threaded execution and a multi-threaded profiler with an incompatible interface (Yappi). Since many applications use more then one thread, this can be a bit annoying.
Yappi works most of the time. Except it can sometimes cause your application to hang for unknown reasons (I blame signals, personally). The other issue is that Yappi doesn't have a way of collecting call-stack information. (I don't necessarily care that memcpy takes all of the time, I want to know who called memcpy). In particular, the lovely gprof2dot can take in pstats dumps and output a very nice profile graph.
To address this for my uses, I glom together cProfile runs from multiple threads. In case it might be useful for other people I wrote a quick gist illustrating how to do it. To make it easy to drop in, I monkey-patch the Thread.run method, but you can use a more maintainable approach if you like (I create a subclass ProfileThread in my applications).
'''Monkey-patch Thread.run to enable global profiling.
Swig+Directors = Subclassing from Python!
Swig is a fabulous tool — I generally rely on it to extricate myself from the holes I've managed to dig myself into using C++. Swig parses C++ code and generates wrappers for a whole bunch of target languages — I normally use it to build Python interfaces to my C++ code.
// Our output module will be called 'wrap'; enable director support.
// When compiling the wrapper code, include our original header.
Swig will generate wrap.cc (which we compile and link into our application), and a wrap.py file, which we can use from Python.


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Q: JEE6 @Schedule method I'm using Glassfish 3.1.2.2.
I have a EJB 3.1 stateless bean that has one method anotatted as:
@Schedule(second = "*", minute = "*/5", hour = "5-23", persistent = false)

So this method will run at 5:05, 5:10, 5:15, ... which is OK.
What will happen is this method runs for more that 5 minutes? Will at one time run two invocations of this method at the same time?

A: If your method is inside a @Singleton bean only one invocation of the method will run at the same time. However, the container may retry to execute the method on completion which could result in an ongoing execution of the method. A technique to prevent this is described in this question.


Treat The Whole Area. Different bait products to choose from depending which one you find most effective. Amdro offers some immediate knockdown, Award does not.
All work primarily by taking out the queen. Once the queen is no longer producing new Fire Ant workers, the mound collapses. This can take 4-8 weeks but be patient as these baits are very effective and inexpensive.
How to Apply: Apply 1 to 3 times a year when Fire Ants are foraging for food. The Fire Ants will recognize the baits as a food source and feed them to the queen thus taking her out of production. Apply only when the Fire Ants are actively foraging because after 48 hours the bait loses most of its effectiveness.
By the Acre: 1-1.5 lb.
Amdro Fire Ant Bait 1 lb.
Award Fire Ant Bait 3 lb.
Amdro Pro Fire Ant Bait 25 lb.


89 posts categorized "reading, sentences"
Minecraft: Story Mode- A Cool and Different Way to Play is Now Free!!
Fans of Minecraft rejoice! The Minecraft: Story Mode app by Telltale, Inc. is free, and it is packed full of interactive and adventurous fun. Guide your chosen character across the unpredictable Overworld and help them navigate terrain, find needed items, fight battles, and converse with others, as the story unfolds.
You can add subtitles, change volume level, and more in settings. Signing up for an account gives you additional features, but is not required to use the app.
Good Free App of the Day: Super Readers — A Dolch Sight Words Based Story Book App FREE for a limited time!
I'm always looking for early reader books for the iPad, and it's even better when the apps are FREE. Super Readers has ten early reader books, all with simple text based on common sight words. Each page also has a record function. It's a great app for parents, teachers and speech-language pathologists, and it's currently FREE for a limited time! Save $3, but don't wait. We don't know how long this app will be free, so download now while you can!
Bottom Line: A lovely story app that is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale about two friends pulled apart by a bewitched mirror. With pretty illustrations and sweet animations throughout, this is a story app that will entertain young users.


