INDONESIA - Import: 62,020 Import/World=0.60%. Import/GDP= 6.202.
INDONESIA - Export: 83,640 Export/World=0.81%.
INDONESIA Agreements: Asian Development Bank, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), BOAO Islamic Development Bank, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (AEPC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), United Nations, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Bank WB.
Asia Indonesia (Indonesian). Jakarta, Palembang, Medan, Denpasar, Surabaya, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi. Language: Indoneseian Bahasa Indonesia (id). Currency: rupiah (Rp). ISO = ID ISO3 = IDN.


Bob Sehlinger: The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2016. PDF Download, MOBi EPUB Kindle. Description. A great destination and thorough preparation are what make a wonderful vacation, and The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland makes Disneyland one of the most accessible theme parks in the world.... Travel Tools from The Unofficial Guide™ Team - See Our Books Here! Your family's trip to Disneyland is a big financial and emotional investment.
Bob Sehlinger: The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2016. PDF Download, MOBi EPUB Kindle. Description. A great destination and thorough preparation are what make a wonderful vacation, and The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland makes Disneyland one of the most accessible theme parks in the world.


Try this delicious recipe to make a CinnaPuffin – a cinnamon roll and muffin in one!
Eggs go from familiar to fancy with this simple but impressive recipe for spinach frittatas that you can make before the guests arrive.
Custom breakfasts for your guests and less work for you — this yogurt parfait bar is a win-win.
Give your Easter menu another go with these easy Easter recipe refreshes.


I have a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan and all the dash lights go on and off, but the battery lights stay on until I turn the van off. When the lights go on my air stops working, then when the light turns off the air goes back on. I took it to the shop and they checked the alternator and battery and told me they're working fine. What could be the problem?
Having just had a variety of air conditioning issues in my hubby's car, I suggest taking it to another mechanic...I don't know if you had it to a dealer first or just your regular mechanic.
If this was the dealer and they didn't have a good answer, try another dealer. Air conditioning problems in my world only seem to get solved when the car goes to a reputable dealer.
My mechanic is awesome for everything else, but air issues...not so much.
Thank You for your infection but the problem was with the alternator it was throwing High voltage they replaced it and is now working fine.
It kinda sounds like you have a short in some of your wiring.
Try taking it to your local Auto Zone, Advance Auto or one of your other car parts stores and ask them to run a free diagnostic test to see if they can locate your problem.
Sometimes these free tests can save a lot of money.
You should call ahead and make sure that particular store has the equipment to do these tests.


Ah the dwindling days of February, when life begins to stir anew across the northern climes. Days grow longer, birds sing stronger, and spring hints at its arrival. Baseball fans revel in the thought of pitchers and catchers reporting, golfers sneak in the odd round and begin to think of the Masters, basketball fans turn their thoughts to season ending tournaments and the upcoming madness of March, and cybersecurity fans eagerly pour over the latest edition of Verizon's Data Breach Digest.
Within the pages of Verizon's Data Breach Digest we can devour the story of "The Hot Tamale," chew on the details of the "Fetid Cheez," chill on the story of "The Polar Vortex," and surrender to the tale of "The Golden Fleece." As one might surmise from the names of the schemes disclosed in Verizon's report, the authors had some fun in creatively describing actual scenarios drawn from incident investigations conducted by Verizon. Basically, Verizon extrapolates from its data to create a series of scenarios that demonstrate the kinds of incidents organizations must guard against. Verizon's premise is that there predictable combinations of cyber attack characteristics, and that by preparing for the kinds of incidents it portrays organizations can most effectively use their resources.
This year's report offers four scenario groupings. They are "The Human Element," focusing on human-related threat actors or victims, "Conduit Devices," looking at device misuse or tampering, "Configuration Exploitation," covering reconfigured or mis-configured settings, and "Malicious Software," whose name pretty much gives away the threat category.
Here's a snippet from what the report terms an "Internet of Things (IoT) Calamity, The Panda Monium," involving an incident at a university campus. "The name servers, responsible for Domain Name System (DNS) lookups, were producing high-volume alerts and showed an abnormal number of subdomains related to seafood. As the servers struggled to keep up, legitimate lookups were being dropped–preventing access to the majority of the internet. While this explained the "slow network" issues, it raised much more concerning questions. From where were these unusual DNS lookups coming? And why were there so many of them? Were students suddenly interested in seafood dinners? Unlikely….


If you'd like to customize a section of your home or undertake a top-to-bottom custom home renovation; our team has the skills and expertise to fulfill your vision.
If you are looking to design-build an integral element in your space or even your own custom home from the ground up, we can help. We utilize our referral network of architects and designers to collaborate together and assure that your home is complete with all of the custom features that you are looking for. In addition, we use a transparent cost-plus system that allows you to see the costs for your project at any given time to assure that you're in line with the budget that we set at the start of the project.
One of the advantages of working with Imagineer Remodeling is that you'll be working with the professional team of designers and craftsmen who will be designing and managing your custom project from start to finish.
For large custom renovation projects, the design-build process yields better results and lower costs than working with a separate architect and a contractor. By choosing Imagineer Remodeling, you benefit directly from many design-build advantages.
A single source of accountability for both design and construction.
Looking to customize your space to suit your needs?


The Smartphone manufacturing company Blu has launched its new smartphone in the United States called R1 Plus. The Blu R1 Plus comes with curved glass touch panel and full metal back body design, which gives a sophisticated look and excellent feel. The smartphone is already available for purchase by the company through online retailers including Amazon and Best Buy. The R1 Plus smartphone will be available in Slate Grey color in the country.
The Blue R1 Plus flaunts with a 5.5-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display that offers a pixels density of 267 PPI. The curved On-cell Glass and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protects the display on the top of it. Under the hood, the device comes powered by MediaTek MT6737 quad-core 1.3 GHz arm cortex processor paired with Mali-T720 GPU. The dual SIM smartphone runs on Android Marshmallow v6.0 out of the box.
The smartphone sports 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and is capable of recording videos in 1080p resolution at 30fps. On the front, it has an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash for taking beautiful bright selfie even in dark environment. It packs with two different storage option 3GB of RAM/ 32GB inbuilt storage, and 2GB of RAM/ 16GB internal storage. Both this variant has expandable storage option up to 64GB via microSD card slot.
The R1 Plus smartphone comes backed by a powerful 4000 mAh non-removable battery, and it claims 30 days of standby time. It measures 153mm height, 76.6mm width, 10.5mm thickness, and 190 grams of weight. The connectivity of Blu R1 Plus smartphone includes Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, 4G LTE, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack and micro USB v2.0 port. The sensors on board include an accelerometer, proximity, gyro, and ambient light sensor.
The Blue R1 Plus smartphone has already made available for purchase in the United States through online retail store Amazon and Best Buy. In Amazon.com the 3GB/ 32GB inbuilt storage is priced at $159.99 (approx. Rs. 10,300) and 2GB/16GB internal storage is priced at $140 (approx. Rs. 9,000). It will be available in Slate Grey color.
Display: 5.5-inch, HD IPS display.
Processor: MediaTek MT6737 Quad-core 1.3 GHz, and Mali-T720 GPU.
Storage: 32GB/ 16GB Inbuilt, 3GB/ 2GB RAM, microSD Expansion Up to 64 GB.
Rear Camera: 13-megapixel, autofocus, and LED flash.
Battery: 4000 mAh (Non-removable), Standby time up to 30 days.
Connectivity: Dual-SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, and micro USB v2.0.


Keep Your Little One�s Mattress Allergen Free!
Made from breathable, soft cotton, our Allergy Control Mattress Protector will keep your little one�s mattress comfortable while keeping dust mites and harmful allergens out. Sealed with a zipper closure to ensure protection, your precious child will be able to sleep at ease.


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750 positions in norway
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University of Bergen | Norway | about 11 hours ago
UiB - Knowledge that shapes society Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes. Do you want to take part in shaping the future? Researcher At the...
Ph.D. fellowship in Educational Sciences – Professional development in Early childhood Education...
University of Stavanger | Norway | about 11 hours ago
Job description The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a Ph.D fellowship in in Educational Sciences at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Department of Early Childhood Education. The PhD fellowship will be connected to Centre for ECEC research, FILIORUM at University of Stavanger....
Post doc position in Early Childhood Education with the theme Play and interaction in Early...
Job description The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a position as Postdoctoral Fellow in in Early Childhood Education at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Department of Early Childhood Education. The position is vacant from 1. August 2021. The objective of the position is to...
Associate Professor in Religion, philosophy and ethics
Job description The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a position as Associate Professor in religion, philosophy and ethics. The position is affiliated to the Faculty of Arts and Education, Department of Early Childhood Education. The position is open for appointment from...
Postdoc in Physics, Computational X-ray Microscopy
Times Higher Education | United Kingdom | about 23 hours ago
About the position We are searching for a creative, skilled and ambitious student for our activities on computational X-ray microscopy and its applications for imaging nanostructured surfaces and porous materials. The student will work in an international team of several principal investigators,...
Postdoctoral Fellow in Statistics, Statistical Learning and Uncertainty
About the position The vision of Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA, Norw.: Statens vegvesen) is to contribute to national goals for the transportation system being safe, promoting added value in society and change towards lower global emission. The road system in Norway represents a...
PhD Position in Visual Appearance Capture and Modeling
About the position A three-year PhD position is available at the Department of Computer Science in Gjøvik. The PhD position is focused on distinct but related fields of research within the field of Visual appearance measurement and understanding. The concept of visual appearance is currently far...
NTNU | Norway | about 4 hours ago
This is NTNU At NTNU, creating knowledge for a better world is the vision that unites our 7 400 employees and 42 000 students. We are looking for dedicated employees to join us. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here. About the position A three-year...
Postdoctoral fellow in Statistics – Statistical Learning and Uncertainty Quantification for Risk Based Maintenance
This is NTNU At NTNU, creating knowledge for a better world is the vision that unites our 7 400 employees and 42 000 students. We are looking for dedicated employees to join us. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here. About the position The vision...
NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology | Norway | 1 day ago

