text:
Boring Stories or Boring Storytellers?
At the recommendation of my friend Amy, I started and then quickly devoured the podcast, "Missing Richard Simmons". That is not a statement I ever expected I would say. The flamboyant fitness icon's rise to fame started before I was born and many of his biggest years were when I was still young. I was not a fan of his nor a dissenter. Just indifferent.
But as seems to happen often in today's podcast and binge-worthy TV era, I once again found myself sucked into something I did not expect. What made the possible disappearance of someone I'd never really paid attention to worth three hours of my time to hear the whole series?
It bought me to ask what constitutes something that is interesting, or has the ability to be? A portion of an interview with Jamie Foxx I've listened to multiple times, in which he talks about his early days on "In Living Color" came to mind. At one point he said to the show's producer, Keenen Ivory Wayans, "Keenen, these jokes aren't funny." Wayans, who had worked with comedic legends like Eddie Murphy said to the cast, "There's no such thing as a joke that isn't funny. You have to find what's funny in there and dig it out."
Could Wayans' comment about finding "the funny" in jokes apply in a similar manner to making stories compelling? Without question, some stories likely write themselves but is it possible when one is persistent and creative to figure out how to tell just about anything in a way that makes people want to know more?
The final point as I think about the possibility of any story being potentially interesting is that it will never be everybody's favorite. There are people out there who don't like or aren't interested in "Stranger Things" or "Breaking Bad". But maybe, just maybe, its about searching for a small audience who will resonate with the story you want to tell.


This is an easy recipe for the big game or a snack for the kids. You'll score big, it's always a winner!
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Cut thawed puff pastry into 24 equal-sized rectangle pieces (eg 6 rows across, 4 rows up).
Take one chunk of cheese and wrap with 2 slices of pepperoni. Top each rectangle of puff pastry with a pepperoni wrapped cheese; repeat until remaining ingredients are used. Press edges of puff pastry around filling to seal. With a pastry brush, lightly coat rolls with milk and then roll in crushed ranch-flavored potato chips. Place seam side down on large baking sheet.
Bake approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.


The Filippa K Drawstring Rib Sweater is cropped with a loose fit. The Soft sport sweater has a drawstring detail at the bottom and a open neck both at front and back.
The Filippa K Ribbed Cool-down Shorts is a high waist shorts with elastic and drawstrings at the waist. The shorts has side pockets and a loose fit.
The Filippa K Seamless strap top is perfect for a work-out. The top is breathable, has adjustable straps and inner bra support.
The Filippa K Soft Sport Racer Short is a lightweight running short with a drawstring waist and invisible zip at the back. The Racer Shorts is made of 30% renewable bio polyester.
The Filippa K Soft Sport Racer Jacket is a lightweight running jacket with adjustable hood opening. The Racer Jacket is made of 30% renewable bio polyester.
The Relaxed Felpa sweater is a loose fit crew neck with pleat details at the shoulders. Made of the sustainable lyocell/cotton blend Perfect for both leisure and running.


LockKeepers invites you our Holiday Lighting Ceremony.
The Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Open House are scheduled for Saturday, November 24th from 6:00 PM until 8:30 PM.
The Cleveland Opera Theatre will delight us with Christmas Caroling and Santa will do the honors of "flipping the switch" promptly at 6:00.
Immediately following the Lighting Ceremony, everyone is invited to our "Holiday Open House" where everyone can enjoy hot chocolate, mulled wine and cider, and homemade cookies by our very own Pastry Elf, Rachel Rozsa. Santa will also be making an appearance inside.
Get ahead of the game and order your cookies for the holidays. Staff will be on hand to take orders for LockKeepers cookie trays.


text:
Intelligent CIO Kuwait
Kuwait International Airport adopts Microsoft Azure
AviationMore News
Mark Bowen | 22 January, 2019
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) adopts Microsoft Azure to transform data into actionable business intelligence and streamline airport operations.
Kuwait International Airport, an entity managed by the government's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has announced that it has adopted Microsoft Azure cloud solutions to streamline the airport's operations.
The move enables DGCA to drive Digital Transformation in every facet – engage passengers, empower employees, optimise operations and transform airport services.
Located 10 miles south of the city, Kuwait International Airport is home to a traffic of 13.7 million passengers annually, up by 17% since 2016.
The growing operations called for DGCA to modernise the airport into a new state-of-the-art facility that can handle 25 million passengers a year and provide a remarkable customer experience. To address these needs, DGCA decided to partner with Microsoft and bring technology at the heart of this effort keeping up with the continual changes in the aviation industry.
"The Government of Kuwait wants to better address issues that many international airports face: high traffic, long lines, and inefficient gate assignments," said Mohammad Al-Mutairi, IT Operations Manager of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
"Kuwait's aviation sector has undergone an orbit shift and has played a vital role in development of the economy. By implementing the latest Microsoft technology, the Kuwait International Airport will further enhance its servicing competences and drive transformation in the industry."
To handle an ever-increasing volume of flights and passengers, DGCA adopted the Microsoft Azure Cloud to gather, manage, and analyse airport data, and transform it into actionable business intelligence and data visualisations. This enables the airport's employees to avoid time-consuming manual data analysis tasks, and managers gain real-time information that they can use to streamline airport operations.
For example, leveraging Azure-based advanced data management capabilities, airport operations experts can now stream the information into Power BI dashboards, a business analytics tool that provides real-time information about the number of passengers, the number of airplanes they're flying on, the wait time at the airport, how many workers are needed to transfer luggage to what types of aircraft and the number of open ticket counters.
"Our employees are now empowered with the insights they need to make the best decisions possible, as quickly as possible," Al-Mutairi added. "Our mission is to give the right people everything they need to know 'right now,' to take the right action at Kuwait International Airport. The way Power BI brings together information in Azure Data Warehouse into one insightful, visually engaging experience – is better than anything manual methods could ever do."
Microsoft and DGCA have enjoyed a partnership for over two years to drive Digital Transformation in the aviation sector of the country. In 2016, the latter migrated 3,000 field workers to Microsoft Office 365, as well as implemented Microsoft Teams to improve collaboration, productivity and communication with and among field workers. In the near future, DGCA also plans to automate much of the decision-making process by using Azure Machine Learning, which will help amplify human ingenuity and reduce the risk of any possible errors.
"Every improvement in the airport's operation is an important milestone in the directorate's modernisation. We're optimising our airport's operations, which elevates our position compared to other airports, and that attracts more business. Microsoft cloud technology is helping to lift us to a higher level in the aviation industry," said Al-Mutairi.
Charles Nahas, General Manager, Microsoft Kuwait, said: "DGCA is one of the impressive examples of our customers that are truly leveraging technology to transform their operations and improve the services they provide.
"It is exciting to see how they are adopting the latest technologies and tools to drive change. In particular, the DGCA recognised the power of data as a strategic asset and leveraging the cloud to make more powerful and intelligent decisions. We are proud to support the Digital Transformation journey of DGCA and we stand forth to support the government of Kuwait in such crucial efforts.
"Microsoft appreciates the partnership with the government of Kuwait represented by the Central Agency for Information and Technology (CAIT) that allowed us to provide these Digital Transformation technologies to the government entities in country and the DGCA in specific."
Kuwait announces launch of $200mn technological funding
Boursa Kuwait signs MoU with college to promote Boursa Academy Online
Intelligent CIO Kuwait is a technology intelligence platform aimed at the enterprise IT sector to provide targeted updates and research driven data. As part of Lynchpin Media, this digital medium gives unparalleled advice to the regional community.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
E-Community 2.0 : The Goldilocks Principle
By Anne Dewvall
When Goldilocks visited the three bears' home in the forest, she was looking for "just right." Papa Bear's chair was enormous, Mama Bear's chair still too large, but Baby Bear's chair had just the right fit for Goldilocks. This tale may be a children's story, but it captures the purpose of the Entrepreneurship (E-) Community Partnership very well: NetWork Kansas wants to provide our partner communities with a "just right" fit of engagement, loan funding, and program support.
We officially launched what we refer to behind the scenes as "E-Community 2.0" in July 2018 after 18 months of development. Although there have been constant and incremental changes to the E-Community Partnership since its inception more than a decade ago, the updates we made to the program during the past year were significant enough we view it as a new product. The changes we made reflect a decade of partnership with Kansas communities, deep dive discussions and reflections as an E-Community team, and a constant cycle of input from our E-Community partners.
By working alongside our E-Community partners, we had uncovered some important facets of entrepreneurship ecosystem building that "worked" and knew we had some important tools that make a difference in our partner communities, like access to loan funds, local decision making on loans, the coaching and expertise of our staff, and financial and other support for entrepreneurship programs. We also knew that it was time to make some changes for the sustainability of the program – and this applies to NetWork Kansas as well as our partners.
Every change we made was rooted in experience and the result of long, thoughtful discussions and projections. I asked "what if" more times than I can count. Some of the changes we made, like moving from 61 individual loan fund accounts to 3 regional accounts, have been in operation for almost a year, which gave us even more experience on which to base further enhancements.
Some changes were probably long overdue, like the implementation of annual partnership agreements. E-Communities no longer have a lifetime membership (or a lifetime sentence, as I have heard joked more than once) and now a partner community has clear benefits and expectations for a single fiscal year. We hope this change frees E-Communities to focus on action, rather than hoarding loan funds for "someday" and gives long-term volunteer teams the chance to collectively recommit – or decide to opt out if the time is no longer right for E-Community to be a priority. Our early experience this year is proving both of those hopes true.
The big systemic shift that makes this "E-Community 2.0", though, has to do with Goldilocks. It was time to provide "just right" options for E-Communities. We created three levels of services and benefits, named, very cleverly, Levels 1, 2, and 3.
All three levels still "look" like an E-Community and provide access to E-Community loan funds, keep decision making on business loans at the local level, provide access to funding and best practices for entrepreneurship programs, and are supported through a close relationship with NetWork Kansas.
The levels offer differing amounts of access to these resources, as well as corresponding expectations for activity. An E-Community "Level" is determined by scoring the community's loan portfolio's performance over a four-year period and E-Community activity and engagement over a one-year period.
Whether a community falls at Level 3, 2, or 1, they are a NetWork Kansas E-Community and have access to a wealth of resources, support, and funding, ranging from loan fund access of $75,000 on up to $250,000 for the current fiscal year. Click here for a breakdown of the Summary of Benefits by Level.
I could write for pages about the changes we made and the reasoning behind them because I feel so passionately about the product we've created, but the message I hope I leave you with is this: Everything we do is based in experience, and is done with the intention of creating a sustainable resource for Kansas. E-Community 2.0 has been live for four months now, and we've already started meeting about how to continue to evolve the model for next fiscal year.
We're looking at E-Community 2.1, not 3.0, but we're excited to make this partnership even stronger. At our November E-Community team meeting, we talked about changes to the scoring system and the benefits, how to bring new E-Communities online, and what else we can do at NetWork Kansas to make sure we're doing our part with sustainability. We'll have more to share soon, but we're grateful for the support of our partners, without whom we could not offer that "just right" opportunity.
Summary of Benefits by Level
E-Community Partnership Structure


