text:
Should Parliament be moved?
Africa-Press – South-Africa. By Zelna Jansen
The fire that destroyed the New Wing of Parliament has re-ignited calls for the seat of Parliament to be moved. These calls first emerged several years ago.
A feasibility study was conducted which estimated the cost of moving Parliament to be around R7 billion. To move Parliament, an act of Parliament is required. Section 42(6) of the Constitution provides that the "seat of Parliament is Cape Town, but an Act of Parliament enacted in accordance with Section 76(1) and (5) may determine that the seat of Parliament is elsewhere".
The calls to move Parliament have been motivated for reasons including that it would, first, make financial and political sense and, second, that it would allow for better oversight to be conducted over the executive branch of government.
We must bear in mind that South Africa's democracy is based on the principle of separation of powers. The Constitution does not specifically mention the principle.
However, whenever a constitutional case is decided on an issue pertaining to the mandate of the executive and legislative branches, the principle is discussed at length to ensure that no branch intrudes on the mandate of the other. The Interim Constitution of 1993 provided that "there shall be a separation of powers between the legislature, executive and judiciary, with appropriate checks and balances to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness".
The final Constitution adopted in 1996 gave effect to this principle, wherein each branch of government is independent, has a separate function, and has unique powers that the others cannot infringe upon.
The legislature makes laws, conducts oversight over the executive and is the voice of the people. The executive governs the country through implementing laws and policies. The judiciary enforces the law.
One should not usurp the functions and responsibilities of the other. The three branches are not hermetically sealed from each other and exhibit a degree of overlap.
Moving the seat of Parliament closer to the seat of the executive must be comprehensively analysed, thought through and requires a broad discussion as to how and whether it will enhance Parliament's oversight function.
The party that wins the most votes governs the country and will have a majority vote in decisions adopted in Parliament. A question to be considered is whether having the ruling party, the executive government, and Parliament in the same province will either enhance oversight or blur the lines of separation.
Will it potentially make it easier for the one branch to intrude on the mandate of the other? Already, there are perceptions that Parliament is not conducting proper oversight of the executive government. It may also reinforce the perception that Parliament merely rubber-stamps the decisions of the executive.
About the issue of saving cost, one must bear in mind that the government is spread over the entire South Africa and not only in one province. Members of Parliament (MPs) will, therefore, have to travel to conduct oversight throughout South Africa.
Another matter to consider is that MPs are in all provinces of South Africa and would have to travel to Tshwane. Parliament is also the voice of the people. These people will have to travel to the seat of Parliament whether it is in Cape Town, Tshwane or anywhere else.
The travelling of MPs is an essential, and therefore, a necessary expense in conducting the mandate of the legislature. Other questions to be considered are how this will affect the workers currently employed at Parliament and how it will impact the economy of the Western Cape and its people.
Is it the right time to have such an enormous expense estimated at R7 billion to move the seat of the legislature? A declining economy means a declining income for the fiscus. South Africa faces challenges of poverty, low levels of education, high unemployment rate, among others.
Does the fiscus have this money? The R7 billion is only an estimate, which means there is the potential of this amount ballooning. A bill requiring the seat of Parliament to be moved would have to follow the process of Section 76 of the Constitution.
This means that public hearings would have to take place at national as well as provincial level. If there is no litigation, it is likely to take about two years for such a bill to be finalised. Other provinces may also want to bid for the seat.
Moving creates lucrative opportunities for any province and its resident entrepreneurs.
