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YADA...Yet Another Distro Article
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By mephisto786 at 2006-01-26 07:20
Just what the world needs: another 'How To Choose a Distro' article. And yet, we still read them along with distro reviews, not so much for information as for a sense of how others see the tools we use every day. And in spite of the numerous flame wars which are sometimes sparked off accidentally, I think we can safely say that no distribution is as bad as the alternative. The OS THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED.
The number of people who would fail a spelling test on the word DISTRIBUTION because they unconsciously now mispell DISTROBUTION is growing. So too are the options. This can only be good.
So here it is, another view on distros for new users and users with special needs in Linux flavors. The premise is simple. Since we can only speak of what we know, I'm not going to go into distros I haven't personally run, or at least tried to install. What's more, since tastes vary widely, I'll state at the outset that I like a good looking gui and set of themes. I came to Linux from Windows and tend to favor -if not rely- on KDE as a working environment. Lately I've been experimenting in Gnome as well, but it is by no means my desktop of choice. I use it enough I suppose, to make sure I have Gnome, even on distros where Gnome must be downloaded and installed afterwards, such as Slackware, Mepis and Suse. (Well it is included on Suse, but not installed automatically if you choose KDE.)
I won't go into networking, modems and connections all that much because where I live the internet is still a dicey proposition of very uneven quality and the company that networks the office where I work has done a pretty poor job on Windows, much less adding a *NIX box to the mix. I suppose you could say it's a desktop survey, of distros for use mainly on single machine, whether it be a notebook or a desktop.
I tend to lean more towards a Debian philosophy of Open Source rather than that of an Enterprise or commercial distribution. As a bonus there will be a brief section on Live and Mini CDs, where most of the above rulings apply. The following tend to be in relatively chronological order, which may reflect why some distros seem to work better at different times.
Red Hat 9 / Fedora Core (3)
The first one actually installed was Red Hat 9. With the BlueCurve theming that tries to streamline KDE and Gnome. Immediately after install - and surrounded by massive tomes since Red Hat is a prolific distro when it comes to docs and books- I made do without sound and a few other things. Till I read and experimented and tweaked. Many of the redhat-config tools gave poor defaults if they couldn't solve the problem at hand. A '
sorry, you'll just have to do without sound
' attitude that is not really acceptable given the variety of Linux available. Several weeks into my first distro, I had nearly everything running except usb hardware. And running quite fast. It was installed on a dual boot with XP and never caused a problem in that department. Overall I find that the RedHat theming in KDE came across as old, plain and uninspired. The overall look was cheap when you compare it to XP and even Knoppix gave it a run for the money. Things wouldn't improve after RedHat unceremoniously dropped their community to chase the commercial market. Fedora Core, with more experience under my belt, was even worse configuration-wise and the look just never got past the last Red Hat release. It is misleadingly called a "newb" distro, but it is nothing of the kind especially now with the 'bleeding edge' Fedora line. Why bleeding edge doesn't include better graphics as high as FC 3 is beyond me. I attribute it to the RH focus on servers and now enterprise. They will probably fall pretty far behind as the desktop race continues to heat up. Not a newb distro and not quite the hacker's distro it is trying to be in FC.
That's right, the old elementary school grading system. Which seems as arbitrary and pointless as it did way back then. Not to mention wholly subjective. It is perhaps unfortunate that any deep seated issues and repressed conflicts from grade school days is now wreaking its vengeance on Linux, but, there you have it. :)
No, I won't say Mandriva, because my 10.1 still boots with a Mandrake splash. It is apparently true that they took the Red Hat lead and improved on it in terms of eye candy, an excellent installer and even more excellent partition tool. The more I stuck with Mandrake, the more I found to do with it. Things like usb and sound were eventually fully configurable. Without, I should add, sacrificing the tools that advanced users depend on. Any distro that doesn't include an emacs tool (or at least a variation on emacs like zile) should be taken out and shot. (Thankfully SUSE rectified that error with Open SUSE 10, or things could've gotten nasty. ) It is, in my experience, much more user friendly than Red Hat and consistently so, across a wide range of criteria.
One reason is the Drake tools and configuration Center. A bit sloppier than YAST it provides a central place for users to check into when they wish to make changes in their configurations. Package installation on Mandrake is one of the smoothest and, unlike some distros, does not force you to enter a root password for each individual package. Nor does it expect new users to run the awkward and command-line-only rpm tool that Red Hat still seems to favor. This is a distro you can point and click on till you've got more unix under your belt.
The fact that it is built to i586 arch specifications means it tends to run quite fast out of the box. I would venture to say that without tweaking it is noticeably faster than both Red Hat and Suse.
Drawbacks are also package related and the issue is twofold. One, they have diverged enough from Red Hat to require specially built rpms. Usually recognizable by the mdk in the version name. As a shameless abuser of third party software, I admit that many packages not made for Mandrake do run. I may have also hosed my system more than orthodox users. Yes you can break your system quite easily by such promiscuous package managing.
Problem is, between the overly commercial Mandriva folks who wish everyone would pay up and join the Mandriva Club and the limited availability of some of the newer packages to those who aren't members; it is often easier to try RedHat, Suse and Fedora packages. The last few years at Mandriva have been a classic marketing case study in how NOT to run a Linux distro. Linux is not known first and foremost as a system where a monied elite gets special treatment. Because money is not the issue. Many of us out there, myself included, live in societies where credit cards are NOT the preferred mode of payment, and where overburdened and understaffed post offices are notorious for losing things. Since there are no Mandriva retail outlets where I live (which is the direction Mandriva seems to be heading) I can simply wait for the latest KDE.
Or, and there is an 'or', start using the Penguin Liberation Front which is already illegal in the US. Initially organized as part of an open source solution to the media restrictions on dvds, MP3s and other 'questionable' media practices, it also provides, along with the Cooker project some of the latest and more experimental wares out there, specially geared to the MDK world. An example of poor marketing mars this very useable and popular distro at present.
There are a number of excellent forums and boards for those not in 'the Club.'
SUSE (Open SUSE 10)
Just when you thought Novell was turning this old, German distro into a more commercialized and club-minded version than Mandrake, there was the announcement of Open SuSe – a very Fedora like attempt at giving Linux back to the masses of developers, hackers, techies and generic Linux users who do not want corporate support and did not intend to see their distro turn into a glorified Caldera or Solaris. (Okay, with version 10 Sun's Solaris went open in a big way as well, I'm biting my tongue.)
While there was much to like in the last Pro series, there is even more under OpenSUSE and the more is noticeable and almost always an improvement. Suse 9.2 for example left out quite a few standard Linux packages and went so far as to make things like findutils not part of a default install. And Suse was never known as a distro with overstuffed repos for downloading packages. In version 10, access to a repository is almost unnecessary. I'm tempted to say they got a glance at the Debian 'Popularity Contest' results and made sure to include a number of quirky packages usually found on Debian distros. Suprises like Solar Wolf and Ajunta in addition to AppArmor and the highly experimental Xen Virtual Machine packages does much to reestablish Suse as a cutting edge distro once more.
And there's YAST of course, the set up tool that people love to hate; or vice-versa. Like most setup tools added to distros it can be invasive at times and it tends to run quite slow. Not as slow as old Suse-heads may remember but its not a lightening fast distro by any means. And as you dive deeper into the Unix guts of any system you find such tools can often complicate things and configure things a bit overzealously.
It's too early to tell, but the first reports coming in on the latest Novell incarnation of SUSE seem overwhelmingly positive. This is one of the slickest, user-friendly and full-of-eye-candy distros around and the newfound community might draw in more than a few disgruntled Fedorans and Debian users who just want a system that works. It is ultra newb-friendly as well, with a gui driven install that completes in a little over a half hour. Adding all the goodies you can't live without afterwards can take one to two hours, but its automated and requires little or no interaction once package selection is made.
One nasty habit we hope Suse will grow out of is the crippling of multi-media tools that may lead to patent infringement lawsuits. Why they feel the need to cripple Kaffeine, Xine, Amarok and other players instead of just leaving out the libdecss and w32 packages is anyones guess. Its a situation that is soon rectified by a quick google and download but its one more step in replacing crippled media players with the latest uncrippled ones that seems unnecessary.
There are numerous forums that are quite sophisticated in appearance and function to keep users busy as well.
A bit of trivia: Suse is the acronym for System und Software Entwirklung. German for System and Software development.
Definitely worth a look.
DEBIAN /GNU Linux
Heading into deeper waters now, with this classic distro for politically correct hackers. Still the largest volunteer effort in the Linux world, it continues to set standards and establish precedents. The standard 'stable' distribution can often be recognized since its usually sporting the oldest looking desktop on the planet. When Debian says stable, they're not kidding around. Sarge was considered a tad liberal by Debian standards when it made it through the door last year with KDE 3.3. For most others, 3.4 was already standard. Add to that a packaging system capable of giving William Gibson a wet dream if he knew anything about computers. (The father of cyberpunk got his first computer in 1992, sorry to be the one to break it to you.) That's Debian, or part of Debian anyway...
Free as in freedom is what Debian eats, breathes and dreams. Easily the most 'politically correct' distro in the open source world they struggle to make their system free in ways others never dreamt of. Should anything make a package non-free, Debian will be the first to junk it, even if it turned out to be the linux kernel itself. They're probably the only folks capable of making the GNU and FSF people look wishy washy.
What does free mean, here? Software isn't free if it cannot be inspected, modified, used by poor as well as rich, irregardless of race, creed, color, profession and so on, which does not require internet access, and does not prohibit the user to use the goods in any way he sees fit, which has documentation which may also be reproduced and modified (a major bone of contention with the GPL people at the moment) and whose parts and pieces do not restrict users in any of the aforementioned aspects. Though some packages are included that have restrictions they are clearly labeled as 'non-free'. One of Debian's aims is to ensure that Debian users will not find themselves in a situation where todays software package is tomorrows lawsuit or where a user cannot run Debian if they have one of the 'other' computers whether it be Mac, SPARC or 15 other variations on the word computer. Admirable. Though sometimes this absolutist stance leaves some Linux people wishing they'd never heard of open source. Fortunately, some of the best live cds and the latest newb friendly and/or specialty distros from Adamantix through Mepis, Progeny and Ubuntu are Debian based. They're just not free enough to be Debian, so they become Debian derivatives. One could argue there is a 'Debian' for nearly every type of user.
What? The Operating System? Oh, yeah...okay, hold your water.
Time to say goodbye to warm and fuzzy gui configuration tools. If KControl on KDE ain't enough for you, there's a bus leaving at sundown. Be on it. But seriously, Debian prides itself on doing absolutely nothing that you the user did not specifically tell it to do. It's time now to crack open the books and learn command line and File System Hierarchy. If you have made it past one of the most complex installs intact, and have a running Sarge Debian on your box you can rest assured of one thing: Stability. Nor does stability come at the expense of speed. As a Linux users distro, you can endlessly tweak and fine tune and get things just the way you want them provided you know what you're doing.
