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Nvidia's new triangular-shaped headquarters, inspired by the company's work in computer graphics, is a rare sight in the sea of rectangular office parks scattered throughout the Bay Area.
"It's easy to look at the building right now and think it's an object, but we're really designing an experience," said Hao Ko, principal design director at Gensler, the architecture firm working on Nvidia's headquarters. "We're not designing our father's office."
In a place known for out-of-the-box thinking and risk taking, tech firms have historically played it safe when it comes to their work spaces, opting for functional garages and tilt-up buildings over futuristic architecture that mirrors the innovation happening inside.
Not anymore. Apple hired prominent British architect Norman Foster to design a spaceshiplike headquarters that features the world's largest piece of curved glass. Google proposed building a translucent canopy with interior structures that can be rearranged like furniture, challenging the idea of immovable concrete buildings. A more recent plan shows a design that is more tent-like instead of a massive dome.
And Facebook, which tapped Frank Gehry to design an office building with a 9-acre green roof, hired the world renowned architect again for two more office buildings.
"For years, people came to Silicon Valley and asked where's the architecture? All these high tech companies and you tell me that's the building they're working in," said David Regester, president of the American Institute of Architects' Santa Clara Valley chapter. "It's been paradoxical to a lot of people. Now that's changing."
The movement away from renting space in banal tilt-up buildings partly reflects a fast-paced tech industry that has evolved from manufacturing computer chips to writing code for computer software, Regester and other architects in the area say. Now tech firms are not only looking for utilitarian spaces but environments that reflect their workplace culture and foster creativity and better teamwork.
Some experts say Silicon Valley's tech construction boom is also part of a pattern that has happened throughout history in areas infused with wealth.
"This is what rich people do. They build palaces for themselves," said Louise Mozingo, professor and chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at UC Berkeley.
Companies such as Google and Apple are using their headquarters to project their image throughout the world, and as the competition to attract the best and brightest workers intensifies, they're all stepping up their games when it comes to building the most innovative office space.
In 2011, late Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs presented to the Cupertino City Council the architectural design of Apple Campus 2, a four-story building with 2.8 million square feet of office space that will house 12,000 employees. "I think we do have a shot at building the best office building in the world," Jobs told the city.
About 80 percent of the campus is made up of green space, a nod to Silicon Valley's agricultural roots. Employees are expected to move in next year.
Foster, the architect who got a call from Jobs about designing a new campus in 2009, has said publicly that the building didn't start out as circular, but grew into that shape. It's similar to a quad on Stanford University's campus or London Square where houses are surrounded by a park.
Jobs' presentation to the City Council was also his last public appearance before his death, and Apple Campus 2, estimated to cost about $5 billion, became wrapped up in the legacy the tech titan left behind.
"It changed the game. It's a sheer question of one-upmanship. How are you going to keep competing with that image, and how does your image measure up?" Mozingo said.
Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang also played a role in shaping the design of its new Santa Clara headquarters, which is under construction and expected to open in 2017.
"(Jen-Hsun) wanted this building to really speak to the soul of Nvidia," said John O'Brien, Nvidia's director of real estate. The polygon shape, a basic building block in computer graphics, showcases Nvidia's business in visual computing.
Atop a hilly light gray roof, sunshine radiates through triangular skylights, brushing the hard hats and backs of construction workers up high. The shape repeats itself throughout the building from the ceiling to the shadows dancing inside.
Pointing to an MIT study that shows collaboration drops if employees are located on different floors, O'Brien said they wanted to put as many employees on the same level as possible. Surrounded by greenery, the $380 million building is two stories, spans 500,000 square feet and will house about 2,500 employees.
Gensler architects have also been using Nvidia's Iray technology to render photorealistic images of the headquarters, allowing them to see in virtual reality how light filters through the building, get a sense of how the space and materials feel, and see the progression of the construction from the view of a drone.
"The building we're doing for Nvidia is really a big thesis of how we can enhance the collaboration that happens in a building," Ko said.
Other tech firms and even real estate developers have been asking themselves the same question.
Facebook, which often says its work is 1 percent finished, has tried to maintain an informal culture with a Frank Gehry-designed space that includes steel girders and wires dangling from the ceiling.
"The building itself is pretty simple and isn't fancy. That's on purpose. We want our space to feel like a work in progress. When you enter our buildings, we want you to feel how much left there is to be done in our mission to connect the world," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a 2015 social media post about the space.
Planning to add two more office buildings in Menlo Park, the company has maintained it isn't looking to make big architectural statements, purposefully trying to incorporate the landscape around the site. Still, bolder and more diverse design elements are part of the proposed campus expansion, including a yellow bicycle and pedestrian bridge that zigs and zags.
Even buildings planned as rentals are making bolder architectural statements.
In San Francisco, Salesforce leased more than half of a 61-story skyscraper owned by real estate developer Hines and Boston Properties. Designed by well-known Argentine-American architect César Pelli, the Salesforce Tower will be the tallest building in the city, marking what's being called the center of the new economy.
Architecture firm HOK designed Central Wolfe, an office space that is being leased by Apple in Sunnyvale. The campus, which real estate developer Landbank Investments sold to Jay Paul Co., didn't have a tenant when it was first designed but featured an unusual cloverleaf-shape that was inspired by the redwood forests and oak trees in the Bay Area.
The building includes elements that attract tech companies: large floor plates to fit as many workers on the same floor, hidden parking, greenery and the use of more natural light and renewable energy in the building.
"It's really growing out of the expectations from the technology clients that the building needs to be smarter, more beautiful and more effective," said Paul Woolford, design principal for HOK's San Francisco office. "Those things together are creating frankly more exciting and creative designs than we've seen in the past."
Contact Queenie Wong at 408-920-2706. Follow her at Twitter.com/QwongSJ.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Lima Group countries say won't recognize new Maduro mandate
LIMA, Peru – Foreign ministers from 12 Latin American countries and Canada said Friday their governments would not accept Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's president when he is sworn in for a second six-year term next week.
The 14-member Lima Group – with the exception of Mexico – said it would not grant recognition to Maduro's hardline socialist government, after meeting in the Peruvian capital to discuss ways to step up international pressure on the regime, which has presided over the oil-rich country's economic collapse.
Peru's Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio said the group had delivered "a strong political message" ahead of Maduro's inauguration on January 10.
Maduro was re-elected on May 20 in a ballot boycotted by the main opposition parties and widely condemned by the international community, including the United States which called it a "sham."
(READ: Maduro seeks 2nd term in isolated, ruined Venezuela)
"The main message is undoubtedly the non-recognition of the Venezuelan regime's new term," Popolizio told reporters.
"It is very important that the Lima Group has issued this statement to continue exerting pressure with a view to the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," the Peruvian minister said.
The Group, of which Canada is a member, said Maduro should temporarily transfer power to the opposition-controlled National Assembly until free elections can be held.
"Nicolas Maduro is urged not to assume the presidency, to respect the powers of the assembly and to temporarily transfer power until new elections are held," Popolizio said.
Venezuela hit back at the Lima Group, accusing it of fomenting a coup at the behest of the US, which has sanctioned Venezuelan officials and entities.
Caracas expressed its "great bewilderment at the extravagant declaration of a group of countries of the American continent which, after receiving instructions from the United States through a videoconference, have agreed to encourage a coup d'etat," according to a statement read by Venezuela's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza.
(READ: Venezuela's Maduro expels U.S. diplomats, rejects sanctions)
The United States, which is not a member of the group created after deadly anti-Maduro protests in 2017, participated in the meeting for the first time. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented by video conference from Washington.
The arrival in power of a new far-right government in Brazil under President Jair Bolsonaro is likely to harden regional opposition to Maduro.
Bolsonaro, who has aligned himself with Washington by expressing hostility towards "authoritarian regimes," said Thursday he was open to discussing his country's becoming home to a US military base "in the future."
Venezuela recently hosted the Russian Air Force, including long-range nuclear bombers, for joint military exercises -- a move that stoked regional tensions.
Cutting diplomatic ties
The Lima Group action coincides with a statement from Venezuela's opposition-dominated but toothless National Assembly, which said it would not recognize the "illegitimate" Maduro when he takes office.
"We are facing a man who stole an election. We will not have more than a usurper (as president). Neither Venezuelans nor foreigners can recognize Maduro as president," opposition deputy Delsa Solorzano told Agence France-Presse.
Separately, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, called on Twitter for the international community not to recognize Maduro.
Maduro, who was handpicked by Socialist president Hugo Chavez to succeed him when he died in 2013, was re-elected in May after early elections called by the Constituent Assembly, a body created by Maduro which has in practice replaced the legislature.
The Lima Group statement reiterated its support for the National Assembly, which it recognizes as Venezuela's "constitutionally elected body."
Washington has recently stepped up contacts with South American states dealing with the influx of migrants – around one million to Colombia alone – from Venezuela's worsening economic crisis.
Pompeo was in Cartagena earlier this week for talks with Colombian President Ivan Duque. Both officials have denounced Maduro's "dictatorship" and agreed to step up efforts to isolate his government diplomatically. – Rappler.com


