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The future of Tatra: still a giant question mark
176 million Czech crowns (7M€): that's the price paid at judicial auction on 15th March 2013 by Marek Galvas, unique shareholder of "Truck Development s.r.o." – company created on 8th March 2013 – to buy Tatra Company, the third oldest car manufacturer in the world.
An old company having great trouble adapting itself to modernity
Created in 1850 in Kopřivnice (Northern Moravia), the Tatra Company started to produce cars in 1897 and trucks in 1898. It came up in 1923 with a backbone tube chassis which has been continuously improved since then and the company became one of the biggest world car manufacturers. Having own smelting plant and spare parts suppliers, Tatra employed several thousand people during the Communist Czechoslovakian period and still produced more than 15 000 trucks in 1989.
The 90's marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the company. Tatra abandoned the car production in 1999 in order to focus on the truck domain, either civilian or military, but could not stop the production drop despite the efforts of the new shareholders to increase sales.
The American company "Terex Corp." bought Tatra in 2003 and sold it to the "Tatra Holdings s.r.o." in 2006. This latter company consists of various shareholders: the British company with Hindi owner "Vectra Ltd"; the American Sam Eyde; the Belgian group "KBC Private Equity"; the Czech company "Meadow Hill s.r.o." and another American Ronald Adams, Tatra CEO for the past years.
The company split and its subsidiaries (smelting plant and spare parts suppliers) had to find other clients in order to compensate the smaller orders from parent company. Successive cooperation with Renault first, then with American Navistar in 2010 and finally with Dutch DAF last year never conducted to a reverse trend. Despite better sales in 2007 and 2008 thanks to a big contract with the Czech Armed Forces – unfortunately with some suspicion of corruption – the production went down to its lowest level in 2012 with 496 trucks.
Some doubts about the motivations of the main creditor
Weighted down by a huge debt of 1.502 billion CZK (60M€), the Czech truck manufacturer has been driven to judiciary auction by companies "Composite Com", that bought Tatra receivables for an amount of 650 million crowns, and "Development Agency" who has a 218 M€ claim on Tatra.
However the motivations of "Composite Com" are not clear. Who is behind this group? Looking at the company representation board, you can find names who are very close to two companies linked with Tatra: "Promet Group" that bought two years ago Tatra subsidiary "Tawesco" (production of stamping tools, welding and gauging fixtures for the car industry) and "Excalibur Army" – a maintenance and reconstruction company specialized in military vehicles that bought in last February the former Defense Ministry maintenance company VOP.
Considering the activities of both companies, it might be tempting to liquidate Tatra in order to buy very cheap some interesting facilities.
A good deal for a unique buyer
Moreover, the conditions of the auction itself put forward another question linked with the weak participation. Effectively, when the judiciary auction was notified in late February, the press anticipated the participation of several European (MAN and DAF), Russian – even Indian – companies.
The reality was a little bit different: the office of the Court executor set up the reserve price at 175.135 million crowns, i-e two thirds of the current company asset. The best –and unique- bid of 176 million crowns won the auction in less than a minute. The winner is Mr. Marek Galvas, who is financially supported by a Slovak group "J&T Group", which is specialized in project financing and investments. But this company did not want to confirm that it will help to pay Tatra's debt.
Mr. Galvas is well-known from the owners of "J&T Group" because he is manager – or member of supervisory board – of a dozen of companies, three of which are directly part of this company from Bratislava ("První zpravodajské" , "J&T Credits Investments" et "Environmental Services").
Thanks to his 176 M CZK ticket, Mr. Galvas will own a company strong of 1765 employees (figures of 2012) with a market value of 1.765 billion CZK in spite of a 1.502 billion CZK debt, that is to say a 263 million CZK net value and an immediate benefit of 90 million Czech crowns (3.6 M€). This last figure is obviously completely artificial because the benefit will depend of the strategy retained for the company, which should be made public in one month. Effectively, Mr. Galvas wants to finish the process of transfer of ownership before unveiling any further orientation.
An uncertain future not to be seen through rose-tinted glasses
As a first step, Marek Galvas will appoint a new board of directors and try to get acquainted with the detailed situation of Tatra.
More or less three different strategies can be envisaged:
The status-quo, Tatra will go on with truck production according to the current conditions: a risky option that appears as not very profitable at first sight
For twenty years now, Tatra is struggling to survive in the world truck market. Unfortunately, a deficit in investment led to an aging of the production lines and to a lack of innovation. In front of big companies such as MAN, DAF or Renault, Tatra's products were less and less competitive.
If the new owner wanted to go on with the truck production, he should heavily invest in the modernization of the company together with the payment of the debt that would be enough to dry out the financial capabilities of a normal investor. Delocalization of some part of the production to less expensive countries such as China or India would not be more satisfying in the middle term because transportation costs would cut off the awaited benefits of that kind of operation.
This option is not very likely because doomed to fail in the middle term without a very important and very expensive modernization of the production lines.
The specialization in subcontracting: a feasible solution whose price would be the loss of truck manufacturer status
Nowadays the main manufacturers already merged at European or World level in order to face the challenges of globalization. Companies in middle-sized States that were not already absorbed by bigger companies – as it is the case for Škoda that was bought years ago by Volkswagen – are more or less destined for failure because they can't pay alone the price for developing new materials. To survive they have to specialize.
Several Czech companies have already followed this path and abandoned their original manufacturing trade to become flourishing subcontractors. That's the case, for instance, of former planes manufacturers Aero Vodochody or Letov (which is now associated to the French group Latécoère). Those companies are currently producing subcomponents for bigger groups and are prospering thanks to the excellent qualifications of the Czech engineers and workers together with reasonable labor costs.
Tatra might head in that direction and specialize in production of chassis – that are particularly well-known – or other high value spare parts such as engines or gearboxes. This would suppose a restructuration of the company to focus on that kind of jobs together with huge investments in R&D to keep a high added value capability.
The social cost would be quite high at the beginning but middle-term perspectives of development (3 to 5 years) are good enough to ensure that the company would survive.
Split sales of the company: the choice of immediate profitability versus a major social cost
Despite its huge debt, Tatra still has a high intrinsic value that could whet the appetites of investors without scruples. Terrains, buildings, machine-tools, patents and the technical Museum of Tatra – which is estimated more or less at 300 million crowns – might be sold for a good price to clients interested by those assets immediately available. The benefits might be then sent to fiscal paradises and once the company has been dried out of its most valuable assets, it would be easy to declare bankruptcy.
This solution is neither elegant nor very legal but greediness often minimizes risks. And the major losers would be Tatra employees who would lose their jobs and small creditors who would not be able to recover their money.
It would not be fair to think that the new owner has such idea even before he has taken over the ownership of the company but the recent Czech history is so abundant with cases of this kind that it would not be very professional not to mention it.
Let's be optimistic for Tatra who deserves to be saved for the future generations because of its history, the quality of its trucks and its know-how. So we will monitor very carefully the first decisions of Mr. Galvas and we'll report on those webpages.