If you find yourself drawn to Debian, but feel you need the latest apps and bleeding edge toys, have no fear. Till now I've been discussing the latest stable release. There are two other release trees, dubbed quite appropriately as "testing" and "sid/unstable." Testing is for those wishing to keep up to date without sacrificing too much stability. Those using testing are in essence, working with the upcoming release of Debian, where testing packages that pass muster and prove themselves are eventually frozen into the next stable release. Sid/Unstable is the playground of developers, hackers and the lunatic fringe who are willing to exchange stability for the chance to run tomorrow's system today. But unstable here is a bit of a misnomer in that many Debian unstable packages appear in other distros with lower standards of security, safety and 'open-sourceness'. One is almost tempted to say that a Debian unstable package is still more stable than most other distros experimental releases. This is not quite the Mandriva Cooker. Which is why many Debian derivatives attach themselves to the unstable branch in order to keep ties with Debian and still be able to supply us with the newest toys. Popular derivatives like Kanotix, Mepis and Ubuntu are based on unstable Debian trees.
Package selection? How does (approximately) 17,000 packages appeal to your hoarding and collecting instincts? If it's out there, chances are Debian has it. The full distro comes on 15 cds. Without source code. You want the source, Luke? It's 28 cds. This distro repeatedly emphasizes they are not catering to a market or wining and dining the rich and famous to promote their system, but rather, they exist for the end user. Someone looking for a distro that has it all, often ends up at Debian. Or a Debian based distro.
Quite simply Debian is more than a Linux distro. It tends to become a way of life. I have yet to see any article less than book length cover the possibilities inherent in the system known loosely as Debian. Given the wide range of systems available to you under that rubric, it would be hard to give these guys less than ...
Debian? Thats the Deb from Deborah, and Ian from Ian Murdoch, her husband. He founded Debian.
Debian Deviants: Ubuntu and Mepis
Loyalists will no doubt be offended at my lumping these two together, but they are both based on Debian: one-cd, newb friendly distros, albeit with slightly different approaches. There is much to recommend both but a couple of drawbacks as well.
You can't dislike Ubuntu. The distro with a humanitarian philosophy makes me feel I'm committing genocide whenever I install another system over it. Focusing on simplicity, freedom and ongoing development, it has quite noticeably forked from Debian. They claim their aims are different and there's room in the Linux world for both. The fact that their Debian package compatibility is becoming less and less means you had better love Ubuntu since you will – for the most part – be dependent upon Ubuntu upgrades and repositories. Instead of creating a medium size distro, users are required to decide between KDE or Ubuntu. The desktop receiving most of Ubuntu's attention at present is Gnome. If you want KDE, download Kubuntu instead, or add the KDE metapackage and libs to have a Gnome and/or KDE distro. Even the DVD version seems to maintain this distinction, which seems wasteful since there's room for both on a DVD sized release. I have yet to check out their DVD release but have plans in the near future to see what they're up to.
If you like a small, comfortable distro with regular six month releases, and utilizing a slew of deb tools, Ubuntu is a pleasant walk in the woods. I found running it so easy that I soon grew bored with a *nix flavor where you needed online access to their repositories and even then, some of my favorite deb packages were absent. Very good for newbs, especially in view of the lack of a root account, relying instead upon things like sudo, and if you can find and install it, fakeroot. Don't mix Debian packages with this one though, it is clearly a fork that does not support a lot of standard Debian. Forums tend to focus on the newb experience so its my guess that people delving futher into Linux or looking for system building tools on a larger scale would drift on to Debian itself.
Backed by billionaire Mark Shuttleworth of South Africa and managed by Canonical, this "little distro that could" has come a long way and appears set to distinguish itself as a separate distro in its own right. Its hard to do anything less than wish them well. Especially in light of their advocacy methods, which include shipping out free packages of Ubuntu; all you need is a mailing address. Freedom of a slightly different kind than Debian proper but freedom nonetheless.
is a bit more problematic. Designed as – thus far – a one man distro set to replace Windows on desktops, the one cd install offers a ready to go out of the box, KDE based desktop system packed with tools and apps. They include a number of non-free packages so you have things like Java, Flash and the latest Acrobat Reader out of the box. The apparently non-GPL autoinstall and OSCenter are lifesavers in the sense that, using Mepis as a live cd, you can repair partitions, the Grub bootloader and even X.org rather than face a reinstall. Then again, a Mepis install takes around ten minutes, with a maximum of four or five mouseclicks.
The problem is the distro was apparently at the center of a flame war over this very non-GPLed addition. Although such 'click to install me' style installers are growing, someone depending on Mepis is faced with a very strong "Club" feel where paid subscribers get extra cds and support, and the rest of us must make do with the free download versions of Simply Mepis. Which is no mean offering; it is quite utilitarian and useable and is especially friendly to newbs. In addition, I decided to push the envelop on the Debian compatibility issue and loaded Sarge and Sid into the synaptic repositories. Two KDE upgrades later, it still runs without any of the Ubuntu bugginess. This is deb-compatibility at its finest. Which, to a non-member, is a godsend. I suppose a member might be able to favorably compare Mepis to Linspire and Xandros, which says a lot.
The above mentioned flaming involves GPL advocates, a developer at KDE and, apparently, a lot of nastiness between maintainer Warren Woodford and a developers team leaving one wondering how long they will last in the rough and tumble open source world. Therefore I find myself hedging my bets and not trusting in the system as my default production machine. Emailing the maintainer will get you nowhere and the forum sites go beyond newb friendly and take on an almost cultish, us against the world, manner that does not tolerate criticism and tends to be condescending to those not properly converted and Mepisized. The Mepis .org site maintains a degree of detached intensity while the Mepis Lovers sites are so ultra groupy as to be distasteful. One user described this Mepis cabal as a matriarchy, so if you enjoy asking a question and being lectured to by your mom, this is the distro for you.
Which, at the end of the day, is a shame. The software is that good, and not easily hosed once installed. But since part of the Linux experience is having a community to fall back on and this community feels a bit too Spanish Inquisition at times.
Problem is, no one ever expects a Spanish Inquisition.
These two distros with a their odd mix of pros and cons are – as of this writing - certainly in the running for a usable distro. Should they decide to expand the idea of what a distro can be, they could easily be major contenders.
Yes, those are ominous moody chords you hear; chords that - in movies - usually warn us of the monster's approach. Slackware still reigns as the granddaddy of Linux distros. But why? With a notorious reputation for complexity and a rabid appetite for newb flesh, it is one of those distros that can make virgin Slacker's tremble as they insert the first cd and reboot before an install.
Which is part of the fun of Slackware. Firstly because this reputation is for the most part unfounded. Once you've got your Slackware installed, you are quick to realize that this distro's founding principles are stability and simplicity. Granted, it is a simplicity that means you are editing configuration files instead of clicking on the latest flashy, gleaming Control Center, but it is a simplicity that will forever enable you to get to the root (pun intended) of every other system's quirks and bugs by cutting through the bloat and glitter. Like the famous adage: "learn RedHat and you've learned a distro. Learn Slackware and you've learned Linux". This is not a Windows replacement and the migration to Slackware assumes you have the stamina to persevere and at least three changes of underwear for the trip.
The first surprise – given such a reputation- is that I thought I would boot into a desktop that made Debian Sarge look like Las Vegas. Surprise! The default full install left me slack jawed and staring at a gui that is second perhaps only to Suse in its eloquence. These are all KDE I tell myself, but there are subtle decisions made by every distro as to theming and font choices that are included by default. And the speed, upon first booting into it, is something I usually struggle to attain in other config-tool dependent distros. This is yet another Linux flavor that does not make choices for the user. First boot has you on a command line where you need the magic
command. It only offers a root account and its up to you to - immediately if you're smart -
before you do something dumb. The CD drive, likewise, is only permitted to the root user, till you change your fstab file. Are we having fun yet?
Given all of the above, you may be surprised at the number of new users who start out on Slack and survive. There are a couple of reasons. One, is that it is far more lean and sparse in the world of choices than Debian. You will undoubtedly find everything you need to start out, and more, with a full install of the two cd set. A note to Gnome fans, though. Given the tendency of the Gnome desktop to interact invasively with other DMs, it is no longer included as a standard supported Slack package. There are at present two recommended Gnome releases suggested by the Man himself, Mr. Patrick Volkerding, as compatible with the latest 10.2 release.
I chose Freerock Gnome. And was once again surprised to see one of the nicest and least invasive Gnome desktops, crammed onto 450MBs or so as a single download with scripts for full or minimal install and the option for every other install in between. The fact that this distro was created and maintained since 1992 by the same man speaks volumes. There is little to no development team infighting and the end result is a system with a remarkable singularity of vision and execution that Linux users still rely on when the all the other flash in the pans fade and the *nix cowboys (we don't need no steeenkin' configuration tools!) have restored sanity and order to the anarchic frontier town known as Linux.
Just don't come to Slack with whining and demands and 'but why's'. This is the distro to learn on if it's Linux you aim to learn. Given the intimacy of the development process and the community, there is the sense here that even the Debian folks are too often caught up in the trivialities of FOSS to get any work done on their system. Like the name implies, Slack is a laidback, no-nonsense system if you just read the manuals and learn how to learn as opposed to learning how to click on CHAT ROOM/LINUX and type "I have a question...." This commitment to simplicity and space and the unwillingness to be simply a Window's replacement has, in some ways, made Slackware seem more radical a choice of distro than even Debian.
Where's the name come from? You'll need root to access that one...
Its lonely at the top.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I never said this was another NEW USERS distro article, did I? Partly because many a newb has started on Slackware and floundered with Mandriva, and partly because I'm no longer sure where newb ends and intermediate begins. And there are too many kinds of people coming to Linux for too many different reasons and such a surplus of Your First Linux System guides out there already it made no sense to write about anything other than what I think I know now. I imagine some will find endless cause to flame, and others will wonder how I knew their take on Linux distros, and of course others who will read some or all of this and mutter, "The Web is a vast wasteland." But if we are, as Eric Raymond points out, a tribe; then we need our histories and chronicles and since I can't code worth a damn, I do this.
Stay tuned for Part Two which looks more closely at Live cds, mini cds and flash drive distros; just in case one of your pet Linuxes hasn't made an appearance yet...
YADA: Lives and Minis and Flashdrives, Oh my..... ›
All times are GMT -5. The time now is
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text:
Perfect Picnic Gift Basket
Artisan food carried in an attractive and very practical tote, makes this a perfect picnic basket. The tote comes equipped with plates, glasses, silverware, napkins and a corkscrew. Inside the insulted main compartment we tucked in a California Cabernet, Estero Gold Cheese, Olli Salamini (small bite sized salamis, no nitrates, no hormones, delicious), Italian Olives, Willaimsburg Virginia Peanuts, Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Spread, and Crunchy Chocolate Cookies for dessert. With all this good food and a tote to use for years to come, this becomes a perfect present.
for personal service call 800.350.4437