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Behaviour of PVC Encased Reinforced Concrete Walls under Eccentric Axial Loading
Abdel_Havez_Amr.pdf (4.555Mb)
Abdel Havez, Amr
Stay-in-place (SIP) formwork has been used as an alternative to the conventional formwork system. The systems are mainly assembled on site, hence simplifying the construction process and reducing the construction time as the removal procedure has been eliminated. SIP formwork systems can be divided into two main categories; structural and non-structural formwork, based on their contribution to resist applied loads. The structural formwork provides the same advantages as the non-structural formwork, in addition to its contribution to resist the applied loads. As a result, the cross section and the reinforcement of the structural member can be reduced. Recently, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been used as a stay-in-place formwork because of its lower cost compared to other materials, durability, and ease to assemble. The PVC SIP formwork consists of interconnected elements; panels and connectors that serve as permanent formwork for the concrete walls. In this study, the behaviour of the PVC encased reinforced concrete walls under eccentric compression loading was investigated. The variables in this study were the type of the specimen (PVC encased or control), the longitudinal reinforcement (4-10M or 4-15M rebars) and the eccentricity of the applied compression load (33.87 mm, 67.73 mm and 101.6 mm). Generally, the control walls (without PVC encasement) failed by yielding of the steel followed by crushing of the concrete, or by crushing of the concrete without yielding of the steel. For the PVC encased walls, buckling of the PVC occurred after the concrete crushed. The PVC encased specimens showed a higher peak load than their peer control walls. The effect of the PVC on increasing the ultimate capacity at a given eccentricity was more significant for the walls reinforced with 4-10M than the walls reinforced with 4-15M. For the lowest reinforcement ratio (4-10M), the PVC encased specimens showed an increase in peak load by 37.2% and 17.1% at an eccentricity of 67.73 mm and 101.6 mm, respectively. When the reinforcement was increased to 4-15 M, the increase in the peak load dropped at all eccentricities to 10%. For the vertical and the mid-span deflection, the PVC encased specimens and the control specimens showed the same values. Also, the test results showed an increase in the energy absorption capacity for the PVC encased specimens compared to the controls specimens, where the effect for the walls reinforced with 4-10M was higher than the walls reinforced with 4-15M at a given eccentricity. An analytical model was developed to predict the ultimate load capacity of the specimens taking into consideration the effect of the PVC on the load carrying capacity of the walls. The provision was derived based on the moment magnification factor method in which the effect of secondary stresses associated with the column deformations was taken into consideration. The calculated capacities of the PVC encased specimens showed a conservative error of 5.9% on average.
Amr Abdel Havez (2014). Behaviour of PVC Encased Reinforced Concrete Walls under Eccentric Axial Loading. UWSpace. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/8192


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Latest Weapons inspections News
Jordan, Egypt faulted for deaths of US-trained sniffer dogs
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bomb-detection dogs sent by the United States to Jordan and Egypt got sick and in some cases died because of improper care, according to a State Department report released Friday. The State Department Office of Inspector General recommended that two U.S. agencies stop sending the...
Russia shows its latest weapon to US inspectors
Nov. 26, 2019 7:40 AM EST
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military says it has shown its latest hypersonic weapon to U.S. inspectors. The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it demonstrated the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle to a team of U.S. inspectors this week as part of transparency measures under the New Start nuclear arms treaty...


This mug is on trend and of the highest quality. It has a matte finish, high-quality sanded base and they are made from bone china! The Flamingo Ombre mug is pretty in pink, from a pale yellow hue to a rosy pink delight, it's soft shades are charming and elegant.


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Location: Home » Browser Games, MMORPG » Eldevin
Genre: 3D Browser MMORPG
On Saturday, Nov. 30 at 9 a.m. Eastern, indie developer Hunted Cow Studios is launching its flagship project Eldevin, a 3D massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) that aims to be the largest ever played in a web browser.
Eldevin has been in development for eight years at the small, self-funded studio. Designed from the ground up, it uses Java technology and is playable in most web browsers on systems running Windows, Mac, and Linux. Founder Packs for early access will be available until midnight on Nov. 29.
Players begin their exciting journey in the Eldevin Kingdom, where the mysterious Elemental Spheres of Power have corrupted the guardians tasked with protecting them, plunging the world into chaos. Now Tristan, the Emperor of the Infernal Empire and guardian of the Dark Sphere, will stop at nothing to satisfy his greed for more power and to conquer the remaining Spheres – even if it means destroying his former homeland of Eldevin. During their quest, players will travel through countless areas, discover lost cities and artifacts, and encounter challenging bosses. With revolutionary real-time combat, Eldevin delivers an exciting adventure for gamers of any age and experience.
Players can ally with the Eldevin Army or the mages of the Arcane Council in an epic quest to protect the Eldevin Kingdom. The game promises hundreds of hours of content and features 14 gathering and crafting professions and several thousand items. Players can take on one of six unique roles – Templar, Warrior, Assassin, Ranger, Mage, and Prophet – but are completely free to mix and match in a classless system of abilities and talents. Adventurers can play solo, participate in group dungeons, and engage in exciting survival challenges. Optional open-world player-versus-player (PvP) combat and competitive game modes like Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Domination extend the experience.
"Eldevin's launch marks the culmination of many years of hard work by our small and dedicated 15-member team," said John Stewart, studio manager of Hunted Cow. "Development won't stop here, however, as new features and content are already in the works so the game will continue to grow over the coming years. We'd like to thank all our fans and beta testers for their dedication and support, and we look forward to seeing everyone in game on the 30th."
Related Tags: 3D, Eldevin, MMORPG.
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The greatest argument you will EVER hear against the War on Drugs – from a retired police Captain.
Anyone need to hear the greatest argument against the War on Drugs? Well here you go. Retired police Captain Peter Christ will blow you away with his logic.
The War on Drugs is always a hotly debated subject, especially among cannabis users. However, almost everyone can agree that the War on Drugs in general has been one of the longest and most failed wars in history — and it still continues today.
Even though we have heard all the countless arguments against the War on Drugs, former police Captain, Peter Christ, will blow you away with his argument specifically. As Law Enforcement Against Prohibition's co-founder, you can bet that you'll be amazed by his sound logic and reasoning.
As the war continues to wage on, it is quickly losing steam, and people like Peter Christ are making an enormous impact for those exposed to their insight. Let us know what you think of Christ's argument!


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Reclamation Releases 2018 Klamath Project Operations and Drought Plans
June 23, 2018 / Brian Gailey
File Photo (Brian Gailey)
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Bureau of Reclamation has released two plans for 2018 operations of the Klamath Project. The Operations and Drought plans are based on current reservoir storage and anticipated hydrologic conditions based on the June 1 Natural Resources Conservation Service inflow forecast.
The Operations Plan outlines water deliveries during the 2018 spring-summer irrigation season for more than 230,000 irrigated acres on the Klamath Project in southern Oregon and northern California. The Operations Plan also addresses flows required by the 2017 Court Order and the 2013 Biological Opinion on Klamath Project Operations, and is used by agricultural water users, Klamath Basin Tribes and National Wildlife Refuge managers as a planning and informational tool.
Due to Project water supply shortages this year, Reclamation is also releasing the 2018 Drought Plan, which outlines contractual obligations for distribution of the available Project water supply.
"This a very challenging water year, both hydrologically and due to the court requirements," said Jeff Nettleton, Reclamation's Klamath Basin Area Office Area Manager. "The lack of snowpack this year, combined with legal obligations to mitigate disease risk in coho salmon in the Klamath River, has resulted in a stressful irrigation season for irrigators and the overall community. I appreciate the willingness of the entire community to work together to seek solutions to meet these challenges. Careful management of irrigation and continued water conservation efforts will help to minimize negative impacts of the reduced water supply as we proceed through the season."
Due to court requirements and very dry conditions, the Project is starting normal operations later than usual. As of June 1, total precipitation in the Upper Klamath Basin was 80 percent of average with no snowpack remaining. Cumulative inflows to Upper Klamath Lake for the 2018 water year are below the historic 20th percentile. The Project allocation from Upper Klamath Lake for the 2018 spring-summer irrigation season is 233,911 acre-feet, 60 percent of a full supply of 390,000 acre-feet under the 2013 Biological Opinion. As of June 18, Reclamation has delivered approximately 38,000 acre-feet from Upper Klamath Lake, leaving 196,000 acre-feet for the remainder of the irrigation season.
Water supplies from Gerber and Clear Lake Reservoirs for the 2018 irrigation season are anticipated to be near a full supply, approximately 34,000 acre-feet from Gerber and 37,000 acre-feet from Clear Lake Reservoir. As of June 18, a volume of 10,080 acre-feet has been released from Clear Lake and 8,799 acre-feet from Gerber Reservoir. Out of those volumes, approximately 2,700 acre-feet were provided to the westside of the Klamath Project.
The Project's 2018 Operations and Drought Plans are available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/programs/ops-planning.html
For more information, please contact Laura Williams at 541-880-2581 or ljwilliams@usbr.gov.
Press release provided from the US Bureau of Reclamation.
June 23, 2018 / Brian Gailey/
News, Basin Water, Farm & Ranch, Government, News: Local, News: Oregon
US Bureau of Reclamation, Basin Water, Klamath Project, Drought Plan, Operation Plan
Reclamation Releases Draft ...
42 Years in Education, KCSD ...


"Calcified telangiectatic hyperplastic nodule associated with vascular " by J. Marti, A. Trivedi et al.
This is a case report of an asymptomatic 4-year-old girl who was found to have a nodule at the lateral left lobe of the liver. She underwent transabdominal liver ultrasound and abdominal MRI that showed calcification and intense arterial enhancement but they failed to clearly exclude malignancy. The patient underwent an unremarkable laparoscopic wedge liver resection of the lesion because of its location and size. Pathological examination showed features compatible with a benign telangiectatic hyperplastic nodule with vascular malformation and calcification. CD34 immunostained the proliferative vascular lining cells while CK7 and CK19 highlighted the normal bile ducts present within the lesion. The diagnosis of a telangiectatic hyperplastic nodule associated with vascular malformation has been scarcely reported in children and our case shows for the first time that it can also present with calcifications.