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British folk-punk singer Frank Turner is gunning for the mantle occupied by the late, revered Joe Strummer, and the restless elder statesman Billy Bragg.
While his first four albums show a rapid ascendancy that suggests he could definitely get there, Turner's prolific recording hits a number of other areas. With homage to Bob Dylan in song and Black Flag in album art and concept, The Second Three Years collects B-sides, compilation tracks, live recordings and previously unreleased songs, including a dozen covers.
Coming on the heels of last year's excellent England Keep My Bones, the album is a compendium of folk, punk and pub-rock, though a bit scattered at 22 songs and more than a bit long at 77 minutes.
His best covers are "Song to Bob" (a take on Bob Dylan's "Song to Woody"), "Thunder Road" and a live, a cappella rendition of the 17th-century English ballad "Barbara Allen."
But the nonfolk covers are spotty. Turner performs with sincerity and reverence, but the results can sound a bit indulgent. "Build Me Up Buttercup" loses the exuberance of the Foundations' original. The acoustic Nirvana, NOFX and Bad Religion are fun reinventions, if a bit slight. Yet when Turner's strengths are on full display ("To Absent Friends," "Balthazar, Impresario" and "Wanderlust"), he's one of his country's most-invigorating songwriters and performers.


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Shannon Kamins, Booch Organic Kombucha, London, ON, Canada
Q: When did you first discover kombucha?
I first discovered kombucha about 10 years ago, and it was love at first sip.
Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?
I healed my own gut by consuming a variety of fermented foods, but it was kombucha that I fell in love with making. From connecting with the SCOBY, brewing the tea and sugar, watching the fermentation process, tasting the complexity of the brew, and flavouring with the most unique ingredients out there, I knew it was exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I was able to turn my passion into my business!
Q: What is your favorite flavor of kombucha?
Flavour – Tropical Goth – VAMS
Q: What is your former/current other life or career?
Before starting Booch I worked as a manager at a local organic delivery service called Eat Green Organics.
Q: What is a saying that you live by?
Our only obligation as humankind is to be true to ourselves.


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The only thing better than a great season finale is a great season premiere to build on the foundation laid in that finale. It's a perfect one-two punch: the shock that often comes with a brilliant finale and the catharsis often granted by an equally brilliant premiere.
In my years as a dedicated TV fan, I've seen plenty of great finales and premieres, especially from mythology-heavy shows like Once Upon a Time, Orphan Black, and Lost. However, I've never seen a more powerful finale/premiere duo than the knockout combination of Alias's "The Telling"/"The Two." Those two episodes set the standard for me in terms of shocking cliffhangers and premieres that dealt perfectly with their fallout.
Alias's second season was pure brilliance. And its finale was exactly the kind of ending such a phenomenal season deserved. It featured one twist after another ("Francie doesn't like coffee ice cream…") until the final minutes gave way to what I still consider the most blindsiding cliffhanger I've ever watched.
The way that last scene put you in Sydney Bristow's shoes was unsettling, disorienting, and absolutely necessary. From the unfamiliar scar on her stomach to Vaughn's obviously tense demeanor and noticeable ring, the audience was meant to be on the same page as Sydney—confused and looking for answers. And when the answer came, it was one both we and Sydney never expected: She'd been missing for almost two years.
Ending that finale not with Vaughn's words but with Sydney's reaction to them—accompanied by Michael Giacchino's hauntingly discordant score (which hinted at what he would one day do so well on Lost)—allowed the audience to feel not just total shock but also total heartbreak. What made this cliffhanger work on such a masterful level was that it stayed with you emotionally as well as intellectually. As soon as the episode ended, I didn't start theorizing; I started sobbing.
Jennifer Garner excelled at so many things during her time playing Sidney Bristow, but the thing she was best at was making you genuinely feel for this woman in a way you would feel for a friend. She made Sydney—a superspy—feel heartbreakingly normal. And that ability to anchor the plot twists and cliffhangers swirling around her in real, honest emotions was used to its most affecting degree in both "The Telling" and "The Two." The plot twist of Sydney going missing mattered to us not just because it was cool but because it mattered to Sydney. We were confused, but we knew we weren't alone; Sydney was right there with us, struggling to comprehend a world in which everything had changed.
After a summer filled with enough theorizing (and, let's be honest, fan fiction reading) to make even my fangirl head spin, "The Two" put us back in Sydney's shoes to give us the catharsis we so desperately needed after "The Telling." It gave us some (but not many) answers, and the most important to Sydney in that moment was also the most important one for many of the fans—because it was the most personal: The ring Vaughn was wearing was a wedding ring, and no, he didn't marry Sydney without her remembering it (like many of us had hoped).
The best thing about "The Two" was that it allowed Sydney to react once again like a real woman would to her situation—with confusion, vulnerability, and a deep sense of anger. It allowed her to work through the emotions that "The Telling" stirred up, and, in doing so, it allowed us as viewers to do the same.
When Sydney finally saw her father (who'd been imprisoned during those missing two years), what struck me the most was that Sydney was allowed to act like a girl who just needed her dad—like we all would if we were in her shoes. And I'll never forget being so relieved to see Jack Bristow focus on comforting his daughter on the one thing he knew was hurting her the most. In telling her that Vaughn was just a boy who never deserved her, Jack Bristow gave the audience another character to relate to. We related to Sydney in her heartbreak and confusion, but we related to Jack in his protectiveness.
Jack Bristow's simple but powerful takedown of Vaughn was just the beginning of the emotional release we as an audience experienced while watching "The Two." Later on in the episode, Sydney unleashed what might be the most righteously angry monologue in recent television history, as she told Vaughn he would never be getting closure from her because he committed the unforgivable sin of losing faith in her and in their relationship.
Garner had her fair share of high points while playing Sydney, but this is a standout. It was raw and brutally honest, and so much of its impact came from the way we had been hurting right along with Sydney from those last moments of "The Telling" through this monologue. It took all of the emotions the fanbase had be storing up through the summer—the confusion, the betrayal, and the sense of wasted time—and allowed Sydney to speak those emotions in the most powerful way imaginable. So many cliffhangers are dropped without ever letting us see the emotional fallout, but "The Telling" and "The Two" allowed us to do exactly that. There may have been a hundred plot points left unresolved at the end of "The Two," but the most important emotional beats played out onscreen in the most honest ways possible, and that's exactly what I want from a season premiere.
Do you have a favorite all-time finale/premiere combination? Or are there any premieres you've watched this season that did for you what "The Two" did for me?