If a bill moving the seat of Parliament is introduced, it will be interesting to see how the various arguments unfold. However, priority should be given to arguments reinforcing the importance of keeping the legislature and the executive separate, improving Parliament's mandate of conducting oversight and involving the public in its business.
* Jansen is a lawyer and CEO of Zelna Jansen Consultancy.
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The Fringe | Conspiracy, News, Politics, and Fun Forum! > Community Area > General Discussion > Cremated remains unearthed in China are the Buddha's, inscription says
Full Version: Cremated remains unearthed in China are the Buddha's, inscription says
An inscription says the remains were buried June 22, 1013, and belong to the Buddha, who is said to have lived from 563 B.C. to 483 B.C.
More than 260 Buddhist statues were found buried near the remains, but researchers are not certain they were buried at the same time since the inscription does not mention them.
Researchers noted this isn't the first time remains of the Buddha — also known as Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama — have purportedly been found.
Villagers discovered the statues and Buddha remains in December 2012 while they were repairing roads in the area. Archeologists excavated the remains, which they first detailed in a Chinese-language journal last year.
This newfound inscription references Yunjiang and Zhiming, two monks who spent more than 20 years gathering Buddhist relics to promote and practice Buddhism.
It reads: "The monks Yunjiang and Zhiming of the Lotus School, who belonged to the Mañjuśrī Temple of the Longxing Monastery in Jingzhou Prefecture, gathered more than 2,000 pieces of śarīra (cremated Buddha remains), as well as the Buddha's teeth and bones, and buried them in the Mañjuśrī Hall of this temple" on June 22, 1013. _ read on
http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-wo...43333.html
titanic1
The life story of the most famous person who has ever lived is, in fact, filled with a mysterious gaping hole. From the age of 13 to 29 there is no Biblical, Western, or Middle Eastern record of Jesus's whereabouts or activities in Palestine. Known as "The Lost Years," this gaping hole remained a mystery until one explorer's remarkable discovery in 1887.
In the late 19th century a Russian doctor named Nicolas Notovitch traveled extensively throughout India, Tibet, and Afghanistan. He chronicled his experiences and discoveries in his 1894 book The Unknown Life of Christ. At one point during his voyage, Notovitch broke his leg in 1887 and recuperated at the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery of Hemis in the city of Leh, at the very top of India. It was here where monks showed Notovitch two large yellowed volumes of a document written in Tibetan, entitled The Life of Saint Issa. During his time at the monastery, Notovitch translated the document which tells the true story of a child named Jesus (i.e. Issa = "son of God") born in the first century to a poor family in Israel. Jesus was referred to as "the son of God" by the Vedic scholars who tutored him in the sacred Buddhist texts from the age of 13 to 29. Notovitch translated 200 of the 224 verses from the document.
During his time at the monastery in 1887, one lama explained to Notovitch the full scope and extreme level of enlightenment that Jesus had reached. "Issa [Jesus] is a great prophet, one of the first after the twenty-two Buddhas," the lama tells Notovitch. "He is greater than any one of all the Dalai Lamas, for he constitutes part of the spirituality of our Lord. It is he who has enlightened you, who has brought back within the pale of religion the souls of the frivolous, and who has allowed each human being to distinguish between good and evil. His name and his acts are recorded in our sacred writings. And in reading of his wondrous existence, passed in the midst of an erring and wayward people, we weep at the horrible sin of the pagans who, after having tortured him, put him to death."
https://www.feelguide.com/2017/01/19/bbc...dia-tibet/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknown_years_of_Jesus
http://www.thezensite.com/non_Zen/Was_Je...dhist.html
They say Jesus studied buddhism, and was one of the first after 21 Buddha's -T
Tolimar
Most likely a fake. Communist China have always tried to subvert Buddhism.
People have often found Noah's Ark too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM4iOf6IVHM
Which Buddha are we talking about?
Yeah there have been 22 Budha's

