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Page 162: Pass Time At The Green
Pass Time At The Green
Summary: Time is passed, the company may or may not be good, depending on your perspective.
Related Logs: None
The Green, Terrick's Roost
The Green is a large field of deep green grass, nearly flat, that runs along the base of the towers. The road into town runs along the far edge, hemming it in neatly to a confined area where beyond a line of trees serves as a subtle windbreak. This area is most often used for drilling or practice for the guards but also serves as home for festivals, tournements, and another other gathering that might require the space for a large number of the local residents. A well-trodden path winds around the side of the wall and moves towards the coastline.
It's still early enough in the day that some of the men-at-arms of Four Eagles Tower, albeit fewer of them than in the truly early hours. Most like to get such things out of the way before the summer heat really gets in. Ser Jarod Rivers is one of those still out, currently mounted on a sturdy brown charger and taking a joust-like run at a target dummy set up with a shield. He hits it but, as it's not moving, his 'victory' may not be particularly impressive.
Nares had a late night in the Inn and as such, is only just returning from his morning stroll down to the seashore. His mail is gleaming, his sword hangs comfortably at his waist and all in all it seems like it's going to be a reasonable day. Spotting the men still drilling he slows his pace a little to watch, casting an experienced eye over their manoeuvres.
Thudding hooves beat a steady tempo from the direction of the keep. A tall, palomino gelding canters into view. Perched easily upon her saddle is the Lady Muirenn. The morning sunshine turns the horse and woman into mirage of glittering gold and copper until they close in upon the training ground. The sight of the men at arms, some of her own included, drilling upon The Green has her reining in, until her steed crabsteps and slows to a restless halt. Appreciatively, her steely eyes survey the scene before she glances down at Nares and smiles, "Good Morn Master Nares."
It's a mixed sort of drilling, as the more regimented part of arms practice has probably ended for the day, pairs of men practicing with blades while others, like Ser Rivers, engage in cavalry manoeuvres. A few even take shots at archery targets, though at present the focus seems swords or lances for most. As he brings his horse around for another pass, he spots the new arrivals to the field. Lady and Ironman. He dismounts, leading his horse toward the pair of them. Muirenn receives a flourishing bow. Nares a polite, if somewhat appraising, nod. "M'Lady Muirenn. Captain Nares. A good day upon you."
Nares had not failed to hear the approach of the horse, but he doesn't actually turn to look until he's address. "Lady Mallister," he offers with a slight nod to Murienn before turning to Jarod as he approaches, "Ser." He then notions with a faint nod towards the archery targets, "I heard the Camdens were the experts in that," he states conversationally, "but your lads don't seem to be too bad at it."
Much to the disapproval of the Septa who sits atop a gentle, grey mare nearby, Muirenn slides off her tall gelding in a swish and rustle of skirts. "The Terricks and other vassals of the Mallister House believe in being well prepared in a variety of fighting techniques I am told Master Nares." Not quite deigning to squabble, the noblewoman does make her thoughts clear though as she flashes a warm smile at Jarod, "Ser Jarod, what a pleasure." Retaining a firm hand upon her palomino's reins, her other gloved hand slides across his neck in a calming gesture as the horse begins to sidestep uneasily.
"I'll not claim we could better the tree-dwelling rangers - though I'd give a bit of sport against them a try - but we try and keep our basic skills up," Jarod replies to Nares. "Generally I just shoot when I hunt, but I like to think I'm not a bad hand with a bow." He cracks a grin at Muirenn. "As the lady says. Pleasure's all mine, again. What brings you out today?"
Nares seems faintly amused by Muirenn's reply, he'd been meaning it as a compliment but well, if she's going to get in a huff.. In his politest possible tone he replies with a smile, "A sensible plan of action I'm sure." He'll leave it for that for now as he's mostly trying to get a hold on how she'll respond to conversation. To Jarod he nods in understanding and shrugs slightly, "Can't say hunting's my thing, but I know one end of a quarrel from another."
"Pryderi needs his exercise and I wished to not entrust it to a groom. It is too fine a morning to remain indoors. We thought to ride along the coast, perhaps after your exercise you would care to join us?" Muirenn's smile focuses upon Jarod before she glances over at Nares and gives an approving nod. "I prefer hawking for hunting, though I had to leave my peregrine back at Seagard." Her brow furrows slightly at this, adding only "I miss him." Her head turns as she regards Jarod quietly before asking, "When do you depart Ser Rivers?"
"We've birds for hawking at the Roost if you wish one for sport, m'lady, even if it'll not be your own," Jarod replies to Muirenn. "As for me…tomorrow, I figure, barring any further arrangements Lady Lucienne needs to make. Can't delay much more than that. At present I'll admit I'm just killing some hours as preparations are made for us to be off. Though I figure I've time for a ride." To Nares, he grins. "I don't imagine there's much game on the Iron Islands. Though I'll confess I know little of them."
Nares shakes his head to Jarod and supposition, "Not really no, where you use the land to provide, we use the sea." Not so much use for hawks or bows really. "Departing for Stonebridge?" he asks, remembering the conversation from a few days earlier, "I take it Ser Hardwicke accepted his new position?" To Muirenn he offers, "the tide is fairly low at the moment, there should be plenty of space on the rocks to ride, and those furtherest up are almost dry by now."
"Oh that would be lovely, I shall visit the mews following the ride." There is an incline of her head as Jarod indicates his departure date, "I wish you the best on your journey. I imagine you would appreciate a ride along the coast." Glancing over at Nares, she smiles "Aye, I had hoped it would be so. I asked the Maester for a tide table when I first arrived at the Roost. I could not imagine not being allowed to walk the coast line." she confesses.
"Perhaps, when you go, you can ask if the Lady Anais can accompany you," Jarod suggests of Muirenn. "She's used to company who enjoy a bit more sport than the ladies who attend Lady Evangeline and Lady Lucienne. She likes to hunt herself, and would be glad of a woman to do it with, I think." To Nares, he nods. "Aye, Ser Hardwicke did at that. He's been with the house for many years now, he knows how things're done, so I don't figure the adjustment'll take too long."
Nares attempts to pay attention to all the talk, but the discussion of which Lady likes what is not really scintillating for him and his attention starts to drift back towards those men still drilling on the grass. Still there are some things of interest and as Jarod answer him he turns back to the Ser and nods. He'll keep his own opinion of the new Guard Captain to himself for now, so instead he simply states, "I hope nothing will befall to test him before he is fully used to his new position."
With a soft laugh, Muirenn inclines her head "Indeed, I will allow Lady Anais to accompany me hawking if she joins me as I work on my tapestry later. I told her that I would give her some instruction on weaving." As the gelding whickers nervously and begins to shift from foot to foot, the noblewoman pats the golden horse's neck and runs a calming hand across his cream mane, "Shhh Pryderi.." she murmurs with a faintly bashful smile to the two men before inquiring, "So, when do you drill Master Nares?"
Jarod squints some at Nares' wish. "We all hope the peace is kept, Captain Nares. I know of no man who thinks it'd be best to break it." He's curious how the man'll answer Muirenn's question, so he listens for that. "The Lady Harlaw seemed to fear that if she relaxed herself here, she would be done harm when she returns to the Iron Islands. Do your people war with each other so much that's a great concern for nobility? A lady in particular."
Nares answers Muirenn first, it's a simpler answer after all, "When ever the opportunity presents itself, although that hasn't been that often since I've arrived here." Maybe it's something to do with only working with live blades, or maybe it's something else. Jarod's question takes a moment longer before he works out the best way to explain things. "If someone sensed weakness they might try and take advantage. Her relation to The Lord Harlaw is somewhat of a protect, but should say one of her borthers or cousins decide to make moves it could be problematic. She certainly would struggle to keep her authority if she let her swordarm grow slack." Okay, it's not a great answer, but hopefully it'll do.
"I cannot imagine living that way." Muirenn says forthrightly, "It must be a horrible way to live, not being able to trust the men around you so that you felt you had to be able to wield weapons in order to protect yourself from those you should trust." She gives a shake of her head that sends her wildfire curls tumbling about her shoulders. "I feel blessed by the Seven that I was born here." A smile teases the corners of her mouth, "I know not what I would do if I didn't feel I could trust those men sworn to protect my honour." She glances between the two and then asks, "Why haven't you been able to exercise your skills Master Nares? I would think you would be out here often working your skill, is it not something that grows soft with lack of use?"
"One of her brothers or cousins?" This reply both seems to disturb and puzzle Jarod. "What sort of moves would they try to make? In these lands, at least, your family is your protection. My brother Young Lord Jacsen is not a fighting man himself, but I shall act at his swordarm if he's troubled, so it's one and the same as if he was." To Muirenn, he inclines his head. "It is a way of life you shall never have to concern yourself with so long as the men of Mallister and Terrick bear swords. My word upon it, and the rest of the men on this field as well I figure."
"It is a harsh world we live in Lady Mallister," Nares replies, a wry grin spreading over his features, "we survive it by being strong. Beisdes, knowing there's always someone looking to take your place keeps you on your toes, ensures you don't grow old, fat and useless. It also means that a Captain or other such has got where they are by dint of hard work and proving themselves above others. We value ourselves on what we can achieve, rather than what a distance ancestor achieved hundred of years ago." He keeps his tone neutral, as one does when imparting information. He doesn't want to sound insulting after all, even if there is a vague voice in the back of his head telling him that this must be what it's like talking to children. "You may thank your Gods, but I will thank mine for allowing me to show my strength and be rewarded for it in due course." To Jarod he initially just nods, but then realises that the initial question had actually been serious. "Yes, her brothers and cousins. They jostle for the favour of her Uncle. They move to prove themselves stronger and more capable than their siblings." Surely that's just obvious?
"My Uncle is not old, fat, and useless and we all work hard but yet we do not have to live that way. It seems…" She shakes her head and sighs, "Thank you Ser, I have the utmost confidence in the Mallister and Terrick men at arms to protect us all should the need arise, the Seven forbid..and I know that Lord Jacsen appreciates his swordarm, Ser." Smiling, she absently tugs a cockleburr from Pryderi's mane as she listens to the men's conversation.
Jarod makes a "Huh" sound at that. "The Iron Islands have lords and ladies just as our Riverlands do, Captain. Men at arms train and fight for their titles, but we are still but 'Sers.' And 'Captains.' Is not the Lady Harlaw Lady Harlaw because her father is…Lord Harlaw." That's a lot of Harlaws. He shrugs. "I only say. If you had more merit than the present Lord of her lands, would they grant you a title?"
"Never having met the man, I couldn't say," Nares replies to Muirenn, flashing her a quick smile as he does so. "No, Lady Harlaw is not Lady Harlaw because her father is The Lord Harlaw. She is The Lord Harlaw's niece. Her positions however, both now and previous, she has earnt by proving she was strong enough to take them." That brings a more genuine smile to his features as he remembers a particualr incident from the past. "Make no mistake Ser, she is not here, simply becuase of her birth, she is here and doing this job because she has proved herself strong and able for it. He ignores the last question though, the particular phrasing used by the Riverman makes it a complex answer and to be frank, he doesn't want to have to explain it.
"What job is it that she is here to do?" Muirenn asks quietly as she continues to groom her horse's mane. "One would think an ambassador would have a better grasp upon the behaviours and etiquette of the country they were going to work with." She glances over at Nares and flashes a smile, "I know not of these things of course, I just imagined that an ambassador would need be more prepared." Her attention turns towards Jarod, "Please do not let me forget Ser. I have something for you, a small token of appreciation for your assistance in ordering my cousin's dagger."
Jarod shrugs when his latter question goes unanswered. "I suspect, Captain, that a baseborn man or woman in the Iron Islands, much like in these lands, finds the taking not so simple as all that. Still, I shall trust what you say about the lady, though I'm unsure what diplomatic errands she's been involved with in the past. She's commented she knows little of diplomacy, in point of fact. But, we all serve as we're called, I suppose."
Jarod brows do arch at Muirenn, at that last. "A token, m'lady?" The bastard knight is intrigued. "Not necessary. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."
"She is here to act in the place of the Lord Paramount himself," Nares stats, to the pair of them really, "she is his eyes, his ears and his voice. If she appears weak, he appears weak. She has shown before that she has the required strength." See, entirely qualified in all the important areas. "Suspect what you will Ser," he then says specifically to Jarod, "but there are many within my Lord's service who have come from the origins that you describe and who have accounted well enough for themselves in the takings. More so than your Hedgeknights."
"Indeed, but you were also called and feel unprepared. Perhaps it is the same for the Lady Harlaw." It is difficult, but see even a Mallister and entertain the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the Ironborn in the cause of politeness. Her smile widens and her cheeks flush as Muirenn shakes her head, replying softly "It was no trouble at all Ser Rivers, it is nothing really…merely a trifle. I will ensure that you receive the package before you leave." Turning to Nares, she adds curiously "Are other skills not valued? Art, music, literature, healing, and the like?"
"There are many in Lord Jerold's service and prosper by it who're commonborn, Captain, I did not imply otherwise," Jarod says. "Still they - like me, baseborn as I am, - shall never be Lord of the Roost. I simply doubt things are as different in your Iron Islands as you might like to think. Still, I know little of your lands, as you know little of mine." He idly pats the neck of his horse. He asks no more of the Lady Harlaw, though he does make another of those curious "Huh" sounds. And turns his attention back to Muirenn. He's curious about that as well, if in a more pleasant way. "We won't be off until late tomorrow, I don't think. I'll await it most eagerly. Whatever it might be."
Nares is at first faintly confused as to where he might have given the Mallister the impression that he was unprepared, but then it clicks that she's talking to Jarod so he lets it pass without comment. "Healing is much respected," oddly enough, "although one with such skills would generally have a patron, particularly if they possess any level of skill. The rest," he shrugs slightly, "a Lord might have specialists in those fields but it'd be unusual elsewhere. One of my lads for instance, can string a tune together on anything you put in his hands, but he's crew first, skald second. He fights just like the rest."
"I see." Muirenn replies to Nares, "It is good that there are some who encourage other skills other than warfare in your culture." Jarod receives a shake of her head and another bashful flush but she gives a low laugh, "Ser Rivers, please…you will be disappointed I am sure. Upon my honour it is a trifle." Smoothing a gloved hand across her horse's neck she glances over at her retainers waiting patiently upon their steeds. "I do not wish for Pryderi to cool down too much before I take him back to the stable, I should finish the ride soon." Looking around she spots a thick stump that would serve as an adequate mounting block. The tall young woman leads her gelding in that direction, beckoning for one of her retainers to assist.
"And I should get my Symeon…" Jarod pats his brown courser's neck again. "…rubbed down after the morning work-out before he's put to any other labour for the day. I shall see you back at the tower, M'Lady Muirenn, and hopefully we can ride out to the shore before I'm gone from the Roost." To Nares, he inclines his head. "Seven send there'll be little fighting of the real sort for your men or ours today. I take my leave of you now, Captain. Interesting chat, as ever."
Nares watches silently as Muirenn moves off towards the stump and then turns back to Jarod, rolling his shoulders a little to resettle his mail. He gives the man a brief nod in acknowledgment, before glancing to the remaining men again. "Lets us all hope for the peace to continue today," he echoes, "whichever Gods may be listening."
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Soundtrack review: Jurassic World (Michael Giacchino – 2015)
Mihnea Manduteanu 9th June 2015
A Michael Giacchino action score? Yes please. I could even ignore the plot, the history, the franchise and just start with the music because this will surely be a winner. Still some words must be spared for this intro, impatient as I might be to hear the music, because this is the Jurassic Park franchise and this is one of those original scores by John Williams that a lot of people (me not included) revere. The Jurassic Park score and theme wasn't among my favorite Williams compositions and I wasn't a big fan of the movies either. For me, this is simply Michael Giacchino scoring a movie about dinosaurs in the modern world. I will also refrain from praising the funny and smart cue titles that he always comes up with.
I like the menacing way in which the music starts. This is just how I imagine a movie about dangerous creatures, be it Godzilla, King Kong, Jaws or whatever would sound. No surprises either when we meet our unsuspecting family which will be the targets of the dinosaurs. I almost don't have any patience for the introductory lines of this musical story as I can't wait for the mayhem to begin. I know cues like "The family that strays together" and "Welcome to Jurassic world" are cute and sweet and all and beautifully written but I want to hear the roar. Ok, they are very beautifully written. And yes, I don't need more than 5 minutes of this score to realize once again that Giacchino is John Williams' rightful heir. I will say it over and over again until 30 years from now you will all be convinced or I will be the only one reading my reviews.
One of my favorite things about Michael Giacchino's scores is that he always creates a musical story. The sounds he writes paint a majestic tapestry, a new world, something you can explore and understand, something you can grow with, care about, suffer with, get emotional about and finally bring to a satisfying conclusion. His scores are never a collection of unrelated cues. There are common threads, similar colors, motifs that dance and play and recur and I am just so happy to witness this development. And the themes…. What can you say about "As the Jurassic World turns"? What more do you need from a film music theme? Is there any better feeling that hearing such a gorgeous explosion of melodic sounds? Is there any composer who can match this? Or a 90 minutes gem like "Fits and jumpstarts" which manages to create a rollercoaster of emotions in such little time. In fact, rollercoaster is one of the words I would use to describe this score; except that its excitement doesn't come from the sudden drops but from the climbs that take it to a whole new level from time to time.
The high this theme gave me doesn't subside for the duration of the score. Through the jungle of addictive stabbing action sounds that are trademark Michael Giacchino and I never get tired of, all the way to the fewer but equally precious tender moments (I'm looking at you, sweeping, unreal "Nine to survival job", a cue that should be the final cue for every score ever), "Jurassic World" is a celebration of film music; it's in the same time an homage to greatest melodic orchestral music composers and a development of the style. Michael Giacchino is one of the few composers who keep the dream alive and who write legendary music in their own time. You don't need 20 years to know this score will be a classic. It's right here, right now. After the majestic "Jupiter ascending" and the playful "Tomorrowland", he scores the hat trick right here with a score worthy of such a wonderful composer.
Total minutes of excellence: 47 / 77
Album excellence: 62%
Bury the Hatchling
Welcome to Jurassic World
As the Jurassic World Turns
Clearly His First Rodeo
Indominus Wrecks
Gyrosphere of Influence
Fits and Jumpstarts
The Dimorphodon Shuffle
Love in the Time of Pterosauria
Raptor Your Heart Out
Our Rex Is Bigger Than Yours
Growl and Make Up
Nine to Survival Job
The Park Is Closed
It's a Small Jurassic World
The Hammond Lab Overture
The Brockway Monorail
Jurassic Park franchise
Soundtrack review: Burying the ex (Joseph LoDuca – 2015)
Soundtrack review: Man-up (Wendy Wang – 2015)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This article will help determine whether your bike has a cassette or freewheel system, and what tool is needed to remove and install the rear cogs.
This article will review the removal and installation of threaded freewheel systems as well as single speed freewheeling BMX/Freestyle bikes. Cassette cog systems are discussed at Cassette Removal and Installation.
This article will review the removal and installation of cassette cogs on derailleur-type bicycles. The threaded freewheel system is discussed at Freewheel Removal and Installation.
This article will discuss removing freewheels that have no removal tool option. This will be useful if the wheel is to be reused, but it will effectively destroy the freewheel. For wheels that are damaged with these types of freewheels, it is best to simply replace both the complete wheel and freewheel.
This article will discuss freehub service for the following brands: Shimano®, DT-Hugi® (some Bontrager), American Classic®, Campagnolo®, Bontrager®, Cane Creek®, and Zipp®.
This article with discuss the concept of chainline. See also related article on frame alignment.