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Learning to Unlearn the Leninist Mindset
By G. Robert A. Conquest
Also published in Providence Journal and Bulletin « Show Fewer
We all know the economic and ecological disasters of the Soviet era. What has perhaps not been stressed enough is the moral and intellectual collapse of the regime. One reason for this is that for more than half a century the whole system had, as a major characteristic falsification on an enormous scale. History, production figures, census results—all were faked. Even more demoralizing, the whole sphere of thought was controlled and distorted.
As truth penetrated, it became increasingly the case that only the stupidest and most abject could really accept this delusional world. One of the most difficult things to convey to a Western audience is how disgusting the rank and file of the old Soviet ruling class really were—how mean, treacherous, shamelessly lying, cowardly, sycophantic and ignorant. (Unfortunately, these concepta are unknown to "political science.") Thus, the Soviet system underwent a long process of decay. After the failure of last year's incompetent coup, a Russian said to me: "We've been ruled by morons for 40 years and this is the first time it's paid off."
The political situation in the former Soviet Union is still very dangerous, but at least the people there are rid of Marxism-Leninism. They may not quite know what they want. But they know what they don't want. Even the failed conspirators in August 1991, in their manifesto, did not dare to mention socialism or Marxism—speaking only of restoring order and preserving the borders of the USSR.
What Russia went through (and what Ethiopia. for example went through) was not some sort of natural change. It was the ideas possessing the minds of the Leninists that caused the disasters.
First, the destructive concept was promulgated that a rigorous scientific understanding of human society had been achieved, Then, the theory included the notion that the whole-of-life was dominated by an unappeasable struggle, on a worldwide scale, between sections of society. Next, human beings were found who would accept such dogmas without serious consideration—and not only In the USSR.
For if the Soviet ideology is dead in its homeland, we must next ask, has the lesson been learned here in the West? For the mere existence of the USSR, and its ideas, distorted the way in which many people over the whole world thought about society, the economy, and human history. A not inconsiderable number of members of the West's elite were to one degree or another deceived, or self-deceived, about the communist regime. Some saw it as, in all essentials, more advanced than ourselves. This view was mainly held by "idealists." Others argued that the USSR was a normal state, one like any other, and that it should be treated as such. This view was mainly held by "pragmatists." Both were wrong: far from being advanced, it was based on an archaic fantasy; far from being normal, it was a revolting aberration.
One reason for such delusion was factitiousness. Argument in America about the nature of Sovietism became confused, quite illogically, with internal liberal-conservative disputes. Certainly it has no Republican-Democrat content. My own initiation into American politics was with Sen. Scoop Jackson; and Sen. Daniel Moynihan has recently written an enthusiastic blurb for one of my books. Still, it was mostly the far left who palliated communism. And, as Albert Camus wrote, speaking of similar pro-Soviet elements in France: It was not so much that they liked the Russians as that they "heartily detested part of the French."
Many were seduced by the comfortable word "socialism," even to the extent of rejecting the Western Ideas of free discussion, political compromise, plural society, piecemeal practicality and change without chaos. Moreover, this socialism carried with it the primitive belief that the state could solve all problems. Connected with this, the other great lesson of the Soviet regime is, of course, the destructive effect of a pervasive bureaucracy. It is clear that this lesson has not been learned, or not adequately so. Examples proliferate from the European Community bureaucracy in Brussels to General Motors in Detroit.
Parochialism played a major part in the self-deception, usually involving an ignorance of world history. Admirers of the Soviets could not believe that a regime could kill millions of its own subjects. The decimation of the peasantry because it would have been "economically counterproductive" could not have happened: just as, presumably, Tamerlane could not have built that pyramid of 70,000 skulls.
Political scientists and others used in the USSR the methods they had derived from a study of totally different societies. Then, we were told that academic objectivity meant that one should not be "judgmental." But, of course, it was impossible to write objectively about the Soviets without being judgmental, and the attempt to do so was thoroughly misleading.
Nevertheless, work such as my own was for long by no means slandered, seldom even rejected, except by a few sub-Stalinists (and oddballs like Jerry Hough). It was only in the mid-1980s that a more or less concerted "revisionist" effort began in Sovietological academe. The revisionists argued, in effect, that there had never been much of a terror, against either the peasantry or the population as a whole, and that what there was had been of little importance compared with administrative and personnel changes. Moreover, they accepted the facts and figures provided by the Soviet authorities as truthful.
"Historians" with little knowledge of history believed Soviet documents. Demographers with little knowledge of the Soviet Union believed Soviet census figures. Bad timing! It was precisely at this juncture that Moscow started to make the facts public, and the whole enterprise collapsed amid general contempt.
Or so you would think. But this would be to underestimate the obstinate survivability of dead ideas, particularly in the minds of those who have invested emotional capital in them. We still find, especially in parts of academe, the damaging notion that everything is a struggle for power, or being empowered, or hegemony, or oppression; and that all competition is a zero-sum game. This is no more than repetition of Lenin's destructive doctrine. Intellectually, it is reductionism; politically, it is fanaticism.
How do fanaticism and dogmatism of, or resembling, the Soviet type arise? Often at the age of 18 or 20, a student meets some such glittering general idea and, far from feeling any responsibility to submit it to serious questioning, henceforward follows it like a duckling imprinted with its mother. Is this adequately discouraged? Is the student induced to think, to aim for intellectual responsibility; to seek knowledge and practice judgment; to avoid formulas?
I am afraid that much of the education we now find does not, to put it mildly, even approach these criteria. Indeed, it is an educated, or half-educated, stratum whose minds are still infested with what in the language of computers we would call viruses, which distort their calculations.
It has been wisely said that the two great causes of human troubles are impatience and laziness. Intellectually, these are precisely the phenomena that produce such destructive fantasies. Ideological quick fixes for all intellectual and social problems are sought, rather than an understanding of their real complexities. The Soviet Union was a proving ground for such approaches. We in the West still have much to learn, and to unlearn, from the events in the former communist countries.
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Obama/Holder DoJ Blinds Itself to Voter Fraud Concerns
Filed under: General — Patterico @ 11:20 am
A couple of things happened recently that deserve to be noticed in the same place. First, some Democrats pled guilty to felonies involving voter fraud — just another example of an increasing number of similar cases around the country.
A total of four Democratic officials and political operatives have now pleaded guilty to voter fraud-related felony charges in an alleged scheme to steal a New York election.
The latest guilty pleas expose the ease with which political insiders can apparently manipulate the electoral system and throw an election their way, by the forging of signatures of unsuspecting voters that are then cast as real votes.
Former Troy Democratic City Clerk William McInerney, Democratic Councilman John Brown, and Democratic political operatives Anthony Renna and Anthony DeFiglio have entered guilty pleas in the case, in which numerous signatures were allegedly forged on absentee ballots in the 2009 Working Families Party primary, the political party that was associated with the now-defunct community group, ACORN.
Funny how ACORN always seems to come up whenever we hear about voter fraud.
One way you might combat phony registrations like the kind described above would be to demand voters present proper identification at the time of registration and/or voting. And guess what? The Obama administration is invalidating a voter ID law in South Carolina, a move which seems to signal that DoJ will nix a similar effort in Texas. And Eric Holder seems to think the only reason to demand voter IDs is to keep minorities from voting:
At a high-profile speech in Austin earlier this month, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder echoed Democratic critics in arguing that in-person voter fraud is not a common problem and that photo identification measures may do nothing but suppress turnout of minority and low-income voters.
I guess if you're not looking hard for voter fraud, you're not going to see it. But in the story about the Democrats pleading guilty to voter fraud — interestingly, in a case investigated and prosecuted by state officials and not Holder's DoJ — we are told that a Democrat operative believes such devious practices are a "commonplace and accepted practice." (On both sides of the aisle, he claims, though no evidence is offered to support this claim.) Granted, the fraud in that instance was absentee ballot fraud and not in-person fraud — but that's just a reason to tighten controls on absentee voting, not to shrug our shoulders at potential in-person voting fraud.
In addition, forging signatures on absentee ballots is only one source of potential fraud . . .
The Not-So-Golden Age of Political Reporting
Filed under: 2012 Election,General — Karl @ 8:19 am
[Posted by Karl]
Jack Shafer, while noting the proliferation of political websites, nevertheless hails the arrival of OTUS, which aggregates political coverage from ABC News:
As [Jake] Tapper says in this promo, OTUS (short for of the United States as in, POTUS, president of the United States, or SCOTUS, supreme court of the United States) is all about the "power moves, the mini-dramas, the scheming" in politics. Tapper promises that OTUS will flag both the "urgent and the ridiculous," offer games, display correspondents' Twitter feeds, and create a stock market-style ticker that assesses the rising and falling worth of candidates with social media.
Not to oversell the current scene, but the proliferation of political news sites—and my apologies to those I didn't name—means we're living in a bit of a golden age of political reporting. At least when it comes to national politics and national government, there have never been more reporters competing to break news. Not everything on the menu tastes great, but there's no denying it's a feast.
Ironically, when elections are not the hot story, journos and media critics tend to deride horse race journalism on a number of fronts. It perpetuates the illusion of neutral journalism, the illusion that an insider perspective matters, and so on. But the one I would focus on is this:
[T]here's a good argument that general elections—in particular, general presidential elections—are driven primarily by "the fundamentals," especially the state of the economy, and that most of what happens in campaigns (the gaffes, the messaging strategies, etc.) doesn't amount to much.
That said, such coverage may matter more in primaries, but in general elections, campaign strategies and tactics tend to matter only where there are extreme disparities in resources — ironically, campaigns where strategies and tactics are least likely to matter.
Establishment political journalism — and most of the blogosphere, for that matter — will continue to ignore this, and for good reason. The public likes drama, which is why most journalism is based around narratives of conflict. The audience for political journalism is generally predisposed to treat campaigns as a spectator sport.
However, the world of sports media offers a nice example to draw upon. One of the biggest stories in sports media over the past month has been the saga of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. His charisma and outspoken religious beliefs polarize audiences and incense left-leaning, establishment sports media pundits. Indeed, they were all the more incensed as Tebow racked up a string of unlikely, last-minute victories. Conversely, those among the Cult of Tebow gloated over those who doubted his lack of talent would be overcome by divine favor. That the Broncos' winning streak was due primarily to the team's defense was mentioned far less often. Fixating on Tebow draws an audience, but mostly fails at informing that audience.
Today's political journalism still suffers from these same flaws, even though the subject is ostensibly more important than pigskin scores. OTUS could just as easily have been named MOTSIOP — More of the Same in One Place. A Golden Age? Only if you value quantity over quality.