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Bitcoin's reputation is considered to be in good standing – depending on who you ask. However, one Indiana investment regulator has felt the need to warn citizens of the potential hazards attached to dealing in bitcoin.
Although it is important to know the history about bitcoin, regulators have a tendency of focusing the negative aspects about it – which involves criminal abuse and activity. The currency itself is not corrupt, rather some people just use it with bad intentions.
What might sound like a broken record by now, Lawson also shows concerns over bitcoin's volatility, and that it may be difficult for the public and even some financial experts to understand.
More and more regulators continue to recite the same potential risks involved in bitcoin, but fail to realize the dollar is no better. Though it is backed by a central institution, cash is still stolen and hacked just about the same way as they claim bitcoin is.
They are right about people doing their homework before getting involved with it, as it always should be, but that is the case with investing in firms that use fiat currencies. As long as there is a criminal behind money, something bad could happen. Regulators must trust that new investors are getting into bitcoin for all the right reasons.


A program of the United Nations that encourages volunteerism. It recruits volunteers throughout the world who are placed in various development programs depending on their skills and the UN's needs. It also assists NGOs in finding volunteers for their programs. United Nations Volunteers began in 1971.
With this report, the UNV has recognised volunteerism as an essential component for the sustainable and equitable progress of communities and nations.
Behind its lofty humanitarian ambitions, the UNV aims to relieve some national governments of their provision of public services and obligations to plan and steer.
It was obvious that the member countries thought that this was a good time to recognize the work of UNV and of volunteers everywhere.
He quit work at a trading house and became the UNV ambassador to help realize his son's wish to bring peace to Cambodia and other parts of the world.
Leticia Troncoso, UNV Program Officer, "Throughout 2009, a total of 70 UNV volunteers were working in Egypt in 11 different sectors," said Troncoso, "this is definitely an increase from when we first started.
The team will arrive East Timor this coming weekend," Dale Gilles, manager of the UNV in Cambodia, said.
During the meeting, His Highness Shaikh Isa reviewed with the UNV Executive Coordinator areas of cooperation and coordination between Kingdom of Bahrain and United Nations Volunteers programme to elevate the volunteering work in Bahrain.
This is the first in a series of missions around the world in which Kraft employees take up assignments with the Bonn-based UNV program under its United Nations International Short Term Advisory Resources (UNISTAR) activities.
Support all other elements for positioning UNV / volunteerism on interagency and inter-governmental discussions on youth including working directly with youth groups at the global level, when appropriate.


Roundtable Discussion on Institutionalizing REDD in Indonesia was held in IPB International Convention Center at 19 May 2009. The event was attended by 43 participants from the Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Bappenas, academicians, NGOs, donor agencies, representatives of local government, and privates.
The roundtable was officially opened by remarks from Mr. Adi Susmianto, on behalf of the Head of Forest Research and Development Agency. In his remarks, Mr. Susmianto expressed his expectation on the inputs that may come from this discussion. He was hoping that there will be information and ideas which may assist the Government of Indonesia (GoI) in developing registry system, coordinating local-national work, and increasing community awareness.
REDD is now an UNFCCC priority, as highlighted in the Bali Action Plan. International consensus on how REED will be implemented is still under development. Several key issues have not yet been solved. These issues are among others on how to : finance for REDD implementation, set implementation scale (national or sub-national), defining baseline, avoiding leakage, etc.
Besides Indonesia, CCAP has and is now also working on REDD in Brazil, Cambodia, Mexico, and China. In Cambodia, the government is currently developing forest plan to support the implementation of REDD. While in Brazil, the government is currently developing satellite data system.


What I've learned through my own experience -- as a teacher, a researcher, from helping my own children, and now watching my daughter work as an elementary school mathematics teacher -- is that communication is (excuse the pun) the common denominator when it comes to making math homework a positive experience.
1. Try as hard as you can to understand what your child is saying. When your child is working out a math problem, ask her to think out loud, to say what she's doing and why. In some cases, your child might be able to answer her own questions. Don't just come in with an explanation of how things should be done.
2. We've learned a lot about teaching. NSF-supported researchers and other scientists are producing findings that change the way we understand learning and how we teach. Math instruction today might look very different from when you were in school. Keep an open mind. If you're dismissive of something, there's a chance your child will be, too.
3. Assume there is some logical thinking your child is employing. Even if he's producing incorrect answers, your child is employing some kind of thought process, and understanding it is the key to providing help. Let's say your child is adding 1/3 and 1/4 and getting 2/7. If his explanation is that he was adding the numerators and denominators, you've just learned that he might not fully understand what a fraction is. And that gives you a starting point for helping.
4. Homework is about more than producing the correct answers. It's about learning processes and skills. Even if you can come up with the right answer to a problem with which your child is struggling, there's a lot you still need to explain -- namely, how you arrived at that point.
5. Become a teacher's ally. Talk to your child's teachers. Find out how they are teaching certain ideas and concepts. At times, parents unhappy about their children's struggles to learn can approach teachers from a place of frustration. View your child's teachers as your partners and collaborators.
6. Find additional help. Worried you won't be able to understand the math your child is trying to learn? Take a careful look at her textbook or online learning materials. See if the publisher provides any resources. Look for other publicly available teaching aids, especially those that have had NSF support. Do you have friends or coworkers with children? Start a lunch group to talk through your homework challenges.
7. Remember, every child is different and learns differently. Just because your oldest child learned his multiplication facts one way doesn't mean his younger sister will do the same. Which brings us back to the first tip: Listen to each child and do your best to understand.
Joan Ferrini-Mundy is acting chief operating officer at NSF. She previously served as assistant director for NSF's Education and Human Resources Directorate.