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The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon chronicles David Sassoon's fifty-year career and his place at the cutting edge of the British fashion industry. The publication looks at High Society's huge appetite for Bellville Sassoon designs from the 1950s, through the Swinging Sixties, right up to the present day.
Dressing the Rich, the Famous, and us Ordinary Girls
Over the years Sassoon has designed outfits for the rich and famous, the aristocracy, and the Royal Family. More importantly, from my point of view, is that he designed for me, the woman on the street. I'm not handy with a needle but I do know a good dressmaker. Bellville Sassoon's long-term collaboration with Vogue Patterns has made many of their designs available to me, the Ordinary Girl, and thousands more like me.
David Sassoon
David Sassoon, born 1932 in London, was captivated by fashion and glamour from an early age. He joined Belinda Bellville straight from college in 1958 and together they built a clientèle that included foreign royals such as Queen Noor of Jordan and British royals including Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, Princess Anne, Princess Michael of Kent, the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester and the Duchess of York. In his inimitable friendly, chatty style, David Sassoon gives us a privileged glimpse into his friendship with Diana, Princess of Wales for whom he created at least seventy outfits including her trousseau and the going-away outfit. Sassoon received a lifetime achievement award from the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals (formerly PACC) in 2008.
Sinty Stemp, daughter of fashion illustrator Eric Stemp, has been involved in the fashion industry since 1987. She has lectured widely on the British fashion industry and is author of Jean Muir: Beyond Fashion.
Amazon Price: $75.00 $15.00 Buy Now
(price as of Sep 20, 2013)
Layout of the Publication
The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon is set out as follows:
- Foreword – Suzy Menkes introduces David Sassoon and takes a look at Bellville Sassoon's changing clientèle from the last débutantes presented at court in 1958 to actresses and television presenters such as Kelly Brook, Leona Lewis and Rosamund Pike Menkes is fashion director of the International Herald Tribune and author of numerous publications including The Royal Jewels.
- Preface – David Sassoon very briefly outlines the history of the Bellville Sassoon partnership and pays tribute to his team of talented professionals, who in his words, have become his 'family' and friends.
- Beginnings – David Sassoon, born 1932 in London, offers us an intimate glimpse into his very happy childhood and family life. He also tells us about his not so happy school days where he failed to achieve academically and how that failure inspired him to succeed in other ways. He tells how he developed ″a killer instinct to succeed″ (The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon, p. 14). At one point Sassoon thought he wanted to be an actor even winning a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. However, parental opposition forced him to abandon this plan. Plan B, the world of fashion design, was considered by far the better option. After studying at Hammersmith School of Art, a course interrupted by two years of National Service in the Air Force, Sassoon was accepted at the Royal College of Art.
- Royal College of Art – Sassoon describes his time (1955-1958) at the Royal College of Art and presents designs and drawings from that period. He also describes the heady atmosphere of international fashion shows where he drew inspiration from designers such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, the Fontana Sisters and Roberto Capucci. His favourite was always Christian Dior. At his graduation show Sassoon presented a group of glamorous evening dresses. A visitor to that show offered him a post as assistant designer. That person was Belinda Bellville, society dressmaker to duchesses and débutantes.
- Belting Along with Bellville – Sassoon briefly outlines the history of Bellville et Cie established by Belinda in 1953. He gives us a detailed and fascinating view of the partnership, and close friendship, and what it was like working with Belinda Bellville.
Daughter of the Hon. Mrs Peter Pleydell-Bouverie, Belinda had been launched into society as a deb so she knew exactly what her débutante clients wanted. On joining the company Sassoon soon found himself plunged head first into the exciting world of British royals, the aristocracy and the débutantes. Their appetite for fabulous gowns was fuelled by a calendar of glittering events and they all wanted something different, something exclusive. Ready-to-wear just wasn't good enough, and in any case one simply couldn't go to a ball and risk being seen in the same dress as someone else!
- Sign of the Times – Bellville Sassoon Through the Decades - Sassoon takes a decade-by-decade look at his life and work. He includes many humorous stories such as the events leading up to his decision to stop smoking. One day Sassoon stubbed out a cigarette in a waste basket and left the partnership's premises. The cigarette, re-ignited by a draught, set fire to the workshops with disastrous results. Sassoon had the job of telling Belinda about the fire. Stoically, she said: ″Oh well, there's not much I can do about it – I'm going to finish my lunch.″ (ibid., p. 88).
- Royals – Sassoon has designed outfits for every female member of the royal family with the exception of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and the Queen Mother. Whilst remaining totally discrete he provides an interesting glimpse into these relationships through entertaining stories, photographs and press clippings. One story Sassoon tells is about the time when three guests of the Queen came down to dinner in the same Bellville dress. The guests were not amused but apparently The Queen was. Sassoon says ″She certainly knew a Bellville when she saw one″. As Her Majesty looked at her guests she said: ″Bellville! Bellville! Bellville! (ibid., p. 157).
Of all the royal ladies Diana, Princess of Wales, had the greatest impact on royal style and British, if not international, and world style. Diana hated coats but during the particularly cold winter of 1982 she wore a Russian-style coat with muff and hat and single-handedly sparked off a Russian Cossack/Dr Zhivago revival. Sassoon dressed Diana for many of the most important events in her life from her first official press photograph with the Queen to her going-away outfit and the outfit worn to the christening of Prince William, as well as her many official engagements. Sassoon also includes letters and original design sketches where Diana's enthusiasm can be seen through her comments.
What makes this book especially fascinating are the little details Sassoon gives us. On page 193 he describes a visit to Kensington Palace to meet with the Princess of Wales. He tells us: ″the hall and stairs were carpeted in apple green with the Prince of Wales's feathers woven in cream, and the walls were pale peach with the plasterwork picked out in white.″
- Queen for a Day – Bellville Brides - This chapter is an extraordinary journey through time and it is interesting to chart the changes in wedding fashions. Without being indiscreet the author describes the clientèle and the débutantes, known as the 'Bellville brides'. During the 1960s bridal gowns accounted for approximately one quarter of the company's business. At around the same time the partnership ventured into the ready-to-wear market to meet the demands of British and American retailers such as Martin Moss's Knightsbridge department store, Woollands, and Bergdorf Goodman, one of New York's most popular fashion stores.
- Jewels and Balls explores the gowns created for the higher echelons of society and worn to galas and balls. Sassoon says ″Everyone thinks of the British woman as all tweeds and twinsets, but she really shines at night – and often has amazing jewellery.″ (ibid., p. 252). It was often these glittering gems that inspired some of the stunning gowns worn to High Society's most opulent balls and parties. Sassoon defers to English couturier Hardy Amies, who when reminiscing about the French said: ″[They] have the frocks but the British have the rocks!″ (ibid., p. 253). Once again, Sassoon entertains us with many discreet but amusing stories about his famous clientèle.
- Vogue Patterns – Sassoon outlines the history of the Vogue Pattern Company which dates back to 1914. Vogue's partnership with Bellville Sassoon started in 1965, and the popularity of these designs has never waned. Having bought Vogue Patterns and asked my dressmaker to make up these fabulous designs I'm one of the many ordinary girls who have enjoyed these garments.
- New Horizons – David Sassoon says: ″Fifty years is a long time to survive in the competitive world of fashion – you need staying power and luck. I have been blessed with both, as well as the fantastic team that surrounds me.″ (ibid., p. 292. ) Although he has put the company in the capable hands Lorcan Mullany, with whom he has worked for twenty years, the impression you get from the book is that David Sassoon still has a lot more to give.
Amazon Price: $24.95 $14.19 Buy Now
(price as of Sep 20, 2013)
A Good Read
A good read? Yes definitely. The book is fun and easy to read. It presents a factual and highly informative history of one of Britain's foremost couture labels and British fashion history of the last fifty years. Published by Antique Collectors Club, the book is available from all good book stores, priced at £35.00, ISBN 9781851495757.
The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon at the Fashion and Textile Museum
During the autumn of 2013 London's Fashion and Textile Museum presents a major retrospective exhibition looking at the Bellville Sassoon story, entitled The Glamour of Bellville Sassoon. Tickets and further information can be obtained from the Fashion and Textile Museum.
Inspired to Sew?
Amazon Price: $12.05 Buy Now
(price as of Sep 20, 2013)

