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Analysis: DNR layoffs could cost more jobs
MADISON — Gov. Scott Walker's plan to eliminate about 30 scientist and educator positions in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources could result in the agency losing dozens of additional positions his proposal doesn't account for, according to a report from state fiscal analysts.
The governor's budget calls for eliminating 18.4 scientist positions within the DNR's Science Services Bureau and 11 natural resource educators — part of a larger proposal to slash 80 positions within the agency. The DNR would be left with 18.6 scientist positions in the science bureau and seven educator positions.
According to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, four scientist positions and two educator positions are currently vacant. Walker's administration has said current employees could be bumped into other jobs.
Opponents have warned the cuts could devastate the DNR's ability to perform research on anything from trout streams to wildlife genetics to deer monitoring.
The River Alliance of Wisconsin, which opposes the cuts, released a fiscal bureau memo on Thursday that notes before the DNR could lay anyone off, it would have to group the targeted positions according to job title.
Under state law, all limited-term, project and probationary employees who share those job titles would have to go before the first permanent employee would lose his or her job.
For example, before the DNR could lay off any permanent research scientist, it would have to eliminate 49 limited-term, project and probationary research scientists. If the agency creates an educator group to be laid off, it could end up getting rid of 41 limited-term, probationary and project positions that fall into that designation, according to the LFB memo.
"There's a multiplier effect to this decision," Steve Born, a retired University of Wisconsin-Madison urban planner who worked with the DNR, said during a River Alliance news conference on Thursday to protest the cuts. "Over time, the loss of their knowledge base ... will start to erode the quality of decisions we make."
The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee is set to consider Walker's plan during a session Friday. The committee could approve the plan, revise it or delete it from the budget altogether.
The offices of Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, and Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, who lead the finance committee, didn't immediately return an email message seeking comment.


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PM Modi inaugurates Ayushman Bharat in Chhattisgarh on occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti
This article is part of The Chhattisgarh Story series (coming soon to YourStory).
On the 127th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar on April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first health centre under Ayushman Bharat Scheme at Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh.
The tribal district of Bijapur is one of the most backward regions in the country but has started doing well on various development parameters. Modi is the first Prime Minister to visit the district.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme aims at providing medical insurance worth Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families in the country.
Under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the government will open 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres by 2022, which will be equipped to provide medical treatment for diseases such as blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and old age illnesses.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said, "Today, the forum is being heralded the first phase of the historic and biggest Ayushaman India scheme to end social imbalance in the country. By treading on old paths, you can never reach new destinations. We are working with a new approach for 115 districts of the country, including Bijapur. If Bijapur can see development in 100 days then why can't the other districts witness the same? I came here to assure you that with all the development projects now Bijapur district will no longer be known as a backward district."
He added that it was a great privilege for him to be in Chhattisgarh on the occasion of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's birth anniversary.
Noting that the focus has for long been on insurance, the government believes the Ayushman Bharat scheme will help people look at comprehensive, affordable, preventive and primary care.
ALSO READ: Chhattisgarh's Rural Digipreneur Summit just made entrepreneurship simpler with these initiatives
Ayushman Bharat has twin missions to create a network of health and wellness centres to deliver comprehensive primary health care close to the community, and to provide insurance cover to 40 percent of India's population, which is deprived of secondary and tertiary care, including instance and hospitalisation costs.
The scheme was launched by PM Modi at Jangla village in Bijapur. He also inaugurated bank branches in seven villages, including Jangla, of Bijapur district.
New railway line and Bastar Net Project
A newly laid railway line between Gudum and Bhanupratappur was also commissioned through video-conferencing, according to an official release.
The line, part of the Dallirajhra-Rowghat Railway project, will help connect the people of north Bastar.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the first phase of the state government's Bastar Net Project, which aims at expanding the reach of the Internet to the remote villages of the division.
An optical fiber cable network is being laid over an area of 40,000 square kilometres in Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Sukma, and Dantewada districts of Bastar division as part of the project.
At present, Chhattisgarh boasts of a successful creation of the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) through the Common Service Centres (CSC) in the state. The CSC was founded in 2008 as a government initiative to promote entrepreneurship among the villages and rural areas across the country
Chhattisgarh currently boasts of over 11,583 VLEs who are working at the Gram Panchayat level across the 27 districts of the State. Currently, the VLEs have delivered close to 40.10 lakh transactions, all amounting to Rs 96.03 crore in the current financial year.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister was welcomed by Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh to the state.
Bijapur, Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, and Mewat in Rajasthan are among the 115 aspirational districts, which have shown achievement in the last three months on three parameters, namely incremental performance, best action plan, and best practices.
The central government has embarked upon a major policy initiative for rapid transformation of districts that are lagging on specific development parameters.
According to a government press release, senior government officials of the rank of additional secretary and joint secretary have been designated as officers-in-charge to coordinate the efforts of the Centre and states in addressing the specific developmental needs of these districts.
The PM also launched the Van Dhan Yojana which aims at empowering tribal communities. He laid the foundation stone for the construction of 1,988 km of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) roads in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas; other road connectivity projects in LWE areas, water supply scheme of Bijapur and two bridges.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Renesas' battery safety and protection portfolio covers a broad range of devices such as battery management controllers, charge system safety ICs and backup battery monitors and switches. We offer a dedicated single-package solution with an MCU and analog front-end (AFE) for battery management systems that constantly monitors the battery state. Our charging system safety circuits are optimized to provide a redundant safety protection to an Li-ion battery charging system by monitoring input voltage, battery voltage and charge current. Renesas also offers an automatic battery back-up switch, intended as a low-cost solution for the switching of systems between two power supplies: main and battery backup.


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Whoa! Is it dark in here! With this sealed roof over my head, it's no wonder I can't see anything. If I could just scratch my way out . . .
I've been locked up in this cell for three weeks now and my legs are cramped and uncomfortable. At first, I was lying in the bottom of a waxen vault, wrapped in a tiny egg. Then gradually, my protective coating just dissolved and there I was, sitting in my breakfast. All around me was hustle and bustle, nurses tending me night and day, and all I did was eat!
For a while, breakfast looked like egg whites and tasted of protein. But then, after about three days, it began to change and acquired a sweetness and scent that was irresistible. LOL, I ate and ate and ate! I overheard a nurse say I would increase my weight 1500 times in just five-and-a-half days. Way to grow!
But just when I thought I was going to burst, the food stopped coming and they locked me inside with a roof over my head. No food, no water, no decent air. It was scary. Worse, my body started to change. I felt all tingly, and my svelte worm-like figure began to disappear as I grew legs and antennae and eyes and even wings. But all those parts will do me no good in this cramped cell. I have to get out!
Adjusting to colony life. So now the roof seems to be breaking through. I can get my antennae out, yes, and my mandibles. If I bite away a little more . . . But holy cow, what's that smell? And why is it still dark? And where's everyone with the food? Don't they know I haven't eaten in twelve days? Will someone please bring me something to eat? I tugged, and pulled, and ripped, and bit. Finally, I was able to pull myself through the ceiling. It appeared my exoskeleton had not yet hardened. I felt pale and fragile and I wanted to sleep.
Help finally arrived. "Oh dear! Oh, thank you! That was delicious," I said, pulling my proboscis back and swallowing the proffered food. "But you smell like everyone else around here. What's with that?"
The sister who shared her food turned to go but said. "That's your queen, silly. Get used to it."
And so I did. As my skeleton hardened over the next few days, I worked hard. I went back into my cell and cleaned up, polished the floor, and smoothed out the upper rim I had torn. When that was done, I collected debris and cleaned behind my messy brothers who tended not to do much in the way of, well, anything. With the cleaning out of the way, I went to help feed the young'uns.
Feeding the brood I like feeding the young, but working with my sisters is irksome. I call them my sisters, but most are actually half-sisters. You see, we all have the same mother but, from what I can tell, we have ten or twelve different fathers. It's hard to tell us apart, but some are more yellow, some more black, some a bit bigger, and there's that one temperamental bunch, always trying to pick a fight. Morons. But we have to get along; in such cramped quarters, we simply have no choice.
Feeding the young isn't such bad duty because we get to eat constantly. It works like this. All of us of a certain age gorge ourselves on bee bread. Bee bread is a delicious combination of partially fermented pollen held together with sweet nectar. It tastes like spring flowers and a wee bit yeasty. All of the eating we do allows us to secrete brood food, that milky, eggy substance I remember from my youth. We feed it to our young sisters night and day. We calculated that all together we feed each newly hatched larva 3000 times! No wonder they gain so much weight in such a short time.
When things go wrong. But there is more to life than just eating and feeding. Sometimes things go wrong. Just yesterday we spent hours removing larvae from their cells and dumping them on the ground. In spite of the heavy odor of Queen, we can recognize when things are not quite right under the capped cells. Some larvae are deformed and need to go. Some are highly infected with parasites or diseases and need to go. And some drones have too many chromosomes—two sets instead of one—and they have to go too. So a young bee has a lot of responsibility, not only for feeding the young but for culling the weak.
I'm not sure what is in store for me in the future, but once I learn, I will tell you all about it. In the meantime, thousands of hungry larvae await. Cheers for now.


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Often, people copy images from Wikipedia without citation. Of those who do cite their photos, many just cite "Wikipedia" or "Wikimedia Commons," which does not attribute the photographer and therefore does not constitute a proper citation. Due to this common mistake, I have compiled a list of ten things that are analogous to only citing "Wikimedia Commons" instead of the photographer when using photos from Wikipedia.
- Attributing a book you read to the library you borrowed it from
- Referring to a painting by the art museum it's hanging in
- Attributing a speech to the country it was given in
- Calling a pixel a photograph
- Attributing Don Quixote to Homo sapiens
- Calling a brick a building
- Referring to the cherry on top of your sundae as a sundae
- Calling "k" the alphabet
- Referring to 261.6Hz as Sing Sing Sing
- Calling an atom a car
When using a photo from Wikipedia that has a license that requires attribution, always include the photographer in the citation and preferably link to the source of the photo. The photographer is the copyright holder, not the Wikimedia Foundation, and therefore requires attribution. Also see Wikimedia Commons' pages on reusing content and credit lines.