text:
Q: Http request in clojurescript with re-frame I use Clojurescript + Reframe + http-fx.
This is example src for http request:
(re-frame/reg-event-fx
 ::request-login
 (fn [{:keys [db]} [_ req-data]]
   {:db   (assoc db :loading true)
    :http-xhrio {:method          :post
                 :uri             "http://localhost:8002/api/auth/login"
                 :params          req-data
                 :timeout         8000
                 :format          (ajax/json-request-format)
                 :response-format (ajax/json-response-format {:keywords? true})
                 :on-success      [::response-login-success]
                 :on-failure      [:bad-http-result]}}))

My dev shadow-cljs works on http://localhost:8280/
But my api server on http://localhost:8002/ (this is other application).
The library does not allow me to make requests to servers at other addresses.
Only for (:uri "http://localhost:8280/api/auth/login")
In browser inspector displays: Provisional headers are shown! This is due to the referrer parameter in header, as I understand it.
I tryed:
 :uri     "http://localhost:8002/api/auth/login"
 :params  req-data
 :headers {"referer" "http://localhost:8002/" "origin" "http://localhost:8002"}

It does not help!
I found information that it is necessary to do not an asynchronous request.
I was able to run only this solution (call JS function from Clojurescript):
function myAjaxPost() {
    const xhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
    xhttp.open("POST", "http://localhost:8002/api/auth/login", false);
    xhttp.send(JSON.stringify({login:"user1",password:"pswd1"}));
    console.log(xhttp.responseText);
};

But How it is possible to set async mode for http-fx?
It is possible to make requests for a different URLs?

A: I solved this problem. The problem was with the server.
Enabled on the server: Enable All CORS Requests.
And everything worked!!!
Maybe this will help someone.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tea time could lead to better health, study of elderly women shows
This photo shows a cup of black tea with a spoon and tea leaves in London, Monday, Aug. 29, 2022. According to a large study of British tea drinkers published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine, scientists found two or more cups daily was tied with a modest benefit: a 9% to 13% lower risk of death from any cause. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Putting the kettle on every day could be key to a healthy life, according to an Australian study that found tea consumption in elderly women had positive effects.
The peer reviewed study assessing more than 800 elderly women found that flavonoids -- a naturally occurring substance found in beverages such as black and green tea -- could lead to notable health benefits.
The participants surveyed, all women with a median age of 80, were determined less likely to have an extensive accumulation of abdominal aortic calcification (ACC), a marker or various health risks, thanks to steady intakes of flavonoids in their diet.
The abdominal aorta, which is considered the largest artery in the body, transfers oxygenated blood from the heart to abdominal organs, and ACC stands as a reliable predictor of susceptibilities to heart attack, stroke, and, according to this recent study, cognitive degenerative diseases such as late-life dementia.
The study, which was conducted by researchers with the ECU Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, identified that a cohort of elderly women with no history of cardiovascular complications largely benefited from having flavonoids in their daily diet.
The extent of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is a major predictor of vascular disease events. Source: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular BiologyStudy participants who had a higher intake of total flavonoids were up to 39 per cent less likely to have extensive artery calcification, according to a news release.
Ben Parmenter, one of the study's researchers, said numerous dietary sources hold flavonoids in high amounts, if tea isn't to your liking.
"In most populations, a small group of foods and beverages – uniquely high in flavonoids – contribute to the bulk of total dietary flavonoid intake," he said in the release.
"The main contributors are usually black or green tea, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, red wine, apples, raisins, grapes, and dark chocolate."
The study, which was published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, looked at women between the ages of 78 and 82 using food-frequency questionnaires and was adjusted for demographics, lifestyles and diet.
MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS
The beginning of February is expected bring Arctic-like temperatures across much of Eastern Canada, thanks to frigid air from the polar vortex. The cold snap will descend on Eastern Canada this week, with temperatures becoming seasonable again on Sunday. In between, much of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada can expect the coldest days yet this winter.
A Vancouver police sergeant who says he was Const. Nicole Chan's friend and mentor has told a coroner's inquest that Chan believed she would never return to work because human resource officers went to the hospital when she was apprehended under the Mental Health Act.
Defence faults crime scene collection in Alex Murdaugh trial
While RSV and flu cases steadily decline in Canada, the World Health Organization is set to announce on Monday whether it still considers COVID-19 a global health emergency, but one infectious disease specialist says we still need to keep an eye on the coronavirus.
Lisa Loring, best known as the first actress to play Wednesday Addams in the original 'The Addams Family' sitcom, has died at the age of 64.
Ashley Judd says she had to re-enroll herself in trauma therapy to cope with the recent media coverage of her mother's death. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper published Monday, Judd said was forced to revisit her trauma when media outlets published pictures of the scene of her mother's death and the contents of a suicide note.
Gymnastics Canada chief executive officer Ian Moss was on the hot seat at the status of women hearings on safety of women in sport on Monday. Moss was repeatedly questioned by MPs about Gymnastics Canada's handling of coaches Ian Bard and Scott McFarlane amid accusations he knew of complaints from athletes.