subset: commoncrawl


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Global Talent Development on the Rise
According to a report released by the Conference Board, a global research and business membership organization, a majority of companies want to accelerate the development of their global talent. They surveyed 81 companies on global leadership development and found that 77% are seeking a variety of approaches to improve their global talent development.
The most effective practices to develop global business leaders are longer-term international assignments (cited by 33%) and international cross-functional team participation (18%)…
"The best way to accelerate global leadership development is to have a sound framework," says Robert Kramer, Principal Researcher, The Conference Board, and author of the report. "It is important to identify what lessons and performance demands are needed to build international business proficiency, and to find key talent and focus attention on the fast learners."
Because the primary vehicle for developing international leaders is experience, it is important to recognize early the experiences that prepare talented people to become global executives.
Several of the survey participants suggested that early assessment can be executed through assessment centers, rating scales, and manager input. Selection criteria for this review include job performance, learning agility, evidence of early leadership skills, and demonstration of adherence to company values. Assessing early leadership attributes requires at least three years of work experience to demonstrate performance and potential.
Well-managed firms (firms with a return on investment equal to or higher than their respective industry averages) are more likely to accelerate global leadership development by giving qualified executives access to a few, targeted, developmentally rich positions, providing greater opportunities for global networking, using assignments in foreign client or supplier organizations, employing focus groups, and using off-site education or training programs.
The report says that well-managed firms make use of longer-term international assignments (2-3 years or more) to develop global business leaders. Additionally, well-managed firms say they involve their global leadership talent in expatriate assignment goal-setting. These firms also say that their global business leadership activities differ distinctly from their general business leadership activities in that they require learning how to handle stress, both business and personal.
Overall, survey participants rated early career overseas experiences such as specialized offshore assignments as one of the most frequently used accelerating techniques. Approximately 86% of the survey participants that use it report that it is a moderately to very effective development technique.


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Hand-knotted. 108 genuine gemstones. Ethically made. Philanthropy driven. Adorn your soul with this tool as a reminder of your precious journey. Meditate on each bead with your favorite affirmation.
RHODONITE is a stone of grace and balance. It helps to attract opportunities to love. Rhodonite brings compassion and love for others. It purifies the heart. It also helps to bring out one's greatest potential. Rhodonite decreases anxiety and provides grounding. Its a great for personal growth.
SANDALWOOD purifies and strengthens the mind. It emits positive energy and can reduce depression. Sandalwood also helps with clear perception and mindfulness. It helps one overcome obstacles on one's path. It is grounding and protective. It also promotes spiritual awareness.
CLEAR QUARTZ Guru Bead is a stone of power and harmony. It cleanses the mind and body. Clear Quartz brings clarity and purification to all situations. Its a great stone for teachers and healers because it enhances energy while dispelling negativity. Clear Quartz is considered a master stone that channels universal energy.
OM charm is the classical yoga sound representing the all-encompassing universal consciousness. It is a sacred sound made for spiritual practices and some say it is the greatest of all mantras.
Bead size: Sandalwood 7.5mm. Rhodonite 8mm.


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GCSE Results Day 2018: Sydney Russell School principal 'delighted' by results
PUBLISHED: 16:49 23 August 2018 | UPDATED: 16:49 23 August 2018
The success of Sydney Russell's GCSE pupils has "delighted" the school's principal.
Janis Davis said: "I am delighted with the results once again.
"Not only have there been increases in standard grade 9-4 passes and strong grade 9-5 passes, but also in the number of students achieving grade 9.
"As a school we are very pleased."
Top achievers at the Parsloes Avenue, Dagenham school include Suvika Kumaravelu, whose results included six 9s.
She will now be studying chemistry, biology, maths and further maths at A-level.
Another pupil to pick up 9s — the highest mark possible — is Rida Imran, whose grades included three in English, English literature and history.
She will be taking A-levels in English literature, history and psychology.
Ore Pelumi, who achieved four 9s, was "relieved" to open his marks.
"It went really well," he said, adding: "Yesterday I was so nervous I couldn't sleep."
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Barking and Dagenham Post. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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You are here
Lian Beng's Q4 net profit down 43.9% to S$30.4m
LIAN Beng Group's Q4 net profit fell 43.9 per cent to S$30.4 million from the previous year, the group said in a Singapore Exchange filing on Wednesday evening.
For the three months ended May 31, revenue plunged 55.8 per cent to S$78.3 million from the year-ago period.
Ong Pang Aik, Lian Beng's executive chairman, said the group is proposing the same level of dividends as the year before, ie, a final dividend of S$0.01 per share and a special dividend of S$0.01 per share, totalling S$0.02 per share. Together with the interim dividend of S$0.01 per share, the total dividends for FY2016 add up to S$0.03 per share.
The dividends, if approved at the AGM to be held on Sept 29, will be paid on Oct 14.
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes


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Hi, I'm Annika Sorenson, a News Editor for the Spartan Speaks. I'm a senior at Orono High School. This is my first year on the newspaper staff, however I love journalism and writing in general, and can't wait to finish out the year on the newspaper staff.
Annika Sorenson, News Editor
|May 31, 2019
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Top Popular Video Games to Try in Early 2019 (Story)
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Orono High School Starts March With A Student Blood Drive (Story)
|Mar 07, 2019
Orono Schools Hosts 'Orono's Got Talent' With A New Panel Of Judges (Story)
|Feb 25, 2019
Century-old Cossetta's serves up fresh Italian fare in St. Paul (Story/Media)


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text: One of the things I've been quite curious about throughout my research still remained a burning question in my head. Does having technological advancements in the classroom have a direct effect on higher graduation rates? Sure, it's got everything to do with the teacher and student, and the relationship between the two as well, but what about all of this technology stuff? I'm a strong believer in keeping students on the cutting edge of what's new in the tech world, and it's not just because of where I work! In the year 2000, the graduation rate was 68 percent for females, and 60 percent for males. Today, the graduation rate is a combined 70 percent! Is this progress? Of course it is! Related to technology? You bet. With recently updated computers and systems in schools, it makes studying and research much easier for students. Can we continue to use this technology to our advantage by finding better ways to study? With educational pod casts, tutorials, note pods, audio books, internet libraries, downloadable books, youtube and video lectures, it almost seems like that 70 percent should even be higher! It is said that having the world at our fingertips is making students become more inquisitive; more capable of finding answers for themselves. In an increasingly and globally competitive world, education is the key to advancement. Our children are our future, and they'll be governing our world some day! Did you know that 74 percent of children are avidly using computers by the age of four years old? It seems crazy, but think about the interaction and the learning they can do, and do independently. Learning is becoming more advanced and involved which means children are becoming smarter at an earlier age. Sounds like all of this techno mumbo-jumbo may not even be mumbo-jumbo after all!


