text:
<?php
class Statistics_model extends CI_Model {

    /**
     * Getting orders statistics from database.
     *
     * @return array The order status statistics.
     * @return 0 If there is no stats.
     *
     */
    public function getBoxOrderStatistics(){
        $sql_select = " SELECT count(o.id) as count, o.order_status_id, os.name
                        from orders as o
                        left join order_status as os on o.order_status_id = os.id
                        group by o.order_status_id";

        $select_query = $this->db->query($sql_select);
        $statistics   = $select_query->result_array();

        foreach ($statistics as $statistic) {
            $countNames[$statistic['name']] = $statistic;
        }

        $sql_selectName = "SELECT name FROM order_status";

        $query          = $this->db->query($sql_selectName);
        $statNames      = $query->result_array();

        $i = 0;
        foreach ($statNames as $status) {
            if ($countNames[$status['name']]) {
                $return[$i]['count'] = (int)$countNames[$status['name']]['count'];
                $return[$i]['name']  = $status['name'];
            } else {
                $return[$i]['count'] = (int)"0";
                $return[$i]['name']  = $status['name'];
            }
            $i++;
        }
        return $return;
    }

    /**
     * Getting utm statistics.
     * Calculating how many orders were influenced by which advertisement. Per day (from - to) or per month (1 year).
     * @param $filters - array conatining date values and a flag value determining the query process.
     * @return array of days/months and appropriate number of orders per day/month, along with their 'source'.
     *
     */
    public function getFromToStatistikaUtm($filters){
        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            $sql_get_utm = "select count(o.id) as count, o.utm, date_format(o.date_created, '%b %e') as date
                            from orders as o
                            WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_from"])."' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_to"])."')
                            group by o.utm, date
                            order by o.date_created";
            $datePeriod = $this->returnDates($filters["date_from"], $filters["date_to"]);
        } else {
            $to_year = $filters['date_year']+1;
            $sql_get_utm = "select count(o.id) as count, o.utm, date_format(o.date_created, '%b') as date
                            from orders as o
                            WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date_year'])."-01-01 00:00:00' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($to_year)."-01-01 00:00:00')
                            group by o.utm, date
                            order by o.date_created";
            $start    = (new DateTime($filters["date_year"].'-01'))->modify('first day of this month');
            $end      = (new DateTime($to_year."-01"))->modify('first day of this month');
            $interval = DateInterval::createFromDateString('1 month');
            $datePeriod   = new DatePeriod($start, $interval, $end);
        }

        $query_get_utm = $this->db->query($sql_get_utm);
        $utm_list      = $query_get_utm->result_array();

        foreach ($utm_list as $key => $val) {
            $res = array();
            $utm_temp = explode(",", $val["utm"]);
            if($utm_temp[0]) {
                foreach ($utm_temp as $k => $v) {
                    $vars = explode("=", $v);
                    $res[$vars[0]] = $vars[1];

                }
            }

            $results[$val["date"]][$res[$filters["utm"]]] += $val["count"];
            $utms[$res[$filters["utm"]]] = $res[$filters["utm"]];           // $res[$filters["utm"] -> source ??

        }

        foreach ($utms as $one_utm) {
            if($one_utm == "") {
                $return['count'][0]["name"] = "Direct";
            } else {
                $return['count'][0]["name"] = $one_utm;
            }
        }

        foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
            if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M d');
                if ($results[$date->format('M d')]) {
                    $return ['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$results[$date->format('M d')][$return['count'][0]["name"]];
                } else {
                    $return ['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            } else {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M');
                if ($results[$date->format('M')]) {
                    $return ['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$results[$date->format('M')][$return['count'][0]["name"]];
                } else {
                    $return ['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        }
        $return['date']  = array_unique($return['date']);

        return $return;
    }

    /**
     * Getting statistics of orders per day/month appropriately from database.
     * Gets the number of all orders regardless of status made per day/month within a designated time interval.
     * @param $filters - array conatining date values and a flag value determining the query process.
     * @return array of days/months and appropriate number of all orders on that day/month.
     *
     */
    public function getAllOrdersFromTo ($filters) {
        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            $sql = "select count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b %d') as date
                    from orders as o
                    WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_from"])."' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_to"])."')
                    group by date
                    order by o.date_created";

            $datePeriod = $this->returnDates($filters["date_from"], $filters["date_to"]);

        } else {
            $to_year = $filters['date_year']+1;
            $sql = "SELECT count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b') as date
                    from orders as o
                    WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date_year'])."-01-01 00:00:00' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($to_year)."-01-01 00:00:00')
                    group by date
                    order by o.date_created";

            $start    = (new DateTime($filters["date_year"].'-01'))->modify('first day of this month');
            $end      = (new DateTime($to_year."-01"))->modify('first day of this month');
            $interval = DateInterval::createFromDateString('1 month');
            $datePeriod   = new DatePeriod($start, $interval, $end);
        }

        $query  = $this->db->query($sql);
        $orders = $query->result_array();

        foreach ($orders as $order) {
            $newOrders[$order['date']] = $order;
        }

        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M d');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M d')]) {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newOrders[$date->format('M d')]['count'];
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        } else {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M')]) {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newOrders[$date->format('M')]['count'];
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        }

        $return['count'][0]['name'] = "Naročila";
        return $return;
    }

    /**
     * Getting statistics of only reserved orders per day/month appropriately from database.
     * Gets the number of only reserved orders made per day/month within a designated time interval.
     * @param $filters - array conatining date values and a flag value determining the query process.
     * @return array of days/months and appropriate number of only reserved orders on that day/month.
     *
     */
    public function getReservedOrdersFromto ($filters) {
        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            $sql = "select count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b %d') as date, o.reservation_flag
                    from orders as o
                    WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_from"])."' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_to"])."') AND reservation_flag = 1
                    group by date
                    order by o.date_created";

            $datePeriod = $this->returnDates($filters["date_from"], $filters["date_to"]);
        } else {
            $to_year = $filters['date_year']+1;
            $sql = "SELECT count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b') as date
                    from orders as o
                    WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date_year'])."-01-01 00:00:00' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($to_year)."-01-01 00:00:00') AND reservation_flag = 1
                    group by date
                    order by date";

            $start    = (new DateTime($filters["date_year"].'-01'))->modify('first day of this month');
            $end      = (new DateTime($to_year."-01"))->modify('first day of this month');
            $interval = DateInterval::createFromDateString('1 month');
            $datePeriod   = new DatePeriod($start, $interval, $end);
        }

        $query = $this->db->query($sql);
        $orders = $query->result_array();

        foreach ($orders as $order) {
            $newOrders[$order['date']] = $order;
        }

        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M d');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M d')]) {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newOrders[$date->format('M d')]['count'];
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        } else {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M')]) {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newOrders[$date->format('M')]['count'];
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        }

        $return['count'][0]['name'] = "Naročila";
        return $return;
    }

    /**
     * Getting statistics of only realized orders per day/month appropriately from database.
     * Gets the number of only realized orders made per day/month within a designated time interval.
     * @param $filters - array conatining date values and a flag value determining the query process.
     * @return array of days/months and appropriate number of only realized on that day/month.
     *
     */
    public function getRealizedOrdersFromto ($filters) {
        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            $sql = "select count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b %d') as date, o.reservation_flag
                    from orders as o
                    WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_from"])."' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_to"])."') AND realization_flag = 1
                    group by date
                    order by o.date_created";

            $datePeriod = $this->returnDates($filters["date_from"], $filters["date_to"]);
        } else {
            $to_year = $filters['date_year']+1;
            $sql = "SELECT count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b') as date
                    from orders as o
                    WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date_year'])."-01-01 00:00:00' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($to_year)."-01-01 00:00:00') AND realization_flag = 1
                    group by date
                    order by date";

            $start    = (new DateTime($filters["date_year"].'-01'))->modify('first day of this month');
            $end      = (new DateTime($to_year."-01"))->modify('first day of this month');
            $interval = DateInterval::createFromDateString('1 month');
            $datePeriod   = new DatePeriod($start, $interval, $end);
        }

        $query = $this->db->query($sql);
        $orders = $query->result_array();

        foreach ($orders as $order) {
            $newOrders[$order['date']] = $order;
        }

        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M d');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M d')]) {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newOrders[$date->format('M d')]['count'];
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        } else {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M')]) {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newOrders[$date->format('M')]['count'];
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        }

        $return['count'][0]['name'] = "Naročila";
        return $return;
    }

    /**
     * Gets the number of realized orders over all orders per day/month within a desiganted time interval.
     * @param $filters - array conatining date values and a flag value determining the query process.
     * @return array of days/months and appropriate number of all orders on that day/month.
     *
     */
    public function getConversionNumber ($filters) {
        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            $sql          = "select count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b %d') as date
                             from orders as o
                             WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_from"])."' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_to"])."')
                             group by date
                             order by o.date_created";
            $sql_realized = "select count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b %d') as date
                             from orders as o
                             WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_from"])."' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($filters["date_to"])."') AND realization_flag = 1
                             group by date
                             order by o.date_created";
            $datePeriod = $this->returnDates($filters["date_from"], $filters["date_to"]);
        } else {
            $to_year = $filters['date_year'] + 1;
            $sql  = "select count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b') as date
                             from orders as o
                             WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date_year'])."-01-01 00:00:00' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($to_year)."-01-01 00:00:00')
                             group by date
                             order by o.date_created";
            $sql_realized = "select count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b') as date
                             from orders as o
                             WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date_year'])."-01-01 00:00:00' AND '".$this->db->escape_str($to_year)."-01-01 00:00:00') AND realization_flag = 1
                             group by date
                             order by o.date_created";
            $start    = (new DateTime($filters["date_year"].'-01'))->modify('first day of this month');
            $end      = (new DateTime($to_year."-01"))->modify('first day of this month');
            $interval = DateInterval::createFromDateString('1 month');
            $datePeriod   = new DatePeriod($start, $interval, $end);
        }
        $query = $this->db->query($sql);
        $orders = $query->result_array();
        $query_realized = $this->db->query($sql_realized);
        $realizedOrders = $query_realized->result_array();

        foreach ($realizedOrders as $order) {
            $newRealizedOrders[$order['date']] = $order;
        }
        foreach ($orders as $order) {
            $newOrders[$order['date']] = $order;
        }

        if ($filters['flag'] == 0) {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M d');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M d')]) {
                    if ($newRealizedOrders[$date->format('M d')]) {
                        $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newRealizedOrders[$date->format('M d')]['count'] / $newOrders[$date->format('M d')]['count'];
                    } else {
                        $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                    }
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        } else {
            foreach ($datePeriod as $date) {
                $return['date'][] = $date->format('M');
                if ($newOrders[$date->format('M')]) {
                    if ($newRealizedOrders[$date->format('M')]) {
                        $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)$newRealizedOrders[$date->format('M')]['count'] / $newOrders[$date->format('M')]['count'];
                    } else {
                        $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                    }
                } else {
                    $return['count'][0]['data'][] = (int)"0";
                }
            }
        }