An environmental health officer from Mid Devon District Council has been shortlisted for a national award, capping off a successful year for council staff.
Jeremy Pritchard, Commercial Team Lead Officer, was recently shortlisted for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Excellence Awards 2018 in the category of Outstanding Environmental Health Professional.
The award recognises an individual who has delivered a significant improvement to health, wellbeing and the environment.
Jeremy made the final of the awards following the lead role he undertook during an investigation into an illegal meat operation. Due to his diligent work, the major operation was shut down, and he subsequently secured a successful crown court prosecution against the person responsible for running the illegal scheme. The case was a significant landmark, and a first for a food authority, in the successful use of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to recover the business's profit.
The award ceremony was held in London last week where Jeremy was pipped to the overall award by an Environmental Health Officer from Powys Council who worked on a demanding project with the Red Cross in response to an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.
• North and Mid Devon's Building Control Officer, Rose Murphy, being awarded the title of Superstar Winner at the annual LABC (Local Authority Building Control) awards.
• Legal Services Solicitor, Maria De Leiburne, receiving an award in recognition of excellent partnership through her work to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime in the Tiverton area from the East and Mid Devon Community Safety Partnership.
• Pauline Davey, Senior Local Land Charges Officer and Donna Oswald, Assistant Local Land Charges Officer being highly commended in the Customer Satisfaction Award for Local Authority searches (second), and coming fifth in the Best Performing National Land Information Service (NLIS) Level 3 Award. The awards are run by Land Data which is the NLIS regulator.
As well as individuals, departments within the Council have also received deserved recognition.
TPAS, the Tenants Participation Advisory Service, recognised the work achieved by the Council's Housing Service in communicating with its tenants when the Housing Service was shortlisted for the category Excellence in Tenant Engagement Award.
Mid Devon District Council has also been shortlisted for the LGC Award for Councils' Driving Economic Growth. This award is for councils that are proactively driving growth, and the winners will be announced in March 2019.


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This privacy notice aims to give you information on how Buycraft and Statscraft (as divisions of Tebex Limited) collect and process your personal data through your use of www.tebex.io, www.buycraft.net, www.statscraft.net (together referred to as "this website"), and also any third-party webstore (a "Webstore") which utilities the Buycraft webstore platform for Minecraft Servers (the "Buycraft Platform"), including any data you may provide through this website when you purchase a product or service.
This website is not intended for children and we do not knowingly collect data relating to children. We realise and understand that children and young people may visit this website, or otherwise interact with us and our commercial partners. It is our policy to encourage all minors to consult with their parents or legal guardian before submitting any content or information to us, our commercial partners or other third parties.
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text:
Arrugada är ett släkte av insekter. Arrugada ingår i familjen dvärgstritar.