Recommended for QuickBooks Point of Sale 12.0.
High quality USB POS Components to be used with your quickbooks POS software.
Make the sale and track inventory all in one by scanning bar codes. No typing saves time and minimizes mistakes.
Print sales receipts, gift receipts and duplicate slips for credit card signature.
Process credit transactions quickly. One swipe enters info into the system where it's automatically submitted for approval.
Lockable drawer opens automatically when you enter a sale.
All components come with original 1 year manufacturer warranty.


text:
Q: Find ID within an excel cell containing multiples values separated by comma I'm trying to find an ID within an excel cell but this cell contains might contain one or multiples values (separated by comma), I've used the following formula but the problem is that only validates against the first value in the cell ignoring the rest (even ignoring the first one if the cell contains multiple values, due to comma next to it) which return incorrect results where the actual value to look for is an another position rather than the first one.
Current formula --> =NOT(ISERROR(MATCH(B2,A:A,0)))
Hope you can help.
Thanks.
Example tables

A: Here is another method that seems to work based on your description. ExcelJet: Cell contains specific text
Example Table with Formula

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In a blender, combine the soy sauce, honey, oil, zest, juice, garlic, ginger, sriracha sauce and salt.
Pour ½ c of the marinade into a small bowl and store in the fridge.
Add the chicken and remaining marinate into a zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Lightly oil a grill or pan and cook the skewers for 10 to 15 minutes, turning to brown each side.
Place the skewers on a serving plate.
Warm the ½ c of reserved marinade and pour over the skewers.
Serve garnished with cilantro and your choice of sides.


On Saturday, the 3rd 2011 opens the shop by Torsten Rathmann and Dirk HERBERG its doors in the district Mollen, Voerde / Niederrhein. The benefit of the business concept which is both independent and vendor neutral consulting by Torsten Rathmann and Dirk HERBERG. Dirk HERBERG, expert for building biological instrumentation, explains: us it's important only products that we have tested to offer. All materials are free of questionable ingredients, or the existing ingredients are specified. Also, we would like to inform many, often unknown properties. Lime plaster is active against mold and is very good for allergy sufferers. Perhaps check out NY Governor for more information.
Clay is a building material used by humans for over 4,000 years. It stores heat particularly well and perfectly regulates the humidity. Special clay plasters also have a protective effect against electromagnetic radiation." In business you can see application examples of the decorative effects with clay and lime as Wall – and ceiling plaster are possible. The design ranges from subtle natural colors for creative wall design. The range includes also products for preventive protection against ElectroSmog. Nourishing and cleansing agents for wood / Cork floors, tile / stone surfaces and linoleum/carpet floors complete the offer. The years of experience by Dirk comes to the product selection HERBERG as application engineers and building biologist VDB, so also the measurement and analysis of pollutants on site is possible.
Active construction (ACS) today confirmed the start of construction of a new climbing park in the grounds of the Adfunturepark leisure centre. Active construction (ACS) today confirmed the start of construction of a new climbing park in the grounds of the Adfunturepark leisure centre. After weeks of intense planning we finally", says Kess-Jan Verwaal, head of the Development Department of the Dutch company, focusing on the design and construction of innovative climbing plants for indoors and outdoors specialist has. Joel Bruinsma, a Managing Director of Adfunturepark, and if all goes right, the new facilities to the available end of November visitors' we wanted, a concept which fits our current range of halls and free air climbing"performs. We know the indoor climbing walls that built ACS in Germany,"added Jesse Oenema, Bruinsmas business partners.
We liked the approach there realized. In this respect, the selection was the for us Order company not hard."the project in Dokkum not just in putting together a course layout which is then installed in a Hall", Verwaal says. Our clients wanted to also have someone who could help them in establishing a parent theme for the existing indoor and outdoor climbing facilities. Very particularly because themed activities nowadays are much more attractive to customers than any more traditional approaches. Chance of finding a complete climbing experience customers want." The approach elaborated in this context also caught the attention of regional administration: Adventure Park is State-supported in the framework of the business support programme of the circle of Dokkum. "The city of Dokkum was from the outset fully on our side," says Jesse Oenema. "In the end we all have the same goal: Dokkum to bring back on the list with Holland's best outdoor leisure facilities." Active constructions: Active construction (ACS) is one of the leading manufacturers of natural climbing park in Europe and distributor of active forest ECO forest climbing park, as well as active challenge high rope gardens, climbing towers and playgrounds.


February 27, 2014 — The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) congratulates the Seattle Seahawks on their victory at Super Bowl XLVIII. According to experts at the F4CP, the good health and impressive athletic performance displayed by athletes can, in part, be attributed to the dedicated and diverse team of on-staff healthcare professionals, including team chiropractor, Jim Kurtz, DC.
Healthcare personnel who serve professional athletes and teams generally encompass medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic, physical therapists, certified athletic trainers, and support staff. Utilized by all 32 NFL teams, doctors of chiropractic are qualified to diagnose, treat and manage a broad spectrum of health conditions. For athletes, chiropractic helps reduce the risk of injuries, and improve health and performance through enhancements in range of motion, flexibility, muscle strength, and other key factors.