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October 18, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – In the 1970s, scientists worked out how to move genes across species. The world buzzed with possibilities for recombinant DNA. This breakthrough led agricultural scientists to eventually develop genetically modified (GM) seeds in the 1990s, which was hailed as a potential step to ending hunger by creating plants that might withstand adverse weather. Soon after, however, widespread protests of "Frankenfoods" emerged, along with a highly political debate about genetically modified organisms (GMO) that continues today.
In his new book, Fighting for the Future of Food: Activists versus Agribusiness in the Struggle over Biotechnology (University Of Minnesota Press, 2010), Illinois Wesleyan Professor of Political Science William Munro has joined Rachel Schurman of the University of Minnesota to explore the debate over genetically modified seeds.
According to Munro, the main focus of the book is to "go beyond labels" of those involved in the debate. "These are two different adversaries from two different life worlds," he said. "They did not and do not meet and speak to each other. I think the two sides would get better traction with one another if they understood each other, rather than label one another."
The book does not take sides on the issue, but is a scholarly analysis that includes extensive interviews of those involved in the debate over GMs, including anti-GM activists, GM scientists and those incorporations working to advocate GMs. Munro and Schurman examined the debate as it evolved in Europe, then the United States, and finally how it is currently developing in Africa. "Our goal is for people to come to understand the issue and what is at stake for activists and proponents," he said.
Although once hailed as the key to ending world hunger, GMs are now viewed more as part of a potential arsenal to battle hunger. In the book, Munro and Schurman suggest it was the efforts of the activists that changed the trajectory of the biotechnologies. "Through the debate, it is becoming understood that this is a political technology," he said. "Some corporations made the mistake of trying to sell it as a silver bullet to end hunger, and it backfired. When activists challenged this idea, it helped define the use of GMs, allowing them to be incorporated into broader technologies to solve hunger."
The debate over GM food still rages. Last month, the FDA was close to approving the sale of genetically modified salmon, which grow twice as quickly as salmon in the wild. One U.S. Senator dubbed the salmon "frankenfish," and activists protested the race to get the fish to market. Yet Munro said speed is generally in the nature of producing GM foods. "The person who funds the research decides how to use it," said Munro. "There is a built in aggression to market the products, so corporations can recoup research and development costs." Munro sees the technology drifting away from privatization on some levels. "Look at the Gates Foundation, which has made a commitment to deal with world hunger," he said. "They are very careful to say that GMs can be part of the solution."
No matter how the debate proceeds, Munro said GMOs are here to stay. He noted GM corn and soybeans appear in everything from high fructose corn syrup to soy milk. "There is no way to get it out of the food chain now." He hopes the book, which is part of the University of Minnesota's Social Movements, Protest, and Contention Series, will inspire people, especially students, to discuss GMOs. "This book is a way for people to talk about social movements, and give them the tools to talk about the issues," he said.
Munro, who has a doctorate in political science from Yale University, joined the Illinois Wesleyan faculty in 2000. He is the co-director of Illinois Wesleyan's International Studies Program, and the author of The Moral Economy of the State: Conservation, Community Development, and State-Making in Zimbabwe.
Contact: Rachel Hatch, (309) 556-3960


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I am giving an adult recognition luncheon for some adult volunteers. The theme is "you brighten girls lives". I am looking for a very inexpensive favor to give to guests attending.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
You might get a supply of small lights; some could fit on keyrings to have lights when opening doors late at night. Or to keep by the bed in case of a power outage. Of course, the lights entertain kittens and dogs on the walls too.
How about a flashlight? Print labels with the theme on them, get the lights at a dollar store. I like flaslights with a hanging cord on the back, and have them on the doorknobs in a few places of my home. Everyone can use another flashlight!
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!


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A journey to some of the Earth's most endangered people in the remote Upper Amazon. . . . a look at the rituals of the Bwiti cults of Gabon and Zaire. . . . . a field watch on the eating habits of 'stoned' apes and chimpanzees - these adventures are all a part of ethnobotanist Terence McKenna's extraordinary quest to discover the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. He wonders why, as a species, we are so fascinated by altered states of consciousness. Can they reveal something about our origins as human beings and our place in nature?
As an odyssey of mind, body and spirit, Food of the Gods is one of the most fascinating and surprising histories of consciousness ever written. And as a daring work of scholarship and exploration, it offers an inspiring vision for individual fulfilment and a humane basis for our interaction which each other and with the natural world.
'Brilliant, provocative, opinionated, poetic and inspiring. . . . . Essential reading for anyone who ever wondered why people take drugs.' Rupert Sheldrake


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ISIS Indian recruitments: Who is Karnataka's Abdul Khadir Sultan Armar alias Sultan?
The police, National Investigating Agency and the Intelligence Bureau are desperate for this man. When it comes to ISIS recruitments in India, he is the real big deal.
Abdul Khadir Sultan Armar alias Sultan has several Twitter handles like: @ Sult, @ Mulla, @Moulana, @Nakhwa, @ Pandit, @ Shekhu, @ Sheikh-Ul-Hadees and @ Pujari. Born on December 12 1975, he is a resident of Haji Manzil, Nawayat Colony, Bhatkal, Dist- Uttar Kannada, Karnataka-581320.
From al Qaeda to ISIS
He started out his journey along with Yasin Bhatkal, the leader of the Indian Mujahideen who was arrested last year. The name of Armar cropped up for the first time when Yasin Bhatkal spilt the beans on him.
Bhatkal in his interrogation had told the NIA that Armar was part of a team comprising, Anwer Bhatkal, Shafi Armar, Hussain Farhan Mohammed, Salim Ishaqi and Afeef Mota who were handpicked to undergo training in North Waziristan.
At that time around they were training for the al Qaeda and there was a desperate attempt being made by the Indian Mujahideen to break away from the ISI and operate on a global scale.
Birth of the Ansar-ul-Tawhid
Since the rise of the ISIS, the cadres of the Indian Mujahideen found it to be more lucrative. Basically Baghdadi was speaking the language which the IM always wanted to hear. Armar and the rest of the Indian Mujahideen gradually began moving towards the ISIS and they actively began recruiting youth.
They had lost hope in the al Qaeda which had teething problems following the death of Osama Bin Laden. Moreover the al Qaeda was losing ground heavily to the ISIS.
It was at this time that the Ansar-ul-Tawhid was formed. This group comprised the ISIS, IM and the Tehrik-e-Taliban. A faction of the TTP also declared support to the ISIS openly only recently although they were always with the ISIS.
Endorsed by Baghdadi
Armar who showed great potential was made the leader of the AUT. After he began his recruitment drive, it was Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi who endorsed him openly as the Emir. In a video that was posted by the Al-Isabah which is a media unit of the ISIS, Baghdadi declared Armar as the emir.
This message by Baghdadi was a wake up call for the Indian agencies who realized that Armar had grown too big. The agencies who have issued a look out circular against him believe that he is in the UAE currently from where he carries out a recruitment drive.
The drive
Armar is a keen observer and has been recruiting like a pro. He operates several accounts online especially on Facebook. There is material that is posted online and under different ids, he scrutinizes the kind of messages that come in.
In his recent recruitment of a bunch of youth from Rajasthan, he was said to have interviewed them online and only after being very sure did he go about the recruitment. It was found that he had used the name Mohammad Ata when he carried out his first round of recruitments. These are the typical agents of hate and are the ones who are more dangerous, the Indian Intelligence Bureau points out.
Armar is part of a cycle which evaluates talent online before roping them in. He does not undertake the entire job. All he does is evaluates the youth after another person has selected them. It is then up to another team to provide the recruit the finer details regarding the location and who needs to be contacted in order to join the outfit.
Armar is important because...
In the existing scheme of things, Armar is a very important person. It is clear that the ISIS has set its eyes on India and in a map describing the Global Islamic Council India is very much present in it.
The government has been fighting this problem and has succeeded in reducing the number of youth who are attempting to join the ISIS from India.
Armar who came very close to being nabbed yesterday would be an important catch in India's battle against the ISIS.
Read in Tamil: ஐஎஸ்ஐஎஸ் தீவிரவாதிகளுக்காக ஆன்லைனில் 'இன்டர்வியூ' நடத்தும் கர்நாடக வாலிபர்!


