text:
4:45 PM, Paris, Summer, 1985
Slightly frayed but none the less beautiful the upholstery of the luxurious compartment number 6 sighed its familiar welcome to the Comtesse Lamoureux as she eased into it. The porter, nearly as ancient as she and by now an old friend set a Lalique crystal glass half full of Frapin Cuvee 1888 on the table before her.
"Merci Ramon." She began to pluck off her gloves then delicately placed them on the table next to the cognac one upon the other as always. She looked out the window onto the platform of the Gare de Lyon. "This is a most important trip," she said softly. "for both of us."
"Qui Madame la Comtesse, the last run of this great train."
She smiled. "I think for a change, tonight I shall take a late supper in the grand salon."
Ramon bowed and left the Countess looking out the window toward the patch of fading afternoon blue where the iron station opened onto beige Paris and the south.
The coach barley lurched and began to inch into the last journey of Le Train Bleu.
The great iron and glass roof of the station opened as the train picked up speed and Paris slid away, like so many playing cards falling from a gaming table. The countess was transfixed on her reflection in the glass. What she saw there was no longer familiar, it was a young woman, herself sixty years in the past on her way to Nice for the first time.
She was not the most beautiful girl on the Côte d'Azur but perhaps the prettiest to arrive in the middle of the années folles. As she stepped down onto the platform of the station in her Chanel summer whites. The fragrance of the south hit her like a new lover's scent. In fact, she had come south in the mad flush of new love. His name was Pete, he was an American saxophone player who had captivated her one night when she and her boyfriend of the moment René, had stumbled upon the Casanova Club. There he was. The most beautiful black man she had ever seen, playing the most beautiful music, she had ever heard.
Pete never called her by her first name that summer of 1925 as they romped the Côte d'Azur from Marselle to Menton. He simply called her "Countess". Sleeping till four in the afternoon after nights of Jazz and cocktails. Romping on the beach at dawn. Caviar and eggs for breakfast. By the last days of September, She was ready to give up everything for him.
He went back to America that winter. Sporting a bruised heart she went home to Pairs on The Blue Train.
The trip south the winter of 1939 was to escape the cold of the city. But not long after her arrival in Monte Carlo, things began to look grim. People were heading south not to escape winter but to try and outrun the fear of what was coming to Paris, what was devouring Europe. She stayed on to help friends and then soon strangers as well find refuge. After the fall of Pairs that summer of 1940 her villa in the hills above Monaco became a meeting place for young men and women of the Resistance against the German occupation and the Vichy government.
His name was Axel Barre. He was first and foremost a freedom fighter and secondly, perhaps the love of her life. He died in a ditch, executed by a German firing squad.
At 56 she was the picture of polished, poised, elegance the summer of 1961. The train trip south was marred by nothing except the incessant snoring of the man in compartment number 7. The Countess sat up all night with cotton stuffed in her ears trying to read "Heaven Has No Favorites". It was useless. Each time he ceased his rumble she closed the book, put out the light and removed the cotton from her ears, he would start up again.
The following morning she went to an early breakfast in the Grand Salon and found herself sitting across the table from a Monsieure Jean Lucien Dubeau. He said good morning and from the timber of his voice she knew at once that he was the cause of her sleepless night. She gave him a scowl, he gave her a dazzling smile, a wink, and ordered a bottle of champagne for both of them. They were married in a miniscule country church near Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat the following Spring. She never really got a good nights sleep from then on.
On this final journey of Le Train Bleu the Countess sat up all night thinking about the journey behind her and what little of it remained before her. It had been a good ride for the most part. There were many things along the way she had enjoyed and much she had endured, wild young love gone wrong, A world torn by war and loss, and finally the love of a good man whose ashes she now carried to the villa in the blue-green hills above Monte Carlo.
As she stepped from the train onto the platform in her black and white Chanel suit the fragrance of the south enveloped her like the warm hug of an old friend.
L'Heure Bleue created by Jacques Guerlian in 1912 has come to symbolize the end of the Belle Epoch in France just before the beginning of World War I. It has been called a farewell to a romantic era, a melancholy remembrance of things lost to time, not to be found ever again. The cap on the bottle is an inverted heart that symbolically captures that past in perfume form from the bottle it encapsulates thus preserving within its transparent heart the memories of lost love and departed friends.
All of this is true. But for me there is more, something deeper in L'Heure Bleue. It is the perfume of a complete lifetime held in memories of youth and the passing of time into maturity. It is not melancholy as one would expect such memories to be, but rather reflective of life, a contented quiet and very personal joy.
Who can wear L'Heure Bleue? Anyone who has the daring to be in a space beyond the ordinary. Someone not only with an appreciation of history by someone who also has a past both intriguing and perhaps slightly tainted with scandal. A past worth writing about in a diary one hopes to be found fascinating by others if found at all. In short it is suited to both men and women of taste and sophistication.
It opens quite classically as one would expect such a perfume of this vintage and from this particular house to do. Notes of anise, coriander, neroli, bergamot, and lemon spark and fizz but momentarily like the flicker of old movies, a editing of cinematic notes mixed with music, that quickly collapse into the unfolding beauty of the middle composition.
Here we get the classic powder and Guerlainade that was established with Jicky in 1889. The bergamot, rose, tonka, vanilla. Jasmin, and animalic and resinous accords make up this signature, a DNA of the house so to speak. It is a kind of Jicky through the looking glass. Notes in the middle comprised of Rose, cloves, Jasmine, tuberose and Geranium hit my nose with the most power. Undertones of ylang ylang and violet play supporting roles to this old world glamour. This phase lasts about three to four hours.
In the dry down we get the full force of the powder and seduction there in of this fragrance that lingers well into the sixth hour. The animalic accords are here along with the swirling hypnotic benzoin note. This combined with the iris, vanilla, sandalwood, and vetiver create an incense accord that is incensual (if I may create a word that sums up my love of perfumes that are smoky, exotic, and mysterious) This is where the fragrance carries its key to our memories. It is as magical, romantic, and epic as a journey to the Cote Azure on the long lost Le Train Bleu.
Categories: FRAGRANCE, GUERLAIN, Men's cologne, uni-sex fragrance, Women's Perfume . Tags: 1920's South of France, 1940's south of France, 1960's south of france, cote azure, FRAGRANCE, fragrance for men, fragrance review, GUERLAIN, le train blue, Men's cologne, PARIS, Perfume, PERFUME REVIEW . Author: laniersmith . Comments: 14 Comments
LE ROI DES DIAMANTS ~ Rahele by Neela Vermeire Creations
A thick blue mist clung to the tall trees like uncarded wool and muffled the predawn calls of the forest birds as they fluttered and fussed themselves to wakefulness. It moved slowly, lazily, like a taffeta silk encased courtesan through the lower wilder gardens making its way up to the chateau of Versailles. With cool fingers it caressed the cream-colored stone and pressed against the wavy glass of the windows. There it condensed into impersonal tears and sensuously slid down the glass to puddle on the windowsill. At one glowing window the little puddles reflected the candlelit room within the palace. A tiny image of the scene within shimmered in the puddle of the only room in the palace where the occupant was awake. The Sun King was up before the Sun.
Louis XIV King of all France was sitting up in bed. Beside him gently mumbling in her sleep was his mistress Madame de Montespan. He paid not a note of attention to her and had completely forgotten to wake her to send her off before the courtiers were to arrive to Rituality wake and dress him. The thing that held him in rapt attention, that had kept him awake since three in the morning was pinched between his thumb and index finger. A 115.16-carat blue diamond. It fascinated him by its uncut beauty. The story of its travels and how Jean-Baptiste Tavernier had brought it and along with it many fabulous tales from the court of Shah Jahan, the Emperor of Mogul India.
He turned the diamond this way and that to see how the light from the candles danced a merry minuet within the stone. The King threw back the bedclothes and slipped into his brocade robe then walked to the window. He held the diamond toward the blue misty imperceptibly brightening eastern sky to study it. He squinted his eyes and tired to pierce the heart of the diamond with his mind.
"Your majesty, this stone is but a pale shard in comparison to the beauty of India." Louis recalled the voice of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier when the afternoon before he had presented the king for a certain price the priceless stone. "There are colors in India unknown in the west, the music of the court is like nothing you have ever heard. It is like the universe is singing with golden bells and flutes of sandalwood and ivory. The women are unsurpassed in beauty and grace. The cities are vast and teaming with vibrant excitement. In the midst of all of this cacophony of smells and sights and sounds there is the great Taj Mahal. An edifice of such sparkling splendor that I am left with nothing but a melancholy whisper in my heart when I think of it."
The King smiled to himself and pressed the stone against the windowpane and moved his head toward it as if he were about to look into a spyglass. The world took on a violet blue hue. Cool and calm and of such beauty he wanted to live within the diamond forever.
There he stood his face pressed against the window lost within the magic of the stone.
"You shall be my symbol of France, of the enduring monarchy that shall last forever." He said softly to the stone. "You shall bring glory to my rein and prosperity to my people."
"And how will I do all of that? I am just a woman."
The king startled turned to see Madame de Montespan sitting up, her knees drawn up to her chin, arms encircling them. She was sleepy eyed and smiling.
"Indeed, how shall you do all of that my dear." He put the diamond in his robe pocket and patted the pocket for luck.
"Come now my dear, the courtiers will be here any moment and you must be gone. After all there is my wife to consider."
"What do you have in your pocket?" she demanded coyly.
"Nothing of consequence."
"It's that diamond. Oh, Louie please let me hold it."
He laughed and walked to the edge of the bed and handed her the diamond. Her eyes danced across the stone in glittering madness captivated by the stone.
"Louis may I have it. Will you give it to me in a necklace or on a pin? Oh please!"
"No… I am the State, and this diamond is, in essence the heart of France. It belongs not to me but to France."
"Oh! You are hopeless!"
"On the contrary, my dear. I am filled with hope."
At that moment, the door to the King's chamber silently opened just as the King leaned down to kiss Madame de Montespan. Three aristocratic heads of the King's bedchamber peeked in. Eyes widened, the three heads then retreated and very gently closed the door. The royal dressing would have to wait.
Neela Vermeire Creations with perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour have over the years since the House was launched created perfumes that are inspired by India but with a French Flair and chic. The new fragrance Rahele (2016) is no exception. Travel is what Rahele means and this fragrance was sparked by three 17th Century French travelers to India. Jean Thévenot, Francois Bernier, and the man responsible for bringing the premier crown jewel of France to King Louis XIV and what became finally the Hope Diamond, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.
Rahele is a foral woody and earthy fragrance that rises to an interesting level of stylish sophistication. It is bright, pure and ozonic to my nose. It does remind me of travel, that wonderful smell you experience when you first exit an international airport and breath in the air of a strange foreign city. It has a blend of both Western Europe and the Asian sub-continent. It is fluid each time I wear it. Some times I am in Paris and other times I am in Jaipur.
We begin our trip with a bright almost ripe yet on the edge of green mandarin. Cardamom which falls on the spicy side complements the citrus. Then from Ancient markets comes the once rare and precious spice note of cinnamon. I love how this plays against the slightly metallic violet leaf note in the opening.