Newly minted Scrum Masters returning from a 2-day CSM class have a 1% probability of transforming their organization to Agile. We know organizations that get (good) coaching have a high probability of succeeding with their transformation. We wanted to discuss ideas for bridging the gap between these two extremes.
I gave a brief presentation to the class of my idea and the MVP I plan to execute with a group of fellow coaches and mentors in South Africa.
- A class of ~16 Apprentice leaders sign up for a semester programme.
- A group of at least 4 Mentors (facilitators, we have 6 in our case) formulate the programme and a potential core curriculum.
- The whole class meets face-to-face with the mentors on a monthly cadence.
- The initial meeting is 2 days to do group chartering and to co-create the learning objectives and course curriculum, using what the mentors provide as input.
- The final meeting is two days including assessments for each apprentice and a celebration. All mentors attend the initial and final meetings.
- The interim meetings are 1 day each. Two mentors facilitate on a rotational basis to provide continuity.
- The total class face time is 8 days over 20 weeks.
- In parallel with this programme each apprentice is assigned a personal mentor. Mentors have up to 4 apprentices. Apprentices get 1-2 hours/week of personal mentoring. Mentors also meet for supervision.
- Apprentices, their Sponsors and Mentors form a three-way contracting relationship to assure that value is provided and obtained. Sponsors are most likely to be the line managers of the Apprentices.
The flip charts tell more of the story.
I've also included my presentation slides from an Ignite talk I gave at KLNA13 in Chicago a week ago.
Some attendees shared their own experiences — see the flip charts.
There was a discussion around the challenge of valuing and selling this programme: Notionally we agreed that a CSM class will cost ~$1000 and coaching could cost $10000 to $100000+. Calculations for our MVP suggest a cost of $8000 for the programme.
The participants showed interest in the concept. Some who shared their opinions thought $8000 to be 'cheap'. I will try to find a way to report back to the community the outcome of our MVP, which is planned to run from July to November 2013.
This entry was posted in sglas2013 on May 8, 2013 by admin.


The Okura hotel chain has experienced a steady growth since their first location built in 1962 in Tokyo, Japan. Since this time, the organization now boast a grand portfolio of hotels primarily based in Japan but with such worldwide location as Shanghai, Honolulu and of course, Amsterdam.
Van Gogh focused his study on impressionism when he moved to paris in 1886 which opened up his exploration of Japonism. Japonism had become a source of inspiration for many European impressionists. Japanese art had specifically made a huge impression on Vincent van Gogh, in particular the Japanese wood prints. Through the intense colours and flat landscapes van gogh's work reflects that of the Japanese artists. Vincent and his brother Theo became avid collectors of the japanese prints not only for Vincent to learn from them but also to share the appreciation for Japonism with fellow artists.
The reason that the Okura hotel seemed like such an ideal place to delve back into the life of Van Gogh during this growth period, becomes far clearer when looking at the amount of time that Vincent surrounded himself with this Art and style.


Hi! Because the situation in my country i moved out. Now im in Florida USA.
Im a 58 years old woman. 3 kids.
I come here to Treasure Trooper to earn a bit of money. When i am bored.
Welcome. You can definitely earn some extra cash in your spare time.
Welcome to TreasureTrooper and welcome to America!


text:
/** various constants for use within the custom library **/

/**
 * shape constants : JSON defines various shape drawing/ behavior specific constants
 */
var shapeConstants = d3scomos.shapeConstants = {};
    // constants to be used in the custom symbol drawing
    shapeConstants.GENERIC_PROTIEN_RECT_ROUNDNESS_FACTOR = 0.2;
    shapeConstants.SPECIES_SHAPE_OFFSET = 0.2;