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Abstract Urban roughness is of major importance for understanding the wind dynamics and microclimate in an urban area. Morphometric methods are ideally suited for estimation of urban roughness in an urban environment due to increasing availability of 3D urban database,
Abstract In this paper, we perform data assimilation using radiance data from different sensors mhs, amsu-a for the improved weather prediction in for the study area covering Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh at different resolutions of 27km, 9km and 3km. Two
Time Series Geodata visualization in Web 2.0
Abstract Many things that happen are having space and time as major dimensions. Visual representation of these datasets and information brings out unique opportunity to identify meaningful trends like Magnitude, Shape, Velocity, Direction etc. In this paper, we present various
Geographical Weighted Regression model for improved bathymetric estimation from multispectral imageries
Abstract There is often a need for making a high-resolution or a complete bathymetric map based on sparse point measurements of water depth. The common practice of previous studies has been to calibrate a single global depth regression model for
Development of OGC WPS for Species Niche Modelling using environmental variables
Abstract Species distribution prediction modeling plays a key role in Bio-diversity research. There are increasing needs for species distribution modeling ranging from basic ecological and biogeography research to routine conservation practices. Currently forest scientists and conservationists are looking for web
A comparative study of performance analysis of MongoDB and PostGIS-PostGreSQL databases for Line Intersection Spatial Queries
Abstract With the increased shift towards GeoSpatial Web Services on both the Web and mobile platforms especially in the user-centric services, there is a need to improve the query response time. This paper attempt to evaluate the performance of an
Semantic Interoperability Model for transforming IFC & CityGML Building Models
Abstract The significance of 3D city modeling and its promising applications in the fields of city planning, cadastral mapping, urban simulations, etc. are progressively increasing. One of the major problems being faced in the applications of 3D city modeling is
SedYield: AN OPEN SOURCE GEOSPATIAL TOOL FOR SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENT YIELD ASSESSMENT AT WATERSHED SCALE
Abstract In this cyber era of innumerable number of Geographical Information System (GIS) packages and functionalities, the problem faced by the users from different research domains are different from each other's. They require technical skill and expertise on this advanced
Abstract Water is a scarce resource of nature due to the increasing demand of fresh water over few decades. It's a key element of natural resource management therefore researchers are finding the ways to manage this resource. This management includes
Using FOSS4G to Study Flood Inundation around Danang City Vietnam
Abstract Flooding is one of the most frequent and damage causing natural disaster in Danang city well as other parts of Vietnam. Mitigation of flood hazard requires understanding about hydrological, meteorological as well as topographical condition of study area. This


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Landscaping Hack: Fast Route to the Roots
Grab a transmission funnel to get fertilizer right to the roots
To get liquid fertilizer down to the plant roots where it will do the most good, I created my own watering device. I drilled holes into the sides of a long plastic transmission funnel (available at any auto parts store). Then I sharpened a dowel to a fine point and stuck it through the hole of the funnel to make it easier to drive in. When it's time to fertilize, I push the funnel into the soil near the plant and pour in water and fertilizer. The mixture runs out through the holes and down to the roots. — James S. Tira


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Hatufim Series 2 has just started in the UK:Tuesday 22nd April 2014 same Channels as above @ 10pm & repeated @ 3:10am same night
Nb. American viewers can see Hatufim Season 1 & 2 on pay to view at Hulu.com
Posted April 2014:
Explanatory notes to Series 1
Hatufim (or Prisoners of War) is the story of some Israeli soldiers, childhood friends, who were taken prisoner, tortured and kept in Lebanon for 18 years.
The story begins with the wives of the men and the sister of one of the men involved preparing for their return then going to meet the men at the airport.
Hatifum series 1 is mainly a story about two of the friends Yuri and Nimrode and their friendship with one another. There is the side story of Yuri and Nimrode's families: their wives and children who waited for them back home, how the families all cope with their homecoming and how the men attempt to assimilate back into normal everyday life.
Yuri and Nimrode struggle to manage and can only really relate to one another and fall back on their close friendship to survive. Before they can return home, the men are sent to a military "rehabilitation centre" for care and questioning by the military Psychiatrist and Intelligence agents…
List of Characters in Series 1:
( i watched Series 1 and still only had a few names since Hatufim is shot as if it was a naturalistic home movie in which, as in real life, people rarely use each other's names-So here they are as an aide-mémoire)
Quoted descriptions of characters taken from Wikipedia -Prisoners Of War.
Uri &
Amiel are the three Prisoners of war
Talya is Nimrod's wife
Hatznav &
are Nimrod's children
Yaki is Uri's brother
Asaf is the son of Yuri and Nurit
Nurit is Uri's former girlfriend
Joseph "Yoske" is "Uri and Yaki's elderly widowed father"
Yael is Amiel's younger sister
Llan-is "an IDF (Israeli Defence Force) liaison to the families of killed, captured and injured soldiers" (Wiki)
Haim-is the IDF Psychiatrist who leads the investigation..
Jamal is the "leader of the cell that capture and imprisoned Nimrod, Uri and Amiel" (Wiki)
Doctor Shmuel-is "Dana's Therapist" (Wiki)
This was first posted 23rd November 2012:
Review of Series 1 of Hatufim
So this is the Israeli original upon which Homeland is based. It is really really good.
Please note that there is some pretty horrific violent flashback scenes in Hatifum.
So i liked Hatifum or Prisoners of War in English. It was quiet and slow moving and all set in beautiful light. Like it was sunny all the time. Which it probably is. For some reason i can't imagine it raining in Israel.
Really enjoying Prisoners of War or Hatifum. It is blessedly quiet. No mood music thank God. Not that I've noticed. People don't even speak in it that much. Yet you don't even notice.
Whole scenes go by where we're just watching Nimrode's wife, Talya, for ex. sorting out and bagging up clothes, getting a quiche out of the oven, have a brief chat with her son, Hatznav about her campaigning efforts. Then she gathers up all her papers:one of which included a letter from the American Secretary of State.
Then Talya takes the papers out and puts them on top of the bin in her walled courtyard with tropical plants. She stares out of the window at the bin and you see the quiche she took out of the oven . Presumably they have it cold.
Likewise you see Yuri's wife, Nurit, who married her husband's brother go jauntily into town. Managing to look like a heroine in an Italian film with her huge bug-eyed sunglasses on an curly tendrilled blonde bob.
Silently, we watch from a distance from the other side of the glass pane of a shop as Nurit goes in and asks for a new haircut from a big beautiful blond lady who looks like and elder buxom Goddess. The hairdresser lady looks fabulous in an off the shoulder floor length black gown. Well i say that i could not see her feet.
We watch, unable to hear, purposely, their inaudible conversation we just see Nurit come in front of a large, engraved hairdresser's mirror with little bottles on the counter before it. The visual language is universal. Our jauntily perm haired heroine is getting a haircut.
Next time we see Nurit she is all flat haired and it's now black. She is wearing a white cotton shift dress with tiny flower cut outs. She has red lipstick on and looks fantastic. But i missed her curly corkscrew curls escaping, slightly messy bob. Nurit didn't look like she was in an Italian film any more. More like some kind of Scandinavian one.
All the people's houses have a front door with a peep-hole in it so far that i have noticed. i wondered if this is an overall safety measure or just a dramatic device. Anyway it served its purpose as the latter when Nurit, all ready for her husband's return, just stands double cheekbones almost glinting: just a few feet away from the peephole in the door. Staring at it expectantly. Yuri doesn't come. Nurit eventually, as the allotted time passes, comes up close and peers through the peep-hole.
Nurit's husband Yuri doesn't come home. He went instead to see his bewhiskered and elderly dad.. Who must have been in a wheelchair for the long day of their arrival. Since he wasn't in one at home. So he can walk. Yuri and his father hug and kiss and hug.
Sadly, Yuri had overheard the psychiatrist man in the rehabilitation centre telling Nimrode that his wife had come to see him. The psychiatrist mentions Talia's campaigning efforts and tells Nimrode:
"You have a very special lady there, you are lucky, she was the good one, not like the other one"
Oh. dear.
Yuri's brother is called Yaki. The curly blond haired Nurit has her lovely curly hair back. It's pretty obvious that Nurit has fallen back in love with her original husband Yuri or: she is minorly obsessed, ringing his mobile continuously whilst driving her son to school.
Talya is tall, dark haired and beautiful. She looks in the mirror at two really bad bruises on her chest. Then asks Nimrode about his nightmare:
"No, I didn't have any, nobody is getting hurt" he says
Meanwhile Yuri sits at the grave of his mother and weeps in the bright sunlight. It's always sunny there. Well it is the Middle East.
The psychiatrist from the military rehabilitation centre comes to see tall dark haired man, Talya's husband, Nimrode:
"I want you to feel safe to tell me if captors offered you anything in captivity?". The Psychiatrist, Haim, keeps saying (well i keep calling him a Psychiatrist when in the beginning i named him the Spy-man)
Talya's husband, Nimrode, has a flashback to a man in a car:
"You remember everything?" May Allah keep you safe" (oops)
Yuri meets beautiful Iris at the grave. She invites him for coffee and ice cream:
"Do you think you might want to do this again sometimes?" She asks Yuri. He turns her down:
"Bye, just in case you have second thoughts" (Iris says, as she gives him her mobile number)
Talya's husband, Nimrode, has invited the Newspaper reporters into the garden to play football. We see flashbacks to him being electrocuted. Shit, then Nimrode starts punching the reporters.
In a flashback for Yuri we see his dead Mother before she dies, writing to him. You see the pen, her glasses laid down on the page, everything. Cool: Hebrew goes from right to left. Uri's Mother kisses the whole page. Yuri kisses it too. (nice scene if a little gooey)
Aha, i knew it, Iris the beautiful girl at the graveside is a plant! i thought she was a bit keen. Plus she seemed oddly immune to the fact that Yuri was in a terrible state, clearly suffering from Post traumatic stress, hunched over in terror and barely able to mumble a sentence.
Iris answers the phone to Yuri in a darkened room.:
"it's OK to talk" she says "although I'm at work"….
Israel is beautiful, from all i have seen so far.
**thoughts on Hatifum**
In Hatifum we are introduced to the three men, the prisoners of war, very slowly. It is not until they land that we see their faces. Even on the plane the men are filmed from behind so we only see the backs of their heads. At the airport their appearance is dragged out even more as they slowly walk up to the top of the steps for the final reveal.
No, it is the women we are introduced to first. Which would be how it happened in time. At least from the point of view of the women.
I must say that I really fell for Hatifum. I really liked it. it was slow moving. I nearly said at first until i realise that Hatifum doesn't really speed up. You just become more knowledgeable about the characters and more things seem to happen.
However there are still fairly long stretches of silence as we view panoramas of scenery and the characters' movements. The interior scenes are the same:people talk a little more inside than out.
There is precious few detail of Israel itself until near the end. Before that we see only brief cobbled streets, cars speeding along leafy streets. The occasional cafe' or restaurant. We can only surmise that the characters live out in the country so too speak. In that it doesn't seem like a city and there is lots of space and light and sunshine. There is one scene of a bustling busy town or city with crowds of people.
Myself i found the large amounts of space, sunshine and restful slow pace of Hatifum a refreshing change and a relaxing experience.
I liked it that there was no need to fill each scene that happened to be conversation free for a few minutes. With annoying incidental music.
The fact that we as the audience just watched the characters going about their mundane daily tasks for long periods of time with the occasional interlude of interaction interspersed. This was, in retrospect, realistic.
We became used to watching them the camera put us in the unwitting position of almost voyeur. This sounds daft to describe when you consider that all films, in essence, make the viewer into voyeur.
However Hatifum perhaps made me feel like that since the action takes place a distance away from our view. Contrasted with this are extreme extended close up scenes where we dwell entirely on one character's face. During the times that they talk and are silent. I guess you could say like the way we watch a play
Don't let any of this put you off. More does happen as time goes on and we, or i, really grow to care about some of the characters. We learn more about the wives of the prisoners of war most of all. Their lives and struggles whilst the men were away. The way they have all come to live a new life on their own, a different one.
All the women have coped in different ways. Without giving too much away, unusual for me and proof of how much this story reached out and tugged at me:there is a unusual dramatic device in Hatifum for one of the women, Yael. Which together with her story and her life we watch as she lives it, really hooked my heart.
You genuinely come to care about the women. Although your sympathy for how the curly haired Nurit managed may be slightly scattery and hard to pin down at first. We come to understand what she did, whilst simultaneously feeling sympathy for those affected by it.
Hatifum is meant to be variably painful i believe, holding out on a Hollywood all rounded moment where everything is clear. (see how I'm avoiding spoilers there?)
I also particularly liked, which i usually do, the long screen time that the male characters get. The two friends, ex-prisoners of war, who are now closer and need each other more than their wives. We follow Yuri and Nimrode's progress, their trials and tribulations which are made up of the most smallest of things. The most mundane of tasks that they find to be overwhelming and near insurmountable. Their acute and believable emaciation, fear and trembling and obvious post traumatic stress.
How the two friends, Yuri and Nimrode, support each other unquestioningly and go off on ultimately an adventure of their own. Like two only recently shaking and terrified mute scarecrows that slowly struggle for strength as they embark on their quest.
The stories of the men are seen apart from the women. Yet each of their sets of stories are endearing and deep to behold.
***Hatifum Vs. Homeland***
i preferred Hatifum to Homeland. Although they are hardly comparable becuase they are so different. Homeland has the prisoner of war as being away for eight years, Hatifum they are away for 18 years. Homeland was almost slick, punchy comic book caper made large from the story of Hatifum. Its an odd translation somehow from one version to another. The longer length of time makes what happens to the prisoners of war more believable.
n.b. i'm trying to remain spoiler free since not everyone will have seen Homeland. Homeland was good-ish. (i wrote about Homeland on the Guardian Newspaper online weekly Blog on Homeland and posted it here) i wrote a lot about how ridiculous Homeland was in parts possibly it was too chock full of clichés to take more or entirely seriously.
Although for all it's faults Homeland was sustained by it's cast. Particularly Brody, Claire Danes, even gruff and grumbling Saul. Jess,, Brody's wife i kind of forgave for being so wooden because of being so beautiful. Jess just seemed to have been brainwashed that was all. Into being a 1950's housewife. She may just have been portraying depressed. Perhaps there are just so many cliché's bouncing about now, that nothing can entirely be free of their eternal rebounds.
However Hatifum, being set in a completely different and unknown country brings an edge of freshness to the proceedings. Israel is a country never seen before, for me anyway, on film.
**in conclusion**
Just as i grew to love Inspector Montalbano for the unusual trip away to a brand new place, so i came to appreciate my journey to a whole new land in Hatifum. I found the large spaces, the light, the sunlight, the slow and leisurely pace of the action and the plain, uncluttered interior scenes all to be hugely restful.
The drama progressed at an organic pace. By which i mean it slowly grew over time and space almost as if we were watching a simple home movie of things as they happened.
I particularly liked that there was no music.. No infernal jazz or atmospheric experimental toneless dirges to denote atmosphere. No run away chirping cellos. No violently played violins. Phew. Just blessed peace and quiet and real sounding conversations.
It was all fascinating to learn and see. What the buildings were like, the streets and shops. The restaurants that looked like cafe's. The old stone walls and cobbled streets. The ancient monument in the middle of nowhere. The divided roads, segregated by wire fences.
Its a long time before we see that and discover that there is another land if you like, at the bottom of the hill, that things seem to peter out a bit and become a bit more raggedy. Like someone ran out of materials.
The women and the men are presumably middle class and are visibly not orthodox in their clothes. Talia dresses in very plain clothes which look fabulous on her. Several of the women wear shorts, so this must be acceptable. It is certainly going to be hot, being in the Middle East.
I don't know if Hatifum has ended or that there is another series. I wasn't sure it had ended when it did. Suffice it to say the last episode i saw was more than dramatic. Then, next week, it was gone. i looked for it in vain but to no avail. Alas and alack i really liked it. i actually missed the characters and the journey into slow moving sunshine and light. That is when you know something is good. When you believe in the characters and even worry about them a little.
I would say that there was only one, maybe two scenes that was verging on Hallmark/ Hollywood moment for me and that ain't bad. One of those scenes i felt reached into a teachable moment.
Will Hatifum return? i do not know. Perhaps that was the story in itself and Homeland took the story and ran with it? i wonder.