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Canada Conserves
Live better with less.
The Green Arrow
Chris Winter
Prince Edward Island's Legislative Building
Planning for a Sustainable Future
Back in the Eighties, Prince Edward Island was one of the first provinces to come up with a conservation strategy, and it was a pretty good one too. Now, some thirty years later, PEI is starting work on a sustainable development strategy with the release of a discussion paper, "Planning for a Sustainable Future" in July 2012. The PEI Environmental Advisory Council has since released a follow-up paper on Principles of Sustainable Development.
The discussion paper solicits comments and suggestions within a range of environmental and land use issues:
Natural Capital and the Valuation of Ecosystem Goods and Services
Safe Water and Clean Air
Drinking Water and Its Sustainable Management
Land Use and Soil Management
Soil Quality
Urban Built Environment
Waste and Toxic Materials
Soil Waste
The paper is more a foundation of an environmental protection strategy than of sustainable development in that it does not include a discussion of development options.
PEI's Climate Change Strategy was released in November 2008. The 47 action items put forward in the Strategy were designed to:
lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
enhance carbon sinks,
help people prepare for the impacts of climate change, and
increase public awareness.
State of the Environment Reports
PEI has been producing State of the Environment reports since 2003. The latest one is from 2010 (pdf version here). It tracks the following indicators, which closely mirror the categories in the "Planning for a Sustainable Future" paper above:
Measured as the concentration of nitrate and the presence of E. coli bacteria in private water wells, as well as the number of homes serviced by central water and wastewater systems and pesticides occurence in groundwater.
Surface Water Quality
Measured as the number of anoxic events in estuaries, the amount of nitrate in four test rivers, the pH of surface water, the percentage of total classified shellfish growing areas that are not open for harvest and siltation in surface waters.
Measured as the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced in the province and the rise in sea level at Charlottetown.
Measured as the average monthly household use of electricity, gasoline consumption and the round wood consumption for residential heating.
PEI's 2010 State of the Environment Report
Measured as the acidity of rain, particulate matter content and ozone level.
Measured as the change in forest communities, the change in forest covertypes, the amount of land protected under the Natural Areas Protection Act and the number of species in Prince Edward Island.
Measured as the number of reported fish kills in rivers and amount of pesticide sold.
Measured as the percentage of solid waste diverted from disposal by burial or incineration.
Measured as compliance with regulations requiring inspection and tagging of home oil tanks, the number of community watershed planning projects completed or in development, the number of passengers using the public transit in Charlottetown and participation in fishing, hunting and trapping.
Measured as the frequency of row crops, the area of row crops under engineered soil conservation management structures, the organic matter in soil and the area of land in certified organic production.
Measured by the area of land and number of farms with valid Environmental Farm Plans, the percentage of agricultural land cultivated for crop production and the area of forest converted to non-forest uses.
Climate Action 2016: are we climate ready?
How to make climate plans work
Canada Scores a "C" on Sustainability
Big Oil Malaysia
The Case for a Climate Fund
To the sponsors for The Next Wave, and to all the amazing people we met on our travels, thank-you. You have all helped shape ideas for the future.
Need help? Perhaps I can help you find creative community-oriented solutions.
© 2023 Canada Conserves. Proudly powered by Sydney