    // constants for gene overlay gradient
    shapeConstants.gradient             = {}
    shapeConstants.gradient.species     = {firstFill:"rgb(255,255,255)",
                                            secondFill:'rgb(51, 33, 161)',
                                         };
     shapeConstants.gradient.GEOverlay  ={
                                          secondFill:'rgb(51, 33, 161)',
                                          disabledFill:'rgb(229, 229, 229)',
                                         }


text:
Kane Ryan's voice is soft. It is the tone of someone whose life experience has taken him to unimaginable places and who has had to speak to anybody or everybody. His skin is tanned and though he is in his early 30s, his soul is the one of an older man perhaps due to what his eyes have seen. As he talks about his journey, he keeps an eye on the bar of the Lost + Found Café, making sure that everything is running smoothly in Gastown's philanthropic coffee shop.
This is the story of a man who, after wandering around the planet for many years, realized he needed to do something … and he did it. Six years ago, Kane –with the help of his parents, Cindy and Todd Ryan – founded the Dirty Wall Project. This year the charity plans to send 74 children from the Saki Naka slum in Mumbai, India, to school, as well as to provide medical support and other projects to the community members.
To understand Kane's acute case of wanderlust (the strong desire to travel and explore the world), it's necessary to go back a couple of decades to the time when Kane's parents took a VW van, drove to Mexico and Central America, and spent a couple of years travelling around with 4-year-old Kane and his sister. "Those first few years of growing up traveling really set the pace to what I continued to do in my early twenties." Upon returning to Canada, the Ryan's, originally from Calgary, decided to settle down in Victoria, where Cindy and Todd started businesses, from a clothing shop to restaurants. When Kane turned 19, he left Canada and spent the better part of the next 10 years on the road, yet every year, his parents would close their restaurant for a month, take their daughter and meet Kane wherever he was. The family met in Brazil, Mexico, India, among many other places. "I love travelling but I felt I wasn't doing anything of value, yet I didn't want to come back to Canada because I wasn't ready for Canadian life. I wanted to find a way to do something while I was travelling." Kane found himself doing volunteer work in the fields of Argentina. He enjoyed it, but there was something about the experience that made him feel ripped off when he learned that the family that provided accommodation and food wasn't compensated for it. "All the money I paid was going to the organization to supply me as a volunteer. I felt that if I had some money I could have a positive impact in small scale. I knew I wasn't going to create a massive charity, but I wanted to do something," he explains.
His opportunity to show what he could do came not long after. Kane was living in Mumbai, working closely with an orphanage when he found out it was going to be demolished. "I had all these photos of India and I thought about selling them and raising funds." So he came back to Canada and spent the next few months doing fundraising and selling the pictures, but when he went back to India, the people running the orphanage had vanished. "I had all this money that friends, family and strangers had given me and I had promised to do something with it." Kane started doing small things like random medical work or buying supplies for orphanages after spending a few days working with them. After a year, he found a man working in Saka Naka, a slum community in Mumbai, who was doing amazing things but getting himself buried in debt. "I started to help him and realize we could have a big impact there. After getting rid of the debt, we started building a school and running health programs. That's how the Dirty Wall Project was born," Kane remembers.
Kane and his mother, Cindy Ryan – Director of the Dirty Wall Project – and children from the community.
But what brought Kane back to Canada? "Salomeh, my wife," he answers immediately when asked. Two years ago, a friend of hers insisted she contacted him and learned about the Dirty Wall Project. Coincidently, Kane would be in Vancouver the very next day before flying back to Mumbai. "We met for coffee. She gave me enough time to present the Dirty Wall Project to her company. But that didn't go very well. We were too small at the time and had a steep learning curve to go through. I was showing back-of-the-notebook stuff. They still donated a few thousand dollars, though. I told Salomeh I wanted to show her how the funds the company was donating would be used and that she should come to visit anytime in the next six months. She was on a plane eight weeks later and worked with us for three weeks. We quickly fell in love and had a long distance relationship for about a year. I was living on a schedule of six months in India and two months in Canada, but we realized we wanted to make a real effort to be together. My parents had just retired from their business and wanted to have a bigger role in the Dirty Wall Project. So I switched places with them."
Kane found himself in Vancouver with not much inkling of what was the next step except other than it had to do with the restaurant industry as a fundraising vehicle for the Dirty Wall Project. After searching for weeks for the perfect spot, the current location of the Lost + Found Café caught Salomeh's and Kane's eye. The Chelsea Inn's ground floor space had been vacant for over a decade and when the couple peaked through the window, the place looked nasty, "but it also was huge and interesting," Kane adds. It was important for them to be in the downtown area, where problems are not as easy to ignore as in other places in Vancouver. The café is almost 2,400 square feet and it can be rented for non-profit and charity functions, plus a space in the back for meetings.
Todd Ryan, and his wife Cindy, alternate living six months in the slums of Mumbai and two months in Victoria.
There are selfish reasons of why Kane has decided to dedicate his life's work to others. "It feels good," he says. "It's also an incredible travel experience. As a tourist, you never get to turn into that alley that ends in that community and even if you do, you aren't welcome the way you would when you slowly become a part of it. It takes a while to become part of a community. We have been there for five years, we have seen kids grow up, been there for deaths as well as births, and seen the impact of our help. It gives my life a purpose."
The Dirty Wall Project focus is on doing small things. Things that might seem small from a Western perspective, but that might change the lives of hundred of children over time. The charity raises about $15,000 a year. This year the aim is to raise enough money to send 74 children to school. Interestingly enough, the charity has no overhead and no salaries to pay except to the locals it employs who benefit from a job. "We do other projects like taking the slum's women to the beach. Women don't get to leave the slums much; they live in tiny cramped areas. If they are lucky, they go away once every two years when they go to their homeland. But the majority of their time is spent within two blocks of their home. We got to take them in a bus to a beach in Mumbai, just for the day. It cost around $150, but it was such an amazing and joyful experience for them. It is so much fun for us. We get to see some genuine joy in people that have really tough lives," Kane points out.
So how can we help?
"The biggest way is donations," Kane says. "We need to hit the mark $15,000 each year to keep this project going. Most of our donations come from regular people that gives us $10-$15 at a time. So it is essential to get people's contributions. For me, it is also very important that people know about my parents, who have been running the charity for the past 2.5 years, yet they don't get recognized for their work. Not too many people retire and move to a slum for seven months a year," he adds. Another way of helping is by visiting the Lost + Found Café in Gastown, sipping a nice espresso and acquiring some of the Saki Naka's community handcrafts.
Click here to donate.
This year the Dirty Wall Project plans to send 74 children to school.
Tagged: change, charity, Dirty Wall Proyect, impact, purpose, travelling
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'Kane Ryan: The purpose of Wanderlust' have 2 comments
June 8, 2015 @ 9:59 am Mike Dreher
Thank you for sharing this amazing story! Will definately be visiting the cafe – and promoting the space & charity!
June 8, 2015 @ 10:30 am Danielle Hansen
This is an absolutely beautiful story. You captured it perfectly Cristina!
Would you like to share your thoughts?