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- Number of Players
- Single Player
- Genre
- Action, Adventure
- Release Date
Wii U eShop
- 6th Nov 2014, $7.99
- Official Site
- takusanworks.com
Screenshots (6)
Wii U eShop
Breath and taxes
Sometimes a game comes at you and everything seems fully as you expect… almost. It looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck. It's definitely a duck. But then it moos a little and you're forced to take a step back. That's Shuttle Rush. General gameplay here is very straightforward: this is a...
About The Game
Take a deep breath and run to the end! Rush to the top of the leaderboards! Oxygen sold separately.
Shuttle Rush is a fast-paced, old-school 2D platformer.
The main character, space taxman Bob, is stuck on a hostile alien space station, and is running out of oxygen. The goal is simple: escape with your life. Fortunately, oxygen vending machines are scattered across the whole station. Using those will be mandatory to reach Bob's shuttle in time.
Run, gather coins, sneak past aliens, purchase oxygen, and you just might make it. It definitely won't be easy though. Good luck Bob, and do Rush it!


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Fishing is fun. Really, it is pretty easy. But almost monthly you will see someone getting killed doing it. What can happen? Think about it. You may come up with some things I never thought of. I can tell you: I feel I am prepared for whatever might happen.
July through September, the chances of being caught in a massive thunderstorm are very possible. Have a plan. Don't become a statistic.
I don't care how you are doing it. If you make the wrong choice in the wrong situation, you are in a major jam. Me: I practically hold the record for most time on the water and not being in life threatening situations. There is a reason for that: I make good decisions.
For you: To be more like me, what do you do? It is a combination of things. First off, take the time to talk to other people. Study things that "could happen." If you know things that could happen you can think about it before it happens and have a plan. Assertive enough, you can get by but it is best to have thought through the possible pitfalls.
What to do? I will tell you. There are some options.
Winds and weather. People who get in a major jam often went out when I wouldn't have. In a kayak, deep water and high winds is a bad mix. You have high current, high wind and water you cannot stand up in and you have the situation where you may be in a major jam. On days where the wind is howling, go fishing, but go to areas where you are protected. Areas where if you end up in the water you can stand up.
Phones now make it easy. Get the right radar ap. Get notifications when there is major weather pending and that give you time to escape it. Best case scenario: Back to the launch, loaded up and head home. There will be times where that won't be an option. A storm pops up right on top of you. You need to predesignate: "Safe spots." Every location you go fishing, where are you going to go to sit out a storm? For me it is almost always on an island. You secure your kayak and you have a nice place to sit it out on the island. Wait for the storm to pass. Much better to sit it out for an hour at a safe spot than to die of drowning trying to do something else.
In wide open water? Is it less than three feet deep? I would get out of the kayak and hold onto it while the storm goes through. Shallow enough: Get on your knees and hold on to your kayak. Out with someone, do the same thing but get together. You can set up where your boats aren't beating on each other but you are sticking together.
Getting home safe: You can do it 1000 ways. Most of the time it isn't a challenge. But when it is: Do you know what to do. It only happens once in 1000 trips. But are you going to make the choices that lead to success? Success is "not dying." And make no question, if you do it wrong, you could get killed.
You screw up. You let your paddle get away. You have lost your motor. What do you do? If you have a phone and can call someone, that is obviously a solution. If that is not an option what do you do? I tested this one out. I had someone take my paddle and told them I wanted to see if I get could home without one. I waited for a tide switch. I laid down where I could use my arms as paddles. I had a slight breeze. Using the tide and the breeze I made it back to the launch is basically no time. Trying it half an hour earlier without the tide change: It wouldn't have worked.
You are out in low light conditions. Where do you go? I go in areas where it is literally impossible for a boat to be running at any speed. That is intentional. The fish are in there and it is relaxing to know that there is no way you can get run over by a power boat. Stay away from the higher traffic areas but if you do frequent areas where you can encounter power boats, light yourself up and light yourself up GOOD.
In your supplies: Do you have aspirin? Twice in 14 years clients had heart problems and giving them that one aspirin might have saved both of them. That applies even if you aren't out fishing. But when you are out in the middle of nowhere: Regular aspirin is what you take or what you give to someone that may have a myocardial infarction. A small thing, twice giving a guy a single aspirin got him to the hospital alive.
"I was out fishing this morning around the skyway rest stop area and only caught one 13inch trout. I then decided to fish the bridge and I was not far behind another kayak fisherman. When I turned the corner, he was in the water holding on to his kayak and the bridge piling. A rope was tangled around his leg. His pfd floated away and he was not able to get back on his kayak. The incoming current was ripping! He was lucky I saw him. It was a struggle, but I helped him get back on the kayak and I towed him to safety. He was physically spent."
"I didn't listen. You told me not to do certain things. I pushed it. I went out in a thunderstorm. Open water, heavy rain, probably 50 mph wind. I lost gear. I was lucky that was all I lost. I got thrown upside down. The water was five feet deep. It was a challenge to hold on to the kayak and have my toes on the bottom. I had to fight it for about half an hour before the storm passed. I did remember what you told me: My PFD was in a readily available position. I had it on right after I hit the water. Your suggestion: Made this situation less stressful. Had I been in deeper water I think I would have still survived it because you taught me to keep that vest where I could get to it. But it would have been stressful. I will never do it again. I will get somewhere when it happens again. Just like you told me: Being caught in open water in a storm is a mistake."
"your lessons continue to pay off. I got caught in my first pop up storm. I was in the middle of nowhere. You told me if it happened and the water was shallow enough: Get out and sink my knees in the mud, holding on to my kayak. That is what I did. Probably 45 minutes. It was a monster storm. Pretty sure that was a waterspout that went right by me. The storm passed, I got back in the kayak and caught some fish. Any other decision I could have made may have put me in peril. "
"I got caught in the highest wind I have ever seen on Tampa Bay. It had to be 50 or greater. I could not make any ground. I could not get to an island (like you suggested when you trained me.) In wide open water, I dropped anchor, trolleyed it to the back, leaned back, and rode it out. After it was over: No problem. You told me that dropping anchor and sitting still could be the solution in a tough situation. Thanks to you telling me: That's what I did. I really encountered nothing dangerous once I put that anchor down to just sit it out. Had I kept going who knows what could have happened."
"Part of the Neil Taylor lessons. Lightning is around, get all the rods laid down, try to get off a flat open area. One heck of a lightning storm, perhaps the best I have ever seen. I laid my rods down in the boat. I tried to take cover but couldn't get to where I wanted to. Twice lightning hit within 25 yards of me. I always wonder if I would have been hit if my rods weren't down inside my kayak. They were in the rod holders. Your tip: Might have saved my life."
"I pity the person that doesn't listen to you. You told me what to do if I get in a major situation. It got bad. It got REEELY bad. I got to an island. I got the kayak secured. I watched a storm just destroy everything. Except me. Just like you said: you pointed at that island and told me *go there if you have a storm pop up on you*. What happened? A storm popped up. I was fine. I wouldn't have been fine if I didn't know to go there. Thank you."
It is up to you. You can be the solution. You can be the problem. I like to have a drink. But I don't do it out on the water. I do it at home. Use precautions. Don't overdo it when you are out there. Check your weather. "Keep an eye to the sky". Watch for things that may be popping up on you. Be ready for the unexpected. Get that life vest on if there is ANYTHING out of the ordinary going on. Get out of the open water situation and find cover. If that's not possible, try to get shallow, get all the rods laid down and ride it out.
- The Neil Blog:Football again - September 26, 2022
- Where is Florida now? - September 20, 2022
- The Neil Blog: Chasing September - August 11, 2022