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Handmade by a local craftsman in the center of Bali, this rattan mirror is made of natural materialand high grade mirror glass.
With its twigs-like sun rays and organic feel, we guarantee this mirror will brighten up your bathroom and put a smile on your face! Definitely a typical, must-have, Balinese home decor item!
Total diameter: 50 cm / Mirror alone: 20 cm
Weight: 0.5 kg
Comes with a hanging string
How to hang my mirror?
For products that weigh less than 3 kg, no need to drill or even nail in your wall! Simply use a 3M hook with double tape!Delivery within 5 working days in Singapore
Worldwide delivery under 10 days


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HISTORIC Hotels of Slovakia, an association which links 10 hotels that occupy historical buildings across Slovakia, is offering the opportunity to give a stay in a luxury hotel as a Christmas present. Purchasers can select a gift voucher for all 10 member hotels, Michal Čuridlo, the secretary general of the association, wrote in a press release.
According to Čuridlo, the mutual approach and marketing of Historic Hotels of Slovakia in this way brings advantages to member hotels and their customers, which was one of the aims when the association was founded in 2009. The association's membership has grown from seven to 10 hotels, some of which have five stars, offering accommodation and other guest services in mansions, castles and other historical buildings.
5. Dec 2011 at 0:00 | Compiled by Spectator staff


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For symptomatic relief of fever and pain
Belladonna 6 DH, Atropinum Sulph. 4 DH, Chininum Mur. 6 DH, Arsenicum Alb. 12 DH, Ipecac 6 DH, Eupatorium Perf. 6 DH, Sabadilla 6 DH
A-Pyrone is an effective homoeopathic medicine that removes the affects of all sorts of fever if patient takes its dosage in earlier days. This works as a good analgesioantipyretic and cures symptomatic relief of fever and pain. Headache, backache and body ache are general indications as experienced when fever is diagnosed and A-Pyrone syrup is made to fix all above discussed indications to make a patient tension free from fever and restores health in general.
Adults: 1-2 tablespoonfuls thrice a day
Children: 1-2 teaspoonfuls thrice a day, or as directed by your physician.
Do not use anything containing citric acid (Synthetic)
60 ml syrup
Manufactured By
W. S. Pharmacy & Research
Centre (Regd.) Lahore-Pakistan.


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Summer Sports & Games in the Seinäjoki Region
If you're interested in being a little more active during the summer months, here are a few active pursuits for you to consider. Whether that is a round of golf or more casual games with your friends and family, Take note, there is plenty of additional reading and listening for this article – let me know what you think of that too.
Disc golf
As the name suggests, this is a combination of golf and frisbee. There are many free-to-use courses located around Seinäjoki, all you need are some discs and a couple of hours of time. You can use any frisbee, or you can buy a starter-pack of three disc golf frisbees for around 20€ from most sport shops and larger supermarkets. The course is made up of tracks (instead of holes) with a metal basket on a pole at the other end of the track. At the top of the basket is a ring with chains hanging down from it, the idea is to hit the chains and your frisbee will land in the basket. Simple, right?
Beach volleyball
Next to one of Seinäjoki's many beaches you will find a volleyball net surrounded by sand. Don't be intimidated by the Olympic version of this game there's no need for tight-fitting swimsuits, just get a group of friends together (and a ball) and you're all set. Once you're finished, of course, where better to wash all the sand off than the nearby lake or river.
I know, this is not exactly a sport but it's an enjoyable part of MY summer. Mölkky is a game for the garden, beach, campsite where you use a wooden baton to knock over skittles, numbered 1-12, scoring points as you go. At the start of the game the skittles are arranged on a group, close together. The players take it in turns to throw the baton to try to knock the skittles over. If you knock over a single skittle, you score the value on that skittle, if you knock over more than one, you score a single point for each. After the each turn the skittles are reset in the position they landed, so the game area soon starts to spread out. Simple, fun and addictive.
Midnight golf
The nearest course to the centre of Seinäjoki is the 18-hole Ruuhikoski Golf course in the Nurmo area. It is one of the more challenging courses in Finland, check out the hole-by-hole videos on their website. During the May-July period, try to get along for a round of midnight golf, just for the otherworldly experience. If you are planning a trip especially to play at Ruuhikoski, this Sokos hotel offer might be useful. There are no public courses in Finland, that you can just turn-up and play, there are a few requirements to bear in mind.
For those living in Finland:
- You must have a Green Card – This ensures that a club has taught you etiquette, basic proficiency of playing golf, speed of play etc. This takes approx. 10 hours and has a cost of 100–200€.
- There are not too many member-only clubs, by buying an annual membership for one club you can play at all other Finnish golf clubs. Fees for one round may be 40€–80€.
- Dress code is generally relaxed, although a collared shirt is considered appropriate. Jeans may not be acceptable everywhere.
For those visiting Finland from overseas:
- You need to be a member of a club in your home country. A letter from your club confirming your membership and official handicap is sufficient.
- You do not need to pay the annual membership. Simply the fee for the round or daily fee.
- For insurance reasons, if you are not a member of a club, it is not possible to play anything other than 3-par practice holes, or the driving range.
Mobile Sauna Festival (Sauna-ajot, Teuva)
Of course most summer days should be rounded-off in the sauna, but if you're feeling adventurous, why not check out the annual Mobile Sauna Festival in nearby Teuva. The official website explains: "There are only two rules for the saunas. First they have to be mobilised and secondly they have to be so big, that one person can bath in the sauna." This annual event is free for visitors to attend and in 2017 it attracted 65 entrants including saunas from Germany, Italy and Poland. You can see all the 2017 saunas on the Sauna-ajot website
Additional listening:
- The Magic of Midnight Golf in Finland
- In Competition on the Frisbee Golf Course
- Just Why Is The Sauna So Important To Finns?
Additional reading:
This post's title song: Gold In The Summertime by Matt Nathanson
Mark Wiltshear
Explore Finland Radio Show


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Browsing by Author "Aniserowicz, Karol"
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Down-sampled and Under-sampled Data sets in Feature Selective Validation (FSV) Zhang, Gang; Wang, Lixin; Duffy, A. P.; Sasse, Hugh G.; Di Febo, D.; Orlandi, A.; Aniserowicz, Karol (Article)Feature Selective Validation (FSV) is a heuristic method for quantifying the (dis)similarity of two data sets. The computational burden of obtaining the FSV values might be unnecessarily high if data sets with large numbers ...
Internal Stirring: An Approach to Approximate Evaluation of Shielding Effectiveness of Small Slotted Enclosures Rusiecki, Andrzej; Aniserowicz, Karol; Duffy, A. P.; Orlandi, A. (Article)A new technique for approximate evaluation of a small slotted enclosure shielding effectiveness (SE) is proposed. The enclosure under test is equipped with a built-in, rotating, conductive stirrer, and the SE is determined ...