The midway point of the trip with Rahele is a pure lush Indian garden after the monsoon. A peachy exotic Osmanthis is surrounded by the reddest of rose, a velvet rose in fact and completely devoid of thorns. A fleshy sensual magnolia note hovers above this garden, It is moist and nearly dripping in the heat and there in the heart of this rises up a sweet almost hypnotic jasmine. The kind of jasmine that lifts the senses in the night. The earth below is introduced with purple notes of violet and rooty dry Iris. At this point the flower notes shimmer and move forward and recede in the most interesting way.
When we reach our final destination in the base there is a somber smooth finish of patchouli leaves that are packed in layers of oakmoss, silky aromatic sandalwood and resinous crisp cedar. This nearly finishes the perfume but all is not over. The dominating note here and what constantly rises though out the fragrance is a refined supple leather note. It never over powers the perfume but rather carries the perfume in subtle grace. It seems in the first hour to suddenly die, yet by hour two and beyond it returns to tease and tantalize for many hours to come. It in fact it undulates on the skin. This is pure magic and quite interesting.
Indeed, subtlety is the hallmark of this elegant fragrance. By no means is Rahele ever overpowering or demanding. It is suggestive, intuitive, and lightly sensual. A perfect fragrance for both discerning men of taste and chic women of elegant refinement.
(photo above and below from Fragrantica)
(Neela Vermeire)
Categories: perfume, storytime, uni-sex fragrance . Tags: BERTRAND DACHAUFOUR, FRAGRANCE, fragrance review, NEELA VERMEIRE, PERFUME REVIEW, Rahele Perfume, uni-sex fragrance . Author: laniersmith . Comments: 8 Comments
THE MAN IN THE BLACK MUSTANG ~ Feu Secret by Bruno Fazzolari
The dead never return.
On the morning of March 27, 1964 Marie-Anne Lefèvre was started to see her husband in the small café in Megève. After all he had been dead for five years.
Claude was in the resistance during the War and it was his job to report on possible Nazi collaborators. He had mistaken Marie-Anne for a woman he was assigned to follow. He tailed after her expecting that she was going to meet her German lover at the Ritz, when in fact she was simply going to 31 Rue Cambon behind the Ritz to buy a bottle of perfume for her mother. As he followed he tried to ignore the sway in her walk and how her chestnut hair bounced as it caught the late Autumn sunlight. When his mistake became clear to him that he was after the wrong woman he followed her to the Place de la Concorde where with clever machinations around one of the fountains he managed to bump into her causing her to drop her shopping bag breaking the bottle of Sycamore. He took her back to Chanel and bought her a new bottle. Within the month, they were married.
Since the end of the War they had lived a life of small luxuries and great charm for 15 years in Paris on the Rue d'Édimbourg. It was an exciting time they shared, He a leading actor in La Comédie-Française and she with her little art gallery L'oeil d'or on the Avenue George V near the Café Francis. It was a whirlwind of openings both theatrical and artistic that keep their relationship alive and vibrant. For each of their passions gave them an exciting day away which afforded a meeting in the evening filled with shared stories of glories and sometimes disappointments. Equal but separate lives that encompassed love without suffocating it. Then quite suddenly in the winter of 1958 Claude became ill. Within mere weeks he was gone.
Marie-Anne stayed on for the next five years in the apartment on the Rue d'Edimbourg until at fifty-eight she decided she had enough of the lights of Paris. She sold the gallery to a young assistant and transferred her life to the small ski resort of Megève. She moved in to a modest Chalet near the Résidence Maeva Le Mont d'Arbois. It was a quite solitary life of reading, a little writing to friends in Paris, afternoon walks and always the café in the morning for café au lait and croissants. And every day, each day without fail she thought of Claude.
But this morning her somnambulistic existence was shattered. The trip bell over the door chimed, there was a shiver of cold air on her cheek as the door swung open. A crunch of snow encrusted boots as a man walked past her where she sat, his coat brushed her shoulder. There was the conversant smell of Eucalyptus, pink pepper and vanilla. His smell. She ignored the olfactory recognition and continued to read her book as her coffee cooled.
The man ordered his coffee and even though he whispered his voice, a warm baritone nearly filled the room, It tugged at her right ear and she looked up from her book. At first, she only noted that he was a handsome man of about fifty-two. Well-proportioned and of medium height with wavy black hair that was slightly silver at the temples. She looked back down to her novel. The scent of the man grew slightly insistent and blended with the smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh warm pastry. She looked up again, he was sitting facing the window as the sun broke through the clouds momentarily while the snow fell beyond his profile. It was Claude's profile almost to the exact slope of his forehead down to his strong neck and prominent Adam's apple. She starred only long enough to drink in the sight of this man who so resembled her love, her Claude. She pulled her eyes away and let them rest on the page of her book without reading a single word.
She sat there until he left without looking up again. The trip bell rang and the door swung open, a blast of winter air and then it swung shut with a dull crunch of snow and old wood. She looked up again and watched as he walked across the square and got into a black Mustang. Sleek and wild surrounded by Peugeots, Ferraris and Citroens it rumbled a steamy exhaust and the red glow of its taillights winked. It was strange and beautiful and seemed to be made of sacred fire. When he drove away, Marie-Anne looked back down to her book. She re-read the top line on page 156 then closed the book.
Maybe she would see him again. But she hoped she would not.
Someone asked me recently how I would compare classic fragrance to what is being made today and I immediately thought of Bruno Fazzolari. He is one of the new perfumers of the last five years who is on to something wonderful. A creative process in perfumery that is both modern and classical at the same time.
I first met Bruno at the SF ARTISAN PERFUME SALON 2013 where he was launching his line. I was immediately taken by the beauty and sophistication of his work, especially in Au Dela. His work for a new perfumer was eons ahead of everyone else at that event. What I smelled in that particular fragrance was a time machine to 1947. I was smelling a timeless new perfume by Christian Dior. I was smelling a master's work. Lighting in a bottle, and I knew I was there and very lucky to witness the birth of a star.
(BRUNO FAZZOLARI)
What Dior did in fashion by bringing glamour and yards of fabric back to the forefront of fashion after the horrors and austerity of World War II was to create the "New Look" a term coined by Carmel Snow of American Vogue to describe the romantic new movement of the mid-20th Century. Bruno Fazzolari in a very real way in the early 21st Century, is doing what Dior did. He is creating the "Nouveau Sens" in perfumery. He is bringing romanticism and glamour to the niche market in a way that is both classic and modern. And I for one could not be more thrilled.
In his new fragrance, Feu Secret I find the magic has reached a new level of beauty and artistry. It is a dry and warm beauty. Opening with dangerous and bitter touch of hemlock which is punctuated with a sharp jab of green Spruce. This is a fleeting tease to the arrival of a warm burning leaves note of the most amazing eucalyptus. A smell I grew up with in Southern California where in the summer the Eucalyptus trees seem to give off a smoky smoldering scent.
The middle gets even better. A light spice not leaning toward ginger is provided by a turmeric note, spiced up with pink pepper. But here is the kicker, Iris. This note that usually takes on a lip stick, Max Factor quality is this time not in the back-stage dressing room on the dressing table waiting to go on at all. No, this Iris is wrapped up in that burning eucalyptus and the combination becomes the sacred heart of this fire. The supporting base notes of Himalayan cedar, burch tar and a rich thick as butter vanilla round out this fragrance and bring it all home in style.
It is completely wearable for any occasion from day to evening, Full enough for the colder months but certainly something I would wear in the height of summer, that fire, that smoke is so perfect for the season.
So to answer my friend who wanted to know what I love that is both modern and classic, J'dore Feu Secret. And I adore the work of Bruno Fazzolari, the master perfumer of San Francisco.
Categories: perfume, storytime, uni-sex fragrance . Tags: BRUNO FAZZOLARI, FEU SECRET PERFUME, FRAGRANCE, Perfume, PERFUME REVIEW . Author: laniersmith . Comments: 9 Comments
THE QUEEN OF LOVE ~ Pour L'Amour by Vicky Tiel
Once many years ago, late into the Alexandrian night when the city was asleep and the waters of the Mediterranean shimmed under the impersonal gaze of the universe something magical happened. I have heard tales of others who have seen it. Yet I have never had occasion to meet anyone who could share their story with me. Never having told anyone before I wonder if it is wise to tell you now? For no one could possibly believe such a tale born of the stars, and the dust of fallen empires and of love.
It was the summer of 1922 and I had just arrived in the city from England on my way to the Valley of the Kings. I was to be a part of the last expedition in search of undiscovered tombs. Lord Carnarvon had sent for me to aid the expedition with more supplies and money. On this particular night before I was to take the train to Upper Egypt I could not sleep and against the advice of the hotel concierge I went for a stroll along the Grand Cornice that runs along the Eastern Harbor in the direction of Cape Lochias. The night was redolent with the smell of jasmine and amber marble dust that had baked in the sun the day before. It was heady and intoxicating as it mixed with the scent of vanilla and peppered spices that seemed to hover like holy incense over the city in the moonless heat of midnight.
I wandered in a dream like state onto the Cape where once the royal enclosure of the Ptolemies had ruled the city. Enveloped by a sense of wonder at being for the first time in Egypt I didn't see the fallen column in my path and stumbled over it. I fell face first knocking myself out when my forehead met the earth.
"With no moon to watch over you young man, you should be more careful in the dark." A woman's voice spoke in a strange archaic Greek.
I opened my eyes. Not knowing how long I had been unconscious I looked about for the owner of the voice. There sitting on the fallen column was a woman, not of great beauty but instead possessed by great charm and presence. Yet beyond this charm was her voice, it was a lilting music that captured my imagination. Rising and falling in perfect harmony it possessed the beauty of a small chamber orchestra.
"You are not cut but you are going to have a rather large bump on your forehead."
I sat up and rubbed my eyes. She seemed to glow around the edges of her form and at moments became almost transparent.
"Who are you?" I asked rubbing the growing nub on my head. She ignored me and looked out past the entrance to the Eastern Harbor to the open sea.
"This ships should be coming soon. And the end with them."
She smiled as she watched the horizon. "Why is the beacon not burning in the lighthouse?" She looked back at me. "Not a bad thing really. Without the light the ships might crash on the rocks and sink and with them Rome's ambitions."
Suddenly I was very cold, and as the icy hand of realization touched my shoulder I understood what was happening.
"Where is Antony?" I said softly.
Her smile faded at the corners of her mouth. "Wandering the beaches by day looking for his lost army, in the taverns at night singing sad songs, and all because of me." She reached out to touch my hand, her fingers passed through me. "Have you ever been in love?" She looked very tired.
I glanced but for a moment past her to the east knowing that Octavian would come over the Delta to take the city and not by sea. Not as Caesar had, when she was young and the future held hopes of Empire. Now the future was behind her and turned to stony history.
"Love?" I said. "I don't think so; no I have never really been in love."
Her soft laughter was soothing and beautiful. "I thought years ago that a goddess was above love. I was wrong. Loving him was not in the plan, but young man love has its own plan that is greater than us all. In the first moments of falling into Antony's fire the Goddess was destroyed. I was divine no more and became a woman utterly lost in the divinity of love."
In the distance toward the end of the Cape there was soft ghostly merry music of lutes, lyres and a man singing slightly off key.
"Ah….my love calls" She stood up and I could see the stars glittering through her body where her heart no longer lived. "I must go and make things ready for the victor and all things right with my Antony."
She started to walk toward the sea and to fade in her progress to eternity.
"Your Majesty!"