text:
Singapore outlook Part 3: long-haul growth is unlikely. LCC-led transfer growth is what's needed
Singapore Changi Airport and CAAS are trying to promote new long-haul flights and more transit traffic in response to a significant slowdown in passenger growth. Singapore is eager to drum up new sources of traffic or growth as it invests significantly in airport expansion which will prove to be overly ambitious if growth cannot be restored.
Incentivising transit traffic is logical as a growth in transit numbers, long a staple under Singapore's hub strategy, could help offset a recent drop in inbound visitor numbers. Following Kuala Lumpur's example, Singapore will probably need to focus on enhancing LCC transit traffic, an increasingly important segment which Changi has barely scratched.
Long-haul transit traffic growth will be much harder to achieve, even with incentives. Changi's biggest growth opportunities are likely on medium-haul routes and connections within Asia-Pacific.
CAPA's Asia Aviation Summit and LCC Congress will he held at the Capella, Sentosa in Singapore 13/14 October, followed by a Corporate Travel Day on 15 October. To hear about all of Asia's key aviation markets and players, and meet 20 airline CEOs, click here: CAPA Asia Aviation Summit
This is the third instalment in a series of reports on the Singapore market. The first report analysed the slowdown in growth and lack of profitability in Singapore's LCC sector. The second report looked at the slowdown in growth and profits at SIA regional full-service subsidiary SilkAir.
This report focuses on Singapore's efforts to stimulate growth in the long-haul and transit sectors.
See related reports:
Singapore outlook Part 2: SilkAir slows its expansion. Strategic adjustments may be necessary
Singapore LCCs: growth slows and penetration rate falls as Jetstar Asia & Tigerair incur losses
Singapore starts to respond to slowing traffic growth
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport have unveiled various incentive programmes in recent months aimed at trying to stimulate traffic growth. Growth at Changi has fallen significantly since 2012, which marked the third consecutive year of double-digit passenger growth.
Passenger numbers were up a more modest but still relatively healthy 5% in 2013. Traffic expansion has fallen further so far in 2014, with growth of only 1.3% through the first seven months.
Changi even recorded rare year-over-year declines in two months of this year. Changi had not seen a monthly drop in traffic since 2009, when annual traffic declined due to the global financial crisis.
Changi Airport monthly passenger numbers: Jan-2008 to Jul-2014
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation and company reports
As CAPA pointed out in the first two reports in this series, LCCs have accounted for about 75% of Changi's growth since 2007 while SilkAir has accounted for about another 10%. Singapore Airlines traffic has remained relatively flat during this period. The remaining 15% has been generated primarily by Gulf carriers and to some extent full-service airlines from Asia.
Singapore sees reduction in long-haul traffic
Singapore has always placed a big emphasis on long-haul traffic, which it views as a critical component for maintaining its status as a global hub. But long-haul traffic at Changi has been on the decline in recent years.
Changi lost its only non-stop connections to North America in 2013 while capacity to Europe has fallen by about 10% over the past two years. Changi recorded a 5% drop in passenger traffic on non-stop European routes in 2013.
Singapore to Europe total capacity (one-way seats per week): 19-Sep-2011 to 15-Mar-2015
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation & OAG
Besides Europe the only long-haul routes from Changi are Auckland, Christchurch and Johannesburg. Capacity to New Zealand and South Africa has been relatively flat over the past few years. (New Zealand will show a slight rise in 2015 as the Singapore-Auckland route is upgraded from 12 weekly SIA flights to seven weekly A380 SIA flights and seven weekly Air New Zealand flights under a new JV between SIA and Air NZ. But the JV has driven away Jetstar, which recently dropped its thrice weekly A330 service from Singapore to Auckland.)
Several Australia, Japan and Middle East routes are seven or eight hours. These do not meet Changi's definition of long-haul, which is nine hours or more.
Singapore Changi frequencies by flight time: 15-Sep-2014 to 21-Sep-2014
Changi faces an uphill battle in growing Europe traffic
In early Sep-2014 Changi announced a 50% rebate on landing fees on all long-haul flights over the next 19 months. This is one of several initiatives under Changi's new SGD100 million (USD80 million) Growth and Assistance Incentive (GAIN) programme.
SIA and European carriers will obviously benefit from the rebate as well as Air NZ, which was already planning to resume services to Singapore in late 2014 or early 2015 as part of its new joint venture with SIA. But the scheme is unlikely to attract a significant increase in traffic, which is the intention of the GAIN programme.
Attracting a new European carrier is difficult. European airlines are generally conservative with long-haul expansion and Singapore is not usually as attractive as opportunities in emerging markets such as China.
There are also hardly any potential new entries from Europe, as Finnair (2011) and Swiss (2013) have already started or resumed Singapore services in recent years. Air France, British Airways, KLM Lufthansa and Turkish also already serve Singapore.
European expansion from SIA is also unlikely as the airline has been focusing on expanding within Asia-Pacific. SIA plans to only increase mainline ASKs by 1% in the fiscal year ending 31-Mar-2015 – hardly providing room for the potential launch of a new long-haul route.
Africa remains a challenging market for Singapore
Africa poses an intriguing alternative and is a market being targeted by Changi. But Ethiopian Airlines seems content at least for now on serving Singapore via Bangkok, which it launched in late 2013. Singapore is not currently on the radar screen of Kenya Airways or any other African carrier.
Africa is a tiny source market for Singapore, with only 30,000 African residents visiting Singapore in the first seven months of 2014, according to Singapore Tourism Board data. This represents less than 0.5% of total visitor traffic that arrives in Singapore by air.
Changi sees the potential of developing Singapore into a hub for broader Africa-Asia flows. Ethiopian for example is using Changi and its partnership with Singapore Airlines to access Australia and New Zealand. But Asia-Africa traffic via Singapore will not be easy to develop and Ethiopian's one-stop product to Singapore provides rather inconvenient two-stop connections for the rest of Asia-Pacific (and three stops if originating or heading to African destinations other than Ethiopia).
Bangkok continues to have a huge advantage with several non-stops from Africa and better connection times to Asia, particularly in the large and fast growing Africa-China market.
See related report: Ethiopian Airlines to give Singapore Changi and Singapore Airlines an important link to Africa
Changi and CAAS offer several initiatives and incentives
The GAIN programme also includes 50% rebates on parking fees and a 15% discount on aerobridge fees. These were initially outlined in Jun-2014 when the programme was first announced while the 50% discount on landing fees for long-haul flights as well as an incentive for transit traffic growth were outlined in early Sep-2014. The parking fee rebates and aerobridge fee discounts have been in place since 1-Jul-2014 and will be in effect for one year.
As CAPA highlighted in Jun-2014, the parking rebates will generally benefit long-haul carriers as Changi does not charge for parking unless an aircraft is parked for at least three hours. The aerobridge reduction in theory will benefit a wider group but the 15% discount is not very substantial. LCCs for example will only save SGD14 (USD11) per flight as Changi charges SGD165 (USD132) for a 180-seat A320 as long as the aerobridge is used three hours or less. (For airlines using an aerobridge for over three hours they must pay an additional hourly rate equivalent to the rate for the first three hours.)
In Jul-2014 CAAS also unveiled its own SGD100 million (USD80 million) programme aimed at improving Changi's productivity through two initiatives that will be funded through Mar-2018. These are designed to incentivise the acquisition of more efficient ground equipment and automate baggage loading and unloading. The CAAS also had pledged to absorb SGD50 million (USD40 million) in air navigation service charges over the next two years – these charges are now paid for by Changi but the savings are to be passed to airlines.
Airlines generally are not convinced the SGD250 million (USD200 million) in initiatives will have much of an impact at stimulating traffic and believe Changi should instead be focusing on broader permanent improvements aimed at improving the airport's competitiveness compared to other hubs in the region. As CAPA previously outlined, airlines serving Changi have long complained about the overall high cost of operating out of the airport.
See related report: Singapore Changi's slowdown requires long-term strategic solutions, improved transfer traffic model
In particular, several airlines would prefer Changi and Singapore to focus on fixing the underlying issue of structurally higher costs. This has particularly become an issue among the LCCs. Some LCCs serving Changi are frustrated that most of the incentives and rebates focus on the long-haul market and in some cases their costs are actually increasing as other earlier rebates from which they benefitted have expired. Some of the LCCs expecting to benefit also see the incentives as a temporary solution that merely deflects attention away from trying to solve longer-term challenges.
Changi tries to boost transit traffic
The fourth and final component under GAIN, incentivising transit traffic, has the best chance at stimulating growth. But this is also a short-term strategy and will only be in effect for 18 months, from 1-Oct-2014 to 31-Mar-2016.
The transit traffic incentive will provide airlines with SGD10 per incremental departing transit passenger over the 18-month period. However there is a per airline cap of SGD3 million (USD2.4 million) for the duration of the programme. The initiative, which will apply to both codeshares and interlines, is aimed at encouraging airlines to adjust their fares and revenue management models to stimulate growth.
Several airlines will likely benefit from this scheme, particularly Singapore's LCCs. They have already been pushing to grow transit traffic and the example offered by nearby Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) resounds loudly. The Singapore point to point LCC market is relatively mature and, as CAPA outlined in the first report in this series, short-haul LCCs have struggled over the past year as they have continued adding capacity rapidly.
Increasing transit traffic – internally and with partners – is essentially the only source for further growth in the Singapore short-haul LCC sector. For Scoot transit traffic is particularly important as the long-haul low-cost model struggles to survive without feed.
Scoot and Tigerair focus on transit traffic
Scoot, which launched services in Jun-2012, so far has had to get by with very limited transit traffic. But Scoot is now starting to increase cooperation with Tigerair following Aug-2014 approval from Singapore's competition commission.
Tigerair Singapore and Scoot are targeting 600,000 annual transit passengers. This is the equivalent of about 30% of Scoot's total passenger traffic and slightly over 10% of Tigerair Singapore's traffic. These are realistic targets given that AirAsia X-AirAsia connections currently account for more than 35% of AirAsia X traffic. Overall transit traffic now accounts for just over 50% of total passenger traffic at AirAsia X (based on 2Q2014 figures), including AirAsia X-AirAsia X connections.
AirAsia X drives 43% transit traffic at Kuala Lumpur's KLIA. Can Singapore follow the same recipe?
AirAsia X records 2Q2014 loss as Australia underperforms. But long-term prospects are still bright
Even if Scoot and Tigerair fall 30% short of their target they will each qualify for the maximum SGD3 million allowed under the new Changi transit traffic incentive scheme. And that excludes likely growth in transit traffic within their own operations (i.e. Tigerair to Tigerair or Scoot to Scoot connections) and with other partners.
When factoring in these sources, including Tigerair's new partnership with Cebu Pacific, incremental transit growth at each carrier could easily be over 500,000 passengers per year.
Transit traffic is not new for Jetstar Asia but there is further growth potential
Jetstar Asia should also benefit from the new scheme as it recently implemented a new codeshare with Emirates which has so far generated encouraging numbers and has potential for rapid growth. While Tigerair only launched a connection product in early 2013 (with very limited take up so far), Jetstar Asia's model has for several years included a focus on connecting passengers. Jetstar has been achieving a rate of at least 15% of its Singapore passengers connecting - either within Jetstar or to other carriers.
Neither Changi nor Jetstar has provided transit traffic figures since the 15% figure was provided three years ago. But it is likely Jetstar Asia's transit traffic has continued to grow at least slightly, driven over the past year by an improvement in connections with Qantas following a retiming of Qantas flights to Singapore from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. (Previously Jetstar Asia-Qantas connections were limited as Qantas' Singapore flights had been timed to connect to Qantas' Singapore-Europe services, which were terminated in 1H2013 as the stopover on Qantas' European flights moved to Dubai.)
Jetstar Asia should be able to continue growing its transit traffic at Changi, driven mainly by Emirates but also continued improvements in its partnership with parent Qantas. Jetstar Asia also currently has 14 interline partners, including 11 which serve Singapore.
Transit traffic growth opportunities are there for Changi
Overall, transit traffic accounts for roughly 30% of total traffic at Changi. But most of this comes from SIA and SilkAir, which rely on transit passengers for about 50% of their total traffic. SIA and SilkAir currently have about a combined 41% share of seat capacity in the Singapore market.
SIA and particularly SilkAir, which has been growing rapidly while SIA has been stagnant, can potentially further boost transit traffic at Changi and be beneficiaries of the new incentive scheme. But clearly the biggest opportunity for transit growth is in the LCC sector, which accounts for about 28% of total capacity in Singapore. And although LCC expansion has recently slowed, history suggests that this will be where the future high growth rates will be.
Scoot/Tigerair currently have a combined 11% share of seat capacity in Singapore. Jetstar has about a 7% share but this rises to about 12% when including its two close partners, Emirates and Qantas.
Singapore capacity share (% of seats) by brand: Sep-2014
LCCs can play an important role in providing feed to Singapore's long-haul carriers. In fact Jetstar Asia already works with all seven European carriers serving Changi, testament to how difficult it can be to access seats on SIA and SilkAir as the SIA Group pushes its own connections. But the biggest growth opportunities are within Asia-Pacific, particularly medium-haul connections as Scoot expands.
Changi needs such new sectors to fill its future complex of terminals and third runway, which is slated to be completed early next decade and to have capacity for up to 170 million passengers per annum. Changi's current capacity is 85 million passengers per year, a figure it was on track to reach by 2020 before the recent slowdown. It is now unlikely that Changi, which will handle about 55 million passengers this year, will reach the 85 million mark until next decade.
See relate report: Singapore Changi ensures its future as leading ASEAN hub with third runway and fifth terminal
Changi needs to push transit traffic growth as the local market upside is limited
Changi also needs such new sectors as it has a relatively limited local market compared to other airports in Asia. Singapore's population is only about five million. Significant growth in population or propensity to travel, which is already high, is not likely. The inbound market is also relatively limited.
Singapore inbound visitor numbers have been on the decline this year. While this could be a temporary set back, driven by challenges in the China market, Singapore cannot rely on its own tourism sector to fill Changi's future terminals. Singapore recorded 6.88 million visitors by air in the first seven months of 2014, which represents only 22% of total Changi traffic.
Total visitor numbers by air were down by 1% compared to the first seven months of 2013 as China numbers dropped 22%. Five other major source markets were also down albeit modestly – Australia, Japan, the Philippines, the US and the UK. (The drop in Chinese figures was discussed in the previous instalment in this series of reports.)
Changi enters a critical era as it tries to reverse the recent slump in traffic; it will need more than band-aids
Singapore has always recognised the importance of establishing and maintaining a leading hub, which has helped raise its global profile. Singapore also has always recognised the crucial role of transit traffic in growing Changi and raising its profile despite its relatively small size.
Singapore has placed a big bet on its future as a hub by investing in a mega airport project that provides the infrastructure necessary for long-term rapid growth. Singapore is now taking steps to stimulate growth ahead of the construction. It however is no more than a start. The new series of incentives are for the most part temporary measures that do not address the main challenges.
Changi has just entered one of its most difficult and critical eras, with numerous and different new challenges.
There are opportunities, particularly in the LCC transit space, but it is going to take a lot more than a few million dollars in short term incentives. Innovative long-term solutions and structural changes will be required for Changi to enjoy a new phase of growth.
These are easy words to say, but sustainable solutions are not easily found. In the meantime, it needs to be recognised that temporary price incentives can be no more than a band-aid, where what is needed is major surgery.