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1 Spray a large saucepan with olive oil and set over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, garlic and beetroot for 5 minutes, or until softened.
2 Add the apple, ginger, cumin and stock to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, simmer for 35 minutes.
3 Blend the soup until smooth. Ladle into four serving bowls, top each with a swirl of yoghurt and a few basil leaves, to garnish.


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TORONTO -- Kawhi Leonard has grown into one of the best offensive players in the world, a machine that ranks second in this postseason in scoring (32 points per game), with an ultra-efficient true shooting percentage of 65.5 percent (third-best among players with at least 50 postseason field goal attempts).
But what makes Leonard truly special is how good he can be on both ends of the floor ... in the playoffs ... having played more than 50 minutes ... while hobbled by a leg injury ... and with his team's season on the line.
The Toronto Raptors are still alive in the Eastern Conference finals, having escaped with a 118-112, double-overtime victory in Game 3 on Sunday. They're still alive because Marc Gasol finally made the shots the Milwaukee Bucks have been daring him to shoot all along, because Pascal Siakam had his best game of the series, and because Fred VanVleet and Danny Green hit timely buckets on a night in which they shot a combined 2-for-20.
But mostly, the Raptors have a chance to even this series in Game 4 because Leonard was the better of the two superstars on the floor. And he was just that, in part, because he was defending the other one.
Through the first two games of the series, Pascal Siakam has been the primary defender on Giannis Antetokounmpo, with Leonard defending Khris Middleton. Antetokounmpo hadn't exactly gone wild in the first two games (totaling 54 points and 11 assists), but the Raptors needed to change something. That came on first possession of Game 3 with Leonard guarding Antetokounmp, Siakam shifting over to Eric Bledsoe and Kyle Lowry on Middleton.
Things didn't stay that way all game long. The Raptors switched often and couldn't worry about matchups when defending the Bucks in transition. No matter who the initial defender is, guarding Antetokounmpo is always a five-man job, with the other four needing to be ready to help on Antetokounmpo's relentless attacks to the basket.
"One man can't guard him," Leonard acknowledged. "It takes the whole team."
But in regard to 1-on-1 defense, Leonard is the best that the Raptors have. The adjustment worked as the Bucks scored just seven points on their first 13 possessions of Game 3 and only three of their 26 first-quarter shots came in the restricted area.
"We wanted to take a look at it early to see how it looked," Nurse said of the Antetokounmpo-Leonard matchup. "It looked pretty good, so we stuck with it."
Leonard played Antetokounmpo tighter than the Kia MVP favorite had been defended in the first two games.
"He was up and not giving him quite as much runway to get flying off of," Nurse said. "But so were the other guys that ended up on him in a switch or in different parts of the game. They were all a little bit more locked in. We took steps forward to get physical. The other night we were backing away from everything."
The Bucks punished the Raptors with a few transition 3-pointers and eventually got to the basket. But their 112 points on 120 possessions was their second-worst offensive output of the postseason.
Antetokounmpo, who entered Game 3 averaging a postseason-best 15.1 points in the paint per game, finished with just 10 points in the paint on Sunday. It wasn't his lowest total of the postseason, but it was a low mark considering the season-high 45 minutes that he played before fouling out on the Raptors' first possession of the second overtime. The 8.1 points in the paint per 36 minutes were Antetokounmpo's third-lowest output in his 84 games this season.
Leonard, meanwhile, scored a game-high 36 points despite suffering an apparent left leg injury less than three minutes in, either on the take-off or the landing of a fast-break bucket after one of Milwaukee's 20 turnovers. He looked hobbled for the rest of the night, but a hobbled Kawhi Leonard is still the best that the Raptors have.
"Obviously, he wasn't moving very fast," VanVleet said. "But if he's out there, he's good enough."
And he was, seemingly, all the Raptors had offensively late in the game. When they couldn't get him the ball in the post against Malcolm Brogdon, he had to go out to the perimeter to get it. Most of the iso-ball stuff didn't work, but all the work the Raptors' did defensively eventually allowed them to break through in the second overtime.
With the Raptors up one and a little more than three minutes to go, Bledsoe got a switch onto Gasol and attacked. Danny Green came from the weak side to help, leaving Brogdon wide-open in the corner. That's where Bledsoe was looking to go with it, but Green got his hand on the pass, Leonard picked up the loose ball, and raced down the floor for a lefty dunk over Nikola Mirotic.
Three possessions later, Toronto's lead was back to one point when Middleton got a switch onto VanVleet. Leonard came over to double and deflected the pass. Brogdon was the first to get to the loose ball, but Leonard snatched it away from him and took it the other way for another dunk.
"His defense was probably the biggest key of the game," Nurse said of Leonard. "Offense was hard to come by there for both teams for a while, and any time you can get a steal and a breakout, it's a huge momentum play."
In 568 career games prior to Sunday, Leonard had never played more than 46 minutes. He played 52 minutes and eight seconds in Game 3, and the Raptors needed every last bit of it.
They'll need more in Game 4 on Tuesday, and they'll have to hope that Leonard can recover in the next 48 hours.
"Fifty-two minutes and it's in the playoffs," Leonard said, "so you definitely feel it. When you play 30 minutes, you feel it still. You just got to not worry about it, get my treatment and move on to the next one."
There was always going to be a next one. But Leonard and the Raptors have made sure that Game 4 won't be the last one.
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.