She turned. "Why did you put such trust in him? Why do you go to him now? Now that it is all lost, your kingdom, your freedom, your life?"
She was turning to a starry mist and I could just make out the traces of her last smile. "for love…. For love…..for love."
All the treasures we found later that following November in the tomb of Tutankhamun were nothing in comparison with the beauty of that night in Alexandria. The night when I met a Queen who gave everything for love.
Pour L'Amour the new fragrance by Vicky Tiel is something special. Vicky is thrilled to say that this fragrance is her best fragrance yet, her most sensual, magical and erotic even. What makes it an elixir of sensuality is the inclusion of four aphrodisiacs and one very secret ingredient. That ingredient being a note that since the late 1700's has only been used in men's fragrance. What could that note be? Whatever the answer is, for she refused to tell even me, this fragrance is presented in joy, with flair and all wrapped up in Vicky's mantra of Love.
Love life, love yourself, love every aspect of this existence. It is all for love, live for love, Pour L'Amour.
The perfume opens with a glittering citrus cocktail of sparkling bergamot, and tangy Mandarin orange. The note of Quince is added to give the fragrance a tropical fruitiness. Not a sickly sweet tropical fruit, a mixture of apple and pear but lush and ripe and juicy splash of this really beautiful note. The Quince may indeed be one of the aphrodisiacs of the perfume as it was the favorite fruit of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite.
The top notes set the scene immediately for the mid notes and burn of in a passionate blaze to reveal a gorgeous patchouli leaf that lends an exotic eastern flavor to a fully blooming white Jasmine Sambac. This luxurious center is framed by golden peppery notes of Freesia, this patchouli and the pepper/spicy freesia keep the fragrance from going too indolic and lend it a rather strong unisex quality.
Well into the sixth to seventh hour the dry down of the base notes kicks in. A creamy warm amber is blending into a rich vanilla bean and smothered in the most soothing and smoothly polished sandalwood. The vanilla gives the dry down a touch of gourmand which is interesting and makes the dying notes sweet but without regret for its fading. Rather it invites one to reapply the perfume and begin the romance anew.
Over all it is a lush Oriental that captures in olfactory style the felling of a grand passion. Beautify rendered it is well worth checking out. It is a full and adult perfume that gives me great joy in its unapologetically charming nod to classicism in the perfume world. It is time for perfume to become sophisticated and alluring again. Leave the fresh clean watery fragrances to be but mere after bath splashes. Pour L'Amour is arresting of the senses and demands adoration, It will command the room without overwhelming it or the person who wears it. It is magnetic and whispers a promise of grand passion, a love that my even topple an empire and turn a goddess into a woman.
I have to agree with Vicky Tiel, this is her best fragrance yet.
At this time Pour L'Amour is only available on HSN. (Home Shopping Network)
Categories: FRAGRANCE, uni-sex fragrance, Women's Perfume . Tags: Alexandria Egypt, CLEOPATRA, Pour L'Amour Perfume, VICKY TIEL, Vicky Tiel Perfume . Author: laniersmith . Comments: 8 Comments
HUMMINGBIRDS IN AUGUST ~ Hummingbird by Zoologist
At fifty-three beats per second the wings of the hummingbird warmed the air around the Honeysuckle flowers ten degrees higher than the 98.6 that was the normal temperature in most boys. Twelve-year-old Craig Thomas leaned on the window sill of his best friends Ricky De Fiore's bedroom window watching the tiny bird flit and flutter about the yellow and fuchsia colored flowers. Ricky sitting on one of the twin beds behind him was setting up the Monopoly board for the game they were about to play.
Clackity clang! The old swamp cooler in the back of the house complained as it tried to cool the sweltering small tract house. Then came the bang! Mrs. Di Fiore called from the kitchen where she was stewing plums, for Rickey to go out back and reattach the fan belt that keep the antiquated contraction going. The temperature instantly began to climb in the room. Craig flung open the window scaring off the Hummingbird. He leaned out into the dry oven heat of that summer of 1962. There was not even a hint of a breeze up from Huntington Beach . Only the the smell of roses, lilacs and peony flowers that grew at the front of the house distracted Craig slightly from the sweltering August air.
The sounds of kids playing down the street bounced of the sides of the houses on the block. The Good Humor ice-cream truck's song floated along the curbs from three blocks away. By the eighth week of summer vacation It was all so predictable and boring. Spending every day at Ricky's playing games and watching What's My Line, Soupy Sales, and Rocky and Bullwinkle in the afternoon. Just about the only exciting thing to happen so far that summer was when his neighbor Mr. Ramirez got locked in his backyard bomb shelter for a week and everyone including his wife thought he had left town for another woman over in Tarzana. Craig's eyes drifted to the corner of Robin Avenue just as a 1955 pink Thunderbird raced around the corner. "Johnny Angel was blasting from the car radio.
Kiki Beaumont who was the prettiest girl in Westminster was behind the wheel. Most of the kids in the neighborhood thought she was cool because she had a summer job at Disneyland as Cinderella. Craig thought she wasn't that pretty and besides, she was kind of stuck on herself. Sitting beside her, shirtless and glistening in the sun was Ricky's brother, Tony De Fiore. Black hair still wet from the beach, tanned and muscular. He had a smile that was more dazzling than Ricky Nelson's. And best of all, he was nice to Craig. Wispy voiced Shelley Fabares whispered "Johnny Angel" from the car radio. Craig took it all in, the car, the song, the girl, and Tony. The temperature jumped to 102.
With an unlit cigarette clamped in his mouth Tony looked angry. Kiki stared straight ahead expressionless beneath her sunglasses. The T-Bird purred undeterred by whatever had gone wrong at the beach. Shelley was still lamenting her Johnny Angel. Tony reached over and cut her off with an violent twist of the radio nob.
"It's my favorite song." Kiki said between clenched teeth.
"I hate it. It's stupid. They play it too much."
"Get out of my car!"
With panther grace Tony took the cigarette from his mouth and put it behind his ear, opened the car door and rose to his five-foot eleven-and-a-half-inch glory. The sun's rays ran like rain over his shoulders and back. His tan line peeked out just above the waistline of his black 501 jeans.
"Oh my goodness!" Craig thought. "Are they breaking up?"
"The Beach Boys rule." Tony said with utterly cool conviction.
Blue smoke jetted from the burning tires of the T-Bird and in a shrieking streak of pink Kiki and her favorite song were gone. Tony looked down the street after her. Craig studied the back of his neck where it met the ear. A tiny bead of sweat formed then let go to slide down to the trapezius and disappear over the edge of it to travel unseen over his chest. The Good Humor Ice-cream song was coming around the corner. Children ran into the street with dimes are quarters at the ready. The clackity clang sound of the swamp cooler came back on. Tony turned around and caught Craig watching him. He frowned and looked even more angry than he had in the T.Bird. The bottom of Craig's stomach turned queasy and dropped in fear.
Then Tony smiled his teen idol smile then winked. "Girls! Why do we need them?"
"I ah, I don't know Tony." Craig squeaked. He watched as Tony walked toward the house gripped by the strange new feelings the mere sight of the seventeen-year-old teenager was causing in his heart.
"What ya looking at?" Ricky was standing behind him.
"Nothing." Craig slammed down the window. "Let's play Monopoly."
From the house of Zoologist comes a new Eau de Parfum, Hummingbird. The nose behind this fragrance is the wonderfully talented perfumer Shelley Waddington. She has in the past created some of my favorite fragrances for her own house, En Voyage. The great neoclassic Zelda, New York Man and Fiore de Bellagio to name but three. Creator of the house of Zoologist, Victor Wong found in Shelly the perfect perfume to create this floral, gourmand laced with succulent fruity undertones.
Perfumer Shelley Waddington
The fragrance opens in springtime beauty with a dominating lily-of-the-valley as fresh and bright a morning. There is a warmed by the sun Southern California vibe to it when the nature sweet notes of pear and juicy plum come in to play with hints of apple, cheery and citruses. Low tones of lilac rose and violet leaf add florals to set the scene in a garden any hummingbird would love.
As it progresses to the heart of the garden and the birds begin the ballet of wings and nectar as a gorgeous photo real honeysuckle opens to the air. Redolent with a honey that is natural, not cloying it is lush. Mimosa sweet and clear is joined by a luxurious full bloomed peony, this flower brings Dior like glamour to the fragrance. Full and voluminous. It enhances the other florals, the shy tulip and the sexy addictively yummy ylang-ylang. Here the garden of the hummingbirds is in full throttle glory.
At about an hour to an hour and a half the fragrance drops into a skin scent. Rich and cozy the sweetness fades into notes of woods. There is dry hay like coumarin. Cool even dryer moss, and blends of austere white woods and musk. The Amber in the scent is subtle adding a touch of warmth the way paving stones on a garden path reflect the heat of the sun at twilight. There is a creaminess in the sandalwood which is boosted by a dollop of whipped cream. Yes, whipped cream!
It takes a really well made Fruity floral gourmand to win me over as I am normally not a fan of the genre. Most are too sweet, to immature, too common in this age of sugar water passing as perfume. Yes, most hummingbirds will fall for sugar water feeders in a garden over real flowers because it is so easy. Yet there is always one or two birds with refined taste who seek out the true nectar of nature. Hummingbird by Zoologist is made of real flowers, and ripe fruit without the candy and sugar that I detest. This Hummingbird has won my heart.
MY INTERVIEW WITH SHELLEY WADDINGTON
JOHNNY ANGEL ~ SHELLEY FABARES
Categories: FRAGRANCE, perfume, storytime, uni-sex fragrance, Women's Perfume . Tags: Hummingbird Perfume, Perfume, Shelley Waddington, uni-sex fragrance, Victor Wong, Zoologist Perfume . Author: laniersmith . Comments: 8 Comments
AT THE WINTER PALACE ~ Melancholy No. 60/3 by Nimere Parfums
"Paris polishes pretty young things." Countess Zoya Semyonova poked the old Count with the end of her fan.
"What my dear?" Slumped in his chair he sputtered. In a near dozing state he did not uncross his arms and barely looked up from under his bushy grey bristle brows.
"Oh you are impossible! I was talking about Tatiana Korneva. After her parents died her Aunt Sonja took her to Paris for a year. And now at 16 just look at her. She has returned to Petersburg a woman of charm and grace."
The Count cast his lazy eyes in the direction of the young lady under the Countess' scrutiny. "Oh yes the Korneva girl. Lots of money there and not so bad to look at either."
Tatiana Korneva
"Oh yes my dear!" The Countess smirked. "Let's not forget the family fortune. It is a shame she has no title otherwise the Tsar's son might take an interest. Well the best her Aunt Sonja can hope for is a match with a no account forgotten prince or country count further down the line.
Tatiana and her Aunt were seated at a medium sized tea table near the French doors of the blue salon in the Winter Palace. They were taking tea with a small gathering of one hundred or so of Princess' Anna's closest friends. Tatiana barely knew the Princess but somehow with her Aunt's influence found herself at the Tsar's youngest daughters table, a rather plain girl of nearly eighteen.
"How did you find Paris? Was it lovely?" Princess Anna said in French. Punctuating her question with a sweet smile she waited for Tatiana's response.
"Oh yes quite lovely Your Imperial Highness." Natalie placed her tea cup onto the saucer before her. Schooled by her Aunt in Court etiquette she waited for the next question. Then without guile she blurted. "But not as lovely at Saint Petersburg is in the winter." Aunt Sonja kicked Tatiana's foot under the table.
The Princess laughed truly delighted in the girl's boldness. "Ah yes I quite agree. Our harsh winters turn Petersburg into a wonderland. And Papa must have all those winter balls just to keep us warm. What is the theme for tonight's ball? Oh I can't remember. Tell me my dear, did you fall in love in Paris? The city has a reputation not unlike that of Cupid for putting pretty girls like you in romantic danger. Were there any young men who captured your heart."
Tatiana was about to speak when she noticed a flash of gold and amber behind the Princess. She glanced to the French doors beyond her. There dressed in imperial uniforms where two men, one dark and the other blond. They were laughing and jostling each other in a contest to see who would open the door and enter first. At a flash of white teeth, the Earth's spinning slowed to the beat of her heart. The sound of its beating filled her ears. A glint of sky blue eyes through the glass of the doors were quickly overtaken by hazel eyes, and the baritone song of the two men laughing rang out.