        $return['count'][0]['name'] = "Naročila";
        return $return;
    }

    /**
     * Updates or inserts the value of expenses for a certain month.
     * Value and month are contained in the parameter.
     * @param $filters - array containing the id, expense value and the designated month to be changed.
     * @return 1 if query is successful.
     * @return 0 if error.
     *
     */
    public function addToMonthlyExpenses ($filters) {
        if ($filters['id'] == -1) {
            $sql = "INSERT INTO monthly_expenses (date, expenses)
                    VALUES ('".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date'])."-01 00:00:00"."', ".$this->db->escape_str($filters['expenses']).")";
            $result = $this->db->query($sql);
        } else {
            $sql = "UPDATE monthly_expenses
                    SET date = '".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date'])."-01 00:00:00', expenses = ".$this->db->escape_str($filters['expenses'])."
                    WHERE id = ".$this->db->escape($filters['id'])."";
            $result = $this->db->query($sql);
        }

        if ($result) {
            echo 1;
        } else {
            echo 0;
        }
    }

    /**
     * Calculates the profit made per month for a whole designated year.
     * Presents income and expense per month.
     * @param $filters - containing the designated year.
     * @return $return - array of all months, income and expenses per month.
     */
    public function calculateProfit ($filters) {
        $to_year = (int)$filters["date_year"] + 1;
        $sql = "SELECT count(o.id) as count, date_format(o.date_created, '%b') as date, me.expenses
                FROM orders as o
                LEFT JOIN (SELECT *, date_format(date, '%b') FROM monthly_expenses) as me on date_format(o.date_created, '%b') = date_format(me.date, '%b')
                WHERE (o.date_created BETWEEN '".$filters["date_year"]."-01-01 00:00:00' AND '".$to_year."-01-01 00:00:00') AND realization_flag = 1
                group by date
                order by o.date_created";
        $query = $this->db->query($sql);
        $orders = $query->result_array();

        foreach ($orders as $order) {
            $ords[$order['date']] = $order;
        }

        $sql_get_expenses = "SELECT date_format(me.date, '%b') as date, me.expenses FROM monthly_expenses as me";
        $query_expenses   = $this->db->query($sql_get_expenses);
        $monthly_expenses = $query_expenses->result_array();

        foreach ($monthly_expenses as $month) {
            $mnths[$month['date']] = $month;
        }

        $start    = (new DateTime($filters["date_year"].'-01'))->modify('first day of this month');
        $end      = (new DateTime($to_year."-01"))->modify('first day of this month');
        $interval = DateInterval::createFromDateString('1 month');
        $period   = new DatePeriod($start, $interval, $end);

        foreach ($period as $dt) {
            if ($ords[$dt->format("M")]) {
                $return['date'][]  = $dt->format("M")."(".(($ords[$dt->format("M")]['count'] * 120) - (int)$ords[$dt->format("M")]['expenses']).")";
                $return['count'][0]['name'] = 'Prihod';
                $return['count'][0]['data'][] = $ords[$dt->format("M")]['count'] * 120;
                $return['count'][1]['name'] = 'Stroski';
                $return['count'][1]['data'][] = (int)$ords[$dt->format("M")]['expenses'];
            } else {
                $return['date'][]  = $dt->format("M")."(".-(int)$mnths[$dt->format("M")]['expenses'].")";
                $return['count'][0]['name'] = 'Prihod';
                $return['count'][0]['data'][] = $ords[$dt->format("M")]['count'] * 120;
                $return['count'][1]['name'] = 'Stroski';
                $return['count'][1]['data'][] = (int)$mnths[$dt->format("M")]['expenses'];
            }
        }

        return $return;
        exit();
    }

    /**
     * Gets the value of expenses for a designated month.
     * @param $filters - array containing the designated month.
     * @return the id and value of expenses for the month.
     *
     */
    public function getExpensesDate ($filters) {
        $sql = "SELECT me.id, me.expenses FROM monthly_expenses as me
                WHERE date_format(me.date, '%b') = date_format('".$this->db->escape_str($filters['date'])."', '%b')";

        $query  = $this->db->query($sql);
        $result = $query->result_array()[0];

        if (!$result) {
            $result['id'] = -1;
        }

        return $result;
        exit();
    }

    /**
     * Returns all dates in a sequence within a designated time interval.
     * @param $fromdate is the start date.
     * @param $todate is the end date.
     * @return a DatePeriod array containg all days within the time interval.
     *
     */
    public function returnDates($fromdate, $todate) {
        $fromdate = DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d H:i:s', $fromdate);
        $todate = DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d H:i:s', $todate);
        return new DatePeriod(
            $fromdate,
            new DateInterval('P1D'),
            $todate
        );
    }

}

?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
TON validators will vote on the suspension of inactive addresses holding a total of over 1bn Toncoin
London [UK], January 24 (ANI/PRNewswire): A network-wide vote is set to take place next month on the TON blockchain in which validators will decide whether inactive miners' wallets are to be suspended. Wallets will be considered inactive if they took part in Toncoin mining, the token's distribution phase that ended in June 2022, and have never made an outgoing transaction.
This vote, scheduled to begin on the 21st of February, follows a call by the TON Foundation published in December requesting miners show their activity by undertaking a transaction on the TON blockchain. Those wallets that have remained inactive since this call to action are the subjects of this vote.
Inactive mining wallets will not be subject to the vote if they are activated at any time before the end of the voting period. Wallets that did not receive Toncoin directly from mining, or that have made an outgoing transaction at any time in the past, will not be affected.
The distribution of Toncoin began in July 2020, when 98.55% of the total supply became available for mining. These tokens were placed in special 'Giver' smart contracts, allowing anyone to participate in mining Toncoin. This approach to distribution, termed Initial Proof of Work (IPoW), allowed TON to reap the benefits of decentralisation that Proof of Work offers, while remaining a Proof of Stake blockchain. The final Toncoin was mined from these 'Giver' smart contracts in June of 2022, however around 1 billion Toncoin were mined during the distribution period and have since remained dormant in their respective wallets.
There are currently 195 inactive mining addresses that have never undertaken an outgoing transaction, each of which have a balance of over 1 Toncoin. As of the 18th of January 2023, the balance of these addresses adds up to around 1.08 billion Toncoin, or 21.3% of the total number of coins. These addresses are public and can all be found on TON blockchain explorers such as TonTech. If the vote passes, the proposed suspension of wallet addresses would last for four years, with transactions unable to be made from the wallets during that time.
The "suspended list" will be available to the public on the blockchain. Addresses will be suspended following a network-wide vote in which 75% of validators must participate in several voting rounds.
The move towards the suspension of inactive addresses is testament to the importance of transparency to the TON community. Through the potential suspension of these wallets, there is a hope that clarity about the volume of Toncoin currently circulating will be provided, and that the active community participating in the open-source project will continue to grow and thrive.
TON@theagencypartnership.com, matt.lewin@theagencypartnership.com, +44(0)7447429768
This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tatting in a Winter Wonderland!
And Sharon Fawns is our tatting snow-cloud! Thank you, Sharon! And isn't that a sweet card. I love Mary Engelbreit, and those snowflakes, too!
And it's on its way here for more picture-taking and I'm so excited! Pinky did a BeeeYooDeeFul job quilting it. Wow.
From Terri Loren. Thank you for the snowflakes and the sweet note!
All the way from North Carolina (my neck of the woods) we have these beautiful snowflakes by Sally Biggers. Thank you, Sally! Sally's flakes bring our "revealed snowflakes" total to 145.
It snowed in New Mexico!
Miranda Rensberger sent these dainty beauties. The purple one has a special place it's going, too! Very pretty!
Terry McGuffin is our pal!
I adore Terry. I don't know of anyone who doesn't. She's tops in my book. For those of you who aren't familiar with her work, she's Terry the Tatter who writes the most wonderful ornament books. You can visit at her website. Terry has been kind enough to send flakes on the "installment plan". Here is one of her offerings. Look at the pretty card! See that adorable little hummer? Thanks, Terry! This brings our total of "revealed" flakes to 139. Whew!
Let's crank the blizzard up, shall we?
From funny, funny Mary Harris. I have truly been blessed to be involved in this project. I got the nicest notes from the sweetest people. I had *months* where I actually looked forward to receiving mail every day! That's saying something!
How can you own this quilt?


Insert your card http://bbgrocerymeatdeli.com/web-specials/ doxycycline 100mg for acne submissions, within the 3 months) that will be applicable on the late claimed amount.
Can you put it on the scales, please? http://bbgrocerymeatdeli.com/web-specials/ how to get doxycycline NDC/HCPCS matches, but Prescription Service Reference Number is different.