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Global warming is more about people than carbon emissions, argues 2013 World Social Science Report
The new edition of the World Social Science Report emphasizing the social sciences' indispensable contribution to human survival in the face of climate change, will be launched on 15 November at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
Published by UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Report, entitled Changing Global Environments, features articles by more than 150 leading experts from all over the world and represents the full gamut of social science subjects: anthropology, economics, development studies, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology. The argument that underpins the 600-page volume is that people, human behaviour and societies need to be at the heart of all attempts to tackle the challenges of environmental change and phenomena studied by the natural sciences.
The work takes stock of the unprecedented and staggering environmental challenges facing society and their potentially devastating consequences on the well-being of people all over the world. Global environmental change impacts everything for everyone on this planet: life support systems, livelihoods, ways of life, actions and interactions.
Problems encountered by individuals and communities struggling with social, economic and political crises, persistent poverty, increasing inequalities and social discontent, are already exacerbated by environmental change.
In an article on Migration as an adaptation strategy to environmental change, W. Neil Adger and Helen Adams observe that "empirical evidence shows that certain populations do not have the resources to migrate when their well-being is reduced by environmental change." The authors also point out that the many people who migrated to coastal areas and cities in recent decades are also particularly vulnerable to climate change as "They cluster in high-density areas, often on steep hillsides or flood plains, where there is vacant and cheap land […]."
Elke U. Weber, in Individual and collective behaviour change, cautions that "negative consequences normally lead people to change their behaviour, but the time-lag between behavioural cause and environmental impacts makes it hard for people to see the connection."
These issues bring to the fore the need to draw on the social sciences to bring about the economic and behavioural changes required to achieve sustainability. To this end, the Report issues an urgent call for action to the international scientific community. Social scientists need to collaborate more effectively with colleagues from the natural, human and engineering sciences to deliver knowledge that can help address the most pressing of today's environmental problems and sustainability challenges. And they need to do so in close collaboration with decision-makers, practitioners and the other users of their research.
In his article Are increasing greenhouse gas emissions inevitable? John Urry explains the need for such collaboration: "The requirement is to reverse the apparently inexorable growth of high-carbon systems and related social practices. This reversal has to be both social and economic and requires 'reversing' most systems set in motion during the 20th century, finding the equivalent of a reverse gear while going forwards very fast." Speaking about the effects of cutting carbon emissions, Urry predicts that "low-carbon systems will reduce the short-term levels of measured income and consumption, which will make it difficult to persuade people to embrace low-carbon social practices." For this to become acceptable, he argues, consumers will have to learn to regard low-carbon actions and goods as desirable.
Clearly, a new—bolder, better, bigger and different—approach to social science is needed:
- Bold enough to reframe and reinterpret global environmental change as a fundamentally social process;
- Better in terms of incorporating social science insights into problem-solving;
- Bigger in terms of the need for more social scientists to address the challenges of global environmental change;
- Different by changing the way the social sciences view and practice science—its theories, assumptions, methodologies, institutions, norms and incentives—to help meet the complex interdisciplinary and cross-sector challenges facing us.
This report aims to engage social scientists in all disciplines in academia, research institutes, think tanks, NGOs, and government agencies all over the world, as well as intergovernmental organizations. The Report will serve the International Social Science Council (ISSC) in its work, as a basis for critical discussion with members and partners so as to sharpen the social science knowledge base on global environmental change and support social science leadership in research for sustainability. It will also inform UNESCO's work to support inclusive and equitable sustainable development policies in programmes implemented nationally.
The 2013 World Social Science Report was prepared and edited by the ISSC with the support of leading specialists from all the over the world.
Media Contact: Roni Amelan, UNESCO Press Service, r.amelan(at)unesco.org +33 (0)1 45 68 16 50
The report is available to the media upon request, under embargo until 15 November (9 a.m., Paris time)


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Cost-saving solution to tackle French defaulters
Being an international oriented company, you are doing business with European companies on a regular basis; among them are French companies. Your business has delivered goods to a French customer recently and in accordance with the business deal, you have sent the 3000 euro invoice to the French company. Although your French customer is pleased with the products, he still hasn't paid the 3000 euro bill. At a certain moment, the deadline for payment has passed and you have contacted your French debtor. The Frenchman explains that he currently does not have the ability to pay the bill and suggests to pay the bill in terms of six months. What is the best solution for your business in this situation? Do you meet the demands of the French debtor and trust him on his word?
More certainty
As of March 2016, new French legislation has been enacted which allows creditors to start a procedure which doesn't involve the court. Providing a more streamlined solution for creditors is the main objective of this regulation. The law applies on uncontested cases in which the total amount does not exceed 4000 euro. Instead of a court case, this procedure is carried out by a bailiff who is able to deliver an executable verdict. Therefore, with the help of a bailiff, the creditor can formalise his agreement with the debtor, and this provides extra certainty. If the debtor defaults again, as the bailiff has already made a an executable verdict, it avoids the need for the creditor to engage in a court procedure.
Pros and cons
According to our French lawyer, Anne-Isabelle Cador, this procedure does have some shortcomings. She expects that this procedure will not be adopted frequently. "The bailiff who drafted the verdict cannot execute it. A different bailiff must proceed with enforcement, to ensure that the payment procedure is adhered to". Another disadvantage is that this procedure cannot be used when the debtor does not respond, which happens regularly with French defaulters.
Nonetheless, French lawyer Anne-Isabelle Cador does admit that in some claims this procedure will be of added value. During uncontested cases in which the debtor cannot immediately resort to payment, a creditor can claim his credit using this procedure, which gives an added level of security. In case the debtor does not comply with the arrangement, the verdict of the bailiff can be executed immediately and there is no need to go to court. In this respect, the costs of debt collection can be reduced.
Do you have a question regarding this topic, or would you like to know what we can do for you? If so, please contact Bierens Debt Recovery Lawyers. You are more than welcome to contact the our French lawyers at Bierens for advice on the best procedure for your dispute.


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Larry Coryell: Kowloon Jag (Live at Yoshi's 2013)
Last year at Yoshi's, Larry Coryell played his final retro performance on stage to a packed house.
The whole show was filmed in its entirety and promises to further cement Coryell into music history as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
Larry Coryell: Guitar
Julian Coryell: Guitar
Cindy Blackman Santana: Drums
George Brooks: Sax
Gary Brown: Bass
Directed by Daniel E. Meza


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News Detail
On the afternoon of July 27th, the People's Committee of Tien Giang province held a press conference on Tien Giang Investment Promotion Conference 2018. Mr. Le Van Huong - Chairman of Provincial People's Committee and Mr. Tran Thanh Duc - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee chaired the press conference. Participants were representatives of provincial government agencies, and central and local news agencies.
|Mr. Le Van Huong gave his speech at the press conference.
With the theme "Tien Giang: Investment Opportunities - Development Cooperation", the Investment Promotion Conference aims to introduce socio-economic achievements, potentials, strengths and policies on investment attraction to domestic and foreign investors. The conference is also an occasion for central and provincial leaders to meet with businesses and investors who have intention of making investment in Tien Giang province. It will also attract domestic and foreign investment resources so as to efficiently take advantages of the potentialities and strengths of Tien Giang province, contributing to boosting the rapid sustainable economic development of the province.
The conference will take place in early August 2018 at Tien Giang Convention Center, attracting the participation of about 500 delegates who are leaders from Vietnam's Government, ministries, central agencies, provinces in the Southern Key Economic Zone and Mekong Delta, diplomatic and consular corps, foreign non-governmental organizations, enterprises, economic groups, corporations, central and local press agencies, etc.
|The press conference.
At the conference, the People's Committee of Tien Giang province will grant investment approvals and approvals for project study to 31 projects attracted since early this year with their total investments of VND15,650 billion. In particular, there are 22 investment approvals for projects with their investment capital of VND7,944 billion and 9 approvals for project study for the others with their investment capital of VND7,706 billion. At the same time, the list of 19 projects with the total investment capital of VND16,360 billion, prioritized to call for investment, will also be introduced at the conference. Activities such as trade fair, exhibition on the province's potentials and demands for calling for investment in agriculture, industry, trade – service and startup-related activities for young people, achievements of provincial enterprises and household businesses, etc. will also be held on the sidelines of the conference.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Le Van Huong thanked the news agencies for their attention to Tien Giang Investment Promotion Conference 2018. The Chairman of Provincial People's Committee hoped to continue to receive their support in term of popularizing activities related to the conference and would create favorable conditions for them to work at the conference, etc.