Tatiana quickly looked bat to the Princess. "No your Imperial Highness, I have…." The door suddenly burst open with an explosion of laughter. The two men nearly stumbled into the salon. "I have never been in love."
Prince Pyotr
The Princess turned to the commotion behind her. "Petya! Georgiy! Whatever are you boys up to?" The two men snapped to attention. But could not contain their smiles. Tatiana look from one handsome face to the other and could not decide which of the two men was more beautiful. There was a jolt within her chest as each of the men's eyes carelessly passed over her. Their smiles like summer sun warmed the room turning it from blue to shimmering yellow. She blinked.
The Princess motioned the two men to her side.
"Honestly such ruffians. Ladies you all know my brother Prince Pyotr and my cousin Prince Georgiy." in unison the two men snapped their boots and gave a quick warm nod of the head to the ladies in general.
Prince Georgiy
As an afterthought the Princess continued. "Oh, but I don't believe you have met Miss Korneva. Tatiana, this is Petya and Georgiy. Two more useless boys I have never known. And look at you both. Snow on your boots and in your hair. And your uninforms are wet! Where you wrestling in the snow? And you are making a puddle on Papa precious parquet floor! Oh! I give up!"
Pyotr and Georgiy advanced around the table to Tatiana. They bowed and one and then the other took her hand to kiss. They smelled wonderful like tobacco and spices. Then in a flash of clairvoyant clarity she knew that one of them was going to make her very, unhappy. It would be the most beautiful unhappiness she would ever know. But which of the two would she love? she did not yet know.
"May I ask you Miss Korneva, are you coming to the ball tonight?" Prince Pyotr asked.
'Yes you must Miss and promise all your dances to me." Said Prince Georgiy.
From the old Russian imperial city of St. Petersburg comes the perfume house of Nimere Parfums. The Venice of the north as it has been called was founded and built in Baroque splendor by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703. The city is famed for great art, architecture and history. Drama and beauty are the mortar between every stone in every building of this magnificent city. It is fitting that this house founded by Parfumeur Nikolay Eremin should come from such a place. Mr. Eremin was kind enough to send me sample of the entire line and a few vials of new works. I have to say I as supremely impressed with the wide range of options from the classical to the very modern. There is something for everyone to love from the house of Nimere.
Perfumer Nikolay Eremin
I have spent several months as Fall melted into Winter exploring the line. And at one point broke a vial of Eva while opening it and thus cutting a finger in the process. So that fragrance which I loved was lost to memory as it spilled over my desk. The challenge for me was to narrow down the remaining fragrances to those I truly fell in love with. Among those were Sweet Kiss, a coconutty sweet rich perfume, Melancholy No. 60/3, Time Stood Still No.81 an animalic classically sexy fragrance, Killing Beauty, No Name H.M #2 (a new perfume) and Court Intrigues a masculine beauty smelling of leather boots freshly polished, spices and dry austere woods. What I landed on finally for this review was Melancholy No. 60/3
Founder of St. Petersburg, Tsar Peter The Great
The perfume was inspired by a great love story of between King Edward VIII and Wallace Simpson. In particular, the love letters from Wallace to the king. (some of which were scented with spilt perfume) For me this perfume registers in the olfactory sense of the beauty of classic perfumes from the late 1800's to the late 1930's. Complex, hypnotic in the way the perfume unfolds and blooms on the skin. The life it has on the skin is sensual, romantic and slightly dangerous and naughty. It is in fact everything that a love affair possesses.
Melancholy No,. 60/3 opens with a fresh spicy Indian Calamus, this note embraces with a carmine red, languorous Saffron from an Eastern Bazaar. It smells expensive right off the top. A rich exotic, near erotic opening that would have shocked the more prudish noses of the early 20th century. Without the traditional citrus in the opening this perfume has flesh impact. It is an erotic invitation to plunge head long into the sensual.
The heart of the fragrance is indigo in color shot through with gold treads like a veil from the far East. And like a veil it floats in floral rhapsodic blending of purple iris earthy and low. A powdery lighter purple of the more elevated violet. jasmine like nuances of a golden Ylang Ylang are tied deep into a green lush Palmarose note. Over this and rising from some deep desire buried and smoldering deep within Melancholy rises tendrils of heady incense. As it develops the florals are enhanced to near intoxicated perfection by this mysterious smoke. The flowers are in fact by the arrival of the dry down, drunk on the incense.
In the final stage of the perfume we find a fascinating and quite crowed house of notes. Woods from the Cedar, Guayak, Sandalwood, and the Araucaria tree. More commonly know as a Monkey Puzzle Tree. These woods give the romantic feminine side of the perfume a strong twist toward the masculine. And that is nice because if makes the fragrance all the more interesting. There is a great patchouli here as well as a dry Nagarmotha (related to papyrus) the classic Oak Moss and vetiver vie for supremacy but are mellowed out my creamy not too sweet vanilla, and its cousin Tonka bean. All of this in the dry down is made all the more stunning by the soothing amber beauty of Tolu Balsam. The perfume lasts on my skin around a good solid seven hours. the projection is at about eighteen to twenty five inches for around three hours. then if falls in upon itself to become an invitation at skin level.
Whatever story you find in Melancholy No. 60/3, be it the forbidden love of a king for a commoner or the fresh first stirrings of erotic young love this perfume is something truly lovely. More beautiful that I can describe it brings me back to my tiny vial seeking yet another story, another romance to explore, to burn out, lose and find again in my ongoing love affair with Perfume.
You can contact Niemere Parfums on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/NimereParfums/
Or email Nikolay Eremin for sales information at: ereminn75@mail.ru
Categories: FRAGRANCE, perfume, storytime, uni-sex fragrance, Women's Perfume . Tags: fragrance review, Melancholy No. 60/3 Perfume, Nikolay Eremin, Nimere Parfums, Perfume, PERFUME REVIEW, Russia, St. Petersburg Russia, Winter Palace St. Petersburg, women's perfume . Author: laniersmith . Comments: 12 Comments
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD ~ Jasmin Rouge by Tom Ford
An explosion of laughter came over the gun barrels sending a damp chill up Lily Chu's back. The voice belonged to a short rough man dressed not as Chinese military but in mountain garb of a Nepalese bandit. He was clean shaven and wore wire rimmed glasses. A trickle of clammy sweat escaped Lily's temple and ran down her jaw to her neck.
"Your horses and escort await my old friend!" the bandit spoke like an Eaton College man.
"Aatish! So you found us after all, I was beginning to doubt that you would make it over the border undetected by the Chinese. "
Lily turned eyes wide to her British protector. "You know this man?"
"He winked at her. Like I said, you will need your mink. Come on!" They were surrounded by the small band of men and lead away from the truck and into the dark foothills.
"Whos is he? How did he find Us? How did ….Wait!" She ran after him determined to get an answer.
Hours later just before dawn Lilly, wrapped up in her mink under which was a dirty stinking pair of men's trousers, a wool shirt that itched and Yak hat, clung to the neck of mountain horse as they approached the border from China to Nepal. She dared not look down into the gorge below. If she did she was sure she would faint. The hooves of the horse ahead of her clattered on the rough stones sending loose rocks plunging to the river below, the wind howled and whipped around her with the ferocity of an irate yeti.
At a somewhat wider part of the mountain path her companion rode up next to her giving her horse a start. Lily buried her face in the horses main and held on even tighter.
He laughed without humor. "Relax we are fine…for now."
"For now?"
He pointed to the rope suspension bridge ahead. "On the other side is Nepal. We will walk over, then the horses will be brought over by the smallest men. You must be very quiet. There may be Chinese solders about. Aatish thinks we are being followed. They more likely than not just might try to shoot us off the bridge. We have to get across before the Sun comes over the ridge and makes us even better targets." Lilly followed his eyes up and up to the highest point of the highest mountains she had ever seen. Ice and snow made pink in the pre-dawn glow loomed in impersonal splendor.
When they reached the bridge the wind was at its most ferocious. She could hear the cry of discernable pain from the ancient ropes as they strained to hold the swaying contraption together. The floor of the bridge was of wooden slats that did not meet or touch. She looked down only once through the cracks."
Lily hesitated.
"You can do it." He said. "After all, I promised you a bath in perfume on the other side."
She looked at him with a smile of brave relief. "Yes you did and I am keeping you to your promise."
He smiled back. Suddenly the sound of a galloping horse from the rear of the line and shouts echoed off the cliffs surrounding them.
"RUN! The Chinese are behind us!" Aatish yelled.
Their horses raced the short distance to the bridge. Lily jumped from her mount onto the narrow ledge she was too frightened to be afraid. She looked back to see a line of mounted Chinese soldiers just coming around the last bend along the sheer cliff side. The British man took her by the hand and together they charged onto the bridge. Gun fire erupted, bullets ripped into the frayed ropes. There were distressing pings and snapping sounds like strings on a huge cello snapping. The bridge lurched and began to swing violently just as the first rays of the sun hit the far side of the gorge.
Tom Ford's lush oriental fragrance Jasmin Rouge from the private blend collection is something a mix of romance and danger, an enveloping adventure. Crated in 2011 by one of my favorite noses Rodrigo Flores-Roux who is also known for his beautiful works for Carlos Huber's Arquiste line. A few of his creations being among my favorites are Fleur de Louis and Flor y Canto which I have reviewed previously. Also I have a weakness for the stunning Oeillet Bengale by Aedes de Venustas and so many more. He is a truly great modern olfactory artist.
(Rodrigo Flores-Roux)
What he has created her is a lush voluptuous romantic poem of superlative blending, a perfume that opens with the clear rose hues of dawn and flowers into the full rush of dazzling Jasmin, amber and leather beauty. Exotic and enticing it floats and flows about the body like an entwining spell. It has a classism that speaks to me and that I have not found in many Tom Ford presentations.
The opening is bright with bergamot, and mandarin. These citrus notes are sprinkled with the king of ancient spices, cinnamon, and a springy sharpened ginger note. Upon his lively opening is added an aromatic cardamom, black and white pepper top of the top with a zing.
In the mid notes we have the eponymous Jasmine. This is a Sambac Jasmine that comes from the Himalayas. This sweet flower from Nepal, India and Bhutan is also used in tea. Here in Jasmine Rouge the white flower, the queen of perfumery is married with exotic yellow ylang ylang, golden Spanish Broom, neroli blossoms that keep the bright glow of the opening going along with the aid of a dry Clary Sage. Arberous, leathery and with a hint of lavender this Clary Sage sets us up for what is to come. This blending brings out sense of high drama in low tones, it whispers promises and desires too deep to explore and yet draws you onward to the denouement of the fragrance.
The base is brilliant. The voluptuous sensuality of a ripe labdanum is rubbed deep into the almost boozy amber. Warmed by the skin the leather here is thick and sensual and rises with the pulse point heat to warm a rich delectable Mexican Vanilla…and still there is the hint of cinnamon that only enriches the entire dry down. There is an infusion of arid wood notes that give the perfume a decidedly austere and very elegant finale.
The longevity for me is about 6 hours at full bloom and then becomes a skin scent for another six hours, I put it on at 6 p.m. on my last wearing and the next morning at 6 a.m. the fragrance still lingered on my wrists. The sillage is moderate at about 18 inches. It becomes a skin scent me at about two hours.
Overall a delightful sexy experience can be found here in Jasmin Rouge. Strong enough for a femme fatal and butch enough or her intended hero.
FOR PART SIX OF THE STORY GO TO: HANGING AROUND
Categories: FRAGRANCE, Men's cologne, storytime, uni-sex fragrance, Women's Perfume . Tags: fragrance review, jasmin rouge, Lily Chu, Perfume, PERFUME REVIEW, TOM FORD, uni-sex fragrance, women's perfume . Author: laniersmith . Comments: 3 Comments