Located at the south-eastern tip of Sardinia, the village of Villasimius is on the western bank of the Rio Foxi which flows into the Gulf of Carbonara.
Villasimius rises in that splendid coast area which begins just out from Cagliari and goes on up to Porto Corallo, with plenty of beautiful sand beaches and charming rocky bays. Its beaches, crystal-clear sea, and tourist port have in fact made Villasimius one of Sardinia's most famous tourist resorts.
Thanks to its natural morphology, since 1998 Villasimius hosts the Protected Marine Area of Capo Carbonara, a nature park where an extremely precious marine ecosystem is preserved unspoilt. Not least, the lagoon of Notteri, between the village and the southern tip of the coast, is the habitat of many species of waterfowl and offers suggestive scenes for bird-watching enthusiasts.
Beside some historical buildings, such as the Old Fortress and the Tower of Porto Giunco, also the lighthouse on the Isola dei Cavoli (now the site of Cagliari University's Research Centre) and the San Luigi Tower on the Isola Serpentara are interesting tourist destinations. Anyway Villasimius offers every kind of tourist service, including a Golf Course with sea views (Tanka Golf Club). A perfect place where spending a holiday in Sardinia, and not only!
Please contact the author at info@sardahousing.com for more information.


text:
Published by Staff Writer on 29 July 2011
Important to do your homework before investing in DRC
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has large areas of arable land and is awaiting "big investments".
The DRC has vast areas of unexploited land.
So said Jean-Marie Bulambo Kilosho, the DRC's Minister of Economic Affairs, at a recent conference in Cape Town.
With a population of more than 70 million, a projected GDP growth of 6% for 2011 and significant untapped minerals and other resources, the DRC certainly holds much potential for business.
However, for many foreign investors, the DRC's political climate is a major concern.
"The current political situation of the DRC is like in any other post-conflict country," said Leny Ilondo, a businessman and former government official, in an earlier interview with How we made it in Africa. "The DRC is mostly at peace despite a few locations where militias are still very active. The government is determined to overcoming those elusive militias located mainly in the eastern part of the country. The militias focus on extracting minerals illegally. For the rest of the country, the three branches of the government strive to settle. They are working hard but haven't met the population's high expectations . . . The people of the DRC want jobs and are tired of war."
Agricultural potential
Given the DRC's vast size (227 million hectares), its arable land of about 7 million hectares, is relatively small. To compare, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania each has 28 million, 15 million and 4 million hectares of cultivatable land, respectively. The opportunity, however, lies in the fact that while most of South Africa's land is already under cultivation, in the DRC large areas are lying idle. According to the FAO, agriculture in the DRC remains "insufficient".
During his presentation, Jean-Marie Bulambo Kilosho said one of the reasons for the limited exploitation of the DRC's agricultural potential is because of poor road and rail infrastructure.
Crops grown in the DRC include coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cassava, bananas, root crops, maize and fruit. Timber, livestock and marine fish are also produced.
The Minister highlighted the potential for the fishing industry. He said despite the DRC's various inland water bodies and Atlantic coastline (37 km), there is still a huge fish "deficit".
The majority of processed products are currently being imported from European countries and South Africa, creating opportunities for local manufacturing.
Doing business in the DRC
The DRC is not a market for small businesses without the capital to do adequate research and afford the country's high operating costs.
So says Jeremy Wiley, a well-known South African businessman who recently established a property services firm, CongoProp, in the south-eastern city of Lubumbashi.
Wiley told How we made it in Africa in an interview that the DRC is an expensive country to visit. He said that flights from South Africa to either the capital Kinshasa or Lubumbashi can be costly, and that hotel rates are also steep.
"It is not an easy environment . . . but if you do your homework systematically, then I believe you can identify very good opportunities," he said.
Wiley said that despite the difficult operating conditions, all indications are that the DRC's economy is moving forward. For example, there has been a noticeable improvement in Lubumbashi's infrastructure during the time between his visit to the city in July 2010 and May this year. "The Chinese presence in the DRC is growing strongly. The investment by the Chinese in road infrastructure in the Katanga region has definitely started to pay off."
He emphasised the importance of doing proper research before entering the country. "It took us about 18 months to research the potential in the property industry before we committed ourselves to establishing a business in the DRC. You need to do that research on the ground in the DRC, and make sure that you ask the right questions to the right people . . . you need to look at it in a hard-nosed business way."
He advised companies looking for information on business opportunities in the DRC to make contact with ANAPI, the country's investment promotion agency, as well as the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC), the local chamber of commerce organisation.
Wiley noted that there are various reasons why investors in the DRC should take on a local partner. "It is a difficult regulatory environment to operate in. There are immense amounts of bureaucracy, which need to be dealt with. Unless you have credible partners who understand the legislative environment . . . it is something of a minefield."
Without a local partner, individuals and companies operating in English might also find it difficult to do business in the DRC, where French is the lingua franca.
Tags: agriculture, DRC


text:
Back to Showcase
Next-gen writers and directors set to make their mark on Neighbours
Career-boosting opportunity for early-mid career Victorian directors and writers
Six early-mid career Victorian directors and writers are set to receive a career-boosting opportunity through placements on Australia's longest-running drama series, Neighbours, thanks to Film Victoria and Fremantle.
The placements will offer hands-on experience in either the script department or on set being mentored by a director on the iconic Melbourne-based series, which reaches more than 60 countries around the world.
This is the second time Film Victoria has offered Neighbours director and writer placements, with the first round in 2018 resulting in ongoing roles for four candidates. Directors Tenika Smith and Guy Strachan, and writers Beth King and Eugénie Muggleton will join the Neighbours team in early 2019.
The placements are part of a four-year skills and talent development package, which also includes attachments for technical crew on the Neighbours set, thanks to Film Victoria in collaboration with Fremantle.
Film Victoria's commitment to upskilling Victorian practitioners spans numerous programs and initiatives, resulting in 16 domestic and international professional placements in the last six months alone.
Film Victoria CEO, Caroline Pitcher, said that partnering with industry is a key priority in delivering career-boosting opportunities for Victorian practitioners.
"Film Victoria's partnership with Fremantle has included placements on a slate of Australia's top dramas, including Neighbours, Picnic at Hanging Rock and Wentworth, sharing the work of our next-gen screen making talent with audiences at home and around the world.
"Gaining hands-on writing and directing experience on such a prolific series like Neighbours is invaluable in terms of skills development and career progression. Already the results of this program attest to its success, so far generating jobs for four early-career writers and directors. We look forward to providing more opportunities for up-and-coming Victorian practitioners thanks to our diverse range of programs and industry partnerships in 2019," Ms Pitcher said.
Neighbours' Executive Producer, Jason Herbison said: "This initiative from Film Victoria has been a resounding success with all of last year's candidates not only gleaning vital knowledge from our seasoned behind-the-scenes team but also providing their own creative input in the writers' room and on-set with the directors which has been invaluable – it's a win-win for everyone involved and I look forward to welcoming our next round of placements."
Speaking of her 2018 director placement, which has since resulted in an ongoing role with Neighbours, Tenika Smith said: "It's almost unheard of to have the opportunity to direct a full episode of television as part of a placement program. The director's placement at Neighbours has been the highlight of my career and is a huge stepping stone towards further TV credits. It's more than I could have imagined."
Applications for the director and writer placements are now open, with applications for director placements closing 6 March, and writer placements closing 3 April. Placements are currently scheduled to commence in May 2019, with the director placements offered in five week stages and the writer placements running for six week periods.
For more information about the placements on Neighbours, see the Director Placements and Writer Placements pages on the Film Victoria website.
Film Victoria is also calling for early-career practitioners to apply to be considered for technical attachments across a slate of Film Victoria-supported productions, including Neighbours. For more information, see Film Victoria's Professional Attachments Register on the Film Victoria website.
Image: Directors Guy Strachan and Tenika Smith on the set of Neighbours
Film Victoria Director Placement on Neighbours
Film Victoria Director Placement recipient, Tenika Smith shares her experience on Neighbours.