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All existing MEAP users have now been imported to the new system.
If you are an existing MEAP user you should have received an email like this:
MEAP – Your Username and New Password – Activated
***IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MEAP CUSTOMERS*** Dear Xxxxxx,
Your user name has been added the to the new MEAP Website system. All old passwords have been reset – So here is a temporary password assigned for you.
Your details are as follows Username: Xxxxxx Password: Xxxxxx
Please go to the MEAP Website and login here: https://www.meap.biz/my-
account/You should then reset your password whenever it is convenient.
There were some initial teething problems as expected but everything should work as planned from now on.
Over the next period, all existing user's orders will be added. So you will be able to login and download MEAP.
Following which the new MEAP software update will be released.
Stay tuned…


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Welcome to proline.co website. The sole purpose of this website is to assist potential travelers with maximum information related to travel and determining the availability of travel-related services, to make genuine bookings for flight & hotel and no other purposes.
The terms "we", "us", "our" and proline.co refer to Proline E-Commerce Travel & Booking Solutions DMCC based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The term "you" refers to the potential customers who visit our website for booking flights, hotels or holiday packages.
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Antelias, Restaurants Street, St Nicolas Center, 3rd Floor, Beirut, Lebanon
Phone: +96176661700


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Comfort Where it Counts!
Heating and Cooling Products
Comfort Where it Counts!
Heating and Cooling Products
Deluxe Heat Performance Series
Ductless Systems
EMI offers a comprehensive line of ductless air conditioning systems with equipment for both hydronic as well as refrigerant-based systems. With exceptional performance and operating economy, ductless split systems are the ideal solution for light commercial, institutional & residential applications. Our Retroaire offering provides quiet, efficient and economical alternatives for all of your air conditioning replacement or upgrade requirements.


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Three Store, Daunt Square, Cork City
Three Ireland Ltd
RBR Construction
Full refurbishment and fit out project
The Three Ireland Building in Daunt Square, Cork City dates from the late 18th Century and is a protected structure. The project brief was to conserve and restore the external envelope of the building and to address any structural issues that threatened to damage the building fabric. Internal works also resulted in the conservation and restoration of the internal building fabric on all floors. Windows were conserved and repaired on a like for like basis. RBR under took the stabilisation of the facade using a Heli fix designed system installed by our own trained site team, this also extended to the retainment of the extg render adopting a similar system. In additional we replaced a number of extg windows heads due to existing structural implications. Furthermore, internal fit out completed along with MEPH services was carried out. Inclusive of all associated new wall, base build, finishes and decorations through out.