subset: commoncrawl


text:
At the British Sociological Association Annual Conference (3-5 April 2013, London), I presented a paper with some of the findings from the Lifestyle Migration in East Asia project. I talked about how older British emigrants think about older age and how they will cope with that so far from 'home'.
Lifestyle migration overlaps with well-being migration, in as much as many lifestyle migrants consider the place they are moving to be better for their mental health, and often also their physical health. They have better quality of life, spend more time outdoors, relax more, eat more fresh fruit, are more active and happier.
And, on top of that, many of them believe that the health service provision, – diagnosis, facilities, hospitals, doctors, surgeons, after-care – may be of a better standard than they would have access to in the UK. Of course, in Malaysia and Thailand they have to pay for it, but they feel they have also paid towards the cost of the welfare state in the UK!


text:
This sweet pup above belongs to one of our collectors who recently commissioned a soft sculpture look-alike. We had never made a Tervuren before, so we set about researching the breed shape and drawing up some pattern pieces to work with.
I had imported some long pile honey mohair that I thought might give me a good starting point, but when it arrived it was curly! I needed straight. This was a slight set back, but nothing a good brushing out and careful pattern placement couldn't fix.
We decided to try for a standing up design with the head facing forward. This meant we only needed a single joint in the neck. The biggest challenge was getting the long, fine nose without making her look like a cartoon character. I don't think we got it quite right, but close enough to still be cute.
To give the true Tervuren look, she then needed a lot of trimming and shading. This alone took most of the afternoon today, and many many layers of colour until we got a depth of black that seemed close enough to real. I would have preferred to get the colour darker, especially on the muzzle, but there are always limitations with materials when making realistic critters!
Then finally we had this beautiful lady looking back at us. Her new family have named her Tammy, and she will be on her way to them early this coming week.


text:
Today we have 2 belt spanking updates from Bad Tushy.
First up we have an office scene. A new female employee wants to join the company and is eager to undertake any tasks to show how enthusiastic she is. Of course, the mean boss wants her to demonstrate her suitability for the job by taking an OTK spanking with the hand and the belt. The sexy coed is first spanked over her trouser suit, then her trousers are pulled down and she is spanked on her bare bottom in these movies.
Then, we have a classroom scene. This time Ariel X is the strict teacher who has singled out a very sexy gum-chewing blonde for a spanking. While the office coed is spanked and takes the belt across her bare bottom over her boss's knee, here we have an OTK belting and a standing-up belting. The blonde stands with her hands on her head facing the teacher's desk and pushes her big, plump bottom out for the teacher to strike her across it with the folded, black belt. You can see for yourself in these sample movies.
The similarities between the two scenes are there for everyone to see. It's the "Bad Tushy" trademark spanking of having beautiful ladies together in a scene with the elder one spanking a younger one, with a couple of girlfriends watching. It's a formula, but what a formula. Very sexy indeed and visually stunning with all the bright colours you can see here in these scenes.
There is a skill, a knack to using the belt in a spanking. You need patience and timing and a steady hand to be able to deliver a belt spanking like these two ladies. Luckily no skill what-so-ever is needed to appreciate their handiwork. Watch these two scenes and many more lovely ladies getting a handspanking, paddling and strapping at Bad Tushy!


text:
It's been a real trip going through the DS106 BootCamp. In a mere matter of days, I have:
1) Set up a Tumblr blog – because some quick research showed most people though Tumblr the most difficult blogging platform to master, and I always like a good challenge.
2) Decided I hate the Tumblr dashboard, but not before populating my blog with a fair bit of content
3) Migrated my content to WordPress. I'm only semi-happy with the way it looks; I'm not sure the current theme exactly reflects me, but I value its simplicity
4) Created two animated gifs (oh the frivolity!)
5) Shared, embedded media, added my Twitter feed on it
6) Expressed myself in a way I haven't in years. I'm not a big fan of wearing my heart or mind on my sleeve or anywhere else despite the fact I write for a living
As for my more reflective, philosophical take on the last days – It's the beginning of a journey of self discovery, as cliché as that is. I'm thoroughly enjoying being a student once again, albeit one outside physical confines and I guess that's the beauty of the entire process and a perfect segue to Gardner Campbell's 'A Personal CyberInfrastructure', his videos and DS106 classroom session.
A visual representation of the article:
(Giulia Forsythe)
My key takeaways:
– We're living in the middle of the highest increase in expressive capability in the history of the human race.
– Gardner's own exploration of a personal cyberinfrastructure began with how to extend the structure of the classroom and make it an enduring part of lives.
– And in that, it's not about using the new mediums to tell the same stories; in effect, story-telling can be transformed by the new mediums we have (the animated gif exercise and the setting up of our blogs and using different formats in them are but the first casual experimentation for novices like me)
– The extension of the classroom to the digital space is what promotes an inquiry driven existence. Education is prohreammed for discovery, rather than instruction.
– Hence anyone who needs and wants to Get It, cannot see themselves as adopters of the new capabilities open to us, we must see ourselves as participants and inhabitants of a community, where the act of creating and connecting fuels creation. And to that end, three recursive practices of Narrating, Curating and Sharing is what will keep us straight.
"New modes of communication change what can be imagined and expressed. Any technology gradually creates a totally new human environment. Environments are not passive wrappings but active processes. The 'message' of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs."


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A privately owned family business offering traditional and contemporary funeral services, cremations, and pre-planning.
Thamara Shehab
Thamara Shehab, 81, of Allentown passed away at St. Luke's Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown. She was the wife of Zahy Shehab. Born in Syria, she was a daughter of the late Nasim and Badagh Khoury.
She is survived by her husband; sons Ziad and wife Perla of Bethlehem and Tarek and wife Fran of Northampton; a brother Tamar Khoury in Syria; grandchildren Jonathan, Kevin, Madison, Maria, Melina, Morgan, Aiva and Laith along with many nieces and nephews.
Services: viewing Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. George Orthodox Church, 1011 Catasauqua Ave., Allentown with funeral service starting at 11:00. Burial at Laurel Cemetery, Whitehall. Arrangements by Nicos C. Elias Funeral Home, Allentown.
Donations can be made to St. George Church.