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Future Council
By Gordon & Probert
Officially licensed for obooko members.
Read it and Rate it!
Rated 4/5(15 votes)
Future Council by Gordon & Prober of Essex County Council, explores the role of the local authority in a changing public service landscape.
On 20th October 2010, in response to an alarming deficit in the public finances, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the tightest squeeze on public spending since the end of World War II. The Coalition Government's Comprehensive Spending Review sought to restore discipline to the public finances and, in doing so, made cuts to departmental budgets averaging 11% to 2014-15. Substantially larger cuts will be borne by local authorities (c.27% of centrally funded spending to 2014-15).1 The 2011 Autumn Statement heralded significant additional spending cuits through to 2017.
Although necessary, these cuts have brought debate about the future role of local authorities into the mainstream. For many local government leaders, they have thrown a spotlight on the need to reduce costs, manage down staff numbers and pare back service provision. For others, these cuts signal the start of a generation of public sector austerity – the first step in a chain of events that will squeeze service funding and increase service pressures. But, for a third group, these cuts are merely the latest chapter in their ongoing work to transform local services to provide a sustainable, locally determined offer that meets the needs of today's citizens.
For this group, the long-term challenges facing local services predate the 2011 Autumn Statement, the 2010 Spending Review, the recession of 2008-09 and the financial crisis of 2007-08. They have their root in the UK's changing demography; in changing attitudes to community; in the growth of new technologies and new forms of media; and in the tensions between each individual's role as taxpayer, citizen and consumer of public services.
Whether as a response to funding cuts or wider trends, traditional local authority operating models are now giving way to commissioning-led practices. Many local authorities already recognise that while they have a responsibility to ensure that services are provided, they need not necessarily provide these directly. And yet, as councils move to commission more services, there is a risk that, without a clear strategic vision, piecemeal decision-making could limit the scope for truly transformational change.
This paper, therefore, aims to stimulate debate on what councils could, and should, look like in five to ten years time. We hope that, from this debate, all levels of government can reach a consensus on how local authorities might address the common challenges they face and how national decision-makers can best support local developments.
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George Springer, shown earlier this season, was about the only offensive spark for the Astros in Game Four of the World Series.
Game Four of the World Series featured a no-hitter into the sixth inning. It featured the Astros taking the lead 1-0 lead and breaking up the no-no on a massive George Springer home run. Yet as feared, this game came down to the bullpen, and the Astros relievers were lacking. The game was tied 1-1 going to the ninth inning, only to have Astros closer Ken Giles blow a save again as the Dodgers scored five runs to take the 6-1 lead. The Astros struck back in the bottom of the ninth when Alex Bregman hit a home run (only the second Astros hit of the game) to make the final score 6-2.
JOC PEDERSON: The Dodgers had two men on with two men out in the top of the ninth inning. Los Angeles was clinging to a 3-1 lead thanks to another Ken Giles meltdown, but if the Astros could get one more out, there was still a chance, with George Springer and Alex Bregman set to bat, that the Astros could come back and win. Instead, Pederson unloaded on a pitch from Joe Musgrove and deposited it into the seats to give the Dodgers the 6-1 lead and to effectively end the game.
CODY BELLINGER: Bellinger was hitless for the World Series until Saturday night. He doubled in the seventh inning for his first hit, then scored on a Logan Forsythe single that tied the game. His ninth inning double scored Corey Seager, giving the Dodgers the 2-1 lead, then he came in to score on Pederson's home run.
GEORGE SPRINGER: It was a tight, tense, scoreless pitching duel in the bottom of the sixth inning. Springer came to the plate with two outs and Dodger starter Alex Wood pitching a no-hitter. Springer ended that no-hitter in the most George Springer way possible, slamming a no-doubt-about-it home run to left field to give the Astros the lead and to drive Wood from the game. Springer also became the first player in MLB World Series history to break up a no-hitter with a home run in the sixth inning or later.
ALEX WOOD/CHARLIE MORTON: The latest Ken Giles meltdown should not subtract from either starting pitcher. Wood was pitching a no-hitter into the sixth inning before surrendering the home run to Springer. Wood left the game after 5 2/3 innings, giving up just one run on one hit while striking out three Astros. Morton nearly matched Wood. He went 6 1/3 innings, giving up just three hits and surrendering one run while striking out seven Dodgers.
KEN GILES: Giles blew the save in Game Two of the World Series. He had allowed at least one run in five of his six playoff outings. Yet for some reason he was brought in to the pitch in the top of the ninth inning with the score tied 1-1. Giles faced three batters. He got none of them out. They all scored.
A.J. HINCH: Hinch has had a good World Series as manager. He was very good in Game Three, ignoring his bullpen, which struggled mightily in Game Two, and going with a tandem of Lance McCullers Jr. and Brad Peacock. But he might have gone a batter or two too far with Morton, and then going with Giles despite his shaky playoff performance is going just a bridge too far.
COLLIN MCHUGH: Did McHugh die and do the Astros have yet to inform the media? There's got to be some reason that McHugh has seemingly disappeared from the team despite being on the playoff roster? It might have been a good idea to pair McHugh, who pitched four excellent innings in relief of Morton in Game Three against the Yankees, with Morton again for Game Four against the Dodgers. Instead Hinch went to his underperforming bullpen and had to deal with another breakdown.
YULI GURRIEL: The Astros first baseman scored the first run on Friday night, blasting a home run off Dodger starter Yu Darvish to give Houston the lead. Upon returning to the dugout, Gurriel made a racist gesture toward Darvish. People were understandably upset. Gurriel apologized. Darvish accepted and was gracious when questioned about the matter. The Astros expressed disappointment with Gurriel's actions. It was noted that MLB has previously suspended players for gay slurs, so it was thought that Gurriel might have to miss some World Series games. That will not happen as MLB has decided to suspend Gurriel, but not until next season, when Gurriel will be suspended for the first five games without pay. For some reason, there are Astros fans upset about this, thinking that MLB overreacted. These fans should be thankful that MLB didn't follow through on precedent and suspend him immediately.
The World Series is tied at two games apiece. Game Five on Sunday night is a rematch of Game One as Dallas Keuchel matches up against Clayton Kershaw. The Astros want to head back to Los Angeles with a series lead and knowing that Justin Verlander is set for the possible clincher. The Dodgers want to head back with the 3-2 lead, knowing that they only need to win one to claim another World Series title.