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O'Hurley takes lead in touring production as 'Seinfeld,' Monty Python humor collide
Fri., May 1, 2009
It's not easy to name a show that has pervaded pop culture more thoroughly than Monty Python's "Spamalot," along with the movie from which it was "lovingly ripped off," "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
The late, great "Seinfeld" certainly qualifies.
Now, both of these pop-culture influences come together in Spokane, in the person of John O'Hurley, also known as J. Peterman on "Seinfeld."
He plays King Arthur in the tour of "Spamalot," which arrives at the INB Performing Arts Center for eight shows beginning Tuesday.
In laughs per minute, O'Hurley says "Spamalot" is the hands-down winner.
"I say, unequivocally, that 'Spamalot' is the funniest thing I've ever done, and I say that in full knowledge of the fact that I was on 'Seinfeld,' " said O'Hurley, by phone from the road. "People laugh from the moment the conductor drops his baton, and they don't stop laughing until the curtain call."
O'Hurley calls it "one of the great experiences I've had in the theater." And if audience members detect a familiar note of Peterman-style bombast in his performance, that's intentional.
"I like to play the king with a J. Peterman kind of feel: the sense that everything is an adventure and you have to be constantly self-justifying," said O'Hurley. "I think King Arthur and J. Peterman are basically cut from the same cloth, just 1,200 years apart."
An incisive intellect is not exactly the hallmark of either character.
"The king has always got to remind everybody that, 'By the way, I'm the king,' " said O'Hurley. "He's not necessarily the brightest one out there. He just looks best in the outfit."
He called Arthur "a lunatic adventurer, traipsing across a Hampshire field, fooled by a clopping set of coconuts."
O'Hurley certainly can play against the J. Peterman type. In fact, his most recent Broadway role was Billy Flynn, the lawyer in "Chicago."
"He's the exact antithesis of King Arthur," said O'Hurley. "He's self-knowing, he's unapologetic, brash and narcissistic."
O'Hurley has a vast amount of theatrical experience, which might surprise those who know him only from "Seinfeld" or from hosting the game show "Family Feud."
He began as an opera singer, a lyric baritone (which helps explains that great Peterman voice). He soon made the transition to musical comedy and became an established musical performer even before he became a well-known soap opera star in the 1980s.
He landed the role of King Arthur in "Spamalot" for two years in its Las Vegas venue, and now he's more than happy to play the national tour.
"I have the luxury of having a great show in 'Family Feud' which provides me the time and the means to take half the year and do what I want to do," said O'Hurley. "When I finish 'Family Feud' in late fall, I'm free for the rest of the year until July."
He calls "Spamalot" one of "the great experiences I've had in theater," mainly because it is such a raucous crowd pleaser. One of the only problems with the show, he said, is that people laugh so long, they often miss the next joke.
"That's why so many people return," he said.
"Spamalot" has a book by original Python member Eric Idle, based on the movie's original script. Yes, you'll see the knights who say "Ni." You'll see knights galloping around the stage to the clip-clop of coconuts. You'll see a killer rabbit, a flatulent Frenchman and a limbless knight.
All that, and singin' and dancin' as well.
By the way, O'Hurley demonstrates one other skill in "Spamalot": the dance skills which made him a "Dancing With the Stars" champion.
"That's a talent I didn't know I had," he said. "That surprised nobody more than me. I trained classically as a singer and classically as an actor. The one thing I forgot to do was dance."
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Fred Dietz hired as vice president for enrollment management
Tyler Manning, Editor
April 18, 2018
The search for the vice president of enrollment management is over as Suzanne Shipley, university president, announced in a postmaster email on April 19 that the search committee chose Fred Dietz out of more than 40 candidates to fill the position, effective July 1. Shipley said in the email, "I know the...
Paul Carney first to visit campus in search for new vice president
Justin Marquart, Visuals Editor
April 18, 2018
Since January, the vice president for enrollment management search committee members have met with an academic search consultant, narrowed the pool from 43 candidates to 10 candidates and video interviewed those 10 to narrow it down to three. From those candidates is Paul Carney, the first candidate to visit ca...
"Urinetown" opening night rescheduled due to inclement weather
The Wichitan
February 22, 2018
To ensure safety of cast, crew and audiences following the inclement weather Feb. 21 and class cancelation for Feb. 22, the "Urinetown" opening night has been rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 23 after months of rehearsals, costume design and make-up preparations. According to Elizabeth Lewandowski, theater...


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- Home
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55 Hopkins Street, Reading, MA 01867-3917
Box Office: (781) 942-2212
Quality Community Theater on Boston's North Shore
Calling all Playwrights
Quannapowitt Players (QP) of Reading, MA are seeking one-act play submissions their New Works festival "Suburban Holidays," scheduled for November 29, 30 and December 1, 5, 6, and 7 2019. This will be the 8th Season QP has produced Suburban Holidays!
Suburban Holidays Play Festival explores the theme of the holiday season in a town "very much like Reading, MA." Though this festival takes place in November and December, all holidays, not just the Christmas/Chanukah season are encouraged!
There are six performances of the same 6 to 8 plays at each performance with full staging that includes required set pieces, lights, sound and costumes. Original musicals will be considered, though musical accompaniment will be restricted to a keyboardist should a musical be produced. Modern/contemporary plays are given preference as period costuming is limited. This is a family friendly play festival so appropriate language and themes are required.
Since this festival draws a large pool of talented actors, plays featuring more than 4 characters will be considered first. Larger cast plays are strongly encouraged.
We prefer to produce plays of 20 minutes in length, although plays slightly shorter and longer are accepted. Preference is given to playwrights from New England, but any playwright may submit. If you are not a resident of New England, your play will be considered, but we do give preference to our area to increase the chances of having the playwrights come and see their plays in our festival.
Plays must be submitted electronically in MS Word or PDF format, written in standard play format to the festival Producing Director Nick Gould at firstname.lastname@example.com. Paper copies of plays will not be accepted.
Submissions must be received by noon on July 31, 2019. Plays must be the original works of the playwrights. Preference is given to unproduced works, but works with limited production runs will be considered. Please note whether your play has been produced and where.
Playwrights whose plays are chosen for production will receive an honorarium of $100 for the festival.
Playwrights whose pieces are chosen will be notified via email in August 2019 and the selections will also be posted here on the Quannapowitt Players website www.qptheater.com
If you have any questions about this festival or the guideline submissions, please contact Producing Director, Nick Gould at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please include the subject line "Suburban Holidays" on submissions and questions.
Quannapowitt Players Celebrates it's 81st Season!
Check out our exciting video celebration 80 wonderful seasons!
Quick Links
Purchase Tickets and Season Subscriptions thru our Online Box Office