text:
Q: Updating multiple rows from PDO fetch query I understand to call and update since rows using prepared statements but I'm having trouble understanding how to update multiple records.
I have a simple attendance register with a select box to define if they attended or not. I call the rows in a table format:
<form method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>">

            Name
            Attendance

    <?php if($Event_list->rowCount() > 0) {
    foreach ($Event_list->fetchAll() as $Event_list_row) { ?>

                <?php echo ucwords($Event_list_row['firstname'])." ".ucwords($Event_list_row['surname']); ?>

                <input type="hidden" name="id" value="<?php echo $Event_list_row['booking_id']; ?>">
                <select name="outcome">
                    <option value="0">Choose</option>
                    <option value="1">Yes</option>
                    <option value="2">No</option>
                </select>

    <?php } } ?>

<input type="submit" value="Update" name="update">
</form>

I thought I could just use foreach again to update each record, but clearly I'm doing something wrong:
if(isset($_POST["update"])) {

    $Update_ID = $_POST["id"];
    $Update_Outcome = $_POST["outcome"];

    foreach($_POST['id'] as $count => $id) {
        $Attendance_Update_SQL = "
        UPDATE event_booking SET
        `confirmed`= :outcome
        WHERE `id`= :id";
        $Attendance_Update = $dbconn->prepare($Attendance_Update_SQL);
        $Attendance_Update->bindParam(':id', $Update_ID[$count], PDO::PARAM_STR);
        $Attendance_Update->bindParam(':outcome', $Update_Outcome[$count], PDO::PARAM_STR);
        if($Attendance_Update->execute()) {
        // Add in success message?
        }
    }
}

I get the following error:
Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach()
relating to the foreach row

A: Quick Fix:
rename name="id" to name="id[]"
rename name="outcome" to name="outcome[]"
Note: this syntax and reliance on index is problematic when you add checkbox types to a form.