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Earlier this week, Jeff Immelt, the CEO of the US conglomerate GE, was summoned to France's parliament to speak to nervous lawmakers about his company's $16.9-billion bid for the power division of Alstom, the Paris-based industrial group with 86,000 employees. He pledged to French president François Hollande to create 1,000 new jobs in the country within three years of a deal, a key concession to a government fearful about its sputtering economy.
Also looming in the background is Siemens, the German industrial heavyweight. Openly encouraged by French officials, Siemens is mulling an asset swap with Alstom—taking over the French firm's power business, which accounts for nearly three-quarters of Alstom's sales. In return, the French group would take Siemens' transport arms and some extra cash. Thus, the American predator is repelled and two "European champions" are strengthened. Or so some in the French establishment hope.
But it remains to be seen which deal would better protect French jobs. For its part, Siemens says it would guarantee the jobs of French workers it takes on for at least three years after a deal. But the last time we checked in on Joe Kaeser, the CEO of Siemens (pictured above), one of his first orders of business after stepping up from CFO last year was to announce 15,000 job cuts.
This week he delivered more bad news for workers. In a presentation (pdf) to an investor conference in New York, Kaeser said that nearly 12,000 more jobs at Siemens are now on the block. The move, intended to cut €1 billion ($1.36 billion) in costs by 2016, follows a similar pattern to the previous layoffs—removing layers of management and narrowing the focus of the sprawling conglomerate, which employs around 360,000 workers (for now).
The waves of restructuring at Siemens are plucked straight from the CFO playbook, albeit amplified by the German group's immense size. Given Kaeser's previous actions as he shifts Siemens firmly into to cost-cutting mode, the French officials rooting for the German group to win the battle for Alstom should perhaps be more careful what they wish for.


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The Local Government of Villaviciosa headed by Mayor Jose Lagen, Jr. is able to recycle waste glass bottles and plastics with the portable bottle crusher and shredder machine as part of their Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
Jaja Biscarra, solid waste management focal person, said they can make hollow blocks out of the crushed bottles and cushions or plastic dolls.
Biscarra said they plan to build their MRF center out of the materials produced by the machines which will be located in Poblacion, Villaviciosa.
To achieve zero waste, mini MRFs in 8 barangays of Villaviciosa were established with a regular schedule of garbage collection.
Garbage is segregated properly and recyclables are sent to the MRF. Recycling through the MRF machines are done twice a month by the MRF operator.
Biscarra said all dumpsites are closed to encourage the people to have their own compost pit for kitchen wastes.


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"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name." Hebrews 13:15
When is praise to God a sacrifice?
It is a sacrifice when I feel like complaining about my circumstances, but I choose to accept them. If I want to truly praise God, I must be content where He has placed me, trusting that He has a reason for my challenging circumstances.
"Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be" (James 3:10).
It is a sacrifice when I feel justified in holding on to a hurt, but still choose to forgive. A heart that truly praises God must release past hurts to live in the freedom of God's love.
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).
It is a sacrifice when I want what I want, but choose to be happy with what He gives me. Accepting the resources God has given me makes me grateful for all that comes from His hand.
"When you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things" (Psalm 104:28b).
Praising God means we sacrifice our right to hold grudges and to choose our own paths. We lay down our wants, desires, and hurts on the altar to die. True praise comes from a grateful heart, which comes from someone who gratefully acknowledges the sovereignty of God in his or her life.
Lord, help me be grateful for what you have given me. I praise you, Lord, because you give me good things. Amen.
By Debbie West
Used by Permission
If you don't have a relationship with Jesus, you can learn how to start one at this link:
Email Visitors, please visit our webpage to leave a comment. We warmly invite your thoughts on this devotional.


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|Posted on April 17, 2014 at 9:50 AM
A lump-sum subsidy has NO EFFECT on a firm's level of output because a lump-sum subsidy does not change marginal costs. It reduces the firm's fixed costs and therefore shifts the average total cost down. This will increase a firm's economic profits, but not change output. If you see lump-sum subsidy or tax, DON'T CHANGE OUTPUT!
AP Microeconomics Unit 2 Product Markets
Categories: AP Microeconomics, Micro Unit 2 Product Markets
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text: Nothing lifts the level of your thinking, or the thinking of a group, like a good question. I've just started reading "The HEAD Game", by Philip Mudd (Liveright Publishing, 2015) – a book about decision making. He says the start of good decision making is to ask the right question. This has got me thinking about other places where asking … Read More


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Note: These views are not expressive of Chess^Summit's opinions of the World Chess Championship, only the author's
When I first heard the rumors that the World Chess Championship would feature Carlsen and Karjakin playing on some busy avenue in Manhattan, with glass windows so that average people could see them battling it out over the board, I was excited. I wanted people to see how amazing chess could be, how thrilling it was to watch one of the biggest chess events of the year. I should have realized that this idea AGON was considering was too good to be true.
The actual venue, the Fulton Market Building, came as an extremely huge surprise for me. I have been going to South Street Seaport my whole life and visited in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. It was restored beautifully, but I felt that it was not busy enough to hold an event that chess fans desperately hoped would encourage more popularity for the game. I even visited the area a week or so before the match was scheduled to be played.
I did not see anywhere that the match could be held as there was a lot of construction going on around the Fulton Market Building, but I found out where the entrance was when I arrived on November 10th.
My first thoughts upon entering the building were that it was small but sleek and modern looking. The windows displayed the Brooklyn Bridge in all its glory, contrasting against the bright sky and the river.
November 10th was the press day, and it was quite fun being one of the first people allowed into the venue.
Of course, it was quite obvious from the beginning that the spectators' area was goin
g to be a huge problem. I imagined that ticketholders would be able to sit in a theater and watch the players behind glass, like I had seen in Pawn Sacrifice. At the very least, I expected chairs and a large room where spectators could go in and out freely. What we got was chess fans crowding around a glass wall, no seats nor order to who could be in the front, who could see. Eventually, each person was assigned a fifteen minute time slot of when they were allowed to into the viewing room, which was absolutely ridiculous. Fans paid expecting to actually have the privilege of seeing Carlsen and Karjakin play, not for fifteen minutes but for a full four hours, five hours. It seemed that chess fans paid $75 each game to sit outside of the glass wall room and watch the game on screens, which they could have done in the comfort of their own homes.
Other complaints included an insufficient amount of chairs and tables in the playing area next to the chess café were raised by every chess fan I was able to talk to. It was often hard to snag a seat and get a good game going. I saw kids with their own sets playing on the floors surrounding the area and realized that overall, there was enough room to include more tables and chairs that chess players desperately needed.
The biggest problems in the venue were most prominent on the second day of the match when hundreds of fans showed up. The line to enter the venue ran around the corner of the building across the street. I was excited to see this at first. So many people showed up simply for chess! Inside, I instantly recognized that the venue was simply too small to fit everyone. The line to enter the viewing room was too long and the atmosphere not only included excitement, but also annoyance. This should not happen at a World Chess Championship match.
Despite all these issues, it is probable that AGON had some serious issues securing a building to host the event. There have always been hardships getting sponsors and venues even for the most prestigious events. It was certainly better than some choices. For example, The Trump Tower, which had been under consideration as a possible venue, wouldn't have worked, as the presidential election finished just around the time the match started. Protests raging around it would have most likely prevented the event in some way. I commend its efforts to popularize chess by choosing the historic spot, but I am unsure it was the best it could do.
On the value of seeing the match live, for the high price, I would not have been able to attend the match every day. Some loyal fans traveled all the way from Norway to cheer on their hero and there was no shortage of fans from various states such as Ohio, New Jersey, and Virginia. However, many were left in the dark, unable to afford the steep VIP tickets that went for hundreds of dollars or just the general admission tickets. No matter what, though, many rounds were sold out. I caved in—the first World Chess Championship on American soil since I was born was an experience I could not miss. In the end, chess fans generally agreed and the match attracted over 10,000 fans who decided it was worth it to see the match live.