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RDB, MasterCard Foundation sign strategic partnership to connect young Rwandans to dignified work in tourism and hospitality
Home RDB, MasterCard Foundation sign strategic partnership to connect young Rwandans to dignified work in tourism and hospitality
Kigali, Friday, September 27, 2019 – Rwanda Development Board today announced a strategic partnership with the Mastercard Foundation under the Hanga Ahazaza initiative at a World Tourism Day event. The partnership will build critical links between young job-seekers and employers, work with employers to develop skills training programs for young employees, and identify skills gaps in Rwanda's tourism and hospitality sector.
Hanga Ahazaza is a US$50 million initiative from the Mastercard Foundation to increase work opportunities for 30,000 Rwandan youth over five years. Hanga Ahazaza, meaning "create the future", is a consortium of 12 partners from the education, development, and private sectors. Working together, they are supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs in the tourism and hospitality sector through increased access to financial services and training, and by connecting them to young people with the skills needed to be successful employees.
Since its launch in 2018, the Hanga Ahazaza initiative has enabled 2,607 Rwandan youth to access dignified and fulfilling work and supported 183 youth-owned businesses.
"The Government believes in promoting tourism and hospitality and has tirelessly supported the creation of a conducive environment for the sector to prosper and benefit our people," said Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer of the Rwanda Development Board. "However, we require a skilled workforce to cope with the growing trends of the industry. The Mastercard Foundation Hanga Ahazaza initiative is playing a significant role in addressing this challenge."
"Our partnership with the RDB is a significant step in the right direction for ensuring the success of the Hanga Ahazaza initiative and supporting young people to thrive in Rwanda's growing tourism and hospitality sector," said Rica Rwigamba, Acting Country Representative and Senior Program Manager of the Mastercard Foundation.
Growth in Rwanda's tourism and hospitality sector is a key national priority and is growing at a rapid pace, with ripple growth effects in other sectors, such as agriculture and food processing. However, challenges remain for young job-seekers and entrepreneurs, including gaps in skills development, work placement and experience, and access to financial services.
"Hospitality is an open-door opportunity that provides youth with the skills and goals they need to thrive while at the same time contributing to Rwanda's economic development," said Gisele Ikuzwe, a student at Vatel Rwanda. "As youth, we need to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and not only think of becoming job-seekers – you also need to have the mindset and responsibility to create jobs."
Partners collaborating in the Hanga Ahazaza initiative include Cornell University, Dalberg, ESPartners, GIZ, GroFin, Harambee, Horwath HTL, I&M Bank Rwanda, Inkomoko, Question Coffee, and Vatel Rwanda.
Learn more about the Hanga Ahazaza initiative here https://mastercardfdn.org/all/hanga-ahazaza/
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone can learn and prosper. The Foundation's work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion for people living in poverty. One of the largest foundations in the world, it works almost exclusively in Africa. It was created in 2006 by Mastercard International and operates independently under the governance of its own Board of Directors. The Foundation is based in Toronto, Canada.
About Rwanda Development Board
The Rwanda Development Board is responsible for tourism and conservation, as well as the entire investor experience. The Rwanda Development Board manages the tourism industry in Rwanda and ensures that the tourism and conservation goals of the Government of Rwanda are successfully implemented.
September 27, 2019 / News & Press Release
Government of Rwanda welcomes high-level Qatari business delegation to Rwanda
Rwanda, African Parks commit to long-term protection of Nyungwe National Park
RDB launches Kora online job portal with Ne-Yo concert ticket give-away
Rwanda signs agreements to establish and host Fund for Export Development in Africa
Increase of Gorilla Permit Tariffs
Zhejiang Governor attends China – Rwanda Business Forum with 57-person delegation
Arsenal FC coaches in Rwanda for football clinic for coaches
RDB hosts CEO's forum to promote tourism