text:
Share this Story: Premier Francois Legault puts Quebec into 'emergency mode' to stop coronavirus spread
Premier Francois Legault puts Quebec into 'emergency mode' to stop coronavirus spread
Legault: 'I think the next few weeks will be critical, and it's important we take measures to try not to have too many people contaminated'
Morgan Lowrie
Mar 12, 2020 • March 12, 2020 • 3 minute read • 13 Comments
Quebec Premier Francois Legault walks to question period after meeting the party leaders at his office to discuss the next steps to take about the coronavirus, Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the legislature in Quebec City. Photo by Jacques Boissinot /THE CANADIAN PRESS
Quebec Premier Francois Legault asked people returning from abroad to self-isolate for 14 days and cancelled large indoor gatherings Thursday as he called on the population to join the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
While the situation remains under control in the province, Legault said, it's time for Quebecers to go into "emergency mode" to ensure the spread of novel coronavirus doesn't turn into a crisis.
Premier Francois Legault puts Quebec into 'emergency mode' to stop coronavirus spread Back to video
"I think the next few weeks will be critical, and it's important we take measures to try not to have too many people contaminated," he said in Quebec City alongside the province's health minister and public health director.
The two-week isolation will be mandatory for public sector workers returning from outside the country, including teachers and health care workers. They will continue to be paid.
Coronavirus could infect 35 to 70 per cent of Canadians, experts say
COVID-19 pandemic means it's time for Canada to get serious about aggressive social distancing: experts
COVID-19 spreads to new provinces: Manitoba and Saskatchewan confirm first cases
He said all indoor events attracting crowds of more than 250 people would be cancelled, and he asked organizers to reconsider any other large gatherings that are not considered essential.
He also asked businesses to allow their workers to work from home if possible and to show understanding to those who have to miss work.
Legault acknowledged the measures will affect everything from sporting events to tourism to the business community, which is already struggling with the effects of a stock market crash.
He said he knew he was "asking a lot" from the population.
"I think we have a major challenge, and if we want to succeed, I need the help of all Quebecers," he said.
"I know I'm asking a lot — not to travel any more, not to go to a show or a hockey game — it's a major change, I understand, but the situation is very critical."
We are not in crisis, because we have not lost control of the situation
He said he would announce financial measures in the next days to compensate private sector workers and businesses affected by the virus, which has sickened over 120,000 people in 100 countries worldwide.
He said the province isn't excluding the possibility of taking more drastic measures, such as closing schools, if the situation escalates.
"We're not there yet," he said. "But at this moment we can't rule anything out."
Currently, there are 13 confirmed cases in the province, and two people are hospitalized. All of the cases are linked to international travel, and the virus does not appear to be spreading locally, the province's director of public health said.
Horacio Arruda stressed that the measures being taken are preventive.
"We are not in crisis, because we have not lost control of the situation," he said. "(But) we could be in crisis, and what we want to do is prevent the crisis."
A security guard wears a protective mask in front of the new COVID-19 clinic at the site of the former Hotel Dieu hospital, Monday, March 9, 2020 in Montreal. In order to better respond to an expected increase in the number of coronavirus cases in Quebec, the provincial government announced the creation of three clinics dedicated to dealing with the virus including on-site testing. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Most people diagnosed with COVID-19 experience mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, and the vast majority of those who contract the virus recover. However, for some, including Canadians aged 65 and over, those with compromised immune systems and those with pre-existing conditions, the illness can be much more severe.
Danielle McCann, the province's health minister, said the health network is ready to handle an eventual rise in cases. She said the province is "actively working" to expand testing, including the possibility of testing people at home.
Legault's announcement prompted a wave of event cancellations or postponements, including Montreal's St. Patrick's Day Parade. The Place des Arts, home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, announced it was suspending all shows until further notice, effective Thursday evening.
Francois Paradis, Speaker of the Quebec legislature, announced the national assembly will be off limits to the public for the foreseeable future because of coronavirus concerns.


Please join us for the first Anthro Club event of the year!! Monday 10/17 at 6:30 PM in Humanities Room 2043. All majors welcome! Pizza and other tasty snacks will be served! Come meet other Anthro majors to learn more about the program.


An employee at Mojang named "Dock" created Beast Boy, but the mob is no longer active in the game following Dock's departure from the company. Beast Boy was supported during the Indev phase only. He spawned randomly and would drop String, Gunpowder, and feathers, among other items, but that's all academic now since you won't encounter him in updated versions of the game with Rana, Steve and Black Steve also removed from the game as well.


text:
package org.optaplanner.examples.curriculumcourse.persistence;

import java.io.IOException;

import org.optaplanner.examples.common.persistence.AbstractTxtSolutionExporter;
import org.optaplanner.examples.common.persistence.SolutionConverter;
import org.optaplanner.examples.curriculumcourse.app.CurriculumCourseApp;
import org.optaplanner.examples.curriculumcourse.domain.CourseSchedule;
import org.optaplanner.examples.curriculumcourse.domain.Lecture;

public class CurriculumCourseExporter extends AbstractTxtSolutionExporter<CourseSchedule> {
    private static final String OUTPUT_FILE_SUFFIX = "sol";

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SolutionConverter<CourseSchedule> converter = SolutionConverter.createExportConverter(
                CurriculumCourseApp.DATA_DIR_NAME, CourseSchedule.class, new CurriculumCourseExporter());
        converter.convertAll();
    }

    @Override
    public String getOutputFileSuffix() {
        return OUTPUT_FILE_SUFFIX;
    }

    @Override
    public TxtOutputBuilder<CourseSchedule> createTxtOutputBuilder() {
        return new CurriculumCourseOutputBuilder();
    }

    public static class CurriculumCourseOutputBuilder extends TxtOutputBuilder<CourseSchedule> {

        @Override
        public void writeSolution() throws IOException {
            for (Lecture lecture : solution.getLectureList()) {
                bufferedWriter.write(lecture.getCourse().getCode()
                        + " r" + lecture.getRoom().getCode()
                        + " " + lecture.getPeriod().getDay().getDayIndex()
                        + " " + lecture.getPeriod().getTimeslot().getTimeslotIndex() + "\r\n");
            }
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Share your research data
Date 30 June 2021
Categories Community news
Biobanque québécoise de la COVID-19 releases its first datase
Researchers can now access data from 870 BQC19 participants
Montreal, QC, June 29, 2021— A robust collection of data from Quebecers with severe and non-severe COVID-19, as well as from controls, was made available today to the research community. Those working to better understand COVID-19 can access clinical and genomic data emanating from 870 Biobanque québécoise de la COVID-19 (BQC19) participants. It's the first set of data that the federally and provincially funded, multi-institutional initiative has released, representing just under a third of the patients who have agreed to participate in the project.
"We're very pleased to announce this important milestone for the Biobanque," says BQC19 Director Vincent Mooser. "This resource will help many researchers and public health agencies better understand and predict the clinical trajectory of this disease, as well as look for new diagnostic tests and cures."
Mooser, who is also Canada Excellence Research Chair in Genomic Medicine at McGill University, is grateful to participants from around the province who consented to have their data and blood collected to help understand and fight COVID-19. To date, 2,858 Quebecers have donated blood samples at nine different clinical sites in four Quebec regions, with datasets from 870 participants making up the first vetted tranche.
The uniqueness of the overall BQC19 collection lies in both the makeup of its participants and the turn-key aspect to its analytical data. Samples come from participants who have not only tested positive for the virus but also those controls whose tests came back negative. Meanwhile, the biosamples have gone through additional analyses, including whole genome sequencing, transcriptomics and metabolomics. (For the complete list, see the Study Design page.
"Sharing our collection with the researchers is really what defines the BQC19," says BQC19 Co-Director Simon Rousseau, who is also a professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill and a researcher at the RI-MUHC's Meakins-Christie Laboratory. "We're looking to the epidemiologists, virologists, immunologists and public-health researchers, as well as social scientists who use COVID-19 clinical data. It's these scientists, sending in requests for all this recently released material, who will bring to life this important resource. We hope to hear from a variety of people who want to further their research projects."
Interested applicants can begin the request process any time by visiting the site's Access to Data page.
About BQC19
The Biobanque québécoise de la COVID-19 (BQC19) is a pan-provincial initiative that collects, stores and shares data and blood samples from COVID-19 patients, both severe and non-severe cases, in an effort to respond effectively to the public health challenges posed by the pandemic. Supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), Génome Québec and the Public Health Agency of Canada, the BQC19 collects a growing number of samples from nine locations around Quebec. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to the global efforts to better understand the evolution and determinants of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Doris Ransy
BQC19 Access Officer
doris.ransy@affiliate.mcgill.ca
0 Comments	Author rqcp4admin
APPEL AUX COLLABORATEURS CHERCHEURS : Ajout de la photobiomodulation pulmonaire comme traitement adjuvant chez les personnes âgées hospitalisées pour la COVID-19 : un essai clinique préliminaire 12 January 2022
Congrès de l'Acfas (9 & 10 mai 2022) | Le deuil en temps de pandémie : réflexions sur les connaissances scientifiques actuelles et sur leurs limites 12 January 2022
12 scientifiques devenus stars: Nathalie Grandvaux, la chercheuse qui a enfin le virus! 12 October 2021
Biobanque québécoise de la COVID-19 releases its first datase 30 June 2021
Création du Comité Aviseur du RQSHA- Appel de Candidatures 28 May 2021