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This holiday season, give your usual black and brown eyeliners a much-needed break and ready your peepers for its ~*sparkly*~ counterpart! Glitter eyeliners can immediately amp up your MOTD and make you look party-ready in seconds.
Below, we have compiled the best glitter eyeliners to use for when your eyelids need some ~shine~:
Sephora Collection Glitter Eyeliner
Enhance your eye makeup ~lewk~ by topping it with this glitter eyeliner from the Sephora Collection. It's available in two colors: Gold and White Holographic.
Sephora Collection Glitter Eyeliner, P740, SephoraADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
Too Faced Glitter Pop! Peel Off Liner
Remember when peel-off lip tints had a ~moment~ in the beauty world? This eyeliner works the same way. Apply two to three coats of the Glitter Pop! Peel Off Liner and wait for five minutes before pulling it away from the lids The result? A super dazzling look that's sure to be the center of attention of your MOTD!
Too Faced Glitter Pop! Peel Off Liner, P1,350, SephoraADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓Recommended Videos
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner
If you want ~*intense*~ shimmer on your lids, a few strokes of the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner will do the trick! It's also infused with peach and cucumber extracts to nourish and moisturize the delicate skin surrounding the area. It's available in 15 stunning colors: Catcall, Disco Daydream, Distortion, Gamma Ray, Glam Rock, Goldmine, Gun Metal, Midnight Cowboy, Punk Rock, Spyro, Spandex, Stage Dive, Star Fire, Studio, and Volume.
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner, P1,240, SephoraADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
In2it Hey Halo Liquid Eyeliner
If you're not feeling that adventurous yet but you still want in on the glitter liner trend, you can try In2it's Hey Halo liquid eyeliner. It's black, but it has shimmers in it that can look flattering when the light hits.
In2it Hey Halo Liquid Eyeliner, P249.75, In2itADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
Althea Spotlight Eye Glitter
This cute multipurpose product doesn't just work as an eyeliner, it can also double as a glittery eyeshadow! You can pack it on your lids for intense shine, or just do a few strokes for a subtle glow. It comes in two pretty shades: Gold Light and Pink Light.
Althea Spotlight Eye Glitter, P420, AltheaADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
NYX Glitter Goals Liquid Eyeliner
If you love the brand's Vivid Brights Liner, you'll love its jewel-toned glitzy counterpart. The Glitter Goals Liquid Eyeliner has stunning shimmers floating in a clear base. It's available in six twinkly shades: Chamomile, Zodiac Queen, Stage Trooper, Quartzy, Diamond Dust, and Crystal Ball.ADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
NYX Glitter Goals Liquid Eyeliner, P400, SM Megamall
Eye of Horus Liquid Metal Eyeliner
If you're not a fan of bright shades, you can try these Liquid Metal eyeliners from Eye of Horus. It's available in two shades: Copper Sphinx and Imperial Bronze.
Eye of Horus Liquid Metal Eyeliner P990, CalyxtaADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
Teviant Glitter Eyeliner
Teviant, the makeup brand of celebrity MUA Albert Kurniawan, is known for its super chic packaging and pigmented products. Their glitter eyeliner definitely doesn't disappoint! It has shimmery particles that you can build up for a gleaming glaze, or apply on top of your regular black kohl pencil for a cool new look. It's available in four shades: Amber, Argent, Oro, and Pearl.
Teviant Glitter Eyeliner, P995, LazadaADVERTISMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
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Alexis Rhone Fancher's poem, "when I turned fourteen, my mother's sister took me to lunch and said:" was chosen by Edward Hirsch for inclusion in The Best American Poetry of 2016. She is the author of How I Lost My Virginity To Michael Cohen and other heart stab poems, (Sybaritic Press, 2014), and State of Grace: The Joshua Elegies, (KYSO Flash Press, 2015). She is published in Rattle, The MacGuffin, Slipstream, Wide Awake: Poets of Los Angeles, Hobart, and elsewhere.
Her photos are published worldwide, including spreads in Blue Lyra, River Styx, Blink Ink, Fine Linen, HeART Online, Rogue Agent, and the covers of Witness and The Mas Tequila Review.
Since 2013 Alexis has been nominated for seven Pushcart Prizes and four Best of The Net awards. She is poetry editor of Cultural Weekly, where she also publishes a monthly photo essay, The Poet's Eye. Find her at on her website.
THE FEM: I love your poem "Staying Put" after Edward Hopper's painting "A Woman in the Sun, 1961" because it's one of my favorite paintings as well. In it, a man uses the event of painting the speaker to make her "stay put."
In your interview with Words at Nine, you talk about your experience sitting for male artists who were in love with you and wanted to use that experience to make you "stay put" in time, space, etc. What is the danger, do you think, of using the creation of art to pin someone down and trap them in a particular place?
ALEXIS RHONE FANCHER: "And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,/When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall…" These are the lines in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" that always scared me – being stuck, labeled. I spent my teens and twenties continually reinventing myself, while simultaneously being painted and photographed by artists who struggled to "get me down" on canvas, or film. One painter, a lepidopterist, let me watch him prepare butterflies for "mounting." He told me the best way to kill a specimen is to pinch its thorax between your thumb and forefinger. Squeeze the life out of it. That way, it stayed put.
He told me the best way to kill a specimen is to pinch its thorax between your thumb and forefinger. Squeeze the life out of it. That way, it stayed put.
There's a flip side. Decades later, I have many of the photos, drawings and paintings that weredone when I was really young. As a poet, this documentation, this"staying put," has great value. A part of me is forever "stuck" in time. The almost life-sized purple nude an artist painted of me at 18 hangs in my DTLA loft where I must confront it daily. That woman keeps me honest, reminds me of a time when I was brand new, and provides a portal to my past, one that, as a poet, I enter frequently.
THE FEM: Your poetry is very upfront about sexuality, often in a very blunt way. Your poem "How I Lost My Virginity to Michael Cohen" describes your first sexual experience as a matter-of-fact list: "20. He was holding his cock as he licked me./21. I had never come before./21a. Not like that."
Why did you choose that particular approach of frank statement rather than the perhaps more conventional, flowery language we might expect?
ALEXIS RHONE FANCHER: I'm not a "flowery language" poet.Whenever I think about the first time I had sexual intercourse, it always unwinds like a slo-mo film. First this happened, then that happened. It just seemed natural to write it that way. Looking back on the experience, I saw a lot of sweetness, and humor in it. I hope that comes through in the poem.
I come from a long line of feminists who taught me to value myself, to speak my mind, to be fearless.
THE FEM: You tend to write very "confessionally" about personal experience, and it's something I think you have in common with a long history of feminist poets. Why do you think, as a feminist, it is important to tell your own personal story through your art?
ALEXIS RHONE FANCHER: I come from a long line of feminists who taught me to value myself, to speak my mind, to be fearless. I write about women like me, women who own their sexuality and take responsibility for their choices. It may seem I'm writing about sex, but really, I'm writing about power. Who has it. How to get it. How to wield it. How to keep it. People often say that my candor has enabled theirs. That, for me, is the highest praise.
THE FEM: You talk about shoes a lot in your poetry, in "Walk All Over You" and "Louboutin Heels", for instance. What is that shoes conjure up for you where you return to that image again and again?
ALEXIS RHONE FANCHER:There's something about stilettos. They're treacherous. Sexy. Rather than being a symbol of the patriarchy, I interpret them as a symbol of power. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the sight of a woman in sky-high heels and a LBD. In my poem, "Walk All Over You," the stiletto boots in the back of the woman's closet want to take revenge on the heel who gave them to her and then broke her heart. The stiletto Louboutins in "I Want Louboutin Heels" belong to a woman who owns her power for the first time. In "Stiletto Killer," a poem from my soon-to-be -published collection, Enter Here, a woman stabs her lover thirty-one times with her stiletto heel.
I write about women like me, women who own their sexuality and take responsibility for their choices. It may seem I'm writing about sex, but really, I'm writing about power. Who has it. How to get it. How to wield it. How to keep it.
THE FEM: In your interview with yourself for The Nervous Breakdown, you list a lot of jazz musicians that you like to listen to when you write, as well as Glenn Gould's version of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Do you think of poetry more like jazz or more like classical music?
ALEXIS RHONE FANCHER: My poetry? Jazz. The improvisation, the riffs. Writing free verse is much more like jazz than writing say, sonnets or villanelles. When I read Shakespeare or Dylan Thomas, or Gerard Manley Hopkins, to me, their work is far more like classical music. Still wildly creative, but differently disciplined. When I write I like to mix it up. Coltrane. Bach. Lately, mostly silence.
When I write I like to mix it up. Coltrane. Bach. Lately, mostly silence.
THE FEM: Name three other poets that you're excited about.
ALEXIS RHONE FANCHER: I just finished reading Paradise, Indiana by Bruce Snider. I'm in awe. His work is raw, controlled and fearless. I always cite Dorianne Laux as an early and on-going influence. She showed me what's possible. Right now I'm reading Michelle Bitting's new collection, The Couple Who Fell To Earth. Seriously brilliant.


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WikiIslam:Tasks/Page Heading and URL fixes
Jump to navigation Jump to search
All pages that have the following characters in their page URL's need to be changed. These characters can be replaced with dashes or spaces:
|Old Title
|Action needed
|Desired new title
|Brackets: ( )
|Islam and Freedom of Speech (Links)
|Remove brackets, use dashes for seperation
|Islam and Freedom of Speech - Links
|Apostrophe: '
|The Origins of the Qur'an
|Remove apostrophe
|The Origins of the Quran
|Double quotes: "
|Hezbollah Calls Burning the Qur'an a "Crime"
|Remove quotation mark
|Hezbollah Calls Burning the Quran a Crime
|Colon and semi-colon: : ;
|Responses to Apologetics: Muhammad and Aisha
|Remove colon, replace with dash
|Responses to Apologetics - Muhammad and Aisha
|Commas: ,
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|Remove commas (apostrophe and colon also removed)
|Quran Hadith and Scholars - Slavery
|Question mark: ?
|Was Muhammad a Lesser Prophet than Moses or Jesus?
|Remove question mark
|Was Muhammad a Lesser Prophet than Moses or Jesus
The new title should be chosen so the above characters are not used. New pages will be created and {{page_title|The Existing Page Title}} will be used to set the page title. Old redirects can be deleted.
- When you visit a page, click "What links here" and open that link in a new window. This will show existing links to that page.
- Make a {{page_title|}} variable for a certain page that contains the existing page title as it is and insert it at the top of the page.
- Move the page to a new clean title that doesnt have the above characters.
- Use the list of links in step 1, to see where you have to update the links for that page. Use the format [[URL name|Page Title]] for linking.
Lists of pages or series of pages that need fixes
All sub-pages linked at:
- Template:Persecution of Ex-Muslims
- Template:Persecution of Non-Muslims
- Template:Persecution of Homosexuals
- Template:Honor Related Violence
- Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars (including that page itself)
- People Who Left Islam
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- Translations of Arabic/Islamic Media
Individual pages
- Special:AllPages - all pages on the site


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Primary Schools are now required to publish alongside their Performance information a list of their childcare provision making it easier for parents to know what is available.
St John's Chapel Primary School offers a full range of childcare provision which we have listed below:
Breakfast Club
Our Breakfast Club facility is available each day from 7.45am to 8.45am. The cost per session is £2.50 per pupil. Our Breakfast Club Booking Form is located in our Downloadable Form area in the School Office section.
After School Clubs
The school provides a range of extra-curricular activities and school clubs during the course of the year. There is at present no charge for school clubs but this may change under the governments expectations for 'wrap around care'. The clubs are inclusive of all pupils but where there is a limit on numbers it is arranged on a 'first response' basis. It is expected that parents will arrange for their child to be collected if they are staying late for a club.