text:
Week 51 2018
Moon December 2018
Time difference between Lesotho and United Kingdom
The time difference between Lesotho and United Kingdom is 2 hour(s). While in Lesotho the actual local time is ??:??, in United Kingdom the time is ??:??.
Actual local time in Lesotho
If it's 12PM in Lesotho, what time is it in United Kingdom?
When it's 12:00 PM in Maseru, Lesotho, time in London, England, United Kingdom is 10:00 AM.
Distance between Lesotho and United Kingdom
City of Lesotho: Maseru
Maseru, Lesotho's latitude is -29.31 and its longitude is 27.48. London, England, United Kingdom's latitude is 51.5 and its longitude is -0.13. The distance in kilometers between Lesotho and United Kingdom is 9,383 km.
Traveling from Maseru to London, England
By car, it would take you approximately 117.29 hours to get to London, England, United Kingdom driving non-stop from Maseru, Lesotho at a constant speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
By plane, it would take you approximately 15.64 hours to get to London, England, United Kingdom taking a direct flight from Maseru, Lesotho.
Mass lectures for today December 17 2018: Biblical passages and readings (Psalm, Gospel) for the Catholic mass of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Lesotho Guinness Records: Check out a list of all Lesotho guinness records and achievements.


text:
North Valley Community Foundation | Brand Development
December 19 2015 - 12:37am PST
North Valley Community Foundation is a publicly supported philanthropic organization based out of Chico, California. Their small, but fiercely passionate team acts as a broker, helping to connect potential donors to their clients, mostly nonprofit organizations. Company President and CEO Alexa Benson-Valavanis has been at the helm since 2005, and in that time has raised more than $50 million in charitable funds. Although NVCF had a strong mission statement and plenty of momentum, internally as well as within the community, both Alexa and M&I saw plenty of room for growth.
"All the elements were there for success. Their challenge was the fact that they moved so quickly with total focus on the projects immediately in front of them that sharing the stories of success wasn't really a priority." –Arielle Mullen, M&I
After an initial assessment, NVCF contracted M&I for a six-week project, intended to lay the groundwork for future success, and give them the tools and knowledge they'd need to implement these changes themselves if so desired.
From the first meeting they added value, quickly grasping the rather complex nature of our work Alexa Benson-Valavanis Executive Director, NVCF
M&I set forth with a three-pronged strategy. The goals were to grow their audience on Twitter as quickly as possible, implement content management tools, and develop a clear editorial schedule that could be maintained with ease but built upon if necessary. Seeing immediate growth, the client was pleased with the project's direction and momentum.
"With limited hours available, we've been able to communicate almost exclusively via email, removing some of the natural barriers I have with bringing new people onto the team. Our M&I consultant Arielle needs little to no oversight as she has a firm grasp of the tone, style and content I want to associate our brand with." –Alexa Benson-Valavanis
At the end of the six-week project, their engagement frequency and post reach on Facebook saw marked improvement, moving from 12 and 196 to 22 and 383 respectively. Twitter metrics also saw a huge boost, with a total growth rate at 99.2%, impressions up 441%, profile visits up 150%, and mentions up 90%. In addition to changes made with their social media strategy, M&I created a custom editorial schedule for their internally-created blog, and wrote a selection of articles for future use. After the project had been completed, M&I met with NVCF employees for a final round of training and debriefing to cover all the new tools.
"I am beyond pleased with the contribution to NVCF and can say that would highly recommend their work to any business trying to improve and increase their audience." –Alexa Benson-Valavanis


text:
/content/basf/www/global/en
/content/basf/www/global/en/media
/content/basf/www/global/en/media/news-releases
/content/basf/www/global/en/media/news-releases/2022/12/p-22-433
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Lufthansa Technik a so-called Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that officially paves the way for the series modification of two Boeing 777 variants with the fuel-saving AeroSHARK riblet films. Through the STC, the subfleet-wide roll-out of this sustainability technology, developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, can now commence at the launch customers Lufthansa Cargo and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). The next modification layovers in Frankfurt and Zurich are already scheduled for early January.
Looking for products?
Goto Product Finder
AeroSHARK from Lufthansa Technik and BASF now certified for Boeing 777
Trade News | December 16, 2022
Joint Press Release
Drag-reducing riblet film helps airlines to save fuel and reduce emissions
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) paves the way for series modification of 777-300ER and 777F
Next modification layovers at SWISS and Lufthansa Cargo to commence already in January
Thanks to its special surface structure of microscopic ribs – so-called riblets – AeroSHARK reduces the frictional resistance of the aircraft skin. As a result, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced by around one percent. For each Boeing 777-300ER operated by SWISS, this means annual savings of around 400 tons of kerosene and more than 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide. The slightly shorter Boeing 777F saves around 370 tons of fuel and 1,170 tons of CO2 each year.
A first AeroSHARK-equipped Boeing 777-300ER of the Swiss airline (HB-JNH), which also completed the flight test program for the now-received certification, had already begun daily operations in October using a temporary "Permit-to-Fly" from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) that was valid for this single aircraft only. The STC issued by EASA now allows Lufthansa Technik to serially apply the nature-inspired riblet films to any given Boeing 777-300ER and 777F aircraft.
The AeroSHARK modification of HB-JNH already began at the end of August and culminated in so-called STC flights with EASA on September 8 and 9. During these flights, detailed proof had to be provided that the AeroSHARK modification had no negative impact on the operational safety and handling of the Boeing 777. The STC flight was followed by several weeks of evaluation of the collected data and other documents, such as measured values from flow simulations. After recently completing its review of all submitted documents, EASA finally granted the STC.
"The approval of AeroSHARK for the Boeing 777 variants is an important step in the distribution of this new technology for more sustainability in air transport," said Soeren Stark, Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Technik. "With our partner BASF, we can now support our customers in making entire subfleets more climate-friendly. Moreover, we intend to realize the use of the new technology for further aircraft types. We are the only MRO company in the world to offer such solutions to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for commercial aircraft. We are naturally very proud of this."
"Realizing such a project is only possible through cooperation in partnership and great trust in each other's expertise. Together, we have succeeded in developing a tailor-made solution that combines economic action and sustainability in equal measure," explained Dr. Uta Holzenkamp, head of BASF's Coatings division and in this position also responsible for functional films. "With the Novaflex Sharkskin functional film, we are helping our customers to achieve their individual sustainability goals and in this way make aviation measurably more environmentally friendly."
SWISS and Lufthansa Cargo will successively equip all twelve of their 777-300ERs and eleven 777Fs with AeroSHARK. They will thus be the first passenger and cargo airlines worldwide to optimize a complete sub-fleet with the riblet films. Once all Boeing 777s at Lufthansa Cargo and SWISS have received their AeroSHARK modification, they will reduce the Lufthansa Group's carbon footprint by more than 25,000 tons annually.
Lufthansa Technik and BASF intend to consistently develop AeroSHARK further for additional aircraft types and larger surfaces, so that in the future they can support airlines around the world in achieving their emissions targets. In initial model calculations, the sharkskin technology in its maximum expansion stage could even avoid CO2 emissions on the scale of up to three percent.
About BASF:
Chemistry for a sustainable future - that's what BASF stands for. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers from almost all industries and in almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF achieved global sales of €78.6 billion in 2021. BASF shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. For more information, visit www.basf.com.
About Lufthansa Technik:
With some 35 subsidiaries and affiliates, the Lufthansa Technik Group is one of the leading providers of technical aircraft services in the world. Certified internationally as maintenance, production and design organization, the company has a workforce of more than 20,000 employees. Lufthansa Technik's portfolio covers the entire range of services for commercial and VIP/special mission aircraft, engines, components and landing gear in the areas of digital fleet support, maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification, completion and conversion as well as the manufacture of innovative cabin products.
Media Relations:
Jörg Zumkley
+49 2501 14-3453joerg.zumkley@basf.com
Michael Lagemann
+49 40 5070 65906michael.lagemann@lht.dlh.de
Media Relations BASF Coatings
The first Boeing 777-300ER with the functional riblet film developed by BASF and Lufthansa Technik. (© SWISS International Air Lines – Photo: Reto Hoffmann)
JPG (1.8 MB)
Application of the riblet film on an aircraft. (© SWISS International Air Lines – Photo: Reto Hoffmann)
Lufthansa Technik employee in front of a Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F. (© Lufthansa Cargo – Photo: Oliver Rösler)
Last Update December 16, 2022
General Conditions of Sale BASF SE