Ok, the biggest problem is your input names are going to conflict
eg <select name="outcome"> will only set the last records outcome from your form.
I would use var_dump($_POST) to understand your post data
Suggestion, rename your "name" attributes as name="record[id][property]"...
<select name="record[<?php echo $Event_list_row['booking_id']; ?>][outcome]">
  <option value="0">Choose</option>
  <option value="1">Yes</option>
  <option value="2">No</option>
</select>

You would then use
foreach( $_POST['record'] as $id => $data )

where $id and $data['outcome'] is now clearer to understand and use.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A $30 million piece of Adelphia Communications Corp.'s Hilton Head "B" loan was auctioned off in the 82-821/2 range. The buyer and seller of the paper could not be determined. A few dealers believed that the price where the loan traded was a bit aggressive. The paper had been quoted previously in the 80-82 range and it was surprising that a piece of such size could get done on the offered side of that market, noted one dealer.
The Hilton Head facility is one of the facilities to which the Rigas family's co-borrowing arrangements is attached. One trader noted that the loan was "mired in that mess." Vanessa Wittman, Adelphia's cfo, could not be reached by press time.


text:
Q: OpenCV + Python | Multiple object tracking I'm working on a project and I really can't reach a solution. My goal is to track some circular objects of the same color (red) in a video. My current pipeline is:

*

*Convert each frame from BGR to HSV

*Threshold the image using inRange() function

*Some morph operations like erode(), dilate(), blur()

*Find contours and then some infos like area, centroid etc...

*Draw contours on the original frame

*Save the new centroid position in every frame (in a python dictionary)

The problems are:

*

*The result is a little noisy

*I can't give an identity to each object (there are problems when two object come in contact, or when an object disappears and then reappears etc...)

I would be grateful if someone has some suggestions on what's the best way to procees and how can I change pipeline (e.g. using Kalman Filter, Camshift or other algorithms). I'm not a CV expert, so please be patient. Thanks a lot
--EDIT--
The objects are moving slow, and the tracking will be referred to long periods (even hours).
The main question is: how can I "see" these slow, circular objects and insert them in a data structure in a way that e.g. circle 1 is always and forever circle 1 and has always its own characteristics?


text:
Home/1980s/Music – 1984 – All American Olympic Band – Star Spangled Banner – At L A Olympics Closing Ceremony
1980s1984 L A OlympicsABCMusicOlympic Closing CeremoniesOlympicsPatriotic MusicStar Spangled Banner
Music – 1984 – All American Olympic Band – Star Spangled Banner – At L A Olympics Closing Ceremony
L EMarch 14, 2020
When I began to post this video seen herewith…..wherein the All American Olympic Band ….which is made up of 800 marching band musicians from all 50 States of the United States of America….who performed at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies….and many times in between the two…..at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games….that is when I called our Bone Daddy, the original Sportsphile, to inquire what it was like to be in the Los Angeles Coliseum for the Closing Ceremonies, and hearing this enormous band play our National Anthem…..and his comment was one word….AWESOME!!…as per his words…."the sound presented by the 800 strong All American Olympic marching band while playing the Star Spangled Banner penetrated every one of the 78,492 Olympic fans in their seats…..with notes of patriotism which suffused the hearts of every American". Bone Daddy then put the "cherry on top of the sundae" by saying he had only experienced the same level of patriotism when he was commissioned as an officer in the U S Army in 1970.
Music - 1981 - Willie Nelson - Stay A Little Longer - Honky Tonk Introduction To Austin City Limits
Music - 1984 - All American Olympic Band - Star Spangled Banner - Mary Lou Retton Medal Ceremony
MLB – 1985 All Star Game – With Vin Scully & Joe Garagiola & Bob Costas
TV Ads – 1984 – AT&T Fiber Optics & Sprite Soda
Cycling – 1987 – Tour De France – Special – CBSs Phil Liggett On The Casualties Of The 1987 Tour
TV Ads – 1984 – ABC Promo For Matt Houston + Keeblers Soft Batch Cookies + Jr Jack In The Box To Go
Music – 1981 – Ed Bruce & The Tennessee Cowboys – Holding Back The Time – Performed Live At ACL

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Get the latest Cobra Tour Visor which are available in three great colours; black, white and yellow. This cap is a fitted cap that fits all sizes. It is a dry knit fabric, breathable & lightweight with an attractive 3D Cobra logo branding in the centre.


Now it's turning into a cry for More MARTA in metro Atlanta.
MARTA board Chairman Robbie Ashe described the significance of the moment – noting that not so long ago, communities were fighting to keep MARTA out of their areas.
And the City of Atlanta also wants more than the $2.7 billion the additional half-penny sales tax is expected to generate over the next 40 years.
"This is an important day for the City of Atlanta," said Ashe, who became emotional when talking about the eight-year journey it took to get MARTA to where it is today. Ashe then credited former MARTA general manager Beverly Scott for hiring a consulting firm to do a MARTA audit and her successor – Keith Parker – reversing the transit agencies financial challenges by adding to its reserves, operating in the black and not raising fares.
Although $2.7 billion sounds like a lot of money, it falls short of the desires of people living in the City of Atlanta. As passed by the MARTA board on Oct. 4, the plan calls for the building of 22 miles of Light Rail Transit (LRT), 14 miles of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and 26 miles of Arterial Rapid Transit (ART).
It would invest $570 million in transit along the Atlanta BeltLine; $350 million for the Clifton Corridor line; $600 million for transit in Southeast and Southwest Atlanta – primarily for light rail along Campbellton Road; $553 million to extend the Atlanta Streetcar and connect it to the Atlanta BeltLine and the Eastside and Westside trails; $200 million for station enhancements; and $238 million to improve the bus system.
But if more money could be invested within the city limits, some of the BRT lines could be converted to rail and some of the more frequent bus service known as ART could become BRT.
Currently, people paying sales taxes in the City of Atlanta are investing more in MARTA than any other jurisdiction, and that still isn't enough to quench the thirst people have for transit.
It's no wonder that residents in DeKalb County – especially South DeKalb, are frustrated that they still don't have a MARTA rail line extending along the I-20 corridor. Residents feel as though they have been shortchanged by MARTA despite having paid the penny sales tax since the early 1970s.
Jeff Parker, MARTA's general manager and CEO, clearly heard that frustration.
"We as an agency recognize there's a huge desire for transit in DeKalb County," Parker said.
Until Clayton County opted into the MARTA system in 2014, the sales tax collected in Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties went into one big pot. Clayton helped set a precedent that the money generated by its penny sales tax would be invested in the county.
The agreement with Gwinnett makes that relationship even more explicit. (Gwinnett voters will have an opportunity to join the MARTA system during a special election on March 19). The money generated by a Gwinnett penny sales tax will be invested primarily in Gwinnett County (although a significant portion will be allocated to MARTA being able to maintain a "state-of-good repair" of its existing system).
That's why the stage is being set for DeKalb to up its MARTA ante by another half-penny so it can get the additional transit service it desperately wants. DeKalb County currently is conducting an analysis of its transit priorities – which could be a South DeKalb rail line or a Clifton Corridor rail line connecting MARTA's Lindbergh Station with its Avondale station.
North Fulton, South Fulton and Cobb County are lagging behind – slow to jump on the MARTA expansion train. But it's only a matter of time before those areas welcome increased investment in transit. The longer it takes for them to come on board, the more they will fall behind other parts of the region that are willing to provide alternative modes of transportation.
But the greatest shortfall related to transit is happening at the state level.
MARTA remains the largest transit system in the United States to receive little to no operating support from its home state.
Imagine how much farther we would be if the State of Georgia had been a full partner in MARTA and transit throughout the state.
"If new pots of money become available, we obviously would pursue it," Ashe said when asked about possible state funding.
It has been encouraging to have Gov. Nathan Deal recognize the state has a role in transit, but so far it's been limited to one-time bond funding and to the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority's Xpress buses that offer commuter services for suburban counties.
Maybe one day – sooner rather than later – we'll be able to supplement the local investments in transit with significant contributions from the state.
As the cries for More MARTA and more transit grow louder in the region and across Georgia, the state might shift its priorities from just road and bridges to alternative transportation modes.
From my perspective, that can't happen soon enough.


As you reach the campus you find a blend of the modern and the serene, a unique setting that houses XLRI; one of the oldest and best known B-Schools in Asia. Jamshedpur, the heart of the Tata empire, a planned city with the best of facilities and a throbbing campus life wmhich envelopes you and carries you on a journey that will redefine you and what life means to you in your new avatar; you realize that you are now an XLer!!
The heady concoction of seriousness and fun, makes you realize that life is best lived in an environment where the best in the country mingle. The professors, who are the very best in the country, add vigor and wit to their classes. You would never have realized that learning can be so much fun. The XL culture, developed over generations has a living spirit of its own. The sixteen committees have something for everyone and when everything on campus is managed by the students, you realize you are learning as much outside the class as inside.
The social responsibility exhibited by this institute has been exemplary over the years. You will undergo a village exposure trip and also an adventure camp by Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF). The team spirit and enthusiasm will show you just how important it is to build partnerships and by the time you return, you will have learnt the true meaning of commitment and selfless leadership.
As days pass by you realize that the faculty, students and non teaching staff are one big family. No, the "dog eat dog world" syndrome of corporate life certainly is absent here. The entire family celebrates festivals together. In fact by the time one passes out, there are probably as many faculty members that you count as friends as your fellow students. And you realize how great it is to soak in the spirit of youth as you see the enthusiasm of these teachers, both young and old.
As you get into the depths of management studies, you are given the invaluable opportunity of learning by doing. The MAXI fair, India's best known marketing festival gives you a chance to work on live branding and customer behavior projects. With its unparalled access to both the urban and the rural markets, MAXI fair has proved to be a breeding ground for some of India's biggest success stories such as Kurkure, Nestle, Coke, HLL and ITC.
And don't think that's all there is in store for you. The XL-IIMC sports meet is the stuff of legends, with the two colleges visiting each other alternately every year and that's when you will realize that "Alls' fair in love, war and the XL-IIMC meet!" The event is such a memorable experience that XL alumni who have passed out 20 years ago send good luck messages and host parties to celebrate victories.
As you pass into the second year you realize just how much change has occurred in you over the last year. There is a spring in your step and you know you will approach the corporate world with the confidence of a leader. XLRI has a great mix of academic programs, with the option of taking a dual specialization, Finance and Economics for example. The tough part is choosing which electives to take, for we have a problem of plenty, a host of electives in marketing, finance, systems and to add to that the maximum no of electives in subjects as diverse as Organizational Behavior.
beyond the excellent jobs that you will get, something that will make you feel proud over the years and will make you connect to compatriots and the college for decades, nay, for life! The XLRI Alumni Homecoming, an annual event is as emotional for the teachers as it is for the students who revisit their alma mater as they recollect and relive the memories of the past.
We can wax lyrical about XL for eternity, but the experience has to be lived, to be soaked in. WE hope that this will have given you a glimpse of the road ahead, and hope to have you share this experience next year.
gud post but hey, how does this qualify as "News and latest Updates"??????????
thats rite.. it doesnt really qualify.. but i guess here its ok cos its such a great post..