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Thanks to an idea from former RAF pilot Jack Walters, with the help of U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin, C-130s that were used to bomb targets with landmines are now being redesigned for reforestation, dropping tree mines instead in remote areas in Scotland.
"Equipment we developed for precision planting of fields of landmines can be adapted easily for planting trees," Peter Simmons, a spokesperson from Lockheed, said.
"There are 2,500 C-130 transport aircraft in 70 countries, so the delivery system for planting forests is widely available – mostly mothballed in military hangers waiting for someone to hire them."
"The possibilities are amazing," Simmons added.
"We can fly at 1,000 ft at 130 knots planting more than 3,000 cones a minute in a pattern across the landscape – just as we did with landmines, but in this case each cone contains a sapling. That's 125,000 trees for each sortie and 900,000 trees in a day."
The tree cones are "bombed" in such a way that they are planted as if they had been by hand.
Walters, the former pilot who spawned the idea, was more than happy to see his vision realized, saying that he is "delighted the idea has been taken seriously."
"I did the preliminary tests to make sure the trees survived the fall, and it all worked."


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The Making of a Super-Guru
Some gifted men and women of God are unfortunately elevated to super-guru-status in the Body of Christ. Be they world renowned or local favorites, some individuals are treated as though they were a cut above everyone else. Sometimes it's in part their doing, fueled by how they carry themselves, but it's always as a result of how they are perceived by those around them. In other words, they are never totally self-made.
I am not saying that men and women of God cannot be greatly used by God and in some cases become world renowned. But, when these individuals are treated with more reverence than everyone else and people dance to their every tune and hang on their every word then they have gone seriously off track. This often appears as a form of honoring, which it may be, but this type of über-honoring is exclusive to them and is not only counter to God's design, but also cripples the Body of Christ. (For more on this see my post, No Rank, Only Roles in The Body of Christ.)
Those positively affected by the teachings of an individual, or the signs and wonders associated with them, or even by the love they've received from them, easily fall prey to follow, and even elevate, a human and not Jesus Himself. People seem to fail to see that when they were touched through these individuals that it was Christ who touched them and that apart from Christ these individuals had nothing.
Sometimes, these gifted men and women are innocent of creating this super status given to them, and it's simply the carnality of those in the church that helps make super-gurus out of people. The church in Corinth had this problem with some saying,"'I follow Paul,' or 'I follow Apollos,' or 'I follow Cephas,'" (1Cor.1:12), and Paul spoke strongly against this. Others carry themselves in a way that demands superior treatment and people fall for it. John spoke a certain "Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them" (3John1:9).
Church created super-gurus can easily fall into the trap of enjoying this status given to them. And, then, somewhat deluded, these gurus find support and defense for their delusion from their followers. This cult-like following that arises reinforces the sense that the delusion is truth and creates a feeling of security for those caught in it.
Nip it in the Bud
It's one thing expecting a reasonable man to be accountable to others in the Body of Christ and God's word, but far harder a deluded one, and then on top of it, supported by a band of deluded followers. Now, I'm not talking about those we generally all think are whacko, but rather the gifted men or women, pastors, teachers, etc. who are pretty much on the straight and narrow with their views. It's by allowing these individuals to speak and act with an air of superiority and the false notion of God-given preeminence, or by allowing them to be thought of in such an elevated way that we help to create these untouchable personas.
Many a regular pastor, Christian teacher and blogger have been tainted by this to some degree or another, but it becomes easily magnified in the more well known "apostles", teachers, etc. We are responsible for creating and allowing this problem and we need to nip it in the bud before it begins. Nip it in the bud in your own thinking about gifted people. And, nip it in the bud in the way you carry and think about yourself. Deal with it in your fellowships when you hear people wrongly elevate others.
Personally, I don't kowtow to hierarchy in the church anymore or to illustrious gurus. I disdain any hierarchy in the Body of Christ and also this guru culture that feeds this problem. These are the ways of the world that we have brought into the church and that causes partiality, the unhealthy dependence on individuals and is the cause of people going astray.


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Trucking accidents caused as a result of driver fatigue and hit and run incidents are two issues that we frequently discuss on this blog. Our lawyers hope that by drawing attention to the issues, we can educate drivers about the dangers and prevent future accidents Unfortunately, in a recent incident both of these factors were at play.
According to a recent article by KMOV.com, a fatal semi-truck accident occurred on Interstate 70. The local authorities explained that an Impala was driving westbound on the interstate when the driver lost control, swerved to the right and then the left, and was then struck by a semi-truck. Following the collision, the semi-truck fled the scene and did not stop to attend to the accident. After this semi-truck hit and ran from the accident, a second semi-truck hit the Impala, which caused it to go into a ravine and the semi-truck to roll over.
Illinois State Police have hypothesized that the cause of the crash may be due to the driver of the Impala falling asleep just prior to the first collision. He had just completed an overnight shift at a fast food restaurant. After the collision he was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is the law to stop when you are in an accident, regardless of which drive was at fault, but unfortunately there are drivers who flee the scene. Understandably, a hit and run accident can cause many feelings of anxiety and helplessness, but it is important to take as much action as possible in these situations. According to DMV.org , try to immediately record as much information as you can about the accident that just occurred. For instance, try to recall and provide a description of the vehicle that hit you so that you can file a police report. Also, write down the time and location of the accident, and details about the sequence of events that occurred. Furthermore, check to see if there were any witnesses to the accident, and take their names and contact information.
Also, as our readers know, fatigued driving is a type of impaired driving similar to driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. In all of these instances, a driver's reaction time is slowed, awareness is decreased, and judgment is impaired, according to the National Safety Council. However, despite fatigued driving being so dangerous, accidents as a result of it are unfortunately all too common. According to a survey done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37% of surveyed drivers admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel at one point while driving, and 8% of those drivers admitted to doing so within the last 6 months. Additionally, these accidents commonly occur in fast-paced traffic like interstates. Of those who admitted falling asleep, 60% admitted they fell asleep while driving on a road with speeds of 55 mph or higher.
Our attorneys understand the long-lasting and often devastating impact that accidents caused by negligence can have on families. Even though it appears that the accident here was not the fault of the initial semi-truck driver, it is every driver's duty to pull over to safety in the wake of a collision. As seen in this accident, injuries from truck accidents can be severe or deadly due to the size of semi-trucks and the speeds at which drivers travel on highways and interstates. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a truck accident, you may be able to recover compensation by seeking legal help. Call our firm today, and we would be happy to set up a free consultation to discuss your potential case with you.