text:
Galaxy S23 Ultra First LookApple's iOS 16.3 Release9 Ways to Celebrate Black History MonthSamsung Unpacked Live UpdatesBest Indoor PlantsHomePod 2nd-Gen Review
2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS: Best of the bunch
With more performance than lesser models and plenty of everyday livability, the Carrera GTS may be the best all-around Porsche 911 available today.
Craig Cole
Sept. 21, 2021 3:01 p.m. PT
1 of 73 Porsche
This is the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, arguably the best 911 available today.
Read First Take
Despite having loads of performance and technology, the 911 still looks like a 911, with classic proportions.
You can't see it without taking parts off, but there's a 3.0-liter flat-six lurking in this car's rear. With twin turbochargers, it delivers 473 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.
The 911's interior is as lovely as it's ever been. The GTS' cabin features plenty of Race-Tex suede-like fabric and other high-end materials.
A lovely seven-speed manual transmission is a no-cost option on the GTS, and it's the gearbox to get.
Forged, center-lock wheels essentially purloined from the 911 Turbo S are standard equipment, measuring 20 inches in diameter up front and 21 at the rear.
You don't have to have a backseat in the GTS, it's not very useful, anyway.
Blacked-out details, including the exhaust outlets, are some of the details that help identify a GTS over other 911s.
This is a seriously attractive car... seriously.
10 of 73 Porsche
For more photos of the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, keep clicking through this gallery.
2024 Mazda CX-90 Is Large and In Charge
2023's Best TV and Streaming Shows You Can't Miss on Netflix, HBO, Disney Plus and More
See Samsung's Galaxy S23 Lineup
Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope Images Compared: See the Difference
Audi Activesphere Is a Transforming All-Terrain EV
Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)
CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)


text:
Review: C. Der-Martirosian's Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests
Maryam Kashani
Research output: Contribution to journal › Book/Film/Article review › peer-review
Journal of American Ethnic History
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40543596
Kashani, M. (2009). Review: C. Der-Martirosian's Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests. Journal of American Ethnic History, 29(1), 120-122. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40543596
Review: C. Der-Martirosian's Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests. / Kashani, Maryam.
In: Journal of American Ethnic History, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009, p. 120-122.
Kashani, M 2009, 'Review: C. Der-Martirosian's Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests', Journal of American Ethnic History, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 120-122. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/40543596>
Kashani M. Review: C. Der-Martirosian's Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests. Journal of American Ethnic History. 2009;29(1):120-122.
Kashani, Maryam. / Review: C. Der-Martirosian's Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests. In: Journal of American Ethnic History. 2009 ; Vol. 29, No. 1. pp. 120-122.
@article{aa04ed3ec94245b0a6a9293297bd9d75,
title = "Review: C. Der-Martirosian{\textquoteright}s Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests",
author = "Maryam Kashani",
journal = "Journal of American Ethnic History",
publisher = "University of Illinois Press",
T1 - Review: C. Der-Martirosian's Iranian Immigrants in Los Angeles: The Role of Networks and Economic Interests
AU - Kashani, Maryam
M3 - Book/Film/Article review
JO - Journal of American Ethnic History
JF - Journal of American Ethnic History


text:
Der Haltepunkt Düsseldorf Volksgarten ist ein S-Bahnhof in der nordrhein-westfälischen Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf im Stadtteil Oberbilk. Er befindet sich an der Bahnstrecke Köln–Duisburg. Neben den drei S-Bahnlinien S1, S6 und S68 besteht außerdem an der gleichnamigen Haltestelle der Düsseldorfer Straßenbahn eine Umstiegsmöglichkeit zur Linie 706. Im Jahr 2002 lag die Zahl der Ein-, Aus- und Umsteiger bei etwa 10.000 bis 15.000 je Werktag. Damit zählt er zu den sechs am höchsten frequentierten S-Bahnhöfen auf Düsseldorfer Stadtgebiet. Er gehört zum Tarifgebiet des Verkehrsverbundes Rhein-Ruhr und befindet sich im Tarifgebiet 53 Düsseldorf-Süd.

Lage

Der Haltepunkt liegt an der Bahnstrecke Köln–Duisburg etwa 2 km südlich des Düsseldorfer Hauptbahnhofs.

Geographisch ist der Haltepunkt verortet an einer Schnittstelle zwischen den Düsseldorfer Stadtteilen Friedrichstadt, Oberbilk und Bilk. Er befindet sich in Hochlage zwischen der die Bahnstrecke kreuzenden Oberbilker Allee sowie der Kruppstraße. Südlich des Bahnsteigs befinden sich die Sportanlagen von TuRU Düsseldorf sowie das dort beheimatete Stadion an der Feuerbachstraße. Auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite der Kruppstraße befindet sich der Eingang zum Volksgarten, welcher auch Namensgeber für diese Station ist. Dieser war im Jahr 1987 Teil der Bundesgartenschau. So hatte der S-Bahnhof Volksgarten, wie auch der in Fahrtrichtung Köln folgende Halt Düsseldorf-Oberbilk eine zentrale Funktion bei der Anbindung dieser an den Öffentlichen Personennahverkehr, da an beiden Standorten jeweils einer von drei Haupteingängen eingerichtet wurde.

Daneben trägt auch das, nördlich der Gleise gelegene, Finanzamt Düsseldorf-Süd zur hohen Fahrgastfrequenz an dieser Stelle bei.

Geschichte
Der Haltepunkt Düsseldorf Volksgarten wurde als reiner S-Bahnhof errichtet. Es gab zuvor an dieser Stelle auch keinen Vorgängerbahnhof oder -haltepunkt. Der neue Haltepunkt ging zeitgleich mit der Eröffnung der S-Bahn Rhein-Ruhr in Betrieb. Diese fand im September 1967 auf der Strecke zwischen den Haltepunkten Düsseldorf-Garath und Ratingen Ost statt. Die neue S-Bahnstrecke war damit der Beginn des ersten neuen S-Bahn-Systems in Deutschland nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg.

Im Zuge der 1987 veranstalteten Bundesgartenschau wurde die Ausstattung des S-Bahnhofs ergänzt. Im westlichen wie im östlichen Bereich des Bahnsteigs wurden zwei größere Dachkonstruktionen installiert. Sie bieten seitdem den Fahrgästen einen Schutz vor Regen.

Im Rahmen einer Modernisierung an mehreren Düsseldorfer S-Bahnhöfen wurde der Haltepunkt zu Beginn der 2000er Jahre mit neuen Zugzielanzeigern mit Fallblattanzeige ausgestattet.

Bahnanlage

Der S-Bahnhof besitzt einen Mittelbahnsteig mit Zugängen zur Oberbilker Allee und zur Kruppstraße bzw. der Straße Auf'm Hennekamp. Diese sind jedoch nur als feste Treppen und nicht als Rolltreppen ausgeführt. Da eine Aufzugsanlage fehlt, ist der Bahnhof nicht barrierefrei zugänglich.

Die Gestaltung des Bahnsteigs fällt sehr schlicht aus. Neben der bereits erwähnten Dachkonstruktionen, die kurz auf die beiden Zugänge folgen, existiert lediglich eine weitere überdachte Wartemöglichkeit. Diese schützt jedoch durch Wandverkleidungen auch gegen seitlich einfallende Winde und Regen. Der übrige Bahnsteig wird durch einzelne Bänke, Lichtmasten und Stationsschilder ausgestaltet. Der Boden ist lediglich asphaltiert und der notwendige Sicherheitsabstand zur Bahnsteigkante durch eine aufgemalte Linie markiert. Ein Blindenleitsystem ist damit im gesamten Bahnsteigsbereich nicht vorhanden.

Durch Videoüberwachung und eine Notruf- bzw. Infosäule ist der S-Bahnhof Bestandteil des 3-S-Systems der Deutschen Bahn, das am Düsseldorfer Hauptbahnhof über eine regionale Zentrale verfügt.

Die beiden Gleise der S-Bahn werden ohne dem S-Bahnhof zugeordneten Gleise an diesem entlanggeführt, so dass nicht von einem Bahnhof, sondern von einem Haltepunkt gesprochen werden muss. Begleitet wird dieser sowohl nördlich wie auch südlich von jeweils drei weiteren Gleisen, die dem Regional- und Fernverkehr zugeordnet sind. Von der Anlage des Haltepunktes entspricht er einem Durchgangsbahnhof.

Verkehr
Der S-Bahnhof Volksgarten befindet sich im Verlauf des südöstlichen Astes der S-Bahn-Rhein-Ruhr auf Düsseldorfer Stadtgebiet.

Alle auf dieser Strecke verkehrenden Linien bedienen den Haltepunkt. Neben den Umsteigemöglichkeiten zwischen den drei S-Bahnlinien bestehen weitere Umsteigebeziehungen zu einer Straßenbahnlinie, welche an einer Haltestelle entlang der Straße Auf'm Hennekamp hält und die Einbindung in das Netz des Düsseldorfer Nahverkehrs herstellt.

Die drei Linien stellen in Richtung Norden die Anbindung zu den Nachbarstädten Essen, Ratingen und Wuppertal sowie den Stadtteilen Rath, Unterrath und Gerresheim her. Daneben besteht eine direkte Verbindung zum Düsseldorfer Flughafen und dem Düsseldorfer Hauptbahnhof an dem eine Verbindung mit dem Düsseldorfer Stadtbahnnetz besteht. Richtung Süden werden dann die Stadtteile Oberbilk, Eller, Reisholz, Benrath, Garath und Hellerhof angebunden. Die Linien führen dann über das Stadtgebiet hinaus weiter nach Hilden und Solingen, bzw. Langenfeld, Leverkusen und Köln.