The United Kingdom is in the midst of tough negotiations with the European Commission. Harboring roughly one fifth of the EU's military capabilities and as one of the few NATO-members spending above the two-percent threshold, the UK's impending departure raises concerns over the future of European security and defense integration. On top of a souring Transatlantic relationship and a deteriorating security environment, European leaders are faced with the fact that eighty percent of NATO's capabilities are soon to be found outside of the EU.
While Theresa May has reassured her European counterparts of Britain's unwavering commitment to continued security cooperation, she also noted - perhaps as a thinly veiled threat - the importance of British intelligence in securing Europe. As the EU move towards deeper defense and security integration, the UK's role in the post-Brexit security landscape hangs in the balance. Will the Brits use their military leverage to force concessions in the ongoing negotiations?
What are the main challenges to continued cross-channel cooperation? How will Brexit affect the foreign and security policy of non-EU member states such as Norway?
Dr. Steven Blockmans is a Professor of EU External Relations Law and Governance at the University of Amsterdam (part-time) and one of the founding members of the Centre for the Law of EU External Relations (CLEER). Blockmans is also a senior research fellow at the Center for European Policy Studies.
Dr. Garvan Walshe is the CEO of Brexit Analytics and a former National and International Security Policy Adviser to the British Conservative Party.
Mr. Øystein Bø is appointed Norwegian Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council.
Chair is Senior Research Fellow at NUPI, Dr. Kristin Haugevik.