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Predictions, Hope and Glory of Pakistan Future. All Times Columns, Books Excerpts, Videos Collection. A Destiny for Pakistani Patriots (God bless Pakistan)
May 28, 2011
May 25, 2011
Din Badalne Wale Hain...(Oriya Maqbool Jaan)
Naimat Ullah Shah Wali Predictions (Days are going to change)
English Translation of Predictions Part (Highlighted in below Article):
Perhaps that time is near when hypocrisy and two-facedness is going to be eradicated from this land (Pakistan). I have mentioned Naimat Ullah Shah Wali predictions many times. These are written in 548 Hijri and came true word by word till now. I am concluding this article on his few verses (asha'ar), translation is like this:
"An upheaval (disturbance) will occur in Hindustan and turbulence & disorder will start on earth. At the time of this disturbance, Kafir (non-believers) will tyrannize and oppress Muslims to high extent. Then God's kindness (grace) will appear on western part (Pakistan), practical people will come into view. A lot of war ammunition will be available. People from Arab, Iran and Middle East will come quickly. Arabs from mountains and forests will also come. Flood of fire will flow everywhere. Regions Chitral, Nanga Parbat, China, Gilgit and Tibet will become War zones. Turkey, China and Iran will join and conquer India. Residents of Kabal (Afghanistan) will come out to kill non-believers. Kafir (Non-believers) will make lame excuses. Earth will be shaken like grave by the Ghazis of Sarhad. They will come passionately. This event will occur between two Eids( Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha). River of Sindh will fill three times by the blood of non-believers. Then Punjab, Lahore, Ganga & Jamna, Bajnor and Kashmir will be dominantly occupied by Muslims."
Oriya wrote further:Article published on 25 May, 2011 in Express Newspaper.
What is the reality and what is hidden in Unseen (ghaib), God knows all but the feeling says that the region which gave fragrance to Holy Prophet (PBUH), it's days are going to change.
May 22, 2011
Dua of Ghazwa-e-Ahzab (The Battle of The Trench Prayer)
All Pakistanis Are Requested To Read This Prayer Daily
Below Prayer was told by Holy Prophet (PBUH) during Ghazwa-e-Ahzab (Khandaq) to Muslims when they were surrounded by extreme hardships and enemies. Due to 'Fazilat & Barkat' of this Prayer Muslims remained victorious in that battle.
It is requested to All Pakistanis to read this 'Dua' many times a day, print this or read online, Insha'Allah Once again, God's help will appear & threats to our country will fade away soon.
Also listen the audio of Syed Sarfraz A. Shah about the Fazilat of this Dua below.
Dua provided by Syed Sarfraz A. Shah (http://qalander.org/Dua-Al-Ahzab.jpg)
Please Read Durood Shareef atleast three times before this Dua
Dua Al-Ahzab
(Click Image to Enlarge)
Spirtual Scholar Syed Sarfraz A. Shah recommending this Dua during his lecture, also describing its benefits in difficult times
Other Prayers are also told by Holy Prophet (PBUH) in that Ghazwa. Please visit below post to read a short Dua
May 20, 2011
Hazrat Naimat Ullah Shah Wali (R.A.) Predictions (Book Deeni Dastar Khawan: Jild 2)
Moulana Naimat Ullah Shah (R.A.) Ki Paishangoiyan
According to first paragraph of below excerpt,
"Naimat Ullah Shah (R.A.) Qaseeda was published in 1948 after creation of Pakistan in some newspapers of Lahore. After this, it was published many times with more or less same verses (asha'ar), but these verses can't be verified, God knows Best. Here it is presented for the interest of educated people. Original manuscript is in Persian, here it is translated to Urdu"
No other reference found on internet about Book: Deeni Dastar Khawan, Jild 2. If some reader finds a reference about this book, Please post a comment below.
May 17, 2011
Awaited Leader (Allama Iqbal's Prayer & Prediction)
Allama Iqbal's Prayer to Holy Prophet (PBUH) For A Leader
A Leader will come in future as a result of Allama Iqbal's Prayer. In 1936, Allama Iqbal prayed to Holy Prophet (PBUH) for that Leader and In 1938, Iqbal forecast that a Leader will appear to guide the nation to its destiny
From Persian Books of Allama Iqbal. (Please read the complete post)
1. To The Prophet (PBUH):
First read that Prayer from Book 'Pas Che Bayad Kard: What Should Be Done' (A Persian Book published in 1936), Prayer has 62 verses/ashaar, Only 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th and 32nd are mentioned here.
urdu and english translations are below each verse
To The Holy Prophet (PBUH)
Say: Get up at my order and quicken,
revive in his heart with the cry: Allah Hu, (Give him Life)
revive in his heart with the cry: Allah Hu, (Give him Life)
We are all under the spell of Western culture,
And are martyrs at the altar of the Franks
And are martyrs at the altar of the Franks
From that nation whose cup is now broken (Lost his path),
Produce a Single Man who is God enthusiastic.
Produce a Single Man who is God enthusiastic.
So that the Muslim should learn to see himself again
And look upon himself as the respectable of the whole world
And look upon himself as the respectable of the whole world
The whole universe revolves round you.
I entreat a look of mercy from you.
I entreat a look of mercy from you.
Read Complete Prayer at (Pas Che Bayad Kard-14) Dar Huzoor Risalat Maab (S.A.W.)
2. From This Dust A Rider Comes, Do You Know?
Now Read Allama Iqbal's Forecast (Prediction) from Book Armaghan-e-Hijaz Farsi, about that Great Leader which will eventually appear to guide this country. As part of Complete Poem Huzoor-e-Millat, this sub-poem has ten quatrains, five are mentioned here. (Read Complete Poem here)
From This Dust A Rider Comes, Do You Know?
How lucky and happy would be that era/time,
When a rider (Muslim Leader) will born from my own clay
When a rider (Muslim Leader) will born from my own clay
How lucky a nation who is captured by difficulties,
Because from its heart (inner) A Great Leader will born.
Appearance of That Great Leader is a secret of secrets,
Because every dust doesn't have that Leader
His glance would fill up the empty bowl,
He runs the will's wine in vine's veins whole.
His storms and gales are a God gift free,
He made a small brook, 'rival of sea.
(1) 'His glance'; viz, of that Leader
(2) Empty bowls; from love of the Prophet and mankind.
(3) Will's wine here it means new hopes.
(4) Storms verve and vigor of love and cravings.
(5) A brook; a small nation.
(6) Sea a big power.
The caravans reins he would take when,
He gives vision taste to each hidden then.
He makes so much bare the heavenly hosts
That all nine skies would be tinder his force
My heart thus says that the hero (Great Leader) will come who will hail the wealth
At the time of death, I heard the voice from Sky that after me, the Leader will surely, come
Armaghan-e-Hijaz was the Last book of Allama Iqbal, published in Nov 1938 after Allama Iqbal's death (April 1938). Armaghan-e-Hijaz (Gift of Hijaz or Gift for Hijaz) was the book which Allama Iqbal desired to take to the ROZA-E-RASOOL (SAW) as a Gift but .....
This Faqeer's last time has come so near,
May come or not secrets seer
May come or not secrets seer
From: Armaghan-e-Hijaz: Huzoor-e-Haq
(Khuda Ki Bargah Mein)
May 14, 2011
Ghazwa-e-Hind Dream (Intezar by Haroon ur Rasheed)
A Dream about The Battle of HindSecond time Haroon ur Rasheed mentioned about Ghazwa-e-Hind Dream told by his neighbour Muhammad Azam/Azeem. Read first column published on 19 Feb, 2010 at Jo Allah Ke Noor Se Dekhte Hain
Published on 14 May, 2011 in Jang Newspaper
A Leader who will break the chains of slavery (by Oriya Maqbool Jaan)
Zanjeerain Tootne Wali Hain: Oriya Maqbool Jaan
English Translation of Predictions Part:
"Time has come for Naimat Ullah Shah Wali's predictions. Saints (Gifted people by God) are seeing an individual who will become the center of hopes, prayers and wills of this nation very soon. The war that is going to be imposed on us requires such a commander in chief. That Leader is being awaited, Days for happy news is coming. Allama Iqbal told about that Leader long time ago as 'That Man is coming who will break the chains of slaves, I am looking him from top windows of the prison's wall' "Published in Express Newspaper on 11 May, 2011
May 09, 2011
Khof Ya Khushkhabri (Article by Oriya Maqbool Jaan)
Fear or Happy News (Reward for True Believers is Near)English translation is below
Article starts with the history of Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, his early life and events as mystic, Spiritual Leader and struggle for Muslims against Israel.
English Translation of Last Paragraph (Predictions Part):
"Spiritual Leader and Saint Sheikh Ahmad Yasin of Palestine told before his death (Martyred in 22 March, 2004 by Israeli gunship helicopters) that I have been told in dream that I will die as Shaheed, but next many years will be very difficult for Muslims, they will get assassinated in every country and every place, millions of people will be died in next years. In year 2010, God will accept their sacrifices, and time/circumstances will start to change. Whole Muslim Ummah will get excellent Leaders which will make Muslims honorable globally. But before this, the traitors, hypocrites and thieves (who sold the honor and dignity of muslims) will get worst punishment from this Ummah.Oriya Maqbool Jaan continued with the predictions of Astrologers and fate readers and said, "90% of whole worlds leadership will start to change or destroyed in 2010, new people will come on scene …Lastly he said , Its fear for some people but for true believers it's a good news." Article published in 27 March,2010 in Express Newspaper.
May 07, 2011
Providential Factor And Pakistan (Book: Talash by Mumtaz Mufti)
May 04, 2011
A Lesson from Ghazwa-e-Khandaq (Hardest Time on True Believers)
Ghazwa-e-Khandaq's Lesson for All Pakistanis
When God's Help Appeared after Extreme Hardships and Testing of True Believers of Islam
1. Book: Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtoom - A Seerat-Un-Nabi (S.A.W.) BookExtreme difficult times on True Believers during Ghazwa-e-Khandaq(trench)/Ahzab, Identification of Munafiqeen (hypocrites), and Finally God's Help For True Believers
2. Book: Islam aur Asar-e-Hazir (Prof. Ahmed Rafique Akhtar)
3. Book: Life of Muhammad (PBUM) (By Shaykh Abu Bakr Sirajuddin)
Author: Martin Lings (Abu Bakr Siraj-ud-Din) embraced Islam and wrote above Excellent Book (Published in 1983)
May 01, 2011
English Translation of Dr. Safdar Mehmood Columns (Predictions about Pakistan Future)
(Literal Translation of Predictions Part of Columns)
[Finality rests with God and Only God knows the best]
Dr. Safdar Mehmood
Read columns in Urdu here.
Ist column was published on 13-July-2010 & 2nd on 15-July-2010 in Jang Newspaper.
1. Dr. Safdar Mehmood first mentions about an astrologer S.B. who lives in Canada in these days but basically he is a Pakistani. When that expert astrologer came back in Pakistan in July 2010, he met with Dr. Safdar Mehmood and told him about Pakistan future. That astrologer said,