Time for a little grunt work today! The time domain for the EMOM is ideally 40 seconds of work (max) and the remainder of the minute as rest/transition. Make sure you are picking the proper rep scheme and calories that will provide for that rest so we can maximize the effectiveness of this WOD. For the pull ups, if you are using a band, pick a thinner band than you would normally use as these pull ups should be a little on the difficult side. DB C&J will be 6 on each side.


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Kuwait is a country in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait is located at the far northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf. Kuwait is 17,820 square kilometres in size. At its most distant points, it is about  north to south, and  east to west. Kuwait has 10 islands. Kuwait's area consists mostly of desert.

Boundaries and geographic features

As previously mentioned, Kuwait borders the Persian Gulf with  of coast. Within its territory are ten islands, two of which, Bubiyan (the largest) and Warbah, are strategically important.

Kuwait's most prominent geographic feature is Kuwait Bay (Jun al Kuwayt), which indents the shoreline for about forty kilometers, providing natural protection for the port of Kuwait, and accounts for nearly one third of the country's shoreline.

To the north and northwest, there is the historically contested border between Kuwait and Iraq. Although the Iraqi government, which had first asserted a claim to rule Kuwait in 1938, recognized the borders with Kuwait in 1963 (based on agreements made earlier in the century), it continued to press Kuwait for control over Bubiyan and Warbah islands through the 1960s and 1970s.

To the south and southwest, Kuwait shares a 250-km border with Saudi Arabia. The boundary between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia was set by the Treaty of Al Uqayr in 1922, which also established the Saudi–Kuwaiti neutral zone of 5,700 square kilometers between the two nations. In 1966, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia agreed to divide the neutral zone; the partitioning agreement making each country responsible for administration in its portion was signed in December 1969. The resources in the area, now known as the Divided Zone, are not affected by the agreement. The oil from onshore and offshore fields continues to be shared equally between the two countries.

In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and, shortly thereafter, formally incorporated the entire country into Iraq. Under United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 687, after the restoration of Kuwaiti sovereignty in 1991, a UN commission undertook formal demarcation of the borders on the basis of those agreed to in 1963. The boundary was demarcated in 1992. Iraq initially refused to accept the commission's findings but ultimately accepted them in November 1994.

Climate

Kuwait has an arid climate. Rainfall in the nation varies from  a year. Actual rainfall has ranged from  a year to as much as . In summer, average daily high temperatures range from ; the highest ever temperature recorded in Kuwait was  at Mitribah on 21 July 2016 which is the highest recorded temperature in Asia and also the third highest in the world. The summers are relentlessly long, punctuated mainly by dramatic dust storms in June and July when northwesterly winds cover the cities in sand. In late summer, which is more humid, there are occasional sharp, brief thunderstorms.

By November summer is over, and colder winter weather sets in, dropping temperatures to as low as  at night; daytime temperatures are in the upper 20s °C (upper 70s to low 80s °F). Frost rarely occurs; rain is more common and falls mostly in the spring.

Kuwait's winter is colder than in other Persian Gulf countries, such as Bahrain, Qatar or United Arab Emirates. Kuwait experiences colder weather because it is situated farther north, and because of cold winds blowing from upper Iraq and Iran.

Nature reserves
At present, there are five protected areas in Kuwait recognized by the IUCN. In response to Kuwait becoming the 169th signatory of the Ramsar Convention, Bubiyan Island's Mubarak al-Kabeer reserve was designated as the country's first Wetland of International Importance. The 50,948 ha reserve consists of small lagoons and shallow salt marshes and is important as a stop-over for migrating birds on two migration routes. The reserve is home to the world's largest breeding colony of crab-plover.

Biodiversity

Currently, 444 species of birds have been recorded in Kuwait, 18 species of which breed in the country. Due to its location at the head of the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Tigris–Euphrates river, Kuwait is situated at the crossroads of many major bird migration routes and between two and three million birds pass each year. Kuwait's marine and littoral ecosystems contain the bulk of the country's biodiversity heritage. The marshes in northern Kuwait and Jahra have become increasingly important as a refuge for passage migrants.

Twenty eight species of mammal are found in Kuwait; animals such as gerboa, desert rabbits and hedgehogs are common in the desert. Large carnivores, such as the wolf, caracal and jackal, are longer present. Among the endangered mammalian species are the red fox and wild cat. Forty reptile species have been recorded although none are endemic to Kuwait.

Kuwait, Oman and Yemen are the only locations where the endangered smoothtooth blacktip shark is confirmed as occurring.

Kuwaiti islands are important breeding areas for four species of tern and the socotra cormorant. Kubbar Island has been recognised an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding colony of white-cheeked terns.

Geology and aquifers

The land was formed in a recent geologic era. In the south, limestone rises in a long, north-oriented dome that lies beneath the surface. It is within and below this formation that the principal oil fields, Kuwait's most important natural resource, are located. In the west and north, layers of sand, gravel, silt, and clay overlie the limestone to a depth of more than 210 meters. The upper portions of these beds are part of a mass of sediment deposited by a great wadi whose most recent channel was the Wadi al Batin, the broad shallow valley forming the western boundary of the country.

On the western side of the Al Rawdatayn geological formation, a freshwater aquifer was discovered in 1960 and became Kuwait's principal water source. The supply is insufficient to support extensive irrigation, but it is tapped to supplement the distilled water supply that fills most of the country's needs. The only other exploited aquifer lies in the permeable zone in the top of the limestone of the Ash Shuaybah field south and east of the city of Kuwait. Unlike water from the Al Rawdatayn aquifer, water from the Ash Shuaybah aquifer is brackish. Millions of liters a day of this water are pumped for commercial and household purposes.

Water and marshes
Kuwait is part of the Tigris–Euphrates river system basin. Several Tigris–Euphrates confluences form parts of the Kuwait–Iraq border. Bubiyan Island is part of the Shatt al-Arab delta. Kuwait is partially part of the Mesopotamian Marshes. Kuwait does not currently have any permanent rivers within its territory. However, Kuwait does have several wadis, the most notable of which is Wadi al-Batin which forms the border between Kuwait and Iraq. Kuwait also has several river-like marine channels around Bubiyan Island, most notably Khawr Abd Allah which is now an estuary, but once was the point where the Shatt al-Arab emptied into the Persian Gulf. Khawr Abd Allah is located in southern Iraq and northern Kuwait, the Iraq-Kuwait border divides the lower portion of the estuary, but adjacent to the port of Umm Qasr the estuary becomes wholly Iraqi. It forms the northeast coastline of Bubiyan Island and the north coastline of Warbah Island.

Kuwait relies on water desalination as a primary source of fresh water for drinking and domestic purposes. There are currently more than six desalination plants. Kuwait was the first country in the world to use desalination to supply water for large-scale domestic use. The history of desalination in Kuwait dates back to 1951 when the first distillation plant was commissioned.

Kuwait's fresh water resources are limited to groundwater, desalinated seawater, and treated wastewater effluents. There are three major municipal wastewater treatment plants. Most water demand is currently satisfied through seawater desalination plants. Sewage disposal is handled by a national sewage network that covers 98% of facilities in the country.

Human geography
The bulk of the Kuwaiti population lives in the coastal capital of the city of Kuwait. Smaller populations inhabit the nearby city of Al Jahrah, smaller desert and coastal towns, and, prior to the Persian Gulf War, some of the several nearby gulf islands, notably Faylakah.