Durch die Straßenbahnlinie 706 werden die Innenstadt, sowie weitere östliche und südliche Stadtteile erreicht. Die Linie 706 verkehrt dabei den ganzen Tag über in einem 10-Minuten-Takt.

Bedingt durch seine zentrale Lage, auch an einer wichtigen Verkehrsstraße, kombiniert mit der Verknüpfung der verschiedenen Verkehrsträger ist der S-Bahnhof Standort einer CarSharing-Station.

Alle hier verkehrenden S-Bahnlinien werden von der in Düsseldorf ansässigen DB Regio NRW im Auftrag des Verkehrsverbundes Rhein-Ruhr betrieben, in dessen Tarifgebiet sie sich auch befinden. Zum Einsatz kommen dabei auf den Linien S1 und S6 Wagen der Baureihe 422 sowie auf der Linie S68 Wagen der Baureihe 420.

Die S-Bahnlinien S1 und S6 verkehren jeweils in einem 20-Minuten-Takt, so dass durch die doppelte Bedienung der Haltepunkt in einem 10-Minuten-Takt angefahren wird. In der Hauptverkehrszeit verkehrt zusätzlich die Linie S68, ebenfalls in einem 20-Minuten-Takt.

Siehe auch
 S-Bahn Rhein-Ruhr – Übersicht des S-Bahnsystems im Ballungsraum Rhein-Ruhr
 Liste der Bahnhöfe in Düsseldorf

Literatur
 Amt für Verkehrsmanagement – Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf: Nahverkehrsplan 2002–2007. Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 2003
 Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr: Argumente für den ÖPNV – Band 9, Zielnetz 2015. VRR GmbH, 2. Auflage 1999

Weblinks

 Haltepunkt Düsseldorf Volksgarten auf deutschebahn.com
 Linienplan Düsseldorf
 Linienplan Rhein-Ruhr (PDF-Datei; 352 kB)

Einzelnachweise

Volksgarten
Dusseldorf Volksgarten
Dusseldorf Volksgarten
Bauwerk in Oberbilk
Erbaut in den 1960er Jahren

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Restoration and Protection of Cultural Property
Security and Protection – Restoration and Protection of Cultural Property
Fraunhofer scientists use innovative methods to help preserve cultural heritage and monuments. They demonstrate energy-efficient ways to refurbish listed buildings and develop technologies for digitizing art objects or for rescuing them from deterioration.
HERACLES: Effective resilience of cultural heritage against climate change
Harmful environmental influences do not stop at the cultural heritage - and climate change exacerbates the threat. With a multidisciplinary approach, researchers at Fraunhofer IOSB and their project partners provide effective protection: The aim is to set up a process chain that extends from remote monitoring and simulation to targeted restoration work and to provide a decision support system that can take into account the individual conditions of each site.
A facelift for old buildings – Energy-efficient renovations and conservation of historic monuments
At the Fraunhofer Center for Conservation and Energy Performance of Historic Buildings Benediktbeuern Building physicists and monument conservators are developing solutions for improved preservation and energy-oriented refurbishment of historic buildings.
Pilot project: Saving our cultural heritage with Fraunhofer innovations
Saving our cultural heritage with Fraunhofer innovations – a pilot project with the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) and the Sächsischen Landesbibliothek, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden (Saxon State and University Library Dresden) and further Saxon institutions.
Cultural Heritage Digitization – CultLab3D
Digitization street CultLab3D of Fraunhofer IGD
In the museum sector, demand for a fast and economic 3D digitization technology for cultural heritage artifacts becomes increasingly important. Yet in contrast with the digital acquisition of cultural goods in 2D efficiently put into practice and widely-used today, 3D digitization is still connected with an enormous expenditure of time and money. Against this background, the modular scanning pipeline CultLab3D, which digitizes three-dimensional artifacts in 3D with millimeter accuracy in an automated process, is developed by the Competence Center Cultural Heritage Digitization at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD.
www.cultlab3d.de
The »Pompeii Sustainable Preservation Project«
For over 250 years, Pompeii has been a magnet for people from all over the world who are fascinated by our classical heritage. Every year some three million tourists flock to the ancient world's largest continuous urban ruins. Restoration has been taking place ever since excavations began on the ancient city. Now leading European research institutions have undertaken a fundraising initiative called the Pompeii Sustainable Preservation Project, whose goal is to secure the site's long-term future and apply the knowledge gained along the way to the preservation of other ancient sites worldwide.
Brilliance Restored through Plasma Technology
© Fraunhofer IST
Plasma technology can be used to prevent corrosion, particularly of paper documents and historic silver and iron objects. With a special process, transparent layers of water-resistant plastics, called parylenes, can be applied as a coat and then removed again to offer sustainable protection from damage. When applied under low pressure, the plasma treatment can also be used as a gentle cleaning solution.
Graffitage – Anti-Graffiti Coating for the Preservation of Historic Buildings and Monuments in Europe
Until now, the only way to remove graffiti from the walls of buildings has been to etch it away – a destructive option for historic monuments. A polymer coating, developed by Fraunhofer IAP, protects stone surfaces from spray paints by acting as a protective layer that seals the pores of the substrate and so prevents the paints from penetrating the material. A cleaning solution can also be used to remove the coating without causing any damage.
Research Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Leibniz Association and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation pool their collective expertise in the humanities, the natural sciences and cultural studies as part of the Research Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.
International Convention Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation IZKK
Situated at Bronnbach monastery, the International Convention Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation IZKK is conceived as an educational establishment.
Security and Protection – Sniffer devices detect hazardous substance
Security and Protection – Saving lives with disaster and crisis management
Security and Protection – Robust buildings and tunnels
Security and Protection – Protecting infrastructures
Security and Protection – IT-Security
Dr. Johanna Leissner
Research Alliance Cultural Heritage
Phone +32 2 50642-43
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft - Restoration and Protection of Cultural Property
Online in Internet; URL: https://www.fraunhofer.de/en/research/fields-of-research/security-protection/restoration-and-protection-of-cultural-property.html


Real estate appraisers and market analysts in Estonia use various indicators to characterise the quality of real estate, and even those were mainly for offices and commercial real estate. So far, Estonia had no uniform real estate rating system that would have covered all types of real estate. The need to harmonise and ensure unambiguousness of the quality rating led to working out a new quality rating system for real estate valuation. The article seeks to provide an overview of the Estonian real estate quality rating system used for real estate valuation and the theoretical bases of its development. The new uniform quality rating system covers improved real estate used for residential, office, commercial, warehouse and production purposes. The quality grade in this system characterises the competitiveness of the object to be attractive for a similar type of tenants or buyers. The quality grade of a real estate object is determined on the basis of the potential income of this object considering the sustainability of this object, i.e. the principles of sustainable development and usage have to be taken into consideration in the assessment of every factor. As the market demand is the main factor influencing the income potential and sustainable development of real estate, then quality grade is determined based on the principle of market demand. Income potential is calculated on the basis of three characteristics: location and use of the parcel of land; quality of construction and management of the real estate. Each characteristic (location and use of parcel, construction quality and real estate management) is evaluated taking into account the factors that influence the respective characteristic and the situation where factual information on the object is insufficient. The rating is awarded to each characteristic separately, in a three-point system. The aggregate quality grade rating of a real estate object is formed on the basis of the assessments of the three characteristics."


eTranslate always employs a "three point check" review cycle in this translation projects. This ensures accuracy, cultural relevance in the translation while reducing production time and cost.
Our translators are all native speakers and each project is assigned a project manager and a subject matter expert.
Upon receipt of source content from our client, we will assign a project manager.
A subject matter expert is then assigned to appraise the content for completeness, industry relevance and all pre-requisites for the project are met. (Point 1 Check).
A glossary of terms is developed which the professional translators will use.
The translated work is again check by the subject matter expert (Point 2 Check).
The project manager for further review often presents the translated work to the client.
Finally, the translated work and any required amendments will be transferred onto the required format e.g. Word Document.
The result work is again check for quality (Point 3 Check) before delivering to our client.


text:
Q: Reuse function across multiple acitivity I have a doubt related to Android. My app main feature is taking photos of different objects don't matter what objects. I have a main menu where I can do that and have another view where I have a button to capture photo too, so basically I can do it in 2 different views the code should be the same.
I want to place the code inside a empty capture activity and reuse it in different views, how can I do that?
My code to capture:
private void sendImage(String encodedImage){
    //inicialize a map with pair key value
    Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<String, String>();

    // Add form fields to the map
    params.put("base64", encodedImage);
    URL = URL + "\\" + "Tulipa";
    Log.d("url",URL);

    /**
     * Efetua um pedido ao servidor
     *
     * @param URl    url do servidor a aceder
     * @param JSONObject objeto json a ser retornado através do access point
     *
     */
    JsonObjectRequest request = new JsonObjectRequest(URL, new JSONObject(params),
            new Response.Listener<JSONObject>() {
                @Override
                public void onResponse(JSONObject response) {
                    //TODO verificar o status code da resposta apenas deverá fazer login caso seja 200
                    Intent i = new Intent(MainMenu.this,MainMenu.class);
                    startActivity(i);
                    finish();
                }
            }, new Response.ErrorListener() {
        @Override
        public void onErrorResponse(VolleyError error) {
            String body;

            if(error.networkResponse.data!=null) {
                String statusCode = String.valueOf(error.networkResponse.statusCode);
                try {
                    body = new String(error.networkResponse.data,"UTF-8");
                    JSONObject jsonObj = new JSONObject(body);
                    Log.d("body",String.valueOf(jsonObj.get("message")));
                    showToast(String.valueOf(jsonObj.get("message")));
                } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
                    showToast("You need to connect to the internet!");
                } catch (JSONException e) {
                    Log.d("json:","problems decoding jsonObj");
                }
            }