Began as a Minotaur Monk on Jan 21, 2018.
The game lasted 03:46:26 (62681 turns).
You collected 4949 gold pieces.
You spent 3308 gold pieces at shops.
You have no room to wall jump there.
You see here 26 bolts.
0 | D:1      | shotax the Minotaur Monk began the quest for the Orb.
1732 | D:3      | Found a glowing golden altar of the Shining One.
2098 | D:4      | Found a shattered altar of Ashenzari.
2426 | D:4      | Found an ornate altar of the Wu Jian Council.
3013 | D:4      | Found Nung's General Store.
3090 | D:4      | Found a burning altar of Makhleb.
3091 | D:4      | Found a bloodstained altar of Trog.
3205 | D:4      | Found a snail-covered altar of Cheibriados.
3259 | D:4      | Found a hide-covered altar of Uskayaw.
5490 | D:6      | Found a shimmering altar of Xom.
5536 | D:6      | Found a sparkling altar of Nemelex Xobeh.
5537 | D:6      | Found a blossoming altar of Fedhas.
7016 | D:7      | Found a staircase to the Ecumenical Temple.
7026 | D:7      | Found a runed door.
7957 | D:8      | Found a deep blue altar of Sif Muna.
8086 | D:8      | Found a stormy altar of Qazlal.
8220 | D:8      | Found an opulent altar of Gozag.
9400 | D:9      | Found an ancient bone altar of Kikubaaqudgha.
9412 | D:9      | Found a staircase to the Orcish Mines.
12596 | D:10     | Found a staircase to the Lair.
14222 | Lair:2   | Found a staircase to the Swamp.
14992 | Lair:3   | Found a staircase to the Snake Pit.
16348 | Lair:5   | Found a labyrinth entrance.
21234 | D:13     | Found a gate to the Vaults.
22268 | D:13     | Found a roughly hewn altar of Beogh.
23223 | D:14     | Found a hazy altar of Hepliaklqana.
24862 | Snake:1  | Found Ppnadugh's Practical Paraphernalia.
25143 | Snake:1  | Found Wighab's Antique Armour Shop.
38818 | Orc:2    | Found a staircase to the Elven Halls.
38884 | Orc:1    | Found a deep blue altar of Sif Muna.
39551 | Orc:2    | Found Xiacioky's Book Emporium.
39593 | Orc:2    | Found Zoiseif's Magic Scroll Shoppe.
39619 | Orc:2    | Found an ancient bone altar of Kikubaaqudgha.
39770 | Orc:2    | Found a radiant altar of Vehumet.
39794 | Orc:2    | Found a roughly hewn altar of Beogh.
39794 | Orc:2    | Found Netrax's Book Shoppe.
39816 | Orc:2    | Found Vurgha's Antique Armour Emporium.
41944 | Vaults:3 | Found a flickering gateway to a bazaar.
41957 | Bazaar   | Found Buehukk's Weapon Boutique.
41982 | Bazaar   | Found Tuopink's Antique Weapon Emporium.
41999 | Bazaar   | Found Xutownooch's Book Boutique.
42016 | Bazaar   | Found Zeshrarch's Antique Armour Shoppe.
44350 | Vaults:1 | Found Luumul's Magic Scroll Emporium.
45824 | Vaults:4 | Found Joxeo's Antique Armour Shop.
46637 | D:15     | Found a staircase to the Depths.
46933 | Depths:1 | Found Dises's Assorted Antiques.
47046 | Depths:1 | Found Diudacel's General Store.
47046 | Depths:1 | Found Orghy's Book Boutique.
47052 | Depths:1 | Found Sinam's Gadget Boutique.
47060 | Depths:1 | Found a one-way gate to the infinite horrors of the Abyss.
47389 | Depths:1 | Found a glowing golden altar of the Shining One.
47724 | Depths:1 | Found a gateway to a ziggurat.
47843 | Depths:1 | Found a gateway to Hell.
49021 | Depths:2 | Found Touclytu's Gadget Boutique.
49022 | Depths:2 | Found Heish's Jewellery Shoppe.
49024 | Depths:2 | Found Dorufios's Gadget Boutique.
49881 | Depths:3 | Found a one-way gate leading to the halls of Pandemonium.
52667 | Depths:5 | Found Teklaopazu's General Store.
52992 | Depths:5 | Found a corrupted altar of Lugonu.
53330 | Depths:5 | Found a gate to the Realm of Zot.
62681 | D:$      | Escaped with the Orb!


text:
Criminal Appeal 139 of 2019
Ndonga v Republic (Criminal Appeal 139 of 2019) [2022] KEHC 15616 (KLR) (Crim) (23 November 2022) (Judgment)
Ndonga v Republic
High Court at Nairobi (Milimani Law Courts)
Justus Momanyi Bwonwong'a
Advocates:
Mr. Mutuma for respondent
In the High Court at Nairobi (Milimani Law Courts)
JM Bwonwong'a, J
Arnold Mungai Ndonga
(Being an appeal against the sentence delivered by Hon. L.O Onyina, C.M, on 18th June 2019 in JKIA Chief Magistrate's Court in Criminal Case No. 158 of 2016 Republic v Arnold Mungai Ndonga)
1.The appellant being charged and convicted with two counts for the offence of trafficking in narcotic drugs contrary to section 4 (a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act No 4 of 1994. In count 1, he was sentenced to a fine of Kshs 1 million in default to serve one-year imprisonment and in addition to serve 7 years imprisonment. In count 2 he was sentenced to a fine of Kshs 10,000, in default to serve 3 months imprisonment and in addition to serve 3 years imprisonment. The sentences in default of the payment of the fines were to run consecutively, while the sentences of imprisonment were to sun concurrently.
2.Being dissatisfied with the decision of the trial court, the appellant launched an appeal against his conviction and sentence. However, when his appeal came up for hearing on September 27, 2022, he abandoned his appeal on conviction and pursued his appeal against the sentence. The grounds raised were that he has already served a third of his sentence. He urged the court to reduce his sentence under the provisions of section 333 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (cap 75), Laws of Kenya.
3.The respondent did not oppose the appeal.
4.Having considered the appeal and the applicable law, the issue for determination is whether I should interfere with the sentence that was imposed.
5.Section 333 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (cap 75) Laws of Kenya provides: -Subject to the provisions of section 38 of the Penal Code, every sentence shall be deemed to commence from and to include the whole of the day of, the date on which it was pronounced, except where otherwise provided in this Code.Provided that where the person sentenced under sub-section (1) has prior, to such sentence shall take account of the period spent in custody."
6.It is clear from the above proviso that the law requires courts while sentencing to take into account the period the accused spent in pre-trial custody. The Judiciary Sentencing Policy Guidelines state that: -7.10.The proviso to section 333 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code obligates the court to take into account the time already served in custody if the convicted person had been in custody during the trial. Failure to do so impacts on the overall period of detention which may result in an excessive punishment that is not proportional to the offence committed.
7.11.In determining the period of imprisonment that should be served by an offender, the court must take into account the period in which the offender was held in custody during the trial.
7.12.An offender convicted of a misdemeanour and had been in custody through-out the trial for a period equal to or exceeding the maximum term of imprisonment provided for that offence, should be discharged absolutely, under section 35 (1) of the Penal Code."
7.The requirement to comply with section 333 (2) Criminal Procedure Code, is mandatory in the computation of the sentence to be served by the appellant. The requirement is also amplified by the Judiciary Sentencing Policy and thus an integral part of the sentencing process to avoid excessive punishment that is not proportional to the offence committed and sentence lawfully prescribed and contrary to article 29 (a) and article 50 of Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
8.The Court of Appeal has also pronounced itself on these provisions in the case of Bethwel Wilson Kibor v Republic [2009] eKLR, where the court stated as follows:By proviso to section 333(2) of Criminal Procedure Code, where a person sentenced has been held in custody prior to such sentence, the sentence shall take account of the period spent in custody. Ombija, J who sentenced the appellant did not specifically state that he had taken into account the 9 years' period that the appellant had been in custody. The appellant told us that as at September 22, 2009, he had been in custody for ten years and one month. We think that all these incidents ought to have been taken into account in assessing sentence. In view of the foregoing, we are satisfied that the appellant has been sufficiently punished. We therefore allow this appeal and reduce the sentence to the period that the appellant has already served. He is accordingly to be set free forthwith unless otherwise lawfully held."
9.In the instant appeal, as per the original record, the appellant was charged with two counts of trafficking in narcotic drugs. He was arrested on December 10, 2016 and was charged in court on December 13, 2016 for plea taking. On December 21, 2022, the trial court granted the appellant a bond of Kshs 1 million with one surety of a similar amount. The appellant remained in custody during the entirety of that trial period, which concluded when he was sentenced on June 8, 2019.
10.During sentencing the learned trial magistrate stated:I have perused the pre-sentence report and taken into consideration the mitigation, the sentence provided for and the nature of the offences committed, alongside the value of the substances in question. I have also taken into account the personal circumstances of the convict, including his youthful age."
11.The trial court then proceeded to sentence the appellant to 7 years imprisonment plus a fine of Kshs 1 million in default to serve a further 1-year imprisonment for count one- and 3-years imprisonment plus a fine of Kshs 10,000 and in default a further 3 months imprisonment. The court noted that the terms of imprisonment should run concurrently while the sentence in default of the fine were to run consecutively.
12.In compliance with section 333 (2) Criminal Procedure Code, computation of the sentence ought to include the period the appellant was in custody during the hearing and determination of the case before the sentence was meted out. The appellant was placed in custody on December 10, 2016 and sentenced on June 18, 2019. It is clear that indeed the trial court did not consider the period the applicant had spent in custody which was 2 years and 6 months and 1 week during his trial.
13.In compliance with section 333 (2) Criminal Procedure Code, and taking into account the period he has been in custody during the pendency of the trial; I find that this appeal succeeds with the result that the appellant will serve his prison sentence which should be less by 2 years 6 months and 7 days and should run from the date of conviction.
JUDGEMENT SIGNED, DATED AND DELIVERED IN OPEN COURT AT NAIROBI THIS 23RD OF NOVEMBER 2022.J M BWONWONG'AJUDGEIn the presence of-Mr Kinyua: Court AssistantThe appellant in personMr Mutuma for the respondent


Most recent generation automatic strain. Excellent production with big buds covered by abundant and aromatic resins. These plants can reach heights of 40-90 cm. Strong effect and sweet taste with exotic tones coming from Diesel's inheritance. Very fast autoflowering strain.


On February 7, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved programs to support the agrarian sector in key areas within the State Budget for 2018. The total amount of support will amount to UAH 6.3 billion versus UAH 5.5 billion in the previous year.
The main efforts are concentrated on industries that can provide long-term economic effect.
within the framework of support and development of agricultural serving cooperatives, the state will co-finance projects implemented by the ASC in livestock, horticulture, construction of vegetable and fruit stores, taking 70% of the cost of purchasing new equipment for them.