"Dr. Sahib, I am seeing some positive changes in sky through astrology, Nature is going to be kind on Pakistan, and Insha'Allah Pakistan's current situation will be changed. Hope and confidence will overcome desperation and the sun of Justice will rise."He further explained,
"Change has come on sky but it still remains to come on earth. In next few months, current political System and Leaders will be replaced. Extremely loyal, honest and capable young people will come into power suddenly (unexpectedly) they will remain as rulers for two and half years, they will finish (fix) corruption, lawlessness and poverty. True accountability will be set up, Stability will come in country, and a new era of prosperity will start. Betterment in economy will also start and Pakistan will get respect and honor at International level. Judiciary will become stronger after some time and Judiciary will become source of better changes. Army will not come at stage; it will work behind the scene"Astrologer is constantly saying those honest and capable leaders as saviors of country, he told more things to Dr. Safdar Mehmood but according to Dr Safdar Mehmood, he will open these when time will come.
2. Second person 'Shah Jee' is a friend & school fellow of Dr. Safdar Mehmood. He is very honest and noble man, and has knowledge of astrology or something else. He also told about the news of Sky.
According to Shah Jee:
"Current political setup will be changed in next few months; a caretaker government will come into power for two and half years. These new rulers will be very honest, loyal and hardworking who will solve problems of the country. Economy will start getting prosper. From the end of 2011, peace and stability period will start in Pakistan. In 2012, Pakistan will rise as stable and financially steady country and will get reputation globally. From July to November judiciary will be pressurized but after November justice and judiciary will rule the country. Government change will come through Judiciary. With the Will of Allah, Judiciary and parliament will rise as strong Institutions in 2012. Also, in 2011, there is a chance of racial riots and bloodshed in America after which America will become weak, and in 2012 America will not remain as superpower and an internal division will start in America."
3. Third person is Syed Sarfraz A. Shah who is a famous spiritual and religious scholar (famous for his Kashf -Influx), he told Dr. Safdar Mehmood that:
"With the Will of God, Pakistan's current scenario will become better soon, Current political set-up will be dissolved and a group of young people, 40/45 years of age, will come into power and save Pakistan from whirlpool or swamp. These young leaders will change the political and financial fate of this country. Peace, stability, justice and prosperity will come in the country. In 2012, America will become very weak and will not remain as superpower and Bull. Pakistan will rise to lead Islamic world because creation of Pakistan is a miracle and God wants to take important services from Pakistan."He told more things to Dr. Safdar Mehmood but according to Dr. Safdar Mehmood, for the time being it's enough for us to think and become happy on Pakistan's prosper, bright, stable and brilliant future.
4. In another column by 'Abdul Qadir Hassan' published on 13-March-2011 in Express Newspaper, Syed Sarfraz A. Shah Sahib predicted about future of Pakistan as:
"A caretaker Govt. will be formed in Pakistan for 2-1/2 years, a lot of good work (correction) will be done during this govt.'s stay and this will be done by very noble (pious & honest) people. After this caretaker govt. elections will be held but these elections will be of 'Selection Type' and then country will start moving in right path.
According to Shah Sahib's Kashf, A war with India will also be fought on water issue during this time."
--The End--
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Celebrating 165 years of continuous practice
The long view | On work that matters
Cate Cowlishaw
Studio Director, Bates Smart
Studio Director Cate Cowlishaw examines Bates Smart's doctrine and how this has underpinned our longevity.
"Why do some companies endure; reinventing themselves to match their times, while others fall by the wayside? Is there an inherent quality that gives them the agility and versatility to continually reinvent themselves?
"Bates Smart was founded in 1853 and as a 165 year old practice, we approach our projects with the belief that the impact of our work matters. We understand that vision today leads to the legacy of tomorrow, and we are continually building on a culture of passion for design and a pursuit of excellence that has typified every generation of Bates Smart.
"We have been fortunate to work with many clients, including some of Australia's oldest businesses, who have been equally farsighted about the legacy they leave behind. Our collaborations with them have given us an insight into the positive impact of longevity and led to paradigm shattering projects such as the Victorian State Library, ICI House, the Royal Children's Hospital and the Australian Embassy in Washington.
"Many of today's successful businesses also aim to leave a positive impact on the built environment. Bates Smart is currently working on a number of tall timber buildings including the tallest engineered timber building in Australia with Lendlease. 25 King, Brisbane, is part of the next generation of workplace that enhances wellbeing and productivity while having a strong environmental benefit. The combination of an Australian vernacular with leading edge technology creates site specific and innovative tall buildings that connect with nature, these will be the landmark buildings of our future.
"The management expert and one of Forbes Magazines "100 Greatest Living Business Minds", Jim Collins, believes every great organization demonstrates the characteristic of "preserve the core, yet stimulate progress".
"This attitude can be seen in the Bates Smart approach to both our projects and our practice – retaining the essence of a typology and a business, while continually challenging and progressing their relevance to contemporary demands."
Read more ...
Transformational Design | The Club Stand, Victoria Racing Club
Amanda Elliott
Victoria Racing Club Chairman
The Club Stand for the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) opened its doors for the first official race, the Sofitel Girls' Day Out on September 15th.
VRC Chairman Amanda Elliott said the Club is delighted that the $128 million state-of-the-art grandstand hospitality facility designed by Bates Smart has reached this significant milestone ahead of its hallmark events in the spring racing season.
"The completion of The Club Stand marks one of the most exciting times in the VRC's history and we look forward to officially opening it to VRC Members and their guests in full for the first time on AAMI Victoria Derby Day."
"We congratulate Multiplex on its success in bringing Bates Smart's vision for The Club Stand to life. The Club Stand is a statement venue that will change event experiences forever and become the setting for the next generation of racegoers to enjoy racing differently," said Elliott.
We look forward to bringing you extensive coverage of the design process and final photography in the next issue of our Journal.
View the drone footage of this impressive new building.
Read more ...
City Making | A vision for Sydney Stadium
Philip Vivian
Director, Bates Smart
Philip Vivian's Vision for Sydney Stadium proposes a new 45,000 seat stadium over Sydney's Central Station railyard.
The Colosseum in Rome established the concept of the stadium as a public space embedded in the fabric of the city; a monumental piece of infrastructure for public spectacle. In modern times however, with the advent of the motor vehicle and the suburbs, stadiums became mono-functional objects, isolated on the periphery of the city and surrounded by car parking.
Today a renaissance is underway, with stadiums once again being integrated into the city fabric and acting as catalysts of urban renewal. Stadiums, such as Camden Yards in Baltimore and Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, are anchors for entertainment districts and have reintroduced urban spectacle into our cities.
The NSW State Government proposes to demolish the Moore Park Stadium and to replace it with a new stadium on the same site.
The relocation of Moore Park Stadium to Central Station Railyards has major public and economic benefits for Sydney and NSW over the NSW current proposal:
1. Public Transport
Stadiums are required to be accessible to vast numbers of people in a short period of time. Central Station is the most accessible public transport node in NSW.
2. Urban Renewal
A stadium over Central Railyards would create an ideal link between Surry Hills and Chippendale and anchors a vibrant new precinct.
3. Major Events and Urban Spectacle
Embedding a stadium in the fabric of the city creates an urban spectacle, enhancing the experience of attending events, promoting Sydney and injecting revenue into secondary businesses.
4. Value Capture
We propose that the development rights for Central Railyards be provided in return for the construction of a new stadium. Not only does this off-set the cost of the stadium to Government, it also provides a revenue generating catalyst to attract further development.
5. More Park for Moore Park
There are benefits for the existing Moore Park Stadium, which can continue to operate during construction of the new stadium without interruption; and upon completion the Moore Park Stadium and surrounding carpark can be returned to public parklands.
Read more ...
Learning from the past to build the future
Through the decades Bates Smart has delivered timeless, yet transformational, designs that have helped to define and shape our cities, both now and into the future.
Bates Smart Directors, Brenton Smith, Matthew Allen and Julian Anderson share their favourite buildings from our 165-year history.
Brenton Smith | MLC, Sydney, 1938
The MLC Building has always been one of my most loved buildings in Bates Smart's history.
It is possibly the most beautiful lobby the practice has delivered – the art deco lifts, the symmetrical movement of the green and brown flooring and the subtle mood lighting creates such a grand sense of arrival.
Matthew Allen | Wilson Hall, University of Melbourne, 1956
Wilson Hall evokes so many fond memories of my early days – it's literally the place where I began my career in architecture. Many of my most significant moments as a student were held in this room – from university exams to my graduation ceremony – I still remember looking up and seeing the striking mural The Search for Truth as I climbed the stairs in my graduation gown.
The building was ahead of its time for an educational institution with its Scandinavian inspired, post-war International style and use of birch timber paneling. I recommend any budding architectural student visit Wilson Hall to see one Australia's great buildings of the mid-20th century.
Julian Anderson | 180 Thomas Street, Sydney, 2014