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Latest Persona 5 Trailer Previews New Mechanics to the Series
January 17th, 2017 Jessica Bohannon News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Videos
Atlus has shared the latest Persona 5 trailer, which shows off some new mechanics that have never been seen before in the storied franchise. Heading to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles on April 4, 2017, Persona 5 features the Phantom Thieves, and like previous entries in the series, they will be normal Japanese high-schoolers during the day while taking on evil Shadows at night. This time around, players will travel to the Metaverse through a smartphone, unleashing their true Personas while raising some hell at night. Atlus says the Metaverse is essentially the "collective unconscious" of all mankind, where the most distorted desires of people manifest themselves as Palaces.
Which brings us to one of the first new mechanics. In order to enter a Palace, players will pick a target and figure out certain key pieces of information to plug into their Metaverse Navigator app in order to gain access. Once inside the Palace, the Phantom Thieves must fight hordes of Shadows, solve puzzles, defeat the Palace ruler and steal the target's deepest darkest desire – which is of course in the form of treasure.
Each target will have a different Palace look and theme and it appears there will be a stealth element to the game. Atlus says if the Thieves get caught too many times, they'll be kicked out of the Metaverse and can only return the next day.
Even more interesting, once players engage a Shadow in a fight, they will have various options including diplomatic ones, like "Hold Up Shadows" that allows you to negotiate to yield more money, items and even a chance to avoid a battle entirely. The protagonist can even convince them to join the Phantom Thieves to be used as a Persona, or of course, you can just smash them to bits and pieces.
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Kydex Sheath for the Benchmade Protagonist.
This is a heavy duty (0.93) scout style kydex sheath for the Benchmade 169 protagonist series knives.
The sheath is an improvement over the nylon sheath that comes stock from Benchmade. It is available in a variety of kydex and leather colors. There is a thumb groove to assist in drawing the knife and a drain hole in the bottom to prevent fluid buildup.
As standard, the sheath will be made to fit the drop point protagonist, if you have the tanto, or any other variation, please let us know when ordering so we can make necessary adjustments.


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Celebrating the Achievements of Women in Tech
A few weeks ago it was the Third Annual Women in IT Awards in London. This event is the world's largest event dedicated to showcasing the achievements and innovation of women in technology, identifying new role models and promoting further dialogue around diversity among industry influencers.
Zayo has been a sponsor of the event for the past three years, and we are proud to see it grow from about 300 people attending in 2015 to the more than 1000 attendees this year.
One of the keynote speeches was given by Sir Alex Younger, the Head of MI6 or also known as 'C'. In his speech, he said that in the current world where 'operational technology defies the imagination of spy writers', even MI6 needs a more diverse workforce to be relevant. Sir Alex also confirmed that the real life 'Q' is actually a woman.
Currently, there is a digital skills gap in the UK, a gap that could potentially cost us our position as global technology leader. While the progress s of women in the technology is undeniable, there is still much work to do close this gap and to increase women's full participation in tech.
It's promising that many companies are making diversity and inclusion a priority. Studies indicate that more diverse companies are measurably more productive and innovative. Zayo, for example, has an initiative to improve our gender balance. It's both leader-led and grassroots driven: we have three women on our board of directors and women are well-represented in leadership roles. When we hire, we make a point to include women in the consideration set. In some of our teams including our IT organisation, led by technology veteran Sandi Mays, women already outnumber men. We're making a point to extend Sandi's best practices to the rest of our global organisation. We also are committed to working on "pipeline" issues, supporting programs for girls and women in tech.
Zayo's high-capacity network, of course, helps make this progress possible.From healthcare companies sharing MRI data between sites to schools utilising bandwidth to provide the latest online resources for students, Zayo's infrastructure supports innovation and inclusivity. For more information on the Women in IT Awards and this year's winners please visit http://womeninitawards.com/


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Home Politics Pope Receives Blinken, a Twist After Trump But Chinese Knot Remains
Pope Receives Blinken, a Twist After Trump But Chinese Knot Remains
Virgil Harper
Monday 28 June 2021 – 11:01 am01
Meeting between Pope and Biden in Glasgow in November or in Rome in October
Vatican City, June 28 (askanews) — Passionate about trying to demonstrate complete continuity between one era and another, even the Vatican, this time only states the time of Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump. could acknowledge the apparent dissatisfaction among the Secretary of State, when the Pope had arrived. In Rome in September 2020, and Antony Blinken, the new United States Secretary of State, officially received by Francis at the Vatican Apostolic Palace this morning.
Both relations between Trump and the Argentine pope were marked by apparently mutual distrust, as Joe Biden's arrival at the White House has put the mind at ease. However, without breaking the knot with China, the same issue on which Mike Pompeo faltered.
What separates the Holy See from the United States is its long-term look at relations with Beijing. While Washington, with variations ranging from Trump to Biden, regards China as a geopolitical rival, the priority of the Apostolic Palace, of a spiritual nature, is to negotiate with the Country of the Dragon, knowing that Asian Catholicism has a promising future. is. And that China, in particular, has a relatively minority Catholic community, but is significant in absolute terms, as well as great rivalry. It is no coincidence that Francis, along with his Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, in 2018 crowned the dream of signing a landmark agreement with Chinese authorities on episcopal appointments, long cherished by his predecessors. And in September last year, nearing the renewal of the agreement for a second two-year period, Mike Pompeo openly attacked the Holy See's line via Twitter and on the eve of a visit to the Vatican. An article on ultra-conservative magazine. Pope's allies to suspect that Pompey was more provoking than constructive criticism. However, able to dispel the last doubts from the Chinese counterpart. A few days later, however, the Holy See renewed the agreement with Beijing.
Today, unlike Pompeo, Blinken, a longtime diplomat, was received with full respect by the Pope and, first of all, by Cardinal Parolin and the Vatican "foreign minister", the English Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. It is believed that despite the polite tone on the Chinese dossier, there is a considerable distance. But some special reasons for harmony can also come to the fore.
A few days ago, in fact, the Holy See expressed "concern" about the situation in Hong Kong. The official status of the Apostolic Palace was expressed by Msgr. Gallagher, who answered an important question about the Vatican's perceived soft stance with China, during a news conference on the July 1 meeting hosted by the Pope on the difficult political situation in Lebanon. "Certainly Hong Kong is a matter of concern to us," replied the bishop. "Lebanon is a place where we think we can contribute, we don't understand it in Hong Kong: many apt words can be said that will be appreciated by the international press and many countries, but I, and I like mine Believe that many of my colleagues still need to be convinced that they can make a difference. Here we have an opportunity, whereas in Hong Kong we have a very different situation overall," Gallagher said. Be open to action", remarked with a smile, the Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, who moderated the press conference. "We also hope – added Gallagher, taking the word – that the new Archbishop ( The Jesuit Stephen Saw-Yan Chow, appointed by the Pope in May, ed.) will do very well".
In the name of a new multilateralism so dear to Bergoglio, the White House in the Biden era has already renegotiated many threads with the Vatican that Trump broke. Immigration, the Middle East (from Syria to Lebanon to the Israel-Palestinian conflict), vaccines, climate are all issues on which the months of a new presidency have narrowed distances, or even the signing of new citoni. Huh. Climate change, in particular, has shown complete convergence: Biden's special envoy, John Kerry, was recently received by the Pope, with the Holy See meeting religious leaders and scientists in early October in the wake of the expected COP26 summit in November. organizes a meeting. in Glasgow and it is not excluded that Jorge Mario Bergoglio will personally attend the Scottish summit.
This would be an opportunity to meet Joe Biden. But diplomatic circles in Rome believe that a meeting could take place earlier in October, if the President of the United States visits Rome, and in all likelihood he will do so at the summit of the G20 heads of state and government. Will do, 30 and 31 October. A visit to the White House tenant is part of an ongoing conflict with the American Episcopal Conference. If the pope did indeed warmly welcome his election, the real problem lies at home for Biden, the country's second Catholic president after John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Bishops, mostly Orthodox, have recently decided to approve a document on "Eucharistic responsibility" in November. A source that hides the ban on entry to banquets for a politician like Biden does not contradict current legislation on abortion. The Vatican has so far tried to curb the epilogue, without success. The Pope is a priceless ally for Biden. Even if the Chinese knot is not tied. (by Iacoppo Scaramuzzi)
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All members are welcome to attend this assistant's event, but if you are unable to attend, please consider sponsoring an assistant so that he or she might be able to make it. We encourage all superintendents to send out their assistants as around table discussion will again be offered for the assistants. There will be first/second place prizes for assistants and assistants will be in teams of 2's playing better ball. If you would like to be paired with a specific team member please email me directly at stevenwalls@pgatourtpc.com.