text:
The original item was published from 9/3/2021 12:21:08 PM to 11/1/2021 12:00:02 AM.
[ARCHIVED] Suffolk Transit Improvements to Take Effect September 7th
Suffolk Transit will introduce three larger buses to its fleet this month to improve service and keep pace with growing demand. The larger vehicles have capacity for 24 passengers and 2 wheelchairs replacing the smaller buses that could transport 19 passengers and 2 wheelchairs. Maria Ptakowski, Suffolk Transit Manager, says, "During peak times on some routes, we needed to increase capacity to meet demand for the service. Outside of peak times, it allows our passengers a little more space to social distance. An additional benefit to the new buses is the increase in their useful life as they are built on stronger chassis."
Expected to begin service on September 7, 2021, these larger buses are part of route improvements taking effect that day as well. Passengers can expect changes to many of the routes. The improvements to the routes include:
Green Route – Will be a bi-directional service creating new direct connections to popular destinations. The Green Route will operate between Kings Fork High School, the Downtown Transfer Station, and the Saratoga Neighborhood south of West Washington Street. The segment between Kings Fork High School and Pruden Boulevard will be discontinued. Additionally, deviations into the Main Street Shoppes and Western Tidewater Community Services Board will be discontinued.
Red Route – Will be a bi-directional service through the Downtown area extending the route to the Pruden Center (currently part of the Green Route).
Yellow Route – Improvements include creating a more direct route that will promote faster system-wide connections between the CenterPoint Industrial Park area, the Food Lion on Holland Road and the Downtown Transfer Station. By making the Yellow Route more direct, riders who connect to the distribution centers off Holland Road will have a faster trip to the Downtown Transfer Station. The new Yellow Route will serve a short segment on North Broad Street and West Constance Road that is currently served by the Red Route. The Yellow Route was identified as a candidate for interlining with a route with a longer runtime. Suffolk Transit plans to interline the realigned Yellow Route with the realigned Pink Route.
Pink Route - An additional hour of service will be added to the Pink Route and will now run Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. There will be no break in service at 9:30 a.m. which previously occurred. Changes to the route include a bi-directional service across the entire proposed alignment. The current Pink Route operates on Portsmouth Boulevard without stopping. By running the route on Nansemond Parkway, Progress Road, and Wilroy Road instead of Portsmouth Boulevard, riders will have service in both directions and have closer connections to job centers. Additionally, the HRT Transfer Station in Chesapeake will now be served in both directions; helping riders from both Downtown and Northern Suffolk connect to HRT routes and the region. This new route alignment will result in a runtime that exceeds the hourly headway, which will be addressed by interlining with the Yellow Route.
Saturday service will include the new Green, Yellow and Pink Routes with the new Yellow Route replacing the Blue Route. The Orange and Purple Routes will remain the same Operating hours remain the same.
Ptakowski says, "Our goal is to develop a service that accommodates the needs of the community. We understand in the short term there will be a transitioning period for our passengers but I am confident they will see the benefits moving forward. The Suffolk Transit team is available if anyone needs assistance. Additionally people can download the ETA SPOT app which has all the route information and has a live bus tracker which tells you where the bus is located in real time."
To view maps of the new routes and for further information, visit www.suffolktransit.org or call (757) 214-6442.


VICTORIA University of Wellington is offering five undergraduate scholarships to students from the Asean region for study next year.
first year of study for an undergraduate degree commencing in 2017.
Victoria International director Julia Innocente-Jones said the bond between Victoria University of Wellington and the Asean region has grown over many years.
"The purpose of the scholarship is to promote educational opportunities for young Asean students who have an excellent academic record and leadership potential," she said.
Applicants must be under the age of 23 on Dec 31, 2016 and students must begin their study at Victoria in either Trimester 1 or Trimester 2, 2017.
excellence in research-based teaching across seven faculties: Architecture and Design; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Law; Science and the Victoria Business School.
Ranked first by New Zealand's government for research quality, Victoria's reputation attracts exceptional staff and students from around the world.
In the 2016 QS World University Rankings, Victoria ranked in the top 100 universities in nine subjects including Accounting and Finance, Law, History, Linguistics and Psychology.
Victoria is also home to the Victoria Business School, one of an elite group of 73 business schools worldwide that holds the 'Triple Crown' of international accreditations of European Foundation for Management Development Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), Association to Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – Business, and Association of MBAs (AMBA).
Victoria is part of the vibrant, dynamic and bustling Wellington community, and takes advantage of its capital city status with unique links to the business, science, creative arts and public sectors.
Applications for the Asean Undergraduate Tuition Fees scholarship are now open and will be accepted until Oct 31.
Further information, eligibility criteria and the application form can be found at www.victoria.ac.nz.
To learn more about education opportunities in New Zealand go to www.studyinnewzealand.com.


Coming very soon is the next major WordPress update 5.0. Unless you've have been hiding under a small bridge somewhere then you'll probably know that this release comes with a brand new page edit called how to edit the functions.php file. This has had a lot of criticism with most people saying it's just not ready, other still saying it has bugs but eventually it will replace the old TinyMCE editor for good.
Personally I think this is what the WordPress needs as for just adding text it's fine but to add columns, tables or other design elements requires a plugin to generate shortcodes or an external page builder, some of which are fantastic, some of which are not!
Most current themes are not set up to accommodate Gutenberg so it may cause a lot issues. Luckily it can be disabled quite easily….
Plugins are fantastic and really expand WordPress but it is important to use as few as possible to ensure WordPress runs as quickly as possible so my view is it something can be done easily without using a plugin then that is a better option.
This option does require adding some code to your theme's functions.php file so if you"re not sure what you're doing or not comfortable then then option above is more suitable. If you're happy adding code.
Add the below line of code to your theme's functions.php file. You can do this by downloading your theme files or it can be done using the WordPress editor this post will show you how to edit the functions.php file.
Add the below line of code to your theme's functions.php file.
WordPress and Gutenberg is constantly changing nad being updated so we will keep this post updated as best we can but please be sure to test the code before adding it to your live site where possible.


PROCESS TRANSLATED — WE SHOT 8 CLIENT PROJECTS IN 6 WEEKS.
WE SHOT EIGHT CLIENT PROJECTS IN SIX WEEKS.
When I work this way, all the photos get all mixed up in my mind and I think of the time as one larger project or body of work. I get confused about where I even am. Am I in Baltimore or LA? Am I shooting with B1's or handheld Quatums? This week, am I staying home or getting on a plane? I just keep shooting.
As I edit I add images I love to my favorites folder. Here are a few favorites from that folder. So much new work!


text:
Q: Can there be "spurious" achievements? Just happend to me: the achievements box showed me a green +1. I was surprised to see that; wondering how "+1" could come up in the first place.
So I clicked on achievements ... the green +1 goes away ... and I am looking at the very same achievements (and "total sum") that I saw there like 30 minutes ago, when I last checked. No signs whatsoever pointing out what that "+1" was about.
Any idea what could be going on here?

A: You probably downvoted an answer, which costs you 1 reputation. The answer was then removed, giving you 1 reputation back.

A: Presumably an answer you downvoted was removed. Therefore the reputation is refunded as it never happened. This "as it never happened" is quite common when it comes to reputation and makes it often hard to diagnose what actually happened.
The reputation tab in your profile should shown what went down since that should show the full history.


Sixteen Candles, Give or Take — My Birthday | Just Me With . . .
A birthday text from your stalker? Awww that's really cute. I have never had a stalker before. How does one go about obtaining one>?
How to get a stalker? Well, for me, it began with hanging out with a person who seemed to have so much in common with me and ignoring all of the crazy red flags that were flapping in my face. Then try to end said "relationship". The rest just happens.
I would stalk you, but your too far away to do it properly lol.
Well aren't you a lucky gal 🙂 move was completely forgotten by husband and child is too little to realize, he did "remember" after dinner when my parents called to send their wishes and give me a heads up that a gift box was headed my way.
That stinks, but I understand. I didn't mention my other kids, the oldest said "Happy Birthday" only after he heard me say sarcastically to myself "Well Happy Birthday to me" when the angry child was giving me a hard time about having to go and visit their dad. Birthdays are not my favorite and usually bring the tears, but I was trying to focus on the positive for this post. The tears came the next day.
Yeah, I had the whole #birthdaydenial going for a few weeks on either side of the actual date 🙂 haha….laughter(sometimes at yourself) is really the best medicine.
Yes, denial and laughter, a nice combination.
I think my birthday has been forgotten by almost everyone that has meant anything to me and by those who professed to love me deeply. My ex did not forget very often, but managed to bring me to tears and abject depression on my birthday.
The next year, he brought me a paper bag with apple cider vinegar, kelp, and lecithin. It was a popular weight-loss remedy in the 70s. THEN, the children realized it was my birthday, so I had to bake my own cake from scratch to make them happy.
This is a word that I rarely use, because it is not really descriptive, a bit sexist, and overused, but when I read your comment I thought, "What a DOUCHE!" I'm so sorry he (and others "close" to you) brought you down on your birthdays. Yes, I've had those years when I ended up in "tears and abject depression on my birthday." Well put, and I totally understand. At least now I don't expect (or fear) how the Ex will acknowledge me on my birthday. It's not his job anymore and I'm happy about that. Winter, specifically the time period between New Years Day and my birthday, contains a lot of triggers of bad memories. I look forward to Spring.
The paper bag contents were rather unsubtle I have to say.
Why thank you. I guess that's what everybody means when they say I can use this opportunity to start over any way I want. I'm starting over at sweet (and single) sixteen.
God, Imagine being sixteen again with what we know now!!!
2. Go for the smart ones.
3. Brain size is not proportional to breast size.
Perhaps I haven't learned as much as I'd like to think— because this is difficult.
5. Getting fired from a job is not the end of the world.


text:
Oman Air () ist die nationale Fluggesellschaft des Oman mit Sitz in Maskat und Basis auf dem Flughafen Maskat. Sie ist Mitglied der Arab Air Carriers Organization.

Geschichte

Gründung
Die Gesellschaft wurde unter dem Namen Oman Aviation Services (OAS) mit königlichem Dekret Nr. 52/81 vom 24. Mai 1981 gegründet und nahm ihre Tätigkeit zum 1. Oktober 1981 auf. Das Unternehmen betätigte sich als Dienstleister für andere Fluggesellschaften und bot das Gepäckhandling sowie sonstige Dienstleistungen am Boden an. Zusätzlich kaufte die Gesellschaft 13 Maschinen von Gulf Air. 1982 nahm ein Joint Venture mit Gulf Air, das teilweise auch dem omanischen Staat gehörte, den Flugverkehr zwischen Maskat und Salala auf. 1993 wurde der Name der Gesellschaft in Oman Air geändert. Außerdem wurden im selben Jahr weitere Flugverbindungen nach Dubai und Thiruvananthapuram angeboten. In den nächsten Jahren wurde das Flugnetz mit Verbindungen nach Kuwait, Karatschi, Colombo, Mumbai, Dhaka, Abu Dhabi, Doha und Chennai, Gwadar, Dschidda, al-Ain, Peschawar, Kochi, Daressalam, Beirut, Mombasa und Kairo ausgebaut. Zunächst war die Laufzeit der Gesellschaft auf 20 Jahre begrenzt. Vor Ablauf der Handelsregistereintragung zu 31. Januar 2002 wurde durch eine außerordentliche Hauptversammlung am 27. Januar 2002 die Verlängerung auf unbestimmte Zeit beschlossen. Zunächst gehörte die Gesellschaft zu 41,7 % privaten Aktionären, zu 33,8 % der omanischen Regierung und zu 24,5 % privaten Unternehmen in Oman. In den Jahren 2003 bis 2007 wuchs die Fluglinie schwächer, da sich die omanische Regierung auf Gulf Air konzentrierte. 2004 zog sich Abu Dhabi aus dem Joint Venture zurück, um seine eigene Fluglinie Etihad Airways zu gründen. Dadurch erhöhte sich der Anteil des omanischen Staats an Gulf Air auf 50 %.