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Choosing handmade jewellery can be tricky, particularly if you don't know much about it. There are many things that you should look for while selecting such jewellery. It's not like about to the jewellery store wherever everything is of high quality (and high price).
On the contrary, it is much more fun, much more cost-effective, and much easier to wind up with something that's going to wind up in the trash in a week. Thus, you would like to use caution in making your shopping for selections so that you're not throwing money down the drain.
One of the most important factors in selecting handmade jewellery or leather bracelets for women is quality. Quality refers to the appearance and also its durability. Some jewellery is made by welding pieces together. Others are made with epoxy or glue. Still other items are made with neither of these things; rather use a method called wire wrapping to make the jewellery.
In addition to the technique utilized to create the jewellery, you would like to contemplate what the handcrafted jewellery is made of. What type of metal is it? What type of beads is utilized in making the jewellery? These are vital questions to ask. The more durable or precious the metal the better off you will be with the piece. Additionally, you want to avoid plastic beads.
Obviously things manufactured from plastic or with epoxy or glue won't be of fine quality. If you purchase these items at all you must not pay a lot of for them. However, many of us don't understand that wire wrapping is of upper quality than welded items. This is often the result of the attachment could return loose over time or with the incorrect style of pressure. Wire wrapping on the other hand will last for hundreds of years.
Another factor to contemplate is what's going to be needed to care for the piece. The piece shouldn't need any special care directions, particularly if you're obtaining it for a girl. This leaves out silver as it should be kept in an air tight area and be polished from time to time. Copper may be an unwise selection, because it develops a coating over time and should even be cleansed specially. However, galvanized metal or wire may be a nice material for those that will wear it. It has no special care necessary, and may be cleansed using regular soap and water if it becomes dirty.
Consider Allergies
If you or the people you're shopping for jewellery for have allergies to sure metals, you may need to be very careful in selecting your handmade jewellery. Most handmade jewellery is made of "fake" metals like galvanized metal. However, these people might not need a chunk of gold jewellery either. Generally those with metal allergies are fine with copper or fine silver jewellery. Search for handmade items with these metals if you're unsure about metal allergies.
Lesebi is your one-stop solution for handmade jewellery, leather bracelets for women, handcrafted Jewelry . Contact us now and gather all the necessary information about our services. Call us right now!


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She's a Sports Illustrated model, is married to EGOT winner John Legend, has over 21 million followers on Instagram, and is worth $13.5 million. Even so, is no secret that Chrissy Teigen is the most relatable celebrity.
Aside from the fact that Mrs. Legend is the realest person on Twitter—and also the most hilarious—, her self-deprecating unedited, filter-less pictures are proof that despite living the glamorous life of a celebrity, Chrissy Teigen is all of us.
Whether she's stuffing her beautiful face with carbs or she's gloriously showing off her stretchmarks, Chrissy is never afraid to reveal her strange and quirky side. Which, consequentially, makes us love her even more.
In honor of the funniest, sexiest, most entertaining woman's 33rd birthday, here are 16 pictures that prove Chrissy Teigen is the most relatable celebrity of all. Click through and see by yourself that this literal Legend is just like the rest of us.


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Beethoven Festival Hall
Bonn, Germany, 2014 - 2015
- Client: Deutsche Post AG
- Timeframe: 2014 - 2015
- Use: Culture / Education
With a view to strengthening the City of Bonn, Deutsche Post, Telekom and Postbank together aspired to the construction of a new Beethoven Festival Hall. The new concert hall was to be the main venue for the annual Beethoven Festival. As such it had to meet the very highest acoustic and architectural standards. It was also meant to be the home of the Bonn Beethoven Orchestra. Integrating the existing, heritage-listed "Beethovenhalle" represented a particular challenge of the competition. On account of changes to the framework conditions the project was put on hold after this was completed. After a break of several years a second competition subject to changed framework conditions was held (a different construction site), which AS+P once again prepared and supervised.
On behalf of Deutsche Post AG, AS+P delivered a different layout for the project, taking the acoustic requirements and concert hall technology into special consideration. AS+P coordinated this layout and the competition assignment with the client, the City of Bonn, as well as representatives of the various users and the designated operator. AS+P also assumed responsibility for preparing and staging the architects' selection procedure and for subsequently coordinating the detailed revision (coordinated draft) of two finalists' entries with regard to the preparation of a general contractor's calculation and a final selection decision. In addition, AS+P conducted a detailed construction cost examination/test calculation, which was confirmed by two independent general contractor calculations.
On account of the changes to the framework conditions (reduced budget, lower construction volume, different construction site) the development and coordination process for the layout and facilities had to be repeated in full for the second competition. In this AS+P incorporated the experience it gained from the first competition.


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I'll always remember 2018 for being a year of great change. Some good changes and some bad ones too. But in August this year I was hit with a wave of inspiration, something of an epiphany, that made me want to initiate a major change in my lifestyle that I knew was right for me.… Continue reading Looking Back as an Omnivore, Looking Forward as a Vegan
Tag: Lifestyle
The Road to My Home: Four Years On
On the 17th of April, 2014, my life changed forever. That day was the end of a long and hard battle to buy my first home. I had plenty of challenges along the way and for many, buying your first home is a true cause of celebration. However, for me there was a very deep… Continue reading The Road to My Home: Four Years On
Chun-Kees: My Love for Chunky Knits
Note to readers: I am no longer actively serving as a brand rep for Chun-Kees, but I still didn't want to delete this post. I am keeping it up, though removing references to my discount code. Disclaimer: At the time of writing, I am a brand representative for Chun-Kees, which basically means I volunteer my… Continue reading Chun-Kees: My Love for Chunky Knits


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Matthias Lücke
Matthias Lücke is a senior researcher and member of the Kiel Institute's management board, an adjunct professor at Kiel University, and a former senior economist at the International Monetary Fund. He studied economics at Cologne, London (LSE), and Gießen.
His research and teaching focus on migration, development, international trade policy, and European integration. He has consulted widely for national governments and international organizations. Currently, he coordinates the Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM).
Website: www.ifw-members.ifw-kiel.de/Members/matthias_luecke_ifw_kiel_de/matthias_luecke_ifw_kiel_de/view?set_language=en


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The data usage of the modern world is absolutely mind-boggling. We have giant, air-conditioned buildings dedicated to shuffling bits around at high speed. And for what? To ensure that Instagram can tell Facebook to tell its advertisers that you really love rubber duckies.
Vicious truth-telling aside, the infrastructure underlying data centers is based on lasers that are modulated at high speed. Thanks to some recently published research, however, the latest and greatest of the hardware currently in our data centers will start to look very slow. A speed-up of about a factor of 10 may be just around the corner.
Birefringence is your friend
It turns out that the key to making a laser go faster is to make it a bit shoddy. Let's break that down.
To transfer information, it's common to modulate the brightness of the laser light. For a laser diode, this is done by varying the electrical current supplied to the diode. But it doesn't matter how quickly you can vary the current; the laser will respond in its own sweet time. Overcoming that limitation traditionally involves turning the power up, but this new approach avoids that requirement.
To understand this idea, we need to review several concepts. So buckle up and prepare to ride Chris' concept rollercoaster.
The lasers in telecommunications are made from semiconductor crystals. The speed at which light travels through a material is modified by the material's refractive index. Air has a refractive index that is just a whisker over one. Glass is about 1.3, and semiconductors are typically around three to four. That means the speed of light slows down by a factor of three to four, while the wavelength contracts by the same factor.
However, crystals are not perfect. They often have strain that distorts the crystal structure. This means that an electric field along one direction will experience a slightly different refractive index compared to an electric field that is rotated 90 degrees. And photons have electric fields.
Imagine two photons traveling together through our strained semiconductor. One has its electric field oriented horizontally, and the other vertically. They start out perfectly synchronized with each other, but after a short distance they are no longer in sync because one photon is traveling slightly slower than the other. From the perspective of a viewer looking down the barrel of the photon gun, the electric field appears to trace out an ellipse.
If we pass a stream of photons through a polarization filter, which blocks certain orientations, the intensity of the output beam will fluctuate as the electric field traces this ellipse. The rate of fluctuation—how quickly the ellipse gets traced—depends on the difference in refractive index for horizontal and vertically polarized photons (called birefringence). The bigger the difference, the faster the fluctuations.
This has been known for a long time and is generally considered an annoyance. But remember, fluctuations in brightness can be used to carry data; the question here is whether we can turn this annoyance into something useful.
Electrons have polarization, too
To use this system to carry information, we need to control the rotation of the ellipse. That means controlling the number of photons in each polarization.
The polarization of light that is emitted by an electron in a laser diode is given by the change in spin as the electron loses energy. So an electron enters the diode spin up, emits a photon, loses energy, and flips to spin down. Likewise, an electron that enters the diode spin down will emit a photon, lose energy, and flip to spin up. The balance between spin-up and spin-down electrons determines the polarization of the emitted light.
To encode information, the balance between spin-up and spin-down electrons that enter the laser diode should change: say from 75:25 for a logical one to 25:75 for a logical zero. The resulting light polarization would fluctuate as fast as we can switch between these two balance of spins in the electron current to the laser diode.
Therein lies the next problem. The electrons don't immediately lose their energy. Instead, many of them hang around awaiting inspiration before doing so. These tardy electrons smear out the sharp modulation that we put into the laser, and this limits the data transfer rate to speeds that we can already achieve with current technology. Hence, we might put in a stream of electrons that are all spin up. A few of them emit immediately, but the rest first bounce around losing their spin orientation before they emit. The result is a background of light that contains no information, and, on top of that, weak flashes that carry information.
To get higher speeds and clear signals, we need to force the electrons to lose their spin orientation very quickly. This happens naturally when the electrons bounce off the imperfections in the crystal.
The need for speed
To get things to flip spin quickly, the researchers used a laser diode that was… a bit poor. The time that a spin-polarized current would stay polarized was really small, meaning that spin flips happen quickly. The researchers attached the laser diode to a cantilever and bent the cantilever. That stressed the laser diode along one direction, changing its refractive index drastically.
The researchers showed that they could drive intensity oscillations at up to 200GHz, which is an order of magnitude better than previous results.
Sending information is another story, though; the researchers couldn't directly test that. Instead, they used their experimental data to model the laser. With that model, they could see how changing the spin orientation of the injected electrons would change the output of the laser. They showed that for modulation speeds up to 200GHz, information was encoded—in the words of telecommunications engineers everywhere, the eyes were open.
This research will revolutionize short-distance network traffic. Not only do data rates go up, but energy per bit goes down by over an order of magnitude. There is, however, a small issue. At the moment, I don't think there is a single device on the planet that can modulate the spin orientation of an electric current at 200GHz. Photodetectors at the receiver may also need some attention. But those developments are only a matter of time once the underlying technology is available.
Nature, 2019, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1073-y (About DOIs)