I started working on 180 Thomas Street soon after we had won the design competition.
Transgrid, a client we continue to work with today, appreciated the clever design concept that overcame the challenge of building a new building on top on an existing core. This allowed the floorplate to carefully cantilever beyond the existing building. The lifts are encased in glass, animating the west façade with light and movement.
It's such a rare yet enjoyable experience to see a project through its entire lifecycle: from design, documentation through to the final build.
180 Thomas Street is certainly a more subtle, diminutive building than many of the other projects designed through our 165-year history, but it continues to be appreciated and enjoyed by all those that engage with it today.
Read more ...
Smart Talks | Sydney
The first of our Smart Talk Sydney series in celebration of 165 years took place on September 11. 'Alpha Metropolis' faced down the future with the help of our 21st century prophets. Special thanks to: David Rolls, Lendlease; Dr Gene Sherman, Sherman Centre for Culture & Ideas; Dr Rebecca Huntley, Writer & Social Trends Researcher and Georgia Vitale, Arup, and our moderator, Philip Vivian.
To kick off the discussion our panel considered the following position:
Our future city needs to be as equitable as it is dense, as humane as it is data driven, an environment in which a diverse population can thrive. Enduring architecture comes from transformative thinking. Like our founders before us, we ask what it takes to create a model metropolis – the next level city that is relevant for the imminent Generation Alpha that is yet to be born and experience their future world.
Read more ...
Bates Smart Timeline
Transformational design; city making; environmental solutions; craft & materiality and redefining density are objectives that have defined the Bates Smart practice and ensured our continuity throughout the past 165 years.
This timeline captures some of the more significant projects from past decades, connects with key moments in history and represents the evolution of the company name. If you are visiting our studios you will see that we've installed a timeline exhibition incorporating our work, from 1853 through to projects that are yet to be built and each defined by one or more of these objectives
Environmental Solutions | Timber Talks
With four cross laminated timber buildings under development in the studios, Philip Vivian and Basil Richardson are preparing a series of knowledge sharing presentations on designing and building with new timber technology.
Both Philip and Basil will be presenting at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) 2018 Middle East Conference 'Polycentric Cities, The Future of Vertical Urbanism'. Philip will be participating in the panel session: 'Tall Timber 2030: Where Will We Be? Basil will presenting 'Tall Timber x2: Towers in Brisbane and Melbourne' as part of the 'Tall Timber: Asia & Australia' Session. The emphasis on timber demonstrates its renewed relevance in contemporary environmental construction.
25 King, Brisbane, shown here, reaches practical completion at the end of this month.
Redefining density through innovation
On track for completion next year, Collins House, Australia's slimmest tower is progressing well with the 57 storey tower now constructed to level 38. Seamlessly stitched into the historic fabric of Melbourne's central business district, the project is a case study on the potential that can be unlocked when we challenge the way we develop our cities.
Read how the technologically innovative construction enabled this project to be built in this essay by Kristen Whittle.
Considered an architectural and engineering innovation, the building, located at 464 Collins Street, Melbourne features 263 luxury apartments with the fit-out of the lower levels currently underway.
The project also incorporates the restoration of the original Huddart Park building, (known today as the Makers Mark building) designed in 1908, transforming the foyer with original details and character of a luxury club.
Read more ...
A legacy of redefining density
Essay by Mathieu Le Sueur
In 1957 Bates smart delivered the first contemporary office building to North Sydney. It represents the largest commercial office building in Australia at the time, and the largest steel structure in the southern hemisphere.
The design heralded the arrival of the new Modern workplace to Australia and stood as North Sydney's tallest commercial office building for decades. Bates Smart is once again building the tallest commercial office building in North Sydney, and how the design will deliver an enduring legacy for North Sydney to last the next 60 years.
When completed in 1957, the opening of the MLC Centre heralded the arrival of the Modern workplace to North Sydney. Designed by Bates, Smart & McCutcheon, it delivered large, open plan horizontally connected floorplates with a detached core, allowing each floorplate to achieve an abundance of natural light with no 'C' grade commercial office space – exceeding standards achieved by most Premium and A grade commercial office buildings constructed today. For decades it stood as the tallest building in North Sydney and gained many pioneering accolades during its construction, including the first use of curtain wall façade in Australia, the first use of modular steel prefabricated units, and on completion was reported to be both the largest commercial office building in Australia at 42,000 sqm in addition to the largest steel structure in the southern hemisphere.
The legacy of Bates Smart delivering large contemporary workplaces in North Sydney continues. In 2016, Bates Smart designed 177 Pacific Highway, a 31 storey A grade commercial office building of 45,000 sqm with North Sydney's first public Wintergarden at its base. This building achieved the new maximum height in North Sydney of 195 metres; without any overshadowing of the public domain. And this year in 2018, construction is proceeding rapidly on 1 Denison Street, a 60,000 sqm premium grade commercial office building that will once again set the height record of 212 metres.
Prior to Bates Smart's involvement, 1 Denison Street had an approved DA with a stepped envelope achieving 45,000 sqm of NLA and a height of 177 metres. Bates Smart started the design afresh with a softened form incorporating a distinctive gentle taper. The taper is a fundamental driver of the design enabling the building height to be increased by 35 metres, with an additional 15,000 sqm NLA to be achieved, while increasing building separation to the adjacent residential building. Nine Entertainment Company (Channel 9) quickly signed on as the anchor tenant and the design was amended to include television broadcasting studios to enable them to relocate their headquarters.
Densification of North Sydney is being supported by massive State and Local Government infrastructure and public domain initiatives. The new Victoria Cross metro station will be immediately adjacent, transforming accessibility in the precinct, while Denison Street will be closed to traffic as part of the North Sydney Laneways Masterplan. 1 Denison Street will complement the Council's vision creating a new through site link at ground level, in addition to lining Denison Street with active food and beverage uses with outdoor seating spilling out into the new pedestrianized public domain.
Read more ...
Craft + Materiality | 161 & 171 Collins Street, Melbourne
Grant Filipoff
Associate Director, Bates Smart
Collins Street, Melbourne's most famed and highly sought-after address for premium retail, commercial workplaces and dining experiences, is the location for two of Bates Smart's most resolved atriums, situated at 161 Collins Street and 171 Collins Street.
Both buildings are designed with lobby areas that provide an abundance of light, via atrium spaces, and create a sense of connection for the occupants, using carefully selected materials to set the mood.
However, each space evokes varied outcomes for their respective buildings.
Considered one of Melbourne's most beautiful buildings, the T&G Building, at 161 Collins Street, is now complete following a two year-long upgrade working with developer, Pembroke.Bates Smart Associate Director, Grant Filipoff explains: "161 Collins Street offers an activated space that is inviting and engaging. Due to the sheer scale of the floorplate, it was important to find opportunities to activate the ground floor plane, in particular the central atrium, to encourage movement and the use of this space by tenants."
Grants adds that the lobby is broken up into three distinct zones within the floorplan and articulated using different materials. Bluestone is applied to the lower ground floor continuing the laneway experience from Flinders Lane into the auditorium space. The main circulation area off Collins Street features marble, while the atrium space features a combination of honed marble, natural timbers and brickwork, signaling a transition into a more outdoor experience.
"The outdoors has been brought into the central atrium to create an oasis-like experience for the occupants, with planting introduced to offer a calming effect."
"The combination of materials including timber, brickwork, paving, and careful selection of furniture with various textures including soft fabrics and leathers, enhance the outdoor experience and brings warmth in the atrium space."
By contrast, the 171 Collins Street tower is set behind the historic Mayfair building. Designed for Cbus Property, and completed in 2013, the atrium provides a calm space, encouraging respite from the bustling activity of both Collins Street and Flinders Lane.
Upon entry, visitors are greeted by beautiful travertine-clad walls, black steel detailing, and a stunning nine-storey glass atrium that filters natural light, creating both a dramatic focal point and a calming atmosphere.
As Grant explains, "The design carefully connected the two buildings with an atrium housing the concierge and waiting lounge while also performing as a transitional space for tenants to experience between the two buildings. It's a juxtaposition to 161 Collins Street where there is deliberately limited seating to encourage occupants to flow through." Each share common qualities, housing some of Australia's most significant corporates including Google, Treasury Wine Estates and BHP Billiton.
Read more ...
Smart Talks | Melbourne
A lively panel discussion around the subject of preservation versus progression took place in Bates Smart's Gallery space in Melbourne on September 5. The discussion was broken into three main viewpoints from a heritage perspective – the individual's own favourite buildings, a sample heritage building discussion, and the city as a whole.
Special thanks to our panel: Chris Kakoufas, Cbus Property; Peter Lovell, Lovell Chen; Romilly Madew, Green Building Council of Australia; Professor Julie Willis, University of Melbourne and Tim Leslie, Bates Smart (Moderator)
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