2007 änderte sich die Strategie, als sich die omanische Regierung entschloss, sich von ihrer Beteiligung an Gulf Air zu trennen und die Beteiligung an Oman Air zu erhöhen.

Rekapitalisierung durch den Staat
Im März 2007 wurde die Gesellschaft durch die Regierung rekapitalisiert. Die omanische Regierung hält deshalb derzeit (31. Dezember 2017) mit 99,94 % der Anteile die Mehrheit, die restlichen 0,06 % halten private Anteilseigner. Mit der Anteilsänderung wurde auch die Strategie von Oman Air geändert. Das Flugnetz wurde seitdem auf Langstreckenverbindungen ausgebaut.

Im Mai 2007 trennte sich die omanische Regierung von ihren Anteilen an Gulf Air und konzentriert sich seitdem auf den Ausbau von Oman Air.

Erste Langstreckenflüge
Am 26. November 2007 wurden die ersten Langstreckenflüge von Maskat nach London-Gatwick und Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi aufgenommen. Ende 2009 wurden die ersten vier eigenen Airbus A330 mit einer im Branchenvergleich großzügigen 1-2-1-Sitzanordnung in der Business-Klasse in Dienst gestellt.

Aktuelle Lage
Im Herbst 2013 wurden Pläne bekannt, wonach die seit Jahren defizitäre Gesellschaft ab 2014 privatisiert werden könnte, zu Beginn des Jahres 2016 war Oman Air aber weiterhin ein Kandidat zur Privatisierung. Im August 2016 wurde eine Codesharingvereinbarung mit Saudi Arabian Airlines vereinbart.

Die Flotte wurde seither von 30 auf jetzt 46 Flugzeuge ausgebaut und soll bis 2020 auf 70 Flugzeuge erweitert werden.

Nachdem Saudi-Arabien, Ägypten, Bahrain und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate ihren Luftraum ab Juni 2017 für Qatar Airways gesperrt hatten und Katar im Gegenzug seinen Luftraum für Emirates, Etihad Airways, Flydubai, Gulf Air und Saudia sperrte, war Oman Air eine der wenigen örtlichen Fluggesellschaften, die uneingeschränkt in allen Lufträumen operieren konnte.

Oneworld
Oman Air unterhielt eine Reihe von Kooperationen mit anderen Fluggesellschaften, u. a. mit der Lufthansa. Oman Air wird, voraussichtlich 2024, der Oneworld Alliance beitreten.

Flugziele
Oman Air bietet von Maskat hauptsächlich internationale Ziele in Afrika, Südasien und Europa sowie im Mittleren und Fernen Osten an. Außerdem werden im Inland Salala (mehrmals täglich) und Chasab sowie Duqm bedient.

Im deutschsprachigen Raum werden Frankfurt am Main, München und Zürich angeflogen. Hinzu kommen in Europa London, Paris und Mailand.

Flotte

Aktuelle Flotte
Mit Stand Februar 2023 besteht die Flotte der Oman Air aus 50 Flugzeugen mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 7,2 Jahren:

Ehemalige Flugzeugtypen

In der Vergangenheit setzte Oman Air folgende Flugzeugtypen ein:
 Airbus A310-300
 Airbus A320-200
 ATR 42-500
 Boeing 727-200 (von Nationwide Airlines geleast)
 Boeing 737-300, 737-400, 737-700 (737-300 und 737-400 von anderen Gesellschaften geleast)
 Boeing 757-200 (von Royal Brunei Airlines geleast)
 Boeing 767-200ER (von Malév geleast)
 Embraer 175
 De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300
 Fokker F-27-500

Geschäftszahlen
Die Gesellschaft ist seit dem Geschäftsjahr 2008 durchgängig defizitär und weist zum Bilanzstichtag 31. Dezember 2017 einen kumulierten Verlustvortrag in Höhe von 997,495 Mio. RO aus.

Siehe auch
 Liste von Fluggesellschaften

Weblinks

 Webpräsenz der Oman Air (arabisch, englisch)

Einzelnachweise

Fluggesellschaft (Oman)
Maskat
Gegründet 1993

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In case you are looking for the most effective methods to advertise your web site on the web then you'll have to perceive the fundamentals of this service. Several types of scopes are there that may allow you to on this context and when you'll perceive this concept in a greater approach; absolutely, you'll seize essentially the most important choice to fulfill your necessities. A large number of individuals are intending to acquire essentially the most secured alternatives for selling their web sites and they will the SEO service suppliers. Then again; the significance of a seo-tekstforfatter is growing to the search engine optimisation service suppliers. For selling web sites, the specialists require content material on the key phrases. Subsequently, they want the specialists, who can write content material on that matters or key phrases. Subsequently, it's a specialised job and these days extremely demanding too. Subsequently, when you'll need for selecting the numerous options that can allow you to acquiring the secured providers from the main sources, you'll be able to assembly your intentions within the best approach. Subsequently, you'll perceive the worth of the function performed by a seo-tekstforfatter as you may have learn this content material until now. Several types of methods are used for selling an internet site and amongst them most are based mostly on content material. Subsequently, as a lot content material the search engine optimisation crew will acquire, so extra alternatives they'll acquire to fulfill their intentions. Now, you're the individual, who might need to change into a seo-tekstforfatter as it is a specialised service and on the peak of its demand as effectively. Now, it is best to decide the way in which that can allow you to turning into a Search Engine Optimizer. Individuals are taking specialised alternatives which can be of nice worth from the seo-tekstforfatter as they're enjoying efficient function on this context. In numerous methods, it's possible you'll seize the wanted options however when you'll perceive the alternatives within the best approach, getting the secured methods can be simpler for you. Individuals are taking specialised options to advertise their enterprise web sites and by attaining the options they're acquiring essentially the most secured methods to fulfill their enterprise necessities as effectively. Aside from increasing your corporation, you'll seize many different options to fulfill your intentions. Subsequently, it is best to all the time take severe steps that can be extremely useful to you and when you'll get the most effective providers from the knowledgeable seo-tekstforfatter, you'll really feel the worth of their providers. They need to be skilled of their discipline and when they'll change into an knowledgeable, they would be the finest individual to help the search engine optimizers. Along with that, these professionals take initiatives to offer content material for the social media and for a lot of different functions. Subsequently, it is best to take assist from a seo-tekstforfatter for selling the rank of the key phrases of a sure web site. Along with that, when you'll uncover the best alternatives simply, you'll seize a greater answer too. That is the time to take motion for revealing the most effective professionals, who can provide you the wanted content material to you.


text:
Q: make zero appear last in a list of ascending numbers I'm using SQLite in an Android application.
In all of my tables I have a default row with an index of 0 that holds default values for that table.
In most situations the default number for each field is 0 and that is the best number to use.
However, when I sort my data using an ORDER BY statement I want to have all of my zero value fields put at the end of the list as they're generally empty and using default information.
Excluding these fields in a where statement is unacceptable as I'm trying to sort information, not filter it.
Here's what I have so far:
select distinct item.name, epoch_date.epoch
from epoch_date, time
where (time.begin_date_id = epoch_date._id)
and (item.time_id = time._id)
order by epoch_date.epoch;

In my sandbox database, this returns something like:
"item 1", 0
"item 2", 0
"item 4", 0
.
.
.
"item 3",  1275350400
"item 42", 1275472800
"item 12", 1275472800

But what I want is:
"item 3",  1275350400
"item 42", 1275472800
"item 12", 1275476400
.
.
.
"item 1", 0
"item 2", 0
"item 4", 0

A: Try this:
ORDER BY
    CASE epoch_date.epoch WHEN 0 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END,
    epoch_date.epoch

I haven't tested in SQLite but works in many other databases so hopefully it should work in SQLite too.

A: Equivalent to the CASE statement suggestion, but shorter:
 ORDER BY epoch_date.epoch == 0, epoch_date.epoch

A: I'm not completely sure if SQLite allows case statements in "order by", but try something along these lines:
order by case epoch_date.epoch when 0 then 999999 else epoch_date.epoch end

A: Can you add an extra column to act as a filter, then sort by both columns?
select (...)epoch_date.epoch, case epoch_date.epoch when 0 then 1 else 0 as default
(...)
order by default,epoch_date.epoch

A:
order by decode(epoch_date.epoch,0,null,epoch_date.epoch)

you can use something like this..since nulls are kept in the end in case of ascending order.
provided you have decode function available in sqlite..or else you can just use a case statement instead.
Ravi Kumar


text:
– japoński aktor dziecięcy. Sławę uzyskał dzięki roli w horrorze The Grudge – Klątwa.

Wybrana filmografia
 2002: Klątwa Ju-on jako Toshio
 2003: Klątwa Ju-on 2 jako Toshio
 2004: The Grudge – Klątwa jako Toshio Saeki
 2006: The Grudge – Klątwa 2 jako Toshio Saeki

Nagrody
 2005: Nominacja do Nagrody Teen Choice Awards: Ulubiona filmowa scena z krzykiem – za scenę, w której Toshio Saeki krzyczy na strychu (ang. Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Scream Scene film).

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 Yūya Ozeki w bazie IMDb
 Yūya Ozeki

Japońscy aktorzy
Ludzie urodzeni w Tokio
Urodzeni w 1996


text:
Aidia tomentosa är en måreväxtart som först beskrevs av Carl Ludwig von Blume, och fick sitt nu gällande namn av Colin Ernest Ridsdale. Aidia tomentosa ingår i släktet Aidia och familjen måreväxter.