As an independent charity the iEOA does not endorse or promote any specific services or products. However, it is clear that the management and administration of examinations, where ever you are in the country or what ever type of centre you work in, experiences similar practices and procedures. Over the years the iEOA has been working with awarding bodies and government agencies to encourage cooperation and coordination in this area. The iEOA believes that this type of relationship fosters a greater sense of shared ownership in the successful delivery of present and future exam systems.


Did you know that this is the last year for marine conservation zones to be designated in the UK?
The Beachy Head East Marine conservation zone (which starts at Beachy Head lighthouse through to Hasting pier and across the water to the Sovereign Lighthouse) has been discussed since the first applications were invited by government but unfortunately not been approved so far. The site includes blue mussel beds, endangered undulate rays and even seahorses and attracts many anglers and fishermen.


December 1, 2011 – Silverhawk Capital Partners portfolio company, Discovery Health Record Solutions continued to execute its growth strategy by completing the acquisition of Midwest Medical Copy Service, Inc., a regional health information services provider, based in Ft. Wayne, IN. This transaction represents Discovery's seventh acquisition in the past 24 months, and the company now serves healthcare providers in 40 states.
"We are continuing to aggressively pursue profitable, manageable growth, by identifying and acquiring companies with similar values to our own that serve healthcare providers in targeted markets. Midwest Medical is a great match for us, and has added valuable customers and employees to our system. We look forward to offering their customers additional health information services including our enhanced "ROI" model, and Document Management Services that support conversions to EHR," remarked Doug Hollman, CEO and President of Discovery.