Over 20 percent of these offending products contained more than one unapproved drug ingredient, and numerous contained a cocktail of clandestine chemicals – in two cases, as many as six unlisted ingredients.
For a US$35 billion industry patronised by about half of American adults, it's possible this data could be just the tip of the iceberg, too.
"The drug ingredients in these dietary supplements have the potential to cause serious adverse health effects owing to accidental misuse, overuse, or interaction with other medications, underlying health conditions, or other pharmaceuticals within the supplement," researchers from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, explain in their paper.
Given that supplement use is associated with some 23, 000 ER visits and 2,000 hospitalisations in the US each year, it's clear we're looking at a big problem here, but what's even more shocking than the brazen selling of these illicit additives is how tame and toothless the FDA's official actions were.
"The agency's failure to aggressively use all available tools to remove pharmaceutically adulterated supplements from commerce leaves consumers' health at risk," writes general internist Pieter Cohen from Harvard Medical School in a commentary on the new research.
It's been argued however that since almost 75 percent of the offending supplements were sold online or through international mail order, they don't represent the 'mainstream' of the supplements industry.
"These come from dark corners of the internet," president of the Natural Products Association, Daniel Fabricant, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Still, given that none of these products are actually subjected to the same stringent tests reserved for pharmaceutical drugs, it's possible any supplement could contain anything – which is why Cohen advises choosing products that only contain a single ingredient and avoiding products that purport to offer spurious, medical-sounding benefits.
Why? Because as this research shows, many supplements turn out to be medicine after all – only it's an unknown drug, potentially a banned one, and there's no way of measuring your dose.
"If the company is saying it works like Viagra or you're going to gain muscle like you're on steroids – that's not a supplement. That's a drug," Fabricant says.


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Vincenz Statz (ur. 9 kwietnia 1819 w Kolonii, zm. 21 sierpnia 1898 tamże) – niemiecki architekt. Twórca setek kościołów neogotyckich, zarówno na terenie Niemiec jak i Austrii.

Życiorys
Po nauce stolarstwa w warsztacie swojego ojca stał się uczniem Ferdinanda Luthmera, a w 1841 roku związał się z Ernstem Friedrichem Zwirnerem. W 1845 roku uzyskał tytuł "mistrza budowlanego katedry" (Dombauwerkmeister), a w 1863 roku mistrza budowlanego diecezji (Diozesenbaumeister). W 1866 roku zdał pomyślnie egzamin radcy budowlanego. Do jego najsłynniejszych realizacji należą: katedra Niepokalanego Poczęcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Linzu, liczne kościoły w Nadrenii, Muzeum Diecezjalne w Kolonii, ratusz w Kolonii Ehrenfeld, szpital św. Jadwigi w Berlinie i wiele innych budowli świeckich oraz kościelnych. W Raciborzu zaprojektował on bazylikowy kościół św. Jana Chrzciciela, z transeptem i wieżą w fasadzie zachodniej. Zgodnie z ówczesnymi poglądami w zakresie architektury średniowiecznej ustalono relację pomiędzy wysokością nawy głównej i naw bocznych jako 2:1.

Przypisy

Niemieccy architekci
Ludzie urodzeni w Kolonii
Urodzeni w 1819
Zmarli w 1898

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home /Sedans & Coupes/Coupes
The 2020 Honda Civic Si Beats the Sloppy Steering of the Kia Forte GT
by Tina Pavlik | More Articles: Coupes
The team at Car and Driver recently took a look at current hot hatches. Two of them were the 2020 Honda Civic Si and the 2020 Kia Forte GT. The magazine's reviewers loved the Honda Civic Si for its handling, smooth shifting, and fuel efficiency. But they appreciated the Kia Forte GT's sporty appeal, power, and affordability.
So, which one performed better overall? Here are the results.
The 2020 Honda Civic Si
Car and Driver's reviewers found the 2020 Honda Civic Si, now in its 10th generation, to be a great vehicle. It felt alive and eager, unlike most cars on today's market, they said. They also loved its responsiveness, handling on curves, and fun driving experience.
Well, most of the time.
Sure, the short gearing makes the 2020 Honda Civic Si engaging on winding country roads. But it isn't nearly as much fun on the highway, where its constant drone became annoying, Car and Driver's reviewers reported. They said the noise the Honda Civic Si emits — the buzz of the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine — isn't all authentic.
A few other things detracted from the driving experience. They didn't care for the interior's metal knobs, which can burn your hand if they've been sitting in the sun for hours. Plus, the reviewers didn't like the seats' fixed headrests and a lack of lumbar adjustment.
They also pointed out that the fake vents, spoiler, and black wheels made the Si feel a little outdated, making them self-conscious while driving it. They thought the interior was lacking and dated too.
Though they loved the Honda Civic Si's fuel efficiency at 31 mpg, they weren't fans of the less refined interior that used drab materials and looked dated. But they're excited about the next Civic Si's possibilities.
The 2020 Kia Forte GT
The 2020 Kia Forte GT's exterior evokes the Stinger sports sedan, Car and Driver reported. It's eye-catching with an impressive list of high-value features. It comes as only a sedan and offers plenty of tech, two engines, and good fuel efficiency.
Though the Forte GT is affordable, Car and Driver's reviewers say they'd pay a little more for a better driving experience. When compared with the Honda Civic Si, the Forte doesn't control body motions, its shifting is a mess, and the steering isn't as responsive.
You could probably muscle past the individual Forte GT's issues for a decent, affordable vehicle. But all of the problems combined result in a disappointing ride.
On the test track, the Forte GT performed well. The team said it could make it up to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, only 0.1 seconds behind the Honda Civic Si. The Forte had a shorter stop from 70 mph, at 157 feet.
Which one is better overall?
It's Still Hard To Beat Honda if You Want a Great Compact Car
On the open road, one car pulled away as the winner. The Kia Forte GT struggled to keep up with the Honda Civic Si. One Car and Driver staff editor even said the Forte was "out of its depth here."
Between busy ride motions and weird suspension noises, the team was less confident driving the Forte at higher speeds. The Forte GT's 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine offers a smoother ride than the 1.5 of the Honda Civic Si. However, the Forte's shifter and clutch pedal kill any enthusiasm for its power pretty quickly.
Though the Forte doesn't offer the most dynamic drive, it beats the Civic Si when it comes to looks. The GT stying makes it appear more aggressive in a good way. Driving the Forte GT with its sporty looks will make you happy to turn heads, not hide in embarrassment.
Overall, the 2020 Kia Forte GT is visually appealing and affordable. But it can't match the driving chops of the 2020 Honda Civic Si.
Tags:civic forte Honda Kia