Underarter

Arten delas in i följande underarter:

 A. t. sundaica
 A. t. tomentosa

Källor

Måreväxter
tomentosa


text:
Q: What is the cheapest payment processing system for Magento? What is the cheapest payment processing system for Magento?
Better if is is the easiest to implement as well

A: There is not any one answer to this question. The  cost will depend on your transaction mix, as some are free to setup and per year but are expensive per transaction (e.g. PayPal or Google Checkout). Others have an  upfront fee but are cheaper for large volumes of transactions. Some charge a flat fee per transaction, others a percentage.
So, get some comparative costs, assess your likely transaction volume and order values, and work out the most likely. Most major payment gateways have Magento modules already written these days.

A: Did anyone use Merchant services? http://merchantservices.com/ - they include authorize.net gateway -- is that enough to use Merchant services with Magento. I believe that Merchant services also include a merchant account.
What is the costing for authorize.net? Do they also provide a merchant account?
Paypal WebSite Payments pro? is it a good one ......


text:
Exclusive songs on Patreon
Lyrics >
It Stole Myself From Me Lyrics
As Close As You Can Be Without Touching
Songwriting Circles
Song Commissions
Learn To Write Songs With Alice
Alice teaches songwriting privately, in groups, and in schools. If you are interested in bringing Alice in for a workshop at your school or community center or starting your own songwriting circle, use the contact form at the bottom of the page.
Register for her teen/adult group Tuesdays at 10:30am EST by clicking here.
Click here to view testimonials!
More about Alice:
Born and raised on a mountain by the sea in coastal Maine, Alice Limoges was singing before she could walk. As a young girl in Maine, she studied guitar and piano, released albums of her original music, and starred in several musicals as well as singing in many choirs. She decided to take her musicality to the next level by moving to New York, where she majored in Studio Composition (songwriting/production) at SUNY Purchase.
Alice worked in the New York City music scene for 7 years, toured the Northeast with her band, and recorded several albums while continuing to study with the best teachers New York had to offer even after graduating Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Purchase. Her mentors include Charles Blenzig (piano), Meredith Colby (voice), Joel Thome (composition), Jon Jetter (production/recording), and Bob Thompson (guitar). Alice interned with Grammy Award winning music therapist Jon Samson of Co-Creative Music and has had the privilege to work with several special needs students. After an arm injury, Alice studied the tension reducing Alexander Technique, which she integrates to teach students to play with a healthy technique to reduce the chance of developing instrument related injuries such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel. She has also worked with voice therapist Mary Klimek and integrates vocal health at the speech and singing levels with her students. In March of 2021, she became certified in Vocal First Aid by Vocal Health Education and received her Neurovocal Method certification in August 2021. She continues her education even to this day, studying the Estill voice method with SLP/voice teacher Mary Klimek, Alexander Technique with Judy Pagon, and production mentoring sessions with NYC producer Ilan Natter.
Alice had her first experiences teaching music as a teenager and went on to teach over a hundred students in New York before her COVID propelled return to Midcoast Maine in 2020. Using her diverse skills as a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and empath, she teaches the fundamentals while focusing on the student's passions. She teaches many styles including pop, folk, jazz, and classical. Her passion is giving blossoming musicians the tools to write, sing, and play their own songs. Students who live in Midcoast Maine have the opportunity to record and produce their original music and be mentored in the music business. With her patient nature, music therapy background, and outspoken voice for mental health, Alice loves to create an honest and open environment where students feel safe to experience, share, and express their emotions through their voice, instrument, or songwriting. While she certainly doesn't claim to be a therapist, it's rare that a week goes by without a student or two comparing their lessons to therapy. A bonus to studying with a multi-instrumentalist like Alice is that a piano student might later choose to branch out into voice or guitar or even writing and producing their own songs. Alice is able to guide them every step of the way. Curriculums are individually tailored to each student's needs and interests and may include popular songs, technique, music theory, improvisation, composition/songwriting, and the engaging Wunderkeys piano curriculum. Alice enjoys teaching complete beginners of all ages as well as experienced musicians.
During the winter of 2021, she ran her first songwriting circle with professional songwriters and decided to extend this opportunity to amateur songwriters too. In addition to working with her private students, Alice holds her group online Songwriting Circle Tuesdays at 10:30am EST. She has come into Camden-Rockport Middle School, Camden-Rockport Elementary School, Lincolnville Central School, and Ash Point Community schools where she taught 3-6 week songwriting workshops to kids from grades 4 to 8. With Alice's songwriting method, every single kid has success writing their own song as well as writing a group song as a class.
Alice has released four independent albums to date. Her song "No One Underneath" was a semi-finalist in the 2019 International Songwriting Competition. She played on the Grammy Award winning album "Ageless: Songs For The Child Archetype" by Jon Samson. She has performed at festivals (Common Ground Fair, Unity, ME; Make Music Harlem, NYC; Keene Music Festival, Keene, NH; The Campfire Festival, Cambridge, MA; Belfast Free Range Festival, Belfast, ME), colleges (Columbia University, Hamilton College, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Purchase), and other legendary venues such as The Cutting Room (NYC), Rockwood Music Hall (NYC), PIANOS (NYC), Arlene's Grocery (NYC), Club Passim (Boston), and Blue (Portland) as well as countless intimate concerts with Sofar Sounds. She has taught songwriting workshops with ages 9-14 in Maine schools. Alice currently accepts students of all ages at her home in Camden, Maine and also teaches songwriting classes online.
Contact Alice To Book A Songwriting Class For Your School or Community Group
Testimonials:
"Alice brought her love of song writing to our students- inspiring them and helping them find their voice through song. She made song writing accessible to students of all abilities."
- Allysa Anderson, Camden-Rockport Middle School 5-8
"After our basic ukulele unit, my fifth graders were ready to extend their learning. Alice's songwriting workshop was just the ticket to help them take their music making to the next level. She is professional, relaxed and creative as she moves the students through the building blocks of creating a song. I would highly recommend her program!" - Susan Iltis, Lincolnville Central School
"Alice is an amazing songwriting teacher. She deeply understands how to deconstruct the songwriting process in a way that any age songwriter can understand. She and my daughter have created beautiful age-appropriate songs together and, now, my daughter loves to write her own."
-Cathy T., Greenwich, CT
"I was skeptical about the mystery of songwriting but I have been surprised that it is possible for me. We have tackled understanding song structure, lyric writing, and developing my own voice. Song writing feels interesting and enjoyable. Alice offers different exercises that help with learning and provides a supportive and warm space in which to work."
- Beth O., Yonkers, NY
"I wanted to take a moment to "sing praises" for Alice Limoges. In Alice's early days, I was her music teacher in Rockport, Maine. Without doubt, her processing and interest in sound was "over the top."
Recently, thanks to Covid, Alice stepped back into my world - this time as a clinician for a composers' workshop that was held through Zoom at Ash Point Community School, Owls Head, ME.
The objective given to Alice was to engage all 26 students of the 4th grade with 6 weekly lessons on songwriting. Students worked in both small groups and individually, using their prior knowledge of basic chords on the ukulele.
What was most striking in this project?
...That every single student found a measure of success in the writing of a simple song with ukulele accompaniment that could be record and shared with family.
Alice's approach is probing, engaging, empathetic and most of all, kind. Even though some students were only able to approach school from sidelines, they were willing to try this concept with safety and security.
I will be asking Alice to join us again at some point this year for another project. I would be happy to share components of our lesson designs."
- Scott Dyer, Director of Music, Ash Point Community School, Owls Head, ME


Rep. Steve Scalise on "Meet The Press."
The deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas last week and a near-death experience at the hands of a gunman hasn't publicly shifted House Majority Whip Steve Scalise's opposition to new gun control measures.
In one of his first wide-ranging interviews since he was wounded during a shooting at a congressional baseball practice earlier this year, Scalise forcefully defended current gun laws. He argued President Donald Trump's administration was doing more to enforce existing gun ownership laws and blamed media for misrepresenting gun ownership.
"The problem is not that there are too many guns," Scalise said on "Meet The Press" on Sunday. "It's that there are people that will go out and break the law, whether it's a gun or some other weapon or a bomb. There's no excuse for breaking the law."
When asked by host Chuck Todd whether it was Congress' role to stop mass shootings by passing legislation, Scalise argued that the US hasn't done a good job of "taking care of people that had mental health problems."
"Some of those people ended up going out and committing mass shootings," he said.
The majority whip - who returned to Congress in September after months of recovery following the June shooting that left him and several others injured - also argued that additional gun control measures wouldn't solve the US's gun problems.
He said most violent gun incidents are committed by individuals using guns purchased illegally. Scalise pointed to cities like Chicago, which have stricter gun laws but high rates of gun violence. And he argued that media outlets don't report on stories where gun owners stop criminals.
"The only thing that gets reported are the tragedies," Scalise said. "But it rarely gets reported when somebody actually uses their Second Amendment right with a gun to protect themselves against a criminal."
Scalise did not answer whether he supported any additional gun control regulation, and he did not detail which gun control regulations he supports.
When pressed by Todd about whether he supported a law banning automatic weapons, Scalise said some of the weapons included in the ban "aren't really automatic weapons." He also argued that "you haven't seen a decrease in gun violence with those laws on the books."
Scalise's interview came one week since the deadly Las Vegas shooting left 58 dead and nearly 500 injured. The incident spurred Republicans to take a rare step, as many hinted they could favor regulating so-called bump stocks, the rifle modification that allows semi-automatic weapons to fire more rapidly, simulating automatic fire.
Still, Scalise said that it was too early for him to say whether he supported a ban on the rifle modifications.
"There are people that want to rush to judgment," Scalise said. "Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi already said she wants it to be a slippery slope. She doesn't want to stop at bump stocks. They want to go out and limit the rights of gun owners. And so I do think it's a little bit early for people to say they know what to do to fix this problem."


Fox News just made a decision to cancel Judge Jeanine Pirro's regularly scheduled show on Saturday and suspending Pirro's show, "Justice with Jeanine" indefinitely.
Pirro faced backlash for comments implying that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's religious beliefs were incompatible with the US Constitution.
The situation is still developing, but Fox News acted rapidly to remove Pirro from the air. Fox News has refused to comment any further about Pirro's status with the network.
President Trump responded to the suspension advocating for the reinstatement of Judge Jeanine. He tweeted that "the Fake News Media is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country." Judge Jeanine's future is uncertain and the nation waits with bated breath to see what the final decision will be.