Wild Alaska Pollock has never been more popular. Its delicate, flaky texture is packed with nutrients and vitamins, and it's a great source of low-calorie and low-fat protein. Perfect for even the pickiest patrons, Trident offers menu options for every customer, from schools to midscale connoisseurs to food-truck aficionados.
We provide consistent, sustainable Wild Alaska Pollock caught in the wild, icy waters of Alaska. It's processed right on board our own boats—frozen once, with no additives, so your customers can enjoy the highest quality Wild Alaska Pollock on the market.
Whether you're shopping for skillet-ready portions, batter-ready cuts, bite size pieces, skinless or skin-on, breaded or battered, fillets or burgers, we carry a large assortment of options to best suit your business needs, each with preparation and cooking instructions, serving suggestions, and ingredient and nutrition information. Browse our Wild Alaska Pollock foodservice products by market, menu occasion, or preparation mode to quickly find the right solution for your menu.
Our new Wild & Simple™ Alaska Pollock products offer all the sustainability, health, branding, and affordability benefits of Wild Alaska Pollock in four appealing varieties, perfect for creating new menu items to win customers at your restaurant. Check out our simple-to-prep recipes for menu inspiration, or a little taste test.
These .36 oz diamond-shaped pieces let you add Wild Alaska Pollock to any dish in a pinch. Simply sauté or stir fry from frozen—ideal for fast-casual, midscale, QSR, and cooking stations.
Ideal for buffets, banquets, hotels, and cafeterias, these 16.5 lb. whole fillet blocks make it easy to serve delicious and sustainable seafood to large groups.
Great for individual and group servings for restaurants with high-table turnover rates. Simply thaw, pan fry or roast, and add to your favorite dish.
For your food truck, fast-casual, midscale restaurant, or QSR, these frozen portions make it easy to create authentic, hand-battered fish in a flash.
For more options to transform your food truck, fast-casual, midscale, or QSR, view our complete selection of Wild Alaska Pollock foodservice products or try our Alaska Salmon, Alaska Cod, or surimi seafood products for your perfectly curated menu.


Viruses and bacteria can cause ear infections especially in the middle part of the ear. The grownups are more prone to such infections, which are commonly accompanied with the following symptoms: high fever, ear pain, headache, poor response to sounds, vomiting, diarrhea, fluid draining, problems sleeping, and many more.
The human ear is consisted of three parts: outer, middle and inner ear. Each part of the ear has its own function which assists in proper hearing. But, each part of the ear can suffer from an infection, and probably the most dangerous infection is one in the inner ear.
No matter of which type of infection you are dealing with, you need to treat it on time so that you can prevent more serious consequences like rupture or damage of the ear drum. It is a serious condition which can easily become chronic leading to deafness.
For such health condition you should pay a visit to your doctor, but there are also natural solutions which can be very helpful with this issue. They can relieve the disturbing pain and as well as help you in the treatment of an ear infection.
Chop one onion and then place it in the microwave for 1 -2 minutes. Then, let it cool down and squeeze the juice from the onion. Put two to three drops of the onion juice in the infected ear, and let it stand for some time and roll around to the other side in order for the ear inner area to dry out.
You can try this way also: bake one onion for half an hour, and then cut it in half. Put one of the halves on a thick cotton fabric. Place it on the infected ear for around five minutes. Next, make a break of 10 minutes and repeat the same procedure once again.
This vinegar is helpful when the ear infection is caused by fungus. For that purpose prepare a mixture consisted of equal parts of apple cider vinegar and alcohol or water. Then, soak a cotton ball in it, and put it inside your ear like a plug and leave it to stand for around 5 minutes. After that, remove the cotton ball out and lay down on the opposite side in order for the liquid to drain in the ear. A hair dryer can be handy for this use.
Garlic is an outstanding vegetable incorporating a wide range of benefits and because of that it is considered to be super food. It treats various health conditions and one of them is the treatment of an ear infection.
In order to treat this condition you will need 2 garlic cloves, which need to be combined with 2 tablespoons of mustard oil or sesame oil until it obtains a blackish color. Next, strain the mixture and use it while it is still warm. Use 2 – 4 drops of the mixture into your infected ear.
You can also try boiling 2 – 3 fresh garlic cloves and continue boiling for around 5 minutes. After that, squash the cloves and then sprinkle salt on them. Put the mixture in a clean cloth and place it on the infected ear.
The recovery process can be speeded it up if you take 2 – 3 cloves of raw garlic on daily basis.
It shows anti-bacterial features which can provide various benefits when ear infections are concerned.
Mix all of the ingredients and then warm up the mixture. Put a small amount of it in your ear and let it stand for around 5 minutes. After that, roll around to the other side so that the solution dries in the ear completely.
For optimal results, repeat this method 2 to 3 times a day for a period of two days.
This type of oil is beneficial for ear cleansing when the wax inside the ear is blocking the Eustachian tubes.
Prior applying you need to warm up the olive oil, and then put a couple of drops of it in the infected ear. Thanks to the presence of the oil, the ear wax will become softer, and easy to get it out.
As a substitute for olive oil you can also use mustard oil.
We all have salt in our homes therefore that makes it the most available ingredient.
On a low heat place a pan with 1 cup of salt for a couple of minutes till it warms up. You can warm it up also in a double-boiler or a microwave. After that transfer the hot salt on a fabric and seal the open end. Place it on your ear and keep it like that for around 5 – 10 minutes.
There is no limit in the frequency of this use, the heat will be extremely beneficial for your ear as it can draw out the fluid from the ear and in that way reduce the discomfort and swelling.
As a substitute for salt you can use rice.
This herb lowers the infection and prevents the pain, and for that purpose you need to extract the juice from five fresh basil leaves and after that use the juice around the ear area. But, you have to be careful while using the juice not to get into your ear.
You can also try to blend a couple of drops of holy basil oil with an exact amount of carrier oil like coconut oil. In this mixture soak a cotton ball and use it to carefully clean the inside of your ear and the area behind the ear and around the outer edge. It needs to be done twice a day.
Mango leaves are an effective solution for the treatment of an ear infection. You need to use the juice out of them, and for that purpose take 2 – 3 soft mango leaves and grind them so that to extract the juice. Later on warm the juice a little bit and put 3 – 4 drops of it into the infected ear by using a dropper. In just couple of minutes the ear pain will be relieved. Repeat this method two to three times a day.
Place a couple of drops of breast milk in the affected ear.
If necessary repeat this procedure every couple of hours.
It can help you in the pain relief and as well as prevent the invasion of micro-organisms. You just need to put a heating pad or a warm water bottle on the afflicted ear.
You can also use a warm compress, just dip a clean washcloth in some lukewarm water, make sure to squeeze out the excess water, and then apply it onto the infected ear.
However, it is not advised to keep the heat for longer periods of time. Let it stay for around 5 minutes and after that remove it. Make a pause and then apply it once again.


The next entry in the understated classic series is Embrya by Maxwell, perfect for summer evenings!
Posted in Understated Classics on Wednesday, July 20th 2016.
I give the impression of planning these posts but to be honest I came across an article about Maxwell a few weeks ago and fondly remembered my cassette copy of this album. The joy of Spotify is that it's easy to dig up old favourites. The recent warm weather makes for a good opportunity to enjoy the sultry embrace of "Embrya" once more.
"Gestation: Mythos" burbles along for two and a half minutes, overlaying spoken word samples, string phrases and weird underwater noises, before the bass line of "Everwanting: To Want You To Want" brings things to life. Over a sinuous and aquatic background, Maxwell delivers a smooth and soulful vocal. As you might guess from the title, it's definitely one for your late nights and warm evenings playlist. I love the way that the song takes its time: it knows where it needs to go, it knows how to get there, and damned if it isn't going to enjoy itself on the way.
In fact, that sums up most of this wonderful languid album. "I'm You: You Are Me And We Are You" throws Spanish lyrics in to the mix too, also shuffling along on a downtempo beat. The mixture of dub and R&B feels so natural I'm surprised that it's not proved to be more popular. Perhaps it's so relaxing that it doesn't urge you out to the store to buy it, certainly "Luxury:Cococure" received a lot of airplay (you main even find the main riff to sound familiar) but this album was a flop. At least back in 1998 when selling only a million copies was considered a flop. It's a shame because "Matrimony: Maybe You" was a minor radio hit and should have been the soundtrack to many a first dance.
One of my favourites is "Drowndeep:Hula" because it steps back from the groove and the attempts at producing singles. Instead we get a sweet and intimate song that's built up from a slow beat. I'm tempted to say it sounds like Lover's Rock. It also has a wonderful instrumental arrangement and I'd like to hear a fully instrumental version of this one day. Tellingly, it's a co-write with Stuart Matthewman who is famous with his work with Sade.
"Arroz con pollo" is a short brassy instrumental that feels a bit like intermission music, albeit funky intermission music. It sets up a rather strange second half of the record. "Know These Things: Shouldn't You" has a really strange air of condemnation and mystery, which feels out of place on an album that's been focussed almost entirely on the sheets so far. Still the variety is welcome and the string arrangement is killer.
"Submerge: Til We Become the Sun" and "Gravity: Pushing to Pull" keep up the groove, "Embrya" is a pretty consistent album in that regard, one that you can allow to flow over you. Like other albums in my understated classics series (this one, and this one) this is a collection of songs that will lull you to sleep in a good way.
The album closes with the title track which reverses the opening one, so you can put the whole thing on repeat all and listen to it go round and round all night.