Kladogram enligt Catalogue of Life:

Källor

Dvärgstritar
Arrugada

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Each year, the Holy Father asks for our prayers for specific intentions each month, one for some general worldwide need, and another for a specific need related to evangelization. You are invited to answer the Holy Father's request and to join with many people worldwide in praying for these intentions each month.
Universal: That indigenous peoples, whose identity and very existence are threatened, will be shown due respect.
Evangelization: That the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean, by means of her mission to the continent, may announce the Gospel with renewed vigor and enthusiasm.


Just wanted to let you know that next week, April 24th, I will open my TIMETRON2019 exhibit at the Subotron Hub in the Museums Quartier, here in Vienna Austria.
TIMETRON2019 is an interactive retro-computing exhibit scheduled to run through until December 2019, featuring a collection of archaic, but nevertheless still quite interesting systems - including my personal Oric Atmos system, which I will load to the gills with all of the greatest stuff from the Oric scene in the last few decades.
If you've got a title you'd like me to demo - I'd love to feature it and demo it to the visitors, make it available to them to play with, and so on. Subotron Hub is a high-traffic area of the MQ, so you will get a lot of exposure and hopefully some new users from the promotion.
If there is anything you'd specifically like me to do for the Oric world, let me know.. I'll have my Atmos+Cumulus loaded to the gills, and as well will try to get the Telestrat booted up for the aficionados who are bound to visit.
And if you're in Vienna, come by and say hi! I'd love to meet more Oric people in person.
Totally .. For the 8-bit systems I will have a collection of the 'top 10' games of the 80's era, and then I'll have 'everything that was written for it in the 21st Century' as well .. on USB sticks (SD card for the Cumulus), so it'll be easy to check everything out and load things up.
The exhibit goes all year, so if there are new Oric titles on the way, you can be sure there will be an opportunity for public exposure!


Do Rite Doughnuts in Chicago, Ill.
My Favorite Doughnuts in the U.S.A.
I've traveled the country on my live tour, Alton Brown Live, and have found some of the country's best doughnuts while doing so. The best ..
If you're looking to pass some time in Southern climes, you're going to require sustenance. With that in mind I offer the following off-th..
I list my favorite eats while on the road for my live show, The Edible Inevitable Tour. Part one takes you through the best AB Road Eats h..
The National (Athens, GA): Five & Ten may have put Hugh Acheson on the map, but I think this is his finest work. It is with a clear consc..
Jerky & Vine (Greenville, SC): Dried beef, pork, fish, turkey, etc. This store had jerky for everyone. And they carry my favorite brand to..
If this tour had a coffee theme, it was specialty drinks, which is totally not me. I'm an espresso guy … maybe a cortado or gibraltar ….