I listen to what is now considered old school hip hop, I like to work with my hands, somewhat of a foodie and a dreamer. I am a creator, risk-taker, thinker, explorer. My passion is in the journey where capturing what my minds eye sees. I enjoy shooting food, things and people. I am a story teller.


text:
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is a high-level position in the United Nations that heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The current holder is Martin Griffiths of the United Kingdom, who took office in July 2021, following his appointment by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

History
The post of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) was created by UN resolution 46/182 in December 1991 to coordinate the efforts of the United Nations, member states and the wider humanitarian community in response to natural and man-made emergencies. The title of "Emergency Relief Coordinator", refers to coordination and aid management responsibilities across both the UN system and the wider assistance community.

The post is one of five cabinet-level UN positions that are traditionally held by nationals from the five permanent members of the Security Council; since 2007, five British nationals have been appointed to that position. Before 2007, British nationals held the position of Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs for more than a decade.

List of Under-Secretaries-General

References

External links
 List of ERCs, United Nations Library

Emergency management
United Nations Secretariat
United Nations posts


text:
My Sport
Rugby L
Match of the Day
5 Live Sport
Sports Personality
Sport on the BBC
Formula 1 Home
'Lewis Hamilton shows difference between a good & great driver'
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/36409542
Wetting the Benz's head: Hamilton christens his first winning car of the season
As Lewis Hamilton came up to complete the final lap of his Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday, team-mate Nico Rosberg's Mercedes was within sight, a lap behind.
The circumstances that led to this crushing advantage were not completely to do with Hamilton's superiority, but as an illustration of the gulf between the two title rivals on this day, it was as good as any.
There were others, though, too.
In the soaking wet first 15 laps of the race, when Hamilton was bottled up behind Rosberg, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo built a 13-second lead on the two Mercedes.
Once the German let him through following a team order, Hamilton pulled 10 seconds on the other Mercedes in five laps, as well as eating slowly into Ricciardo's lead.
After Rosberg stopped to fit intermediate tyres on lap 20, he was unable to pull clear of a train of cars featuring two Force Indias and Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari, despite his car's theoretical performance advantage.
Princess Charlene (left) and Prince Albert II of Monaco (right) hand out the trophies in the principality
In the course of the next round of pit stops to fit dry-weather slicks, partly because of a slow stop, Rosberg lost places to both Force India's Sergio Perez and Vettel, and found himself behind the McLaren of Fernando Alonso. Which he was unable to pass for the remaining 46 laps.
He was then mugged on the last lap by Perez's team-mate Nico Hulkenberg to finish an eventual seventh.
It was not, to say the least, one of Rosberg's better days.
Hamilton at his best
Hamilton, meanwhile, drove one of his greatest races to take his first victory since he clinched the title in Austin in late October last year, and finally got his 2016 title campaign off the ground.
The tide was always going to turn sooner or later; Hamilton's luck, dreadful so far this season, always going to change eventually.
When it did, it came in the most dispiriting fashion for Rosberg, who throughout the Monaco weekend was reminded in the starkest terms of his team-mate's inherent superiority as a grand prix driver.
Hamilton has "momentum" after Monaco win
It started in the first half-hour of first practice, with a series of laps by Hamilton that emphasised his innate feel and sensitivity on one of the most challenging race tracks in the world.
For most of those 30 minutes, each driver got progressively faster as they built up speed and came to terms with the proximity of the walls and the quirks of the Monaco track for the first time in a year.
The difference was that Hamilton was well over a second - sometimes nearly two - quicker than Rosberg. No sooner would Rosberg make the margin more respectable than Hamilton would move the goalposts again.
This sort of thing is seen from Hamilton a lot, but it is never more stark than in these sorts of circumstances, which emphasise naked talent much more than similar situations on more modern, sanitised tracks.
Hamilton later thanked Rosberg for letting him past during the race
Eventually, Rosberg got down to within 0.1-0.2secs of Hamilton, as he generally does. But the point had been made. One suspects it was done deliberately, as if to say, "Mate, you might have a 43-point lead in the championship, but can you do this? Didn't think so. That's what you're up against."
Later that afternoon, Mercedes received a shock in the form of the pace of Ricciardo's Red Bull, which was clearly quicker than them.
Part of their solution to that in terms of changes to the car was to give it a bit more oversteer - or pointy-ness - in a bid to aid rotation into corners.
Rosberg, sources close to him say, was never that comfortable with the car after that.
Why was Rosberg so slow?
This could well be at least part of the explanation for Rosberg's lack of pace in the wet first part of the race.
He said he felt "a complete lack of confidence in the car". He didn't dare go near the limit, he said, otherwise he would have hit the barriers.
He was at a loss to explain what had gone on, but it seems likely this may well have led to a vicious downward spiral of contributing factors.
Not being pushed hard, the tyres would lose heat and pressure. Which would mean he was not able to work the brakes as hard as normal. Which would explain the brake temperature problems he experienced. Which would further take the tyres out of their ideal window. And so on.
Somehow, despite being held to Rosberg's pace behind him, Hamilton managed to keep his tyres and brakes in their window so that the pace was immediately there when Mercedes made the only call they could and ordered Rosberg to let him by.
Ricciardo was fuming after the race - at Hamilton's move as they battled, and at his own team
Rosberg said it was "simple" to accept it, albeit "painful", knowing that the reason it had been made was that otherwise Mercedes were throwing away any chance of winning.
But it says a lot for him that he responded to it with alacrity and equanimity, knowing that he was almost certainly consigning himself to losing a significant chunk of his points advantage to Hamilton, who was right to thank him publicly for being a gentleman afterwards.
If his struggles in the race came at an awkward time for a man in the middle of negotiations over a new contract, his behaviour in this situation will have gone a long way to counteracting the impact of his performance.
Hamilton and Ricciardo on the edge
Once released, Hamilton drove a superb race, matched only by Ricciardo, his only rival for victory.
He and his engineers gambled on staying out on the 'extreme' wet tyres when everyone else stopped for intermediates, knowing that was their only way of getting into the lead.
Impressively, on a drying track, on heavily treaded tyres that were now more than 20 laps old, Hamilton was lapping not far off the pace - and sometimes more or less on it - that Rosberg was doing on the intermediate tyres behind him. While managing to hold off a charging Ricciardo at the same time.
He finally bailed on those tyres after 31 laps. At this point, the valiant gamble should have failed, but the race was handed to him when Red Bull made another terrible strategic fumble - their second in two races.
Ricciardo stopped for slick tyres the next time around, and a stunning in-lap, combined with Hamilton's slow out lap, should have got him comfortably out into the lead, which would almost certainly have become a well-deserved victory.
Red Bull are looking increasingly like they are very close to challenging the dominant Mercedes
But because of what Red Bull team boss Christian Horner described as a "communication error", the tyres Ricciardo's engineer chose for the car were at the back of the garage, and a pit stop from the Keystone Cops followed, losing 10 seconds. Ricciardo exited the pits as Hamilton flew by into the first corner.
And this was the next superlative part of Hamilton's race. Now it was his turn to struggle. Ricciardo, one of the most improvisational overtakers in F1, was clearly faster. But the Mercedes held the Red Bull back.
The closest it got was on lap 37, when at one of several re-starts after periods of the virtual safety car, Ricciardo pressured Hamilton into braking too late and going in to the chicane too shallow and deep. He cut a part of the corner, lost momentum on the exit and had to give the Red Bull a bit of a chop on the harbour front to keep it behind.
On another day, he might have been penalised for gaining an advantage by going off the track - Ricciardo certainly felt it worth a question. But the stewards felt it to be within the bounds of acceptability and did the F1 equivalent of waving play on.
Ricciardo never got as close again. Suddenly Hamilton was setting fastest laps, and it became clear he had been measuring out his tyre life to ensure they made the distance - which was a stretch given the 45 laps they were being asked to do.
The task Rosberg faces
All in all, it was a weekend that emphasised the difference between a very good driver and a great one.
At 24 points, Rosberg still has a substantial lead. But Monaco was a reminder that in these sorts of races, when steady progression through a weekend is thrown out of the window, when the weather throws up a wildcard, when drivers have to adapt on the hoof, when the car is difficult, Hamilton is more often than not on another level to Rosberg.
Monaco is a processional race - unless it rains
He has continued to deny it whenever asked, but Rosberg must know that this year may well be the best chance he ever gets to win a world championship.
It is hard to imagine that circumstances will ever again conspire in the way misfortune has hit Hamilton this year to give Rosberg a 43-point lead after five races.
Whenever the size of his advantage has been pointed out to him this year, he has generally responded by saying Hamilton is still as quick as ever and will inevitably bounce back.
In Monaco, it happened, and the brutal nature of it cannot have done other than knock Rosberg back.
He is a resilient man, who has bounced back from worse than this. But how Rosberg responds - to this and to the extra threat of a now-resurgent Red Bull - will be a significant aspect of what defines the rest of the season, and how effectively he manages to keep Hamilton at bay.
If indeed he can.
Read more on Andrew Benson
BBC F1 Twitter
Read more on BBC F1 Twitter
Read more on FIA
Vunipola regrets Folau comments effect
From the section Rugby Union
Read more on Vunipola regrets Folau comments effect
Ricciardo 'screwed' by Red Bull mistake
Read more on Monaco Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo 'screwed' by Red Bull mistake
Hamilton thanks 'gentleman' Rosberg for letting him past
Read more on Hamilton thanks 'gentleman' Rosberg for letting him past
Hamilton wins epic Monaco Grand Prix
Read more on Lewis Hamilton wins epic Monaco Grand Prix over Daniel Ricciardo
'I saw Senna's glove - he'd worn through it'
Read more on Monaco GP: 'I saw Senna's glove - he'd worn through it'
Red Bull extend Renault engine deal
Read more on Red Bull: Renault engine deal extended until 2018
Listen: Dennis on Alonso, loyalty & mentality
Read more on Listen: Dennis on Alonso, loyalty & mentality
Find ways to get active
How to get involved in just about any sport or activity
Find a club, activity or sport near you