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Also sharp decline in energy-packed Oslo: – We see signs of 'demand destruction' for the first time, says investment manager
Dalila Awolowo April 25, 2022 5 min read
The article continues below the ad
A bad mood prevailed on Wall Street on Friday last week, with major indices down nearly three per cent after mounting concerns about inflation and interest rates. On Monday morning, the turmoil continued in Asia with sharp declines in major stock exchanges.
At the same time, the price of oil fell by about 3.2 percent to 102.3 dollars a barrel. International media reports a drop in demand in China, as the authorities adhere to a zero-transmission strategy and strict anti-Corona measures.
The main index on the Oslo Stock Exchange fell 3.5 percent around 11.00. Aker BP and Equinor are down five percent, while Norwegian Hydro is down nearly seven percent.
It's the common themes that scare the stock markets, with the fear of inflation and rising interest rates. What the market is now wondering is whether the US Federal Reserve is tightening so hard that we're making a hard landing with lower economic activity, says Gaute Eie, investment manager at Eika Kapitalforvaltning.
"destroy order"
Energy-rich Oslo has continued due to higher energy and commodity prices so far in 2022. The main index is up 2.5 percent this year, including the current decline. In comparison, the broad US S&P 500 is down 11 percent this year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 is down nearly 20 percent.
Eie believes that commodity prices have been high for so long that they are now approaching their breaking point.
– What we have seen in recent days is that commodity prices have come under some pressure. We see signs of 'demand destruction' for the first time, then risks increase even though the supply side remains tight. If global growth falls too low, E says, it will have a negative impact on oil and commodity-related stocks.
See also Tesla Tesla all competitors in the run-up to Christmas
A large number of major banks and financial institutions have lowered their growth estimates for the global economy after the outbreak of the war, mainly due to high energy prices and disruption in supply chains.
As a commodity-heavy stock exchange, we've been a bit immune to the stock market's ravaged fears. But if the world is pushed into recession, the uncertainty will also increase dramatically on the Oslo Stock Exchange, says E.
Eie and Eika continue to invest heavily in energy-related stocks, highlighting fish farming as an attractive sector.
There are high prices and a limited supply side in the fishing sector this year, next year, and indeed for the foreseeable future, he says.
scary cocktail
A large number of companies on the Oslo Stock Exchange present results for the first quarter of this week, including Yara, Tomra, Aker Horizons, XXL, Vår Energi, Aker BP and Europris.
The property will follow the numbers with scrutiny.
– This is the most important thing for us now. There are a number of Swedish companies, such as Volvo, ABB and Sandvik, who were positively surprised by the guide last week. In this sense, it turned out to be promising for the Nordic countries, but there are still many companies, says E.
In the United States, earnings season has long begun, with streaming giant Netflix deeply disappointed after losing 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter. The market cut the share by 35 percent after the numbers were released, thus evaporating several hundred billion kroner in stock market values.
See also - Yngve has given us a flying start - E24
– I'm surprised if some of the expectations associated with tech companies don't go down, in addition to increasing interest rates, that's a bit of a scary cocktail for us. E says: We stay a little further away.
Uro in Asia
China is the world's largest oil importer in a normal year, and according to Bloomberg News, as a result of the new closure, it is heading for the largest demand shock in the country since the beginning of the Corona pandemic. The country's demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is expected to fall 20 percent in April compared to last year, according to Bloomberg estimates, which are also estimated at the equivalent of 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.
The important port city of Shanghai has been almost closed for the past four weeks, and new measures have been taken in Beijing, according to a number of international media. Already fragile supply chains are under more pressure.
We see the consequences of what happened in Shanghai on global value chains and I think we will see more of that in the future. It has economic consequences, consequences for the previously shaky housing market, and consequences for the stimulus that China's central bank and fiscal policy could bring, says DNB macroeconomist Kelly Chen.
Kelly Chen, macroeconomist at DNB Markets. (Photo: Michaela Berg)
Two weeks ago, China's central bank chose not to cut its key rate, even though many thought it should, says Chen.
It has consequences for stock prices, as well as bond prices in China. If we look at net changes in foreigners' holdings of Chinese assets, there were a number of drawdowns throughout March and April. Chen says it has consequences for values and we see that the Chinese yuan has weakened because of that.
The Shanghai and Hong Kong stocks fell five and 3.7 percent, respectively, on Monday.
The situation in China is helping to confuse the whole picture, with commodity shortages and higher commodity prices, slowing global growth. However, we believe it could give a good boost to the stock market, if the situation improves, says Eie at Eika.(Conditions)Copyright Dagens Næringsliv AS and/or our suppliers. We would like you to share our cases using a link that leads directly to our pages. All or part of the Content may not be copied or otherwise used with written permission or as permitted by law. For additional terms look here.
Dalila Awolowo
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GPS tracking for small businesses can be very different than GPS tracking for larger companies. Why?
Small businesses operate differently than larger companies. As a result, small business owners experience different challenges than larger companies.
Small businesses are smaller (duh!). What does that really mean? In the case of GPS tracking for small businesses, smaller business environments lead to different use cases. For instance, small businesses experience tighter employee connections, higher customer service emphasis, and more staff responsibility.
Small businesses have smaller team members. In fact, many small businesses employ family members. In turn, staff members are more likely to be aligned towards a team goal. Hence, small businesses usually experience less time theft than bigger companies.
GPS tracking for small businesses with close employees are more about protecting business than about monitoring staff members. For instance, a business owner who employs family members are less likely to have to watch their team.
However, business owners might use GPS tracking to protect their bottom line. A great example is in the snow plowing business. These businesses use GPS tracking to keep a record of all of their jobs. As a result, if there is ever a dispute, small businesses can use tangible historical data rather than relying on hiring expensive legal staff.
Small businesses naturally have fewer customers than large businesses. In addition, they don't have as much advertising resources. Hence, small businesses will do everything in their power to delight their current customer base and to spread positive word of mouth.
Small businesses use GPS tracking to improve customer service. For instance, our client PoppaCorn uses real-time tracking to provide delivery updates to their customers. Real time tracking increases estimate accuracy which in turn increases customer satisfaction.
Last but not least, small business employees wear many hats. For instance, a small business employee might be responsible for sales, marketing, and customer service. In contrast, larger companies separate those functions into 3 different roles. Hence, small businesses employees are always looking for better time management tools.
GPS tracking for small businesses are also used to save time. Many tracking tools provide data and functions that eliminate manual admin work.
A good example is filing fuel tax forms. Normally, a business staff has to keep a record of fuel receipts and odometer readings. On the other hand, vehicle trackers automatically collect that data and generate reports. Hence, employees can spend their time on more important tasks than data entry and reporting.
Vehicle tracking is helpful in small and large businesses. The difference, however, in the nature of business leads to different use cases.