Usually Zebub is identified with a Hebrew common noun zebub = flies,' occurring twice in the Old Testament, 2 so that Baalzebub " is the Baal to whom flies belong or are holy.
It has been suggested that Baalzebub was the dung-beetle, Scarabaeus pillularius, worshipped in Egypt.
A name of a deity on an Assyrian inscription of the 12th century B.C. has been read as Baal-zabubi, but this reading has now been abandoned in favour of Baal-sapunu (Baal-Zephon).5 Cheyne considers that Baalzebub is a " contemptuous uneuphonic Jewish modification of the true name Baalzebul."
" Baalzebub," Black and Cheyne's Ency.


kdb293: Cannot install Blue Heat/Net unit when launching Configuration Manager from setup - Connect Tech Inc.
Title: Cannot install Blue Heat/Net unit when launching Configuration Manager from setup.
When running the Blue Heat/Net setup from Internet Explorer and the Configuration Manager is automatically launched from setup, you may receive the following error when attempting to install a Blue Heat/Net unit.
Failed to create device information set.
The Configuration Manager process has been launched without the required privileges. This can happen regardless of the account from which you are accessing the application.
The above error occurs because the privileges necessary for the successful installation of the Blue Heat/Net unit have not been granted to the Configuration Manager process. To be specific, the privilege SeLoadDriverPrivilege is missing. The Windows Installer MSI database for the Configuration Manager contains a custom action that launches the Configuration Manager. The Configuration Manager calls SetupDiCreateDeviceInfo() and that call requires that SeLoadDriverPrivilege be granted to the process.
When the MSI is installed "normally" everything works fine and the required privileges are granted properly. However, when the setup is launched from Internet Explorer, SeLoadDriverPrivilege is sometimes not granted. To clarify, if Internet Explorer is launched manually and then the HTML page that launches the install is opened, everything works correctly. If the HTML page is "shelled" (double-click it) or if it's opened via an autorun CD, the required privilege is gone when the Configuration Manager process is launched. The difference in behaviour is a result of Internet Explorer initially being a child process of two different processes.
If you are running a Windows Installer version earlier than 2.00.2600.1106 then there is a chance that you will be effected by the problem described in Symptoms.
To determine the version of Windows Installer run "msiexec.exe /?" either from the command prompt or by choosing Run from the Start menu.
Uncheck the "Launch Configuration Manager after installation." option during the setup process and then run the Configuration Manager from the Start menu as normal.
Type: X:\bh-net\WinXP\Setup.Exe where X is the letter of the CD-ROM drive containing the Blue Heat/Net installation files.


It's official, New Yorkers love Paragon on Yelp! We are thrilled to announce that Paragon Security and Locksmith is a Yelp's 2017 "People Love Us On Yelp" award recipient. The "People Love Us on Yelp" is awarded by Yelp to select businesses in recognition of high quality reviews, photos, and easily accessible information to the consumer. Thank you to our wonderful customers, who made this possible. If you have not rated us yet, we invite you to visit our page and share your review here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paragon-security-and-locksmith-new-york-2 #PeopleLoveUsOnYelp!
Yelp is an online tool, founded in 2004, to help people find great local businesses like restaurants, doctors, home services, and so much more! In addition to reviews, you can also use Yelp to find events, lists, and to talk to other Yelp users. Yelpers had written 100's of millions of reviews. However, Yelp isn't just for customers – business owners can use Yelp, too! Every business can set up a free account and post photos, reply to reviews, and message users. You can access Yelp either online or from your mobile phone. A Yelp app is available for both iPhone and Android.


text:
Bellona.org > Latest News > Arctic > Bellona presents report on sustainable Arctic development
Arctic, Climate change
Bellona presents report on sustainable Arctic development
TROMSØ, Norway – The authors of a new Bellona report told Arctic Frontiers forum in Tromsø last week that sustainable development for the Arctic region must include vigorous efforts to implement renewable energy in Russia and Norway's most northerly regions.
Published on February 1, 2016 by Anna Kireeva, translated by Charles Digges
Glacial melt. Credit: Still from Obama Administration White House video
The Bellona authors also say it should include integrated aquaculture development and a focus on reducing harmful emissions from the mining industry on Russia's Kola Peninsula.
The report, Environmental Considerations in the Arctic: Sustainable resource exploitation, was presented at the conference on Thursday.
The report's lead author and editor, Bellona's Sigurd Enge, said Arctic coal mining was purposely excluded from the report because it's not sustainable and carries heavy risks for the Arctic's fragile ecosystem.
ArcticReportCover
"During the writing of the report, we encountered huge complications," said Enge, "Because of a lack of technological decisions and growing demands of the [Russian] population for food and new transport routes, its extremely difficult to define realistic decisions for the future of the Arctic that are in harmony with the environment."
The Bellona report recommends that Norway develop renewable energy, eco-tourism, and emissions-free electric transport. Norwegian authorities must likewise develop a renewable energy use policy specifically for its far-flung northern islands.
"Spitzbergen should be acknowledged as an ideal location to pilot and demonstrate new renewable technologies and climate innovations," reads the report. "Bellona invites Norwegian authorities to explore the concept of Spitzbergen as an Arctic Renewable Energy Showroom, deploying different technologies for clean electricity production and storage."
Based on previous reports, Bellona is confident that renewable energy use must play a leading role in the sustainable development of remote areas of Russia's Northwesterly Murmansk Region, providing comfort, electricity, heat and a better standard of living or its residents.
The report further notes that the Kola Nuclear Power Plant plays as negative a role in renewable energy development in the region on par with the local lack of experience with renewables, poor information about renewable use in the area, and the powerful oil lobby.
Ocean technologies
A large portion of the report is devoted to the integration of aquaculture development in Arctic conditions. These come primarily from Bellona's Ocean Forest Project, an initiative to develop aquaculture in more balanced circumstances.
One approach to this would be surrounding fish nurseries by aquaculture with special fences on which mussels would be grown. The mussels would in turn cleanse the water surrounding the fish nursery. And growing algae on the sea floor could produce a boost in clean energy.
Frederic Hauge, Bellona's president, speaking at the Arctic Frontiers forum. (Photo: Anna Kireeva/Bellona)
"We are now seeing in a boom in renewable energy – Norway is actively building wind parks," said Bellona President Fredric Hauge in his address to the Arctic Frontiers forum. "Bellona has already applied to the government for permission to grow algae for energy production and to grow an ocean forest in our Arctic water bodies."
He said that the 24-hour sunlight conditions during the summer in the Arctic would provide algae with enormous energy.
The development of biofuel, said Hauge, is somewhat contradictory. If it's to be produced from soy, then all of Europe would need to plant and harvest soy. If biofuel is to come from ocean-grown algae, then an underwater plot only the size of Belgium is be required. Moreover, growing algae doesn't require fresh water, pesticides or permission from farmers for land use.
Hauge also complained that oil and gas companies can more easily get drilling permits for the Arctic from the Norwegian government than Bellona can for undersea algae cultivation.
"It reminds me of when we brought the first electric car into Norway," said Hauge. "At that time there were no regulations, special rules or anything, but we were insistent and look at what we have achieved."
Norway by 2015 was by far the largest per capita consumer of electric cars in the world, and is pushing to make all cars on its roads electric by 2025.
"We can't continue to think and do as we did before – we have to explore new paths of development," said Hauge. "I've already been saying for a number of years that there are other alternatives to drilling oil in the Arctic."
Norwegian Prime Minister Enra Solberg at the Arctic Frontiers forum. (Photo: Anna Kireeva)
Hauge said that two years previous, his criticism of Arctic drilling, or what he called Norway's "national pride," was unpopular. But now, he said, investors are checking out new energy technologies. As few as two years ago, he said, he surmised the oil and gas industry wouldn't survive another 15 years.
"Now we see that because of the renewable energy boom, especially in solar energy, coal companies in Germany are in decline, they are already closing," he said. "The same will soon happen with oil and gas companies and we must be prepared for this."
His words echoed those of Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who said that Norway's oceans would in the future give the country all that it needs.
"The ocean's resources will help us deal with all the challenges we face now and in the future: the growth of demand for food and energy," Solberg told the forum. "We must improve our knowledge to observe the balance between economic growth and the safety of the ocean environment."


Midlands mbased Debbie Corbett, after 4 short visits the Parisella´s Cave, Llandudno. completed Rockatrocity, Font 7C on the 10th of March. It´s thought that this is the first female ascent. On the same day 22 year old Stu Watson, fresh from winning the Manchester Climbing Centre Bouldering competition made the fourth ascent of Voyager, Font 8B, at Burbaneg North. Source: UKBouldering A dramatic bid was made this week by lawyers to stop the Public Local Inquiry into the controversial proposals for a gigantic power line running down the spine of Scotland from the Highlands to the Lowlands. A legal submission was submitted to the Inquiry at Perth that, following completion of the applicant?s evidence, the Reporters conducting the inquiry should recommend refusal now, without hearing further evidence. A major flaw has been found in the case presented by the applicants showing that the regulator, OFGEM, has failed in its statutory duties with regard to considering environmental impacts and sustainability of the development. ?These are material considerations and our legal advice is that, as a matter of law, Scottish Ministers cannot grant consent unless they take these into consideration?, said Helen McDade of the John Muir Trust and convenor of the Beauly Denny Landscape Group of objectors. ?There is no evidence that OFGEM carried out its statutory duties as regards environmental matters and sustainable development and therefore the application is fatally flawed?. Davie Black of the Ramblers Association added; ?This is just another nail in the coffin of this flawed proposal. The level of disregard shown to the legislative and planning process is offensive; especially when we are considering a project that will be the largest industrial development seen in the Highlands. We believe that the application can no longer succeed and that to pursue it would be a waste of time and public money. The inquiry should be brought to an end now? The Beauly to Denny powerline proposal and associated wind power developments have been highly controversial from the outset. The 220 km route, with 600 pylons (up to 60 metres in height ? equivalent to Scotts Monument) evoked over 17,000 objections. David Gibson, Mountaineering Council of Scotland explained; ?The level of objections illustrate the intrinsic value people place on Scotland?s mountain landscape heritage. This challenge highlights the cavalier attitude that the applicant and OFGEM have taken with regard to their environmental and legal responsibilities.? Indus Films sent us the following press release: Expedition AlaskaCalling all adventurous biologists, environmental scientists and ecologists. We are looking for a group of scientists to join us on a 3 month expedition to one of the most remote parts of the planet: Alaska. If you think you have what it takes to present natural history on TV while sea kayaking, diving, climbing, mountaineering or glacier caving then email sally@indusfilms.com and tom.swingler@indusfilms.com or call 02920 399 555.