            //do stuff with the body...
        }
    });

    request.setRetryPolicy(new DefaultRetryPolicy(60000, DefaultRetryPolicy.DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES, DefaultRetryPolicy.DEFAULT_BACKOFF_MULT));
    queue.add(request); // adiciona a request à queue pronta a ser executada
}`

A: public class ImageHandler{
     public static void sendImage(String encodedImage){
         ....
     }
}

in MainActivity : ImageHandler.sendImage("myString");
Jonathan Aste's answer is good too if you need to send that image from activites, if you need to send them from activities/other classes you can use mine answer

A: First create a base activity:
public abstract class BaseActivity extends AppCompatActivity{
     protected void sendImage(String encodedImage){
        //inicialize a map with pair key value
        Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<String, String>();

        // Add form fields to the map
        params.put("base64", encodedImage);
        URL = URL + "\\" + "Tulipa";
        Log.d("url",URL);

        /**
         * Efetua um pedido ao servidor
         *
         * @param URl    url do servidor a aceder
         * @param JSONObject objeto json a ser retornado através do access point
         *
         */
        JsonObjectRequest request = new JsonObjectRequest(URL, new JSONObject(params),
                new Response.Listener<JSONObject>() {
                    @Override
                    public void onResponse(JSONObject response) {
                        //TODO verificar o status code da resposta apenas deverá fazer login caso seja 200
                        Intent i = new Intent(MainMenu.this,MainMenu.class);
                        startActivity(i);
                        finish();
                    }
                }, new Response.ErrorListener() {
            @Override
            public void onErrorResponse(VolleyError error) {
                String body;

                if(error.networkResponse.data!=null) {
                    String statusCode = String.valueOf(error.networkResponse.statusCode);
                    try {
                        body = new String(error.networkResponse.data,"UTF-8");
                        JSONObject jsonObj = new JSONObject(body);
                        Log.d("body",String.valueOf(jsonObj.get("message")));
                        showToast(String.valueOf(jsonObj.get("message")));
                    } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
                        showToast("You need to connect to the internet!");
                    } catch (JSONException e) {
                        Log.d("json:","problems decoding jsonObj");
                    }
                }

                //do stuff with the body...
            }
        });

        request.setRetryPolicy(new DefaultRetryPolicy(60000, DefaultRetryPolicy.DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES, DefaultRetryPolicy.DEFAULT_BACKOFF_MULT));
        queue.add(request); // adiciona a request à queue pronta a ser executada
    }`

}

then make the activities you need to have this behaviour extend your class
public class MyActivity1 extends BaseActivity{

    public void yourMethod(){
        sendImage("your string");
    }
}

other activity
public class MyActivity2 extends BaseActivity{

    public void yourMethod(){
        sendImage("your string");
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home Health News Coronavirus testing expands beyond airports to El Paso border crossings – KVIA El Paso
Coronavirus testing expands beyond airports to El Paso border crossings – KVIA El Paso
EL PASO, Texas — Amid concerns of the worrisome new coronavirus spreading from China, U.S. health officials are increasing screenings of international travelers to encompass 20 entry points – including border crossings here in El Paso.
The Centers for Disease Control had been screening for illness among passengers arriving from the epicenter of China's outbreak at five major U.S. airports. But people who've visited other parts of China still may be arriving, with stops in other places first. Now, CDC is sending extra staff to other "quarantine stations" to screen arrivals at additional airports and border crossing stations.
While federal officials had also suggested that El Paso International Airport would undergo screenings along with border crossings, an airport spokesperson said Tuesday night that "the CDC has not provided any direct notice to EPIA about plans to conduct screenings. Currently, there are no screenings being conducted at EPIA."
Even as officials are expanding their checks of international travelers for signs of the virus, they say the risk to Americans so far is very low.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said worry about the virus should not affect Americans' day-to-day lives. So far, there are five confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. and no sign those patients have spread the illness to those around them.
"At this point Americans should not worry for their own safety," Azar told reporters Tuesday. Still, he added, "this is a very fast-moving, constantly changing situation."
With an incubation period of anywhere from two to 14 days, travelers may arrive showing no symptoms. But CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier said the screenings are an opportunity to educate travelers that if they start feeling sick — with a fever, cough or flu-like symptoms — after returning from an outbreak zone, they should contact their doctor. That's exactly what the first U.S. patients did.
Azar said he has directed $105 million to fight the outbreak. Among the next steps, the CDC developed a test for the virus and aims to make it usable by state health departments, to speed diagnosis of suspected cases. Research also is under way to develop a vaccine or treatment.
But for now, without a vaccine or treatments, the world is depending on tried-and-true public health steps to tamp down the outbreak — finding the infected early and isolating them to stem the spread.
China has confirmed more than 4,500 people with the respiratory illness, which in severe cases can cause pneumonia, with dozens more counted in other countries.
Previous article The flu is much deadlier than the Chinese coronavirus – Axios
Next article Kumail Nanjiani Says He's Less Interesting After Body Transformation – E! Online
Sufficient Levels of Vitamin D Significantly Reduces Complications, Death Among COVID-19 Patients – SciTechDaily
Denmark to Cull 17 Million Mink After Coronavirus Mutation Found – The Wall Street Journal
'Synthetic' Human Embryos Can Now Be Mass-Produced : Shots – Health News – NPR
One Meal A Day Diet Plan For Weight Loss: Know How To Follow This Diet And Much More – NDTV
Chris Hemsworth to undergo dramatic body transformation and play WWE legend Hulk Hogan in Hollywood biopic – The Sun


That is the question Filipino and non-Filipino customers ask when they taste the one-of-a-kind cuisines at Oohmami Pares House and Noodle Bar.
As the first restaurant of its kind in Alberta, Oohmami chefs and owners Sonny Ong and John Nidua set up their business to put Filipino food on the map, but with a twist.
The business took more than a year in planning and it wasn't easy, but with their passion for Pinoy food, they created pop-up restaurants last year. They invited friends to introduce their creative menus before finally opening Oohmami last December.
Chef Ong said that many were amazed with the unique takes on Filipino dishes they create. He said that Filipino food is a very diverse cuisine.
Customer and meat vendor Andy Giles has tried everything on the menu and says everything is simply delicious.
His all-time favorite is the tipsy tapsilog.
Filipino American Atty. Marsha Laine Dungog, who moved to Calgary from Michigan, missed some of the great Pinoy restaurants in Grand Rapids.
When she discovered Oohmami, it has simply become her home away from home.
Chefs John and Sonny hope to expand on their passion for Pinoy food with another branch in Canada and even Los Angeles, California.


Sam Keevers (piano) and Josh Kyle (voice) have been working together on their Songs of Friends project for over a year now. They performed songs from the project at Stonnington Jazz Festival, and on the strength of that have been invited to be part of Wangaratta Jazz Festival.
The project revolves around instrumental works by Australian composers – for which Josh has written lyrics, reinterpreting the instrumental tunes.
'When I was first listening to Dan Gassin's tune 'Crossover' I was finding ways to articulate so that I could sing along with it… little phrases were popping into my mind that were fitting in with the rhythmic nature of the melody. The lyrics were written for Josh's baby cousin, who passed away recently. 'Crossover' was one of the pieces I was listening to at that time.
After writing lyrics for the songs, Josh took them to the composers, 'to see if I'd captured anything like what they were trying to do with the tune'. The two were not always aligned exactly, but there were strong links.
Josh also wrote one of the tunes with Sean Coffin, collaborating over email. 'I would write some lyrics in an email and Sean would respond with some music, which I would then respond to and so on, back and forth. It was great, to be able to workshop something on your own without pressure but also collaborating as part of the process.
Josh hopes that the project will be recorded by the end of this year or in January, and will be followed by a national tour.


If you need extra protection for your incontinence condition, our range of men's washable incontinence pants will give you that extra protection at a great price.
Our range of men's washable incontinence pants come in both fabric and rustle-free soft PVC.
The range of cotton pants look similar to your everyday underwear. Some designs have pockets to insert incontinence pads in. These types of pants will not give you protection on their own; they will need an extra incontinence product to go with them.
The men's PVC washable incontinence pants are made from super soft PVC that will not make a noise when you move. They can be worn with both incontinence pants and pads, to give you the extra protection to manage your incontinence. They have an elasticated waist and legs to keep any leaks secure in the underwear. The pants are especially useful at night to give you extra protection when you sleep.
Our range of net and Lycra pants also include washable incontinence pants; please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for this as the number of washes for each manufacturer differs.


13-year old Matt is spending the holidays at the dilapidated Woodhall mansion where his spirited step-sister Caroline works as a cook. In a faded rose garden Matt meets Alix, proud old Madame Ayre's granddaughter, and is introduced to the tension-filled relationship between the embittered mother and her crippled son Theo. Matt must lear to judge character rather than appearances as Theo strives to turn the house into a home for orphans. Alix, through her willful foolishness, puts Theo's life in danger and brings a dramatic confrontation: Christian hope versus fatal self-pride. A timeless book with a fast-paced plot and vivid characters.