I have had the honor and privilege to work in the theater and the live arts for more than 25 years. I was introduced to the theater at a very young age and since have had the extraordinary opportunity to work with many wonderful artists and in countless venues of all types in over 35 countries. I have gained access to language, culture, friendship and food. Growing up American I may have been able to find more opportunities for work in lighting design than the typical italian, but it is just for this reason that I feel suited to explain how the role of Lighting Designer can be helped here in Italy. I have chosen to make Italy my home; I want that my colleagues and those who want to work in the theater, to be able to practice in the best conditions and I hope that I can help them to achieve that.
Theatrical lighting design is recognized as a relatively new profession in Italy. This is obvious as there is no equivalent word for lighting designer as there is for 'scenografo', 'costumista', etc. Until recently the chief electrician of the theater worked over the course of the long rehearsal period building up the director's wishes. As time and resources to build new shows have been drastically reduced, the role of a lighting designer is becoming obvious. But, in order to qualify the job, the role of lighting designer must defined, discussed and diffused.
To encourage and promote lighting design and successful lighting designers one must support preparation, professionalism, preservation.
Italy's long and important history of theater and theater craftsmanship has produced countless wonderful artists. With funding shrinking and many leaving theater jobs to look for more income, theater's role as a teacher is becoming increasingly unreliable. Lighting design training and instruction must be offered to young artists in a school setting. However, Italian schools are not constructed to support this type of eduction; first because they offer only theoretical classes with no access to studios and theaters, second as their budgets are extremely limited, third as Italian schools traditionally offer history and not pragmatic methods for connecting with modernity, fourth as teachers are not allowed to practice, and last because students just don't want to be in school when they are not stimulated. Schools that offer lighting design must have a knowledgeable and practicing staff of theater artists, a space to build up projects frequently profiting from a reasonable inventory of lighting materials, encourage their students to take on morally challenging and present-day topics, and be allowed to fail. School is the only chance students can fail - in the real world if one fails one can lose everything - in school there should always be another opportunity. Finally, students must learn standards of lighting practice, from concept to planning to execution to documentation. There are ways to develop more opportunities for theater students but they require higher integration with the professional world and more freedom to work.
An electrician is not a lighting designer. Each has a unique and important role in an event. The lighting designer must create a concept, be able to draft and communicate that concept in the form of plans and drawings so that an electrician may build it up, and then supervise the installation and focusing of that concept, directing the electrician. Often the lines are blurred. Many times lighting designers come late into a theatrical project. For many directors, light is intangible. Light is difficult to convey in the pre-production phase. However, there are many tools at the lighting designer's disposal. Mastering these tools and communicating concepts are central to the role of any designer and a lighting designer is no different. In order for lighting designers to be included in the process more of our colleagues must understand the role. Light is not applied to the stage - it is incorporated into every facet of the project in both space and time of the theatrical scenario.
As difficult as it is to perform lighting design it is equally difficult to document it. A set can be put in the warehouse, costumes into storage and sound saved to CD. But lighting requires all the visual elements, actors, and movements as well as focused lighting equipment and programmed sequences to exist at all. A plan is not enough to explain a lighting design, nor is a photo, nor a video. Lighting designs must be preserved from many aspects with in-depth documentation so that if a production is recreated, so too can be the lighting, exactly as it was the first time. It is unacceptable that if other 'designers' are invited to work on projects to redo the lighting that it is botched because there is no reliable documentation. Nor is memory a substitute for documentation. Documentation is a necessity as designers must want to maintain the integrity of their project as if it travels or is reproduced. Disappearing are the days when an electrician will design a show and then travel with it and designers must be prepared for anything. In an ephemeral medium like theater, documentation is the way to save the lighting design. Lighting designers create a product and that product must be described in order for it to be better recognized financially. The fact that a lighting design does not have the concrete shape of a text, a musical score or a costume does not make it any less of a creation.
There is a fourth piece to the puzzle: women. Why are there so few women working in lighting in Italy? Some of the most famous and important lighting designer's have been women: Jean Rosenthal who practically created the field, Tharon Musser; Jennifer Tipton just won a MacArthur genius award. Lighting design is an art, an art where the designer must know much technical information but it is not the same as being a technician. And while there is no reason why there should not be more women in technical fields, it Italy, lighting seems to exclude women because it is perceived as technical. Lighting design should promote the integration of women, if at the very least, to have a diversity of lighting designers on offer.


The Alcatel A7 is the first in Alcatel's 2017 offering of its A series of mid-range and high-end smartphones, and though it's accorded the budget status, it impresses with powerful specs like a 4000mAh battery and 5.5-inch FHD display.
Display: 5.5 inches (1920 * 1080 pixel resolution, ~401 PPI, 83.4cm2, ~71.4% screen-to-body ratio).
Processor: Octa-Core MediaTek MT6750T chipset @ 1.5Ghz.
Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM.
Camera: Front — 8MP | Rear — 16MP.
The Alcatel A7 comes with a 5.5-inch display which uses the LTPS IPS LCD display technologies to deliver wide viewing angles and quality colour reproduction with low battery consumption. It is large enough to make it easy to perform screen-intensive functions such as reading, but users with small hands might have some problem using the phone with one hand over a long period of time. Switching to landscape orientation will, however, solve that.
The phone has a Full HD (1920 * 1080) pixel resolution and 401 PPI pixel density. It has a metallic rear panel and a design that helps conceal its budget status. Its edges are curved and smooth, so using the smartphone in landscape mode shouldn't be a problem.
The A7 features a fingerprint sensor on its rear, below the camera module and LED flash. The placement of the scanner is a concern, as users will most times confuse the sensor with the camera lens or the LED flash's covering glass. The fingerprint scanner should have been spaced from the others some more, but frequent usage over a long period of time would result in the user getting used to this.
The Alcatel A7 is powered under the hood by an octa-core MediaTek MT6750T processor which is clocked at 1.5GHz. The processor speed is decent enough to run most apps without any form of lag and 3GB of RAM allows for effective multi-tasking.
The A7 comes with 32GB of internal storage, and while this is more than you will get on many other smartphones in its category, it might still be insufficient for file storage, as modern apps and multimedia files are quite large in size. As you would expect , there is a microSD card slot which can house microSD cards up to to 128GB.
The Alcatel A7 sports a 16MP camera with a dual-tone LED flash at the rear. The camera has a f/2.0 aperture to filter the amount of light entering the lens, and Phase Detection Autofocus for stable capturing of moving objects. The LED flash provides illumination for images.
The smartphone also features an 8MP camera on the front which handles selfie photography on the phone. It's also accompanied by a LED flash for brighter selfies.
The Alcatel A7 packs a 4000mAh battery, which is quite large for a phone of its status. According to the company, the A7 is meant for people who never rest, hence the large battery capacity. And there's fast charging too, so you have to wait for only two hours and thirty minutes to get a full charge.
The phone comes in single and dual Nano SIM slot versions, both with support for 4G LTE and NFC. It runs on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and may get an upgrade to Android 8.0 Oreo in the future.
The Alcatel A7 is scheduled to hit Africa (and consequently, Nigeria) in the fourth quarter of 2017, but at the time of writing this post, the smartphone isn't available in the Nigerian smartphone market. The A7 is expected to cost around #95,000 when it eventually becomes available in the country.
SIM: Single & Dual Nano SIM slots.
Platform: Android Operating System (Android 7.1 Nougat).
4G Bands: LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 28(700).
Network Speed: HSPA 42.2/11.5 Mbps, LTE-A (2CA) Cat6 300/50 Mbps.
Resolution: 1920 * 1080 pixels (Full HD).
Dimensions: 152.7 * 76.5 * 9 mm.
Chipset: 64-bit MediaTek MT6750T processor.
Rear Flash: Yes, dual-tone LED Flash.
Fast Charging: Yes, 2.5 hours charging time.
2G: Up to 667 hours.
3G: Up to 634 hours.
2G: Up to 18 hours.
3G: Up to 17 hours.


The interior design of a small house: photos Photos of interior design of small houses often attract attention. But, despite its charm and charm, tiny country houses have ceased to be a unique phenomenon. They must have their own individuality in order to win the heart of anyone who sees them. An example of this is the "Serena", a small mobile home on an area of 68 sq.m. in Atlanta, GA. Two pairs of glazed entrance doors allow you to fill the inner space with natural light. And in the open state, they create the effect of unity with nature. One side wall protrudes slightly forward, and because of this, a small shed is formed at the entrance. The result is a kind of porch for meeting guests. Doors are always open for new guests. The lack of light and fresh air is not exactlyOne wall of the house is occupied by a built-in wardrobe in which you can store clothes, shoes, books and much more. A custom-made folding furniture allows you to save space or, conversely, increase the area of the required surface. extends from under the platform on which the kitchen rises. A great example of a lean attitude towards space. The sofa can be freely hidden in the kitchen platform, freeing up extra space. The compact dimensions of the furniture facilitate its rearrangement. In the kitchen there is a sink with two sinks and a refrigerator. And the work surface simultaneously fulfills the role of a dining area. The miniature kitchen should not disturb the hostesses -plenty of space The rainbow bathroom, lined with red mosaic, instantly attracts attention with its bright appearance. Sufficiently large bath sizes guarantee comfort when bathing alone or with your small child. The catchiest part of the house. Modern layout withusing the concept of open space and successful solutions to save space give this extraordinary small house a catchy character that sets it apart from many other suburban homes. And if you are attracted by resourceful design, then be sure to look at other options with a similar interior.
The interior of a small bedroom: where to store things?