Area boundaries
 Area
 Total: 17,818 km²
 Land: 17,818 km²
 Water: 0 km²
 Area—comparative
 Slightly smaller than Fiji
 Land boundaries
 Total: 475 km
 Border countries: Iraq 254 km, Saudi Arabia 221 km
 Coastline
 499 km
 Maritime claims
 Exclusive Economic Zone
 Territorial sea:
 Elevation extremes
 Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
 Highest point: Mutla Ridge 306 m

Resources and land use
 Natural resources
 Petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
 Land use
 Arable land: 0.6%
 Permanent crops: 0.3%
 Permanent pasture: 7.6%
 Forest: 0.4%
 Other: 91.1% (2011)
 Irrigated land
 86 km² (2007)
 Total renewable water resources
 0.02 km3 (2011)
 Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
 Total: 0.91 km3/yr (47%/2%/51%)
 Per capita: 441.2 m3/yr (2005)

Environmental concerns

 Natural hazards
 Sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April – they bring heavy rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August
 Environment—current issues
 Limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification
 Environment—international agreements
 Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea

References

Attribution:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We are close to finishing our book, which means we have been thinking a lot of about the 1960s and the foreign boats showing up off the coast of Oregon and Washington, as Bob Hitz has told us about. More specifically, I've been thinking about subsidies to encourage the development of fishing, and one of them was the hake plant at Aberdeen, Washington.
Soviet factory trawlers were off Alaska in 1959 and they moved steadily south, catching our poster fish, Pacific Ocean Perch, or POP. And when the POP was gone–in less than a decade–the Soviets moved to another plentiful West Coast fish, Pacific hake. Dr. Donald Gunderson has provided us with a song called "The Ballad of the Hake," written by Herb Shippen.
of attention by the federal government, which wanted to turn them into Fish Protein Concentrate, or FPC.
The idea was to take low quality, cheap fish and turn them into a dried product that could be stored without refrigeration and used to alleviate malnutrition. The objective was to create a universally accepted, greyish-white, odorless, tasteless product, that could be used to supplement nutrition in Third World countries.
It was a high-technology enterprise, reflecting massive amounts of capital, energy, and expertise, all of which were lacking in the developing world where it was going to be deployed. It was costly to produce, only provided a supplement to nutrition, and ignored that some developing nations had no history or culture around eating fish. In a flush of enthusiasm, an experimental plant was build in Aberdeen, Washington, and a dozen trawl boats were paid to catch hake and deliver it to the new plant. One of them was our old friend, George Moskovita.
NcNeely go ahead and plan some brand new gear.
It filled the Cobb's reel right up to the sides.
But all we got was lantern fish and cod.
This entry was posted in Carmel Finley, Cold War, Dayton Lee Alverson, Environmental History, Fisherie subsidies, Fisheries policy, fisheries science, George Moskovita, History of Science, History of Technology, Marine Policy, Maritime History, Ocean fishing, Pacific Fishing History Project, Soviet environmental history, Soviet fishing, World History and tagged Bob Hitz, George Moskovita, groundfish, Pacific hake, trawling. Bookmark the permalink.
in regards to the Ballad of the Hake, I think the fellow from Gig Harbor was John Puratich.
Also in your history of Pacific Coast fisheries don't forget the Dogfish and Soupfin shark fisheries.
You are probably right, Ed. And Bob has written about dogfish and I have written about the shark fishery, just search for George Moskovita.


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Made in Gilgit Project Closing Ceremony 9th May 2017, Lok Virsa, Islamabad
The National Productivity Organization (NPO) has organized Closing Ceremony of Made in Gilgit project on 9th May 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in Lok Virsa, Islamabad. The ceremony was organized under "Made in Gilgit" project of the USAID Small Grants and Ambassador's Fund Program.
Honorable Mr. Iqbal Hassan, Minister for Planning, Development and Information, Gilgit Baltistan was Chief Guest of the Closing Ceremony.
Honorable Mr. Jaffarullah, Deputy Speaker, Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly was also invited to the closing ceremony.
Mr. Abdul Ghaffar Khattak, CEO, NPO gave a welcome note. He thanked honorable Mr. Iqbal Hassan, Minister for Planning, Development and Information, Gilgit Baltistan and Mr. Jaffarullah, Deputy Speaker, Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly for gracing the occasion with their presence. He shared that through these exhibitions people of Lahore and Islamabad were also able to know about the culture of Gilgit and their products.
He said that it is the closing ceremony of the project but it is a new beginning for these crafts persons as it has provided them an opportunity for linkages development and introduce their products in other areas of Pakistan. He emphasized that the Made in Gilgit project is a stepping stone to a future for the SMEs of Gilgit Baltistan. Which will also provide local workforce, financial contribution and economic stability as well as create jobs. He assured to continue supporting these entrepreneurs after completion of the project by providing training and skills building for improving their income and providing livelihood opportunities.
Mr. Sher Nabi, Coordinator, Gilgit Baltistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GBCCI) presented his views on behalf of the GBCCI. He emphasized that GBCCI will continue supporting these beneficiaries even after completion of the project as Gilgit Baltistan has an emerging market globally but due to lack of support from the respective forums it is facing difficulties to represent the local crafts/products to the national and International market. He requested the government to provide support to GBCCI to become more effective for business community in the Gilgit
Remarks by Deputy Speaker, Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly
Mr. Jaffar Ullah, Deputy Speaker, Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly in his remarks appreciated NPO and USAID for executing this kind of project for the people of Gilgit Baltistan and provided them a platform to introduce their crafts to National and Internationally markets. He said that Gilgit Baltistan has abundant of natural resources e.g. gemstones which can be introduced to other markets of the world. Most of these gemstones are in raw form if trainings for value addition provided to the people of Gilgit Baltistan then it can help them improve their income manifold. Similarly, fruits and dry fruits can also be exported to other areas of Pakistan and to other countries if packaging and handling of fruits is improved.
He thanked NPO for inviting him on the closing ceremony and a visit to the stalls of crafts persons of Gilgit.
Closing Remarks by the Chief Guest Minister for Planning, Development and Information, Gilgit Baltistan
Honorable Mr. Iqbal Hassan, Minister for Planning, Development and Information, Gilgit Baltistan was Chief Guest of the Closing Ceremony. He thanked NPO for inviting him as a Chief Guest for Made in Gilgit Project closing ceremony. In his closing remarks he said that Gilgit Baltistan is very rich in natural resources and government of Gilgit Baltistan is initiating new projects to enhance the capabilities of people to obtain maximum output from the available resources.
He said that development of China Pakistan Economic Corridor will open new doors for people of the Gilgit Baltistan and provide them a number of opportunities to export their products across borders. Which will in return provide local workforce, financial contribution and economic stability as well as create jobs. He added that it is only the beginning of our long journey.
In his concluding remarks he highly appreciated the commendable efforts of NPO and USAID for providing a platform and marketing opportunities to entrepreneurs of Gilgit Baltistan.
Shields Distribution Ceremony
Shields distribution ceremony was held at the end of the program to appreciate the efforts of all 35 entrepreneurs, their participation in the Made in Gilgit project and exhibitions in Lahore and Islamabad. Mr. Iqbal Hassan, Mr. Jaffarullah and Mr. Abdul GhaffarKhattak presented shields to all participants.
Mr. Iqbal Hassan, Minister for Planning, Development and Information, Gilgit Baltistan is being received by Mr. Abdul GhaffarKhattak, CEO, NPO and taking round of exhibitors stalls.
Mr. Jaffarullah, Deputy Speaker, Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly arrival
Cultural activities during Closing Ceremony
Head table from left to right: Mr. Abdul Ghaffar Khattak, CEO, NPO, Mr. Iqbal Hassan, Minister for Planning, Development and Information, Gilgit Baltistan and Mr. Jaffarullah, Deputy Speaker, Gigit Baltistan Legislative Assembly


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text:
Weekly Update - A Game-Changer for Europe
One of the major breakthroughs over the summer months has been the July 21 conclusion of a five-day European Council summit which gave the green light to the EU recovery fund. What is the outlook now for the region's economies? And what does this mean for markets?
In the run-up to the summit, German chancellor Angela Merkel had sounded cautious, stating that more time would probably be needed for the 27 EU members to reach agreement on the package, given the stiff resistance from the "frugal four" of Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden. However, the balance of power had shifted in favour of a deal when Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron agreed to €500bn in grants financed by joint borrowing at their May 18 summit. Previously, Germany had espoused budget austerity and remained hostile to any form of burden-sharing. What had changed?
First, the coronavirus pandemic represented a "black swan" event – unexpected with severe consequences – which hit all euro zone members indiscriminately. Second, weaker members like Italy and Spain, with less resources to respond, were much harder hit through no fault of their own. Third, Germany rapidly jettisoned its "schwarze null" aversion to deficit spending as COVID-19 hit, pushing through fiscal support measures representing some 8.3% of GDP. And fourth, Merkel realised that Germany would be unable to exit its deep downturn if large partners – and export markets – in Southern Europe remained mired in recession. The European Commission then built its own proposal, adding €250bn in loans to the package which was then submitted to the mid-July Council summit. In the event, the broad outlines of the proposal were approved. However, the proportion of grants was cut from €500bn to €390bn in deference to frugal four opposition. Does this matter?
Of course, the €110bn cut in grants looks like a heavy defeat for Merkel and Macron. However, we should bear in mind that the frugal four originally opposed any handouts at all. Moreover, with borrowing costs close to zero, there is little need for core euro zone countries to apply for recovery fund loans, leaving more available for periphery borrowers. In addition, the interest payable on the loans will be determined by EU borrowing costs, thereby substantially cutting interest charges versus typical issuance by Italy and Spain. Finally, the Netherlands and its allies did not win the desired veto on disbursements to countries which are slow to reform, thus reducing the conditionality which was feared by periphery borrowers. But will the package be enough? The total fund represents some 5.4% of EU GDP, but will of course be heavily skewed to benefit the periphery. Italy, for example, is likely to receive around 4.5% of its GDP in grants and an additional 5.5% in cheap loans while for Spain the totals could be 6.3% and 7.6% respectively. This represents a dramatic improvement on domestic support measures which only amount to 3.6% of GDP in Italy and 2.9% in Spain. The package should reduce the growth gap between the core and the periphery.
Beyond the direct economic impact, the recovery fund has great symbolic importance for the European Union – the bond issuance by the Commission on behalf of the EU establishes a precedent for joint borrowing, opens the path towards an eventual fiscal union and establishes a new bond benchmark for the euro zone. The skew towards the periphery should also help weaken some of the anti-EU sentiment in countries like Italy.
Bottom line. The recovery fund will be a game-changer for the region. Combined with EU members' success in bringing the first wave of the pandemic under control and gradually reopening their economies, it should strengthen economic recovery prospects, spark further outperformance of the euro against the dollar and encourage investors to rebuild positions in euro zone equity markets.