text:
Click map for more impressions
Hanse Explorer safely takes you to the earth's southernmost continent giving you entrée into a land of mystery, pristine serenity and unequalled beauty that have attracted explorers for decades. Known as the White Continent, Antarctica remains one of the few uninhabited places on earth, offering visitors an experience of unworldly stillness and an atmosphere found nowhere else.
Antarctica is a place with many faces. From the white peak of Mount Jackson to the green moss covered rocks by the sea, a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula is a discovery of unique contrast. See the huts built by explorers Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton in the 1900s on their quests to reach the South Pole. Visit scientific research stations and discover for yourself Antarctica's important role in the health of our planet. Explore the Southern Ocean and discover the joy of mingling with King penguins on South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The Austral summer runs November through March and brings mild temperatures and 24-hours of sunlight, which make for optimal conditions for excursions and viewing wildlife.
Antarctica's personality changes with the passing of each summer month as the area comes alive with activity after a dark winter. Depending on the time of your visit, a landing at a penguin colony can offer a glimpse of courting rituals, the birth of baby chicks or an encounter with adolescent penguins curious to meet new visitors. An ice menagerie of sorts, Antarctica is home to a variety of wildlife including albatrosses, fur and leopard seals, sea elephants and several species of whale including humpback and minke.
Getting to Antarctica on Hanse Explorer is part of the experience. Most of our voyages depart from Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. Known as the gateway to the Antarctic, from Ushuaia it takes two days to cross the Drake Passage before reaching the Antarctic Peninsula. The Drake Passage is known to be unpredictable and crossing this legendary body of water is part of the adventure. Once we enter waters south of 60°S, an array of treasures come to light. Massive icebergs, stunning mountain scenery, magnificent ice shelves and century-old glaciers will leave you awestruck.
It has been said that spending time in Antarctica leaves one forever changed. None of the books you read nor photographs you see can prepare you for an encounter with the most mystical landscape in the world. Come discover for yourself the last vast wilderness on earth.
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago located east of the Patagonian Coast, a great destination to ease visitors into the transition to the polar tundra. Comprised of over 776 islands, this area is home to a small population of Falkland Islanders and is heavily shaped by sounds and fjords. The Falkland Islands are breeding grounds for elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions and five species of penguins. White sand beaches, delicate flowers and clear blue skies speak to the wonder of nature that can be found here.
The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost point of mainland Antarctica and consists of a string of islands each with their own character. The Antarctic Peninsula is highly mountainous with glaciers that flow into numerous ice shelves. Visitors are surprised to see the moss covered rocks free of snow in the summer months. Travel the Wedell Sea, home to some of the most exciting ice navigation, spectacular icebergs and sunken ships of past explorers. Enjoy hiking in the South Shetland Islands, exploring the caldera of an active volcano on Deception Island and visiting scientific research stations. Several different species of seals and penguins can be found on the peninsula and the vocalizations of the Sei whale can be heard from the waters.
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands are a remote collection of islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. There are parts of the islands that are not always covered in snow, offering visitors a variety of views from snow-covered peaks to emerald green bays. This area is an oasis to large colonies of King Penguins and several other species of birds. Seals frequent the islands and whales are often spotted in the surrounding waters.


A 25th anniversary isn't perfect without this stylish wine and champagne bottle stopper. The number "25" at the top is accented with rhinestones (front side only). Also available in a 50th Anniversary version.
Measuring 3.375" in length, the silver-plated stopper has a black rubber seal to preserve freshness.


This paper documents a new fact: The quality of goods imported by German firms increases with distance to the countries of origin. This holds after controlling for fixed effects for goods, for firms, and for firm-product combinations. The empirical investigation uses a tailor-made new data set of 3,204,851 observations for import quality (measured by the unit value of imports) at the firm-product-origin level for the reporting year 2011. Data are from 138,688 firms that imported 4,986 products (recorded at the HS6-level) in 1,938,602 firm-product combinations from 175 countries. Trade costs – which are related to distance – lead to within-firm selection of product quality across countries of origin. Firms that import multiple vertically-differentiated varieties of a product source higher quality varieties on more distant markets.


text:
Council removes retirement board's right to settle lawsuits
By James R. Riffel
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to take away the right of the San Diego City Employees Retirement System Board of Directors to settle lawsuits on its own.
The decision — which must come back for a second reading before being finalized — stemmed from the pension board's $700,000 settlement of litigation brought by the former president of the Municipal Employees Association — which represents city white-collar workers. The deal with ex-MEA boss Judie Italiano was the board's only settlement of a lawsuit in the last four years, according to SDCERS.
"(The settlement) offended me, and this City Council had no opportunity to be briefed, to weigh in, to examine the options and decide if this large settlement was in the best interest of the taxpayers,'' Councilman Carl DeMaio said.
City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said he was previously unaware that the SDCERS board claimed the power to settle cases without consulting the City Council as part of a 2008 trust agreement that allowed the agency to co-mingle funds of its three branches — the city of San Diego, the Port of San Diego and San Diego County Regional Airport Authority — for investment purposes.
The agreement was finalized before he took office.
"No other part of the city has blanket authority to settle lawsuits,'' Goldsmith said.
He said SDCERS is just one of several city agencies that operate on a quasi-independent basis, and none of the others have such power.
The City Charter and California Constitution grants SDCERS independence from the city in managing investments and benefits, but not litigation, which could involve a variety of issues, Goldsmith said.
Tuesday's action by the council, which does not allow the city to undo previous settlements like the one for Italiano, needs to come back for a second reading at a future meeting.


text:
Crescent Heights invests in world-class architectural talent and visionary design that will stand the test of time.
Whether creating a newly envisioned vertical village or completing a historic renovation, we honor the complexion of each city and use local inspiration, authentic textures and materials to reflect the provenance of each project.
Strategic collaborations with highly acclaimed architectural firms, including Rafael Viñoly, KPF, ODA, Gensler, Arquitectonica, Stanley Saitowitz, and Handel Architects have made it possible for us to create award-winning buildings that redefine the skylines of America's biggest cities.
Crescent Heights has a long history of preserving multiple historic landmarks. We recognize the tangible ways in which buildings connect us with our past and provide inspiration for the future. Crescent Heights has restored multiple properties in South Beach's Art Deco district and pioneered the landmarking and renovation of historic office buildings on Wall Street into apartments. We have also landmarked an iconic concert venue, the Hollywood Palladium, while adding new residences and improving public spaces with pedestrian passages and community-friendly retail. At 10 South Van Ness in San Francisco, we are honoring the history of the legendary Fillmore West, while modernizing the structure and adding beauty, access and value to the neighborhood.
"Crescent Heights is one of these very rare developers that have super high design qualities and functionally have been very responsive to each community and to each market. It's a fun group to work with."
- Rafael Viñoly, Principal, Rafael Viñoly Architects
"Viewed at city scale, NEMA is an instant landmark that serves as a skyline bookend for the 1,136-foot Aon Center on Grant Park's north end."
- Blair Kamin, Architectural Critic, Chicago Tribune


Canberra Raiders v Melbourne Storm - NRL Trial 19th February 2011 at the Bega Recreational Ground, Bega, see many of your favourite NRL Stars in action preparing for the assault on the 2011 Telstra Premiership, book early to ensure your entry to this quality Rugby League event.
Rugby League supporters from across the region will be today celebrating the news that the Canberra Raiders and Melbourne Storm have agreed to play a pre-season National Rugby League game at the Bega Recreation Ground on February 20, next year.
Member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly has today welcomed the decision by the two clubs and the Country Rugby League to hold a Pre-season Game at the Bega Recreation Ground.
Dr Kelly said: This announcement has been a long term project of mine that was made possible through the securing of Federal Government funding to upgrade the Bega Recreation Ground to a standard that would enable professional teams like the Raiders and the Storm to visit.
"I would like to thank in particular, Councillor Russell Fitzpatrick from Group 16, Kevin Filgate from Country Rugby League and Don Furner from the Canberra Raiders for all their hard work in making this game a reality"
"I hope this game will help in inspire the youth of the region to get active and participate in their local sporting clubs," said Dr Kelly.
"This game will also benefit local businesses with the increase in visitors for the game. I also hope that we can use this game to enable us to attract many more such events in the future."
In addition to the trial match, Melbourne Storm players in the week leading up to the game will be conducting community activities and sporting clinics for kids interested in Rugby League.The Federal Government has contributed $206,800 to the upgrade of the playing surface and amenities at the Bega Recreation Ground through the Economic Stimulus Package.
The work on the Recreation Ground is due for completion in the coming month.
The Canberra Raiders have announced they will be playing two trials in Country NSW in 2011, against the Melbourne Storm in Bega and the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in Tamworth.
The first trial will be hosted by the Melbourne Storm in Bega on Saturday February 19, while the second trial will be a Raiders home trial against the Bulldogs in Tamworth on Saturday February 26.
Canberra Raiders Captain and Tamworth local Alan Tongue said it's great to be able to take a game back to his home town and hoped there would be plenty of support for the game for the Raiders.
Raiders CEO Don Furner said it was great to have two trial games for next year set in stone and said it was great to have them both in Raiders territory.
"We pride ourselves on being the country club and have the majority of our NRL and Toyota Cup squads coming from country areas," Furner said. "To have two quality trial matches locked away for next year is a huge bonus for us and I'm sure there will be big crowds on hand at both games.
Why can't it be Feb already?
Only time will tell but I reckon they will be almost impossible to beat for the final this year even with losing a lot of starts they have still managed to keep their core and like yoiu say they will be so hungry for a meaningful victory. Glad we aren't playing them round one and its a trial instead. Hopefully their drive will has subsided once we play them and we can smash em again.
So is this game on TV at all?
Hope so. Some of the trials have been shown on Fox but not all of em. Knowing our luck it won't be but you never know.
The Canberra Raiders will take 28 players into their first trial match of the 2011 season this weekend, when they take on the Melbourne Storm in Bega on Saturday night.
The Raiders will be missing some players through injury, with Alan Tongue (Ribs), Blake Ferguson (Finger), Matt Orford (Knee) and Joel Thompson (Ribs) unavailable for the first trial, while Josh Dugan will be rested following his man of the match performance in the All-Stars game last Saturday night.
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs has been named in the squad, but could be an omission based on judiciary proceedings this week.
The 28 man squad is full of new faces that have yet to play at NRL level and Coach David Furner said it's an opportunity for them to step up and show what they can offer to the team.
Furner said the despite the loss of some players through injury there was still plenty of experience in the side and said he expected the players to push for positions for round one as well.
"Brett White will have his first game for the club and his experience will be a big bonus and we also have David Shillington and Bronson Harrison playing which will help balance the side," he said. "With Josh Dugan being rested it's also an opportunity for David Milne to get some time on the field and the outside backs will also be pushing hard to impress.
The long road begins tomorrow boys!
f*** yeah so pumped for this game! So pumped that the boys are back in action now and we are getting so close to the real thing.
Is this game on TV at all?
Nah as far as I can see it's not on unfortunately.