text:
Jaffa Orri Mandarin Export Sales Expected to Increase by 50%
Easy-to-peel Jaffa Orri aims to close the gap for growing demand
The Plant Production and Marketing Board of Israel
TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Plant Production and Marketing Board of Israel predicts an export increase of 50% for Jaffa Orri mandarin fruit in 2017. The harvest of these highly desired mandarins started in mid-December, 2016 (a week before the season started last year), and met the growing demand for Jaffa Orri. The fruit was available on shelves by Christmas.
Easy-to-peel Jaffa Orri aims to close the gap for growing demand HR (PRNewsFoto/Plant Production Israel)
"We set ambitious goals to increase Jaffa Orri export volumes in 2017, and hope to double exports of the fruit by 2020," says Tal Amit, head of the citrus sector at Israel's Plant Production and Marketing Board. "Currently, available quantities are not sufficient to meet demand. This high demand is due to the fruit's remarkable flavor and other outstanding characteristics, and is evident in the growing number of markets for it. We're set to bring the Jaffa Orri to every premium supermarket, worldwide."
It is estimated that crop this season will reach approximately 135,000 metric tons (MT), and is forecast to reach 200,000 MT in a few years' time. (In 2016, production was 90,000 MT.)
"This significant increase in the Orri harvest is a direct result of improving quality in cultivation, and in attaining better crop protection during growth," explains Amit.
The Jaffa Orri is a mandarin orange developed by scientists of the Volcani Research Center in Bet-Dagan, Israel.
This mandarin is easy to peel, with minimal seed content, and boasts an excellent, sweet flavor and spicy aroma. The Orri has an extremely long season, with a particularly long shelf life. The fruit ripens during a period when most easy-peelers are in short supply in the markets.
Jaffa Orri is exported worldwide to 45 destinations. Most of the crop is exported to the European market (78%). The most prominent countries in Europe for Orri mandarins are France (39%), the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Russia (7% each). Apart from Europe, 18% of the fruit is sent to North America and 4% to Asia Pacific.
The Plant Production & Marketing Board was established in 2004 to assist farmers in advancing their agricultural missions. The board promotes the Jaffa brand and other registered citrus industry brands. It helps kick-start pioneering R&D projects, executes centralized crop protection initiatives, assists organizations in meeting phytosanitary standards and insures growers against weather-related losses.
Visit us at Fruit Logistica, Berlin, The Cube, Hall B, booth #C-17
The Plant Production and Marketing Board
Mr. Tal Amit
Head of the citrus sector
E-mail: info@plants.org.il
Website: www.orrijaffa.com
NutriPR
Ms. Liat Simha
E-mail: liat@nutripr.com
Twitter: @LiatSimha
www.nutripr.com
SOURCE The Plant Production and Marketing Board of Israel


Source: https://www.instagram.com Cookie Box, Tehran. License: All Rights Reserved.
Cookie Box is a bakery dedicated to bringing authentic American-style baked treats and desserts to Tehran. They have a reputation of increasing the popularity of cookies, cupcakes, brownies, muffins, pies and other American-style treats in Tehran.
Their multiscript identity, designed by the Tehran-based Studio Melli, uses Symbio for both English and Farsi.
Source: http://www.studio-melli.com Studio Melli. License: All Rights Reserved.