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BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is convinced that a divorce deal between Britain and the European Union can still be reached, but there is little time left and London must make concessions in the talks, a German government spokesman said on Monday.
The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier earlier said that negotiations on future relations were difficult and declined to comment on a report Britain was planning legislation to override parts of the divorce deal.
Reporting by Thomas Seythal; Editing by Jon Boyle
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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President Jacob Zuma's power is not "an untrammelled" power that allows the president to act as he pleases, a full bench of judges in the High Court in Pretoria said on Wednesday. The 72-page judgment delivered by Judge President Dunstan Mlambo in Zuma's attempt to review and set aside former Public Protector advocate Thuli Madonsela's State of Capture report is a harsh reprimand. The court's unanimous decision ratified the recommendations of Madonsela's State of Capture report – recommendations that Zuma tried his utmost to challenge.
Zuma's first attempt to interdict Madonsela releasing the report in October 2016 resulted in the first cost order against him, delivered just after 10:00 on Wednesday. Mlambo, also heading the panel of judges deciding over this case, said Zuma acted in "flagrant disregard" for his constitutional duties towards the Public Protector. It was therefore "an unwarranted instance for the taxpayer to carry that burden [to foot Zuma's legal bill]. The conduct of the president, and the context of the litigation he initiated, requires a sterner rebuke…"
The second cost order against Zuma in his personal capacity was delivered around 12:00 in review proceedings attempting to set aside Madonsela's recommendations. The judges instructed Zuma to institute a commission of inquiry to investigate State Capture within 30 days. This means that by Friday 12 January 2018 Zuma must establish a commission of inquiry.
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng – and not Zuma – will appoint the judge chairing the commission, and in turn the judge will choose his own assisting staff. The commission must further be well resourced, have all the evidence collection powers of the Public Protector and must provide their report with findings and recommendations to Zuma within 180 days. The report must be submitted to Parliament within 14 days. And Zuma shall bear the costs of the review application out of his own purse.
"The allegations of 'State Capture' detailed in the report are extremely serious," the judgment reads.
"They amount to allegations that the president and members of the executive have exercised their powers, at least on occasion, not in the public interest as they are required to do under the Constitution, but rather at the behest of a private family and to further its financial interests. The Public Protector has made a number of damning allegations against the president."
The court continued, finding that there is "compelling prima facie evidence [in Madonsela's State of Capture report] that the relationship between the president and the Gupta family had evolved into 'State Capture' underpinned by the Gupta family having power to influence the appointment of Cabinet ministers and directors in boards of SoEs and leveraging these relationships to get preferential treatment in state contracts, access to state-provided business finance and the award of business licences".
And then, reading from their judgment, Mlambo hammered the last nail in the coffin of Zuma's attempt to wriggle free: "The president has a clear personal interest in the outcome of the commission [into State Capture]. The president is implicated in the State Capture report and is at the centre of allegations regarding the Gupta family's involvement in the appointment of Cabinet ministers. Moreover, his son's business interests are heavily implicated by the allegations regarding the award of contracts by SoEs to Gupta-owned businesses."
The only way President Jacob Zuma's week could be worse is if his Gupta-gotten gains were invested in Steinhoff shares. The court showed extreme disdain for the legal arguments offered by Zuma's counsel, Advocate Ishmael Semenya SC and Advocate Anthea Platt SC. The judges dismissed every argument Zuma offered in an attempt to review and set aside Madonsela's recommendations. The court ordered, for the second time in a week, that he was too conflicted in the hot mess created by himself and the Guptas to institute a proper commission of inquiry. His son Duduzane is in trouble, and so are his friends and alleged bankrollers the Guptas. They will be called before the commission of inquiry as witnesses. Their bank statements and cellphone histories will be scrutinised. Duduzane and the Guptas will have to act as witnesses and risk perjuring themselves if they tailor their evidence or fall back on their right to keep quiet. All of these options might point the finger right back to Zuma and his involvement in creating a parallel state that benefits only a hand-picked few.
The full bench of three judges further dismantled his now infamous Stalingrad strategy towards litigation and connected the dots between Zuma's public conduct and his assertions before the court.
Zuma has long held in public and before Parliament that he will institute a commission of inquiry and that he looks forward to his day in court.
Mlambo noted Zuma's press statement on 26 May 2017, saying it is "plainly evident that the president was not opposed to the implementation of the remedial action contained by the Public Protector's State of Capture report…"
Zuma also told Parliament that "the president has taken a decision to establish the judicial commission of inquiry and is about to announce when it will start".
Zuma's public statements, however, are not compatible with his court actions, Mlambo said. In fact, his public statements "point to the reckless misconception underpinning the president's application seeking to review and set aside the [Public Protector's] remedial action. The review application was a clear non-starter and the president was seriously reckless in pursuing it as he has done. His conduct falls far short of the high standard expressed in Section 195 of the Constitution."
Section 195 of the Constitution describes the "basic values and principles governing public administration", and orders that public administration "must be governed by the democratic values and principles enshrined in the Constitution…".
This is but the middle of Zuma's torrid week. On Saturday, the ANC leaders will congregate at the Nasrec Centre in Johannesburg to elect the party's new leader. Zuma and his backers will enter the conference on the back foot.
Last Friday, another full bench of judges, again lead by by Mlambo in the High Court in Pretoria, also kicked prosecutions boss Advocate Shaun Abrahams out of his job, saying his appointment was irregular.
The court held that Abrahams' predecessor, Mxolisi Nxasana, irregularly accepted Zuma's proposition of a R17.8-million golden handshake (the court stopped short of labelling it a bribe) to leave his position as National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). The court said Zuma was too conflicted to pick a new NDPP and ceded the job to the deputy president (Cyril Ramaphosa, at the moment).
Within three hours, Zuma released a hastily drafted statement saying he would appeal the judgment. Before day's end on Friday, Abrahams also filed a formal appeal in a move widely regarded as an attempt to stop Ramaphosa from making an immediate appointment.
On Wednesday afternoon the DA vowed to lay criminal charges of perjury against the "grossly remiss" Zuma for a "sinister attempt to mislead the courts, abuse judicial process and ultimately undermine the law and the Constitution of the republic".
DA leader Mmusi Maimane labelled the review judgment an "important victory for the rule of law, and the people of South Africa".
The ANC's statement was curt and did not deal with the merits of any of the three cases. It rather chose to throw its weight behind the institution of a commission of inquiry and seems to not be in favour of another appeal.
"We therefore trust President Jacob Zuma will implement this judgment without delay in the interest of our country," the statement says.
Cosatu's statement was more to the point, saying "hopefully [Zuma] now better understands the limits of his own powers and the principle of separation of powers in general".
Cosatu also welcomed the cost order against Zuma: "The president has become a vexatious litigant with a penchant of using taxpayers' money without care on these many cases. Cosatu calls for the State Capture inquiry to be set up soon so that the thieves and the swindlers who have stolen from the poor can be sent to jail where they belong. We also urge ANC delegates to the 54thNational Conference to elect Cde Cyril Rampahosa, leader with a clear commitment to fight both State Capture and corruption." DM
Photo: South African President Jacob Zuma during the G20 leaders' retreat as part of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, 07 July 2017. EPA-EFE/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL/POOL
Dave Grohl once tried to quit Nirvana after overhearing Kurt Cobain call him a "shitty drummer". Their manager convinced him to stay.