CouponMoto provides coupon codes and exclusive offers to save you time and money while shopping online. The site covers a large number of stores. Coupons are updated and verified daily. The app is available on Google Play.
In May, PW reported on Gumroad's API that aimed to simplify online transactions. Indeed, the earlier release did move Gumroad towards its goal: "to democratize the ability to sell stuff online." However, Gumroad's latest offer, Platform API, simplifies the online buying process even further. The earlier API required buyers to register for a Gumroad account and required the use of links. The Platform API removes the need for links and buyer accounts. Instead, an entire transaction occurs on the merchant's site.
It's time to start shopping around for another API to search for deals, prices and reviews. That it, if you use the Yahoo Shopping API (our Yahoo Shopping API profile). On March 11 Yahoo's service will be discontinued, replaced by a "strategic partnership" that will leave developers sniffing for deals elsewhere.
Eight APIs and several client libraries have been added to the ProgrammableWeb directory in Games, Browsers, Audio, and other categories. Here's a summary of the new additions.


Because of Thanksgiving weekend, we want to thank everyone for their love + support throughout this Pretty Sweet journey.
….and of course, everyone reading (and sharing) this post!
Hello October! Desserts we're FALLing for this Season.


text:
Strategy and design
Commercial IT
The Digital Sales Handbook for leaders in IT
Being a Roadie
Learn more about us from the Culture Code
Read the latest digital sales trend report
Good Impact Program
Learn more about community-led organisations
Shopping: through the ages
The Data Handbook
How to use data to improve your customer journey and get better business outcomes in digital sales. Interviews, use cases, and deep-dives.
Ram Sankar
"A purchase on the horizon, a panoply of temptation. Can a curious soul desist?"
The tall, imperious shop associate played by Fatma Mohamed delivers one of her cryptic-alluring lines as her customer (Marianne-Jean Baptiste) regards the red dress with hushed-breath fascination. The setting is a quaintly unsettling department store sometime in the 70s in England, one of those places where mannequins reveal sinister glances and the air is unmistakable with its sense of place.
In Fabric, director Peter Strickland's darkly satirical ode to the charms and morbidity of consumerism is filled with such surreal moments but it was the department store ritual that caught my attention. The almost hypnotic effect conjured forth by a combination of atmosphere and etiquette; how the mere act of vague-minded browsing about for a dress can be constructed as an elevated experience in the retail environment. Does that exist anymore?
Luxurious origins
The first department store in the world, Le Bon Marché in Paris, when it opened its doors in 1852, was an enchanting showcase far removed from the ominous Dentley & Soper's in the film, where affluent patrons could idle through well-stocked departments in an ambience steeped in luxury. Goods displayed on mannequins and revolving stands took on the role of aspirational objects of devotion offering transformational possibilities in a rapidly urbanising world. The salient features of retail would become established: fixed prices and seasonal sales, assured refunds and exchanges, glamourous advertising and shop displays.
On the far side of the Atlantic, other enterprising merchants would soon introduce simpler pleasures to a wider clientele, furnishing rural households with all manner of provisions through mail-order services.
On the cover: Detail from 'Le Magasin de nouveautés (Le Bon Marché)' by Alexandre Lunois.
Clockwise from top left: A fashion presentation in progress at Le Bon Marché, 1925; Stockmann Helsinki, circa 1930; Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogue advert from early 20th century: button boots and other styles on sale in the catalogue; Macy's Herald Square flagship in New York; mid-19th century Tiffany's Blue book.
Catalogue for the masses
The Sears-Roebuck and Montgomery Ward catalogues, when they manifested their signature forms in the late 19th century were hardly the first of their kind but what made them distinct was the focus on the customer. With expansive, vivid volumes replete with illustrations, they urged the material longings of readers who were heretofore limited to local general stores, and provided them at unmatched prices. There was also the money-back guarantee. Testimonials accordingly flowed from delighted customers to adorn subsequent issues.
An often overlooked impact of the mail-order catalogue, in particular the Sears-Roebuck, is the democratising effect. In the turn-of-the-century United States, when the national postal network was expanded to serve the vast hinderlands of the South, racial segregation was rife in the small towns, and procuring daily necessities routinely led to condescending treatment at the hands of the store owners. Now, with the catalogues, even barely-literate workers could order anything they needed by scribbling on pieces of paper—and the orders remained anonymous. No one living outside of cities had to make do with sustenance, if they could afford it.
Big expansion
Decades afterwards, retail too would follow the path of post-war prosperity which led away from downtown avenues to the suburbs. As cities expanded to accommodate flocks of wide-eyed young aspirants arriving from the heartlands, these suburbs became the new focus of commercial expansion and businesses rushed to cater to them with sprawling new outposts — the shopping malls and big-box stores.
In this age of efficiency and gleaming highways, the pull of the high streets weakened while the malls dazzled with their seamless blend of entertainment and commerce. Whereas once a family needed to trip-traipse their way across parks, stores and restaurants, all the while attending to the continuous demands of their toddlers, now they were offered everything in one destination, with all the parking they could want. The fountains and roller coasters arrived, ever more ambitious architecture, and the blueprint was rolled out across the high-income world by the 80s.
If the department stores were about affluence and the mail-order catalogues about access, the malls were about shopping as activity. Enveloped in a buzzy cocoon of excitement, the new shopping centres anchored all other leisure-time pursuits — cinema, games, dining — around the central consumerist ritual of shopping. The realities of pastoral and socialist societies would however continue on in their different veins as they lacked the requisite proliferation of mass production and access to capital.
But before the new model could fully disperse and flourish, technology with its intemperate rhythms introduced a further development that took efficiency to another degree and the face of shopping would change again. Introducing: the World Wide Web.
The end of the last millennium was in many ways a tumultuous period, when lifestyles and businesses changed more transformatively than in the many centuries preceding it. For most of history, business to consumer trade was a small and personal affair with varying levels of refinement. Trade empires such as the East India Company formed but the spices and silk were still sold at small, discrete outlets. And these will remain in business, some to be inevitably eclipsed by the venerable department stores and run over by malls, others establishing themselves as heritage outposts, and even more arriving on the scene with new ideas; retail continues to re-invent itself.
But deep under these tides of change, the connection between the good and the consumer was also fundamentally transformed. From the scarcities of wartime eras and the mode of doing business where one chose and ordered a good with much care and kept using and reusing it until the last threads gave out, now there was a surplus of everything. With their newfound affluence, consumers bought more readily available items and valued them less. Only a select few were worthwhile to service. The rest were transitory commodities with no personal connection, constantly replaced by the market with something faster, shinier, better.
Still, the appetite for personalised items never entirely disappeared. The tailors, saddlemakers and haute-chocolatiers would continue serving their select clientele and discover the promise of emerging markets, but their trade as a share of the economy was in steady decline. The world was getting used to immediate and endless gratification.
Clockwise from top left: 1 - 5, scenes from mid to late 20th century Americana; life continues as usual in some parts of the world.
Online spheres
To this heady excitement of the 90s, the first dot-com businesses arrived, as exuberant upstarts taking the remote-shopping innovations of the day to the newly public World Wide Web. It's sometimes wrongly assumed that online commerce was pioneered by business to consumer enterprises. From the late 60s, there was increasing interest among businesses to interconnect their computing systems for easier exchange of information, and transactions. The format was refined and coined EDI — Electronic Data Interchange — and along with teleshopping constituted the proto-online infrastructure on which ecommerce would be built upon. But teleshopping was essentially the mail order catalogue broadcast on television, EDI was the true novel technology.
The era is still chiefly remembered for the birth of Amazon, eBay, the bust of Boo.com and frenzied speculation that led to a resounding market crash by the end of the decade. The businesses that survived grew from being modest online vendors of books and few commodities to global marketplaces selling nearly anything; as graphically described in Amazon's logo, all from A to Z.
Everything for everyone
Ecommerce with its singular capacity for broad reach and deep inventory is a retail model unlike no other. Like Amazon is much more than any physical store — perhaps more like a mall, but again a city seems like more of an apt description. It produces some goods of its own, which it sells; it also sells goods marketed and made by others, hosts other stores as a marketplace, provides streaming services and even operates as a library of sorts. The Amazon I see is almost never the Amazon another does, exhibiting uncanny versatility and understanding to its customer like few brick-and-mortar establishments could aspire to. If a city, it is also one accessible from anywhere.
Notwithstanding that Amazon and eBay are not the rule but exceptions, the ascension of retail to the Web brings new modalities to the landscape of shopping that mere historical precedents could not draw comparison to. In a very short span of time, there were now millions of places to shop from; stores, auction sites and marketplaces around the world. Soon also platforms like Instagram, where shopping is not the norm but a latent possibility. Goodbye to opening hours and planned visits. If malls blended shopping with recreation, ecommerce brought it straight home.
Trails and echoes
So with the stores disappearing into the digital fabric surrounding our lives, any contemplation of shopping now begins with the phone — to be precise, the smartphone, in many ways less phone and more personal computer. When we talk of user experience in ecommerce, it's more about how it is to place an order with the phone than the unpacking experience. If the purchase is made at a physical outlet, the decision yet often follows from an earlier browsing session.
At face value, the convenience of this is indescribable. Everything at our fingertips exactly as it was promised. The Futurist Manifesto of a hundred years ago could not have hoped for better. And the stores keep constantly adapting to our preferences, so much more patient than shopkeepers and infinitely more fastidious. On the other side too — for artisans and small-time traders hoping to find better markets for their wares. When it works to our betterment, 21st century ecommerce is nothing short of a miracle.
The unfortunate problem is that it always doesn't. The contemporary shopping experience is also one of persistent ads à la Terry Gilliam, echoing through cyberspace when we are busy skimming through news and always reminding us that things are just around the screen. The demands of a digital lifestyle come here into sharp collision with our ancient brains wired for a history of scarcity. And activities which would go undisturbed in the past would continually need to vie for attention. Advertising is indeed nothing new, but the way in which its online embodiment seamlessly packages our past motive, present action and potential fulfilment makes it radically different from the antecedents.
Clockwise from top left: Operator on an IBM 7074, early 60s; screenshot of Amazon.com, 1995; fitting rooms at the SSENSE flagship store, Montreal, 2018; screenshot of eBay, 1997; UberEats, 2019; Apple store in construction, late 2010s; shopping at the One World Trade Center, New York, late 2010s.
Amidst the surprises and tribulations of the past many months, it's hard not to look at the state of physical retail and wonder — is this how it ends? It seems like a long time coming, the strength having drained out of the machinery long ago and barely kept running so as not to break the cycle. And the cycle itself, propelled by ballooning credit and aggressive competition from an ever-increasing roster of incumbents, looks increasingly questionable against the backdrop of resource depletion and lasting environmental change.
Online retail fares no better when it comes to many of the real-world issues we face but it's the most adaptable as this crisis has proved. The platforms and web infrastructure extended a lifeline to many vulnerable businesses, keeping them afloat, and relying on the efficiency advancements the logistic chains had built over decades, also managed to provide many in need with essential supplies. The physical presence of some of these businesses almost appears superfluous now. Do we need all these stores?
The shape of cities
There are few things inevitable about the cities and towns we live in. Each has its unique developmental history within larger tapestries of regional and national histories. The older ones in Europe and the Americas tend to have central squares and churches with avenues and parks spreading out. Brand new metropolises take a different approach, prioritising roadways over cobbled streets, yet keeping many of the familiar elements. Among these, a significant portion of real estate dedicated to shopping.
Does this resemble an ideal state of affairs? Dense neighbourhoods lie at the heart of many cities where parks are nowhere to be seen and shared public spaces seem like a luxury. An ideal world might allocate more real estate to these and allow people more breathing space. After all, rows of garments and appliances awaiting a prospective buyer bring little to the spirit of a community.
Consolidated paradigms
Wishful though it may seem, there are contemporary concepts which reframe these questions with fresh perspective, resulting in integrated omnichannel experiences like the SSENSE flagship in Montreal. The role of a physical store in the digital age is primarily about experience. The sensory, tactile information that reaches our minds as we run our hands over a soft flannel, the feeling of a chaise longue, the scent of cologne, and feeling a brand space. Until such a day when technology arrives to represent tangible matter with perfect fidelity, this is the unique domain of physical retail. Not the price, provenance or technical composition.
Stores can also be hubs to engage with surrounding communities and act as event spaces — ideas already explored around the world. In such a view, the old roles of marketing and holding stock get absorbed online, with more focus than ever on warehousing and fulfilment, while physical stores downsize and retain select locations as flagships and experiential spaces. The same can also be said of department stores and malls, many attempting to reinvigorate their floorspace with activity hubs and pop-up stores.
Shopping, an experience
Glancing back to the moments in the film, it's hard to imagine that the mesmerising experience of browsing through certain stores could hold much future in the days to come. It's a sensation all but lost to time, vestiges of retail-gone-by that require an ambience with the potential to surprise. In the media-saturated days we live through, when everything seems to have been already seen and discarded, it's only the rare luxury brand and curious old stores withholding information offline that hold out such promise. Their carefully cultivated or happenstance ambience are also partial to the realm of material reality. With endless devices presenting their adjusted views, no online store could hope to make a comparable impact.
So it may be that shopping as an experience has lost its enchantment while being more convenient than ever. But there are always new, tangential experiences on offer, from participating in virtual runway shows to engaging with people behind the scenes. We can only look forward.
Curious to read more about the the transformation of sales in the new decade? Download The Digital Sales Transformation Handbook and learn how to embrace the transformation for your business and customers.
State of Martech and Salestech - our key takeaways from AntiConLX Global
Introducing: Hybrid Work Toolkit for Digital Sales
Online marketplaces in digital sales strategy – get started
Sustainable or not?
Synthetic dreaming with an AI
Spontaneity, vision and freedom: Notes from jazz
Adventures in Design System Wonderland
Subscribe to the digital sales newsletter
Join thousands of other readers and get digital commerce news, tools, and case research delivered to your inbox.
By taking this action I agree to receive marketing communications about Columbia Road and its services, and I consent to allow Columbia Road to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide the content requested. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy.
Columbia Road
Simon Fransson
Victoria Berger-Blom
Feeling the start of something exciting?
Business ID: SE559166841201
Operator (in Sweden): Apix Messaging
E-invoicing address: 5591668412
VAT ID: SE559166841201
Contact finance
Are you looking for a presskit?
Go to pressroom
Eteläesplanadi 8
Minna Jaakkola
Emmi Tervala
Business ID: FI27493255
Operator ID: 003723327487
Operator (in Finland): Apix Messaging Oy
VAT ID: FI27493255
Columbia Road c/o Futurice
Kelloportinkatu 1 D
Isarwinkel 14
Eero Martela
Bergmannstraße 5 Haus 4
© 2016–22 Columbia Road Ltd.
Privacy Policy Contact hello@columbiaroad.com