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Why Sponsors Should Roll the Dice on Hockey in Vegas
5 Minute Read
- Las Vegas was recently awarded an NHL expansion franchise, the first Big 4 (NHL. NBA, MLB, NFL) sports team in the city
- Brands who become founding partners of expansion teams have the ability to position their organizations as builders and can earn credibility as an early-stage sponsor
- Despite it being an unproven market, there is strong evidence supporting Las Vegas as an NHL market
The NHL Board of Governors have accepted the expansion bid from Las Vegas and have granted the city a NHL team that will begin play in the 2017-2018 season. The decision came after a long process that came down to two front runners: Quebec City and Las Vegas. Quebec City was seen as a mature hockey market in comparison to the lesser known commodity of Las Vegas. Las Vegas has never hosted a Big 4 (NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL) sports team and with no history to draw on, people questioned their ability to support a team.
One of the first actions taken by a newly established franchise is the development of a corporate partnerships team that will begin engaging national and local brands. While there are risks associated with the unknown, expansion team sponsorship could also prove to be a valuable opportunity for sponsors. When there is a new sports franchise in a city, corporate sponsors that are present from the beginning can be viewed as founders or builders of the franchise.
Many in the media including USA Today, FiveThirtyEight, and the Las Vegas Sun have cited reasons as to why Vegas could not work as a hockey market. MKTG examines and refutes many of these claims to explore why Las Vegas could succeed as an NHL team and as a sponsorship property for investing brands:
Argument #1
Las Vegas is a city of tourists; there isn't enough support from the local community
Counterpoint- While it is true that Las Vegas has a very high tourist population, (in 2015 42 million people visited Las Vegas versus 40 million who visited Toronto) they still have a very large and growing population base. The metro population of Las Vegas is 2.1 million, which is higher than other NHL cities such as San Jose, Nashville, and Buffalo. Las Vegas as a metro area is also growing at a faster rate than other American cities such as Tampa Bay. The city is home to a number of families; the 2010 census stated that 65.5% of the population live in family households compared to other major American cities like Boston (46%). With such a large population that has gone without a pro sports option for many years, brands can capitalize off the city's appetite by being one of the early sponsors of the new team.
Argument #2
Las Vegas has plenty of entertainment options; a hockey team will get lost in the clutter
Counterpoint- Las Vegas is a city with a number of entertainment options. There are daily musical acts, magicians, casinos, nightclubs and more. These options all compete for people's time and entertainment dollars. However, a hockey game can be positioned as an entertainment option that is a complement and not a replacement to these activities. NHL games generally start at 7pm local time and last an average of two and a half hours. Entertainment in Las Vegas goes late into the night and a hockey game would not be the sole activity for people for tourists. A hockey game can also appeal to the large local population. Tourists visiting the city could find a novelty in the allure of the Las Vegas Strip, however locals who have experienced the strip may look for a differentiated option.
Argument #3
Las Vegas' party image presents risks for corporate sponsors
Counterpoint- In part due to tourism campaigns such as "What Happens here, stays here" and the prevalence of nightlife and casinos, Las Vegas has an adult-friendly brand. Corporate sponsors will want to ensure that the arena experience and overall team culture is not a reflection of these brand attributes. For example, Vegas' standing as a gambling hotbed has become a common reason for leagues not putting a team in the city. While in-arena programming is likely to have more flare in order to take on the identity of city, Las Vegas will be eager to ensure the focus is on the ice. The economic impact that comes with a new franchise means that Las Vegas will be incentivized to maintain a professional atmosphere and avoid scandal for both home and visiting players.
Argument #4
The NHL does not succeed in "non-traditional" hockey markets
Counterpoint- The Arizona Coyotes are generally mentioned as an example of a franchise that have experienced issues in a "non-traditional" hockey market. The team has had ownership troubles, they play to a sparse crowd, and have been the subject of relocation talks. While Arizona provides an example of where an NHL franchise can have issues, there are other examples of hockey succeeding in cities that were once thought to be untraditional. During the 2015-2016 NHL season, the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators both experienced 99.2% capacity for the season, out-ranking markets like out-ranking traditional markets in both Canada and the northern United States. Even after these teams demonstrate their value by having a high attendance, these are two teams that are thought to be "non-traditional" hockey markets. After successful years of building the franchise and engaging with the community both Nashville and Dallas have both become valuable properties for corporate sponsors. Las Vegas can look to these markets as examples of how to become successful in a community where there were also doubts on how they would succeed. Additionally, Las Vegas has played host to a significant NHL crown jewel event in the NHL Awards for seven years. This has helped the league introduce itself to the city and create an appetite for the game.
Ultimately, the best way for the Las Vegas franchise to demonstrate its value as a property is to be a competitive team on the ice. If the Las Vegas management is able to produce a winning team then that can be the greatest predictor of success and culture regardless of the geography of the team. It will take time for Las Vegas to build a winning team, but if they do, sponsors will win as well.


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Tuesday, March 15, 2016
New Movie Poster and Trailer for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
4 comments:
- jamkho obat kholesterol said...
makasih infonya
- March 16, 2016 at 6:49 AM
- obat diabetes paling ampuh said...
gogone sambiloto
- March 16, 2016 at 6:51 AM
nu am citit primele doua volume publicate la noi, dar de cand am aflat ca Eva Green are rolul principal in film, am pus cartile pe lista :)))
ador cum joaca Eva si daca nu ati urmarit serialul Penny Dreadful , va recomand sa o faceti cat mai repede. este genial !!!
- March 18, 2016 at 1:06 PM
- bookbunny68 said...
I love this series! Can't wait for the movie. Although there are pictures in the book I would love to see some of the characters and how they look on screen.
- March 22, 2016 at 3:59 PM
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Hearing Testing History: Western Electric 2-A Audiometer
Western Electric 2-A Audiometer Most hearing care professionals have heard or read that one of the early audiometers for the measurement of hearing sensitivity was the Western Electric 2-A audiometer. Few have any idea what it looked like or what it did. This post is pleased to bring to readers some of the best detailed…Read More
Trivia: History of Hearing Testing
At the 2013 Audiology Now meeting in Anaheim, a group of us (Robert Margolis, Charles Berlin, Jay Hall III, and myself, were invited to give a presentation on topics related to the History of Audiology (hearing testing, hearing aids, and vestibular testing). That which follows takes on the format of questions, utilizing materials from the…Read More


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Kvadrat fabric Matrix 252
Kvadrat fabric Matrix features a digital look and offers a unique play of seemingly random shapes.
100% Trevira CS (velvet)
140 cm
Patricia Urquiola
€ 157.00
Out of stock
Acclaimed designer Patricia Urquiola has created a collection for Kvadrat that consists of several abstract designs that combine sophisticated colours, tactility and a strong sense of depth and volume.
Matrix is opgebouwd uit kleinere elementen die zijn geplaatst op een netwerk in een contrasterende tint met de achtergrond.
Matrix kan zowel als bekledingsstof en als gordijnen worden gebruikt.
Type: Upholstery
Available colourways: 16
Weight: 780 g per lm
Durability: 60.000 Martindale
Pattern repeat: 41 cm
Estimated dispatch: 2-3 weeks
On our website you will find a selection of some special Kvadrat fabrics that will give your newly upholstered chair, cushions or curtains that very exclusive design treatment. But you can also order any other pattern or plain colour from the Kvadrat collection.
Because of the heavy quality of the fabric, we recommend processing by a professional upholsterer or sewing workshop.
You can have your cushions made in our sewing studio.
Worldwide shipping
Your order is delivered worldwide. The shipping cost depends on the destination and the order; the higher the amount, the lower the cost. On the page Delivery & Returns you will find a detailed overview of the options.
Delivery time
You can find the estimated delivery time of this product on the 'Description' tab. If the delivery will take longer, for example if a product is sold out, you will always be notified.
Delivery with Track&Trace service
Your order is shipped with with international mail with Track&Trace service with signature.
UPS Express shipping is available on request for a surcharge.
VAT and import duties
Your order to outside the European Union will be without 21% VAT. Take into account that local customs may add import duties. If so, the courier service will advance the amount to speed up the clearance and they will collect the duties from you at delivery.