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Patrick Antrim is joined with Greg Cole with Conservice and Johhny Hanna the Founder of Homie who is making buying and selling a home simple, enjoyable, and efficient.
Meet the Founders of 365 Connect, Kerry and Melinda Kirby.
Sean Miller, President of PointCentral talks about the future of the connected apartment. If you would like to learn how PointCentral can help you reduce hassle and improve your operating income through smart automation and connected devices visit https://www.pointcentral.com/
Larry Gorman is the Chief Operating Officer for LeaseHawk. We talk about what it takes to build a leadership team to bring on future technology. Larry is a senior technology executive with 20+ years experience building and leading teams to deliver business value through the innovative use of tech...


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Browse results
This chapter highlights the prospects of employing a policy mobilities perspective to advance the study of secular flows across different socio-political contexts. Originating in geography, the policy mobilities literature offers diverse theoretical and methodological tools to study the movement, mutation, and assemblages of policies across borders. Applying this framework to the sociology of religion, the chapter features two exploratory case studies. The first study examines the impact of France's laïcité (state secularism) narrative on the Canadian province of Québec's changing secular policy agendas in the past decade. The second study surveys the spread of "burqa bans"—laws against face covering in public spaces in five European Union countries (France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Austria, and Denmark). Qualitative data from these examples suggest that policymakers and other stakeholders routinely rely on other cases as a reference point, and interact with and learn from their external counterparts; yet rather than a simple transfer, they domestically mobilize such policies in novel configurations. The chapter contends that a policy mobilities outlook holds a vast potential to help the literature go beyond viewing religious freedoms as nationally isolated phenomena, and take into account the globally interconnected nature of historical and contemporary secularities.
This chapter examines the interactive influences of endogenous cultural and structural factors, specifically religion, religious freedom, and Gender Inequality Index (gii) scores on level of commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (cedaw) for 184 nation-state members of the United Nations and then, more specifically, for forty-five predominantly Muslim nations. The inclusion of religious freedom, religious repression, and secular repression in the analysis qualifies previous research results showing significant and persistent differences between predominantly Muslim nations and other nations on gender inequality measures and cedaw commitment. The analysis partially corroborates the earlier findings; Muslim majority nations reveal higher gii scores and lower cedaw commitment. However, adding religious freedom to the data categories shows high gii and low cedaw commitment to be most applicable to religiously repressive Muslim majority nations. Religiously free and secular repressive nations approximate all other United Nations member states' patterns.
Do individual positions toward religious truth-claims matter for perceptions of religious freedom? Relying on a survey of 1,035 university students from Northern Italy, this chapter conducts a micro-level analysis on the social perceptions of religious freedom (sprf). Using a five-dimensional measure of the sprf concept, we find that four out of five dimensions are widely accepted with the main differences occurring between Catholic youth and religious nones. The analysis of religious truth-claims suggested that pluralism, agnosticism, and interreligious perspectives were endorsed in the sample, and all truth-claims positions were selectively associated with religious freedom dimensions. The causal relationship between pluralistic truth-claims and the religious freedom measure is not depicted while atheism, compared to other truth-claim positions, is less supportive to the societal values of religious freedom. Moreover, positive views toward religious diversity have strong positive influences on the perceptions of religious freedom as individual autonomy, societal value, and a human rights principle while neglecting religious diversity leads to the disrespect to religious freedom as a human right.
There is a substantial gap in the literature assessing the experiences and role of organizations with regard to the restrictions of religion. Exceptions exist, such as a shift toward institutional indexes of restrictions or explorations of the independent judiciary in maintaining promises of religious freedom as well as organizations as a potential actor in supporting religious rights. However, others have brushed upon the topic of organizations and freedoms, leaving room for a detailed understanding of the intersection of organizations and religious restrictions. We provide an overview of this intersection through a review of prior literature and original analyses. We begin with an overview of the extent of global regulation of religious organizations. Our second section finds the role of independent judiciaries and free and open elections in protecting religious freedoms. Third, we demonstrate that while international monitoring of religious freedoms is common, it has little impact on reducing state restrictions targeting religious organizations. Finally, we discuss the role of international social movement organizations in promoting global religious freedoms.
This chapter analyzes the interlocking systems of power between the "judicialization of religious freedom" and the regulation of sincerity of belief to argue that an autonomous judicial system is crucial for maintaining religious freedom for niqab-wearing Muslim women. I critically examine three legal studies to explore how sociological understandings of lived religion as practice can conflict with state and legal definitions over what constitutes "religious freedom." I conclude by arguing that the judicialization of religious freedom has become instrumental for niqab-wearing Muslim women's legal claims, access to the rights and privileges associated with citizenship and visibility in public space, while at the same time blurring the boundaries of lived religion and practice.
The multidimensionality of religious freedom and its rootedness in historical, socio-legal and socio-political contexts can be clearly exemplified through the phenomenon of Alevism in Turkey. Alevi culture has an age-old traditional structure, and thus a comprehensive critical approach is needed in the understanding of the ambivalences of ordinary religious belonging, and its transformation through formal structures, such as the European Courts of Human Rights (ECtHR). The effort to define modern Alevism in such a macro process requires a focus on the legal processes, and how these are understood, mediated and negotiated by a diverse group of mystical/spiritual leaders (dedes). The findings of this chapter emerge from in-depth interviews with eight dedes in Turkey.
The scope of this chapter is to question the impact of the Tunisian Revolution in January 2011 on the issue of religious freedom and secularism in Tunisia. To do so, we seek to develop a reflection on the concepts of secularization and laïcité with regard to this specific context and identify the main obstacles that face this country in terms of religious freedom. In the first part, we develop a socio-historical analysis of the organization of the political and religious fields (1956–2011). In the second and third part of this chapter, we present the different changes that have taken place in Tunisia since the 2011 Revolution. First, we focus on the factors that have affected religious freedom, in terms of the socio-legal context with regard to the debates concerning the articles of the new Constitution. Second, we analyze the variables within the socio-political context that have impacted religious freedom and the Tunisian secular model.


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Measurement Service
Our experienced technical team are here to assist customer to understand the measurement application and using our high-end equipment to provide measurement report for our customer. Whenever our customer obtaining a new project with limited budget on hand for equipment, we will always at the frontline offering our measurement service to support our customer in securing projects and results needed.
List of Measurement Services:-
• Video Measuring Machine (VMM);
• Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM);
• Surface Roughness Testing;
• Hardness Testing (Micro Vickers, Vickers, Rockwell, Brinell, Portable,Durometer);
• Metallography – Sample Preperation (Cutting, Mounting, Grinding & Polishing);


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Abundance of Comfortable Accommodation
Complementing iHEAL Medical Centre are three of Malaysia's most well-known hotels ranging from 3-star to 5-star accommodation – all within a 2 minute walk or less.
We understand the effort that comes with caring for a loved one who needs us to be there. With top flight accommodation nearby, that will be one major potential headache taken off your shoulders.
Cititel Hotel Mid Valley (3 Stars)
"Set amid the bustling commercial and leisure district of Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur, the
Complementing the hotel is the Mid Valley Megamall, reputed as one of the largest shopping malls in Asia, offering an exciting and endless variety of fashion, food, entertainment and family fun, along with a wide range of unique promotional events."
"The Boulevard's 390 guest rooms feature spacious comfort in Mid-Valley City. Superior and Deluxe rooms offer outstanding value with a full complement of amenities and services. Travellers seeking enhanced service and amenities may prefer the Executive floors, featuring large rooms and access to the exclusive Executive Lounge."
The Gardens Hotel &
"The Gardens features more than 600 guest rooms and residences, offering the perfect base for business or leisure travellers in Mid-Valley City. Hotel guests and Residence guests enjoy separate entrances and lobbies, with all amenities and facilities shared through connection on the 5th and 6th floors of the hotel. Travellers seeking enhanced service and amenities may prefer the Executive floors, featuring large rooms and access to the exclusive Executive Lounge.
The Gardens Hotel & Residences, St Giles Grand Hotel, is the first hotel in Malaysia to offer a totally no-smoking environment in all its guestrooms and enclosed public areas. However there are designated smoking areas located in the hotel."