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November 13, 2019
Hey, guys! We are back with our #STOPCHEATER rubric! If you or your friend faced a player with suspicious moves in the match, send us the match ID!read more
September 25, 2019
Hey guys, we have good news! We have added new features for all users. First, now each user has individual tasks, and on the top of that the level system was also introduced.read more
September 18, 2019
Valve has revealed more updates to Matchmaking in a very candid and transparent blog release. About a month ago, Valve had responded to the complaints of the MMR system, attempting to make the system more enjoyable and team-oriented for players.read more
September 10, 2019
A few days ago the second qualifying round of the MoreMMR League Let's summarize the past stage of the league and talk a little about the final battle in December.read more
September 3, 2019
Here at MoreMMR, we love to bring new features to our players, and just yesterday we have added a marketplace and a new currency so now active users can choose their rewards! Read more about how the new marketplace works in the article!read more
August 9, 2019
The International 2019 will begin very soon, which means that it's time for us to launch the "Battle of the Predictors". Now we will conduct a short excursion for those who do not understand what the Predictors' Battle means and how can you win the gaming devices and Stam moneyread more
August 5, 2019
Check out the list of winners of the past Weekly Cups! Every winner in this list get a random Arcana prize! Don't forget to play the Weekly Cup this week, show off your skilll and luck, and maybe next week you will be the winner!read more
July 16, 2019
Announcing the winners for the past Weekly Cup (July 1-7) Check out the full list of winners in the post!read more
July 4, 2019
The list of winners of the past Weekly Cups! Check out if your name is in the list of winners, and grab your Arcana!read more
July 4, 2019
For every big Dota 2 tournament,we have a Predictors' Battle, where players compete in predicting the results of the tournament to win $$$ on Steam and other cool prizes! Now its time to announce the winners for the Starladder Predictors' Battle! Check out if your name is in the winners' list, and grab your prizes!read more


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Here's my entry for the Weekly Photo Challenge of Sep 12th and the theme is Humanity
When I think about humanity, I think of contradictions. We are full of contradictions – inexplicable, irrational, and inevitable. That is why I have selected this photo. Can you spot the contradictions?
Categories: Israel, Other Random Stuff, Travel


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Building a theme into your event can really add to the atmosphere to the evening. Here are some ideas to get
your party guests talking and create a wow factor that they are sure to be talking about for years to come.
1 – Masquerade Ball
A 'Masquerade' theme can be both romantic and mysterious, guests will wear masquerade masks and ball
gowns. It you opt for a 'Venetian Masquerade,' the room décor can reflect Venice in days gone by and guests
can be entertained by an orchestra playing classical music whilst they eat. Perhaps turn it into a 'Phantom of
the Opera Ball' for an operatic feel and the room; decorate the room with velvet drapes, red roses and
candles. For a more colourful event, choose a 'Mardi Gras Ball' with carnival dancers creating a real
2 – Winter Wonderland
This is a great Christmas theme idea. Create an icy feel by using white, blue and silver colouring. You can even include fake snow and ice sculptures as part of the décor. Why not serve drinks from an ice luge or hire a snowboard simulator for the guests to try their hand at boarding.
3 – Summer Ball
Why not create a beach feel to put your guests in a happy mood and feel like they are on holiday. Include dedicated areas of sand on the floor, implement bright colours, palm trees and don't forget to serve cocktails. Guests will love being entertained by Brazilian Carnival dancers and fire eaters.
4 – Contrasts
Another way to bring drama to a theme is by using contrasts such as 'Fire and Ice.' Use ice sculptures, or serve champagne from an ice luge. You can also include torches as a contrast then fire eaters to entertain the guests. A "Black and White Ball" can be simple to decorate and will provide glitz and glamour for your event; invite guests to wear only black, white or both, in keeping with your theme.
5 – Rainforest
Let guests enter the room through a screen of hanging vines and cheeping birds, with forest trees and a few spiders around the room to set the scene for a Rainforest Adventure. Cocktails in coconut shells and a champagne waterfall would be totally fitting for this event.
6 – Egyptian Nights
Welcome guests through a sandstone temple and line the walkway with palm trees. Decorate the room in shades of gold and sand tones, build in a pyramid and Egyptian artefacts, with flickering torches to add to the atmosphere and tables covered with Egyptian textiles.
Casino Royale is the perfect event for guests to dress up in dinner Jackets or cocktail dresses and be entertained by a fun casino, with bond girls on hand to give out martini on the rocks for the party goers to your drink.
Create the magic of the Big Top, 'The Greatest Show On Earth.' This theme is perfect to include plenty of entertainment, why not hire trapeze artists, clowns, magicians, stilt walkers, side stalls and much more.
Roll up! Roll up! Enjoy all the fun of the fair with a carnival atmosphere, traditional side stalls, colourful balloons on tables and even include some fun fair rides to add to the excitement.
With this theme, your guests can take a trip back in time to the Wild West. Add sawdust on the floor for an authentic feel, offer shots from the Saloon Bar Girls and dinner tables could be covered in red and white checked gingham, with a lantern for the centre piece. Add to the fun by giving each of the guests a cowboy hat and some may even want to brave the bucking bronco.
If you need support with venue finding, organising your event or creating theming ideas, Pandora Events would love to help out to make your event a real success.


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Staff of Saruman (UC1385BKNB)
This authentically detailed staff is a reproduction of the one carried by Saruman and prominently featured in "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy presented by New Line Cinema. United Cutlery Brands, industry leader in fine movie reproductions, has meticulously recreated the actual prop staff using the finest grade materials and craftsmanship of the highest quality available. Close attention to quality is a top priority in every piece. This towering staff, with an overall length of 76-1/8", is constructed of solid metal and the crown cradles a leaded glass crystal ball with frosted etch pattern. Each staff is presented with an antique iron finished wall mount with embossed designs.
Overall Length: 76-1/8"
Staff: Solid metal shaft and crown, black lacquered finish. Crown cradles a leaded glass crystal ball with frosted etch pattern.
Wall Mount: 3-3/16" x 6-7/8" x 2-1/4" stainless steel, embossed design, antique iron finish. Hardware, instructions included.
Staff is shipped in two pieces.
From United Cutlery
List Price - $225
Our Price - Discontinued


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January 2015 Issue of The Small Business Advocate Newsletter Released
The Office of Advocacy has released the January 2015 issue of The Small Business Advocate newsletter. This edition features a roundup of the new leadership of the Congressional small business committees. The message from Chief Counsel for Advocacy Winslow Sargeant details his accomplishments during his tenure at the Office of Advocacy. In addition, a recent SBREFA panel on infectious diseases submits its final report to OSHA. The newsletter can be found on Advocacy's website here.


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Created using watercolour paints, this playful and fun design is perfect as an announcement card for an expecting family or any special event.
* Revisions include basic changes such as color and font. Major adjustments or a design rework outside of standard revisions will be billed as additional design time.
** Some templates are not eligible for all design services. If a designer determines work cannot be completed on the selected design, a full refund will be processed.
Please wait while we translate the page for you.


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Following weeks of leaks about these new processors targeting OEMs and system integrators, AMD today officially announced the Ryzen 3 2300X and Ryzen 5 2500X processors.
The Ryzen 3 2300X and Ryzen 5 2500X will be marketed to OEMs and system builders as great processors for "off-the shelf gaming, family, or small form factor desktop PC." Both of these models have a maximum boost clock speed of 4.0GHz and four cores while the Ryzen 5 2500X also has SMT to yield eight threads in total. These new CPUs each have a 65 Watt TDP and a 10MB smart cache and PBO support.
These new Ryzen CPUs come just days after AMD announced new Athlon and Ryzen PRO processors as well. More details at AMD on the Ryzen 5 2500X and Ryzen 3 2300X.