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This page exists to hold the map (below) showing the layout of the various berths – it's linked to my 'Port Resource' page. With Ventura doing fly-cruises in the Mediterranean and with Venice being one the possible embarkation ports, I think there will be questions on the topic of the 'how do I get to the ship?' and hopefully this page will be a help. (Of course, if you've bought the P&O flights/transfers you may not need this – but it might be handy anyway for day visits & calls.)
First, though, I ought to mention that the best resource for Venice anywhere on the web is 'Venice for Visitors'. It's comprehensive and it's very, very good. This page is really an adjunct to that site.
Right – onto other stuff. Here's the map of the cruise terminal area, which I downloaded from the 'Venezia Terminal Passageri' site:
Now for some points:
- You can get buses from the airport or from the mainland generally, but they only go as far as Piazzale Roma. From there you've got to make your own way to the cruise terminal. There are taxis in Piazzale Roma, but they're looking for fares back to the airport or to Mestre (a town with hotels on the mainland) and I can't imagine that a taxi would be prepared to do the short run to the main cruise terminal other than at an extortionate rate;
- Of course you can arrive by taxi from the airport or from Mestre and they can take you all the way to the cruise terminal. I haven't done this so I don't have a truly accurate idea of the fare, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was around €30.
- Or you can arrive by train from Mestre, into Santa Lucia station. Trains from Mestre are frequent, cheap, and take only a few minutes. However, after arriving you've got to get from the station to the ship. Be aware that there is an unavoidable bridge across the Grand Canal between the station and Piazzale Roma, and you've got to carry your luggage across it. There are no taxis at the station.
- Once you've got to Piazzale Roma by far the easiest way to get to the terminals is to use the People Mover. This costs €1 per person. It's shown on the map as a green line running from Piazzale Roma to Tronchetto. You take it from Piazzale Roma to the first station – Marittima. This is shown half-way along it – it's the point where the green line splits into two and then joins back together. The People Mover operates at first-floor level, and there are lifts at each station that'll need to use if you've got big bags.
- Once you emerge from the People Mover at Marittima you're very close to the main cruise terminals. However, we don't at the moment know which terminal(s) Ventura will be using in 2014. At weekends the principal terminals – 103, 106 & 107 on the map, in green – are used by Costa, MSC and NCL, all of which run 7-night cruises out of Venice beginning on Saturday and Sunday. Ventura's cruises will start on Wednesday, so hopefully P&O will be able to use these central terminals. I do know, however, that when we visited Venice on Ventura in 2011 she was berthed at 117, possibly even down towards 123, and that was quite a walk from the People Mover – a good 10 minutes, IIRC. We won't know the answers to this point until May 2014, of course.


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A Spontaneous AdventureFriday, March 04, 2016
Out of the blue, my boyfriend said we were taking a trip to a casino for the weekend. I've been to Las Vegas before, however, I was not old enough to gamble. Needless to say, I felt like I was missing out. So as you can imagine, I was stoked to go a casino again. I knew it wasn't realistic, but I envision myself at least 25-100 dollars richer.
Our two friends, my boyfriend, and I all planned on leaving for the casino at around 3ish. So I asked my boyfriend if it would be okay if we took pictures for a school project prior to us leaving. He agreed. However, for some reason we never got around to doing it. Generously, he said that if I saw a cute photo opportunity all the way to the casino, we could stop....how sweet is he?
On the way I kept my eyes pealed for anything that caught my eye. Sadly, it was all just plain land and cornfields; definitely was not what I was envisioning. Luckily, my friend spotted this bluff that we could hike and everyone agreed that we should stop.
Hiking was definitely not in my game plan for the day; I wore heeled booties. Thankfully they were not stilettos but rather they had a chunky heels. They still weren't the ideal shoe for physical activity though. On top of that, there was still snow and ice on the bluff. All throughout this workout, I kept thinking to myself that I was going to trip, especially while going up hill. In the spots where the snow had melted, there was lots of mud. My bootcut jeans dragged in this shit, again another smart decision by my part.
Slowly but surely, we made it to the top of the bluff! From there, the cute little town and the Mississippi River were in full view. It's sights like these that make we want to stay in that moment forever; it was just breathtaking! No camera could do it justice!
It was absolutely freezing without our jackets. My hands were totally numb and my arms were filled with goosebumps....the things we do for pictures! Unfortunatley, I was not in frame in the first batch of photos so we had to redo all of the poses..opps! Then after the second rounds of photos I rushed to put my leather jacket back on (again another poor decision) and didn't even care if the photos were perfect; I was that cold! Normally I make my boyfriend redo photos if they're not perfect (I once made him take photos at a wedding three times, I'm that much of a perfectionist).
The trip back down though went a hell of a lot faster and was ten times less scarier. My friends even thought it would be funny to kick a rock all the way down. I swear, I'm friends with a bunch of children sometimes.
Once we reached our car, we continued on our trip to the casino. I had hyped up this casino adventure so much in my head, but unfortunately it failed to meet my expectations. It was no as exciting as I remember it being in Vegas. Sure there were lots of bright colorful lights and free beverages but the place reeked like cigarette smoke. I figured I should at least give the slot machines a shot though. I found a cat one and thought it was "my lucky" machine since I HATE cats with a burning passion. And just like that, I lost two dollars. I was tempted to keep going until I spent the 25 dollars I came with. But I realized how unhappy and frustrated I was. 2 minutes had already passed and I was already upset. So I called it quits.
I looked around, and you could see the addiction in people's faces. They desperately wanted to win. And who knows how many of them spend every single weekend here, spending every single penny of their paycheck. To me it was just depressing. I could not wait to get out of there!


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After receiving my Masters degree from Linköping University in 2016, I started a position as Research Engineer for the open source visualization software Inviwo, primarily developed by the Scientific Visualization group at Media and Information Technology, LiU. Subsequently, I switched to a PhD position to further pursue my academic interests.
Coming from a background in languages, I have a keen interest in transporting the question of how to beautifully encode intent and information from spoken to visual language.
Synonymously, this task becomes more engaging, the more complex the message/data is. Will say, I am tackling the challenge of conveying complex data that is not intuitively comprehensible, and application-driven exploration of high-dimensional, high-order data.
Therefore, my research focuses specifically on tensor field exploration, and feature space exploration and analysis.
Jochen Jankowai


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BREAKING NEWS: Soldiers Take Over Jonathan's Cousin's Premises
Soldiers, yesterday, seized the premises used by former President Goodluck Jonathan's cousin, Azibaola Robert, as construction site.
Sunday Vanguard correspondent, who visited the premises which shares fence with the Lungui Barracks of the Nigerian Army along the Kubwa/Asokoro Expressway, found that the soldiers drove away workers from the site after they stormed the massive premises around 8pm on Friday.
Some of the soldiers took position at the entrance of the massive construction of Kakarta Civil Engineering Limited while others kept vigil inside the premises overlooking the Katampe hills.
"We are enforcing an order from the the Chief of Army Staff to take over this place and not to allow anyone in or out of the premises," one of the soldiers told Sunday Vanguard correspondent.
One of the site workers, Mr. Maxwell Udom, told our correspondent that no worker was allowed into the premises by the armed military men, stressing that no prior notice was served before their action.
Mr. Austin Ekeinde, Kakatar's spokesman, confirmed the invasion of the premises. The Managing Director of Kakatar, Robert, has been battling the EFCC over one of his companies, Oneplus Holdings. This led to EFCC freezing Kakatar accounts, forcing the firm to sack over 2,000 workers recently.


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Today's post, I must confess was triggered by this post on Character Lists in Marla Madison's blog.
Do you remember books which listed the key characters in them? Here, for example, is a Character List from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."
I liked this idea personally. I haven't used this in any of my books but hope to do so in a work in progress project. In addition to the points made by Marla in her blog, I believe the following are worth keeping in mind, if you plan to use a List of Characters: Continue reading "Character Lists"


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Greys Court – A Fairy Tale Garden.
Spring is my absolute favourite season. It's the most joyful thing in the world to see blossoms and blooms after months of barren cold landscape. Seeing life come back to the countryside and hearing the birds sing again is an incredibly uplifting experience and one of the best places to experience this, is in an English country garden.
One of Oxfordshire's gems is Greys Court. Greys combines the fairy tale ruins of a 14th Century medieval tower with a 16th century manor and walled gardens. The gardens are a series of compartmentalised sections, accessed through wooden gates, and secret archways each leading to a new and beautiful zone.
In April the trees are in blossom and the daffodils nod happily in the breeze, in the centre of the gardens is a small orchard and meadow with views back to the medieval tower. One of the most quintessentially English scenes you'll ever see.
Most spectacular of all is the Bluebell display which bursts into life late April, early May. Its the most vivid display I've ever seen, and well worth an annual pilgrimage to revel in their beauty.
If you time it right, the 100+ year old Wisteria will have bloomed as well, making a canopy of lilac. Grey's court is truly a location fit for a fairy tale.
To find out more about Greys Court, click the image below. Have you been before? Share your experience in a comment.
And don't forget to follow me on Instagram for regular country living posts