It was dark outside and eight of us were standing around in the office of Ecotours de Mexico in Puerto Vallarta waiting to get our instructions for the day. Paperwork had been signed and hands shaken accompanied with introductions. There were the four from Alaska, the guy from Utah, the man from Sweden and then there was Steve and me from Austin. Our tour leader, Fernando, told us where we were going and how the day would go: We were going to drive north, stop for some fresh pastries and then another stop at Oxxo—Mexico's version of our 7-11—for some coffee and then head to Nayarit, the state to the north of Jalisco (where we were). Our first birding spot would be El Guamúchil. From there we would decide where to go.
I think to myself, Good luck. I can go whole trips in the tropics and not see one trogon.
We climbed into the white van and Fernando drove us through the darkness. The streets were empty except for vans and trucks making their morning deliveries. Steve immediately fell asleep to the rhythm and rocking of the van's poor suspension. After our stops for pastry and coffee we headed up to the mountains as the light from the sun was beginning to fill the sky.
This was our second day in Puerto Vallarta and it was going to be a lot like the day before according to my weather app: Low cloud cover with cool mornings. The mountains, in particular, were cloaked with the clouds and the morning seemed as though there was a quiet battle between the sun and the clouds, with the clouds winning.
After an hour drive, Fernando pulled off to a dirt road, we spilled out of the van and I tried to get the circulation going in my legs. I felt like a newborn calf standing up for the first time as I was reminded, once again, of my 50 plus years.
We had a full sky of daylight, though the clouds did win. The long fingers of the palms pointed down, heavy as if sleeping. The dew of the morning had left its mark with little droplets of water at the end of each blade. Cecropia trees intermingled with fig trees all along the dirt road and there was so much green that I have come to the realization that there needs to be more words invented to describe green. A little stream of water trickles down the middle of the road, as though an artery of life. This place is alive, I thought. Should be a good day for birding.
There was squawking high above our heads. "Mexican Parrotlets," Fernando pointed out. I craned my neck back and looked up to the sky where the noise was coming. It was a flock of about 15 or so birds. I could only make out their little silhouettes, unable to see any colors as they flapped their way off into the distance chattering and squawking as they flew.
"So is this where we're going to see the Trogon?" an Alaskan woman asked.
No promises, of course. That's the caveat with all birding. Not all birders understand that, though. Target birds are always a great idea, but there's a great difference between having a desire to see something so you can marvel in it and wanting to see a bird to tick off a list.
"What happens if you don't get them the birds they want to see?" I asked.
"They get really disappointed and frustrated and it makes for a bad trip," he said.
Target birds are different than long lists of required birds for a tick. Target birds are something to hope for—to turn a trip or vacation into a quest where you don't know how it will turn out in the end. I keep going back to Panama and every time I try to get a good a look at a Rufous-crested Coquette. I still have never seen one, yet it seems as if everyone else who goes there has seen it. Every time we go back our guide is just as excited as we are to try to find the Coquette even though he has obviously seen it before many times. It's a "let's do this together" experience and it turns into a lovely moment where someone who has had the experience before wants to share that with you so you can have the same feelings and the same thrill with seeing something extraordinary.
So these folks from Alaska had their hearts set on seeing a Trogon—their target bird for their trip—and we were all in on helping them with their quest. And if I'm truly honest, yes, I wanted to see a Trogon too. It wouldn't be my first, but I don't see them all the time and who would pass up a Trogon?
A family of five Black-throated Magpie Jays swooped into a tree above our heads. They moved around quickly, bobbing their long magnificent tails as they hopped from branch to branch and from tree to tree.
It was getting busy in the branches and trees and soon, these Inca Doves appeared, warming up and posing on a wire.
And in a rare moment of stillness, I was able to capture a shot (albeit, a rather crummy shot) of this Orange-cheeked Parakeet.
It got quiet again. I searched long horizontal branches—that's where I was sure to find a Trogon. My eyes scanned, looking for a bright pop of color.
"Hey, over here! Trogon!" someone from our group called.
I grabbed my camera and tripod and made my way up a little ways on the dirt road. Fernando adjusted his scope pointing it to a tree in the distance. "Got it," he said. "Anyone want a look?" Everyone was still fixed on finding it through their binoculars.
"Where is it?" someone asked.
There was a chorus of "got its" as we all looked at the red belly of the Elegant Trogon looking at us.
The group from Alaska was giddy, excited. High fives and smiles all around. They got their bird.
"I can go home now," one of them said.
Yes, another Trogon two trees over on the left.
It was thrilling. Two trogons in one morning! All of a sudden I felt as though my chances at a casino would reap the same winnings. I was feeling lucky and wondered if I could ever have this kind of luck in Las Vegas. Fernando was excited for our reward so early in the day, but he wanted us to keep moving. "Let's go up the road a bit and see what else we can find," he instructed. So, we climbed into the white van and moved on to the next area with Fernando navigating through what turned into a muddy road, windows down so he could hear for the birds..
A family of endemic Rufous-bellied Chacalacas were making a racket so Fernando stopped so we could get out and get good looks before they moved on.
And then we saw another Trogon. I don't recall who first spotted it, but this one got Fernando very excited. It was a Citreoline Trogon .
Wait, there were two–a pair of them in the area.
So that makes four—FOUR trogons.
We walked a little more on the road. The rains from the previous night had created puddles and miniature streams in the road. I carefully plotted out where I would put my feet as I hiked, so as not to slip.
We saw the Blue Mockingbird, Wilson's Warbler, Golden Vireo, Orchard, Baltimore and Streak-baked Orioles, Black and White Warbler a Northern Beardless Tyrannulet and then out on the road—in the middle of the road—sat this Elegant Trogon.
Who says wishes don't come true?
Hi Celeste! Glad you're enjoying the stories. More to come!
Congratulations on having your wishes come true. Quite a rare thing.
It's definitely a lesson to wish more.
Thank you, Troy. Stay tuned for more photos and stories to come.
Wonderful treat to enjoy this outing with you.