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A romantic, relaxing getaway break with your partner, long walks on dreamlike beaches or somewhere warm where you can train. If are leaving that well-deserved holiday until September or October, or just want to take the chance to enjoy the last rays of the summer sun, the Mediterranean islands are just what you need!
With our special autumn offers for our hotels in Mallorca and Menorca you no longer have any excuse. This post suggests 7 autumn ideas for an incredible holiday at the best possible price!
- Romantic getaway break in Palmanova
- Alcudia: the perfect place to train and relax
- Menorca: lose yourself in paradise
- Culinary journey through the heart of the island
- Enjoy nature in Can Picafort
- The last rays of summer sun in Cala Mesquida
- Sport and sun, the best combination in Santa Ponsa
Romantic getaway break in Palmanova
A few kilometres from Palma, Palmanova has the beach, the sun, beautiful scenery, rest and relaxation, fun and games and much, much more. Ideal for a romantic getaway break. Our five-star hotel in Palmanova, the Zafiro Palace Palmanova, gives you the chance to spend a few worry-free days with that special person in your life: enjoying our all-inclusive service and reinvigorating both mind and body with our Zen, Spa & Wellness health programmes.
And to make it even easier, book your flight + hotel package with us and fall in love all over again!
Alcudia: the perfect place to train and relax
The north of the island has always played an important role in the history of Mallorca, and today Alcudia and Puerto de Alcudia offer endless opportunities for sport and for training during an autumn getaway break.
Amazing beaches and coves for water sports, several golf courses and numerous routes for cycling and hiking. Our hotels in Alcudia, the Zafiro Palace Alcudia and Zafiro Tropic have both adapted their facilities and services to cater to the needs of more active travellers. Don't miss our special offers for athletes and come and train in Alcudia. You'll love it!
Menorca: lose yourself in paradise
If you're looking for a holiday for nothing much more than rest and relaxation, Menorca is the place for you. The perfect place to just enjoy the sun and beautiful beaches, long walks in a stunning natural environment, charming little villages and exquisite cuisine. If you want an even more special holiday, Zafiro Menorca in Ciutadella offers everything you need to savour this magical island.
And autumn is the perfect time of year for discovering the island. Sounds good? Make the most of our hotel offers in Menorca in September and October and come and pay us a visit!
Culinary journey through the heart of the island
A coca de trampó (Majorcan flatbread with vegetables), arrós brut ("dirty" rice), ensaimada pastries... fancy trying these local specialities? Of course you do! Mallorcan cuisine is so good that it will stimulate all your senses, and the village of Muro is a great place to begin to discover it all.
We particularly recommend you try the Can Ribera Restaurant by Can Amer. The menu includes a choice of typical Mallorcan dishes prepared by the chef Tomeu Torrens, an expert in combining authentic cuisine with inspired innovation.
The restaurant is located inside the Can Ribera by Zafiro boutique hotel in Muro and also has an outdoor patio for enjoying lunch or dinner in the open air, weather permitting. The region of Muro in Mallorca is ideal for enjoying a quiet holiday at a different pace and full of all the essence of traditional Mallorca. Why not try something different for your holiday this year?
Enjoy nature in Can Picafort
The Can Picafort area in Mallorca is home to two nature reserves: s'Albufera Natural Park and the Son Real Estate. This is a privileged natural environment, perfect for enjoying nature at any time of year. Hiking trails that reach all the way down to the sea, cycling routes, archaeological treasures and fantastic beaches with clear turquoise water and white sand.
Would you like to enjoy this beautiful natural treasure? Our hotels in Can Picafort, Zafiro Mallorca and Zafiro Can Picafort, will provide everything else you need to make your holidays in Mallorca this autumn truly unforgettable.
The last rays of summer sun in Cala Mesquida
Between the pine forests and the dunes, Cala Mesquida beach is an extensive stretch of white sand accompanied by wild natural beauty. Enjoy incredible sunsets from the Zafiro Cala Mesquida Hotel, just a few steps away from the beach.
This is the starting point for numerous island tours to different beaches, natural attractions and historical sites in Mallorca such as the Artá caves, the Drach caves or Capdepera Castle.
Sport and sun, the best combination in Santa Ponsa
Santa Ponsa is a coastal resort famous for its incredible beaches, holiday atmosphere and beautiful natural environment. There is nothing much better than watching the sun set from Santa Ponsa Bay or enjoying the popular Rei en Jaume festival as it fills the streets with colour and fun.
It is also an ideal place for sport: cycling, golf, hiking ... and much more! This autumn, treat yourself to a holiday at the Zafiro Rey Don Jaime and enjoy an enviable break in Santa Ponsa.
Do you think that's all? We have so much more for you! Be inspired by our travel ideas in the flight + hotel section, planning and booking everything for your trip so you only have one thing to worry about: having a great time!
We can't wait to see you at Zafiro Hotels!


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The Importance of Using the Latest Tech in Training
When you are considering corporate training center venues, reviewing the available technology in the space is essential. Tech problems are the bane of training sessions, and if you have technology issues, you could be wasting your investment in a corporate training venue in Houston as well as the time and productivity of your employees.
Technology is important to training sessions in a number of ways. First, if the corporate training center you choose is up to date on technology, then you can rest assured that the system can handle whatever training materials you need to use. This is especially important if you are training employees on new technology you're adopting. If the technology at the center doesn't allow your system to function, you could create more confusion than instruction for your team. Likewise, the latest technology means your training sessions can be as efficient as possible. Any downtime spent rebooting, calling for technical support, and dealing with other glitches is time not well used by your employees.
Setting the Standard for New Employees with Training
It's not reasonable to expect someone to show up to a new job and know exactly what to do without any background. The better you prepare your team, the more successful your operation will be. If you have hired a wave of new employees, you might want to book time at an employee training facility in Houston. This way, you can teach your new hires about what it means to work at your company and how they can succeed, all while minimizing the likelihood of mistakes on the job. Continue reading if you are thinking about using training to set the standard for your new employees.
Understanding Company Culture
Sometimes it's easy to hit the ground running when you start a new job, and sometimes there's a bit of a learning curve. No matter what kind of background your employees come from, you should make sure they understand your main objective as a company, business, and brand. One of the best ways to do this is to assemble all the fresh faces at an employee training facility. This will give your new employees a chance to get a real grasp for what the company stands for and what will be expected of them on the job.
Teaching Employees Essential Skills
During an initial interview with a prospective employee, the purpose is to decide if the company and the person have the potential to work together. For both sides to be successful, your new employees may need to learn new specialized skills. It helps to bring them to an employee training facility so that there are minimal distractions and you can teach your new workers the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed on the job.
Reducing the Chances of Mistakes
Mistakes can present learning opportunities, but they will also take time to recover from. If you want to minimize the possibility of mistakes taking up your time and energy, consider organizing an orientation at a business training facility. The better prepared your employees are from the beginning, the more productive your team will be overall.
The Benefits of Brainstorming at Corporate Events
Some people like to work alone, while others prefer to work in teams. Either way, a second opinion can be helpful in many cases. As a culture and society, we are more connected than ever before, thanks to mobile phones and wireless Internet. This type of connection is extremely helpful in the business world, but it doesn't replace the benefits of meeting your partners in person . If you're working on a project with a few other team members, it helps to work in each other's presence in a business meeting room in Houston. Read ahead to learn about the benefits of brainstorming at corporate events.
Having a business partner across the world can bring some unique advantages to the table, like completely different cultural perspectives. Having a business partner who is standing right next to you, on the other hand, is even more advantageous when it comes to communication. Even with today's technology, long distance communication still suffers its setbacks. This is why there's nothing quite like having the whole team together at a corporate event. You can share your ideas in person, read each other's body language and reactions, and you won't have to deal with any tech-related interruptions.
Advice for Choosing Food for a Corporate Event
Hosting an event in a business meeting room in Houston can be a nice change of pace for your employees, who will be even happier if you feed them. Catering the event helps to show your appreciation for your team, but what kind of food should you choose? You won't want to stuff your team full, and you should offer food that's easy and convenient to eat. This also presents an opportunity to get your employees to eat healthy. Read on for more detailed advice for choosing food at a corporate event.
Don't Choose Heavy Meals
The last thing you would want to do after eating a heavy meal is get back to business—you'd probably much rather watch television and take a nap. When it comes to choosing food for the event at your conference venue rental, do your best to keep it light. You don't want your employees to starve, but you also don't want them to eat heavy meals that will slow them down for the duration of the meeting.
Keep the Mess Minimal
People typically don't wear their casual weekend clothes to work, especially when they're spending the day at a convention venue. Some employees might shy away from the food if it seems too messy, and they might opt to go hungry instead of risking getting stains on their nice work clothing. Try choosing items that are easy to eat when you order food to your business meeting room. Meals that are easier to eat also make it possible for your employees to multitask and eat while working without worrying about making a mess, which can help them stay comfortable and keep the ideas flowing.
Encourage Healthy Eating
Healthy employees make for productive workers, so it makes sense to encourage your employees to enjoy balanced diets that keep them active and alert. This is why it doesn't make sense to offer unhealthy foods at the employee training facility or conference venue rental. Small pastries like cookies and cupcakes can be acceptable for a light dessert, but try to keep the rest of the food on the healthier side.


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Smart Design: How Design and Tech Will Change The Way We Age
As a teenager, Smart Design managing partner Richard Whitehall was so fascinated by the design of things that he sketched and built his own bicycle from scratch. Then he rode it from London to Paris.
"I was 14 and a member of a cycling club in London. They had a workshop where you could build things so I welded the frame together, and cycled on it for four days," says the UK-born Whitehall. "From then on, I was inspired to think about the possibilities when you design something that works well."
Whitehall now leads Smart Design's team of 80 designers in studios in New York and London. The firm founded in 1980 by chief executive officer Davin Stowell is acclaimed for its work on products, services and digital solutions in a wide range of industries for clients as varied as Gatorade, Hewlett-Packard and HSBC.
Whitehall's particular passion is for finding design solutions in healthcare. He sees an "impending healthcare crisis" looming as demographics change and societies age. "A lot of the work we do at Smart looks at how design can help an ageing population through technology and personalization," he says.
The digital revolution has helped healthcare and pharmaceutical companies devise treatments that can be administered in a more scalable way. Whitehall tries to take his work a step further. Instead of the traditional focus on the treatment of diseases, most of Smart's recent work has been focused on prevention, such as mobile apps that encourage osteoarthritis patients to stay active to reduce the stress on their joints and the need for surgery, or voice and artificial-intelligence powered software that help to coach athletes through training.
To mark Gatorade's fiftieth anniversary in 2014, for instance, Smart worked with the sports beverage company to produce smart water bottles linked to hydration sensors and a digital tracking app for the Brazilian national football team. The bottles contain energy drinks specially formulated for individual athletes based on the sweat profiles and physical conditions tracked by the app and sent to their coaches.
Though his projects often have national or global implications, what keeps Whitehall going is seeing how Smart Design's work can change the daily life of an individual. He recalls a project in which they had to design a self-injecting drug for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: "We interviewed a personal trainer who was coming to terms with arthritis, and he shared a poem about his experience that really moved us," he says. "Little moments like this remind us that we are a human-centered design company."
In his 15 years at Smart Design, Whitehall has seen the firm transition from designing arthritis-friendly everyday kitchen products for homewares manufacturer Oxo, a client of 27 years, to working with pharmaceutical giants such as Sanofi to design treatments and health services for patients, beyond the pill.
"One of the things we see happening is more clients developing in-house design capabilities," he observes. Hospitals now have in-house design teams and design thinking courses have become commonplace on MBA curriculums.
"With everything being digitally connected these days, brands have to constantly update and evolve their products," he adds. But rather than view the phenomenon as a cannibalization of his business, however, Whitehall says it is an opportunity for design consultancies. "Our role as a consultancy is finding places where we can add value, some of that can be thinking about how to create an environment where designers can flourish within companies," he says.
This means advising companies on how to structure internal design teams and establish rules and guidelines for design to be incorporated into the company dialogue and strategy. "This can be something as simple as defining the right project briefs, such as by taking a broader strategic issue and breaking it down into smaller projects," he says.
The common misconception of design thinking is that it is a scientific process, says Whitehall. "Yes, it is a series of tools and processes, but it's more of a philosophy, which has to be learned through experience and working on different projects." Whitehall stresses the need for designers to be patient and evolve on the job, attributes that still matter even though there is a wider range of educational tools available today—from design schools to online courses—and design thinking now attracts the best and brightest people to the industry.
"When we look across the staff at Smart Design, we have people who have moved through different traditional disciplines. Engineers have become design researchers, people from physical design have transitioned to digital design. Every project we work on is a little different, and everyone brings a different perspective," he says.
His own career path straddles the divide between engineering and design. After obtaining a degree in engineering, he studied design at the Royal College of Art, where he delved into the intersection of physical and digital design and photography as a reflection of personality. This was followed by stints in Japan, where he worked for consumer electronics company NEC, and London, where he consulted for companies such as British Airways, before he moved to the US to join Smart Design.
"As we evolve as company and face broader challenges, our capability needs to keep evolving. In the future, the walls of the company are going to be a lot thinner, with people moving in and out – sometimes working in our offices, sometimes in our clients'. The company will be less of an island and more of a network," he says.
"The challenge with that is, how do you maintain your company identity? We have to constantly think about how we train people who come in through our doors, and how we create career paths so they can learn something new on each one."
This often means intentionally structuring teams such that all designers get to directly work with their clients, he says. Each project is helmed by a core team of three, including a creative director who oversees and empowers the team, but all other functions are made up of different specialists "who cycle in and out".
"We don't have a backroom, everyone is in the room with a client so they can understand the whole problem, and everyone goes into the field to observe people using products and develop empathy. That's how designers can learn where different design ideas will work or not – and when do their best work on a project."
He adds: "The real world experience counts for more than anything. The biggest danger is sitting at your desk getting big ideas instead of coming up with products and iterating".


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I. Don't. Know. Where. To. Start. With. This. One. Weezer continue to outdo themselves with...well...in every regard, really. Following on from last year's less-than-rad album Raditude, they've now proved they're as Lost for ideas as anyone (yep, used in the title here, I'm not bothered). Amazingly, this is the new album art. Believe it or not (via Spinner).
Yes. And the album's name? The clue's in the cover, really. Yep, it's called Hurley. Surely there's only so far you can take this? As much as I love Lost, I hope this is as far as it goes. Actually, fuck it, I hope they go on to make a full-on concept album, or more, each about a series of the show.
Er, yeah. Rivers said:
"We just wanted to use that picture of Jorge Garcia's face on the cover. It's such an amazing album cover, and we didn't want to have any other words on it, so we just figured everyone was going to call it Hurley, so that's what we call it."
It's out September 14. Buy it?


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Onion weed (Nothoscordum inodorum) seems to cause problems for quite a few gardeners who are unsure about organic ways to be rid of this pest. I did cover onion weed previuosly in a post on perennial weeds but, as it is a common problem, it might be worth covering it separately.
It is fairly easy to eradicate it from lawns, by keeping grass growing vigorously. Healthy lawn grass will out-compete onion weed in a fairly short time and no other treatment is necessary. In fact, onion weed in lawns is merely a sign that your lawn needs a bit more TLC.
Onion weed in garden areas is an entirely different problem. Because onion weed is a perennial weed, it stores nutrients and carbohydrates in its bulbs to generate growth in the following season, in the same way as spring bulbs such as daffodils. Trying to pull out or dig up these weeds in garden areas results in the parent bulbs releasing tiny bulbs (bulbils) from the base of the main bulb. These grow into mature plants, and all the digging has achieved is multiplication of the problem.
To get rid of onion weed, you have to prevent the bulbs storing food for growth. Onion weed can also produce seed. Cutting off the foliage at ground level will prevent the plants making carbohydrates in their leaves, and also prevent seed forming.
In an unused garden area, you can do this by slashing, or mowing, the foliage to ground level, then covering the area with black plastic for several months. Anchor the edges of the plastic with planks, bricks or whatever you have to prevent it blowing away. Deprived of moisture and the sunlight that enables it to store carbon dioxide as carbohydrates (photosynthesis), the bulbs will weaken and die. Avoid using clear or light plastic, as these will still allow the plants to photosynthesize and, in some conditions, they can actually improve weed growth.
In garden beds that are being used, onion weed is more difficult to eradicate because the bulbils can be released whenever you disturb the soil. Cut off the foliage at ground level with shears to prevent it making food for the bulbs. Then mulch the beds with 5–7 cm of mulch. You may have to cut back foliage several times as soon as it appears. If you do this consistently, bulb growth will become progressively weaker, and you will eliminate the problem without disturbing the soil and stimulating the growth of more bulbs.
When you have a chance to leave a particular bed lying fallow, you can give the bed the black plastic treatment. Onion weed is more commonly found in undernourished soils, or where soil pH is unsuitable for healthy plant growth. Where onion weed has been a problem, check your soil pH, and improve organic matter content in soil to prevent the problem recurring.
Onion weed
Onion weed (Nothoscordum inodorum) seems to cause problems for quite a few gardeners who are unsure about organic ways to be rid of this pest. I did cover onion weed previuosly in a post on perennial weeds but, as it is a common problem, it might be worth covering it separately.


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Paradiso Lost, Salem's private dining club has closed
Bernard Malherbe has closed The Club at Paradiso, his private dining club located in the Grand Theatre at 187 High Street NE.
Malherbe owns The Kitchen on Court Street and has previously owned West Salem restaurants Chickpea Gluten-Free Kitchen and The Crooked House Bistro.
He told the Statesman Journal that he decided to close the restaurant, coinciding with the end of the term on his December 31 lease, in order to free up time for his family.
"I'm going to be a grandfather," he said, "I'm just trying to simplify my life, focus on The Kitchen and create more time."
Malherbe said the decision to close didn't have to do with the restaurant's profitability.
"We had people renewing [their memberships] and wanting to go forward, but I've been doing this for 35 years and I haven't been home a lot. I want to be a good grandfather."
Malherbe took on the art deco dining space from original operators Robert Durkin and Calen Willis in July 2017. Durkin opened the restaurant, then called Paradiso at The Grand, in May 2016.
More:The Kitchen's Bernard Malherbe will turn Paradiso at the Grand into a private club
Once Malherbe took on operations of the space, he shifted the restaurant to a private club model.
Membership to The Club at Paradiso started at $140 per month per individual and $250 per couple, with additional tiers for family and corporate memberships. This fee afforded members key card access to the space food and drink at 20% above cost, meaning, according to membership materials, lunches for $5 to $8, dinners for $10 to $14 and cocktails in the $4 to $6 range. Other benefits, including corkage fee-free dining, discounts on wine sales and use of the restaurant's private dining facility were also included.
More:Gluten-free pasta restaurant, Chickpea, is closed. Here's what's going in instead.
Representatives from the Grand Theatre did not respond to a request for comment about the future of the Paradiso restaurant space.
Malherbe said he still plans to open a West Salem location of The Kitchen Xpress in the Edgewater Street space that once housed both Chickpea and Crooked House.
Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at email@example.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel
Also closed:
Salem's Croissant & Co., Oregon Crepe Cafe closed
Sad news for sandwich lovers, Salem's last remaining Big Town Hero is closed


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Links May 19
Teams keep on shifting Atlanta's Freddie Freeman, even though he crushes the shift. Weird.
The 21-strikeout game is coming. A look back at the strikeout record's rise, going back to 1884 and an jealous teammate of Old Hoss Radbourn.
From The Athletic: Part two of our greatest ever series, who should be in discussion for NHL's greatest player? Is it a one-man race?
From The Athletic: Weird, but I thought Tiger's somewhat feeble "The wind came back into me," excuse at The Players Championship was actually a sign that he might really be back.


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When Canada's parliament in Ottawa was under attack with a shooter on the loose, the media maintained a calm and collective composure, doing its very best to provide the public with information, but were cautious with the unknown details about what was occurring in their government building. At the very same time just south of the border, the US media was already fueling the fire of paranoia and fear of a "new threat" that's just only a country away from the homeland. Both countries reactions to the incident were mere opposite of one another, yet their response to the aftermath showed that both countries are still unable to learn from past mistakes.
It's quite obvious that we will never really be able to prevent a lone shooter from entering a building and shooting people, or a terrorist attack from happening. We can, however, try and analyze the reason for their cause and what drives people to do such things. In doing so we can try and lessen their occurrences. While Canada is facing their own fear of "terrorism" on their soil, the US is still reeling from the fear of spreading Ebola across their own country. The thing to highlight with both countries is that they tend to ignore their actions that led up to the event. Their current plans to extract the problem will do more damage, stripping freedoms for the sake of protection.
In the same week of the shooting in Ottawa, a driver ran down two soldiers in a parking lot in Quebec. The driver is suspected of being a radical-Islamist and had his passport revoked before he could travel to Turkey. Days before the shooting and the hit-and-run, the Canadian government sent warplanes in a bombing campaign to the Middle East in an effort to help defeat ISIS. Both the hit-and-run and the shooting incidences were suspected of being a response to ISIS calling for Canada and other Western countries to be attacked for joining the US bombing campaign in Syria and Iraq. Since the Ottawa shooting, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pushed for tighter anti-terrorist measures expanding surveillance and reducing the amount of evidences needed to use against suspected terrorist.
While there is a real fear of homegrown terrorism, with more people fleeing Western countries to join ISIS, the situation with Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the shooter of Ottawa, has brought to surface that could help explain the situation more fully for both the rise in terrorism and the shooting itself. Zehaf-Bibeau had a history of living in poverty with mental disabilities and drug abuse. At the same time in Canada, as well as in the US, the government has been pulling funding from drug and mental health programs. Focusing on the conversion to radical Islam and overlooking the history of drug abuse and mental illness provides the government with the incentive to boost military and security budgets and continue to ignore the issues plaguing the public. While these two incidences may provide Canada with justification for the warplanes and troops they sent to the Middle East, it blindly puts the country in a situation to feel further blowback.
To stop the rise in radical Islam and high recruitment ISIS has been having, we should look deep into our foreign policies as well as the personal issues each of these "recruits" are living under if we really want to fix the problem. In most cases, most people seem to join in response to the Western military involvement in Iraq. Some also speculate maybe the recruits are attracted to ISIS's use of flashy videos with western media and philosophy influence.
Or in Zehaf-Bibeau's case, it could be out of desperation to have something to live for. As Chris Hedges remarks on his book, American Fascism (which analyzes religious fundamentalism in America),
"Though I was sympathetic to the financial dislocation, the struggles, with addictions, the pain of domestic and sexual violence, and the deep despair that drew people to the movement, I was also acutely aware of the dangerous ideology these people embraced. Fascist movements begin as champions of civic improvement, communal ideals, moral purity, strength, national greatness and family values. These movements attract, as has the radical Christian right, those who are disillusioned by the collapse of liberal democracy. And our liberal democracy has collapsed."
The same can be said with Zehaf-Bibeau's situation as in both Canada and US in the last decade have been more focused on funding further foreign endeavors at the expense of the many domestic issues its public struggles with back home.
Although the US has a more complicated history with the Middle East and in particular with Iraq, the US has been going down a dangerous path with its response to the Ebola crisis. Aside from the paranoia-obsessed news and the lack of information from the US media on the issue of Ebola, several governors and pundits responses to the crisis have been more harmful to fixing the issues than helpful. With the recent quarantines of returning health workers from West Africa, while scientist and the Supreme Court suggest that the quarantines are wrong and against civil liberties, can actually backfire on trying to control and stop the spread of the disease.
As with the case of Ryan Boyko, a data analyst who's been trying to slow down the spread of the disease while working in Africa, returned to the US and tested negative by the CDC and then placed in quarantine without an end date. Without knowing when the quarantine will end, he can not continue his research. Other workers are also feeling the burden of unnecessary quarantines and the public reacts withflagrantly ignorant statements, revealing our media has not provided us with the proper information on how the disease is contracted and how it can be spread. The scientific community tries to alter the damage but only gets belittled or ignored, showing up occasionally on a panel, while pundits, with continuous airtime, continue to inform the public with their uneducated opinions of what to do.
Our lack of response to the beginning spread of Ebola was sad enough and our reaction to the fear of the disease coming only after a US citizen got the disease was even more appalling. While we hesitate to have soldiers go to West Africa to help the situation, we mistreat the workers returning. In a striking comparison, Cuba, who has always been at the forefront of educating and sending doctors to struggling countries, is sending doctors to the country without fear or protest. Aside from the many faults in that country, their response to desperate needs of human beings in other countries has had them react in a way that is helpful in preventing further spread and stopping the disease in its tracks.
While the US and Canada are facing challenges and both countries are reporting on the ground differently, their initial reactions have been identical. We must be cautious in how we attend to these issues. As Canada's media showed us in the following hours of Ottawa, we need to be calm and collective, and approach the issues with a seriousness that will help us assist the problem rather than make it worse.


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Andre Johnson — who's known by his rap persona Christ Bearer — took drastic measures in the early morning hours on Wednesday, in an apparent suicide attempt.
In the past, Johnson has been affiliated with iconic rap group the Wu-Tang Clan; a member of the rap group Northstar that was discovered by Wu-Tang member the RZA back in 1998. The producer backed the duo for their 2004 debut album, "RZA Presents Northstar."
So, what exactly happened? Apparently, Johnson cut off his, uh 'johnson' before jumping from the balcony of his second-floor North Hollywood apartment in what seems to be a bizarre suicide attempt. Emergency workers found Johnson laying on the ground in a pool of blood. The rapper was then rushed to was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition.
The severed penis was also transported to the hospital but doctors were unable to reattach it. Johnson is now in stable condition.
A report says that Johnson's neighbors witnessed Johnson get back on his feet after jumping from his balcony a little before 1 AM. It was also reported by neighbors that there weren't "any hard drugs that would cause him to do such a thing" around in the apartment.
Could designer drugs be to blame?
This story sounds oddly familiar. Back in January, we wrote an article on a similar chain of events that occurred in the UK and involved a college student and the designer drug, mephedrone. Known as meow meow on the street, it's been described as having similar affects as Ecstasy and cocaine. In that tragic story, the 19-year-old student, high on meow meow, stabbed his mother before cutting off his penis and then possibly attempted to jump from a window, as he was found hanging outside of one when authorities arrived on scene. In that case, both parties survived and doctors were successful at re-attaching his penis.
Wu-Tang Affiliation
Since establishing the Wu-Tang Clan in 1993, RZA and his nine-man crew have added dozens of rappers to the family.
Johnson was recently released from jail but no longer makes music with the RZA or any of the Wu-Tang Clan. RZA seemed to make it a point that he was no longer affiliated with Johnson: "Christ Bearer is a part of the West Coast Killa Beez, a bunch of young guys that was signed to our company 10 years ago. Wu-Tang, we're from the East Coast. But we did invest in some young guys to try and help any 'hood. He was a guy from the 'hood that we gave a shot. I don't make music with him nowadays. But the story — what he did — is incredible. That sh*t sound mythical."
"It's sad that [the story is] Wu-Tang affiliated. It's like dirty press in a way," RZA told XXLMag.com in an interview the day after the incident. "I want to know what the f— moved him to do those things."
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135.


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Even though Tom Brady was upset on the field, the unflappable Oscar will continue his march to glory. Hopefully for Tom, Gisele won't be wooed by the little gold man's winning gold luster.
Superproducer Scott Rudin thinks that big romantic epics have gone away. After watching Atonement, we hope he's right.
In a year filled with critically acclaimed hits, there were still enough disasters to make one wonder what's wrong with Hollywood. Did anyone see the $175 million Evan Almighty?
Was Ratatouille unfairly denied a best picture nomination because it's animated, or was the Academy just not ready to nominate a bunch of avant-garde French rodents?
If the Oscars are "the worst three hours and 27 minutes on television," how come nearly one quarter of America's households tuned in last year? Clearly the only explanation is that a very powerful wizard is involved. Maybe the same wizard behind Bush's two White House victories. A Karl Rove–looking fellow…
—Adam Klappholz and Jessica Flint


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A story of central banks
For the past few years, the central banks of the world have been sending a clear message to governments: there is a limit to what can be done with monetary policy and, eventually, fiscal authorities will have to take up the relay.
Clément Gignac
Clément Gignac is Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at iA Financial Group. He serves as the company's spokesperson on economic matters.
Contact Clément Gignac's team
418-684-5000, ext. 107971
Clément Gignac
Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist
Sébastien Mc Mahon
Senior Portfolio Manager, Diversified Funds and Economist
418-684-5000, ext. 107971
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