text:
Illyria: Spotlight is a comic, a story based on the Angel television series. This title, along with the others in IDW Publishing's Spotlight series, was collected in the Angel: Spotlight trade paperback.

Story description

Summary
Illyria, an Old One who has only recently been reintroduced to its life, tries to further understand humanity by studying the vessel whom it now occupies, Fred. Illyria considers whether she is capable of guilt.

Expanded overview

A woman named Mrs. Balducci addresses the court in a Los Angeles courtroom. She asks for leniency for Alex Rich, the man who killed her son and three other people in a convenience store. The incredulous judge asks her why, because the defendant shows no remorse for his crime. A young woman stands up in the courtroom and asks if remorse would make a difference when someone was guilty of terrible things. The judge orders the woman to sit down, but Mrs. Balducci agrees with her. She says that rather than see Rich put to death, she wants him to be forced to live out his life in prison, endlessly watching videos of his victims' lives. She approaches Rich as she says this, and he leans forward and bites off the end of her finger. The judge immediately clears the courtroom and reschedules the sentencing, as Rich is dragged away.

Rich is antagonizing the guards in a prison transport when the vehicle is forced to stop on a desert road. The woman from the courtroom is standing in the road. Before their eyes, her clothes and appearance change to reveal her true self: Illyria. She hits the truck, knocking it onto its side. Deflecting the guards' bullets, she takes Rich, leaving the guards alive.

In a flashback at Wolfram & Hart, Illyria has somehow implied that Wesley would be interested in a relationship with her. Wesley calls her a monster, and she threatens him, saying, "I could break you in half, right now, and not shed a tear. Yet I don't. How does that make me a monster?" Wesley replies, "it doesn't. But the fact that you could do it and not shed a tear does." Wesley says that remorseless killing is inhuman. Illyria points out that Wesley killed Knox and shed no tears, and asks if that was a monstrous act. Wesley says it was, "but at least I recognize it." He states that he willingly gave up a piece of his humanity because Knox was no innocent - he killed Fred, the woman Wesley loved. Illyria asks if she would be more human than Wesley if she felt remorse for her role in what happened to Fred, and Wesley simply replies that she can't.

As they walk through the desert night, Illyria asks Rich why he feels no remorse for his actions. She wonders what it is that makes Rich human, and Illyria not. Rich points out that he was born human, when Illyria clearly was not. Suddenly, they are spotted by a police helicopter. Illyria leaps up to the helicopter, tosses the police officer inside to the ground, and orders Rich to climb aboard. She tells the pilot that he will live if he does as she says. Having been dropped off atop a desert butte, Illyria asks Rich why the judge wanted him to feel remorse. Rich replies, "he wanted to drag me down. Make me weak, like him." He says that he sees his victims as "livestock." He asks, "does a farmer feel remorse when he beheads some chickens?" Illyria says that he dehumanizes them; he thinks as them as animals, or vessels. She examines her own once-human body. Illyria then tells Rich that one of his four victims was a demon whose clan wanted justice. They had hired Wolfram and Hart to deliver Rich to them, which Illyria has just done. "And if you think of your fellow humans as animals, well," she says, "just imagine how the demons think of you."

In Texas, Roger Burkle arrives home to a surprise: his wife Trish tells him that their daughter, Winifred, has come home. She says that Fred has been upstairs for days, watching the family's old home movies of Fred over and over. As she watches the former life of her vessel, Illyria begins to cry.

At Wolfram and Hart, Wesley tells Illyria that their clients are pleased with the way she handled Rich's case. She tells Wesley that she did the job for him, to learn about remorse. Wesley asks if she found a way to feel regret for Fred; after a pause, Illyria says she didn't and walks away.

Character development
According to this comic, Illyria appears to be capable of human emotions on at least some level, but can never demonstrate it because of a sense of pride typical of someone of royal stature.

Writing and artwork
 Peter David's wife Kathleen revealed her contribution to the story on David's official web site:

 The subtitle for Russell Walks' cover reads:

I WILL FIGHT.
I WILL RETURN IN KIND EVERY BLOW. EVERY STING
I WILL SHRED MY ADVERSARIES

Continuity
 This story is set during Angel season 5, between "Underneath" and "Power Play".

Canonical issues

Angel comics such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. Some fans consider them stories from the imaginations of authors and artists, while other fans consider them as taking place in an alternative fictional reality. However unlike fan fiction, overviews summarising their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by both Fox and Joss Whedon (or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy merchandise.

External links

Reviews
 Dodsworth, James, "Angel Spotlight: Illyria" FractalMatter.com (April 2006).
 White, Adam, "Angel Spotlight: Illyria #1" ComicCritique.com (22 May 2006).
 Scott, Cavan, "Review: Angel Spotlight: Illyria #1" HorrorComics.wordpress.com (3 June 2006).

References

Angel (1999 TV series) comics
One-shot comic titles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia