text:
Deutsche Mark
|Deutsche Mark
|Deutsche Mark (German)
Marka Gjermane (Albanian)
Njemačka marka (Croatian)
Немачкa марка (Serbian)
DM 10 banknote.
|ISO 4217 code
|Central bank
|Deutsche Bundesbank
|Official user(s)
|Unofficial user(s)
| Kosovo (1999–2002)[1]
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1998)
Montenegro (1999–2002)
|1.4%, December 2001
|13 March 1979
|Fixed rate since
|31 December 1998
|Replaced by €, non cash
|1 January 1999
|Replaced by €, cash
|1 January 2002/28 February 2002
|€ =
|Pegged by
|Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, Bulgarian lev at par
|Freq. used
|1 pf, 2 pf, 5 pf, 10 pf, 50 pf, DM 1, DM 2, DM 5
|Freq. used
|Rarely used
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This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.
The Deutsche Mark (help·info) (German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏtʃə ˈmaɐ̯k], German mark, abbreviated "DM") was the official currency of West Germany (1948–1990) and unified Germany (1990–2002) until the adoption of the euro in 2002. It is commonly called the "Deutschmark" in English but not in German. Germans often say "Mark" (help·info) or "D-Mark" (help·info). It was first issued under Allied occupation in 1948 replacing the Reichsmark, and served as the Federal Republic of Germany's official currency from its founding the following year until 1999, when the mark was replaced by the euro; its coins and banknotes remained in circulation, defined in terms of euros, until the introduction of euro notes and coins in early 2002. The Deutsche Mark ceased to be legal tender immediately upon the introduction of the euro — in contrast to the other Eurozone nations, where the euro and legacy currency circulated side by side for up to two months. Mark coins and banknotes continued to be accepted as valid forms of payment in Germany until 28 February 2002. However, in 2012, it was estimated that as many as 13.2 billion marks were in circulation, with polls showing a narrow majority of Germans favouring the currency's restoration.[2]
The Deutsche Bundesbank has guaranteed that all German marks in cash form may be changed into euros indefinitely, and one may do so in person at any branch of the Bundesbank in Germany. Banknotes and coins can even be sent to the Bundesbank by mail.[3]
On 31 December 1998, the Council of the European Union fixed the irrevocable exchange rate, effective 1 January 1999, for German mark to euros as DM 1.95583 = €1.[4]
One Deutsche Mark was divided into 100 Pfennig.
- 1 Before 1871
- 2 1873–1948
- 3 Early military occupation
- 4 Currency reform of June 1948
- 5 Coins
- 6 Banknotes
- 7 Spelling and pronunciation
- 8 Reserve currency
- 9 See also
- 10 References
- 11 External links
Before 1871
A mark had been the currency of Germany since its original unification in 1871. Before that time, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16 2⁄3 grams of pure silver. Although the mark was based on gold rather than silver, a fixed exchange rate between the Vereinsthaler and the mark of 3 marks = 1 Vereinsthaler was used for the conversion.
The first mark, known as the Goldmark, was introduced in 1873. With the outbreak of World War I, the mark was taken off the gold standard. The currency thus became known as the Papiermark, especially as high inflation, then hyperinflation occurred and the currency became exclusively made up of paper money. The Papiermark was replaced by the Rentenmark (RM) from November 15, 1923, and the Reichsmark (RM) in 1924.
Early military occupation
During the first two years of occupation the occupying powers of France, United Kingdom, United States, and the Soviet Union were not able to successfully negotiate a possible currency reform in Germany. Due to the strains between the Allies each zone was governed independently as regards monetary matters. The US occupation policy was governed by the directive JCS 1067 (in effect until July 1947), which forbade the US military governor "to take any steps to strengthen German financial structure".[5] As a consequence a separate monetary reform in the U.S. zone was not possible.[5] Each of the Allies printed its own occupation currency.
Currency reform of June 1948
The Deutsche Mark was officially introduced on Sunday, June 20, 1948 by Ludwig Erhard. The old Reichsmark and Rentenmark were exchanged for the new currency at a rate of DM 1 = RM 1 for the essential currency such as wages, payment of rents etc., and DM 1 = RM 10 for the remainder in private non-bank credit balances, with half frozen. Large amounts were exchanged for RM 10 to 65 Pfennig. In addition, each person received a per capita allowance of DM 60 in two parts, the first being DM 40 and the second DM 20.[6]
A few weeks later Erhard, acting against orders, issued an edict abolishing many economic controls which had been originally implemented by the Nazis, and which the Allies had not removed. He did this, as he often confessed, on Sunday because the offices of the American, British, and French occupation authorities were closed that day. He was sure that if he had done it when they were open, they would have countermanded the order.[7]
The introduction of the new currency was intended to protect western Germany from a second wave of hyperinflation and to stop the rampant barter and black market trade (where American cigarettes acted as currency). Although the new currency was initially only distributed in the three western occupation zones outside Berlin, the move angered the Soviet authorities, who regarded it as a threat. The Soviets promptly cut off all road, rail and canal links between the three western zones and West Berlin, starting the Berlin Blockade. In response, the U.S. and Britain launched an airlift of food and coal and distributed the new currency in West Berlin as well.
Economics of 1948 currency reform
Since the 1930s, prices and wages had been controlled, but money had been plentiful. That meant that people had accumulated large paper assets, and that official prices and wages did not reflect reality, as the black market dominated the economy and more than half of all transactions were taking place unofficially. The reform replaced the old money with the new Deutsche Mark at the rate of one new per ten old. This wiped out 90% of government and private debt, as well as private savings. Prices were decontrolled, and labor unions agreed to accept a 15% wage increase, despite the 25% rise in prices. The result was the prices of German export products held steady, while profits and earnings from exports soared and were poured back into the economy. The currency reforms were simultaneous with the $1.4 billion in Marshall Plan money coming in from the United States, which primarily was used for investment. In addition, the Marshall plan forced German companies, as well as those in all of Western Europe, to modernize their business practices, and take account of the wider market. Marshall plan funding overcame bottlenecks in the surging economy caused by remaining controls (which were removed in 1949), and opened up a greatly expanded market for German exports. Overnight, consumer goods appeared in the stores, because they could be sold for higher prices.[8][9] While the availability of consumers goods is seen as a giant success story by most historians of the present, the perception at the time was a different one: prices were so high that average people could not afford to shop, especially since prices were free-ranging but wages still fixed by law. Therefore, in the summer of 1948 a giant wave of strikes and demonstrations swept over West Germany, leading to an incident in Stuttgart where strikers were met by US tanks ("Stuttgarter Vorfälle"). Only after the wage-freeze was abandoned, Deutschmark and free-ranging prices were accepted by the population.[10]
Currency reform in the Soviet occupation zone
In the Soviet occupation zone of Germany (later the German Democratic Republic), the East German mark (also named "Deutsche Mark" from 1948 to 1964 and colloquially referred to as the Ostmark — literally Eastmark) was introduced a few days afterwards in the form of Reichsmark and Rentenmark notes with adhesive stamps to stop the flooding in of Reichsmark and Rentenmark notes from the West. In July 1948, a completely new series of East German mark banknotes was issued.
Bank deutscher Länder and the Deutsche Bundesbank
Later in 1948, the Bank deutscher Länder ("Bank of German States") assumed responsibility, followed in 1957 by the Deutsche Bundesbank. The Deutsche Mark earned a reputation as a strong store of value at times when other national currencies succumbed to periods of inflation. It became a source of national pride and an anchor for the country's economic prosperity, particularly during the years of the Wirtschaftswunder in the 1950s. In the 1990s, opinion polls showed a majority of Germans opposed to the adoption of the euro; polls today show a significant number would prefer to return to the mark.
Currency Union with the Saarland
The population in the Saar Protectorate rejected in a referendum the proposal to turn it into a "European territory". Despite French pre-referendum claims that a "no" vote would mean that the Saar would remain a French protectorate it in fact resulted in the incorporation of the Saar into the Federal Republic of Germany on January 1, 1957. The new German member state of the Saarland maintained its currency, the Saar franc, which was in a currency union at par with the French franc. On July 9, 1959 the Deutsche Mark replaced the Saar franc at a ratio of 100 francs = DM 0.8507.
German reunification
The Deutsche Mark played an important role in the reunification of Germany. It was introduced as the official currency of East Germany in July 1990, replacing the East German mark (Mark der DDR), in preparation for unification on 3 October 1990. East German marks were exchanged for German marks at a rate of 1:1 for the first 4000 marks and 2:1 for larger amounts. Before reunification, each citizen of East Germany coming to West Germany was given Begrüßungsgeld (welcome money), a per capita allowance of DM 100 in cash. The government of Germany and the Bundesbank were in major disagreement over the exchange rate between the East German mark and the German mark.
France and the United Kingdom were opposed to German reunification, and attempted to influence the Soviet Union to stop it.[11] However, in late 1989 France extracted German commitment to the Monetary Union in return for support for German reunification.[12]
The German mark had a reputation as one of the world's most stable currencies; this was based on the monetary policy of the Bundesbank. The policy was "hard" in relation to the policies of certain other central banks in Europe. The "hard" and "soft" was in respect to the aims of inflation and political interference. This policy was the foundation of the European Central Bank's present policy towards the euro. The German mark's stability was greatly apparent in 1993, when speculation on the French franc and other European currencies caused a change in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. However, it should be remembered that "hard" is relative only if it is compared to other currencies, as in its 53-year history, the purchasing power of the German mark was reduced by over 70%.
The first Deutsche Mark coins were issued by the Bank deutscher Länder in 1948 and 1949. From 1950, the inscription Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany) appeared on the coins. These coins were issued in denominations of 1, 2, 5, and 10 pfennigs. The 1- and 2-pfennig coins were struck in bronze clad steel (although during some years the 2 pf. was issued in solid bronze) while 5 and 10 pf. were brass clad steel. In 1950, cupronickel 50-pfennig and 1-mark coins were released, while a cupronickel 2 marks and a .625 silver 5 marks were released in 1951. Cupronickel replaced silver in the 5 marks in 1975. The 2- and 5-mark coins have often been used for commemorative themes, though typically only the generic design for the 5 marks is intended for circulation. Commemorative silver 10-mark coins have also been issued which have periodically found their way into circulation. Unlike other European countries, Germany retained the use of the smallest coins (1 and 2 pfennigs) until adoption of the euro.
The weights and dimensions of the coins can be found in an FAQ of the Bundesbank.[16]Unlike other countries (such as Australia) there was no attempt or proposal suggested for the withdrawal of the 1- and 2-pfennig coins. Both coins were still in circulation in 2001 and supermarkets in particular still marked prices to the nearest pfennig. This penchant for accuracy continues with the euro (while Finland or the Netherlands for example, price to the nearest 5 cents) with the 1-cent coin still encountered in Germany. There were a considerable number of commemorative silver DM 5 and DM 10 coins, which actually had the status of legal tenderbut were rarely seen outside of collectors' circles.
On 27 December 2000, the German government enacted a law authorizing the Bundesbank to issue, in 2001, a special .999 pure gold 1-mark coin commemorating the end of the German mark. The coin had the exact design and dimensions of the circulating cupro-nickel DM 1 coin, with the exception of the inscription on the reverse, which read "Deutsche Bundesbank" (instead of "Bundesrepublik Deutschland"), as the Bundesbank was the issuing authority in this case. A total of one million gold 1-mark coins were minted (200,000 at each of the five mints) and were sold beginning in mid-2001 through German coin dealers on behalf of the Bundesbank. The issue price varied by dealer but averaged approximately 165 United States dollars.
German coins bear a mint mark, indicating where the coin was minted. D indicates Munich, F Stuttgart, G Karlsruhe and J Hamburg. Coins minted during the Second World War include the mint marks A (Berlin) and B (Vienna). The mint mark A was also used for German mark coins minted in Berlin beginning in 1990 following the reunification of Germany. These mint marks have been continued on the German euro coins.
Between July 1, 1990 (the currency union with East Germany) and July 1, 1991, East German coins in denominations up to 50 pfennigs continued to circulate as Deutsche Mark coins at their face value, owing to a temporary shortage of small coins. These coins were legal tender only in the territory of the former East Germany.
Colloquial expressions
In colloquial German the 10-pfennig coin was sometimes called a groschen (cf. groat). Likewise, sechser (sixer) could refer to a coin of 5 pfennigs. Both colloquialisms refer to several pre-1871 currencies of the previously independent states (notably Prussia), where a groschen was subdivided into 12 pfennigs, hence half a groschen into 6. After 1871, 12 old pfennigs would be converted into 10 pfennigs of the mark, hence 10-pfennig coins inherited the "Groschen" name and 5-pfennig coins inherited the "sechser" name. Both usages are only regional and may not be understood in areas where a Groschen coin did not exist before 1871. In particular, the usage of "sechser" is less widespread. In northern Germany the 5-mark coin used to be also called "Heiermann" (etymology is unclear), whereas in Bavaria the 2-mark coin was called "Zwickl" (as the €2 coin is now).
There were four series of German mark banknotes:
- The first was issued in 1948 by the Allied military. There were denominations of 1⁄2, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 marks, with two designs of 20 and 50 Mark notes.
- The second series was introduced in 1948 by the Bank deutscher Länder, an institution of the western occupation government. The designs were similar to the US Dollar and French franc, as the job of designing and printing the different denominations was shared between the Bank of France and the American Bank Note Company. There were denominations of 5 and 10 pfennigs, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 marks.
- The third series was introduced in 1960 by the Bundesbank, depicting neutral symbols, paintings by the German painter Albrecht Dürer, and buildings. There were denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 marks.
- The fourth was introduced in 1990 by the Bundesbank to counter advances in forgery technology. The notes depicted German artists and scientists together with symbols and tools of their trade. This series added a 200-mark denomination, to decrease the use of 100-mark banknotes, which made up 54% of all circulating banknotes, and to fill the gap between the DM 100 and DM 500 denominations.
The notes with a value greater than 200 marks were rarely seen.
Banknotes of the fourth series
The design of German banknotes remained unchanged during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. During this period, forgery technology made significant advances and so, in the late 1980s, the Bundesbank decided to issue a new series of Deutsche Mark banknotes. The colours for each denomination remained unchanged from the previous series but the designs underwent significant changes and a DM 200 denomination was introduced. Famous national artists and scientists were chosen to be portrayed on the new banknotes. Male and female artists were chosen in equal numbers. The buildings in the background of the notes' obverses had a close relationship to the person displayed (e.g., place of birth, place of death, place of work), as well as the second background picture (Lyra and the musician Schumann). The reverses of the notes refer to the work of the person on the obverse.
The new security features were: a windowed security thread (with the notes' denominations in microprinting), watermarks, microprinting, intaglio printing (viewing-angle dependent visibility as well as a Braille representation of the notes denomination), colour-shifting ink (on the DM 500 and 1000 denominations), a see-through register and ultraviolet-visible security features.
First to be issued were the DM 100 and 200 denominations on 1 October 1990 (although the banknote shows "Frankfurt am Main, 2. Januar 1989"). The next denomination was DM 10 on 16 April 1991, followed by DM 50 on 30 September 1991.[17] Next was the DM 20 note on 20 March 1992 (printed on 2 August 1991). The reason for this gradual introduction was, that public should become familiar with one single denomination, before introducing a new one. The change was finished with the introduction of the 5-, 500-, and 1000-mark denominations on 27 October 1992. The last three denominations were rarely seen in circulation and were introduced in one step. With the advance of forgery technology, the Bundesbank decided to introduce additional security features on the most important denominations (50, 100, and 200 marks) as of 1996. These were a hologram foil in the center of the note's obverse, a matted printing on the note's right obverse, showing its denomination (like on the reverse of the new €5, €10, and €20 banknotes), and the EURion constellation on the note's reverse. Furthermore, the colours were changed slightly to hamper counterfeiting.
1989 Series [1]
|Dates issued
|1 pfennig
|1948–1949: Bronze-plated steel
1950–2001: Copper-plated steel
|Denomination between rye stalks
|Oak sprig
|2 pfennigs
|1950–1968: Bronze
1968–2001: Bronze-plated steel
|Denomination between rye stalks
|Oak sprig
|5 pfennigs
|Brass-plated steel
|Denomination between rye stalks
|Oak sprig
|10 pfennigs
|Brass-plated steel
|Denomination between rye stalks
|Oak sprig
|50 pfennigs
|Woman planting an oak seedling[14]
|Denomination between oak leaves
|German eagle
|Denomination between rye stalks and grapes[15]
|German eagle
|Max Planck
|German eagle,
denomination below
|Cupro-nickel (Cu 75 Ni 25)
|1969–1987: Konrad Adenauer
1970–1987: Theodor Heuss
1979–1993: Kurt Schumacher
1988–2001: Ludwig Erhard
1990–2001: Franz Josef Strauß
1994–2001: Willy Brandt
|German eagle,
denomination below
|Silver (Ag 625 Cu 375)
|German eagle
|Cupro-nickel (Cu 75 Ni 25)
|German eagle
|Equivalent in Euro (€)
|Main Colour
|Date of
|first printing
|122 × 62 mm
|Bettina von Arnim, Wiepersdorf estate and buildings of historic Berlin, Horn (symbolizing Des Knaben Wunderhorn)
|Brandenburg Gate, Script from Bettina von Arnim's correspondence with Goethe ("Briefwechsel mit einem Kinde")
|As portrait
|1 August 1991
|27 October 1992
|31 December 2001
|130 × 65 mm
|Carl Friedrich Gauss, Gaussian distribution, historic buildings of Göttingen
|Sextant, a small map showing the triangulation of the Kingdom of Hanover performed by Gauss
|2 January 1989
|16 April 1991
|138 × 68 mm
|Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, buildings of the city of Meersburg
|A quill pen and a beech-tree, referring to her work Die Judenbuche (the Jews' Beech), an open book
|1 August 1991
|20 March 1992
|146 × 71 mm
|Balthasar Neumann, buildings of Old Würzburg, an architect's ruler
|Partial view of the stairway in the Würzburg Residence, the ground plan of a famous chapel, Kreuzkapelle, in Kitzingen
|2 January 1989
|30 September 1991[citation needed]
|154 × 74 mm
|Dark blue
|Clara Schumann from a lithograph by Andreas Staub, buildings of historic Leipzig and a lyre
|Grand piano, Background: the pre-war building of the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main
|1 October 1990[citation needed]
|162 × 77 mm
|Paul Ehrlich, buildings of historic Frankfurt, the formula of Arsphenamine
|Microscope, the Rod of Asclepius surrounded by simplified cell structures
|170 × 80 mm
|Maria Sibylla Merian, an insect, buildings of ancient Nuremberg
|Dandelion, inchworm, butterfly
|1 August 1991
|27 October 1992
|178 × 83 mm
|Wilhelm and Jakob Grimm, buildings of historic Kassel
|The 'German dictionary' (Deutsches Wörterbuch), the Royal library in Berlin
|Hologram variant
|As previous
|2 January 1996
|2 February 1998
|31 December 2001
|1 August 1997
|For table standards, see the banknote specification table.
Spelling and pronunciation
The German name of the currency is Deutsche Mark (fem., German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏtʃə ˈmaʁk]); its plural form in standard German is the same as the singular. In German, the adjective "deutsche" (adjective for "German" in feminine singular nominative form) is capitalized because it is part of a proper name, while the noun "Mark", like all German nouns, is always capitalized. The English loanword "Deutschmark" had a slightly different spelling (possibly due to the frequency of silent e in English) and a plural form in -s. In Germany, the currency's name was often abbreviated as D-Mark (fem., [ˈdeːmaʁk]) or simply Mark (fem.) with the latter term also often used in English. Like Deutsche Mark, D-Mark and Mark do not take the plural in German when used with numbers (like all names of units), the singular being used to refer to any amount of money (e.g. eine (one) Mark and dreißig (thirty) Mark). Sometimes, a plural form of Mark, Märker [ˈmɛʁkɐ] was used as either as diminutive form or to refer to a small number of D-Mark coins or bills, e.g. Gib mir mal ein paar Märker ("Just give me a few marks") and Die lieben Märker wieder ("The lovely money again", with an ironic undertone).
The subdivision unit is spelled Pfennig (masc.; [ˈpfɛnɪç]), which unlike Mark does have a commonly used plural form: Pfennige ([ˈpfɛnɪɡə]), but the singular could also be used instead with no difference in meaning. (e.g.: ein (one) Pfennig, dreißig (thirty) Pfennige or dreißig (thirty) Pfennig). The official form is singular.
Reserve currency
Before the switch to the euro, the Deutsche Mark was the largest international reserve currency after the United States dollar.
The percental composition of currencies of official foreign exchange reserves since 1995.[18][19][20]
German mark
See also
- Economy of Germany
- German euro coins
- German Papiermark and Notgeld
- German Reichsmark
- List of commemorative coins of the Federal Republic of Germany
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://theweek.com/article/index/230830/why-are-germans-still-using-the-deutsche-mark
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Nicholas Balabkins, "Germany Under Direct Controls: Economic Aspects of Industrial Disarmament 1945–1948", Rutgers University Press, 1964 p. 145
- ↑ Bundesbank.de Accessed 2015-01-04
- ↑ Tyler Cowen, "The Marshall Plan: myths and realities" in U.S. Aid to the Developing World, A Free Market Agenda, Heritage Foundation, p.65
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Jörg Roesler: Die Stuttgarter Vorfälle vom Oktober 1948. Zur Entstehung der Sozialen Marktwirtschaft in der Bundesrepublik Deutschlands, in: Jahrbuch für Forschungen zur Geschichte der Arbeiterbewegung, No I/2007; Uwe Fuhrmann: Stuttgart 48 und die soziale Marktwirtschaft, in: Fuhrman et. a. (eds.): Ignoranz und Inszenierung, Münster 2012
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The sculptor Richard Martin Werner designed the woman relief after his wife Gerda Johanna Werner (German).
- ↑ Sammler.com Withdrawn on 1 July 1958 over confusion with the similarly designed 1 DM
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.ISSN 1725-6593 (online).
- ↑ For 1995–99, 2006–12: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ For 1999–2005: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.ISSN 1725-6534 (online).
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Deutsche Mark.
- Coins of the Third Reich
- Overview of German Mark from BBC online
- Historical US Dollars to German Marks currency conversion, 1913–2005
- Historical banknotes of Germany
|Preceded by:
Reichsmark, Rentenmark
Reason: intended to protect West Germany from the second wave of hyperinflation and stop the rampant barter and black market trade
Ratio: 1 DM = 1 RM (either) below 600 RM
1 DM = 10 RM above 600 RM
and each person received 40 DM
|Currency of West Germany (incl. West Berlin)
21 (24 W-Berlin) June 1948 – 1990
Note: except of the state of the Saarland (1957–1959)
|Currency of Germany
1 July 1990 – 31 December 2001
Note: euro existed as money of account since 1 January 1999, with DM coins and banknotes being the German appearance of the euro
|Succeeded by:
Reason: deployment of euro cash
Ratio: 1 euro = 1.95583 Deutsche Mark
|Preceded by:
French franc and Saar Franc
Reason: currency union (9 July 1959), after the Saarland had joined West Germany (1 January 1957)
Ratio: 100 Francs = 0.8507 Deutsche Mark
|Preceded by:
Mark of the GDR
Reason: currency union (1 July 1990) preparing the German reunification (3 October 1990)
Ratio: at par up to 4000 GDR marks
2 GDR marks = 1 DM above 4000 GDR marks
|Preceded by:
Yugoslav new dinar
Reason: political and economic reasons
|Currency of Kosovo, Montenegro
1999 – 31 December 2001
- Articles with German-language external links
- Articles containing German-language text
- Articles containing Albanian-language text
- Articles containing Croatian-language text
- Articles containing Serbian-language text
- Articles with unsourced statements from August 2007
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- Currency symbols
- Currencies of Germany
- Economy of West Germany
- Modern obsolete currencies
- Currencies replaced by the euro
- Currencies of Europe
- 1948 establishments in Germany
- 2002 disestablishments in Germany


text:
This website is intended to provide a glimpse of some of the woodworking projects I have been working on over the past years. These projects have been the result of quite some evening and holidays work, as I am not a professional woodworker and produce my creations during spare time. Nevertheless, over the years, this work has provided me countless hours of pleasure and a sense of fulfillment.
I hope the projects displayed in the photo gallery succeed in conveying my enthousiasm and love for working with wood, and my dedication to creating nice objects using that wonderful material, for myself and others to enjoy.
A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever
John Keats
06/03/2019 17:49
06/03/2019 17:48
05/20/2019 17:47
01/27/2019 16:05
04/28/2018 12:52
07/31/2017 00:31
07/31/2017 00:30
01/20/2017 23:47
01/06/2017 23:06
02/07/2016 20:27
Bernard Delaey email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The nation will pause again on Monday, September 11, to recall an event that is hard to forget. Five years ago, on that day, we saw a manifestation of evil that was shocking and sobering, as terrorists attacked New York and Washington, DC.
I was in New York City that day. As we had our Priests for Life staff briefing, we could see the smoke start arising from lower Manhattan before we knew what it was. And the morning turned into night. As we had Mass later that morning, I could see the smoke of the already collapsed towers in the same line of sight as the Body of Christ. "This is my body, given up for you."
To this day, as I walk out the front door of our New York office, that morning comes to mind. And I'm glad it does. I don't want to forget it. I want it to continue to urge me on in my daily work in defense of human life.
What, after all, was the evil of September 11? Was it that lives were lost and buildings destroyed? An earthquake or tidal wave could have caused the same damage, but in those cases we would not have called it terrorism. It just would not have been the same as the evil of September 11.
What was it that constituted the specific evil of September 11? It was that some human beings had no regard for the right to life of other human beings. That makes the events of that day more profoundly disturbing than "loss" or "tragedy"; that's what makes them "evil."
Yet is this evil any less if the victims are five inches tall instead of five feet tall, or if the instruments of killing are surgical forceps rather than airplanes? The evil we fight when we oppose terrorism is merely a reflection of the evil we do. Every day, from coast to coast, our nation's abortion clinics carry out the same evil. Some human beings disregard the right to life of other human beings.
Another chilling parallel is that both terrorism and abortion are often rationalized with religious language. In both cases, it is a perversion of true religion. Muslim extremists distort their religion by killing the innocent in the name of God. And the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) distorts Christianity by calling abortion a "holy choice" and by having liturgies honoring that choice. In my capacity as President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, I oversaw a project by which we exposed the extremism of this group through a book called "Holy Abortion?" In RCRC's publication "Prayerfully Pro-Choice: Resources for Worship," we read, "The choice that (Name) and (Name) have made is also a sacred choice, a choice for coherence and responsibility in life" (p. 87).
And so September 11 comes again. I'll walk out the front door of my office. I'll think back five years. Then I'll think of the nearest abortion clinic. And I'll resolve to work all the harder.


text:
Premier League stars charged for 'quenelle' gesture posts
The Football Association have charged Hull striker Yannick Sagbo and QPR loanee Benoit Assou-Ekotto with improper conduct for social media posts relating to the 'quenelle' gesture, while Samir Nasri and Mamadou Sakho have been wrapped on the knuckles.
The salute came to the fore when West Brom forward Nicolas Anelka made the arm gesture when celebrating a goal against West Ham on December 28.
An independent regulatory commission last month handed down a five-match ban to the former France international after finding it "did contain a reference to anti-Semitism" in that it is strongly associated with his friend, the French comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, who has been convicted seven times of anti-Semitic crimes.
West Brom sacked Anelka for "gross misconduct" on March 14 - just hours after he took to Twitter claiming he had decided to terminate his contract - once it was confirmed neither he nor the FA would contest the ban.
The governing body had argued for a more severe sanction and have now confirmed action against four further players after social media posts relating to the quenelle gesture.
A statement released on the www.thefa.com read: "The FA has progressed its investigation into four cases concerning social media postings relating to the quenelle gesture involving Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur on loan at Queens Park Rangers), Yannick Sagbo (Hull City), Samir Nasri (Manchester City) and Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool).
"Having considered the particular facts of each case extremely carefully in consultation with our appointed expert, The FA has today charged Mr Assou-Ekotto and Mr Sagbo with improper conduct contrary to FA Rule E3 in relation to their postings on Twitter.
"It is alleged that in each case the comment was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper, contrary to Rule E3(1). It is further alleged that each players' breach of Rule E3(1) was an "Aggravated Breach" as defined in Rule E3(2), as the comment included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.
"Both players have until April 8 2014 to respond to the charges.
"The FA has issued Mr Nasri with a formal warning. Mr Sakho has been reminded of his responsibilities as a participant.
"As the cases involving Mr Assou-Ekotto and Mr Sagbo are ongoing, The FA will make no further comment on any of these four cases at this time."
Assou-Ekotto, on a season-long loan at QPR from Tottenham, went on Twitter after Anelka's salute to post what translates from French as "I congratulate you on the beautiful quenelle".
Sagbo, who joined Hull from Evian in the summer, also took to the social media network in the aftermath of the incident, posting a picture of Anelka's celebration and a message of support for both the striker and Dieudonne.
The players have until April 8 to respond to charge of improper conduct, which is classed differently to the Anelka case as it was not on the field.
The FA's social media guidelines state: "There are no set sanctions for media comments or social networking comments cases. However, financial penalties are the most usual form of sanction for these kind of cases."
Assou-Ekotto and Sagbo could still face suspension if found guilty but it would unlikely be as severe as the one handed down to Anelka, while Manchester City midfielder Nasri and Liverpool defender Sakho have escaped punishment.
Nasri was pictured performing the gesture and took to Twitter on December 30 to explain his actions.
"The pose in the picture i posted over 2 months ago symbolises being against the system," he said via his account @SamNasri19.
"Its has absolutely nothing to do with being anti semitic or against jewish people. I apologise for causing any hurt to anyone who might have been mislead into thinking this means anything of that nature".
Sakho was also pictured performing the gesture but said in November that he was tricked into performing the gesture.
He wrote on his Twitter account: "This photo was taken six months ago, I did not know the meaning of this gesture, I got trapped!"


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This document is a NOTE made available by the W3 Consortium for discussion only. This indicates no endorsement of its content, nor that the Consortium has, is, or will be allocating any resources to the issues addressed by the NOTE. This document is being distributed to solicit public comment (to firstname.lastname@example.com on the value of various proposed CSS extensions documented here. There is no commitment to turn these proposals into a recommendation.
This document describes a smaller number of properties which could be added to CSS1 to create a richer language that solves some of the most common problems encountered when using CSS1.
When two length units are specified on 'margin', 'padding', 'border' and 'border-width', the "y" value comes before "x".
Property Name: break
Value: block-before | block-after | line-before | line-after | auto
Determines whether the element causes a line break. If the value is after, then there is a line-break after the element. If the value is before, then there is a line-break before the element. If the value is auto, the normal box-layout algorithms determine line breaking. The following example shows how the BR element could be defined using this property:
BR { break: line-after; }
Property Name: vertial-align
Value: baseline | sub | super | top | text-top | middle | bottom | text-bottom | <percentage> | <length>
Percentage Values: refer to the 'line-height' of the element itself
The only change is the addition of <length> at the end.
... some  text...
where img.jpg is a 16x150 pixel image of the word "shadowed" with a fancy effect. The intended "baseline" of the text inside the image is at 4 pixels from the bottom. The image should therefore be lowered 4 pixels below the baseline of the surrounding text
.To properly align the image, this style sheet will do:
IMG {line-height: 16px; vertical-align: -25%}
because 25% of 16px is 4px. This one would work as well:
IMG {line-height: 4px; vertical-align: -100%}
But the most simple solution would be:
IMG {vertical-align: -4px}
A typical source of such inline images is the LaTeX2html converter, which produces inline GIF images for all mathematical formulas. The MathML draft shows the same phenomenon (see e.g., http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-math/section1.html#sec1.2.2 )
Text shadow effects can be achived in CSS1 using negative margins and duplicated text. The results can be visually stunning, but have unfortunate side-effects for non-visual readers and people using browsers that odn't support style sheets. It is therefore impotant that a new property gets deployed before authors start using negative margins:
Property Name: text-shadow-color
Inherited: no, but see clarification below
Percentage Values: indicate transparency
This property describes shadowing effects on the text of an element:
P { text-shadow: black }
The example above creates a black text shadow down and to the right of the text.
Note This creates increases the size of the box for this element.
Multiple shadows can be specified in comma-separated lists:
text-shadow: red 0.1em 0.1em, blue -0.1em -0.1em 80%;
The shadows are specified in top-to-bottom order. In the example above, the red shadow would be on top of the blue shadow.
We are working on methods for adding generated text and counters. Specifically we want to have much richer control over the autonumbering and bulletting of list items, headings and other elements.
Property Name: cursor
Value: auto | crosshair | default | hand | move | e-resize | ne-resize | nw-resize | n-resize | se-resize | sw-resize | s-resize | w-resize| text | wait | help
Specifies the type of cursor to be displayed for the mouse pointer.
auto: The UA determines the cursor to display based on the current context.
default: The platform-dependent default cursor. Usually an arrow.hand: A hand
move: indicates something is to be moved
*-resize: indicates that the edge is to be moved
text: Used to indicate editable text. Usually an I-bar.
wait: A cursor to indicate that the program is busy and the user should wait. Usually a watch or hourglass.
help: Help is available for the object under the cursor. Usually a question mark or a balloon.
We are working on methods of applying a rich set of special effects to text and images such as image blurring and glow effects. The purpose of this is to use CSS to modify existing structural elements to be presented in a variety of ways. Rather than creating extra image information to accomplish the same effect.
To flow content into several columns, two new CSS properties are proposed., columns and column-rule.
The formatting model of CSS1 is changed to include the new properties. Elements can now specify that their content, including child elements, should be flowed into columns. That means that the width of those child elements is derived from the column width instead of the parent's full width.
By default, i.e., when there is only one column, the sum of margin, border, padding and width for any block element is still equal to the width of the parent element. But when there are more columns, the sum is equal to the column width.
| <---------------------- width ----------------------> | | | | | | | * | | | | * | | | ##################### | * | # | | # | | # .---------------. # | * | # | | # | | # | | # | * | # | | # | | # | | # | * | # | | # | | # | | # | * | # | | # | | # | | # | * | # | | # | | # | | # | * | # `---------------' # | | # | | # | * | ##################### | | # | | # | * | | | # |<child's width>| | * | | | # | * | | | ^-- child's padding ^-- column rule | ^-- child's border ^-- child's margin ^-^-- 2 x 1/2 gutter
One can either specify the number of columns or the desired width of a column. All columns have the same width. The gutters and optional vertical rules between the columns can also be given. If the number of columns is specified, the actual column width is found by dividing the element's width by it. To be precise (n = number of columns, w = actual column width):
width = n * w + (n - 1) * (gutter + column-rule) (1)
If the desired column width is specified instead, the number of columns is found by dividing the width by the desired column width and rounding to the nearest integer (w' = desired column width):
width = n' * w' + (n' - 1) * (gutter + column-rule) (2) n = round(n') (3)
The actual width can thus be different from the desired width. For example: if the width of the element is 50em and the desired column width is 10em, with a 2em gutter and no rules, there is room for 4.3 columns (by equation 2), which rounds to 4 (by equation 3). The actual column width then works out to be 11em (by equation 1), or just a little larger than the desired width.
The formatter should try to divide the contents over the columns in such a way that all columns are of equal height (balanced columns).
Property Name: columns
Value: [ <length> | <number> ] [ <length> | <percentage> ]?
Applies To: block-level elements
Percentage Values: relative to element's width
The first part of the columns property sets the ideal column width of an element. If the column width is a length value, the number of columns will increase as the canvas is enlarged:
DIV { columns: 20em } /* relative to the font size */
To indicate a fixed number of columns, a number can be used:
BODY { columns: 4 } /* 4 columns */
All values, length or number, should only be used to determine the number of columns. Once found, the available space should be split into columns with equal widths and the same space between them.
The space between the columns (called gutter), can optionally be specified by putting a second value on the columns property. The default is UA dependent. If a percentage is given, it is relative to the element's width.
If there is a rule between columns (see `column-rule' below), half of the gutter is at each side of the rule.
The gutter is transparent, which means the parent's background shines through.
Property Name: column-rule
Value: <width> <height>? ||
THIS IS THE HEADLINE WHICH IS QUITE LONG

This is the first paragraph. The first paragraph comes first, before the second.
After the first paragraph comes the second paragraph which you are reading now.
The third paragraph is the last paragraph. Not much more to say about that.

Since the value of `columns' is specified in a length unit, the number of columns will depend on the available width, i.e., the width of the BODY element. A User Agent may use two columns when started:
THIS IS THE HEADLINE WHICH GOES ON TOP This is the first graph which you paragraph. The are reading now. first paragraph comes first, be- The third para- fore the second. graph is the last paragraph. Not After the first much more to say paragraph comes about that. the second para-
If the canvas is enlarged, three columns may be used instead:
THIS IS THE HEADLINE WHICH IS QUITE LONG This is the first After the first The third para- paragraph. The paragraph comes graph is the last first paragraph the second para- paragraph. Not comes first, before graph which you much more to say the second. are reading now. about that.
Margin, border and padding values should be honored within the columns. If the columns are not wide enough to display content properly, the UA may decide to reduce the number of columns.
The CLASS attribute has been added to the HTML specifications with style sheets in mind, and enjoys a special shorthand notation as described in the CSS1 specification. Also, other attributes/values could be used in addressing:
A[HREF] { color: red } /* the HREF attribute exists */ H1[CLASS = huge] { font-size: 60pt } /* another way of writing H1.huge */ DIV[LANG = fr] { font: 12pt/14pt Galliard } /* special styling for French text */
CSS Level 1 contains functionality for addressing elements based on its ancestors. In level 2, one could also address based on siblings. A typical example is making the first paragraph after a headline bold:
/H1/ P { font-weight: bold }
The '/' indicates the start of a sequential pattern search. All property declarations are performed on the last element of the search pattern.
Combined with the hierarchical search patterns, one has powerful context-sensitive addressing:
H1 -- every H1 H1, H2 -- every H1 and every H2 (H1) EM -- EM inside H1 (DIV) (H1) EM -- EM inside H1 inside DIV /H1/ P -- P that immediately follows H1 (DIV) /H1/ P -- P that immed. follows H1 inside DIV (DIV) /H1/ (P) EM -- EM inside P that immed. follows H1 inside DIV // P -- P that follows nothing (i.e., P that is 1st child) (DIV[CLASS=CHAP]) P -- P inside DIV with CLASS=CHAP
Note that the last example could have been written (DIV.chap) P.
[interesting, but potentially complex issue]
The following environment variables are available for use in style sheets:
The following two are only defined inside an element that contains a hyperlink:
One could then change the color of a hyperlink with:
a[href] { color: dark-red << $LASTVISIT/30d >> dark-blue }
The combination of constraints and environment variables can be quite interesting. Set the left margin to be 1/10 of the window width, but always more than 2em and less than 20em:
{ margin-left: 2em << $WIDTH/10 >> 20em }
Let the color of the background fade from white to yellow as the document ages. After two days (2d), the fading process is complete:
{ background: white << $AGE/2d >> yellow }
Let the color of text links change from red to blue as the document loads:
{ text-link: red << $FETCHED >> blue }
Addressing environment properties
[This section is under fire. Among the strongest charges against it is the possible introduction of asymmetry ("the user can do this, but not the author"). If you would like to see it survive, you should voice your opinion.]
While the main focus of this specification is to define a standard for attaching style to HTML, the users' WWW browsing environment has additional elements. Applications have a user interface, they show you the HTML source on request, and GUI clients have a window size. While one normally would leave user preferences to the application and a configuration file, the notion of cascading style sheets has the potential of addressing all issues of style through one interface. The user's personal style sheet can be used to set the fonts of the browser buttons as well as incoming documents' H1 elements. Authors should be careful when trying to influence environment properties, and clients could choose to ignore them.
It is important to syntactically mark the difference between style properties of the environment and HTML elements. One should be careful when picking names. Here are some possibilities:
$HTML-SOURCE { font-family: courier, font-size: 12pt } $CLIENT-WINDOW { width: 600px, height: 800px } $CLIENT-WINDOW { font-family: helvetica } $HTML_ERROR { color: yellow, background: red


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Kia Motors
Kia Niro Hybrid
Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid
Kia Niro Crossover Utility (BEV)
Kia Soul EV
From its very humble beginnings as a manufacturer of bicycle parts by hand on the outskirts of Seoul, Korea, Kia Motors has emerged as the driving force behind the Korean motor vehicle for the last six decades, laying claim to the production of the country's first automobile as well as Korea's first automobile export.
The word "Kia" is derived from the Chinese characters Ki, meaning to "arise or come up out of" and a, referring to Asia. So when put together, Kia means to "arise or come up out of Asia"
Today, Kia has truly risen as a major global player and boasts an ever-expanding product line-up that is sold through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 180 countries around the world. Around 49,000 Kia employees spanning the globe form an expansive human network that aspires for excellence on behalf of our valued customers.


text:
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Drug Gives 'New Hope' Against Heart Failure, Expert Says
Experimental medication beat standard treatment at reducing hospitalizations, cardiovascular deaths
SATURDAY, Aug. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In a head-to-head comparison, an experimental drug was more effective than standard treatment at preventing deaths and hospitalizations in heart failure patients.
According to the study authors, the trial was stopped early because of the marked benefit of the new drug, dubbed LCZ696.
In the trial, 26.5 percent of those getting the standard medication, enalapril (Vasotec), either died or were hospitalized due to heart failure, compared with 21.8 percent of those on the new drug. Enalapril belongs to a class of blood pressure-lowering medications known as ACE inhibitors.
"LCZ696 could become the new gold standard, replacing ACE inhibitors," said lead researcher Dr. John McMurray, a professor of cardiology at the British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland.
LCZ696 combines two blood pressure drugs -- an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) and the neprilysin inhibitor known as sacubitril.
"We found that LCZ696 was superior to the gold-standard ACE inhibitor for heart failure -- an ACE inhibitor being the absolute cornerstone of treatment for this problem," he said.
Not only did LCZ696 beat enalapril, but it did that even when added to other treatments, McMurray noted.
"The new treatment was very well tolerated, with no significant safety concerns," he added.
The report was published online Aug. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine, to coincide with a presentation at the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting in Barcelona. The trial was funded by Novartis, the maker of LCZ696.
Dr. Mariell Jessup, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said, "There is new hope for heart failure."
She added, "We have not had a new drug for heart failure for many years. LCZ696 is a unique compound that may represent a new approach."
Doctors have relied on ACE inhibitors for over two decades, she said. According to Jessup, who wrote an accompanying editorial, "Newer drugs that work via alternate pathways may [show] benefit beyond the medical therapy that is used today."
For the study, over 8,400 patients with heart failure were randomly chosen to receive LCZ696 or enalapril.
Over an average of 27 months of follow-up, LCZ696 reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure by 21 percent, compared to enalapril, the findings showed.
Moreover, among the 1,251 people who died from heart disease during the trial, 558 were taking LCZ696 (13.3 percent) and 693 were taking enalapril (16.5 percent), the researchers noted.
Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, commented, "The results of this study are terrific news for patients with heart failure, and represent landmark findings."
If approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this new medication should help doctors improve outcomes for the millions of men and women with chronic heart failure worldwide, he said.
SOURCES: John McMurray, M.D., professor, cardiology, British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Glasgow, U.K., Mariell Jessup, M.D., professor, medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 30, 2014, New England Journal of Medicine, online; Aug. 30, 2014, presentation, European Society of Cardiology annual meeting, Barcelona
Copyright (c) 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
- More Health News on:
- Heart Failure
- Medicines


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If you can't say it in 60 seconds, you have a problem. Your strategy isn't clear enough. Nowadays we call it "the elevator speech," meaning a quick description of the business that you could do in the time you share with a stranger in an elevator. It's becoming popular in the everyday language of the entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and the teaching of entrepreneurship.
I don't think its academic. I think it's important. I think it's a great exercise that everybody in business should be able to do. Let's get simple, let's get focused, let's get powerful.
I've been writing lately about the heart of the plan, also called the strategy. What better way to condense it than in a quick elevator speech. If you can't do it, worry.
Start your speech with a person (or business, or organization) in a situation. Personalize. Identify clearly. For example:
John Jones doesn't particularly care about clothes but he knows he has to look good. He sees clients every day in the office, and he lives in a ritzy suburb, where he often sees clients by accident on weekends. But he hates to shop for clothes (The Trunk Club).
Jane Smith wants to do her own business plan. She knows her business and what she wants to do, but wants help organizing the plan and getting the right pieces together. The plan needs to look professional because she's promised to show it to her bank as part of the merchant account process (Business Plan Pro).
Paul and Milena live in a beautiful apartment in Manhattan, with their two kids. Paul has a great job in Soho, Milena works from home, and neither has time for food shopping (Just Fresh).
Acme Consulting has five people managing several shared email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. The five of them have trouble not stepping on each other. Sometimes a single email gets answered three or four times, with different answers. Sometimes an email goes unanswered for days, because everybody thinks somebody else answered it (EmailCenter Pro).
Notice that in each of these examples I could be much more general. The Trunk Club targets mainly men who don't like to shop but need to dress well, and have enough money to pay for the service. Business Plan Software is for the do-it-yourselfer who wants good business planning. EmailCenter Pro is for companies managing shared email addresses like sales@ or info@. But instead of generally describing a market, I've made it personal.
Sometimes you can get away with generalizing. "Farmers in the Willamette Valley," for example, or "parents of gifted children." It's an easy way to slide into describing a market. However, I suspect that you're almost always better off starting with a more readily imaginable single person, and let that person stand for your target market.


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One of the most uncomfortable truths about the fashion industry is that most models begin working when they are in their early teens or even tweens; they are children. In this editorial, Vogue Paris cuts right to the chase.
These pictures have been pretty roundly criticized for sexualizing children. And the intended message clearly has a lot to do with that very uncomfortable topic: The subjects are obviously children, but they're covered in makeup and styled in sexy dresses and too-big high heels. The girls' very adult poses preclude any reading of this editorial as a light-hearted riff on little girls playing dress-up.
But it's also obvious from the over-the-top styling and the overall lurid quality that this story is a parody and a critique of the fashion industry's unhealthy interest in young girls, not an endorsement or a glamourization of it.
Here are just a few of the models who began working extensively at the ages of 12, 13, and 14: Tanya Dziahileva. Chanel Iman. Karlie Kloss. Lindsay Wixson. Monika Jagaciak. Current Vogue Paris covergirl Daphne Groeneveld. Going back further: Kate Moss. Brooke Shields. Patti Hansen. Niki Taylor. Kimora Lee Simmons. Bridget Hall. Gisele Bündchen. Karolina Kurkova. Linda Evangelista. Christy Turlington. I could go on.
Girls who get scouted are thrust into a very adult working environment. Suddenly, they become girls who are signed as independent contractors to agencies that may screw them over. Girls who may be asked to do nude work. Girls who in any case have to change clothes at jobs in full view of perhaps dozens of photographers. (Someone went to the trouble to extract, from a documentary about Marc Jacobs, ten seconds' worth of footage of Dziahileva changing her clothes. The YouTube clip is dated October 21, 2007; Dziahileva was 16 when the segment was uploaded, although who knows how old she was when it was shot. It's been viewed nearly 400,000 times.) Many models are just girls — girls whose jobs are often in direct conflict with their attempts to complete a high school education, girls for whom an ordinary day at work is to be directed by their employer to wear a see-through shirt without a bra. Like the Romanian model Diana Dondoe says in Picture Me, "How could you put a 14-year-old in a sexy dress and tell her to be sexy, when she's probably never had sex?"
The industry's preference for young models is aptly explained by Toronto agent Elmer Olsen, who has discovered and/or managed such stars as Daria Werbowy, Alana Zimmer, Tara Gill, and Amanda Laine. Olsen told Canada's Fashion magazine in 2005:
"Once a girl has had her 20th or 21st birthday, she's usually very set in her ways. She has a style already, she has a boyfriend, she doesn't want to get braces on her teeth, she knows best. It's much, much easier to groom a younger girl. Sixteen is the perfect age to get a girl started, because she's more confident than a 14-year-old; she's just turning into a young woman. But 14 is great, too, because if I don't sign a 14-year-old one of my competitors is going to."
Emphasis mine.
For the most part, the whole conceit works, because after all, they look the part; These children are hand-picked by the industry for their age-exceptional height and physical development. So fashion fills its magazine editorials, runway shows, and ad campaigns with teenagers whom it styles to impersonate adults — with the right makeup, and the right photography, the illusion isn't hard to pull off. Consumers largely take these images at face value, because in our post-supermodel age, one model is very much like another. The fact that some models are richly rewarded for their time is also seen as sufficient excuse for the industry's SOP — and the fact that most models aren't, well, that goes unmentioned. Besides, models are the messengers for many of fashion's most pernicious ideas about how adult women should look and weigh and be — their participation in that system alone is enough for most women to feel no special warmth or affinity for these children.
But when an editorial like this comes out? When a stylist — Melanie Huynh — and a photographer — Sharif Hamza — somehow get it in their minds to viciously satirize an industry that so fetishizes youth that it pretends adolescents are preferable substitutes for grown women? And when a respected fashion magazine — Vogue Paris — has the balls to publish their horrifying Toddlers in Tiaras-on-speed work? When that happens, cue the outrage! Won't someone think of the children. Maybe not of these children in particular — identified only as Lea, Prune, and Thylane — or of the children who fill magazine pages everywhere, but, you know, of the children in general.
It's reminiscent of the outrage that greeted the release of Brooke Shields' and Kate Moss' infamous Calvin Klein ads. Although accused of sexualizing the girls they depicted, the thing is that the pictures in question actually showed Moss and Shields as their real — and really young — ages. Ironically, what mostly escaped scrutiny were all the other ads and editorials Moss and Shields had been doing while made up to look like the adults they weren't.
I'm not going to pretend Carine Roitfeld's motives for publishing this shoot are to "raise awareness" or some shit: She's made her magazine famous for seeking "edgy" content, and boosting her circulation significantly. Roitfeld is not particularly given to fashion shoots where models jump in front of greige backgrounds; She prefers to run editorials lampooning health advice for pregnant women and exploring satanism. She's also published pictures of very young models styled in ways that are, to put it mildly, questionable — a particular shot from February, 2005, of a 16-year-old Gemma Ward in a polka-dotted dress, playing with dolls, comes to mind.
Roitfeld clearly knew this story would be controversial, and Roitfeld has always courted controversy. But this spread is a not-so-subtle fuck you to our culture's unhealthy obsession with youth (in general) and the fashion industry's (in particular), and to the commodification of childhood that comes with both. Is this story "tasteful"? Hell no. Does it "sell" the clothes? Not really. Is it pleasant to look at? Of course not. But that doesn't mean it isn't good for us to see.
Vogue Paris 'Cadeaux' [Sharif Hamza Studio]


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With the backdrop of the possibility of early elections in Israel, unprecedented tension has been reported in the relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Netanyahu on Oct. 3 accused Barak of "working to undermine" him and straying from official government policy, telling his close associates that he "no longer has trust in Barak." The prime minister said that on the defense chief's recent trip to the United States, Barak offered himself as a "moderate and responsible alternative" to Netanyahu and criticized Netanyahu's "radical and unrealistic policies." Barak was trying to drive a wedge between the prime minister and the American government, Israel's Channel 2 reported.
Additionally, according to Israel Radio, Netanyahu harshly criticized Barak during a closed-door conversation with Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz on Oct. 2. Netanyahu was meeting with Steinitz about the state budget. During the meeting, Steinitz warned Netanyahu about Barak, saying the defense minister would act against the prime minister if he decided it was politically advantageous for him. This statement prompted Netanyahu's comments about Barak.
"[Barak] traveled to the U.S. to stoke the dispute between us and Obama in order to come off as the savior and the moderate, the mediator between the sides," Netanyahu was reported to have said.
However, a Barak associare said Oct. 3 that the defense minister "was dispatched to the United States at the behest of the government, and duly represented the coalition; Barak heaped praise on Netanyahu at every high level meeting with administration officials during the trip, just like he has done so over the past several years."
Netanyahu confidants said Barak has decided to separate himself from the prime minister due to electoral considerations. Barak is hoping that the Independence party, which he founded in 2011 after he left Labor, will earn enough votes in the next elections to surpass the threshold required to receive seats in the Knesset.
"For a time, Barak tried to play a double game, as he thought Netanyahu would reserve the position of defense minister for him," the Netanyahu confidants said. "But when he understood that this would not happen, he began to attack the prime minister."
Finance Ministry officials said Steinitz has been cautioning Netanyahu about Barak for months.
"[Barak] is the only person holding up the passing of the budget formulated by Netanyahu and Steinitz, because it requires a four billion shekel cut to the defense budget," a Finance Ministry official said. "Without the support of the Independence party, it will be impossible to pass the budget in the Knesset."
In response, Barak's office said that Barak had not changed his views on political, economic and military matters, that until now the basis for close cooperation between him and Netanyahu was their agreement to disagree on a variety of issues, and that the only change was Netanyahu's reaction. "It is no secret that in closed government discussion rooms, and occasionally in public, Ehud Barak has positions that are different from most other members of the government, including the prime minister, on issues such as the Palestinians, socio-economic affairs and the relationship with the U.S.," Barak's office said.
"During his trips to the U.S., Barak has defended the government's positions and has tried to contribute, often successfully, to lowering tensions between the governments and strengthening security ties," according to the defense minister's office.
A defense ministry source on Oct. 3 emphasized the vital strategic significance of Israel's security ties with the U.S., stating that Barak has worked to maintain and bolster those ties since he became defense minister five years ago, including the last three-and-a-half years in the Netanyahu government.
Accentuating his differences with Netanyahu, Barak last month called for a unilateral withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria if peace efforts with the Palestinians remained stalled.
Barak's proposal, made in an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom, was widely seen as a bid to stake out new political ground before a possible election, which Netanyahu could opt to call in an attempt to build new alliances rather than battle with his current coalition partners over the 2013 state budget, which will include severe austerity measures. Barak has resisted Finance Ministry calls to rein in defense spending and impose steep defense cuts. Other parties in the coalition have also balked at cuts in spending that could affect core constituencies.


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Volunteer Information Session
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"My Closest Roaddogz" – 2Pac
Producer : Johnny "J"
Lyrics :
To my dog named Musolini, Big Syke, Thug Life baby
The return of the mashers, you know how we do it
Shit half the times we flaunt cause trouble
My closest road dog it was cool cause I love you
Fuck what they talkin bout
Let me take you back in time, rewind to eighty-nine
Introduced me to this life of crime, but we was blind
Little nappy-haired juveniles, livin wild
No smiles on our faces, thirteen catchin cases
Indeed, it was misery
Driven by my own demons, cause they was killin me
How can I be sure I'll be saved soon?
Catch me dip into the light, of a stray moon
It's gettin deeper now, let me get yo' mind right
Fuck yo' enemies, nigga grip yo' nine tight, tonight's the night
Murder murder Mr. Lucifer
Pictures of the devil DUCK when he shoot at cha, it's all political
Runnin from the future, escapin in the fog
Live yo' life like a hog nigga, me and my closest road dogz
[Chorus: sung]
Every ghetto street got a crosswalk
Let me get to the other side with my road dogz
All roam in the scary place called home
Take a second victim and if they all gone, my closest road dogz
Every ghetto street got a stop sign
Can I trust in you my road dogz on mine?
Even when I'm goin through hard times
I still got my closest road dogz lookin out for all mine
Haha.. bring artillery and ROLL with a nigga
They could never take the soul of a M.O.B. soldier nigga
Cowards get rolled up, mob on 'em Makaveli
Boy youse a boss player, that's what all the bitches tell me
Even if I died now
I live my life eternally and never lie down, why cry now?
Fooled a few but never 'came a gamer, ain't tryin to hear it
Evil spirits hide at total strangers, yo' life's in danger
Prepare nigga be aware, cause we ain't scared
M.O.B., 'til I die, when we ride niggaz disappear
Fill 'em up with pistol smoke
Never forget to blow a hole in his head
for leakin information to the feds
The burnin bed was the tellin sign
Two hired guns bustin everyone, yellin everybody die
Why the fuck they fuck around, we left 'em in the fog
bleedin like a stuck hog, me and my closest road dogz
Fuck they feelings, that's what they get for squealin
That's the pressures of a gangsta, dangerous this drug dealin
See me in physical form, my niggaz swarm
Take the figure of a circle beatin jealous niggaz 'til they purple
Simon Says take they heads homies
and send them phony motherfuckers to dwell with all they dead homies
Fishin for fake niggaz, observe and shake niggaz
The only way to see six figures, is break niggaz
Me and Musolini set to ride we high
Big Bogart got the alibi if homicide ask us way
Labelled a Capo in the mob as big as the globe
To live and die as a millionaire, on ..
Set to explode, my M.O., is kill them hoes
My pistol's like a disease, my enemies and foes
Get murdered and disposed of, we in the fog
Makaveli the Don, and my closest road dogz
[Chorus – 2X]


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Dear All
Dr. Pan invited Prof. Yeping Zhu to give a talk:
Agent-based Cooperative Analysis and Decision Support System for Regional Agricultural Economic Information
Start: 12/20/2012 1:00 pm, Thursday
End: 12/20/2012 2:30 pm, Thursday
Departmental Colloquium
Professor Yeping Zhu
Agricultural Information Institute
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science
Beijing, P.R. China
We have collected various agricultural economic data, and built basic agricultural economic databases. Recently, we have also used sensor technology to collect agricultural environmental data. We mainly work on developing real time data collection systems, doing simulations, analyzing data, and making agricultural production management and decision support service.
The outline is given below:
1. Background
2. Agent Technology in China
3. Applications of Agricultural Agents
4. Cooperative analysis methods
5. System Architecture
6. Cooperative Work between Agents
7. System Integration and Development
8. Conclusions
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


text:
Throckmorton County childcare centers come in sizes, costs, and programs to fit all budgets and preferences. We know that parents are busy but that selecting the right daycare center or preschool is crucial. So we've gathered basic information for 1 child care centers in Throckmorton County into a single location so that you are only a click away from basic information such as address, size, and licensing information that can help you refine your search. You can narrow down your search even further by selecting a zip code or a city from the list below. Need more assistance? Simply contact the child care referral agency or the licensing agency listed on the right!
You may also want to checkout 1 other family daycare providers and group home daycare in Throckmorton County Home Daycare.
If your ZIP code is not in the dropdown list, use this link to see all ZIP Codes in Throckmorton County
Mini Hounds Daycare is a Licensed Center - Child Care Program in THROCKMORTON TX, with a maximum capacity of 17 children. This child care center helps with children in the age range of Infant, Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten, School. The provider does not participate ...
Call (806) 745-7995 or Toll Free (800) 456-4862
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
For more information, visit http://www.childrensconnections.org


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Showtimes for Thursday, August 15, 2019
Main Street, U.S.A.
New Orleans Square
No shows scheduled in Adventureland, Critter Country, Mickey's Toontown, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, or Tomorrowland today.
Note: Showtimes are updated nightly via disneyland.com and our own sources -- but schedules may change at any time.
|Opening Time
|Closing Time
|Early Entry (details) at 8:00am
|Crowd levels are for subscribers only. Join TouringPlans.com!
» View DL Wait Times
» View DLR Showtimes
» View Crowd Calendar
Inaccurate/stale schedule?
Let us know.


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System recognizes gripping surfaces automatically
This combination of robot software, 3D sensor and sensor software makes it possible to recognize the smooth surfaces of a component as suitable gripping surfaces and to supply the robot with this information. The surfaces are identified automatically by the system. You cannot influence this as a user.
In addition to the gripping surfaces in the six dimensions X, Y, Z and A, B, C, the container holding the components is also recognized. What's more, the software additionally verifies the pick-up point on the component and ensures that there is no risk of a collision with the container. It is possible to parameterize the quality of the gripping surfaces manually with the aid of KUKA _3D Perception.BinPicking.
Easy start-up directly on the KUKA smartPAD
The application is perfectly suited to the requirements posed by the logistics and consumer goods sectors, but it is also suitable for other industries and purposes. It can be launched on the KUKA smartPAD itself in just a few simple steps. No special image processing skills are required for this. All you have to do is:
- Carry out the calibration process
- Conduct the object management for the components (SKUs) and containers (LCs)
- Define the robot's intended workspace
- Perform a recognition test and optimize the parameters
- Adapt the example programs provided
Automated gripping and positioning without external computing power
Your KUKA robot makes use of the KUKA _3D Perception sensor to automatically identify the appropriate surfaces it can use to grip non-mixed objects. The robot uses a suction gripper to pick up the objects and place them elsewhere. At no point in the application is external computing power required – all the data are processed directly in the sensor.


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Exactly one week into it's release, and Grand Theft Auto V  is officially the best-selling (and one of the best reviewed) video games of all time. Would this be the case if the game were released back in the heyday of 16-bit?
Check out the "gameplay trailer" for GTAV:SNES (produced by our friends over at Machinima), and imagine a world in which ultra-violence was a lot more pixelated; you ain't seen nothing until you've seen a hexagonal Trevor getting his retro groove on (gross).
'Cause you KNOW you wished you could do video game yoga back in 1994.
Love this trailer? What other modern games would you like to see get the 16-bit treatment? Kindly leave a comment, email me , check out my YouTube channel, or hit me up on the Twitter machine.


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Highly toxic plutonium has seeped into the soil outside the troubled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power complex in northeastern Japan, officials say. The amounts detected in two different soil samples taken from the facility did not pose a risk to humans, safety officials say.
The plutonium levels found were so low, they could have been from soil almost anywhere on Earth, NPR's Jon Hamilton reports from Tokyo. A government spokesman said Tuesday that an analysis of the specific radioactive isotopes suggests the material came from a nearby reactor.
Continue reading at "Plutonium Found Leaking Out Of Japan Nuclear Plant" via NPR.


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The FCC today moved to make 100 MHz of 5 GHz spectrum more accessible for unlicensed Wi-Fi use.
The new report and order focused on relaxing the rules governing the operation of Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) in the 5 GHz band, specifically removing current restriction on indoor-only use and increasing the permissible power in the 5.150-5.250 GHz band.
According to the FCC, the new rules will allow U-NII devices to "better integrate with other unlicensed portions of the 5 GHz band to offer faster speeds and reduce congestion at crowded Wi-Fi hot spots."
In addition, the Commission reworked rules for all unlicensed Wi-Fi operations in the 5 GHz Band and updated certain technical rules, requiring manufacturers to secure their devices against illegal modification in order to avoid interference with on-going operations in 5 GHz.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler hoped the Commission's latest action would help put to rest the argument of licensed versus unlicensed spectrum.
"In 2014, licensed and unlicensed spectrum are more complimentary than competitive. They are less oil & vinegar and more peanut butter & jelly," Wheeler said in a statement, adding that just about every smartphone has two unlicensed technologies, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and many also feature Near Field Communication.
Filed Under: Telecommunications (Spectrum)


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WASHINGTON — It is sometimes argued, rather piously, that the outcome of the immigration reform debate must be decided on the substance instead of the politics. And there is much to commend in the substance of the Senate bill, which would improve security at the border, modernize employer verification, shift future green cards toward more skilled applicants and provide undocumented workers a chance to demonstrate they are good citizens (paying fines and back taxes and avoiding a criminal record), before they are sworn in as citizens 13 years down the road.
But if there is any issue where politics is unavoidable, it is this one: Immigration policy (along with demographic trends) determines the shape of the future electorate. It is not particularly realistic, or even coherent, to argue that defining the boundaries of the political community should not be sullied by politics.
So the current, internal Republican debate on the political implications of reform is unavoidable. Some believe the shift toward a more welcoming immigration policy is a precondition for appealing to rising ethnic groups. Others claim that undocumented workers, in the words of one Republican congressman, Michael Burgess of Texas, are "11 million undocumented Democrats" who would, as citizens, vote the GOP into irrelevance.
The Republican camps in this dispute are largely defined by their answer to a prior political question: Does the current coalition of the GOP need to be motivated or modified? If it is possible to win future national elections by increasing the enthusiasm and turnout of current Republican voters, then embracing immigration reform is an unnecessary political risk. If the Republican coalition is unsustainable and requires transformation, then the assumption of political risk is required.
For two reasons, Republicans should be leaning toward the modification of their coalition.
First, the realities of demographic change have begun to bite. Since the mid-1990s, the share of nonwhite voters has steadily increased by about three percentage points each presidential election. If America's demographic composition were the same last year as it was in 1992, Mitt Romney would have won in a landslide. If it were the same as it was in 2000, he would now be president. Instead, Romney secured 59 percent of the white vote — and lost the election by four points.
Second, during the same 20 years these shifts were taking place, elements of the GOP undertook an active campaign to alienate rising demographic groups. It began with Proposition 187 in California, denying public services to illegal immigrants and their families, and continued with restrictive immigration laws in Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. This effort symbolically culminated in Romney's embrace of "self-deportation" and his loss of the Hispanic vote by 44 points.
From one perspective, immigration restrictionists are correct. In the current political atmosphere — the atmosphere they helped to create — immigrants who become citizens will be deeply suspicious of Republicans. So are current voters who have ties to or sympathy for immigrant communities. The problem is this: While killing immigration reform may slightly extend the viability of the current Republican political coalition, it may seriously undermine the attempt to adjust it.
Such an adjustment depends on Hispanic voters being gettable by Republicans — which many restrictionists deny. Hispanics, it is argued, are inherently favorable to big government. But there is some paradoxical hope to be found for the GOP in the recent collapse of its appeal among Hispanics. This did not happen because immigrant groups became more liberal or more welfare-dependent. It happened because Republicans seemed more hostile to their interests. Clearly there is some elasticity in Latino political opinion. A GOP political strategy might begin by removing the stick they have put in the eye of a rising demographic group — the main political argument for supporting immigration reform.
This won't be enough. While appealing to Hispanic voters is not like appealing to Manhattanites — it doesn't involve the abandonment of social conservatism — it does require a populist economic agenda. Recent immigrants are naturally concerned about a working social safety net, a working public education system, and a working job training system. Republicans will need to offer serious reform proposals in these areas. And this requires a positive, active, market-oriented role for government that competes with more centralized and bureaucratic Democratic approaches.
The GOP's political goal is modest. It doesn't need to win majorities among minorities, just avoid lopsided losses. But the challenge is larger than it first appears — not merely to accept an immigration bill, but to start a period of ideological creativity and persistent outreach.
Michael Gerson's email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I have previously written about one of my favourite songs: Rusalka's "Mesicku na nebi hlubokem," (Song to the Moon) from the Opera by Antonín Dvořák showing images of the stage sets and Renee Fleming's beautiful version. The song is sung by a plaintive girl longing for love calling on the moon to tell her Prince of her love.
Pascal Barnier sent me a lovely image below and I decided to do a little bit more research into the folklore behind the character.
In the opera Rusalka's father is a water goblin called Vodnik and there is a witch called Jezibaba who transforms Rusalka into a human at the cost of her voice. Rusalka's lover the Prince, betrays her, dooming them both. I'd love to see an Opera about the younger Rusalka before she fell for the Prince with the last Act a contracted version of the original opera to show just how much she gives up for her love.
Here is my performance of the aria from this year's "Voice Of The Future" competition at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod if you haven't had the chance to see it.
Rusalka is a water nymph a female spirit whose origins can be traced to the Slavic folklore (Eastern Europe). The name comes from the eastern Slavic русалка ( meaning red haired girl ) and has taken on the meaning mermaid in Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine. In western Slavic folklore there are stories based on spirits called víla in Czech or Slovak and wiła in Polish.
Folklore tells us that generally, the rusalka couldn't completely stand out of water, half woman half fish, some stories say that she could climb trees or sit on a dock with her feet/flippers in the water combing her hair, sometimes the rusalka is depicted as wood nymph usually during the summer the rusalka would join in circle dances in groups.
Some dark tales tell of rusalki who like to play games, despising other women and only showing themselves to attack or take away their men. Her purpose was to lure young men, seduced by her looks or voice, into the depths of the water to destroy him.
These stories are found all over the world, in Brazilian mythology Iara or Yara are sirens or mermaids. Depicted as beautiful females who lead men to their deaths singing to them whilst combing her hair. Once under Iara's spell the victim would leave anything to live with her underwater forever, she is immortal but he grows old.
These same myths are represented in stories of mermaids going back thousands of years. Greek sirens were first mentioned in Homer's Odyssey they were sea-nymphs who had the power to charm by song, unhappy mariners were irresistibly drawn to the depths of the sea to their doom. Many medieval sailors claimed to have seen them. The mermaids described by Columbus were said to be the marine creatures called manatees.In British folklore they can be bringers of bad luck causing bad storms and drowning men. In some tales they marry and live with humans such as the Merrow from Scotland.
Do you know of any other similar folk tales about these water nymphs?